We stole not only gold and valuables, but also candles, thimbles, frying pans, thread, soap, kettles, cloth, animal skins, spices, sugar, cocoa, navigational instruments, knives, gunpowder, bullets, and weapons. If our ship had suffered any damage during the boarding, then we would also plunder wood or parts of the enemy ship in order to repair it.
I was always surprised when Arenis would raise our true flag and most of the ships, now in range, would immediately surrender. It was impressive how that simple symbol instilled such terror. Sometimes it took a couple of warning shots flying over the enemy ship to ensure surrender without damaging it.
Sometimes, to instil even more fear, we coloured our faces white, as if we were ghosts. Some sailors made themselves dentures out of animal teeth, they filed them down until they became sharp, others put on garish, baggy clothes to look even bigger and scarier. When the sailors on the galleons saw us, they were shocked and threw their weapons ashore without delay.
For Arenis, it seemed important to keep that fear and all those legends that swirled up and down the Atlantic alive. She recommended that we act like madmen, screaming and behaving like monsters. I liked to put myself in the part and amusedly observe the show we created. Sometimes I couldn't hold back the smiles and had to walk away so as not to spoil everything.
"Good job," Arenis told me once, when she split the loot and came to deliver my share.
"When are you going to let me escape, Captain?"
She looked around, worried that someone might hear us. "I told you: as soon as the opportunity presents itself."
"It's been almost a month."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"You didn't lie to me, did you?"
She shook her head, resolute. "No. I didn't lie to you."
I sighed, not entirely convinced of the sincerity of her words. "I wish I could trust you, I really do, but I keep thinking you're just messing with me."
"Have a little more patience, Miss Adler. I know that all this is not easy for you."
"Actually, it's all getting too easy. And that scares me."
"Too easy?"
"The pirate's life."
"A ship to the southwest!" someone shouted.
We all ran aft to see who was chasing us. We noticed the ship sailing full speed ahead, heading straight for us.
"What is it? A freighter?" I asked, but got no answer. No one knew.
A moment later, Arenis emerged right behind me, a spyglass in her hands. She opened it with a hasty gesture and pointed it toward the vessel.
I leaned my weight from one leg to the other. I was frightened. Who were they? Spanish? English? The navy? Were they going to attack us?
With a lump in my throat, I watched Arenis's face as she looked through the spyglass to try and identify the ship.
"Captain?" called Dinnington. "Shall I give the order for the crew to arm themselves?"
Arenis did not answer. She just stood there in complete silence, saying nothing.
The tension increased. The ship was getting closer and closer, and the Captain did not utter a word.
"Captain? We await your orders."
"They're gaining more and more ground! They have the wind in their sails!"
Then, Arenis smiled.
That reaction took everyone by surprise. Had she gone mad?
Arenis lowered the spyglass and turned to everyone. "Drop anchor, stop the ship. That's the Llorona."
"Llorona...? I don't believe it!" exclaimed Eddie, excitedly.
"See for yourself." Arenis handed him the spyglass and Eddie immediately peered inside. "Yes, without a doubt, that's the Llorona!"
"The Llorona?" I asked, confused.
It was Quinn who clarified the situation, "It's Captain Thorpe's ship," he explained. "He and Captain Arenis worked together, years ago. They're old friends."
"Oh."
The Llorona spun on the water, breaking the waves, her sails unfurled to their fullest. While Arenis's crew hurried to lower the sails and drop anchor, she stood there, impassive, her shirt billowing in the wind, one hand on her hip, watching as the Llorona grew closer by the minute. We saw the ship slowing little by little, until she stopped about a hundred yards away from the Black Star, side by side. The Llorona was less imposing in comparison to the Black Star, but considering the short time it had taken them to reach us, it was clearly a fast ship. Arenis' crew began shaking their arms and blowing whistles in greeting, and the Llorona's deck was also abuzz with cheers. The two crews knew each other well, it seemed.
A few moments later, the Llorona lowered a lifeboat into the sea. A few men boarded it and rowed swiftly to the Black Star.
"Captain Thorpe sends a message to Captain Arenis," cried one of them, loudly.
Arenis leaned over so they could see her. "What is the message?"
"Captain Thorpe invites you to dinner."
Arenis, then, smiled amusedly. "Tell him I'll gladly accept."
The sailor nodded. "Very well," he replied. He turned the boat round. Suddenly, however, the man's eyes met those of Dilthey, who stood watching the scene at the bow. "It's good to see you again," he exclaimed.
Dilthey didn't even have time to reply, as Jackie Jay hurriedly pushed his husband away. Arenis did not even notice that there was a problem between the two, or perhaps she ignored it completely. When she ordered the lifeboats to be prepared, she further added, "Dinnington and ten others will remain to guard the ship, the others can go and amuse themselves as they see fit on the Llorona or they can stay here." And it was then that the ruckus broke out between Jackie Jay and Dilthey. I heard Jackie Jay's angry tone, and on hearing it I couldn't help but wonder. It was rare to see Jackie Jay angry.
"You're being silly," Dilthey admonished him. "He only meant to be kind. After all, we've known each other a long time."
"You're the fool! That one wants nothing more than to have you back in his bed!"
"Even if that were true, you know it's never going to happen."
