Chapter 1

magnonny

⚓ MEIRA'S POV ⚓

A sinister force wrenched me awake. My heart raced as I focused on a looming figure, his hand on my arm. With fear-clouded eyes I raised my dagger, ready to strike.

"You won't hurt me again, Rodrigo!" I exclaimed, swinging my blade out at the person. I missed.

"Meiraaaa!" the figure exclaimed. "Meiraaa, 'tis yer ol' chum, Bridge." The figure calmly raised his hands in surrender.

My eyes focused on the large male standing before me. His graying hair, green eyes, and tanned skin proved he was telling the truth. It was my friend, Bridger. I pressed my hand to my heart as a sense of calm spread through me.

"Bridger, I'm so glad it's you." I sighed with relief as I ran my hand through my curly red locks.

"Pardon me for startlin' ya, Meira. Are ya alright?" Bridger studied my face with a look of fatherly concern.

"I'm right as rain," I reassured him with a fake smile.

"I don't believe ya, lass, but Bridge won't pester ya. Just wanted to let ya know yer uncle's up and hungry." He gave me a grim smile before laying down in a nearby hammock, likely exhausted from his night watch.

I rose out of my own hammock, fully dressed, and slipped my boots on. I quickly left the berth to ready my uncle's breakfast. Above deck, in the galley, I stuffed my face with a sea biscuit as I placed a few other biscuits and salted meat on a tray. I grabbed a mug and poured some ale, placing it beside the food. I lifted the tray and headed towards my uncle's private cabin.

As I walked along the deck, I looked up at the sky and became lost in my imaginings, trying to bring to mind my parents' faces, my mother's flashing eyes, my father's soft smile.

Rodrigo, the dark and handsome second mate, interrupted my thoughts. He wore his long, black, wavy hair tied back from his face. His equally dark eyebrows curved like fishhooks over hard brown eyes. His sharp, pointed nose and chiseled face contrasted well with his plump lips. His heigh of six burly feet gave him six inches on my own lean form.

He took my hand and gave me a dashing smile. It repulsed me now. I yanked myself out of his hold and tried to walk away as I hastily balanced the tilting tray, but he stepped in front of me once more.

"Leave me alone!" I snarled.

"Pardon me, Meira. I only wish to speak to you." Rodrigo's pretty smile turned to a frown.

"Well I don't wish to speak to you after what you did," I whispered angrily so the crew wouldn't overhear.

"I am so sorry, Meira, please let me make it up to you," Rodrigo pleaded with folded hands.

"Forcing yourself on me in the dead of night is unforgivable, Rodrigo. Leave me be, or I'll go to my uncle." I gave him a withering glance and walked past him.

I made my way, uninterrupted, to my uncle's cabin. With my hands full, I banged on the door with my left boot. I waited a moment and his door swung open.

"Goodmornin' uncle." I smiled as I held the tray out to him.

"Goodmornin' and happy birthday, first mate. Thank you fer the food." Uncle Jarek's green eyes sparkled as he walked over and grinned down at me.

"Thank you for remembering, uncle. Do you have any duties you want me to do?" I asked, hoping to avoid clean-up duty.

"Mind darning the mizzensail?" he asked as he ran a hand through his shoulder length hair and picked up a biscuit.

"Happy to, cap'n!" I grinned as I dumped the tray into his arms. I heard him chuckle as I rushed off.

On my way to the mizzen deck I saw the Sprogs, Cove and Zev, mopping the deck. The brothers were fairly new members of the crew. They both had cropped blonde hair, crystal blue eyes, high cheek bones, and slim noses. Medium height and stocky, they looked to be in their early thirties. Though I had only known them a couple months, they had become the closest I had to brothers of my own.

"Hello there, Meira. Happy birthday," said Cove. They both smiled at me as they mopped.

"Thank you for the birthday wishes. Could ya do me a favor?" I flashed them a big grin and fluttered my eyelashes.

"Sure Meira, whatever the birthday girl desires..." Cove started.

"...she'll get," finished Zev.

"Could ya lower the mizzensail for me? The cap'n wants it repaired." I gave them a sheepish smile knowing they hated that job.

