The Siren Chapter 3

The sun was relentless.  It beats against ships, reflects against the sea, and scorches anyone it meets.  No amount of clothing or shade can shield you.  Shadows slide and disappear, clothing only keeps you warm.  In the end, the sun wins.  I’d thought of the sun a lot my first three days on The Freedom.


I leaned against the door of my cabin.  With the morning light at my back, I was shaded for a time.  As the shadows receded, I sheltered my face behind my broad brimmed hat.  I had received a full closet of my shipmates’ odds and ends.  Loose shirts, tights pants, holey boots, and a patched hat.  I had already been hardened by the sun.  I had been tanned by it through years of living sun up to sundown in the scorching heat but I wasn’t immune to its effects.  


Over those three days, I grew increasingly irritable.  I was impatient to reach Tortuga and find news of Smoke and my family.  I yelled more often, stomped often, and tended to be more aggressive.   Worse, I suffered bouts of forlorn sadness which the crew had gotten accustomed too.  Still, my habit of watching the shadows each morning unnerved them.  They knew not to speak to me until the shadow’s edge reached my boots.  Only then would I begin to work and not a moment before.


It was hard work being second in command of a calloused crew and I was in perpetual motion all day.  But when the morning was still dark and cool and the nighttime fog was burning off, I was a statue.  A statue who would only be disturbed by the rising sun.  The sphere of fire who was as relentless as I, who every day was cursed by burnt sailors but refused to stop.  Just as I would dutifully search the planet for my family, the sun combed the sky.  I didn't know what the sun was looking for but it left a scorched trail on the earth with a vigor I tried to mimic.
 
All those thoughts and more crackled through my head as the shade’s edge neared the tip of my boots.  The only one who dared disturb me was Flint who had been more clingy than usual.  Even through my shirt, his talons left red scratches on my shoulder.  Finally, the shadow played against my shoe laces.  I pushed myself off the wall and strolled across the deck.


“Morning.”  I nodded to a man who was carrying a bucket of seawater and a mop.  Strolling towards the forecastle deck, my heels clicked and resounded throughout the ship.  Each sailor called a greeting over the sound of the creaking yardarm.  Three pirates, who I caught sleeping in the bow, were woken by a crashing wave against the hull.  About to reprimand them, I was interrupted by Michael calling me from the wheel.


  I turned on my heel and trudged back the length of the ship.  I imagined that Michael wanted me to man the wheel, as he’d been teaching me how to steer the ship.  It was my least favorite task aboard the ship and the importance of it made me nervous.  I was halted by a scream from the crow’s nest.


  “British galleon off the port side,”  Theo called from above.


  “Can we take it?”  Michael asked.


  “It looks like it’s trying to take us!”  At this, the ship was silent.  For a second, not even a rope dared to move.  It wasn’t so much fear that caused the stillness but uncertainty which I was fast to stop.


  “Then we’ll strike first!”  I shouted and scrambled to climb up the crow’s nest.  My hands were shaking with adrenaline and my breath was quick and shallow.


   “Aye!”  Michael shouted and began giving more specific directions.


  In the crow’s nest, I twisted my foot nervously and tugged on the cross around my neck.  Flint had taken off and began to circle above me.  We hadn’t so much as met a ship the entirety of the voyage.  Even so, as we got closer to Tortuga, I knew an encounter like this was likely.  Not that I was afraid, I had been bringing down ships for a long time.  Theo drew out a rifle and loaded it with solid, capable hands.


The galleon was nearing us, with a portside lined with cannons and topped with towering masts.  The crew again fell silent.  I was left with nothing to listen to nothing except my pounding heartbeat.  I could hear a bead of sweat that dripped off Theo’s nose and splattered on the railing.


  “It has too many cannons.  It’s bound to blow us out of the water.”  Theo murmured, gripping the edge of the railing.  I knew it was true.  The sheer grandeur of the vessel gave me shivers.  Yet the impossible challenge was exciting.  The idea of conquering such a powerful adversary was a gratifying thought.


