The Legacy of the Black Pawkeet: Part Seven

      I settled myself into a chair as Rosa fell into a fitful sleep. Although I’d treated her wound, it was hard to tell just how bad the infection was, so I would need to keep an eye on her all night. With any luck though, her fever would break by sometime tomorrow and the worst would be over.

      I’m not really sure whether to think that she’s really tough or just really stupid to have not gone to a doctor after Bloodhook was done with her. Many men would find it difficult to move about after receiving this kind of injury, yet she had dragged herself all the way home to get supplies and then back to the docks to find us. The fact that she’d done that was proof of her resolve. Although it helped that women in general are tougher than men about this kind of thing.

      All the same, while she hadn’t done herself any favors by not getting that wound treated immediately, she’d probably done Hannah and Armin a huge favor. All we could hope for now was that they were still alive when we found Bloodhook.

      An hour or so into the night, Rosa began to whimper in her sleep. I watched her carefully to determine the cause.

      “No! Mama! Papa!” She cried, confirming that it was another one of her nightmares, and not the injury or infection, that was to blame.

      I reached forward and stroked her hair and ears gently to comfort her and she began to settle down. I hummed softly, using my voice to further comfort her. Being half-siren had its advantages. She settled into a more peaceful sleep and hardly stirred again until the next morning.

      Around dawn or so, she opened her eyes and looked up at me. “Morning Sea Cat.” She said drowsily.

      “Morning. Are you feeling any better?” I asked.

      “Yeah, the pain has died down some.” She replied.

      “Good.” I reached forward and felt her forehead, confirming that she was still a little bit warm. “Do you feel up to sitting in the galley while I make breakfast?” I asked.

      She nodded and I helped her out of the bunk. She seemed stronger and steadier on her feet than the day before. That was a good sign. I led her into the galley and had her sit down, then went over to the counter, deciding to ask a question as I gathered some herbs. “Why didn’t you have the doctor on that passenger ship take a look at you?”

      “I didn’t want to frighten the other passengers or the crew.” She said simply. Okay, that made sense. It still wasn’t particularly smart, but it made sense.

      I finished what I was doing and brought a mug filled with a steaming liquid and an orange that I’d peeled and separated over to her. “Here, drink this, and then eat this to kill the taste.” I directed.

      Rosa nodded, taking the mug and drinking the contents. She sputtered and coughed as she set the mug down and quickly shoved an orange wedge in her mouth. “What is that?!” She asked when she’d swallowed the piece of fruit.

      “Medicine.” I told her, “To help you fight off that infection. As I said, the orange is for killing the taste.”

      She nodded in understanding as she shoved another orange wedge in her mouth.

      “Sail ho!” We heard Talak call from above, and we looked at each other before Rosa quickly stood up.

      “Where away?!” I heard Garin ask as Rosa and I headed up to the deck.

      “Three points off the starboard bow!” Talak replied just as we arrived at the top of the stairs.

      I spotted Garin looking through his spyglass in the direction Talak had said. “Yup, that’s them!” he said, closing the spyglass and rushing up to the helm. “All hands on deck and run out full sail!” He ordered swiftly, “Prepare for battle.”

      I turned my attention back to Rosa, “We’d better get you back below. A ship in battle is no place for a girl your age.” Okay, so I had been about Rosa’s age when I joined this crew, but unlike her, I had had some fighting skills.

      Rosa nodded in agreement and went back below, “Better if I avoid being seen by Bloodhook anyway…” She muttered as I followed her back to my room. “Sea Cat? Can I ask you for a favor?” Rosa asked while turning to look at me.

      “Yes?” I replied, wondering what it could be. Rosa wasn’t the type to ask favors, so this must be important, to her at least.

      “When he attacked us on Krawk Island, Bloodhook stole a pearl necklace and ring from me, which belonged to my mother. Could you… try to get them back? They’re the only things I have left of my parents.”

      She made the right choice asking me. I was known as the Black Pawkeet’s “cat burglar”. Of course, Rosa knew that.

      “I will. That’s a promise.” I told her.

      “Thank you.” Rosa said before sitting back down on her bunk. “I’ll wait here, where I won’t be in the way.”

      “All right.” I replied, taking out the key to my room and holding it out to her, “Lock the door behind me, and don’t open it until you hear my voice.” If Bloodhook’s men somehow got onto the Pawkeet, having the door locked would at least buy time for one of us to come help Rosa.

      Rosa took the key and nodded. She stood back up, following me as I walked back out the door, then closing and locking it behind me.

      Without wasting a second, I rushed back out on deck just in time to see both our ship and Bloodhook’s running out the guns.

      “Blast them from the sea!” I heard Bloodhook shout. Apparently, he’d given up on taking the Pawkeet back.

      “Open fire!” Garin ordered with equal ferocity.

      Both crews obeyed and began firing. I ducked as a cannonball from Bloodhook’s ship whizzed past me, “Whoa!”

      “They aren’t fooling around this time!” Talak said.

      “What’s the plan to retrieve Miss Hannah and Armin?” Jim asked.

      “All of you, do your best to keep them distracted. Jacques, Sea Cat, and I will sneak on board and try to get them back!” Garin replied over the noise of the cannon fire.

      “Aye, aye!” Our crewmates replied, continuing to fire on the other ship. A few of them pulled out flintlocks and began trying to take out the gunners on Bloodhook’s ship.

