Liam woke up the next morning, the boy sleeping on a small bench with a blanket and pillow, Liam in the bed, and Silver on the floor. He made a mental note to give Silver the bed next time, since he so kindly offered to take the floor without complaint. Silver seemed to have been tossing in his sleep. Either he was having a nightmare or he was just a kicker in his sleep. Liam looked out the window and saw the town still in tact, meaning the Pirates probably didn’t raid. He got up and pulled on his boots. “Silver, Zack, get up.” He shook the boy and nudged Silver, seeing as the poor man slept on a cold hard floor, he wasn’t going to be too harsh about pulling him out of his sleep.
Zack was on his feet in a hot second, seeing as if you didn’t get up the first time on any ship- you were punched the next time. He went to wake Silver but Liam tossed him ten shillings. “Go get us breakfast and be quick.” The boy said nothing and went to do as he was told. Liam went to the window and looked down toward the docks. The Herja was still docked. He swore softly. Now they needed to get moving, but then again, he could see no movement of the sails, so, maybe they weren’t setting off today. Also, that could mean they were out looking for them. When he turned around, Silver was on his feet and pulling on his boots.
“You’re a silent one.”
“I used to sneak out a lot, remember? I’m used to being quiet. Besides, you seemed deep in thought. I didn’t want to bother you.” He said as he crackled his knuckles and loosened his joints. “Where’s the boy?”
“Grabbing food.” Silver nodded and yawned, just as the boy came in with a bag off food.
The boy was panting and his chest was heaving. He looked like he‘d just been running a couple miles. “I had to be real careful. The Captain’s got men looking for us, sirs.”
“Zack,” Silver said strictly, “You are to call me Silver or Locke, cause if you call me sir one more time, I’ll pop you in the jaw. Understood?”
“Yes, Locke.” The boy said handing Liam the bag. Silver ran to the window and swore. “Damn it! This is not what we need right now!” He opened up the window and tore down the curtains before he started tying them together.
“What are you doing, Silver?” Liam asked as he locked the door and braced it with the bench and some furniture, just in case.
“Making an escape route. Are you coming or staying, Liam?” He said looking back at him briefly. Making a lasso out of one end of the curtains, since it was barely light out, he wasn’t too shy about swinging it up to the roof and swinging it up over what Liam guessed was the chimney. “Now, this is different from how I escaped my school, but, same principal. Zack, start up. Liam, empty the food into the boy’s bag real quick.”
Liam did and handed Zack his bag who then slung it over his shoulders and scurried up the makeshift curtain-ladder. “You next, Silver.”
“Why me? Oh hell, I’m not about to argue.” He slid out, grabbing his bag, and started up. When he was up, he called down in a low voice, “C’mon!” Liam started up, shutting the window with his foot, his bag on his back, and climbed up. Silver offered him his hand and helped him up. Just in time too. The curtain came loose and was now hanging from the window, seeing as the other end was smashed under the now shut window. Silver smiled and said, “Good job. You left a false trail.”
“Not really. Wouldn’t we have tied the curtain to the bedpost to go down?”
“It could have come undone! They don’t know!” He argued with a grin. They started skipping roofs, which, only Liam wasn’t used too. He was used to a lot, but not roof skipping.
They saw an alley, far from the docks, and scaled down, using the loose bricks on the building they stood on as foot and handholds. Zack went down last and Silver went down first with Liam in the middle. Silver took off as soon as they were both on the ground with him. Liam and Zack followed until he stopped outside a row of taverns and Inns.
“Alright boys, choose a tavern or choose an Inn, but we need to get out of sight.” Liam looked at Zack who, grinned sheepishly and pointed at a whorehouse. Silver hit him on the head with a fist. “Don’t be such a pervert! I bet your balls haven’t dropped!” He shook his head and headed for a tavern called Penny’s Nest. Silver went in and looked around. Liam went up to the bar with Silver and Zack behind him as he said, a charming grin on his face, “How much for a night?”
“Ten shillings for the you two,” The waitress said point at himself and Silver. “Five for the boy. We charge less for little kids.”
“I’m not little!” He protested. Silver pushed him back and said, “What if I play my pennywhistle later? To draw in some money?”
“Then you can stay cheaper, depending on how much you draw in.” She said with a smile as she looked him over. Liam grinned. “Looks like someone’s got their eye on you, Locke.”
