Sailors worked vigorously pulling in the anchor and
readying the ship. As they launched on their journey, Marcus saw
the young messenger collapse forward on his horse.
He felt a tightness in his chest. Whatever the poor
boy had endured, there was nothing Marcus could do for him now. He
had no time, and no choice. He must return his ship and his cargo
safely to England.
Nobody's Daughter
Kira woke early to find that her father had already
left for the docks. A small slice of bread rested on the edge of
his work table. For her, no doubt.
Kira brushed her hair off her face and dressed
herself in her one and only dress. It was a simple, tan colored
outfit that did her complexion no favors. But she couldn't afford
to be choosy or ungrateful. Too many children ran the streets,
begging for money. She could only imagine what they did at
night.
“
Today's the day,” she whispered
to herself. She planned to head off at lunch time to find her
father at the docks and insist he take the remaining bread as his
lunch. Then she was off to submit herself as a house maid for
several of the upper-class homes across town.
She did her best to dust her boots and dress off,
but knew they would probably be back to their lusterless condition
by the afternoon.
Slipping out the door, she found the dock streets
to be much friendlier in daylight. A few people passed here and
there, some selling their wares and others seemingly intent on
their destinations. Kira shivered slightly despite the midday sun,
remembering the terror of the previous night. She soon found
herself humming under her breath, though, as she contemplated the
changes that might come if she took work.
“
Kira, dear.” A familiar voice
called out to her as she walked through the dusty streets. “Miss
May,” Kira exclaimed with pleasure. She felt herself relax at the
joy of seeing her friend, the bubbly washer woman who so often sat
on the street with her wash basin. “Off to see the baker's boy?,”
she asked with a smile in her eyes.
Kira shook her head emphatically, trying not to
laugh at the insistence of her father at roping others into his
match-making scheme. Miss May's face was red, in part from the
gusto she used while washing, and in part because of the fiery sun
that was rising over head.
“
Well, I know you don't have much
use for men,” she smiled knowingly, “But someday you might come to
understand how useful it can be, having someone watching out for
you.” Kira nodded.
Every girl found romance alluring. But that was not
what Miss May was referring to. Miss May was talking about being
practical. And Jeremiah certainly was a practical choice, given
Kira's station in life.
“
Yes, Miss May.” Kira didn't want
to argue with the older woman, who had been married to a reliable,
loving man for many years until his death. Kira knew her disdain
for most men would only seem like disrespect to Miss May's
memories.
May wiped her forehead and sighed heavily. “There's
no end in sight with this, you see?” She pointed at the basin,
filled with brown-colored water that was murky and uninviting. May
looked downtrodden but tried to muster a slight grin for Kira's
sake. Kira nodded. Kira could not imagine what May must feel. She
was reminded of her own situation, where she too might be on her
own soon enough.
“
I hope,” Kira started, “I hope
that I can convince father to take more rest. I worry that his
health...It's just so dank and musty at home, and he coughs so
terribly hard.” Miss May looked at her with a slight sadness in her
eyes. “Men are stubborn. You're a good girl for taking care of your
father, dear. You know that.”
May took her wet fingers, dried them off and patted
Kira's shoulder with a gentle touch. Kira fought back the slight
feeling that tears might overcome her, and nodded her head in
embarrassment. They stood in silence under the sun as May continued
vigorously beating a pair of trousers into submission on the
washing board.
“
So where ya off too, then?,” May
insisted. “To the docks, Miss May,” Kira smiled graciously. “I best
be on my way to get this bread to my father.” Kira gave May a tight
squeeze, getting water from the basin splattered lightly on the
front of her dress. As Kira headed back down the street, she heard
Miss May's sing-song voice cry out, “You tell your father not to
work himself too hard, now.”
~~~~~~~~~~~
“
A flower, lass?” A sad-looking
little man sat in a doorway, trying to peddle a few wilted flowers.
