Chapter 18
18
I t was stormy, especially outside the bay and past the rocks. The captain maneuvered them safely out to sea, but Anna still felt herself turning green. She hoped the sea would grow calmer, otherwise, she'd be a wreck before the sun set.
As she stood at the railing, her fingers gripping the wood, Johnny approached her. He pulled the black scarf off his head and scratched his bald head. "Is it true what Freddy says?"
Anna glanced up. She was so dizzy she had difficulty focusing on his face. "Depends, what did he say?"
"Since when do you get sick at sea?" Johnny frowned. "Wait a minute, I'll get you something." He scurried off, his boots thundering across the planks. Anna focused on the sound in an attempt to distract herself from the nausea. A high wave rocked the Fortuna. Before she released her meager breakfast onto the planks, she closed her eyes and clung to the balustrade. Goodness, how was she supposed to get through the next few hours?
"Here."
Johnny had returned. She opened her eyes with difficulty and glanced at his round face. He smiled encouragingly and held out something towards her.
"What is it?"
"The best ship's biscuit there is. Nibble on it, it will help."
"Are you sure?"
He nodded. "Freddy says you've forgotten all of us. I don't know if that's true, but you can trust me. If the giant hadn't existed, I would have gotten the role of best friend."
Anna smiled and took the zwieback. "Thanks. Can I use it as…?"
"Hm?" He looked at her questioningly.
"Nothing. Thank you." She nibbled hesitantly on a corner. The salty, dry pastry was good for her stomach. As a fairy, she wondered if she was even allowed to eat anything other than berries. Where had that notion suddenly come from? Since when had she started considering it to be true? Was she actually a fairy? Her eyes wandered to the captain, who was standing at the helm, braving the raging sea. Was it because he believed it? Because she'd seen the sparkle in his eyes when he'd spoken of her wings? What would it feel like to have wings? To fly with them?
"Better?"
"Excuse me?" She glanced up, confused. She hadn't even noticed that Johnny was still standing next to her, staring at her worriedly. "Yes, thank you, it actually helps."
"Of course it does. It's the best ship's biscuit around. If you need something, you can find me in the galley. As before, you are always welcome there." Grinning, he bowed and turned around.
"Thank you." And she honestly was grateful. Her stomach settled down more and more with each bite. She considered hurrying after Johnny to claim all the zwieback for herself, but before she had eaten half of it, let alone put the plan into action, she was so full, she couldn't eat another crumb. Nevertheless, she kept the dry biscuit in her hand as a precaution — she wouldn't give it up so quickly.
As she studied the ship, she noticed the curious looks from the men. They hadn't known Anna's memories were gone until Freddy had told them. It was probably good they knew. It simplified the situation and prevented Anna from getting into silly situations. Still, it was strange to feel the eyes of the entire crew on her.
Even the captain kept looking at her. But his gaze wasn't curious, like those of the others. His was different — exacting yet worried. She was overwhelmed by a longing for him that drove her to him. Her strawberry-blonde hair whipped wildly as she walked along the railing and up the aft stairs to him. Her steps were already more confident than they had been a few minutes before and her stomach seemed to have settled.
"Are you okay, Ani?" The captain greeted her with a broad grin that made her involuntarily blush. When he saw it, he laughed. "You weren't that shy before."
"I'm not shy, but when a horde of strange pirates openly stare at me, it's a pretty unusual situation for me."
"Aye, but only my gaze should make you blush."
She grinned and peered out to sea. "How long will the strong wind last?"
"As soon as we are further south, the sea will grow calmer. Tonight, we can have an idyllic meal on deck, madam, if you will do me the honor of dining with me." He bowed to her.
Dinner? She immediately saw several courses of the most delicious food in front of her. "It's too bad that lately, I can only manage to eat half a biscuit and five berries."
He laughed. It was a warm, deep laugh and she liked it. "Just watch what Johnny conjures up. He knows what you can tolerate and will prepare a meal that will have you consuming more than you can imagine."
"Seriously? Can he do that? What's his secret?"
"You tried to get that out of him before, but he kept it to himself, knowing full well that I'd cut off his hand if he revealed it." He grinned.
