Author's Note: Lots of ship terminology used in this chapter so a mini-dictionary for anyone who may need it:
Bow (pronounced: to bow out of a contest): the front of the ship
Stern: the back
Port: left side facing forwards
Starboard: right side facing forwards
Foredeck: the foremost part of the deck
Main deck: the mid-section of the ship
Poop (deck): the high rear deck, where the wheel is (think Rolly Jodger)
Bowsprit: long pole jutting out from the bow, helps balance the ship
Gunnel: the 'wall' running round the side of the deck
Wash: the water flowing around the boat; the movement of the boat causing waves to fan out behind it
Small beer: very weak beer, much safer to drink than water right up to beyond Victorian times, even for children
The cat: Cat o'nine tails, common method of punishment at sea consisting of nine thin leather strips joined together at one end and whipped repeatedly across the offender's back
Anything else anyone doesn't understand, message me and I'll edit accordingly :)
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They reached the docks at lunchtime the next day, much to Regina's relief. Robin had been cold, understandably, but it still hurt; Roland had guessed something was wrong and kept trying to get them to talk to each other. Not that they didn't speak any more, more that their easy banter was gone and Robin was sleeping outside again.
Just before they joined the road full of people Robin gave the men all a meeting time; Regina felt sad that she was no longer included in his ensuring everyone was in a certain place at a certain time.
Before they left, the men all gave her small gifts: a drinking horn, two small lighting flints, a knife, a needle and some reels of tough thread just in case they didn't see her before the ship sailed. She was touched to realise they'd grown to like her as much as she liked and admired them, though they tried to pass it off as being practical-minded she hugged them all anyway.
The dock was a busy place: people everywhere, sailors, traders, beggars, stray children running everywhere, bawdy women in rather revealing dresses that made Regina uncomfortable to look at, a couple of officers striding around in their blue uniforms. She'd never seen so many people in one place and the noise was incredible. A host of ships lined the quayside, all different sizes and in different states of repair. Men hung from the rigging and down the hull, painting, scraping shells, repairing breaches. It was a fascinating scene.
Robin gave her a small pouch and told her to go get some new clothes.
"That habit is looking rather the worse for wear. I'll find passage for you." She nodded and made her way to a simple-looking dressmaker's shop, leaving Jerry tied up outside with her bow and arrow. The woman behind the counter greeted her with a smile.
"Hello, Ma'am, I'm looking for a couple of simple dresses? Just for everyday, nothing fancy." She felt the most awkward she'd ever been. So much for the upper classes being more refined and socially capable, she thought. The woman was very helpful though, and soon she was fitted out with two new premades* of slightly differing browns, a linen shift and a shawl.
*premades: ready made dresses in a tailor's shop. Could usually be altered before buying but weren't made to measure
"There you go, my dear," the woman wrapped the clothing up in a neat package, surprising Regina with her ability at making it as small as possible.
"Thank you, ma'am."
"Can I ask where you're going? Simple curiosity, I've never seen you round here before."
"I don't know yet. Good day." She wasn't going to answer anyone's questions just in case they were either spies for the King or wanted to turn her in for a monetary reward. She couldn't be too careful, glimpsing her mother had reinforced that.
Robin met her outside, a slip of paper in his hand and Roland clinging to his cloak.
"Regina, the only passage I could get today was on a cargo ship, the captain had a spare cabin so it'll just be you and the crew. It leaves in ten minutes, Jerry's already on board. Here's your bow. Please, keep safe?"
"I will."
"You have no idea how men can be when there's a young, pretty girl around with no protection." He took a deep breath. "Here's your ticket. And here's some money to start you off over there. Mention my name at the Black Bear, they'll put you up and help you find... something. They're old family friends of mine, though we haven't spoken in a few years."
"Thank you, Robin. Really, thank you for everything you've done for me." Helping me move on from Daniel. Showing me there is unselfish kindness in this world. Teaching me useful skills so I can actually make some use of my life.
She stashed the money safely away in her little bag, which had the gifts from the men inside.