Silver turned slightly red and said. “No, thanks. I’m not up for getting friendly.” She shrugged and went off to set tables. Silver glared playfully at Liam. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?” He said innocently. Silver shook his head. “You dog.”
They went up in their room and drank a little ale, Zack just drank water and so did Silver. He didn’t seem to like alcohol at all. Silver lay on the bed, as it was his turn to have it tonight, staring at the ceiling. He soon said, “Anyone got a story? Something about their childhood? A girl they’re missing?”
Zack piped up. Zack had sandy blonde hair and hazel eyes. His skin was light and he was small but he was sweet. “I do. There’s a girl back home I sure wouldn’t mind seeing.”
Liam grinned. He hadn’t had more than two sips, figuring that Silver had a point in not getting drunk at the moment. “Tell us about her.”
“Her name was Ryane Locke, only, since Silver denied relations to the English Captain, that would mean you two aren’t related, right?” Zack said looking at Silver.
“Yeah. That would be correct.”
“Well, she was always real pretty and smart too. Man, what I’d give for her to like me…You’d love her, Liam. She seems a bit too rowdy for Silver, but you’d love her. She was wild, always looking for adventure and fun, always smiling too. She was real kind and caring. Did I say how bloody smart that girl is? She outsmarted the Mistress more than once to come out on the town with a couple of the boys. They brought me along sometimes and she’d always make them be nice to me.” Silver straightened, as if he remembered something.
After a moment, he said, “I think I saw you once, Zack. I didn’t walk over to talk because, well, one, I didn’t want to, second, I had errands to run but I remember one day, I was walking home and a couple of the boys were picking on you. Miss Ryane came over and chased ‘em off.”
“Yeah!” Zack said with a smile. “She even kissed my cheek that day! God, she was pretty. She smelled of lilacs all the time…ok, sometimes she smelled like a kitchen but that was just as good!” He said with a chuckle.
Liam smiled. “I’m liking this Miss Ryane more with every minute. Keep talking, boy. I’d like to hear more about the lass.”
Zack smiled. “She’s funny. She could make anyone laugh- she even got the Mistress, who was a real witch, to laugh a couple times. Her laugh was infectious! If she laughed, so did the rest of the group. She had the most amazing singing voice. It’s a sound I’ll surely miss. Oh! I almost forgot! The way she danced always made everyone want to get up and dance and be merry.”
“Sounds like you might love her, Zack.” Silver said with a slight grin. He was carving a piece of wood.
“I thought I might one day but then I remembered that she’s a good three years older, and I ain’t even hit manhood yet. She’d never want one so young but I still love her, but only as a brother would a sister. It’s pointless to chase something you cannot have. Don’t say I could if I tried. All that would have to happen to ruin it, was if Liam walked up to her and said hello.” He said as he sat with a sketch pad and piece of lead, carefully drawing. He never looked up from the paper.
“Oh really?” Silver said laughing. “You think she’d be that easily won over?”
“Well, no.” He said pausing in his drawing. “Actually, depending on how he acted, he’d do no better than you but then again, you seem to be more level headed about approaching women.”
“Hey!” Liam said glaring at the boy.
“Sorry, Liam, but it’s the truth. Miss Ryane was never an easy catch. I don’t ever remember her being all about a boy. Hell, I don’t remember her ever even giving a boy a second glance as more than a friend. She’d tell me, I know she would cause she always did. If something was on her mind, she normally came to me.” He said with a soft curse as he carefully tried to fix something he’d smeared.
“Hmm.” Liam said with a grin, “Why would she go to a ten year old?”
Zack shot him a glare. “I’m fourteen, thanks.” He paused before saying, “I asked her one day, she told me it was because that her older friends had a tendency to…oh what’s the phrase…”
Then Silver helped, “Sugar code things?”
“Aye!” Zack said with a smile as he worked. “That’s the one. They’d always try to soften the blow, like she wasn’t mature or strong enough to handle something. She told me I was brutally honest, but she loved that about me.”
“She loved that about you, eh?” Liam teased as he looked up from the book he was skimming. Silver had let him take one of his books. It was a book on French history, so it wasn’t a very interesting read, but it gave him something to look at.
Silver grinned. “I’d love that about him too if I were her. It’s nice to have people who will tell it to you straight, and not treat you like a helpless child.” He said as he started carving the wood at a new angle.
