Chapter 2 - "A secret that makes us uncatchable."

Light burned the room, the full force of the rising sun hitting the maple walls, turning the dark wood auburn. The carpet was plush under Isla's boots as she walked to the door. Behind her Hawk grunted and hoisted the nobleman over his shoulders.

His head lolled to the side and glancing back, Isla caught the hint of a scar down the side of his neck. Intrigue stirred inside her. From the way this man traveled she couldn't imagine him facing any true danger. He was from the family Sayers, they owned half the ports from Varron to Loria.

Banishing her curiosity, Isla led the way out of the room. The dim corridor was silent, the muted sound of fighting gone. When she stepped onto the deck she was welcomed by the sight of her men at work. They untangled hooks and tossed them to their ship, preparing to leave. Discarded around them where unconscious bodies of sailors.

Seeing Isla, the men stopped, focusing on her, some holding ropes, others sheathing swords. There was an intensity in their eyes that contradicted their calm postures. It spoke of the news they all waited to hear.

Among the group, there was not a sailor that was within ten years of Isla's age, but they all looked at her with an unwavering respect. It was a feeling she knew they passed down from her father to her. It was a burden that settled heavy on her shoulders, weighing in on every decision she made, every word she spoke, every thought she held. It was a weight that was not supposed to be hers.

Heath took a step forward. He was Hendrain, shorter than his fellow companions but all muscle, and carrying a staff that wielded more power than any sword.

"Captain Zev," he said, his voice sounding like it came from the center of the earth.

Her title was all the question he asked.

"We have what we came for," she said, sheathing her sword.

Words of hope crept into Isla's mind but she kept them trapped there. She would not speak before she knew that what she said was true. They had waited too long to be given false promises.

At that moment, Hawk walked out, Duke Sayers flung over one shoulder. Every eye turned to the unconscious form. Isla could see the chaos of questions swarming around them, but not a word was uttered. Heath nodded as if kidnapping was a common occurrence for them.

"Brockton," Isla said.

A dark-haired, chiseled Seau man pressed forward, his movements graceful and reserved.

"Disassemble the rudder chain," she said. As the man vanished, she looked to the remaining crew. "Back to the ship. Heath, assist Hawk with our cargo."

Leaving behind what riches the men or the cabins could hold, the men left. It was like a dozen pendulums swinging from one ship to the other. Isla remained on the deck, watching Heath and Hawk. Securing a rope around Duke Sayer's waist, they stepped onto the railing. Clutching their own lines, they held onto the unconscious man and crossed the divide.

Only when they had released their captive from his rope, did Isla let out a breath. What they had was worth more than they could find on the ship. To her, it was worth everything.

As she moved to the edge, Brockton appeared from below deck. His charcoal eyes met hers and he gave a nod in confirmation. They both retrieved lines and crossed to their ship. Isla landed on the deck, her boots tapping against the dark stained wood. Hawk looked to her, his eyes asking a silent question.

"The brig," she said. "And make sure he's locked up."

Nodding, Hawk left. The remaining sailors waited for their orders.

"We make for Talvin."

They all scattered to their jobs, like feathers blown by the wind. The ship pulsed once more with the thumping of boots and the murmured conversation taking place in a dozen different languages. Isla climbed the stairs to the quarter deck and relieved Orin of the wheel. The sunrise had spilled colors into the sky. The vivid hues exploded in every direction, engulfing the vast ocean above them. Isla twisted the helm, and closed her eyes, letting herself feel the subtle pull of the ocean's current.

"Can you feel that?" Zev asked his daughter.

Isla shook her head and stared up at her father. Barely a day over six she only came up to his waist. The sunlight caught on his dark blonde hair and turned it golden. On the cusp of his thirtieth year, he was handsome, lean and burning with life. From his striking, clean-cut Eldin face stood out two piercing blue eyes. To Isla, they looked like the color of the ocean just as the sun is cresting the horizon. The ship swayed and Isla swayed with it. To her, the gentle rise and fall of the water was solid ground.

"Close your eyes," her father said.

Isla did as Zev instructed. He crouched down beside her, one hand gently resting in the helm. The smell of him filled Isla's nose. It was the sea and a sense of safety.

"Can you feel the pull of the ocean?"

Isla scrunched her face up in concentration, her arms stubbornly crossed in front of her chest. At the sight of the determined scowl, Zev smiled. It was a half-smile that only she could produce.

