Admiral Tatters frowned, and Daimen thought he saw a tear roll down the man’s face. Maybe he would sober up and return to Sarth, maybe not. Daimen hoped he could find some redemption though, if only to gain one small victory over Morrass.
Just a short way down towards the beach, Daimen spotted Elaina Black through a window. The woman was gesticulating wildly and her mouth was moving, saying something Daimen couldn’t hear. Whatever it was, she seemed animated. Then he saw Breta, the council woman, standing opposite Elaina, her arms crossed and a resolute look on her face.
Daimen almost laughed. He’d dealt with Breta and the rest of the council a few times, and he didn’t envy Elaina’s new position. Only Drake had ever been able to manipulate the formidable woman into anything, and even then she’d soon swung back to her own way of thinking. Breta was more responsible for the success of New Sev’relain than anyone else alive, and Elaina would need to realise that quickly if she was to survive her new crown.
The sandy beach of New Sev’relain’s port was busy with drunkenness, and musical notes drifted around the sound of bonfires crackle-popping. Daimen gave them all a wide berth; he had no wish to find himself confronted by a group of hostile pirates when there was a handy fire nearby for flaming acts of punishment.
Moving a fair way into the darkness, Daimen took in a deep breath, pulled out his cock, and started to piss, staring out towards the bay. It dawned on him that he’d need a new ship. Mary’s Virtue was long gone, another set of bones littering the waters around the island of Ash. There were plenty of available boats captured from their enemies now, though, and not nearly enough able captains for them. With Stillwater’s recommendation, Daimen would be sure to secure himself a vessel. The harder job would be finding a crew who didn’t know him, or finding the folk that didn’t believe him a traitor. Once he’d found himself the pirates to sail the boat, he could finally get back out on the water, under his own command again.
Of course, they wouldn’t be able to pirate any more, at least not like they used to. No. They would be tax collectors now; the only pirating to be done was to the ships who refused to pay to sail their waters. Daimen laughed bitterly.
“I guess the golden age of piracy is good and done now,” he muttered as he tucked his cock back into his breeches.
Debilitating pain blossomed in Daimen’s back, and in the same moment someone whispered “Traitor” in his ear. He staggered for a moment, and then his knees buckled, the sand rushing up to meet him. It dawned on him that he’d been stabbed, and the assassin had done a damned good job of it.
Daimen could feel the wetness spreading across his back, and the light was starting to fade. He couldn’t breathe, let alone shout for help. It took all the effort he could muster to roll over, and the last thing he saw was a slim man in a faded green suit stalking away in the darkness.
Chapter 75 - North Squall
T’ruck stared out towards the bay beyond New Sev’relain, at the ships that floated there. Some were bigger than others, but North Storm was gone. The biggest ship ever to sail the waters of the Pirate Isles, his ship, was nothing but wreckage lying at the bottom of a nameless stretch of deep blue.
He was sitting on a bench set out on the beach, a wooden table before him with two mugs of ale atop it. One was for him, and the other was for Yu’truda. She was gone, but not really. He felt her inside somehow – not quite her presence, nor even her memories, but there was something of her inside him. It was comforting in a strange way.
Lady Tsokei seemed to glide across the sand as she approached, and she lowered herself onto the bench across the table, her dark eyes boring into T’ruck’s own. He was just glad the witch was suppressing her aura of fear. He wasn’t in the mood to shit his britches.
“I have spoken to your queen,” Lady Tsokei said, a wry smile on her lips.
“Our queen,” T’ruck rumbled. “You helped. One of us now as much as any other.”
Lady Tsokei gave a short nod. “She seems to agree that given the king’s death, and his murderer, the Inquisition should be looked upon unfavourably here in the isles.”
“Safe harbour, is it?”
“As safe as one can be for people like me.” The witch smiled. “I have decided to stay with you for a while, Captain. I quite enjoy the sea.”
T’ruck shook his head. “I don’t even have a boat.”
“What about the Man of War we took towards the end of the battle?”
Again T’ruck shook his head. “Smaller than my last. They’re all smaller than my last.”
“I see.” Lady Tsokei looked past T’ruck and nodded. A few moments later Pocket flopped down onto the bench next to him, dumping a small ball of mottled brown fur on the table.
T’ruck glanced first at the witch, and then at his first mate, before turning his attention back to the ball of fur. It slowly uncurled into the shape of a kitten, with paws and ears too large for its body and innocent black eyes. It stared up at T’ruck and meowed quietly.
“What’s this?”
“New ship needs a cat, Captain,” Pocket said with a grin.
“She is smaller than the last one,” Lady Tsokei said. “But I am told the cat will be almost as large as me when fully grown.”
T’ruck snorted and poked a big finger at the kitten, knocking it onto its back. The little creature rolled onto its paws and leapt at T’ruck’s finger, savaging the digit with claws and teeth too small to do any damage.
“Crew is behind you, Captain,” Pocket continued. “Whichever ship you choose.”
T’ruck laughed as the kitten continued to attack his finger. The Five Kingdoms had beaten him and taken his entire clan away, killed them all. T’ruck Khan was the last of them. But he’d beaten the Five Kingdoms right back, and now he had a new clan. It was, now he thought about it, a far bigger clan than his last one.
Chapter 76 - Starry Dawn
Ten ships were preparing to leave, Starry Dawn among them. One ship was headed back to Chade, one of only two that had survived the battle. Rose might not be happy about the loss of so many of her vessels, but Elaina was sending reassurances that their agreement, and their friendship, still held. Elaina needed the alliance with Chade, and she suspected Chade needed the Pirate Isles too.
“I’ll be certain to send the Black Thorn your kindest regards,” a man slurred behind her. Elaina turned to see Drake Morrass’ spy grinning at her.
“You work for them too?” she said.
“My loyalties are many,” Anders confirmed with a deep bow. “I prefer to think I work with the Black Thorn. Though some of his people don’t like me very much.”
“Can’t think why.”
“Indeed. I’m a wonderfully amiable sort. Loved and feared by all.”
“Uh huh. One less loyalty now, though, eh?”
“What’s that?”
“Now Drake is gone.”
“Oh, that. Of course. Gone but not forgotten. I suspect you’ll build a statue of him or something.”
“Aye, or something.”
“Well, good luck, Your Majesty.” Anders dipped into a deep, sweeping bow, before rising unsteadily and staggering off towards the gangplank. He greeted a woman waiting for him there with a drunken hug. Elaina watched him go and then looked to the ship’s captain. The woman simply shrugged and followed the spy up to her ship.
Two of the ships leaving were from Larkos. A total of five vessels from the free city had survived the battle, and three of those had already gone, though with much reduced crews. Elaina had already sent a message of thanks to the Council of Thirteen, and another to the Queen of Blades.
Seven of the ships making preparations were her escort to Land’s End. It was a military force, and a substantial one. They’d already sent word to the Five Kingdoms that Elaina wanted to talk peace, but there was no way to know if they would be well received or hanged for the courtesy. Elaina intended to take enough of a naval presence that they could blockade the port if need be.