   I studied the galleon, paying attention to its shape and the grooves of the cannon slots.  Pressing my wrists together, I curled my fingers in the air as if I was holding the galleon.


   In time with my motions, a wall of water cupped the galleon’s hull, blocking the cannons.  Then, I blew between my hands, causing frost to dance along my palms.  It was an uncomfortable sensation as if I had stuck my hands into a block of ice but it was well worth it.  The wall of water solidified into ice starting from the hull and moving up to the deck’s railings.


   I had practiced this trick before.  I'd frozen the condensation on my window or glasses of water but never on such a large scale.  It was difficult in the concentration it required but it took no physical toll.
  “I don’t see any cannons,”  I smirked.


  Michael brought us parallel to the enemy ship.  By then, a thousand memories roared past me.  I saw burning ships, heard the crackling of a fire, and breathed the overwhelming smell of smoke.  I laughed and drummed my hand on the railing.  I expected the wild fervor of combat to match the excitement I had felt to as a warrior.

The ships lined up and Theo aimed his rifle.  He was taking cover under the crow's nest's wall.  I stood, unafraid, watching my wall of ice block any attempts made by the galleon’s cannons.  Surely we had already won.  Without cannons, all the British had were bullets.


I howled a barrage of insults against the enemy but was muted by the first shot.  I was muted by the noise of gunfire.  The sound frightened me but I really started to panic when a bullet flew just a foot from my head.  I dropped to the floor and hid.  


Now it was different memories I was experiencing.  I relived all of the things I had worked to forget.  I felt the sharp pangs of an accidental burn the first time I had lit a fire.  I heard the screaming of roasting sailors as if they were on my own ship.  I smelled the sweet flowery scent I’d attributed to my mother I had long forgotten.  Suddenly, battle wasn’t fun.  I felt weak and vulnerable as I cowered next to Theo’s leg.


Theo loaded his rifle and leaned it against the railing.  He fired and reloaded, again and again, each shot causing a bang that made me wince.  He seemed immune to the sound and unaffected by the danger of sticking his head above cover.


“You okay, Charlie?”  He dropped his rifle and wiped a tear from my cheek.


“Don’t tell anyone.”  I murmured.


“I won’t.”  He grabbed his rifle again.  “It’s a normal reaction to your first fire fight.”


It felt an eternity until the firing stopped and was replaced by cheering.


“We’ve got ‘em, Charlie,”  Theo said as he helped me up.  “You better go out there and put on a strong face.  The crew will expect you too.”


“I can do that.”  I sighed.


I slid down the ladder to the deck.  Most of the crew had boarded the other ship and were disarming the British.  Michael waited at the end of the gangplank and followed me onto the galleon.


I had a natural disliking to the Royal Navy and seeing its men in such a pitiful state was gratifying.  The deck was frosted over and the men’s breath curled like smoke.


Michael jogged below deck, howling at the men to move quickly.  I took command of the hostage crew.


“Don’t move!”  I hollered at a particularly fidgety hostage.  As I spoke, an orb of water burst of the sea and paused just outside my palm.


“Witch!”  Another captive roared but was held back by the rest of his comrades.


“Who’s your captain?”  I demanded.


“Sorceress!”  A sailor spat.


I pointed at the man and the water, in the shape of a dart, rocketed at his face.


“It’s this one, Miss Charlie.”  Nick pointed to a man standing in the back of the huddle.  I quickly redirected the dart away from the British sailor and pulled the captain aside.


The captain was an imposing figure; much taller than I with countless scars running up and down his face.


“I’m sorry about your ship, sir.  It’s beautiful and clearly taken care of.”  I said.


“Yes, it’s a reflection of our high moral standard.”  Watts sniffed.


“Well, I hope you can suspend your moral standard for a minute and share some information.  I’m searching for a British Admiral by the name of Smoke and need to know where he’s going.”


