a pirate invasion: part 3
When we stepped out onto the deck, I stopped, frozen in shock. It was completely bare. The only people I could see were the pirates shuffling along the ship, packing away our supplies and riches.
The Lady led me, a bit forcefully by the arm, to a gangplank which joined the two ships. The tumultuous swell of the sea beneath it threw my heart into my throat, but I followed after The Lady without much hesitation.
She dragged me to a small cabin and shoved me inside saying, ‘I’m going to lock you in,’ which did admittedly alarm me a little. She must have seen the concern cross over my eyes as she then said quickly, ‘I’ll let you out later, when we get away.’
I spent several hours in that cabin with only the surging sea as my entertainment. But when the sky began to darken, I heard a soft knock at the door, before it opened to reveal a young man dressed in a clean sharply tailored uniform. He was the same young man as before and his eyes narrowed slightly in recognition upon seeing me. But he said nothing other than: ‘The Lady will see you now,’ before taking me with him to her quarters.
Upon reaching the door, which even if I hadn’t known where we were going, I would have guessed belonged to her with its intricate carving and bright metal hardware, he knocked on it three times. And a moment later, The Lady pulled open the door and after dismissing the young man with a quick snap of the fingers, she waved me inside.
She walked over to the large desk in the middle of the room, and gestured for me to sit in a large velvet armchair. As soon as I did so, she said quietly, ‘What is your name, child?’
I almost answered with the name I had been using for the past five years, but I realized that doing so would only inspire a withering look I would not like to endure. So I answered truthfully.
She looked me in the eyes for a moment before asking, ‘Is that the name you want?’
I stared at her. ‘Want? What do you mean?’
‘You are not who you once were anymore. That name can mean nothing to you if you so desire.’
I found I did desire it. I had always hated my given name, since it had always evoked a certain person who I had never quite identified with.
‘Dynamene. That's the name I want.’
‘She who is able,’ The Lady translated softly. ‘I like it.’
Then she paused a moment before saying. ‘I think you have been wondering, child, why I have taken you along with me. Perhaps shockingly, I do not intend to harm you, or keep you locked up so that I can eventually sell you off to some interested buyer. No, somewhat surprisingly, I say that as I too was surprised by my own decision, I am intending to train you, raise you up as one of my own, so that you may take part in the benefits that I am reaping.’
I stared at her, utterly shocked and for a few moments unable to speak. She was keeping me? She wanted to keep me?
‘I am assuming you are alone in the world,’ she said seemingly ignoring my stunned expression. ‘I mean any young woman pursuing such a lifestyle as yours is either independently headstrong or pointedly desperate.’
Such a remark shattered my tension and I laughed. ‘Your insight, madam, is shockingly keen. You are correct. I was orphaned about six years ago.’
‘How long have you been working for Blake?’
I did not overlook the way she seemed to spit out his name. ‘About three years.’
‘What was your pay?’
I chuckled. ‘Abhorrent.’
‘I could have guessed,’ she commented with a scoff. ‘And I’m sure he docked it too, once he discovered your gender.’
‘Surprisingly, no, that did not happen.’
She raised an eyebrow and I shrugged. ‘It was strange to me as well.’
She fell silent for a moment and then crossing her arms across her chest, said with a sigh, ‘Well, child, I’m sure you’re aware that even though being a pirate is no easy task, it does reap bountiful rewards.’
I looked down and smiled. ‘Yes, I am quite aware.’
‘You’d be a fool if you weren’t,’ she said, chuckling. ‘I do have to tell you that there are a couple other downsides to the arrangement. The training will not be easy, though I think you will handle it quite well, and when that is over, I want you to marry one of the men. I know it is a hard thing to ask, and somewhat stupid, what with the death toll being so high, but you need to have some sort of tie within this ecosystem and unfortunately, just being my apprentice won’t cut it. You deserve better protection and support than that. You may choose for yourself and I will not give you guidance unless you ask for it.’ She paused then and looked deep into my eyes. ‘Do you understand what I’m saying to you?’
My mind was racing, trying to prepare me for what was already looming in front of me. But after drawing a deep breath in and then fully exhaling, I said softly yet firmly, ‘I understand completely.’
‘Do you accept?’
A laugh almost escaped me. ‘Do I have a choice otherwise?’
She smiled. ‘Of course not.’
‘Then yes. Yes, I do accept.’
~dys