Zack glanced up at him. “Where’d you learn to carve, Silver?”
Silver frowned and swallowed a sip of mead. He sighed heavily. “My brother, Harry.” He carved with less enthusiasm now.
Liam and Zack exchanged glances as Zack asked, “And this would cause you to frown because…?”
Silver kept carving, not looking up, “Because I haven’t seen my brother in three years. I haven’t heard from him in six months. I think he’s avoiding me…”
“Why would someone avoid flesh and blood? ‘Specially since when you came aboard, you said that your parents were dead.” Liam said softly, trying to be helpful.
“Because, Liam, the last letter I sent him was one telling him that I planned to run away and go sailing. He replied and told me that he’d never forgive me if I gave up a chance at a better life than that of a sailor. Well, I knew he didn’t mean it, and if he did, I’d just have to give him time to forgive me so I left anyway. Now, here I am. Sitting in a hotel room, waiting out the day for a bunch of blood thirsty cutthroat pirates to sail out of the docks so I can walk the streets as a free man for another day with my two newest friends.” He said looking up with a brief grin at his last comment.
Zack smiled. “You think of me as your friend?”
“Aye, I do, Zack. You’re not a ships boy, not right now. You may start your career in sailing on ships that way,” He looked up at Zack who returned the favor and looked him in the eye. “but I guarantee you won’t end that way.” He went back to focusing on his carving and Zack resumed looking at his drawing, which, as far as Liam could see, was turning out to be a beautiful young girl.
Zack had a proud smile on his face for a time as he said, “You have her eyes, Silver. You have Ryane’s eyes.”
Silver looked up at him for a time before shrugging and looking back at his work. “Sorry if it brings back memories, lad.”
“No, I should thank you. It makes it easier to sketch her from memory.”
“You’re sketching her?” Silver asked shocked. “Why?”
“Because, I may not be able to do her justice, but I can get real close. I want you two to see how beautiful she is.” Silver chewed on some of the bread as a maid brought it up.
“Thanks, love.” Liam said to her as she left. She smiled and went out and they were all alone again. Liam then said, “Can I keep it? I like how it’s turning out. Unless, Silver, you want it?”
“Nah. I don’t care to stare at a girl I might never meet.”
“What’d ya mean, Silver? I’ll introduce you all if we go back to Virginia.” Zack said with a slight laugh.
“Cause, lad, I heard that a Miss Ryane went missing the night before I did.”
Zack was on his feet. “Oh no! What if she’s hurt? Or lost? Or worse?” He said in dismay. Liam pulled him back down from standing so he was back on his bum. “I’m sure the girl is fine. If she’s as smart as you say, she’ll be fine.”
- - -
Ryane smiled at the two of them while they talked about her, unknowing that she was in this very room. It had taken all her self control to keep herself from blushing when Zack kept complimenting her and it was even harder to resist beaming at Liam when he said he liked the sound of her. As Zack sat in dismay, working on the sketch of her, Ryane sat there thinking to herself as Liam kept telling Zack that if this Miss Ryane person was so smart, that she’d be safe- Neither of you have any idea just how safe I am… She wanted to sing. She really did but she made herself behave. She liked being a man, conversation came easier. She didn’t like all the topics or the fact that she couldn’t tell Liam about her crush on him, but she liked the perks. Too bad the rainbow can’t come without rain.
“Should we get gone? I don’t want to stay anywhere for long…” Ryane said with a yawn. She was still somewhat tired from so little sleep.
Zack then said, “We should try to board a ship to Virginia or at least America. I want to go find Ryane.”
Liam looked at her. “How bout it, Silver? Shall we go look for his bonny lass?” He was grinning as he added, “I’d like to meet the woman.”
Ryane started to think about how this could work out. Then a plan came to her. She could- for whatever reason - have to leave them for a couple days and then when a ship was heading out in a direction Liam and Zack planned to go in, if she couldn’t convince them to let her go, she’d return as Silver. If they did, then Silver would return only to tell them that this would have to be goodbye. Perfect!
She nodded. “Sure. Let’s go find Zack’s girl but when we get to America, I’m going to ditch for awhile.”
“What?” Zack and Liam said together. Liam then said, “Why? You can’t leave! What about finding the girl?”
