Children Of The Angry Sea: Part Five... Blackswallow.

 

His sleep was interrupted several times during the night by troubled seas and periods of restlessness, and the very next morning as he stood at the helm of The Sea Witch, Captain Tristian felt the familiar sway of intuition tugging at his thoughts. He raised the spy glass to the horizon as the Penduline islands slowly came into view, the Sea Witch turned slowly to the east sailing around the cape of the largest island in the chain called Sharktooth, to a much smaller one along the southeast side to Grimrose, they pulled the Sea Witch to within a mile and one half of the shoreline until the towering buildings of Blackswallow came into view. They went another mile, maintaining their distance from the shore, before Tristian called the order to drop anchor. He looked through the spy glass carefully studying the shoreline along the docks until his eyes came to rest on a familiar sight, It was a ship nestled in along one of the deep slips off the piers of Blackswallow, a ship he more than recognized, it was the Bandy Swine. He knew Captain Morgan Blackwood all too well, and to say that they were not friendly was an understatement.

He returned to his cabin to gather a few papers, his eyes carefully scanning several times over them reading and remembering names, he then retrieved his cutlass and two loaded flintlocks and holstered both under his long coat. He returned to the gun deck where he sought out first mate Moses Finch, and instructed him to lower a Jolly where he, second mate Farrel Hooker, gunners mate Ainsley Barksdale, and deckhand Oseric Pope would be heading ashore. Tristian instructed them to each carry a loaded flintlock and a cutlass, but to keep them under wraps as they didn't want to appear to be looking for a fight, but in case trouble should at some point arise, they would be ready for it. He told Mr. Finch that he had the bridge. They deployed the jolly just before 9:00 AM, and rowed a mile and one half until they reached the shallows beneath Blackswallow, they lashed the small vessel to the dock posts, and Tristian, Farrel Hooker and Ainsley Barksdale would search the taverns for Captain Morgan Blackwood, while Oseric Pope would wait by the Jolly.

Blackswallow although strikingly beautiful in places, with its tall buildings, some boasting seven stories high, trade, and various vendors, and butcher shops, alongside taverns, lined the narrow coach ridden cobblestone streets, it was clean and sprawling, and its population soared into the thousands, reaching out in several directions for miles. In some places the buildings were backed up to towering sheer stone cliffs and forests that seemed to climb their way to the heavens. But for all its wealth and beauty, Blackswallow was long well known to be a safe haven for some of the most notorious pirates of the golden coast, some of which actually called it home. Along its tavern row, Captain Morgan Blackwood was amongst the usual suspects. They found them in a place called The Buzzards Breath. As they entered, they found themselves in the usual scene, a smoke filled room, amidst the scent of stale rum mixed with charred meat and the slightest stench of unwashed flesh, and there sat Morgan Blackwood at a table off in the corner with two other men, one Tristian recognized as his first mate, Marston Gruber, and a second man which he did not recognize. Captain Morgan Blackwood immediately recognized him. 

"Captain Tristian Crowley. What brings you to our little corner of the world?"

"It isn't a pleasure visit Captain Blackwood, of that I can assure you, May we sit for a moment?"

He touched a lit match to his long stemmed tobacco pipe, and puffed out two plumes of gray smoke, his menacing stare never leaving Tristian and his two companions, he nodded silently toward three empty chairs. They pulled them in close and sat.

"We crossed paths with a ship no more than eight days from here, anchored in a fog bank, she's a merchant, crew, quartermaster, all murdered, and we suspect their bodies thrown overboard. cargo left completely intact, The ship's name is the Queen Ann Swayne. we boarded her to offer assistance, we found her empty save the cargo, I gathered The captain's log and the quartermasters as well, and navigational charts. and returned to The Witch."  Tristian struck a match and lit his own pipe, his eyes carefully studying Blackwood.

"A merchant, you say? and what secrets did the log books reveal Tristian?"

"It is my belief that the Captain Hiro Shamus had smuggled more aboard than spices and sugarcane rum, I believe he and his officers arranged the sale of the ship and cargo beforehand, and murdered the crew and quartermaster Benjamin Holm, anchored and abandoned the ship with their real prize a cache of valuable gemstones, We found the captains body set adrift in a jolly, four days later, a hole in the center of his forehead, a small ruby clutched in his palm." Tristian told them.

Blackwood looked at him in stunned disbelief.

"I know these names Tristian, Hiro Shamus was no merchant captain nor Benjamin Holm a quartermaster, Hiro was what some would call a privateer or pirate, a capable seaman to be certain, but no merchant ship captain." Blackwood responded.

"So a competent fraud then?"  Tristian asked.

A look of sadness slowly grew in Blackwoods eyes.

"Hiro Shamus was a flawed man, Tristian." He said. "But he was also my friend."

"And what of Benjamin Holm?" Tristian inquired.

"Benjamin Holm isn't his real name, he was an officer of the Royal Navy, aboard the HMS Prince Henry. His real name is Colin Garrick, he went on shore leave three years ago and never returned. And he isn't dead Tristian, I know this to be true, because not more than a week ago he was sitting at this very table, swilling ale with five other men. Word has it they were looking for Silver Tooth." Blackwoods eyes narrowed.

"Grayson Bonney." Tristian muttered angrily. "We've met."

"Do tell."  Blackwood smiled.

"We chased them off a fishing boat two years ago, ran them into the fog near Norchester."

"The Hellborn hasn't been seen in these waters in six months time Tristian, Bonney has made enemies on both sides of the law, but take heed lad, The Hellborn will not fall easy prey twice, even to the Sea Witch. But you do have an edge in one regard, You're smarter than him. be careful with that one Tristian" Blackwood said.

Tristian cast him a puzzled look.

"You humiliated him once already, men tend to remember such things." He cautioned.

"Duly noted."

Tristian passed a small stack of coins across the table to Captain Morgan Blackwood.

"Buy yourself a bottle of rum Morgan."  He said, slowly standing.

"Tristian?"

He cast him a blank stare.

"I know you and I have had our differences in the past. But if you do happen to find the man or men who murdered Hiro Shamus?"

He offered no reply, but nodded.

"I do hope that you'll save a piece for me."

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