Children of The Angry Sea. Two: All Hands Sail Away.

ll.

The wind had already been blowing in from the east across the icy waters of Lockwood Bay when the three yawls made their way back to The Sea Witch with their supplies. He and Fiona Tidas boarded just before 2:00 PM, on a Tuesday afternoon, when they were greeted by a large, tall, barrel chested fellow with long thick black hair, and clear hazel eyes, and broad shoulders, it was the first time Fiona met first mate Moses Finch. The crew were all set about unloading the supplies when he would ask Captain Crowley about the new canvas, Tristian set them about unloading it first so they could get to repairing the torn sails, after a brief introduction he took Fiona to quarters so she could get settled in, five minutes later Moses Finch appeared in the doorway, giving a puzzled look to Fiona. At first his appearance gave her quite the start and filled her small body with a nervous trepidation until, much in the same way as Tristian had done earlier in Norwich, Mr. Finch bent down, extended his hand slowly to her and calmly introduced himself.

"What are your orders, Captain?" He asked.

"Set the crew about unloading the rest of the supplies, and get four riggers up those masts to lower those damaged sails Mr. Finch, and then get Miss Prim down here, I'll be needing her to help miss Fiona get cleaned up and bedded down. And make sure the riggers check the Fore And Aft masts for damage near the top as well, as they're lowering the sails, we won't be going to sea with a damaged ship Mr. Finch I want her seaworthy in Six days. Is that clear?" 

"Aye Captain, I'll set the men to task and send down Prim sir." Mr. Finch smiled at Fiona and returned to the upper deck.

 For her young life on the docks of Norwich, she had always heard the disgusted talk of those dirty, smelly old pirates, she would have thought life aboard such a ship to be one of filth, greed and death. But what she'd found aboard the Sea Witch was quite the opposite, the ship itself was kept clean and in orderly repair, and the crew was the same, clean and more often civilized than not, even though they'd spent time at sea they would take advantage of every opportunity to give themselves and the Sea Witch a good scrubbing. The Witch was their home, and after all, they being former pirates were no longer on the outer fringes of the law and could afford time to properly tend to such matters. Crews of other ships, she would later learn were vastly different, the crew of the Witch had been together for many a day, night and weeks, and years spent on the seas, made them more of a family and Captain Tristian Crowley being their father, was a man not to be tested by any other, though he could outwardly appear to be kind at heart, it was well known that the tip of his cutlass had stripped many a man's soul from their earthly bodies and sent them to their watery graves.

Fiona Tidas would soon learn that much to her relief she was not the only female aboard ship, there were in fact two others, and both were well seasoned sailors, and worth their salt. Prim who at first glance with her baggy clothing could have passed for a male had you cut off her golden long flowing locks, and then there was Elvira Penny, who even when in good spirits had every man and boy holding their breath when she walked by, but they weren't looks of lust given to Elvira and Prim they were looks of fear. Prim had also grown up on The Sea Witch, but both Moses Finch and Captain Tristian had long sought out Elvira Penny, Long before any letter of marque had been issued by any country or government, Elvira at the age of fourteen, had brutally cut her father to pieces along with their tenant lord for abusing her mother. There she was, but a young girl being fitted for a hangman's noose, when Tristian and Moses Finch came calling to snatch her from the jaws of death, and stole her young life away aboard the Sea Witch where she would devote her existence from that day forward to a life of piracy.

They were there because they were family, they were equals to all aboard the grandmother of the sea, they were blood, and they belonged, and together they welcomed young Fiona Tidas as their own. She would share a space with Prim and Elvira Penny, and the one shipmate that Elvira seemed to like more than any other, a large pot-bellied, gray and black striped tabby whom she named Elmo, he was one of three cats aboard The Sea Witch that all but eliminated the vermin population, he'd gotten the name when one night at sea they were hit by a violent storm, and St Elmo's fire came calling, and while several of the crew had backed away from the spectacle, the brave Tabby scurried up the main mast and snarled and hissed violently at the phenomenon until it seemed to relent. Since then the plump brave tabby would become their hero and mascot. By the third day the supplies were all counted and quartered away, the sails brought down and mended, the sea around them seemed to grow more and more impatient at their leisurely pace as if waiting for a new toy to be dispatched as her plaything. By the very next Monday all sails repaired and raised to their spars, with the sea growing more restless, in the early morning mists at seven bells Captain Tristian would have Moses Finch sound the all hands.

"All hands to the foredeck Mr. Finch. I will address our crew."