"Why?"
"Whatever tricks keep you with me must remain mine." He winked at her and laughed, which made her smile. If her friend Nele could see what a great man she was involved with, she might stop man-hunting and obsessing about being thin. The memory pained her. How was Nele? Was she worried? What day was it, anyway? She had been abducted on Sunday night and then had spent another night there. That meant it had to be Monday. Her colleagues and boss would have been surprised that she hadn't shown up. She was always punctual and hadn't had a day off since… well, since when, actually? Apparently it actually hadn't been ages, as she had always believed, but since someone had banished her from this land.
"What is it?"
Chris's voice brought her back to the here and now. Should she tell him about the other world? He was genuinely interested, she could tell.
"I was wondering if my friend was missing me, my colleagues, and my boss…"
"The slave driver? He's lucky I haven't gotten my hands on him yet!"
Anna smiled. "Not a slave driver, although you are somewhat correct. But my friend Nele will be missing me. She will be terribly worried. I wish I could send her a message that everything is okay."
The captain skillfully steered them past a rock, spraying water up next to the Fortuna. "What would you tell her about where you are?"
"I could tell her that I ran away with a fierce pirate. She would be happy." A grin spread across her face and Chris's eyes glowed.
"That would be true. Just wait, Ani. Once we expose the spell that sent you to the other world, we will find a way to notify her."
"Aye aye, Captain." When she saw his expression, she added, "Aye aye, Chris."
"That's it." He pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers. She felt dizzy again, but this dizziness was different. She snuggled up to him trustingly. She knew this was where she belonged. By his side.
"Would you rather I take the helm?"
The captain reluctantly released her from his arms. When Anna glanced up, she spotted Jack. His red pirate scarf was sitting askew on his head, almost covering one eye. He grinned widely, revealing a gap where a tooth was missing. Why was his lip swollen?
Worried, Anna approached him. She completely forgot that he was actually a stranger to her and examined the lip. "What happened?"
"Oh, a little harbor brawl isn't uncommon for me." He waved it off. A harbor brawl? No, she didn't believe that. "What really happened?"
Furtively, he glanced at the captain and then laughed loudly. "Oh, it's not worth mentioning."
What was that about? Why wouldn't he tell her the truth? One look at Chris was enough to see that he knew what had happened. The captain focused on maneuvering the ship past another rock before waving Jack over. "Come here and take the wheel. We are out of the worst of the danger zone."
"Aye aye, Captain." The pirate eagerly took the helm and fixed his gaze on the vast sea. Chris led her away from Jack and down the steps between the decks, but Anna wanted to know the truth.
"What happened to him?"
"He got roughed up."
"So, it was a harbor brawl? Why did you two exchange looks?"
He paused and glanced back at the coast, which rose in the form of a steep cliff. The sea pounded wildly against the high cliffs, and the bay was barely visible anymore. "Because it's my fault he was hurt."
Anna frowned. What was he trying to say? "You didn't…?"
The captain snorted. "What do you think of me?"
What kind of question was that? The only thing she could do was trust her heart that he was a good man. She had forgotten everything else. "Even though we were together before, I don't know you well, you have to understand that. So? Tell me!"
"You won't rest until you've learned everything, madam."
"It appears so." She needed to know what had happened between the men, what problems there were, and who was in love with whom.
"There was a fight the night the mutineers brought you here on my ship. You fled because the traitor Freddy forced you to do so. Well, we've sorted that out. Anyway, I tried to follow you, but the mutineers blocked my way. Jack fought at my side and I… tried to find you in the dark. I didn't see the blow coming that Jack took for me."
That was the reason? That sounded more like an accident. "That could have happened to anyone."
Chris's expression darkened. "It has happened to me too many times lately."
"What does that mean? He's mad at you because you weren't paying attention for a moment?"