“I’m sorry, Liam. I need to find my brother. I’m tired of having this blasted fight with him. Family comes first for me, and he’s all I have left. If I don’t meet you back in port before you leave, go without me.”
Liam sighed. “Alright. I can’t blame you for wanting to patch things up with your brother but I call dibs on the girl.” He said with a grin.
Zack then warned, “Best not call dibs on her in front of her face. She popped my big brother in the nose for it once. She refuses to belong to anyone. She told me once that her heart may belong to a man, but she does not.” Ryane still couldn’t believe she hadn’t recognized Zack on sight, but then, the boy was so covered in filth and his hair was so dirty it looked brown. After they all cleaned up a bit, she realized it really was her old Zackary Brinks.
They got up and set out.
Within several hours, they found a ship on its way to, luckily, Virginia. They wouldn’t have to worry about traveling too long. They boarded a Whaler ship and signed on, but only until they reached Virginia but that was until they learned that if they made their travels in Virginia no longer than a week, they could get a ride back as long as they worked. They were heading to Virginia to get the Captain’s wife and son.
Over the first month, Liam and Ryane got the more disgusting jobs, but it didn’t bother her too terribly much. She was used to getting some pretty sick jobs from the Mistress was really angry with her. They usually had to help the men skin the blubber off of the whales, which, if she didn’t think of it too much, didn’t make Ryane want to puke so much as it did the first time. At least she wasn’t hauling out the sperm. That would make her sick. Her and Liam spent a lot of time talking about her, only, not her in her male form but the form that Liam was so looking forward to meeting. Ryane didn’t mind, though. She rather liked it. Zack would compliment her and talk about her a lot, too which made her smile. Zack, being too small to do real work, was made a ship boy and ran errands for the Captain. He was used to this station in life so it didn’t bother him none.
Then, over the second month, Liam, Zack, and Ryane were given the chance to break by taking day watches, then when the Captain was sure he could trust them, he let Ryane and Liam take night watches. Zack was allowed if he wanted and he did, sometimes he’d sketch the men by the moonlight, so they had something to send their girls. Ryane actually found life on the Whaler, named Patience, relaxing. It wasn’t too rough or too simple, so she had no complaints, except maybe that she reeked of whale blubber. There were one or two close calls where Ryane would talk about herself as if she truly was Silver and she’d say things that she shouldn’t know for someone who’d never met Miss Ryane but she managed to cover her tracks but she knew she had to be more careful.
It was in the third month of travel, that Ryane started to realize the flaw in her initial plan. She and the boys had gotten to talking about what it would be like, since Ryane could come along if she wanted and help the Captain’s wife and tutor his son. That’s when Ryane realized that, although her plan was perfect, it was only so until the got to England again at which point, she’d be left behind again. Of course, she knew she couldn’t let that happen. She couldn’t bear to lose her new friends, and besides, it was hard enough acting like she didn’t care if she got to spend every moment around Liam or not, it’d be Hell to actually have to spend the rest of her days away.
She was still pondering how to fix this little dilemma when they docked at Virginia, a place she hadn’t seen in half a year. Winter had passed and they had totally missed it. It was spring, and the leaves were growing back in and turning green, flowers were blooming- it was all over very beautiful. Ryane wanted to state it but decided not to, since she already had a couple marks against her cover, small as they were, she didn’t want to risk it. She was happy to agree with Zack, though, when he pointed out how beautiful it was.
They came to the street on which, Ryane knew she had to part. She turned to Liam and Zack and said, “This is where our paths split, for now, at least. Well, hopefully only for now.” She said, trying to sound hopeful that she’d meet them again as Silver.
Zack hugged his waist, which shocked Ryane as he said, “If we don’t get to see each other again, I’ll never forget you, Silver. I’ll always remember your advice on how to treat a lady proper.”
She smiled. “I’m sure we’ll see each other again someday. If I don’t catch the Whaler on the way back, I’ll try to sign onto a different ship and get to England, deal?” She said looking at Liam.
Liam nodded and gave her a brotherly embrace and said as he stepped back, “I’ve never had a brother, but if I could have one, I’d pick you, Silver.”
That made Ryane want to cry in joy. She then said, “C’mon now, don’t go getting sentimental on me, eh Harrison?”
Liam smiled and nodded. “Alright, we should get gone. Try to be back in a week, eh?”