Or were they weeds? “No, thank you,” Kira said good-naturedly,
while picking up her gait. She could see the sails of the many
ships rising up on the horizon.
She passed many little homes, similar to hers,
weathered and seemingly defeated. A few tired shops stood open for
customers, promising shoes, food and other goods. It seemed to Kira
that everything near this part of town was dying, except for the
beautiful, timeless ships that floated gently in the water. She
envied those elegant vessels, free to move about, explore the
world.
As Kira moved closer to the docks, she could hear a
bustle of shouts and movement. A group of men seemed to be fighting
over something near the end of the dock. Suddenly the huddle opened
and a petite blonde girl scrambled away.
Kira thought she couldn't be much younger than her.
The girl ran panicked down the dock, wiping tears from her eyes and
smudging dirt all over her face. Kira felt her heart jump, as she
nervously tried to make out what was unfolding before her.
“
Are you alright?” Kira started to
say, but the girl glanced anxiously back and then disappeared down
a side street. The faint echo of a sob reached Kira and then died
down. Kira suddenly felt fear grip her as some of the men looked
her way. Several beady eyes looked her up and down. She could see
that the fighting had eased and only one man seemed to be
delivering blows to another.
Kira felt a wave of shock wash over her as the
unruly pack opened. She could see a limp, weathered figure
receiving a powerful beating from a dark-haired sailor. A choking
feeling caused Kira to grasp at her throat as she tried to
rationalize the brutality that she saw.
“
Papa...!” she screamed, shocked
to see her father's face dripping in blood as the men held him up
by his arms. Kira raced down the docks, trembling with anger and
fear. “Let him go!” She could see their faces clearly now, each
heavily bearded and dressed in unusual clothing.
Their leader smiled mockingly at her, his dark hair
and eyes seeming to reveal his character. “Sorry, darling. But your
lovely friend here has interfered where he's not welcome.” He ran a
rough hand down the front of his black vest, casting a few devilish
glances her way. His voice was deep and threatening, his eyes too
dark to read. Kira wrapped her arms around herself tightly, but
didn't move.
“
Let him go...” It took everything
in her not to shake as she breathed those words out slowly. The
dark-haired man seemed slightly amused, as if her panic was giving
him a moment of pleasure. The rogue looked at Kira for a moment,
then delivered another blow to her father's abdomen.
“
Nooo
!” Kira
choked on the word as her eyes started to tear. Her father's head
dropped limply forward, his entire body weak. Kira could feel
herself shaking all over, but could hardly move. The men turned
away from her, dragging her father along behind them.
Kira felt the panic eat at her, climbing her throat
like it was a tower and wrapping her up tightly. “No, no, no...”
She murmured to herself as her vision blurred. There was nothing
she could do.
Kira had never felt more powerless in her life.
Grasping, her mind searched for anything she might bargain with.
Suddenly, she saw the men pause and their leader walked through the
pack towards her. Kira felt her body tighten as his threatening
gaze leveled on her.
“
I've changed my mind,” he
whispered lowly. Kira felt the air leave her body in a violent
sigh. Could this be real? “Oh God.” Relief collapsed her shoulders
and she felt her trembling ease a little. “Thank you. Thank you so
much!”
She felt a strange sense of
gratitude, despite knowing that this man had done little which
warranted it. She stopped suddenly, though, when she saw the look
in his eyes. He seemed to be peeling her out of her worn, tattered
dress. Revulsion coursed through her, and she could hardly speak
but the sound of desperate screams echoed somewhere in her mind.
“
No...
!”
Desperation and disbelief overcame her, as she
watched the men moving quickly down the dock to surround her. The
vice grip she felt on her arms was unwavering, and she found
herself being dragged slowly down the dock.
Kira could feel sobs wracking her body, and the wet
patter of her tears soaked her face and dress. Nothing in this
world could horrify her as much as the thought of being alone with
these sailors.
