13. Reyna
Chapter thirteen
Reyna
A s promised, Judd delivered.
And he did more than that. He delivered . They spent a day selling the vases and fetched a sum that would keep Serina afloat—another pun… Gods, what did Kianthe do to her?—at least through the fall season. (That day at the market involved a period of them dodging Bobbie and Kianthe through crowded stalls, which was both exhilarating and hilarious.) The next day, they returned to Judd’s bar, and spirits were high as he presented a fantastic mesh of people.
There were two women, two men, a girl just exiting her youth, and her sibling, a teenager with a pin inscribed with “they/them” pronouns. Reyna looked at that for a bit longer than usual; she’d seen various pins that indicated it was polite to ask, usually bronze but not always, but one with pronouns explicitly written was new.
Judd gestured at the crowd, swelling in pride while Serina shook everyone’s hand. “You asked for a crew, and you won’t find any better. Allow me to introduce Pil, Rankor, Farley, Squirrel, Darlene, and Joe.”
“Squirrel?” Reyna repeated, just in case she’d misheard.
The middle woman, who was shorter than Matild and had a similarly cheery smile, waggled a few fingers. “It’s on account of the stealing. Squirreling things away.” A pause. “I thought it was clever.”
Serina grinned. “I like you already.”
Judd walked down the line, pointing at each in turn. “Pil’s your boatswain. He’s been sailing longer than you two have been alive. Darlene and Joe are his kids.”
“They won’t hold you back,” Pil said, crossing bulky arms. “They’ve also been sailing longer than you.”
That was impressive, since Darlene seemed barely older than a teenager, and Joe was still in their gangly phase. Reyna’s brow pinched together as she leaned close to whisper in Serina’s ear: “Are we really okay taking a child with us?”
“Hmm. Joe. You know what to do if we’re attacked?”
“Get below deck and hide,” they intoned, sounding bored.
Serina shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”
Pil pulled his shoulders back, clearly pleased. “No strangers to pirate work here. I got my sailing start on Dreggs’ flagship.”
“ Dreggs ’ flagship?” Serina exclaimed, then clamped a hand over her mouth. Everyone watched in amusement as she laughed nervously. “Sorry. I’m a fan. Are they wonderful in real life? Or did the legends blow them out of proportion?”
Pil smirked. “Let’s just say they got that reputation for a reason. If you’re half the pirate they are, we’ll get along fine.”
Darlene tilted her head, gesturing at Reyna’s sword. “I want to learn to fight for real. Pa said we’re good, but I’m not sure I’d hold up.” Her brows knitted together. “You know how to use that sword?”
“Course she does.” Joe elbowed their sister. “You heard her accent.”
Reyna couldn’t even tell them that the Queendom wasn’t filled with vicious swordsmen, because she was indeed a professional in that regard. She heaved a sigh. “I can teach you. Always good to know self-defense.”
“Then you’re the ship’s security?” Squirrel asked.
Reyna tilted her head. The motion smarted—she was still a bit sore after that slap of alchemy. “Something like that.”
Judd smoothly inserted himself, gesturing at the remaining three. “Squirrel is your cook; I know you didn’t ask for one, but trust me, you’ll be glad to have her. Last but not least, we have Rankor and Farley. Rankor’s the navigator, and Farley’s a carpenter. They’re married and work together as contractors.” Judd smirked. “Farley’s the flame, but Rank’s the kindling.”
“Please don’t light my new ship on fire,” Serina said good-naturedly.
“Don’t give me a reason to,” Farley replied, crossing her arms. She was a burly woman with muscles Reyna envied and a no-nonsense expression she could respect.
Her husband shrugged. “I just go where I’m told. Usually take the whole ship with me.” He paused. “That was a navigator joke.”
“Pray you never meet my fiancée,” Reyna said.
Judd stepped back, clapping his hands together. “All right. My part’s done. You make sure my cousin gets another shipment, and I’ll be much obliged. In the meantime, I’ll keep talk of you positive around here. Word is starting to spread that you’re helping towns all along the Nacean.”
Serina smiled. “Well, I wouldn’t want to disappoint. It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Let’s go steal some food.”
