Swashbuckling in the Dark

Chapter Four

I took my first steps on land for the first time in months with a sigh of contentment. I had removed my suffocating boots and was busy scrunching my toes into the warm sand. I giggled like I was a child again, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine.

Nearby, Raoul and Sykes were lugging the longboat we'd brought to shore up onto the beach. It was a small spit of land that opened onto a secluded bay—a perfect hiding spot for the ship. Grunting, Raoul and Sykes overturned the boat, leaving it to bask in the sun as they continued up the beach.

The men talked and joked as we followed our fearless leader through the back alleys of the city, sneaking inside. It wasn't often that the crew received a break from work. We would only be here for a day or two, but even so, we were all excited to spend a free day in such an exotic locale.

'Exotic' might have been a bit of a stretch. We were pirates after all, and pirates in disguise at that. This town was large and important, being situated on the coast, but it wasn't exactly glamorous.

It also hadn't escaped my notice that we had no real reason for being here other than the enjoyment of the crew. I knew that Dark and Sykes were up to something. They hadn't chosen this place by chance.

Soon enough, Dark brought us into the main market area. He stopped and pointed out a stall with a bright green canvas shading the bearded shopkeeper and his display of fruits.

"We'll meet there at that fruit stand this afternoon," he announced.

The crew members quickly petered off, blending in with the crowd, trying to look inconspicuous. The marketplace was in its busiest hour. Vendors had set up along the lengths of the dusty street, making the already narrow passageway, stuffed with people, seem even more cramped. Tanned, dark-haired citizens bustled to and fro, shopping and going about their business, the faint sounds of music accompanying their chatter as poor musicians played for their food.

I looked around with curiosity, wondering where I should explore. Sykes and Raoul were standing next to a cart full of hay, talking in lowered voices. Dark appeared to be making eyes at a couple of girls across the street. Both were wearing brightly colored clothes that bared their lovely, tanned skin. He waved at them, and they giggled and hid their faces behind their hands. I rolled my eyes.

He turned abruptly to me, as if he had seen the expression through the back of his head. I stiffened when he narrowed his eyes, and then he took me by the arm, pulling me into the shade of an awning.

"Hey!" I protested.

He steered me behind a tower of crates and leaned low to look into my face. "Zaina, I'll say this once," he said firmly.

"What is the matter with you?" I asked, struggling to loosen his grip on my arm.

"Don't go running off on your own, Zaina. If you're not back here by sunset at the latest, Sykes will tear this town apart looking for you," he said, as his grip tightened in warning.

"Why are you so worried about me escaping from you?" My eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why are we here in the first place?"

He frowned. "Escaping? I promised I would keep you safe as long as you were part of my crew. As a friend, I'm asking you not to put yourself in danger because you want to be away from me."

I stopped struggling for a moment and blinked in confusion. "Why do you—?"

He cut me off before I could finish. "Promise me, Zaina. Be back here before sundown."

I sighed and nodded my head once. "I promise. But Dark––"

Satisfied, he released me, smiled, and sauntered off towards the girls across the road. He talked with them for a few minutes before they started walking further into the throng of people in the market, a girl hanging on each of his arms.