“I’ll try.” with that, Ryane walked out of their sight and down an alley, her bag on her back. As soon as she was out of sight, she ran into the old Gray Whistle and begged Beth right off not to have a party for her return or start a commotion until she was bathed, cleaned up and dressed like a girl. In less than a day, she’d get to meet Liam but not as Silver Locke, but as Miss Ryane.
Zack was on his feet in a hot second, seeing as if you didn’t get up the first time on any ship- you were punched the next time. He went to wake Silver but Liam tossed him ten shillings. “Go get us breakfast and be quick.” The boy said nothing and went to do as he was told. Liam went to the window and looked down toward the docks. The Herja was still docked. He swore softly. Now they needed to get moving, but then again, he could see no movement of the sails, so, maybe they weren’t setting off today. Also, that could mean they were out looking for them. When he turned around, Silver was on his feet and pulling on his boots.
“You’re a silent one.”
“I used to sneak out a lot, remember? I’m used to being quiet. Besides, you seemed deep in thought. I didn’t want to bother you.” He said as he crackled his knuckles and loosened his joints. “Where’s the boy?”
“Grabbing food.” Silver nodded and yawned, just as the boy came in with a bag off food.
The boy was panting and his chest was heaving. He looked like he‘d just been running a couple miles. “I had to be real careful. The Captain’s got men looking for us, sirs.”
“Zack,” Silver said strictly, “You are to call me Silver or Locke, cause if you call me sir one more time, I’ll pop you in the jaw. Understood?”
“Yes, Locke.” The boy said handing Liam the bag. Silver ran to the window and swore. “Damn it! This is not what we need right now!” He opened up the window and tore down the curtains before he started tying them together.
“What are you doing, Silver?” Liam asked as he locked the door and braced it with the bench and some furniture, just in case.
“Making an escape route. Are you coming or staying, Liam?” He said looking back at him briefly. Making a lasso out of one end of the curtains, since it was barely light out, he wasn’t too shy about swinging it up to the roof and swinging it up over what Liam guessed was the chimney. “Now, this is different from how I escaped my school, but, same principal. Zack, start up. Liam, empty the food into the boy’s bag real quick.”
Liam did and handed Zack his bag who then slung it over his shoulders and scurried up the makeshift curtain-ladder. “You next, Silver.”
“Why me? Oh hell, I’m not about to argue.” He slid out, grabbing his bag, and started up. When he was up, he called down in a low voice, “C’mon!” Liam started up, shutting the window with his foot, his bag on his back, and climbed up. Silver offered him his hand and helped him up. Just in time too. The curtain came loose and was now hanging from the window, seeing as the other end was smashed under the now shut window. Silver smiled and said, “Good job. You left a false trail.”
“Not really. Wouldn’t we have tied the curtain to the bedpost to go down?”
“It could have come undone! They don’t know!” He argued with a grin. They started skipping roofs, which, only Liam wasn’t used too. He was used to a lot, but not roof skipping.
They saw an alley, far from the docks, and scaled down, using the loose bricks on the building they stood on as foot and handholds. Zack went down last and Silver went down first with Liam in the middle. Silver took off as soon as they were both on the ground with him. Liam and Zack followed until he stopped outside a row of taverns and Inns.
“Alright boys, choose a tavern or choose an Inn, but we need to get out of sight.” Liam looked at Zack who, grinned sheepishly and pointed at a whorehouse. Silver hit him on the head with a fist. “Don’t be such a pervert! I bet your balls haven’t dropped!” He shook his head and headed for a tavern called Penny’s Nest. Silver went in and looked around. Liam went up to the bar with Silver and Zack behind him as he said, a charming grin on his face, “How much for a night?”
“Ten shillings for the you two,” The waitress said point at himself and Silver. “Five for the boy. We charge less for little kids.”
“I’m not little!” He protested. Silver pushed him back and said, “What if I play my pennywhistle later? To draw in some money?”
“Then you can stay cheaper, depending on how much you draw in.” She said with a smile as she looked him over. Liam grinned. “Looks like someone’s got their eye on you, Locke.”
Silver turned slightly red and said. “No, thanks. I’m not up for getting friendly.” She shrugged and went off to set tables. Silver glared playfully at Liam. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?” He said innocently. Silver shook his head. “You dog.”
