Pirate; The Seavey Pendant

9. On the Doorstep

Kieran was harshly shaken awake by someone.  The wake of sleep in his eyes and lack of morning light to aid them made identifying the person impossible.  The figure's voice was noticeable enough, "Get up.  Derane will have our skins otherwise.  It's time." Adorno hissed from the shadows.  Kieran rubbed his eyes and blindly reached for his clothing and weapons that hung near the foot of his bed.  By the time he had struggled with each pant leg and managed to pull his boots, shirt and vest on, his eyes had finally adjusted to the dark.  He could just make out the outline of Cinnia's face in the bed next to him.  There she laid, like a peaceful, innocent child.  Sleep somehow managed to erase her ferocity.  Kieran was just happy that her coming mission didn't bother her in her sleep.  He wasn't sure when he would see her next--if he were to see her again--and in his desperate mindset, considered to kiss her forehead.  Adorno interrupted him, "Well?  Are you coming or not?" He whispered loudly from the stairs.  Kieran looked away from Cinnia and for once, decided to act his part.  Like a pirate.

In the meek moon light, Kieran could see a small crowd of about five other pirates had formed just in front of the Captain's quarters.  Many of them were still stifling their yawns.  Kieran recognized them as the most skilled out of all of his father's crew.

Gambara stepped out of his quarters with a grim, determined expression plastered on his face.  His alert eyes examined the small mass of pirates before him.  "Good, ye're all here," He said in a hushed tone as the Quartermaster Derane joined him at his side.

     "We'll be taking one of the lifeboats a few kilometres to the east of here, to the road where the lady Rockefeller will be traveling along.  Make sure ye're armed with yer guns n' knives." He said strictly.  The group murmured their understanding and Gambara sent a group of men to prepare the lifeboat.

     *     *     *

By the time Gambara signalled for the rowers to steer closer to bank of land, Kieran's already-tired muscles ached even more from the early exercise of rowing.  Gambara ordered one of the pirates to stay back and watch over the boat.  Only moments later, the rest of the group left the disappointed pirate behind.

The group trudged through thick ferns and around broad tree trunks, following behind the quick Derane.  Gambara pulled Kieran back slightly.  "Ye do know why I brought ye along?"

     "To keep me from ruining Cinnia's part in this mission." Kieran replied sullenly.

     "Partially, yes.  But also because ye need to start behaving like a pirate.  If ye ever expect to take over from me one day as Captain, ye need to understand the part of a Captain.  As a Captain, ye do not order and lead from the front of the group, ye do so from within the group.  Ye are one of yer crew members."

     Kieran nodded, having expected the short speech.

     "And it's not jus' that," Gambara slowed down and grabbed Kieran's shoulder to turn him away from the slowing group in front of them, "Ye need to understand that if something goes wrong tonight, we may have to leave some men behind.  Or, a woman, if need be."  Kieran's jaw hardened, but he said nothing.  He simply stared coldly into his father's gray eyes.  The ones that were so similar to his own.  Why was Kieran so different then?

     "Sacrifice a little for the better of the whole." Gambara said finally and gave his son's shoulder a slap.  He went to stand with Derane in front of the crowd of waiting pirates.  Kieran joined them, but his mind was elsewhere.  It was with Cinnia.

     "Alright, group.  The lady should be coming through here sometime this morning.  We will be waiting, ready to ambush.  We do not kill unless completely necessary.  According to what we know, she will be joined by two guards, a lackey, and a carriage driver.  The young lady will, fortunately, be the only one from her family attending this ball."  Gambara continued by explaining each pirate's position.  Adorno was sent to the very front with one other pirate, in order to take down the driver.  Three were sent up into the trees, one of which was Kieran, and the rest had been scattered in the surrounding forest, ready to circle the carriage once it had been stopped.