First Mate Moses Finch sounded the general assembly to where the 150-person crew assembled below the half-deck, young Fiona Tidas stood beside toward the front of the gathering mass of bodies, trying valiantly as not to appear fearful when she felt a hand gently wrap into hers, surprised she looked up into the smiling eyes of Elvira Penny who gave her a knowing wink, as the crew around them grew silent in anticipation of The Captain's address, First mate Moses Finch calmly stood off to the left of the helm while second mate, and ships gunsmith Farrel Hooker stood silently to the right all waiting for Captain Crowley.  He stood above them neither somber nor with reverence, he seemed very much like a man choosing his words carefully before addressing the very people who would without question entrust their very lives to him. To young Fiona, he seemed to tower over them like a holy giant about to deliver a sermon to his flock.

"My mates! For the first in over a years time, we will set sail, without assignment of general purpose other than that of our own regard, we will set our course, to the North, Northeast, we will sail 1500 nautical miles around the Eastern Tip of the Penduline islands and then another 1460 miles out into open sea to Pigrim. We will come about the western side of the island close in to the Village of Gale Town, we will be dropping anchor there while we tend to out our ships needs, we will once again fully restock our food supply and tend to our crew's personal needs. We will be close in to the shore, and we will all get a chance to set foot on land, until which time our repairs shall be completed in full. At which time we will once again set sail another two hundred miles to Ark Island, where Mr. Finch and I will be gathering important information and possible future employment for The Sea Witch. So my mates, from here, when we reach Pigrim outside of Gale Town, each crew member, will receive full wages regardless of our ship's current employment."

The crowd of seamen and women erupted into full on cheer, and the mood aboard the Witch, made the brooding seas seem more hopeful, and when the cheering subsided their great Captain of the proud Sea Witch once again raised his hands.

"My Mates! I usually reserve such a sermon for Sunday mornings, but alas, as is my usual form, I am once again a day late and one dollar short, Mates, Bring forth your bibles, may they bring you comfort, when your minds become troubled, but lest ye not forget, here, there be only one god. and lo, She rises and falls with the tide. She breathes her breath into our sails, to push us forth, further into the maelstrom, into the unknown, she, the sea beckons to us, with her bounty endless and her wrath savage as the night is long, she is our god, our mother, our only grace, and if only for her guidance on the coming voyage, we pray to her now, for her mercy, her grace, for her gentle hand to show us the way, and to give strength in our moments of doubt, and may her wisdom bring us once again safe home. All hands sail away, Mr. Finch."

There below the half-deck, young Fiona Tidas stared in awe up at the giant sails of the great Sea Witch, as the mother sea's mighty breath filled their bellies full and gently pushed them forward out into the beckoning waters that lye beyond the safety of Lockwood Bay.  It made her hold her breath for a time, as beneath her small feet she could feel the deck rise and slowly fall, it felt to here as if she were riding on the back of a great beast carrying her away to some unknown land to where great adventure would surely be waiting. she turned to look up in time to see her brave champion Captain Tristan Crowley, as he offered her a reassuring smile, and extended his hand to gently place a beautiful fully ripened fresh juicy apple in her palm.

"Steady as she goes, Mr. Finch, this grand old lady will ride these waves all the way to Brighton if she fancies it!"

~Scratch.. A.B.T. Copyright © 2023~

Children of The Angry Sea. Part one. The Golden Coast.

 

The first time he'd noticed her she was but a poorly kept child, dirty, scared, alone, crawling beneath the feet of the seafood and produce merchants plying their trade along the docks of pier 13 in old Norwich Village on the isle of Aysgarth. The bitter cold of early November would not be kind when the icy winds of winter would come blowing in from the east over Lockwood Bay, and as sure as there would be snow by Christmas, the freezing rain would come blowing in before it. It was there on Pier 13 cowering beneath the boots of a local seafood merchant named Chatz, that was when he first saw her there, A young fragile looking child, perhaps no more than 8 or 9 years of age, cowering at his feet in fear for her life, A brooding uncouth lout of a man he was to be certain, loud and boisterous, dirty, unkempt, who to Captain Tristian Crowley bore some resemblance to a pot-belly pig in trousers, a round, fat, whisker bristled face, jowls that hung past his jawbone on both sides, a fat face indeed with a belly to match. He might not have paid him any mind at all, until he took to kicking and loudly cursing at the child.

He drew back his plump fist, leather strap in hand ready to strike her with it, yelling at her, like an angry bear towering over her, until the much taller Captain Tristian would catch his hand mid-swing, twist his arm behind him and at the same time kicked the fat man's feet out from under him sending him sprawling across the wet docks, cursing under his breath as he bounced along. He stared down at the robust seafood merchant menacingly, one look up at the angry Tristian was enough to have him crawling backward in a hasty retreat. Now he was in fear for his own life, it was he who cowered at another man feet, For chatz when he looked up and saw the long white hair, the broad shoulders, and the steel in his eyes, he immediately recognized him, this was no ordinary man, this was Captain Tristian Crowley, the Thief of Souls.

