Page 59 of Enchanted By a Pirate
The captain looked at her emphatically. "If you had gone with the giant, others would have followed you overland. Ani, it doesn't matter where you are, they're looking for you, and they want revenge." So, the villains' attack in Linnenberg hadn't been a coincidence. "You are safest by my side. I won't allow you to fall into their hands."
"And neither will we!" That was Freddy — Anna could hardly believe what he said. There was still skepticism in his eyes, but atthe same time, there was something else. And then he surprised her even more. He pulled a watch out of his pocket and clicked it open and closed several times before continuing. "I'm sorry for coming between you. After the fairy's letter and the events of the last few years, I felt I was doing the right thing. It was a mistake to distrust the captain and send you off into the unknown. You would have been in better hands with us right from the start."
Chris nodded but didn't say anything. He had settled his dispute with Freddy and now it was Anna's turn. A small tear appeared in her eyes, but she blinked it away resolutely. She finally saw what else lay in the pirate's eyes — regret.
A smile crept onto her lips. He was sorry. She had misinterpreted his reserved behavior the entire time.
"You more than made up for that wrong choice when you fought Blackbeard, Freddy. Evidently, I also made a few mistakes. Otherwise, half the country wouldn't be after me." She chuckled unhappily and the captain wrapped an arm around her.
"I know you didn't make a mistake, Ani. You would never put the fairies in danger."
Freddy nodded. "I'm convinced of that too. Maybe it's the fact that Blackbeard placed a bounty on your head. Years ago, it was making the rounds, even on land. People were searching for a scapegoat and Blackbeard gave them a name."
A chase… and she was the prey. A chill coursed through her. At least, it was comforting to hear that not only Chris stood by her, but apparently his entire crew.
The captain stroked her shoulder with his rough hand before turning back to the enemy ships. "Nevertheless, we must set all sails. If anyone can take on the pack, it's us, but we shouldn't risk a sea battle with three ships at once. If we can escape them under the cover of night, all the better."
Freddy grinned. "It's good to see that as soon as the fairy has returned, the captain has his wits back."
Chris looked at him sternly, but then he smiled. "Don't repeat that, or you won't know what hit you."
"Aye aye, Captain." He bowed exaggeratedly, but his grin betrayed the antics.
Chris turned to his crew. "Set sails! We will sail east at full speed." He leaned closer to Anna so that only she could hear his words. "Moreover, it'll get us faster to the water where Meysandrine can be found." He winked at her.
Meysandrine. What would she predict for Anna? Did the siren know what had happened to her powers? Maybe she could even help find a solution to the fairies' deaths.
"If we turn east now, won't we get too close to Devil's Rocks?" Jack shouted from the darkness.
Anna peered at Chris questioningly. "What are Devil's Rocks?"
"It's a group of rocks, each one jutting out of the water. If you don't know your way around, you won't be able to safely navigate your ship through them." He shouted to Jack, "We have to risk it. And I will personally take the helm."
Jack clapped and the sound echoed through the gathering darkness. "That's a deal!"
"Aye aye, Captain," came from every corner of the ship. While Bjorn remained in the crow's nest, the men hung on the ropes to set the remaining sails. Only then did Anna realize that they had only been sailing with one sail on the mainmast for a while. That's why they were going slower. Maybe because it was evening and darker? Perhaps so their dinner wouldn't end up in their laps if they went faster? She wanted to ask Chris about it, but he immediately took charge of the helm and turned to Freddy. "If they come after us faster than expected, make sure we greet them with a loud bang."
"Aye aye, Captain." Freddy saluted and turned to the cannons. He beckoned Jack over and whispered to him. Anna leaned forward, but the wind was increasing, so she couldn't hear a word the men spoke. The wind roared in her ears and she couldn't hear anyone except Chris shouting orders to his men. His voice was used to fighting the storm. She stood next to him and watched him steer the ship. He seemed completely at ease, but she knew that wasn't the case. He was worried. More about her than himself, she suspected.
"They're picking up speed too," Bjorn climbed down the shrouds as he gave out his muffled call. Otherwise, no one would have heard him.
"The wind will help, and so will the sea. Remember, we are the masters of the sea."
"But so are the other pirates," Anna thought, not realizing she had said it aloud.
"Aye, but they're not as good as we are." He grinned at her and returned his gaze to the dark horizon. Then he mumbled something that was hard to hear over the roar of the wind. Anna leaned in closer since she thought he was talking to her, but when she could hear him, she was surprised. He was speaking a foreign tongue. And that language sounded… ancient. She knew intuitively that he was speaking to the sea itself. His gaze was constantly focused on the water in front of the Fortuna, on the endless expanse that was swallowed up by the darkness. Thick clouds had gathered and there was hardly a star shining in the firmament. Not even the moon was shining its silvery light as the Fortuna increased speed. Did that have to do with the captain's whispers?
With a spyglass, Jack peered ahead and interrupted her observation. "A storm is raging in the southeast."
Chris stopped whispering and focused on the gloomy horizon. When a flash of lightning illuminated the darkness fora second, he laughed. "Then we'll head straight for it. It's the perfect opportunity to find out if that scalawag Blackbeard and his band truly belong at sea."
Bjorn and Jack glanced at each other briefly, but then a determined look came over their faces. "Aye aye, Captain!"
"But what about the rocks you mentioned?" Anna tried to see something out in the ocean, but all she saw were high waves that were rocking the ship back and forth.
"Hopefully, the storm will abate before we reach it — if the sea allows us to sail east so early, that is."
"Allows? What do you mean?" She looked at him questioningly.