"O' course, ya know we can't say no to ya," Zev chuckled. They both grinned, left their mops and barrels of water, and followed me aft to the mizzen mast's rigging.

I stood back as they slowly lowered the sail. Once it was in a heap, I helped them unhook the thick canvas from the ropes. We folded the heavy fabric and I hauled it to a corner in an out-of-the-way spot.

It took me an hour to repair the damage a recent storm had done on the sail. I examined my work and tugged at the seams with my bare hands. The stitches held and I smiled. My mother had not had long to teach me sewing, but what she had taught me I had retained. I refolded the sail and briskly walked to the main deck to find Cove and Zev.

I looked about, but both had disappeared. I went below deck and heard voices. I checked the brig and supply rooms, but both were empty. The last room to check was the mid room. I walked in found them, mopping under the many hammocks.

"There ya are," I huffed.

"Here we be," Zev agreed, laughing.

"Ye done fixin' the main sail?" Cove inquired as the brothers continued to mop.

"Yes, it 'twas an easy fix," I stated proudly.

"Well, let's hoist 'er up and see if she'll hold," said Cove, straightening.

"I 'spect a storm'll be raging down on us soon," Zev added. "Bet there'll be plenty of wind to test yer stitches, Meira."

I followed the brothers above deck to the mizzen mast. The three of us hooked the patched sail to the rigging, and hoisted her up. As we unfurled the sail I heard someone shout.

"Land ahoy!"

I dashed up to the steps of the quarter deck. Sure enough, just ahead, barely poking above the vast ocean were the iconic twin mountains of the kingdom of Castriel.

"Lower the colors!" my uncle barked. "No need for 'em to know anything except lies about us." A few crew members chuckled.

"Aye, aye, cap'n!" Rodrigo shouted down, clambering up the rigging.

I stepped up beside my uncle. "Why are we docking?" I asked, placing a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. "Isn't the hull stocked?"

"Aye, but the crew deserves a day's leave. So do ye, niece." He winked before returning his attention to the helm.

I ran down the stairs to the berths. From beneath my hammock I dragged the heavy thing out. I withdrew my key from my shirt front and shoved it into the lock. Throwing back the lid, I dug around the mess of keepsakes I had saved from my parents. I felt the small velvet bag that held my coins and stashed it inside my thigh-high left boot.

Within an hour we had lowered the sails and coasted smoothly into Polonia, Castriel's capital city, which boasted the largest port in the known world. Ships bobbed everywhere, from large galleons to dainty frigates. Their masts pierced the sky like giant grass blades growing from the ocean. All along the dock bustled masses of people, loading and unloading ships, yelling and laughing and arguing.

My uncle guided the ship right up to one of the piers and Rodrigo and third-mate Rafferty began dragging the plank out. Not wanting to wait, I scaled the railing. Grabbing a rope from the ship, I pushed off and swung out over the stoney pier. I released the rope and somersaulted onto the dock.

"Meira!" my uncle called out, as the rest of the crew bustled around deck in anticipation.

I gave him a grin and waved before walking off. After a moment of wobbling, my legs got used to the stillness of land. Weaving my way through the crowded dock and shipyard, I made my way into the city's main market. I stopped in my tracks to take in the hustle and bustle of landlubbers and smiled. I hadn't been on land in nine months, or longer. While I loved the sea, being back on solid ground, with trees and grass was always a joy.

A shop called, "Malaney's Weaponry" caught my eye. Halfway to the shop, I heard shouts and whipped my head to the side. A runaway carriage barreled through the square, the powerful horse whinnying and snorting as the carriage smashed into barrels and the scattered vendor carts set up along the cobblestone. The horse galloped straight toward me. As I tried to dodge out of the way, I tripped on a loose stone and fell to my knees.

"Seems I'll be meeting mother and father earlier than anticipated," I whispered to myself.

I shut my eyes, waiting for the blow. Suddenly something latched onto me and jerked my body into a hard object. I felt the rush of wind as the carriage burst past, and the clatter of hooves and wheels slowly subsided. Once I felt the dust clear, I opened my eye and gazed into the brown eyes of a strange man. My eyes traced a set of firm arms around my waist and looked up into a tanned face.