"Miss, we're about to hoist anchor now, so if you could come with me. Your horse is stabled down below." The captain touched his cap and held out his arm.
"Please, Captain Brown, take good care of her."
"Don't worry, Mr. Locksley, she'll be under my protection. Any man goes against her goes against me. That's mutiny and will be dealt with accordingly."
"Thank you."
"So, I guess this is goodbye," she started, trying to keep her voice steady and pretending not to have heard the previous muttered exchange.
"Yeah, I guess." She desperately wanted to reach out and hug him one last time, but decorum and her conscience wouldn't allow it.
He held out his hand, palm up. She tentatively put hers into his; he bowed and kissed the back of it, his scruff brushing her fingers as she curtseyed. Such a formal goodbye! After everything they meant to each other only a couple of days before.
"I wish you all the best, Regina. In everything."
"You too."
"Gina, why do you have to go? Don't you like us?"
"I like you very much but I have to leave. There's things - people - here I have to get away from. I'm so sorry, Roland." He hugged her tight as high as he could reach, and she dropped a kiss onto his curls before Robin gently detached him from her skirt.
"Gina has to go now."
"Goodbye, Roland. Be a good boy, ok?" He nodded forlornly.
"Goodbye." Robin only nodded; she could see he was trying to hold the tears back. Bowing her head she turned and slipped her arm through the captain's as he escorted her up the gangplank.
She stood on the poopdeck of the ship, out of the way, as the men hoisted anchor, scanning the crowd for Robin and Roland. He was quite tall and would have lifted the boy up so he could see, so she thought she'd be able to spot them easily, but no such luck. She stayed by the side until the crowd started to disperse in the hope of catching one last glimpse of him, but when the people became tiny dots she gave up, and climbed down the ladder to her assigned cabin near the captain's.
It smelled musky, as only one window opened (and only part-way at that), but there was sufficient light to see by and it seemed clean enough. She laid her clothes on one of the bunks and stood her bow in a corner. She smiled at the irony that he'd bought her all this with money stolen from her own fiancé's carriage.
Stripping off her filthy dress and dumping it in a corner to wash later, she gave herself a quick scrub down using the water in the pitcher on the table. Clearly this cabin was reserved by the captain for any female guests he brought on board, though the smell of seasalt and tar was still predominant over smelling salts and perfume. Picking out the darker dress and the shift she revelled in the simple pleasure of putting clean clothes on and brushing her hair with the comb left on top of the seachest.
Once her hair was tangle free and falling in waves over her shoulders she decided to explore the cabin. There were two bunks on either side; a large sea chest that, on opening, was found to contain a number of ladies' dresses, hats, parasols and petticoats. They were all hues of pink, red, yellow and blue, and while she quite liked the pale blue one the dresses were far too fancy, especially now she was more used to sleeping rough.
Cabin explored, she wrapped the shawl around her shoulders and made her way out on deck, breathing in the brackish air. The sea was calm, but she hadn't found her sea legs yet so had to hold onto the gunnel to get to the foredeck with dignity intact. It was a completely new experience, therefore a novelty to lean over the bow and be fascinated by the wash thrown up by the ship as she sliced through the water.
She didn't know how long she'd been standing there when a commotion behind made her turn. A group of sailors were surrounding something, or someone, she wasn't sure which, and shouting at it. She didn't dare go up and confront them; Robin's warning was fresh in her mind. She was somewhat surprised there had been a mishap this early on in the voyage, they were barely out to sea yet and men were still scrambling along the rigging.
She was about to turn back to watching the green and white waves when two high-ranking officers bodily forced the men apart to reveal a trembling child. The men fell silent in the presence of their superiors.
"Roland?" she gasped, unable to believe her eyes. She ran to him, just reaching him before he collapsed in a dead faint.
"Excuse me, miss, you know this boy?" one of the officers addressed her, touching his hat as a mark of respect.
"Yes, I do, sir."
"Then you won't mind taking full responsibility for him for the duration of this voyage. As you can see, the men have far more important things to worry about, no offence meant."
"Of course, sir."