"The entire crew is angry with me because I frequently haven't paid attention over the past few years. They've saved my ass more than once because I thought I saw you, because I believed I had a lead, and because I assumed I had found a scrap of your dress. Heavens, Ani, I was worried sick about you." He ran a hand through his dark hair. He looked harried and tired. How hard had he tried to find her? "Freddy is right. Ever since you disappeared, I haven't been a good captain. When you vanished, you not only took my heart with you but also my mind. My actions were thoughtless and reckless." He looked at his men, who were doing their best to maneuver the Fortuna into calmer waters. "They were loyal companions who didn't abandon me even though they had every reason to. I guess I have myself to blame for what happened to Freddy."
His gaze wandered over his men one last time before he tightened his grip on her hand and walked with her to the tween deck. She understood what he meant. He felt responsible and he was in fact responsible as captain. Still, he was being too hard on himself. When she thought about how quickly he had forgiven Freddy…
She wanted to reassure him, but Chris apparently considered the matter closed and she accepted it. He didn't want to talk about the subject any longer. He purposefully opened a hatch that led below deck and pulled her down a narrow ladder.
"What are we doing here?"
He slowly stroked her hand and grinned suggestively. "What are you going to do with me down here?"
She was getting hot. Stop! She couldn't allow him to fluster her constantly like this. "Tell me. Where are you taking me?"
"I promised I'd take you to see the mutineers."
Right.
The sun was no longer shining on her and she immediately felt uneasy. Although the hatch remained open, there was little daylight filtering into the dark hallway. Chris led her to the pirates who had abducted her and treated her so badly. Even though they were in a magical sleep, Anna's pulse quickened and her palms grew clammy.
Chris pulled her closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”
How caring he was toward her, even though he was a feared pirate. Was he really pillaging with his men and attacking other ships? Once they were back outside, she had to ask him about the… role of the pirates. But for now, she enjoyed his comforting closeness and the reassuring safety he radiated as they reached a door that was secured by several locks.
"Are they in there?" Her voice was merely a whisper. She immediately cleared her throat and straightened up. She wanted to show strength — after all, her captors weren't even conscious.
"Aye. I don't know what magic surrounds them, so stay behind me."
Well, that didn't help. Still, she wanted to see the men and reassure herself that they truly weren't a threat.
The locks clicked and Chris pushed open the door. It creaked and scraped across the planks. There was no porthole to let in daylight, and only the dim light from behind them illuminated part of the prison, leaving the rest in shadows. The men were lying on the bare floor, their ankles and wrists bound. Other than their steady breathing, they didn't move. Only when a wave rocked the ship did the limp bodies shift from side to side or the toes of their boots bob up and down.
Anna shivered. It was them — the men who had abducted her from her apartment. She hadn't gotten a good look at them all, but she recognized the supposed leader and the one with the striped shirt straight away. As they lay there motionless, they didn't seem frightening at all. Still, Anna shuddered. She would have preferred for the scoundrels to remain in this state, if possible.
The captain pointed to the five she recognized. "They're part of my crew. The other idiots must have been hired on at some dive because five men alone cannot sail my ship."
"So, not all of them are part of your crew?"
He shook his head.
So, there were more people involved in her abduction? How many on the mainland were also after her? Maybe the men who attacked her in the alley in Linnenberg? Had they recognized her? Did they all work for the Snow Queen? "Do you believe the Snow Queen cast a spell that put them into a magical sleep?"
"Aye. I don't know anyone else with such power."
"Do you think she knows they managed to return me?"
"We must assume that. So, no more going it alone, madam, do you understand?"
The worry in his voice caused her heart to beat faster. She gave the men one last look before turning away. She no longer needed to see them. Now she knew they were tied up and unconscious. Even if they woke up from their sleep, they couldn't attack her. Reassured, she left the room, followed closely by Chris, who conscientiously engaged all the locks.
"Are you okay, Ani?"
"Yes, don't worry. What are you going to do with them when they regain consciousness?"
His jaw clenched. "I'll take care of them, believe me."
"What does that mean? What are you pirates doing?"
His eyes blazed. "Don't you know the stories they tell about us?"
She held his gaze resolutely. "I've heard them and now I want to hear your version."
A subtle smile crossed his lips. "I raid…"
"No, the whole truth."
He chuckled. "Very well, madam. You wouldn't have it any other way. You used to be so… convinced that my crew and I weren't the bad guys."
