The rope ladder creaked ominously as Maeve clambered up the side of the Sand Skipper's ship, Shay following close behind her. She was a good climber and she scaled the side of the vessel in no time, hopping over the railing onto the deck into a semi-circle created by the waiting pirates. They were a raggedy bunch; mostly human, although she did spy a couple of dwarfs amongst their number, dressed in loose fitting shirts and trousers with bandannas wrapped around their heads and cutlasses strapped to their waists. A few brandished hand cannons, antiques compared to the newer muskets favoured by Everdale's elite soldiers, but still a rare sight outside of a military setting.
She turned and helped Shay onto the ship, the two women turning to face the crew as the captain stepped forwards. He was much older than Maeve had originally thought him and it was clear that his oily hair was a result of an attempt to dye it with tar. He smiled, revealing a row of crooked teeth, and bowed deeply to them both.
"Welcome aboard the Desert Rose," he growled. "Captain Abraham, at your service."
Shay stepped forwards and extended her hand. "We are most gracious for your assistance, Captain," she said cooly.
Abraham smirked as he kissed the back of Shay's hand. "Gold does wonders for my generosity, Miss Shay," he replied. "Speaking of..."
Shay smiled, though there was little amusement in her eyes. "Of course," she replied. "Though, perhaps we would be better discussing the finer points of our deal in a more private setting?"
The captain looked around before laughing. "Aye, we can do that. You and Miss Maeve can follow me to my quarters. The rest of you!" he added, looking around at his crew. "Clear out! Get this tub movin' again!"
"Aye, sir!" the crew chorused, scrabbling away like naughty children caught napping by their parents.
Abraham chuckled to himself as he beckoned to Shay and Maeve. They followed him to the rear of the ship, into a cabin situated beneath the ship's flybridge. Windows lined the rear of the cabin, flooding the spacious room with plenty of light. There was a large desk in the centre of the room, its gilded legs faded with age, and another round table in the corner of the room, the surface of which was strewn with charts and maps. What parts of the walls there were that were showing were covered in a striped yellow and cream wallpaper, though most of the wall space was taken up by hanging trophies of past raids, including a beautiful tapestry that looked to be of elven origin, its corners only lightly fire damaged. Maeve also noticed several bookcases crammed full of leather bound tomes and in the corner of the cabin was a curtained of section that she presumed hid the captain's cot and washing facilities.
"Tilly!" Abraham boomed as he marched towards his desk. "Fetch our guests some refreshments!"
"Yes, Captain."
A beautiful woman with ebony skin and black, kinky hair appeared from behind the curtained off section of the cabin. She wore red, silk trousers and a matching crop top that left her cleavage on display. Gold disks dangled from the hem of the crop top and the belt that she wore around her waist and her bellybutton, lips and ears were all pierced with various gold studs and gems. A metal collar, not dissimilar to the one that Maeve wore, rested around her neck and she wore gold cuffs around her wrists and ankles too. She crossed to one of the cabinets and withdrew a bottle of dark rum and three glasses of various sizes, pouring a finger of rum into each before placing them on a tray and walking over to the desk.
"Thank you," Maeve said quietly as she took her glass from the tray. The woman met her gaze and smiled before retreating to the corner of the room.
"So," Abraham said once he had downed his rum. "About my money?"
Shay reached into her bag and pulled out a leather pouch which made a distinctive jangling sound as she placed it on the captain's desk. "Half now. Half when we get to the Golden City," she said firmly.
Abraham picked up the pouch and emptied the contents onto his desk, his one remaining eye gleaming greedily as he sifted through the piles of little gold coins. "Aye," he said eagerly. "A deal's a deal. We'll get you where you need to go."
"Thank you, Captain," Shay replied smoothly. "How long do you anticipate the voyage will take."
Abraham sat back in his chair and blew out his cheeks. "Four days, I'd wager," he said. "We got a job to do in the Zardin Straights. After that, it'll plain sailin' to the Golden CIty."
"And we can't convince you to drop us at the city first?" Shay ventured.
He laughed. "No way! This job is time sensitive, if you catch my meaning?"
"Very well," Shay said. "If we can help, we will. Otherwise, we would appreciate our privacy until we arrive at our destination."
Abraham chortled. "Privacy don't really exist on a ship like this, lass," he said. "You got a choice though. You can bunk with the rest of the crew, or you can take the brig. It's dark and cramped but if it's privacy you be wanting then that's about the only place aboard that you'll get it!"
"We understand," Shay said. "We'll take the brig for now."
Abraham shrugged. "Suit yourselves," he said. "Tilly. Show 'em the way."
"Yes, Captain," she replied, stepping forwards and smiling at Shay and Maeve in turn. "Please, come with me," she said.