They went up in their room and drank a little ale, Zack just drank water and so did Silver. He didn’t seem to like alcohol at all. Silver lay on the bed, as it was his turn to have it tonight, staring at the ceiling. He soon said, “Anyone got a story? Something about their childhood? A girl they’re missing?”
Zack piped up. Zack had sandy blonde hair and hazel eyes. His skin was light and he was small but he was sweet. “I do. There’s a girl back home I sure wouldn’t mind seeing.”
Liam grinned. He hadn’t had more than two sips, figuring that Silver had a point in not getting drunk at the moment. “Tell us about her.”
“Her name was Ryane Locke, only, since Silver denied relations to the English Captain, that would mean you two aren’t related, right?” Zack said looking at Silver.
“Yeah. That would be correct.”
“Well, she was always real pretty and smart too. Man, what I’d give for her to like me…You’d love her, Liam. She seems a bit too rowdy for Silver, but you’d love her. She was wild, always looking for adventure and fun, always smiling too. She was real kind and caring. Did I say how bloody smart that girl is? She outsmarted the Mistress more than once to come out on the town with a couple of the boys. They brought me along sometimes and she’d always make them be nice to me.” Silver straightened, as if he remembered something.
After a moment, he said, “I think I saw you once, Zack. I didn’t walk over to talk because, well, one, I didn’t want to, second, I had errands to run but I remember one day, I was walking home and a couple of the boys were picking on you. Miss Ryane came over and chased ‘em off.”
“Yeah!” Zack said with a smile. “She even kissed my cheek that day! God, she was pretty. She smelled of lilacs all the time…ok, sometimes she smelled like a kitchen but that was just as good!” He said with a chuckle.
Liam smiled. “I’m liking this Miss Ryane more with every minute. Keep talking, boy. I’d like to hear more about the lass.”
Zack smiled. “She’s funny. She could make anyone laugh- she even got the Mistress, who was a real witch, to laugh a couple times. Her laugh was infectious! If she laughed, so did the rest of the group. She had the most amazing singing voice. It’s a sound I’ll surely miss. Oh! I almost forgot! The way she danced always made everyone want to get up and dance and be merry.”
“Sounds like you might love her, Zack.” Silver said with a slight grin. He was carving a piece of wood.
“I thought I might one day but then I remembered that she’s a good three years older, and I ain’t even hit manhood yet. She’d never want one so young but I still love her, but only as a brother would a sister. It’s pointless to chase something you cannot have. Don’t say I could if I tried. All that would have to happen to ruin it, was if Liam walked up to her and said hello.” He said as he sat with a sketch pad and piece of lead, carefully drawing. He never looked up from the paper.
“Oh really?” Silver said laughing. “You think she’d be that easily won over?”
“Well, no.” He said pausing in his drawing. “Actually, depending on how he acted, he’d do no better than you but then again, you seem to be more level headed about approaching women.”
“Hey!” Liam said glaring at the boy.
“Sorry, Liam, but it’s the truth. Miss Ryane was never an easy catch. I don’t ever remember her being all about a boy. Hell, I don’t remember her ever even giving a boy a second glance as more than a friend. She’d tell me, I know she would cause she always did. If something was on her mind, she normally came to me.” He said with a soft curse as he carefully tried to fix something he’d smeared.
“Hmm.” Liam said with a grin, “Why would she go to a ten year old?”
Zack shot him a glare. “I’m fourteen, thanks.” He paused before saying, “I asked her one day, she told me it was because that her older friends had a tendency to…oh what’s the phrase…”
Then Silver helped, “Sugar code things?”
“Aye!” Zack said with a smile as he worked. “That’s the one. They’d always try to soften the blow, like she wasn’t mature or strong enough to handle something. She told me I was brutally honest, but she loved that about me.”
“She loved that about you, eh?” Liam teased as he looked up from the book he was skimming. Silver had let him take one of his books. It was a book on French history, so it wasn’t a very interesting read, but it gave him something to look at.
Silver grinned. “I’d love that about him too if I were her. It’s nice to have people who will tell it to you straight, and not treat you like a helpless child.” He said as he started carving the wood at a new angle.
Zack glanced up at him. “Where’d you learn to carve, Silver?”
Silver frowned and swallowed a sip of mead. He sighed heavily. “My brother, Harry.” He carved with less enthusiasm now.
Liam and Zack exchanged glances as Zack asked, “And this would cause you to frown because…?”