I stared at him, breath caught in my throat. He did not strike me as particularly handsome, but he was captivating. Above his sharp nose, two deep-set chocolate eyes gaze into my green ones, and two faint frown lines above his sharp nose showed his concern. Fain stubble shaded his jaw and wide mouth. His straight brown hair was swept back from his broad forehead, tied behind his head somehow. Some pieces of hair were damp, glued to the side of his face by sweat.

"Are you alright, miss?" A deep gravelly voice awakened me.

"Fine as a swine in slop, matey." I pushed away from him and winked as my face flushed.

Surprise flickered across his face. Amusement followed. "A lady such as yourself ought to be cautious." He straightened and put out his hand to help me up.

I ignored it and stood myself, tossing my long locks over my shoulder. "I ain't a lady," I said, laughing harshly. "Thank ye, though." Without another word I strode off to Malaeny's Weaponry. Just inside the door, I stole a look over my shoulder.

He stood in the spot I had left him, staring after me, a strange look on his face. Than he took a deep breath and strode off down a side street, but not before I had noted the anchor tattooed on his neck. I wished I'd asked his name, but it was too late and I would probably never see him again.

I entered the shop with a shrug.

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An hour later I emerged from the shop with a gleaming metal cutlass, rubies encrusted along the handle. I did not anticipate buying anything else, but a dress in the window of the shop across the street caught my eye. I gasped and fumbled for the locket at my neck. I opened it and gazed at the thumbnail painting of my mother, then back at the dress in the window.

"Oh, mother, it's just like yours," I murmured. The color was a deeper purple and the design was slightly different, but besides that they were almost identical. It had cuffs that fell below the shoulders, a simple bodice, and hoop skirt.

I entered the shop and exited with not only the gown, but a matching hat. With my arms laden with the wrapped gown and hat box, I decided to return to the ship. As I came along a pub, I ran right into Cove and Zev. Zev righted me as Cove grabbed my hat box.

"Needin' help, Meira?" Zev smirked.

"That would be nice, thanks, mates." I gave them each a smile as I handed over the bulky gown.

"It's our pleasure to give a lass a brotherly hand," Cove told me as they led the way to the ship.

Despite their help, it took forty-five minutes to find the right pier. Bobbing at the end, I squinted to read the letters nailed along the front of the hull. Women's Revenge. My mother had renamed the ship when she had first become pirate captain. I loved its name, only disheartened that a woman no longer captained the ship.

Once at the plank, Cove and Zev insisted I go ahead of them. I raised an eyebrow, but they remained silently in place. I shrugged and walked up the plank.

The ship felt strangely empty, but I knew many of the sailors were likely still enjoying themselves on land. Reassured, I turned my head and continued walking. As my left boot touched the deck, my uncle and the crew jumped into view.

"Happy birthday, Meira!" I took a step back and would have fallen if my uncle hadn't grabbed my hand.

I looked around and saw black and purple ribbons, my parents' colors, flying from the rigging and railings. There was a long table, laden with food, and more than a hundred chairs sat around, waiting to be filled. I looked at my uncle and the crew with incredulity as they spread out a banner before me. Written on the white cotton cloth were the words:

⚓Many Happy Returns, Captain Meira Lorcan⚓

     I whirled back around to my uncle's smiling face. In his hands was my mother's black captain's jacket. The front was short waisted with brass buttons lining one side, a train that flitted with the breeze, long sleeves with frilled lace along the cuffs and collar. My uncle stepped forward and helped me place the jacket on.

    "Ye look the spittin' image of Rothsalyn, m' dear." He gazed at me softly with shinning eyes.

     "I do?" I whisper, not believing that my uncle was speaking of my mother.

     "Aye, now let's parlay, niece." His grin appeared as he pulled me forward to parlay.

     I dug the heels if my boots down to keep my uncle from moving.

    "Secure the job and drop anchor, for I don't understand, uncle."

    "What tis it ye not understand, lass?" Uncle Jarek, placed his hands on my shoulders as he studied me.

    "Why are ya giving me Women's Revenge, uncle?" I raised an eyebrow, as I gave him a studied view.

    "Ye earned it, niece." He gave my shoulders a fatherly pat.

      I grinned and yanked him forward to jig to the music.

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