"Make sure he stays out of the way. And by that I mean below decks," the older of the two instructed in a pompous voice. She curtesyed as well as she could with an unconscious child in her arms and took him back to her cabin, ignoring the whistles from the crew. Laying him down on her bunk and pulling the covers over him she started to bathe his pale forehead with the water left over, wondering how on earth he'd managed to escape Robin and board the ship without anyone noticing.
After a while he began to revive and half-sat up, leaning to the side and looking rather green about the gills.
"I think I'm going to be sick." She quickly grabbed the bucket sitting under the bunk and held it under him just as he threw up. She put an arm round his shoulders, the other holding the bucket as he emptied his stomach. He lay back, looking really very ill. Regina wiped his face clean, curiosity getting the better of her.
"Roland, why are you on the ship? How did you get away from your father?"
"I forgot to give you this," he whispered, holding out his hand. On the palm lay a pretty, rough little stone of an unusual pink and white colour. Tears pricked the back of her eyes as she kissed his pallid forehead, rewarded with a wan smile before he fell asleep, utterly exhausted.
It was a long night for Regina, who stayed awake to nurse him. Alternately bathing his forehead and emptying the bucket through the window she stroked his hair back and talked to him, held him close when he cried with the pain in his sides. Her mind was constantly on Robin - where was he? Did he know where Roland was right now? In the morning she was brought some food and small beer; she had to use the penknife to break up the biscuits, which were rock solid. He refused point-blank to eat the salted meat.
While he slept, she thought hard about what to do. Clearly Robin needed to know his son was safe but she had no idea how to let him know, and the voyage was a month long. Eventually she decided to write him a letter, for even if they didn't pass a ship travelling the opposite way she could send it when they got to the other end. The thought of what the poor man must be going through haunted her, knowing she couldn't do anything or even if she'd be able to reunite them.
Rummaging around in her bag for the now crumpled paper and pencil she'd thought to bring when she ran away, she scribbled a note that would hopefully dispel his fears, dripping some wax from the candle lamp to seal it. For want of a pocket she tucked it inside her bodice so she would always have it ready.
Roland's sickness lasted for a good week and a half. She realised near the start that fresh air would be the best remedy instead of being cooped up in a smelly cabin all the time, but she didn't want to provoke the captain or the crew so kept quiet and tried to act the mother he needed. Eventually it got so bad that she got very worried, not to mention tired, and throwing all caution to the wind she strode up to the captain's door and knocked decisively. He was standing over his desk, studying something with great concentration but he straightened when she entered.
"Come in! Oh, hello, miss. What can I do for you?"
"You know the little boy who was found on the ship? He's very seasick and I think some fresh air would do him some good. However, one of your officers told me to keep him below decks so I was wondering if you could overrule that in the interests of hygiene."
"I don't know, miss. A ship's a busy and dangerous place, I wouldn't want my crew mutinying on the grounds I didn't look after a lady."
"Look, would you rather have your next guests complaining of the smell? I think it's in everyone's best interests to let him out, if only for a while each day. You don't want sickness on your ship, no matter how contagious it may or may not be."
A strange look came into the captain's eyes and he advanced towards her. She kept her head up, trying to defy him with her confidence but he was making her feel extremely uncomfortable. He laid the back of his hand against her cheek, stroking under her jaw and running it through her hair (which she'd left half down).
"As long as you keep out of the way of the crew and go straight back down below if an officer tells you to, you may have free reign on deck," he murmured into her ear.
"Thank you, captain." She curteseyed and left hastily, cheeks burning.
She pushed the incident to the back of her mind in order to concentrate fully on Roland. Wrapping him up in his cloak and a spare blanket she found underneath the gowns, she carried him upstairs clutching the bucket. Taking him up to the foredeck, where she was pretty sure of being out of the way, she asked the lookout if she could sit a while. The lad - for he looked no older than fifteen - agreed; Regina sat Roland next to her, leaning against the base of the bowsprit with her arm round him. The poor boy was still clutching the bucket.
"So, what's your name then?" she asked the lookout lad, who was only too happy to talk.
"John, miss. Yourself?"