"Not so easy when you have a go at someone who can fight back, aye? Shouldn't hit a child mate, much less a girl. "

Without looking down, he extended his hand to the young girl, helping her to her feet. never taking his eyes off of the frightened Chatz. who had already abandoned any thought of retaliation.

"You'd best be getting home to your mum, girl, she'll probably be wondering where you've gone off to by now." He said.

"I have no mum sir, she took sick when I was 4 years old and passed shortly after, my father was lost at sea before I was even born. I have no home." She meekly replied.

"An Orphan then?" 

She lowered her head and slowly nodded.

"Well, I suppose you'll be a guest aboard the Sea Witch, then." He smiled at her.

He helped her to her feet and made certain she was well, she followed along in silence beside him, puzzled as to why a complete stranger would stand up for her. when all at once, the confused youngster stopped and gave a gentle tug on Tristian's hand to get his attention. He stopped walking to give her a sideways glance.

"Sir not to complain, but most people wouldn't even give me half a thought, you do know that I'm black don't you sir?"

Tristian, fighting back a smile, stopped abruptly in mid-stride and spun on his heels slowly, deliberately bending down to face her.

"Oh, are you now? To tell you the truth, child, I hadn't even noticed." He gave her a wink and gently placed a plump, juicy red apple in her hand.

"My name is Captain Tristian Crowley, by the way." He told her.

 

She smiled up at him broadly.

"I am Fiona Tidas, Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir."

They walked along, exchanging small talk back and forth, until they drew closer to the Sandy Bottom Tavern, when he saw several officers from the King's Navy motioning for him to join them inside. He looked down, concerned, at Fiona Tidas.

"Have you ever been in a tavern before, child?"

She shook her head no.

"Well hold onto my hand tightly miss Fiona, and don't let go, those men, it seems, would like a word with me inside the Sandy Bottom."

They walked in behind the officers, The room was loud and raucous, round wooden tables scattered about in every corner of the large room, it smelled of ale and charred meat, and it reminded her of how hungry she was, as she could feel her belly rumble. Tristian and Fiona Joined them at a table, to which the trio cast surprised looks and glances at the small child in his company. He sat down calmly across from them and placed a small stack of coins on the table-top and told the waitress that the child was under his protection.

"A bottle of your best wine for the gentlemen and I, and for the girl a tall glass of milk and a cut of your finest sweetbread, and perhaps some fresh fruit to go along" 

He moved the coins in her direction, his eyes never leaving the three officers, lieutenant Jonathon Burke, while not appearing to be a physically intimidating man, had the reputation of having a short fuse. While not tall in stature, he more than made up for his lack of height with ruthless aggression, Jonathon Burke was indeed a fierce swordsman. Burke removing his gloves carefully eyed Tristian.

"Captain Crowley, Let us cut right to the chase then, you and I have had our differences in the past, this I know, However, here lately you seem to have been shall we say straddling the fence between the legal and what is not. Your Sea Witch is one of the finest, fastest and most capable ships on the water right now, and any vessel sailing the seven seas would be foolish to test you or her, this we all know, So, pushing that aside, we have a more pressing matter that we would like to discuss with you." Burke studied his reaction.

The waitress brought the bottle of port wine and three glasses, along with Fiona's milk sweetbread and fresh fruit. Tristian uncorked the bottle and began filling the glasses.

"You have my undivided attention, Lieutenant, Proceed sir." Tristian said.

"Captain Crowley, his majesty King George ll has authorized me to seek council with you in particular in a matter, shall we say-of grave importance."

Tristian's eyes widened at the notion, but he offered no reply.

"Captain, When the governing bodies from around the world offered you the original pardon, us for your crimes against the crown, and in exchange you and five others accepted the offer, and while there is still rampant piracy it is not as prevalent as it once was, thanks to you and your friends aid, you provided armed escort for our merchants which opened up safe trade route across the oceans. For that, we are now once again safe to sail open waters without fear of attack.  However, things have changed once again, the Royal Navy has lost four heavily armed Frigates in the past 10 months on the Evermoor sea along the southern coasts of the Muir islands. we sent them out on their missions and never heard from or seen them again. And we were wondering, given your lengthy history with that vicinity, if perhaps you might offer us some valuable insight on the matter."

Tristian raised the glass to his lips, watching the Lieutenant.

"Burke, have you ever personally tested the waters of the Evermoor?" 

Burke shook his head.

"No, I can't say that I have."