“My favorite.” Squirrel rubbed her hands together.
Things moved fast after that. The crew settled into the ship and moved more efficiently than Reyna thought possible. Pil and his kids crawled around the lines like monkeys, unfurling sails, testing Serina’s sewing job, shouting to Rankor as he settled into the helm.
Squirrel disappeared below deck, locating a galley Reyna hadn’t seen during their original tour—it was down a second, narrow staircase hidden behind several crates. The diarn’s ship must have been well-stocked, because she made a mouth-watering lunch without any supply runs. Meanwhile, Farley strolled around the ship inspecting the handiwork, already tugging out tools to adjust things.
Serina stood at the center of it all, swelling with pride.
In fact, she seemed to be crying.
Reyna stopped short on her way to finish painting the ship’s new name, her brush perched on the bucket of paint. “Everything okay?”
“More than okay.” Serina drew a shaking breath, turning her gaze skyward. “I just—I’ve been at this alone for so long. Even back when I was a farmer. I tried to hire some help to till the fields, but… well. My family isn’t good at farming, and word got around.” She scrubbed her eyes with her palm. “This is all I’ve ever wanted.”
It made Reyna think of Tawney, of the community that supported their shop, their lives, their passions and dreams. Truly, that was all anyone could ever hope for—friends who’d follow them through life.
“I’m glad you found it, Captain Serina,” Reyna said, and meant it from the depths of her soul.
Serina pulled her into an awkward hug, then found a reason to get busy on the other side of the ship.
Smiling, Reyna strolled to the rope swing she’d secured over the hull of the vessel. With a flourish of bold black lettering, she wiped clean Diarn Arlon’s old name and penned the new one Serina had chosen.
KNOT FOR SAIL
It was ridiculous. Kianthe would love it. Reyna chuckled, hauled herself off the rope seat, then stowed the small bucket of paint below deck. Shortly after, she helped Pil and his kids weigh the anchor—it was remarkably heavy, and the big reason why, once Serina docked here, they couldn’t leave. But now they had a real crew.
Darlene unfurled the final sail, Rankor took control of the helm, and they were off. Reyna expected they’d keep sailing downriver, but they didn’t. Instead, on Serina’s command, they angled north, heading back up towards Neolow.
Reyna approached the captain as the vineyards faded away behind them. The river air was cold and clean, and the sun kept everyone warm. Reyna was silent for a few moments before saying, “You’re really going to flaunt Arlon’s ship right in front of his estate?”
“We have to head north; I promised shipments to Oslop and Lathe,” Serina replied. “There’s plenty of divisions on the river, especially near where he lives. If he hears I’m sailing by, he might send constables out to chase us.” She rolled her eyes at the thought. “This ship is fast, but I’d rather not get my new crew arrested.”
“We’d all prefer that,” Rankor said amicably from his perch at the helm.
Reyna snorted. “Okay, next question. What are we delivering? Because I distinctly remember Kianthe telling me your entire shipment went over that waterfall.”
Their captain waved a hand. “A minor setback. We’re reaching the end of harvest season, but there should still be some spring wheat on this river.” She grinned, plucking a tri-point hat off a wooden peg near the staircase to the lower deck. Where she found that, Reyna had no idea, but she was clearly leaning into the whole “pirate captain” thing. Serina fit it over her long, wavy hair and pointed north. “Pirates pillage, after all. Let’s show these folks what the fearsome crew of the Knot for Sail can do!”
A cheer erupted from the lower decks and their merry pirate crew was off.
It didn’t take long to wind their way upriver. A few of the larger glacier lakes near Neolow were visible off the ship’s left side, and they found their prey perched at the base of a hiking trail to the largest lake: a ship seemingly abandoned, its deck stacked with crates.
“That’s it. Rankor, keep sailing north. Pil, hold on the black sail for now—we don’t want to earn attention just yet.” Serina scurried up the rope ladder to the crow’s nest, borrowed the spyglass from Joe, and squinted through it as they cruised past.