"Re...becca. Mills." She suddenly knew detection would be a lot more difficult if she changed her name. Rebecca was also simpler than Regina, fitted her current situation better. She wasn't sure where she'd come up with Mills but she had to stick with it now.
"And this is Roland." Her brain was working overtime trying to come up with a plausible story that would answer for her surprise at seeing him on board while keeping her reputation intact. "I'm afraid he's quite seasick so he may not be inclined to talk."
"Fair enough. I was the same my first voyage. That was when I was thirteen: now I can climb the rigging faster than any man on this crew."
"All the way up there?" Regina asked, craning her neck upwards. The crow's nest seemed a hundred feet in the air.
"Yup. You get used to it." He sighed heavily and lay back along the bowsprit, his head near hers and feet dangling over the bow into open space. "So what brings such a pretty lady to this neck of the woods? Come on, I promise not to tell anyone."
She tried not to grimace at the mention of the woods.
"I could hardly be called a lady. And I'm sorry, but too many people have betrayed my trust for me to dole it out that easily."
He merely shrugged. "At least you acknowledged it, not many ladies do. Too busy looking down their noses at us seafolk. You're decent."
From the hardy, strapping lad she guessed that was a big compliment so took it as such, bowing her head in acknowledgement. He suddenly sat up and pointed, lowering his voice.
"You see that lieutenant?" He was pointing at the officer who'd told her to stay down below. "That's Lieutenant Gilmartin. He's a right nasty one, you should stay out of his way as much as you can. He's been known to..."
"SMITH!" Lt. Gilmartin bellowed. "Do your job or it's the cat for you!"
"Yes sir!" John yelled back sharply and turned back to face the wide expanse of sea, still straddling the bowsprit. He spoke out of the side of his mouth.
"He's been known to prey on pretty young girls like you. If you look unattached, he thinks you're fair game so be on your guard. I'd move that ring to your wedding finger if I were you."
Regina looked down at her hands - Daniel's ring gleamed brightly in the afternoon sun. It was hard to believe such a beautiful thing could hold so many painful memories. She swallowed as she twisted it round her finger, loosening the gold before swapping it to her left hand. It was a strange feeling - she wasn't sure if she liked it or not.
She shook her head briefly, trying to shake the images from her mind as she gave Roland a quick drink from what she'd saved of her rations.
"How are you feeling?"
"A bit better, thank you."
"Try and sleep for a bit. I'll wake you up when food comes." The boy laid his head in her lap and closed his eyes, thumb back in his mouth as he dropped off. Regina and John sat in silence, him watching the horizon and her trying again to think of the story she would tell. It was sure to come up in conversation at some point and she'd rather get it straight now than have to think on her feet.
The rest of the afternoon passed without event, as did the next few days. Roland recovered with the fresh air and was soon waddling about the deck, clinging onto anything to try and find his sea legs. Regina was now pretty used to the motion of the ship and would often find herself running after him so he didn't get under anyone's feet.
John took a liking to Roland, and he responded well as the cabin boy started to teach him some knots with a length of rope.
"It makes the hours seem shorter," he told Regina when she asked if he would get told off for not concentrating. "You get good at observing the whole horizon in one glance."
Sometimes the crew would flirt with her, but she'd simply move her left hand in such a way as to set the ring shining in the sun and they soon left her well alone. Apart from one, who'd sidle up to her while Roland was playing with John and slip his arm round her waist. No matter how many times she pushed him away, he just kept coming and she wasn't going to ask for someone to stop him because she'd be seen as weak. And that wasn't good because it meant she could be manipulated. The captain might have promised Robin he would take care of her but she didn't trust him, not after that incident in his cabin a few days ago. She'd seen him once while the sailor was accosting her, watching them and doing nothing to put a halt to it. The night after that had happened she'd realised she only had her own wits to survive this journey with everything intact.
A/N: Evil plan activated...I just really liked the idea of Roland having to rely on Regina, and Regina having to learn how to be a mother and surviving on her own, and turning out to be quite good at it. I don't know if she sees Roland as her own yet though.