Silver kept carving, not looking up, “Because I haven’t seen my brother in three years. I haven’t heard from him in six months. I think he’s avoiding me…”
“Why would someone avoid flesh and blood? ‘Specially since when you came aboard, you said that your parents were dead.” Liam said softly, trying to be helpful.
“Because, Liam, the last letter I sent him was one telling him that I planned to run away and go sailing. He replied and told me that he’d never forgive me if I gave up a chance at a better life than that of a sailor. Well, I knew he didn’t mean it, and if he did, I’d just have to give him time to forgive me so I left anyway. Now, here I am. Sitting in a hotel room, waiting out the day for a bunch of blood thirsty cutthroat pirates to sail out of the docks so I can walk the streets as a free man for another day with my two newest friends.” He said looking up with a brief grin at his last comment.
Zack smiled. “You think of me as your friend?”
“Aye, I do, Zack. You’re not a ships boy, not right now. You may start your career in sailing on ships that way,” He looked up at Zack who returned the favor and looked him in the eye. “but I guarantee you won’t end that way.” He went back to focusing on his carving and Zack resumed looking at his drawing, which, as far as Liam could see, was turning out to be a beautiful young girl.
Zack had a proud smile on his face for a time as he said, “You have her eyes, Silver. You have Ryane’s eyes.”
Silver looked up at him for a time before shrugging and looking back at his work. “Sorry if it brings back memories, lad.”
“No, I should thank you. It makes it easier to sketch her from memory.”
“You’re sketching her?” Silver asked shocked. “Why?”
“Because, I may not be able to do her justice, but I can get real close. I want you two to see how beautiful she is.” Silver chewed on some of the bread as a maid brought it up.
“Thanks, love.” Liam said to her as she left. She smiled and went out and they were all alone again. Liam then said, “Can I keep it? I like how it’s turning out. Unless, Silver, you want it?”
“Nah. I don’t care to stare at a girl I might never meet.”
“What’d ya mean, Silver? I’ll introduce you all if we go back to Virginia.” Zack said with a slight laugh.
“Cause, lad, I heard that a Miss Ryane went missing the night before I did.”
Zack was on his feet. “Oh no! What if she’s hurt? Or lost? Or worse?” He said in dismay. Liam pulled him back down from standing so he was back on his bum. “I’m sure the girl is fine. If she’s as smart as you say, she’ll be fine.”
- - -
Ryane smiled at the two of them while they talked about her, unknowing that she was in this very room. It had taken all her self control to keep herself from blushing when Zack kept complimenting her and it was even harder to resist beaming at Liam when he said he liked the sound of her. As Zack sat in dismay, working on the sketch of her, Ryane sat there thinking to herself as Liam kept telling Zack that if this Miss Ryane person was so smart, that she’d be safe- Neither of you have any idea just how safe I am… She wanted to sing. She really did but she made herself behave. She liked being a man, conversation came easier. She didn’t like all the topics or the fact that she couldn’t tell Liam about her crush on him, but she liked the perks. Too bad the rainbow can’t come without rain.
“Should we get gone? I don’t want to stay anywhere for long…” Ryane said with a yawn. She was still somewhat tired from so little sleep.
Zack then said, “We should try to board a ship to Virginia or at least America. I want to go find Ryane.”
Liam looked at her. “How bout it, Silver? Shall we go look for his bonny lass?” He was grinning as he added, “I’d like to meet the woman.”
Ryane started to think about how this could work out. Then a plan came to her. She could- for whatever reason - have to leave them for a couple days and then when a ship was heading out in a direction Liam and Zack planned to go in, if she couldn’t convince them to let her go, she’d return as Silver. If they did, then Silver would return only to tell them that this would have to be goodbye. Perfect!
She nodded. “Sure. Let’s go find Zack’s girl but when we get to America, I’m going to ditch for awhile.”
“What?” Zack and Liam said together. Liam then said, “Why? You can’t leave! What about finding the girl?”
“I’m sorry, Liam. I need to find my brother. I’m tired of having this blasted fight with him. Family comes first for me, and he’s all I have left. If I don’t meet you back in port before you leave, go without me.”
Liam sighed. “Alright. I can’t blame you for wanting to patch things up with your brother but I call dibs on the girl.” He said with a grin.
