The intimidating sight of the pirate ship looming over Cinnia caused a strange feeling of excitement to surge through her. It had stayed anchored in the harbour of Dur'reth for nearly a week, yet Cinnia felt just as intrigued by the ship now as she had when she first laid eyes on it. Pirate ships represented the very things she didn't have in her life: adventure and freedom. The golden words The Night Marauder had been painted onto the aging wood of the hull.
Cinnia sucked in a breath and pulled at the belt around her waist as she threw a reluctant glance up the wooden walkway. A pirate was perched on the ledge of the main deck, throwing solemn looks at the people walking by. He would occasionally run a hand over the blonde stubble on his pointy chin. Sticking her chin up, she approached him, ignoring his narrowed eyes of suspicion. "No whores allowed on t' ship." He said coldly once she was within hearing distance.
Cinnia bit together, such a comment hurt. It only brought her thoughts back to her mother. "I'm far from being a whore." She snapped back.
The pirate snorted. "'O course ye are." His voice dripping with sarcasm, "Well then, no women on board."
"I'd like to see your Captain." Cinnia said, ignoring his remark.
"All 'o ye women do, don't ye? He pays well, I'm sure." He said, chuckling to himself.
"Where is he?" Cinnia continued to press.
The pirate stopped grinning. "I said, no whores on board, lass. Now run off, me patience is bein' wasted."
Cinnia's jaw clenched. Taking a long stride, she sidestepped the pirate onto the deck and turned to him again, standing her ground. "Now look here, that's tresspassing." He said, drawing out a short blade.
"You would know all about trespassing, wouldn't you? It's how you make your living. Don't be hypocritical." Cinnia replied tauntingly.
"Don't confuse us with the southern scum. And don't pretend ye know the ways of us pirates." He said hotly.
"I know more than you think." Cinnia challenged.
"Do ye now? Wouldn't ye then know the most obvious rule? Do not step on to another Captain's ship unless ye have his permission or ye're provoking war."
"I'm not another Captain."
"It applies to everyone," He explained as his smile grew deeper and his eyes colder, "Especially to whores."
That had been Cinnia's last straw. In a swift movement, she reached into her leather boot and pulled out the little gun she's stolen from her mother and pointed it towards the pirate. Her eyes narrowed, "I said, I'm not a whore!"
The pirate looked at the gun in her hand with complete surprise. Cinnia half expected him to attack, and half to back down, but she surely wasn't prepared for such a heartily laughter. He laughed so hard that he had to drop his sword and hold on to the edge of the deck to steady himself. Cinnia didn't understand, she'd meant to intimidate, not to joke. "What's all this about, Keele?" Came a booming voice from behind her. A large man in a red waistcoat eyed her with interest and suspicion as he stepped out of a doorway. The black hair on his masculine chin matched the bushy eyebrows, and both were streaked with gray from age. Beneath those sat a pair of perplexing grey eyes and a wide nose. Cinnia guessed this man was just over fifty.
"Are you Captain Gambara?" Cinnia asked after finding her voice.
"That I am, and ye?" Said the Captain with narrowed eyes.
"Cinnia."
"Cinnia...?" Gambara asked, pressing for a surname.
"Just Cinnia," She said defiantly.
"Fatherless, I understand." He nodded with understanding.
"I'm not fatherless, I just don't know who he is. And I will find him someday, believe me." Cinnia snapped.
"Lass, if he wasn't there for ye when ye were born, he isn't likely the type ye would want to know now." Gembara said wisely.
"Don't call my father scum."
"Don't point a gun at me." he said, nodding to the little gun Cinnia was still clutching. Once Cinnia lowered it with a sigh, Gambara said, "There we go, much better. Now, there must be a reason a girl like you comes storming up to my deck, what do ye want, lass?"
This is it. What I had actually come here for. "I'd like to join your crew."
The pirate whom Cinnia presumed was named Keele began laughing again, possibly even harder and louder than before. Gambara wasn't however, he was simply staring at her with even more interest than before. "Shut it, Keele. Now, why would a pretty girl like you want to be a pirate?"
"I don't belong here in Dur'reth." And I want to find my father. Cinnia kept the last part to herself.
The Captain stared at her intently. "There is much more to being a pirate than not belonging."
"I can fight too."
"Pulling a trigger isn't hard."
"But sword fighting is. And I can do both, just as well as any man." Cinnia argued. When Gambara didn't answer, she continued, "I can steal too, and sneak. I'm lighter and quicker than men."
"Listen, girl, I don't doubt your abilities, but ye are still a girl, that much I can see. Pirate life won't suit ye, believe me, I've sailed these waters and seen what some of these men are, and they would be more than ready to crush the spirit of someone like ye. Now off you go, I have matters to attend to." Captain Gambara said and shooed her off the boat. Keele smiled a taunting smile as she passed him. She bit together and continued down the walkway. She needed to get away from here, and Captain Gambara was her last chance. They would soon leave, and who knew how long it would take for the next pirate ship to arrive. Could she wait that long?