"I know, I know! But..."
"If you know then why are you acting this way?"
Jackie Jay fell silent. "I'm just afraid that you..."
"After all this time you still don't trust me?"
"I trust you, of course I trust you!"
"So? What's the problem? Tell me."
Jackie Jay huffed irritably, stood silent for a while, but when he saw that Dilthey was waiting for an answer, so helpful and so welcoming toward him, he relented altogether. The corners of his lips turned down. "Why on earth are you still with me? You could have him and many others, you could have... someone better."
"Oh, Jackie..." And Dilthey took a step toward him, clearing the space between them. "You still don't understand how important you are to me?"
"Adler."
I jumped so hard that I felt my heart skip a beat. Arenis, behind me, stared at me reproachfully.
"Captain?"
"Stop eavesdropping. This is not a conversation you have a right to hear."
"Oh... No, of course." I blushed so hard I even felt my ears burn. "I was just..."
Arenis raised an eyebrow when she saw me babbling nonsense. "Perhaps the word you're looking for is nosy."
"I'm not nosy."
She shook her head and only then did I realize that she was teasing me. There was malice in her eyes.
"Can I go too?" I asked, pointing to the Llorona.
"Only if you wish."
"I want to go."
"Follow me, then."
Some sailors were lowering a lifeboat, letting it slowly slide down until it touched the water. Finally, they unrolled rope ladders along the side of the ship. Arenis led me down to it and indicated for me to start descending. Those ladders weren't stable at all and the slightest movement made them move so much that I struggled to keep my grip. It wasn't so different from climbing the rigging, though, which I was now used to doing pretty much every day. Arenis, who came down after me, slipped the oars into the oarlocks and was ready to row. Dilthey, Quinn, and Naade also joined us.
"Where's Jackie Jay?" I asked to Dilthey, noticing his slightly troubled expression.
"He's decided to stay."
"Is everything okay?"
"Don't worry, Eveline," he smiled, taking a seat next to me. "Nothing serious has happened. Jackie just needs certainty and reassurance from time to time. He pretends to be a strong person, but he's actually very insecure."
The Llorona was an old-fashioned caravel, with a square stern and rounded prow. The pirate flag flew menacingly on a flagpole. Three skulls were depicted on it, with two sobers on either side. It was different from Arenis' flag, which depicted a skeleton with red eye sockets and an hourglass in his hand. The hourglass left no doubt about the meaning it wanted to express: imminent death.
As I boarded the ship, I saw that many of Arenis' men were shaking hands and embracing the sailors of the Llorona. I had never heard of Thorpe or the Llorona, yet they must have worked together for a long time, he and Arenis, considering how much familiarity and affection there was between the two crews.
"Arenis."
It was a tall man with a full beard and eyes as clear as the sky who drew her attention. He advanced towards her with a big smile, his alabaster teeth lighting up his face.
"Good evening, Arald," Arenis said, then hugged him and gave him an affectionate pat on the back. "I didn't expect you to wander these waters. I thought you were in the South."
"I was in the South, but there was a change of plan. "
"If so, then you're chasing some fruitful cargo."
"You can say that again," he smiled. "You'll forgive me if I don't want to share it with you."
Arenis chuckled. "You are forgiven."
"So! How long has it been since we've seen each other? Two, three years? You must tell me everything."
"But first... Aren't you going to offer me some good wine?" she winked, playfully.
The attitude that Arenis had taken in front of the man intrigued me. She had the same look she had that day in the tavern, in front of that woman with coral-coloured hair... And so I understood that Thorpe and Arenis had been lovers. I watched him more carefully then, amazed. Thorpe had big shoulders and arms so muscular as to be almost frightening. He had a very masculine look and a voice so deep that it glided over us like a warm blanket.
"Follow me. I have an Italian wine in the hold that I think you'll really like."
Arenis disappeared along with Thorpe and I could do nothing but stay there, on the deck of the Llorona, feeling completely out of place.
Half an hour later, Quinn came calling. "Adler, they're handing out food in the common room. They're telling everyone to go there."
And so Quinn and I set off. The common room was packed with people. There was a long plank and lots of chairs. I saw Francis already sitting, impatient and hungry, his wooden leg off and resting on another chair.
"Would you mind removing that thing?" protested Eddie.
"That thing, you say! Do not insult my poor leg," commented he, but immediately afterwards he seized the piece of wood and placed it on the ground. "Go on, sit down, but don't annoy me too much."
"Thank you."
After that, we waited for dinner to arrive, but the minutes passed and there was no shadow of the cook. The men became restless, some protested. Suddenly, when all the men of Arenis' crew arrived in the common room, the door closed and an air so tense it did not bode well. I only had to look at the faces of Thorpe's crew to realise it; they had darkened, their eyes were bottomless slits.
"Something is wrong," I whispered to Naade, who was next to me. My heart began to rage harder and harder. I hadn't brought my sabre with me, but on my belt I had a dagger attached at all times, just in case. I moved my hand to it, ready to pull it out of its sheath. The others had noticed the dangerous situation too, but they were struggling to understand, to come to terms with reality. Thorpe's crew were their friends...weren't they?
"What's going on, Jack?" asked Eddie to a sailor.
The man stared at him, grieving. "I'm so sorry."