      “It’s now or never, let’s go!” Garin told Jacques and I.

      “Right!” I replied, going to jump over the railing, but Garin stopped me.

      “Nuh-uh, up.” He told me. “We’ll come down on ‘em from the rigging.” He explained while beginning to climb the ratlines.

      “Make sure my niece and the boy are secure!” I heard Bloodhook command one of his men. Good! That meant they were still alive.

      “Yes sir!” The crewman replied before running below.

      Meanwhile, the boys and I had made it to the rigging of Bloodhook’s ship and began to climb down.

      “I’ve got something I need to do, you two free Hannah and Armin.” I told them.

      “All right.” Jacques replied as we split up. They headed for the brig while I snuck into the cabin to look for Rosa’s jewelry.

          Garin:

      Jacques and I slipped stealthily into the brig of Bloodhook’s ship and looked around. There didn’t seem to be a guard. Were Hannah and Armin here? “Hannah?” I called with uncertainty.

      “Garin?” I heard Hannah’s voice coming from the end of the brig and saw her scooting over to the bars, hands tied behind her back.

      Jacques and I rushed over to find that Armin was in the cell as well. “You’re safe, thank goodness!” I said in relief.

      “Yes… we’re fine… Just hungry and thirsty.” Hannah replied. They seemed a bit tired too, but that could probably be attributed to the first two problems.

      “What about Rosa?” Armin asked as I opened the cell, “We heard her screaming her head off above a couple of days ago.”

      “She’s safe.” I said as I drew my dagger in order to cut the ropes, “She’s on board the Pawkeet.”

      Just then, two of Bloodhook’s men came out of nowhere with swords drawn, “Hold it. Ye won’t be freein’ the captain’s niece.”

      I growled, turning to face them as Jacques drew his own swords. “We’d like to see you try and stop us, ya sea slugs!”

      A little resistance was to be expected I guess, but I hoped Sea Cat was having an easier time than us.

          Sea Cat:

      I had managed to find Rosa’s heirlooms and was getting ready to go find Garin and Jacques when I heard voices just outside the cabin.

      “Captain, that Acara girl is aboard the Pawkeet. She must’ve been the one to tell ‘em about yer niece.”

      I heard Bloodhook growl in annoyance, “I should’ve slit her throat when I had the chance…” He muttered. I narrowed my eyes, if he was thinking of trying it now…

      “Shall I go aboard the Pawkeet and bring her to you, Captain?” I heard his first mate ask.

      “Don’t bother.” Bloodhook replied, “Women are nothing but… trouble.” Right at that moment, he opened the door with me right behind it.

      “N’aw shoot…” I muttered.

      Bloodhook’s men quickly grabbed me. “GET OFF!!!” I yelled, attempting to kick free, but they forced me to my knees.

      “What do we got ‘ere?” Bloodhook said while pulling a pistol from his belt and putting it right under my chin.

      One of his men wrenched the jewelry from my hands and held it out to him, “Looks like she was trying to steal from ya, Captain.”

      Bloodhook took the jewelry in his free hand and examined it idly, “…Hm… these are the baubles from that stupid Acara brat.”

      “You men, your powers of observation are always so blunt.” I said with annoyance, before suddenly shifting my weight backwards. The two pirates holding me fell forward in a failed attempt to counterbalance and knocked heads, which caused them to let me go. I rolled back onto my feet and quickly uncoiled my Maractite whip, cracking it in Bloodhook’s direction.

      The Eyrie captain stumbled back slightly in shock, and suddenly, Garin ran up behind him and stomped on his tail. Bloodhook let out a bird-like shriek of pain and tried to turn around, but I kicked him forward, causing him to trip over his trapped tail and snatched Rosa’s jewelry back from him.

      “So long, ya barnacle-breathed crimp!” I yelled as Garin and I ran back to the Pawkeet, which Jacques had already escaped to with Hannah and Armin.

      “All right! We’ve got what we came for!” Garin told the crew, “Let’s get out of here!”

      “Aye, aye!” Our crewmates called as they quickly changed our course.

      I went down below deck and knocked on the door to my room. “Rosa, it’s me.” I called, letting her know it was safe to unlock now.

      The red Acara girl unlocked the door and opened it for me. “Is everyone okay?” She asked.

      I nodded. “Aye, they’re fine. I grabbed something for you, with the compliments of Captain Blood-oaf.” I said while revealing her mother’s jewelry.

      The poor girl looked like she would cry again as she took them from me. “Thank you.” She slipped the ring on and fastened the necklace around her neck before looking up at me again. “Please, allow me to thank you properly. I’ll cook breakfast, okay?”

      “You know your way around a ship galley?” I asked, a bit surprised.

      “I used to cook aboard the village’s trade ship when it was in port.” Rosa explained, “I hoped to someday convince my father to take me with him on one of his journeys. That, and my father sometimes used the ship to harvest pearls further off the coast and he had no ability to cook for himself.”

      I chuckled. Men were so helpless at times. “Well, all right. Deal. I’d better get above deck and see if there are any wounded to treat.”

      Rosa smiled and nodded and we went to the different parts of the ship. Even though it seemed as though the Black Pawkeet was drawn to Rosa like a magnet, I thought that was the last adventure I would have with her for a while.

      Boy, was I wrong… To be continued...