Don't get distracted, don't get distracted. How much she would like to ask him about how they had met and what they had experienced together, but there was enough time for that later. Now, she wanted an answer to the much more pressing question of how the pirates earned their… living.
"You've forgotten everything, including the sirens?"
"The sirens?" The legend of Odysseus popped into her mind. What other fantasy characters were there in this country?
"Aye. They live in the sea and bewitch sailors, luring them to their deaths. Some of them are worse than others."
"What does that mean?"
"Some enjoy leading ships astray for years, others deliberately lure them onto dangerous rocks and cliffs and thus to their deaths."
That sounded dangerous.
"What do you have to do with that?"
"We pirates can resist the call of the sirens. We know the routes that sailors must sail where nothing happens."
"But if they are fixed routes…"
"They change depending on the current and the mood of the sea. We hear the waves whispering as well as the sirens, so we know where the magical creatures are located. Only with our help can merchant ships travel safely from one port to another, and we charge a price for this safe passage."
"Like the Mafia?"
"What is the Mafia?"
Anna made a dismissive hand gesture. "So, you demand tolls from the traders, so to speak?"
"Aye. Some people recognize what we do and are happy to pay. Others want to avoid it and accuse us of wrongdoings, thus damaging our reputation instead of paying us. In such cases, of course, we take action." He shrugged. "Even a pirate has to survive."
That wasn't as bad as she had feared. "And what do you do with those who refuse to pay?"
"It depends on what is necessary. Some simply need to be threatened a little and they give in. Others have their goods confiscated or the crew is abandoned on a deserted island."
That didn't sound as frightening as she'd feared. "Why is your reputation so bad even though you carry out such an important task?"
"We're rewarded handsomely for the crossing and have amassed enormous treasures as a result, which is a thorn in many people's sides." Chris rubbed the back of his neck. "The sirens stay far out. They can neither be heard nor seen from shore. Some people claim we simply made it up, that we exist to extort money from the traders. As a result, some sail without our escort, never to be seen again — of course, those people could confirm the existence of the sirens. In such instances, people say we attacked them and destroyed their ships."
"I see. And… will we hear the sirens too? Heading east, I mean?"
"Aye, I think so. We will be en route for a day or two, depending on how the giants in the east blow the wind. But don't worry, a pirate has never fallen for the call of a siren."
Sirens… well, hopefully she could rely on the men on board. They climbed the steps back onto the deck. The sea was now much calmer, though there was still a strong wind that caused the ship to rock, but the men obviously had everything well under control. There were neither panicked shouts nor any kind of hectic rush.
"Why is it that you can resist the call?"
"We are the masters of the sea and the sirens are under our control. We don't possess magic like the fairies, magical powers like the Snow Queen, or powerful elemental powers like the giants, but we control the creatures of the sea. We know them and understand them, as well as the call of the sea itself. It is that call that we cannot resist even as young children."
As young children? "How long have you been at sea? And where are you originally from?"
"I come from a small village near the coast in the Kingdom of Flowers. Like all my men, when I was a child I stood by the sea and stared longingly at the endless expanse until one day a captain took pity on me and took me with him. I've been at sea ever since."
Madness. The notion gave her goosebumps. The call of the sea had to be magical.
"Are there other bands of pirates?"
"Aye, some wilder, some gentler, though all have the same purpose."
So, several… She wondered if they'd encounter the others. So far, she had not seen any ship except the Fortuna. Fortunately, it didn't worry her if pirates were simply a kind of duty collector.
"Do you live in peaceful coexistence with the other pirates?"
"Well, that depends. Things were carried out in a way that as long as everyone stayed within their own boundaries, there was no friction. Some, however, tried to expand their territories to collect more duty."
"That's no longer the case today?"
"Today, many pirates are angry because the events back then interrupted the eastern route. In general, there are far fewer merchant ships on the move, which is why it is not uncommon for minor or major conflicts to arise when one ventures out to sea."
Okay, it no longer sounded like the simple trip she'd imagined. But if there was no other way to get to the Snow Queen to stop the fairies from disappearing, then she had to go through with it. And who was better suited to go on such an adventure with than the captain and his crew?