Reyna climbed up beside her, relishing in the thrill of seeing the deck grow small beneath them and the sudden strength of the wind that whipped her hair. There was nothing quite so freeing as watching the world from this height. It wasn’t as amazing as traveling by griffon, but it had her blood pumping all the same. She took the spyglass Serina offered, peering through it.
“It looks empty.” The ship had Diarn Arlon’s insignia flying high on the mast and was a bit bigger than the Knot for Sail . Despite that size, the deck was laden with wooden crates and bales of hay, and Reyna only counted three constables milling on its deck.
“That ship came from Jallin, I think. See the hay? It’s too cold for a final cutting this far north, so it must have been harvested in the south.” Serina pointed, and Reyna scanned the winding dirt path that led up the forested mountain. “The biggest lake in Shepara is up that path. It’s a huge tourist attraction. I bet they’re southerners who stopped for a gander.”
Reyna collapsed the spyglass, feeling very much like a swashbuckling pirate—perched in a crows nest, anticipating their next theft. Maybe she did scheme after all. Excitement tinged her voice: “Which means most of the crew is gone.”
“Ghost ship.” Serina winked. “My favorite target.”
She called a quick meeting, but they didn’t have time to waste here. There was no telling how long the ship’s crew would be gone, which meant their attack would need to be swift. Everyone huddled near the helm so Rankor could keep them nearby without being suspicious.
“It’s best if we loop around and pull up alongside them. Pil will drop the black sail while Reyna and I board. We’ll take care of the constables and once the deck is clear, Squirrel and Darlene will drop the plank and everyone will help us steal the crates.” Now Serina held up a hand, holding each of their gazes. “We take thirty percent of what’s onboard. Nothing more. As much as I hate Arlon’s business practice, we’re not here to clear his entire back stock. He feeds a lot of people east of here, and we can’t disrupt that.”
Everyone nodded, and they separated quickly. Pil was a master of the sails, and with his sharp instruction, his family was able to catch a fierce wind and haul their ship fast—ridiculously fast—over to their target. Rankor positioned the ship so they’d pull alongside facing the opposite direction. Better for a quick getaway.
By now, they’d gained the constables’ attention. “You ready?” Serina removed her tripoint hat, offering a wry smile.
“Always.” Reyna perched at the upper deck and waved at the constables, holding up a big vellum map like they were lost.
The constables gripped their weapons, on guard, but once they were close, Serina shouted, “Hello, fine folk! Could you direct us to the town called Oslop? Our navigator thought it was here, but clearly we missed something…”
One of the constables shouted, “Don’t come closer. We’ll come to you.”
“Now, Pil!” Serina called, and their black sail unfurled. The constables’ eyes widened, but it was too late to respond—their ship was close enough, and Reyna traded the vellum piece for a sturdy line and took a running leap.
For a breathless moment, she was suspended over the water, and then her boots found purchase on the enemy’s deck. A thud behind her proved Serina had followed suit.
Reyna unsheathed her sword, sprinting towards the first constable before he could react. A quick slash across the chest stunned him—the wound wouldn’t kill, but pain had a way of shocking an enemy into stillness—and her foot connected with his kneecap. He crashed hard to the deck, and a swift kick to the head ensured he wasn’t getting back up.
Reyna spun to the second constable, who lashed at her with the same thick, curved sword Bobbie used. It was slower than hers, but dangerous, like facing a machete in the Leonolan jungle. She parried, twisted out of the way, and used his clumsy weight to her advantage. When he stepped forward, taking the offense, she ducked under his arm and smashed the pommel of her sword against his skull.
He dropped like a rock, nearly on top of her other opponent.
Across the ship, Serina yelped.
Reyna spun just in time to see the third constable crashing down the narrow wooden staircase. He groaned, slumped against the rough wood, and didn’t get back up.
Perched on the upper deck, Serina gripped her left arm and spat at him. “Good riddance,” she snapped, and checked her wound. It was bleeding freely, deep red slowly staining her white tunic, but she didn’t seem perturbed.
“Clear,” she told her crew, and a second later, the wooden plank thumped between the ships. She observed it, one eyebrow raised. “This is a lot easier on a nice, tall ship. Should have seen me wrestling with crates on my old one.”