“I know of him,”  Watts replied.  “What did he do to you?”


“You assume he wronged me.  Don’t you have more faith in your colleague?”  I asked.


“When it comes to Smoke I don’t know what to expect.”  He shrugged.  “That man has been in more scandals than I can count and yet he’s the Royal Navy’s golden child.”


“He’s massacred my people and kidnapped my sisters.  I’m trying to find them.”  I explained.  I could sense the animosity Watt held against the admiral.


“We aren’t allowed to just kidnap people, but if your sisters are of any interest to Smoke...  Well, then it isn't unlikely that he took them.  He’s started falling apart, I must admit.”  Watts said.


“What do you mean?”


   I turned to the pile of weapons, provisions, and cargo the pirates had collected.  When they finished collecting the valuables, they began transferring the goods to The Freedom.


“He’s always been eccentric and brutal in combat.  However, recently he’s convinced the crown to sponsor some of his more wild ideas.  He’s out to demystify the New World and taking money out of the Royal Navy for his fantasies.”  Watts explained.


“Watts, are you dissatisfied in the British fleet?”  I laughed.


“Oh, I’m not interested in pirating if that’s what you’re getting at.  I still have my ethics.”


The crew had finished moving the stolen goods and were ready to disembark the galleon.  Michael was waiting for me at the gangplank.


“Well, thanks for the information.  I’m sure I’ll be beating you again.”  I mock curtsied.


“Don’t count on it,”  Watts grumbled but there was something in his eyes that wasn’t there before.  I attributed it to a sort of quiet dissension.
 
I crossed back to my ship behind Michael with one last glance at Watts.  I was sure that I would end up seeing him again, and I didn’t think it would be in a British uniform.


Methodically, the rest of our crew boarded The Freedom.  They were cautious of any attempt at an attack from the British.  The galleon was wiser than to follow and it remained still as we sailed away.


I watched the ice surrounding the hull turn to slush as it was met with warmer waves.  I had to say, my power was getting impressive.


At lunch, I sat in the bow and shared a slice of bread with Flint.  Michael joined me and I shared a piece with him.


“What did the captain tell you?”  Michael asked.


“Nothing particularly useful.”


“Well, we’ll reach Tortuga tonight and I’ll try to find some information.”  He ran his hand through his hair.


The crew was working hard and I felt proud that they were so focused even when Michael and I were resting.  We didn’t talk much and I must have fallen asleep.


I woke to Flint nuzzling in my hair.  I pushed him off and jumped up.  I was met with the first dock I’d ever seen.  There were only a few ships at the port but it was still bustling with life.  There was a shack built at the edge of the dock and around it were peddlers selling snacks and trinkets.  Past the dock, a city a thousand times larger than my town spread out before me.


“Welcomed to Tortuga.”  A sailor elbowed me as he disembarked with a few friends.


I spotted Michael walking down the dock and I raced to keep up with him.  We walked into the shack and I was given strict orders to stay quiet and let him do the negotiating.


Inside were stacks of record books being sorted by a pudgy man sweating profusely.


“Tom!”  Michael exclaimed as he came in.  “It’s great to see you.  I hope you don’t mind if I dock my ship here.”


“They’ve tightened regulations, Michael.  Pirates can’t dock at my port I could be punished for it.”  Tom slammed a book shut, which made me jump.


“Oh, I see.  You don’t think I have the money.  Well, I just robbed a galleon and we’re loaded.  Isn’t that right, Charlie?”


“Ahuh.”  I nodded.


“It’s not a matter of money.  I can’t let you dock here.  You need to get your crew and…”  I stopped paying attention and strolled outside.  I waited out front and admired The Freedom sitting proudly against the dock.


A tall, hawk-nosed woman in a long dress and bonnet stopped in her tracks to stare at me.


“I’ve never seen a woman so disgraceful”  She sneered at me.  “As to wear men’s clothes.”


I wasn’t sure how to respond but luckily I didn’t have to.  Michael who was stomping out of the shack heard what she said.