“
Papa...papa...” She whispered as
loud as she could manage, as the sailors dragged her past her
father's unmoving body. She blinked rapidly, trying to get one last
look at her father, when the lights went out.
Rogues
Kira opened her eyes to a
dizzying, empty sensation in her head. She felt as if her whole
body was gently rocking from side to side. As her vision focused,
she felt a jolt of adrenaline and sat upright. Her mind raced as
she searched the tiny room with her eyes.
Where was she? Where was her father?
She could see a small desk on the opposite of the
room, and several chests throughout the room. She wiped her hair
out of her eyes, only to wince at a bruising pain over her
cheek.
She remembered it all at once: the girl, the fight,
the pirates. Her father lying motionless on a bloody dock. She
choked back a huge gasp as she recalled her last sight of him. She
didn't even know if he was still alive.
Kira's survival instinct kicked in and she searched
the room for an opening. A small door was hidden by shadows in the
corner. And there was a window at the top of the room over her
bed.
Kira scrambled onto the bed, desperately trying to
steady herself so she could reach the window. Her eyes peered
through the round peep-hole and she gasped. She could see nothing
for miles.
Nothing but ocean. Perfect, serene and terrifying
ocean. Kira's mind raced as she realized that she had truly been
kidnapped. She remembered the leer in the dark pirate's eyes and
panic hit her.
She moved her hands frantically over her body,
searching for any sign that she had been violated. Her clothes were
intact. She wasn't sure what else to look for.
Kira tried to calm herself, but she felt her body
tightening with panic. There was nothing she could do. Her mind
raced and she thought of throwing herself in the ocean. Even then,
that meant certain death. But what did a life as a pirate's
prisoner mean? Much worse, she was certain.
~~~~~~~
Kira lay huddled in the corner of the bed,
delirious. She tried to stay vigilant, to stay awake, but her grief
and emotional exhaustion kept pulling her under. She could feel
tears, even when she had thought she was no longer crying, still
they came.
The darkness that seemed to envelope her was
matched by the shadows of the fading sun, and the room grew dark
and shadowy.
As she moved in and out of a semi-conscious state,
she was suddenly stirred by a noise. The sound of heavy footsteps
was nearing the little door. Kira sat up, pulling her knees to her
chest and leaning as far as she could into the corner.
A few more shuffles sounded, and then came the
scrape of a lock being turned. She drew in a deep breath and found
herself holding it as her fingers grasped the bedding.
A dark figure stood at the end of the bed. Kira
tried to make out his features, but the light continued to wane.
“Did you sleep well, darling?” The menacing tone of his voice could
not be mistaken.
He was cold and smooth in his delivery. Kira
imagined that face, the dark eyes and mocking smile. It became even
more frightening because she couldn't see a thing.
Before she knew it, his hard, sinewy arms had
dragged her from the bed and pulled her into the hallway. There
were doors on each side and then steps that ascended. “Keep up,
won't you?” He growled with the hint of a laugh. A swift jerk and
her head slammed against the wall as he pulled her body up the
stairs.
Kira abandoned the urge to fight and let her body
fall limp as they reached the deck. The pirate left her in a
deflated pile on the floor, then commanded her to stand. Kira felt
a warm tear make its way down her cheek but she refused to give in
to the temptation.
Kira kept her head down, covered by the wildness of
her hair and willed herself to stop crying. A quick swipe of her
hand removed the offending droplet and Kira steeled herself to face
them.
She stood, straight and quietly defiant. She looked
up to see the men from the dock, staring at her with hungry,
soul-less eyes. A large one on the end smiled avariciously, making
no attempt to hide his desire. A few others exchanged knowing
glances and snickered to themselves.
A queasy feeling gripped her, making her stomach
ache. As Kira searched the boat for any sign of hope, she was
shocked to find her mind returning to the lusty blonde sailor. She
had been so afraid then, but now she wished he were standing on the
deck with her. She felt certain that the evil that was here, on the
ship, was something different than she had ever felt before.