Reyna sheathed her sword and knelt beside Serina’s foe, swiftly tying his hands with rope and tugging a gag around his mouth. If the rest of his crew got wind of this takeover, they’d be in for a much bigger fight. They needed to load the crates quickly and be gone before anyone realized what happened.
“I can help,” Serina said, appearing at Reyna’s elbow.
“I’ve got it. You should bind that.” Reyna tied off the second and third constable just as fast, then turned to Serina. Blood was tip-tipping off her fingers now, and she looked a bit woozy. A flash of concern, masked as irritation, wound through Reyna’s chest. Been a while since she’d battled alongside a rookie. “I thought you knew how to fight?”
It was the wrong thing to say. Serina stiffened. “I’m plenty capable.”
Reyna raised her hands. “I’m not doubting your ability. But combat isn’t like pirating. This isn’t a ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ type deal.” She nudged the sword dropped by Serina’s target. “These are real weapons, and they cause real damage. I’m not here to help you get killed, Captain.”
The title seemed to snap Serina out of her anger. She glanced back at their crew, noting the way Joe’s jaw dropped when they saw her crimson shirt, the way Squirrel’s brow knitted together. Already, Farley was tugging a roll of cloth bandages out of the captain’s quarters, even as the rest of their crew continued to tow the crates over the wooden plank.
“I… always snuck around before,” Serina admitted quietly. Her face was paling quickly, and Reyna stepped up to apply firm pressure to the wound. She hissed in pain, recoiled, but Reyna just pressed harder. It took Serina a moment to finish her thought: “My ship was small. I attacked at night, knocked people out or pushed them overboard, then grabbed what I could.”
“Well, this brigantine is too big to sneak.” Reyna’s voice wasn’t forceful or condescending. She was merely stating a fact, and it was vital their new captain understood. “If you can’t handle this kind of approach, we’ll need to downgrade the ship and dismiss your crew.”
Serina clenched her eyes shut, wobbling a bit. “I—I can’t. We finally have the manpower to make a real statement here. My father’s ship is gone. That loss needs to mean something.”
Reyna nodded, guiding her back over the plank. “Then get patched up, and prepare for more of this. We’ll start combat lessons tomorrow.”
The pirate nodded glumly and took a seat beside an unimpressed Farley.
“You’re lucky I have a bit of medical experience,” their carpenter drawled. “Try not to get stabbed next time.”
“I didn’t get stabbed—” Serina said indignantly.
Reyna left them to it, wiped Serina’s blood off her hands, and got to work helping with the crates. One of the constables woke up while they were moving the last of their haul, and he started screaming against the gag. She paused briefly to approach him, looking every bit the vengeful Queensguard she used to be.
“If you don’t stay quiet, this theft will be the least of your worries,” Reyna said darkly.
The theatrics worked. His eyes widened and he stopped thrashing, fear painting his face. It was oddly satisfying, knowing she hadn’t lost that ability of her old profession. Reyna allowed a private smile as she turned away.
And then the task was done and they were gone, flaring the sails to catch a gust of wind, vanishing upriver while the anchored ship sat robbed and silent. The pirate crew was quiet until they’d gained enough distance, heading north towards Neolow, and then Darlene whooped.
“We did it!”
Squirrel pried open one of the crates, grinning at its contents. “Quality wheat, here. Maybe the last of the season.” She glanced at Serina. “What’s your plan when the harvest is over? Is that when we start stealing gold?”
Serina’s arm was tightly bound, and she pushed herself upright, standing tall. Her skin was still several shades paler than normal, but she spoke with confidence. “On this ship, we don’t steal gold. We steal food . And once we’ve dropped this shipment off at Lathe, we’ll shift our sights from grains to leafy greens.” She paused, holding their gazes. “I recognize that’s not glamorous, and I know that today got a bit more dangerous than we intended. If any of you want to disembark or return to Koll, now’s the time to let me know.”
Reyna quirked an eyebrow.
The rest of the crew stayed silent.
Serina clapped her hands together. “Then we sail north, drop off this haul, and find the next. Savvy?”
“Aye!” they shouted back and got to work.