“You watch your tone and keep walking.”  He barked and the woman scurried away.  “You have to be careful.  You’ll meet more dangerous people here than that old lady.”


I followed him down the busy street.  I tried not to act too surprised at all the things I’d never seen before.  I saw street performers, a toy store, and a library stocked with books displayed in the window.  Michael led me to a pub half full of men alight with the buzz of liquor.  Two bartenders refilled mugs and counted coins.  


One was younger, perhaps twenty.  Mildly attractive and seemingly bookish he seemed ill at ease among the louder patrons.  The older bartender had the same eyes, though they were tainted in elderly wisdom.  At the bar, sitting alone was a well-dressed man sipping a glass of wine.  The older bartender chatted with the patron without looking up from his work.  The younger man was less focused.  His eyes were constantly darting around and he was the first to notice us.


“Michael!”  He waved.


“Hello, Dominic.”  Michael smiled back and nodded to the older man.  
“Clement.


“Welcome back.”


Michael slid onto the stool next to the well-dressed patron and I followed.  I had never seen Michael so calm.


“Glad to see you sailing again, Stede,”  Michael said.


“Aye, the British couldn’t keep me long.”  He smiled back at Michael though his expression didn’t meet his eyes, and took notice of me.


I studied him quickly.  Though he was well dressed, his clothing was an attempt to distract from a sickly appearance.  There were dark rings surrounding his eyes and he tapped the bar to avoid showing that he was shaking.  He reminded me of a worn ship that had been newly painted.  Though the veneer was attractive, he was tired and damaged.


“Oh, this is Charlie, my new first mate.  Charlie, this is Captain Stede Bonnet.”


For a second, Stede's tired eyes brightened and saw again only his outward impeccability.  “Charlie?  That’s a beautiful cross you must tell me where you got it.”


I let him pick up the cross and examine it.  I usually would have shied away but something about him was captivating.  Besides, Michael trusted him.


“From my mother.”  An instinctive hand flew to my neck.


“And your mother gave you the name Charlie?  That’s quite the masculine name.”


“It’s short for Charlotte, sir,”  I answered, politely but wondered why he was interested or, perhaps more accurately, concerned.


“Charlotte.”  Captain Bonnet tasted the name.


“It’s bold to have a woman be your first mate.”  Clement slid Michael a mug and leaned in front of me.  His hands were calloused, scarred, and he was missing a finger.  I didn’t doubt that a man must have sailed to hell and back with hands so rugged.


“The work is just as hard no matter your gender,”  I answered.


“Pirating is bold work and you clearly have the spirit.”  Bonnet chuckled and sipped his wine.  “But you’re too young.”


“Sailing ages you.”  Michael shrugged.  “She’ll grow fast enough.”


“It ages you too much.”  Clement waved his disfigured fingers at me.  “Just look at me.”


“You lost that in a kitchen and we know it!”  Michael teased though he seemed a bit put off by seeing Clement’s hands.  Though an injury like his would repulse most, I was fascinated with the man.  I wondered what daring stories he had and hoped that someday he would share some with me.


“Aye, a ship’s kitchen.”  Clement winked.  “Trust me, child.  You don’t want to be sailing, especially under a scalawag like him.”


The door creaked open and every eye turned to the door.  Theo popped his head in and slunk towards the bar as far from us as possible.  He slithered into a bar stool and curled his arms across his chest.  The clamor of the tavern returned and only then did Dominic step over to him. Neither greeted each other but there was a silent acknowledgment between them.


“What have we here?”  Stede eyed the two.


“That boy, Theo, comes here every time he’s in port.”  Clement sighed.
“He’s sailing with me now.  We picked up what was left of The Gallant’s crew three days ago.”  Michael explained.


“They’re inseparable and everyone knows it but, they think they’re fooling us.”  Clement shook his head.  “They think they can pull the wool over my eyes because I’m an old man.”


“Do you mind?”  Michael asked.