* * *
Cinnia traced the details of the pendant she'd stolen from her mother's--Vivian's--drawer. Her mother had never told her much about it, just that it had belonged to Cinnia's father, a renowned pirate. Cinnia's logic was that she needed it more than her mother. Or at least that's how she'd managed to reassure herself that stealing it was just, but she knew it wasn't. She didn't think her mother was well suited for such a pendant. All she did was whore around for money, it was the only thing she knew to do. As a child of a whore, Cinnia knew what came with being one: A bad reputation and a lonesome life. Who'd want to be friends with a whore's daughter? She would be destined for whoring too, right?
The door to her little bedroom sqeaked and Cinnia quickly hid the pendant back under her shirt. "Cinnia?" Came her mother's voice before the woman herself came into view.
"Yes?"
"I just--what are you wearing? You're dressing like a boy again, please, would you change into a dress?"
Cinnia sighed and ignored her, "What did you want to tell me?"
Vivian drew her lips into a thin line of distaste, but didn't argue. Instead, she continued with what she began to say "Aaric's mother came by earlier today, I think it's time to start discussing the wedding."
Aaric. Aaric Franchot. The shy, lanky, thirty-year old son of the owner of the Buccaneer's Loot, a successful inn. Aaric wasn't exceedingly bright, nor exceedingly strong. In fact, he didn't seem to exceed at anything. He had always watched Cinnia with admiration and lust, even when she'd been too young to encourage such feelings in men. Aaric was a phedophile and a loser, nothing more. "I don't--" Cinnia began to say.
"Cinnia, you know we need this--" Vivian interrupted.
"No, you need this. I've managed quite well for the past nineteen years, no thanks to you."
Vivian looked hurt, "Cinnia, please? Who else would marry you?" Vivian said and regretted it the moment the words left her mouth. Cinnia knew Vivian hadn't meant to hurt her, but it was true. Who would marry a whore's daughter? Without looking back, Cinnia stormed out of the room angrily.
She steered towards the docks, letting her anger fuel her legs in desperation. The main mast of the Night Marauder peeked out above the dock houses. She eventually stopped near an alleyway and slipped in behind the wall. She slowed down her ragged breathing and tried to think. It felt as though she was going mad. She was beyond done with this island. Cinnia knew there was a way off of it, there had to be. There was one option, but it would be a suicide mission: she could always sneak on the ship. In the moment of doubt, she came to the realization that it was either risk dying at sea where she belonged, or die in Dur'reth, as an accessory to a wimp. She knew what she had to do.
Cinnia spotted a line of barrels just beneath the wooden walkway leading up to the deck. Every other minute, three pirates would come and grab one each and carry them off on board. She timed it so that she would have as much time as possible. Right after they'd dissapeared on deck with three new barrels, she shot forwards to the three remaining. Opening up the barrel that was furthest from any suspicious eyes, she looked down, it was full of apples. She dumped them into the dark waters below and jumped into the barrel. She thanked the gods silently when she managed to fit inside the barrel.
A minute passed when suddenly, she could hear the muffled sounds of three laughing pirates nearing her. She held her breath. Her barrel lurched up and someone grunted. The quick movement sent the side of her head straight into the hard wood of the barrel. She bit together, hoping she hadn't made too much noise. It appeared she hadn't, because the barrel continued to bob along and someone eventually asked, "When do we leave?"
"Cap'n said once these be loaded." Another replied, the one closest to her.
"Good, I need to see the waters again." A third said.
The three men began to discuss what Cinnia thought must have been about a certain whore the three of them had the pleasure to meet. Cinnia stopped listening and focused on her breathing instead, the last thing she needed was hearing the word whore again. Her thoughts were brought back to her mother, what would she think? The feeling of uncertainty began to grow but Cinnia pushed them aside stubbornly.
The barrel was eventually placed upright and the fading of laughter through a slammed door told her the three pirates were gone. She wasn't quite sure whether or not it was safe to take the cover of the barrel off just yet. Risking a peek, she carefully lifted the lid up slightly, just enough to give her enough room to peek out. A good deal of boxes and barrels similar to hers were piled on top of each other, obstructing her view. Sighing in frustration, she lifted the lid even higher and spotted the closed door that the pirates would have left through. She looked around as best as she could, but all she could see (other than barrels and boxes) was a small oil lamp, giving off a dim light. Deciding it was safe, Cinnia lifted the lid off completely and heaved herself out.
The room was large and oddly shaped, as though it was at the very bottom of the ship. Cinnia squinted as she walked towards one of the barrels, deciding it would be a good idea to know what she was kept in storage with. The first one was full of a yellow, watery substance. After taking a quick sniff she came to the conclusion that it much have been lemon or something similar. Presumably to keep from getting scurvy Cinnia thought to herself as she moved on to the next. The barrels and boxes were full of food, mostly of that that could be stored easily and didn't spoil quickly and large amounts of mead and rum. She wondered about the apples however. They would have spoiled much quicker in comparison to the endless amount of salted meats.
She was just about to open another box when she heard something fidgeting with the lock to the closed door. Just as the door opened, she managed to dive behind some stacked boxes. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears and she held her breath desperately. Please just get a barrel of mead. Please. Cinnia prayed to herself as she came to the realization of how incredibly stupid and dangerous her actions had been. Pirates weren't exactly known displaying kindness and empathy.
Whoever the man was, he began to walk slowly. His heavy footsteps came closer and closer. Then suddenly, they came to a quick stop. A voice rang out, full of a teasing sarcasm and with a hint of suspicion. "Apples float you know."