The Belladonna

Chapter 55

"A name? Who?" Edward looked at Dana in confusion.

"The ship," Sky elaborated turning her focus back to her task, "Or do you Cormorants just call her 'the ship'?"

Edward's look told Sky that that was exactly what they did. "I think we should call her Patchwork Sally." Sky said with a nod, the name reminding her of a children's story character. She had never known what her father's ship had been called and since sailing on a ship like the Belladonna, Sky could help but think of them as worthy of a name.

"You want to call the ship 'Patchwork Sally'?" Edward asked in a slow voice as though he were seriously considering her statement, but there was laughter in his light brown eyes.

"Yes." Sky looked at him. "Or Patch for short." She considered this saying it outload a few times. Then deciding 'Patch' wasn't a very appealing name she changed her mind. "Perhaps Sally."

Edward rolled his eyes. "You know what Sky, grab a paint brush and paint it on the back. Sav might have some words to say, but I doubt Dana will even notice." He thought for a moment. "Despite her comments on our appearance when entering battle. Why not have a name too."

It seemed almost poetic to Sky that the cormorants would attack the King in this ship. Let him see who they were as a group. A patchwork of different strengths all holding each other up and making them strong. Let the Royal Navy laughed at them as they blow their ships to pieces.

"Patchwork Sally," Sky flicked away the sawdust she'd created and watched it float down to meet the water. The pink sky had shifted now to a purple and Sky looked up as the first few stars were beginning to blink into existence.

A warm sense of comfort washed over her. Each of the star clusters were as familiar to Sky as her own hands. These were the stars she grew up under. Directly overhead was what her father had called the Arrow. It was a long line that ended in a triangular point. Though not all of the five stars of the shaft were there yet the point was clear and in the warmer months, marked the way directly towards east west.

Further away from where the sailed now, was Sky's favourite constellation; The Ray. It was the only cluster of stars that was near Rendes. The fact that it looked like a deep ocean creature only made Sky love it more as a child. The great beast in the sky consisted of a large wide almost diamond shape with two bright stars out the front acting as mandibles. Training along behind it were three lone stars in the night. The Ray appeared to be leaving behind the rest of the lights in search of something better.

"Beautiful aren't they." Edward bumped her friendly with his shoulder and he leaned against the railing beside her, looking up at the darkening sky above them.

Sky could feel his warmth and sighed with a happy smile on her lips. There were less people on the main deck than there had been before. They would need all the sails maned to capture the wind and so Dana had sent a lot of them down to the berth deck to get some rest. The others would swap out later, moving in a rotation for sleep. There was a benefit to having so many aboard.

Sky leaned her head against Edward's lean frame. She had not felt homesick since stepping on to the Navy Brig but it gnawed away at her now like a dog to a bone. What did they think had happened to her, she mused. Surly they would hear of what was happening. Would they ever know her part in it? The girl they all pitied.

Her mind ran over her journey. No matter the result, Sky thought fiercely, no matter the pain, it was worth it.

She let herself think of Dustin. Would he be looking up at the stars thinking she was safe on Harpers? Or would he have pushed her from his mind to focus on what must be done. There was still so much she didn't know about him. She wanted to hear him talk of Thomas, his brother. She wanted to hear more stories of his time serving with James. She wanted to know him truly and completely.