I stayed silent.  I perfectly understood what was going on but it wasn’t my place to gossip.  I wanted Theo to be happy and I didn’t care who he had a relationship with.


“I mind that Dominic won’t just tell me, he should know that I’ll always accept him.  I’m his father after all.  I mind that he can’t think straight whenever Theo is so much as in the same city.  He won’t get a lick of work done for the next month.”  Clement sighed.  “And it troubles me that he thinks he’s being covert.  If this is as secretive as he can be then he’s in trouble.”


“Theo’s a good man.”  I decided to add.


“L'amour c'est l'amour.”  Bonnet smiled.  “But it seems like you came for more than drinks and conversation, Michael.”


“Aye, Charlie is looking for a certain British admiral.  I don’t think anything gets past you so I figured you’d know of him.”


“So Charlie wants to talk business.  Let’s hear it then.  Who’s the man you’re after?”  Bonnet leaned closer to me, sending the smell of wine my way.


“His name is Admiral Smoke.”


“I’ve heard of him but not lately.  I haven’t the faintest where he’d be.”  Again the door swung open.  Bonnet puffed with pride.  “Well, would you look here.”


I watched as a stranger not older than nineteen amble in and greeted Theo and Dominic.  Theo and Dominic eagerly shook his hand and seem unafraid at attracting his attention.  I assumed that the stranger was just as aware of their relationship as Clement.


“That’s Axel Guartem.  His father was a Spanish pirate who led the Chepo Expedition.  It was a brave attack, to say the least.”  Michael whispered to me, almost nervously.  “He’s Bonnet’s first mate; practically a son to him.”


Axel plopped onto the stool next to me and asked Clement for a mug of rum.  To make room for Axel, Michael scooted my stool closer to him.  I stifled at the movement because it was uncharacteristically protective on Michael’s part.  Axel took note of the motion with the slight wrinkle of his brow.


“Good to see you, Michael.”  His voice was charming but not in any way, I found pleasant.  At first, I found his confidence and certainty attractive.  But upon second thought, he seemed too proud of the reaction he was getting.  Grown men were falling over to get a look at him, and though he never gave them notice, he enjoyed the attention.  Overall, he seemed the type of person who got what he wanted not by work but by reputation.


I didn’t know a thing about the Chepo Expedition but the effect it had on Michael was profound.  You would have thought that Axel was the spawn of a god rather than a mere pirate.  Even if I knew about his father, I wouldn’t have liked Axel Guartem anyway.  He exuded arrogance and I saw no reason for it.  He wasn’t ugly but not the most attractive in the pub and he didn’t look as dangerous or rugged as any other patron.  In fact, he was shorter than most in the pub, including myself.  


“Likewise, mate.”  Michael stuck out his hand past me for Axel to shake.  As he revoked his arm, Axel looked me up and down in the most noticeable and provocative way possible.  His look was so saturated in judgment it might as well have been dripping.  Though I liked to think he had no effect on me, I wondered if I should have fastened the extra button on my shirt.


“Miss Charlotte, meet Axel Guartem.”  Bonnet said.


“Hi.”  Axel sneered and looked to Michael.  “I thought you were abstaining, mate.”


“Aye, I say that every other week and back to the bottle I go.”  Michael laughed and took a hearty swig from his mug.


“That’s not what I’m talking about.”  He raised an eyebrow at me.  “You’re a man of more than one vice.”


“Watch it, Axel.”  Bonnet warned.


“I don’t understand.”  I glanced to Michael for an explanation who simply shook his head.  The comment didn’t seem to upset him, rather made him blush and attempt to hide a smile.  


“At least she’s pretty,”  Axel smirked.  “Though, I have to say, I liked your last girl better.”


“Axel!”  Bonnet slammed his hand on the bar.  He was turning redder by the second and was clenching the stem of his wine glass so hard I was glad it didn’t snap.