He leaned back in his seat, his eyes giving curious study to all three faces of the men sitting across the table from him.

"Well then lad, let me enlighten you, The Evermoor sea is one of the most unpredictable bodies of water on the planet. The water there, is always as cold as ice, It's dark, cold lonely place, one minute it's calm as can be, and you're thinkin to yourself, well now this isn't so bad, now is it lads? the next minute? not more than five minutes later, you've got the icy winds lashing at your sails, twenty foot waves coming over your bow. every drop of water around you trying to drag you to the bottom of those murky depths, and that's in the summer and autumn, come winter and spring? Well, that's when it gets real dicey. Most times the god awful fog weighs you down, you can barely even see your hand in front of your own face, even the most hardened seafarers, and battle tested skippers to ever ride the waves shrink from it all. They would rather sail around the horn of the Belgedde and take the long way around, rather than risk saving a month of sailing by crossing the Evermoor in winter or spring. It's the devil's playground, and he makes the rules in the Evermoor."

Four ships, four Frigates all sailing from Glousbury across the Evermoor to St. Krits on the Muir islands, each voyage should have taken just over 72 days one way tops, yet all four vessels were never seen or heard from again. Captain Tristian would talk to them for over an hour, and the only conclusion that even he could reach is that the ships were all waylaid by pirates, outliers who disabled the vessels took them over and killed the captain and crew, and when they finished off loading whatever they could steal they sank the ships. but the question remained who could attack a fully armed ship of the Royal Navy, kill 150 trained mariners and then sink the vessel to cover their escape?

They were several names mentioned as the possible suspects most notably the name of Captain Barron Booth of the Blood Sea Rose came to mind, it almost fit into his methods, the ship was more than capable but captain Booth's tactics didn't add up, he would have definitely taken responsibility for the sinking of a single royal navy vessel, if he had sank 4 he would have ordained himself royalty. But thinking of Booth did bring to Tristian's mind an experience near the Achelas islands 3 months previous, they were 18 miles out from Poseidon bay, They saw a ship of unknown origin closing distance on the Sea Witch, a very large ship with unknown markings and heavy armament, he recalled it being larger than any vessel he'd ever seen, The Sea Witch proved to be too fast for it though, and at the edge of the first turn toward Poseidon it disappeared into a thick fog bank and they never saw it again. It would have been much too large for even The Witch to take on but given her speed the larger slower ship couldn't keep up with her. Lieutenant Burke ended the meeting with a handshake and both men stepped out into the street with the other officers and Fiona Tidas in tow. 

"So what business brings you to Norwich Captain Crowley?" Burke asked.

"We brought Three boats ashore for supplies, beef, Pork, lard, live chickens, we cooked the last of those a month ago, a bit of armament too, fresh canvas, last wind storm we hit 40 miles out into The Coral  our sails took quite the lashing, ripped a couple of them ragged. After some restocking and refitting, we'll be shoving off from here in about five or six days, depending on the damage done to our sails."

"Where to Tristian? if you don't be minding me asking." Burke inquired.

"Pigrim." He answered.

"I have never heard of such a place."  Burke answered.

"Well Burke it isn't charted, It's about 460 miles out into open sea on the other side of the Penduline islands, not much there but high cliffs and deep slips close to shore, We can get the Witch in real close to shore without bottoming out, we'll be dropping anchor there while we do the more lengthy repairs. It's in neutral waters so we won't have much to worry about in the ways of being attacked while we do the repairs, there are two villages, one small one a bit larger called Gale town, and there's a monestary right in the middle on the moutain top." Tristian nodded toward two hooded robed figures slowly walking across from them.

Burke gave them a puzzled look, and then returned his attention to Tristian.

"Been seeing a lot of them around here lately, never seen the like before, Monks perhaps?" Burke asked.

"They call them The Ageless Order, you see them on every island, every village, from here to the other side of the Golden coast, They don't have boat to their name but they always seem to find their way across the water." He turned to face Burke.

"After we stitch the sails, It'll take us three and a half weeks of steady sailing to reach Pigrim, after we do a proper refitting there, I do a bit of asking around, I'll see what I can find out about his majesty's ship problem, when we return,  we'll be droping anchor about two miles off of Hatteras point, we'll be back back here in two and a half months time, if your here Burke I'll be letting you know what I find out. Now lad's, my new cabin mate and I had best be seeing to those supplies."  

He gently took little Fiona's hand and turned toward the sea, he cordially shook Lieutenant Burkes hand and they parted ways, ten feet later Burke called to him one last time.

"Tristian!"

He stopped and turned to look back at them.

"I promise you Captain, I won't forget this."

~Scratch.. A.B.T. Copyright © 2023~