Page 17 of Virelai's Hoard
The first mate’s eyes snapped to hers. “Then I wantherthrown overboard. Make an example out of either of them. I don’t care which one.”
Riley had a few choice words to say to that, but she clamped her mouth shut and knelt down to shove everything back into her bag. Her heart was pumping so loudly she could barely hear anything else. Maybe when they threw her overboard, she could somehow cling to the ship and climb back up and-
“You say it wasn’t his fault. Explain.”
Riley’s head snapped up. Her thoughts quietened for just a moment, and a strange heat bathed over her. The captain really wanted to hearherversion of the story?
As she stood, Riley thought about the best way she could appeal to Calla’s sympathy and get both her and Patch out of this mess. Although…
Maybe it was Calla’s intense, knowing gaze, or maybe it was instinct, but something told her straying too far from the truth would only put her in more trouble. That didn’t mean she couldn’t leave a few choice details out, though.
“I was so busy learning the job, andtired, that I haven’t been paying him much mind these days.” She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck as she avoided everyone’s gaze. She’d never done this with such a big audience before, but it wasn’t the crowd she needed to appease. It was Calla. And her first mate. “He was just bored and trying to get my attention.” Then she forced herself to push out two more words as she looked at Sable. “I’m sorry.” Soft and quiet and as genuine as she could make them.
The first mate didn’t seem to expect that. Her eyes widened briefly, and she adjusted the folded arms at her chest. Her jaw remained locked tight, but something loosened in her shoulders.
Captain Calla studied her for a moment, eyes narrowed as if she was missing something, but couldn’t put her finger on it. Riley tried not to fidget under the gaze. Eventually, the captain said, “I don’t think this little incident is reason enough to throw someone overboard, Sable.”
Riley tensed. She could feel a ‘but’coming, and images of alternative punishments flashed through her mind. Some were worse than drowning. Her palms went clammy, and she rubbed her ungloved hand against her pants, shifting on her feet.
“However.” There it was. Riley sucked in a breath. “You are right that there need to be consequences. We can’t have the sailors robbing each other because they’rebored.” A pointed look in Riley’s direction made her stomach churn, though most of the crew let out soft laughter.
Riley tallied up the possibilities in her head. Cut rations. Double shifts. Lashing. Maiming.
“The rat will go to prison.”
What?
“Prison?” Riley asked dumbly.
“Accounting for the extenuating circumstances and his shorter life-span, a fortnight should do.”
“A fortnight?” Riley repeated, her voice weak. She believed they’d punish her, notPatch. Her heart squeezed painfully at the thought of him, all alone and forgotten and under-stimulated for an entirefortnight. “He’s gonna think I abandoned him,” she said, pleading, though she didn’t know what for.
Calla seemed to think about it. “You can get visitation rights during lunchtime, and he’ll be allowed to roam my cabin freely at night.”
Riley blinked. Visitation? Calla’s cabin?
“Is that good with everyone?”
Sable grunted and shoved her way past the gathered crew. Riley, still reeling, nodded meekly.
“Then the matter is settled,” Calla said, pushing herself off the table. “You’ll drop the rat off in the morning. Pip can show you where my quarters are.”
6. Tides Shifting
Sable
Sable swept her eyes over the chaos occurring on deck and smiled. Any other time it would’ve given her a headache, but tonight? Tonight was special. Not many of the usual rules applied tonight.
Nivros hanging low on the horizon signaled the end of the sixth day since they’d set sail, and according to Merrow and his star map calculations, they were just about to leave the waters of the Quiet Sea. The newest recruits were getting anxious, distracted, and the rest of the crew had grown cranky from long days hard at work. That meant everyone needed a distraction. Sable included.
Hence the chaos.
Pirates milled about above deck, hanging up lanterns, dragging crates to sit on, bringing out their instruments. The newcomers stood around bemused at the cheerful preparations taking place, understanding dawning on them only once Thorian crested from the main cargo hatch with a barrel of rum. Other crew followed, four hands to every barrel and dumb grins on their faces. An equally dumb one pulled at Sable’s lips as she watched.
A bell later, the night was in full swing.
Ignatius and Gadrielle wasted no time getting drunk, their arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders as they sang bawdysailor songs to the tune of Eryx’s battered fiddle. Haddock had a handful of younger deckhands around him as he recounted the legend of Virelai’s Hoard and her invisible island, even Pip silent for once as he drank in the old man’s words with wide, shining eyes. A little further away, but also listening intently, was Merrow, and Sable couldn’t tell whether the look on the navigator’s face was guarded or intrigued as he snuck subtle glances at Haddock.