“I have to say, that was rude.  Actually, I have a few good insults of my own but I’d hate to stoop so… low.”  I sneered.  I expected someone so arrogant had a height complex and I wasn’t disappointed.


“Damn it, Charlie!”  Michael groaned and ran his hands through his hair.
“Ooo he’s met his match.”  Clement jeered.


“Alright love, run back to the brothel.”  Axel blushed but kept his composure. “Michael Harvey has a lover on every corner.  You’re not special because a pirate bought you a drink.”


“I think you’ve misjudged the situation, Mr. Guartem.  It would be easier if we were thinking on the same level but I don’t think you could reach that high.”  I fired back.


It took him a second to register what I said.  Undoubtedly, he had expected me to be afraid of him or to be in awe of his clever scorn.  Just by keeping up to his self-assumed genius, I was flustering him.


“Watch it, love.”  Axel leaned closer, threateningly.  Where talking had failed, he resorted to intimidation.  He didn’t know that I was a pirate too and most likely much better in a fight.  Refusing to shrink away I leaned in too.


I had another biting remark that was sure to send him reeling, but I decided not to answer.  I was suddenly disoriented by the smell of ashes and sea water, and I hoped I wouldn't have to move away.   How was it that such an annoying person smelled like my favorite things?   When I was silent, he didn’t look proud or triumphant, but slightly bewildered.  I had won his respect which appeared to surprise him.  I had taken him down a peg and was content that he realized I was more than whatever he had first assumed.


“Alright, though this is an amusing battle I say we straighten this up,”  Clement said.


“It was just getting good.”   Bonnet chuckled.  “That was the funniest thing I’ve seen all day.”


“It was until just now.  I thought they might kiss they were so close.”  Michael fake gagged.


“Oh to be young.”  Clement sighed.  Axel and I snorted in unison.


“Axel, this is Michael’s first mate, not a Tortuga ‘working girl’.  By the way, you’ll be scrubbing the deck tomorrow for speaking so rudely to her.”  Bonnet explained.


“What?!”  He gaped like a fish.


“What do you think of my right-hand man?”  Michael teased.


“Hermosa…”  Axel mumbled so quietly only I could hear.  I didn’t know what it meant or what language it was.  The only language I knew was the one I spoke.  I was disappointed I couldn’t understand because I had a feeling it was important.


“I say you owe me a drink,”  I sneered, proudly.


“I say I owe you a beating too.”  He grumbled as he slammed coins on the bar.  Then he added quickly: “And if you turn that into something clever about my height I’ll give it to you.”


“Am I clever?”  I teased.


“Not nearly as much as you think.”  Axel slid the mug Clement had filled towards me.


Clement returned to his work and Bonnet and Michael continued to talk.  They discussed the seasons, the weather, and our last attack on the British galleon.  As they talked, Bonnet’s brow furrowed and he rested his chin in his hand.  I joined in occasionally, but Axel stayed silent.  Whenever I glanced at him I caught him eying me in between sips of liquor.


Again, the door was flung open and a shaky and dirty Nick pushed his way to us, handing Michael a letter.  “Captain Harvey, it’s an emergency!”


Michael tore open the seal and read it quickly.  “Charlie, that galleon we took down yesterday is at the port.  A group of their soldiers recognized some of our men on the street and they have them locked up.”


“Do you know where they’re ship is?”  I asked.


“Aye, I know where.”  Michael tossed some money on the bar.  “We need to go.”


“Michael, do you need help?”  Stede asked.  Truthfully he wasn’t someone I wanted in a fight.  Even as he offered, his shoulders slumped in exhaustion at the idea.


“No thank you, Stede.  We can handle this.”


“Axel, go with them anyway.”  Bonnet ordered.  “Maybe you can learn to get along with Harvey’s right-hand lady.”


Axel nodded and followed behind me.  I chased Michael out of the tavern and into the blinding sun with a new fire.  The navy had already kidnapped my sisters and had just imprisoned my crew.  I wondered what else they wouldn’t try to take from me, and what I had left of any value.