Zack then warned, “Best not call dibs on her in front of her face. She popped my big brother in the nose for it once. She refuses to belong to anyone. She told me once that her heart may belong to a man, but she does not.” Ryane still couldn’t believe she hadn’t recognized Zack on sight, but then, the boy was so covered in filth and his hair was so dirty it looked brown. After they all cleaned up a bit, she realized it really was her old Zackary Brinks.
They got up and set out.
Within several hours, they found a ship on its way to, luckily, Virginia. They wouldn’t have to worry about traveling too long. They boarded a Whaler ship and signed on, but only until they reached Virginia but that was until they learned that if they made their travels in Virginia no longer than a week, they could get a ride back as long as they worked. They were heading to Virginia to get the Captain’s wife and son.
Over the first month, Liam and Ryane got the more disgusting jobs, but it didn’t bother her too terribly much. She was used to getting some pretty sick jobs from the Mistress was really angry with her. They usually had to help the men skin the blubber off of the whales, which, if she didn’t think of it too much, didn’t make Ryane want to puke so much as it did the first time. At least she wasn’t hauling out the sperm. That would make her sick. Her and Liam spent a lot of time talking about her, only, not her in her male form but the form that Liam was so looking forward to meeting. Ryane didn’t mind, though. She rather liked it. Zack would compliment her and talk about her a lot, too which made her smile. Zack, being too small to do real work, was made a ship boy and ran errands for the Captain. He was used to this station in life so it didn’t bother him none.
Then, over the second month, Liam, Zack, and Ryane were given the chance to break by taking day watches, then when the Captain was sure he could trust them, he let Ryane and Liam take night watches. Zack was allowed if he wanted and he did, sometimes he’d sketch the men by the moonlight, so they had something to send their girls. Ryane actually found life on the Whaler, named Patience, relaxing. It wasn’t too rough or too simple, so she had no complaints, except maybe that she reeked of whale blubber. There were one or two close calls where Ryane would talk about herself as if she truly was Silver and she’d say things that she shouldn’t know for someone who’d never met Miss Ryane but she managed to cover her tracks but she knew she had to be more careful.
It was in the third month of travel, that Ryane started to realize the flaw in her initial plan. She and the boys had gotten to talking about what it would be like, since Ryane could come along if she wanted and help the Captain’s wife and tutor his son. That’s when Ryane realized that, although her plan was perfect, it was only so until the got to England again at which point, she’d be left behind again. Of course, she knew she couldn’t let that happen. She couldn’t bear to lose her new friends, and besides, it was hard enough acting like she didn’t care if she got to spend every moment around Liam or not, it’d be Hell to actually have to spend the rest of her days away.
She was still pondering how to fix this little dilemma when they docked at Virginia, a place she hadn’t seen in half a year. Winter had passed and they had totally missed it. It was spring, and the leaves were growing back in and turning green, flowers were blooming- it was all over very beautiful. Ryane wanted to state it but decided not to, since she already had a couple marks against her cover, small as they were, she didn’t want to risk it. She was happy to agree with Zack, though, when he pointed out how beautiful it was.
They came to the street on which, Ryane knew she had to part. She turned to Liam and Zack and said, “This is where our paths split, for now, at least. Well, hopefully only for now.” She said, trying to sound hopeful that she’d meet them again as Silver.
Zack hugged his waist, which shocked Ryane as he said, “If we don’t get to see each other again, I’ll never forget you, Silver. I’ll always remember your advice on how to treat a lady proper.”
She smiled. “I’m sure we’ll see each other again someday. If I don’t catch the Whaler on the way back, I’ll try to sign onto a different ship and get to England, deal?” She said looking at Liam.
Liam nodded and gave her a brotherly embrace and said as he stepped back, “I’ve never had a brother, but if I could have one, I’d pick you, Silver.”
That made Ryane want to cry in joy. She then said, “C’mon now, don’t go getting sentimental on me, eh Harrison?”
Liam smiled and nodded. “Alright, we should get gone. Try to be back in a week, eh?”
“I’ll try.” with that, Ryane walked out of their sight and down an alley, her bag on her back. As soon as she was out of sight, she ran into the old Gray Whistle and begged Beth right off not to have a party for her return or start a commotion until she was bathed, cleaned up and dressed like a girl. In less than a day, she’d get to meet Liam but not as Silver Locke, but as Miss Ryane.