She led them out of the cabin back onto the main deck into the sun. The crew were busy preparing the ship for travel once again but as soon as they saw Tilly they stopped what they were doing to whistle and call out to her. She smiled serenely, brushing off the catcalls with a casual wave before leading them below deck via one of the open hatches. It was hot and stuffy below the main deck and the air was thick with the musky scent of sweat. Tilly led them between the rows of guns and ballistae down another steep flight of steps to the bowels of the ship. They passed through the hold to the brig which was located in the bow of the ship. It was a dark, windowless room with two iron cages either side of a narrow corridor. The air smelt stale and it was hot but it was at least quieter than anywhere else on the ship.
"Make yourselves comfortable," Tilly said. "Your lucky we haven't taken any prisoners so you can spread out as much as you want. Can I fetch you anything?"
"Some water," Shay said. "And some blankets if you have any spare."
"It does get draughty down here at night," Tilly said cheerfully. "Let me see what I can find for you."
Maeve watched her go before turning to Shay. "Are you sure about this?" she whispered. "I don't trust these people."
"These pirates are simple people," Shay replied. "All they care about is money and we are paying. It wouldn't be worth their while betraying us."
"What if they decide what we're paying them isn't enough?"
"Then we will deal with them," Shay replied firmly. "That's why I hired you, remember?"
"I remember," Maeve muttered.
"Trust me," the witch said. "I've met Sand Skippers before and if there's one thing they all have in common, it's that you can always trust them to do what's best for their own self-interests. RIght now, that means getting us where we need to go without a fight."
Maeve nodded. She just hoped Shay wasn't underestimating how stupid pirates could be.
Tilly returned a short while later with two pales of fresh water and some blankets over her shoulder. She showed them where the galley was on the other side of the hold before helping them make up a bed in one of the cells. Before she went she slipped Shay a key to their cell, cautioning them both that whilst the crew were under strict orders not to harm them, it didn't hurt to take a few extra precautions.
By that time the ship was moving once again. Maeve could hear the turbines whining as they spun the enormous propellors that drove the ship through the sand but worse than their constant drone was the physical motion of the ship going up and down over the dunes. She had never enjoyed travelling by sea but this was a thousand times worse and it wasn't long before she was feeling seasick, or should that have been landsick?
They kept to themselves for the rest of the day. Shay pouring over her spellbooks whilst Maeve tried to keep the contents of her stomach from reappearing. The cook brought her some tea and ginger shavings, promising that chewing on the latter would help her feel better. The ginger was bitter and made her eyes water but, surprisingly, it seemed to help.
As night fell the temperature did start to drop. Maeve lay in their makeshift bed, staring up at the ceiling as Shay slept soundly beside her. The ship was eerily quiet. She could still hear the turbines in the background but their speed had slowed significantly and without the crew stomping around above their heads, she could hear every creak and groan in the wood and the gentle whoosh of the ship's fins as they scythed through the sand. She sat up and rubbed her face, unable to sleep and feeling claustrophobic after having spent all day in the dingy brig. Taking care not to disturb Shay, she pulled back her blanket, stood and crept to the door of the cell. SHe slid the iron key into the lock and opened the barred door with a click and the squeak of old hinges. Shay stirred but only for a moment before he soft snores filled the brig once more and Maeve slipped quietly into the larger hold. She navigated through the ship up onto the main deck, breathing deeply of the cool, fresh air. She looked around in wonder, not just at the clear sky and the millions of stars that twinkled overhead, but also at the desert as it raced past. Seeing the ship coming towards them had been one thing, but to actually be stood upon its deck as it cut through the sand was something else entirely.
She walked slowly around the deck, nodding curtly to the two watchmen who stood by the ship's wheel. She felt their eyes linger on her for a moment before they returned to the dice game they had been playing. As she walked down to the bow of the ship she saw a figure standing beside the bowsprit, a shawl wrapped around her shoulders as she stared out at the desert.
"Tilly?" she said as she approached.
"Oh!" Tilly gasped, putting a hand over her heart as she turned to face Maeve.
"Sorry," Maeve said. "I didn't mean to scare you."
She smiled, her warm eyes sparkling in the moonlight. "Don't worry," she said. "I was miles away."
"Can I join you?" Maeve asked.
"Of course!" she replied. "I hear you were feeling unwell. Are you better now?"
"Yes, thank you," Maeve said as she stood beside the other woman. "The cook gave me some ginger which helped."
"I remember when I first came aboard," she said. "I used to get terribly sick. Poor Captain Abraham. I think he thought he'd bought me only to find he would have to sell me straight away."
Maeve bit her tongue. "You're his slave?" she asked.