"I don't feel it," Isla said, her high voice betraying her frustration.

Zev looked back to Hawk and nodded to him to take the wheel. When Hawk took his place, Zev let go and rested his hands on Isla's arms. His fingers were long enough to wrap around her thin biceps, the skin was callused and Isla felt steady in their hold.

"Don't think about it," he said. "You need to feel it."

As the ship was tugged to the left, Zev gently tipped her to the side heightening the feel. Shocked, Isla's eyes sprung open.

"I felt it!" she shrieked.

She bounced once, her face breaking into a wide grin. Her father mirrored the look, happiness encasing his heart.

"Good," he said, settling her back down. Taking her wrist, he turned it so her palm was face up. Though young, the tips of her tanned fingers were rough, but in her father's hold, her hand looked delicate.

"There is a secret to the ocean that very few ever knew and now only we do."

Isla's eyes took on a bright, adventurous gleam.

"What kind of secret?" she asked.

"A secret that makes us uncatchable."

A devilish glint flickered in her father's eyes and Isla felt her skin tingle.

"You see," he said, "there are currents beneath the surface of the sea. When found these currents can carry a ship from one edge of the Kingdom to the other in a matter of days."

Isla's eyes went wide. Above her, Hawk glanced down, the corner of his mouth turning upwards at the astonished expression. Her father nodded.

"The stars direct us to right places, but to find the current we must feel its pull. For the current is like this line." He traced a finger over the line in Isla's skin, making her giggle. A glow filled Zev's face, though his expression remained unchanged as if he were containing the full force of the emotion.

"Though the rest of your hand is smooth, there is a dip in the palm. You can feel that you can sense that slope."

As if knowing where Isla's mind would take her, he held up his own palm for her inspection. With a finger half the size of his own, she traced the lines that cut into the skin.

"This is the secret of our family, Isla. It was passed down from my father to me. Now I pass it to you." He lifted her chin with the tip of his fingers, making her look at him. "Protect this, for it is what keeps us alive."

"Captain Zev."

Isla opened her eyes, finding Hawk staring at her. There was something like concern in his dark eyes, but Isla ignored it. She focused, letting the tug of the ocean direct her. Gently spinning the wheel to the right, she found it. The feeling was like catching a feather as it flips through the air, fast and instinctual. The ship was yanked into the ocean's current.

"Tell the men to raise the sails," she said. "We'll take this all the way to Talvin."

Hawk barked out the command and the black sails were lifted, letting the light of the sun cascade onto the deck.

"You need to rest," Hawk said, focusing on her. "You have been up the entire night."

As the words fell on her, Isla felt the pull of exhaustion. The adrenaline that had fueled her through the attack drained away, leaving her just barely able to hold herself up right. Hawk's eyes narrowed as if he could see how she felt. It was a look that she knew well. A look she had grown up trying to duck out of. Age had given her the wisdom to know that she could not. Isla dipped her chin in acknowledgment.

"Sparrow," Hawk said.

The boy appeared, eager faced and alert.

"Take the Captain's things," Hawk instructed.

Stepping forward, Sparrow accepted Isla's sword and dagger.

"Follow her to her cabin, make sure she doesn't fall on the way."

Isla gave Hawk a hard look. "I'm not that far gone that I can't manage to walk on my own."

"All the same. It would be a shame to have come this far only to lose you."

The words were a reminder of where they were headed and what they still had yet to do.

"I bow to your clear head." She gestured to the busy crew. "Send the men to rest once they are finished. Dox, Bin and Loch can watch the ship as they sleep."

"Of course, Captain Zev."

The name, though filled with respect, couldn't help but remind Isla of the man who had carried it longer than she had, and fit it better. Her father's presence settled between the two companions as if he would step forward and take the helm from Isla, giving the same orders for her to sleep.

"You should rest as well," she said.

The corners of Hawk's eyes crinkled slightly, the barest hint of affection.

"I will."

Releasing the wheel, Isla clambered down the stairs and ducked into the corridor below the quarterdeck. Sparrow trotted after her, weapons in hand. The hallway was less spacious than that of Duke Sayer's ship. The floor was dipped in the middle, the years of pounding feet eating away at the wood. The lanterns hanging along the wall swung in time to the rhythm of the sea, the golden flames dispersing the shadows.

Isla pushed the door open to the captain's cabin. The place felt dull to her. The desk - at the back with maps splayed on it - was neat and held no sign of the man who had once sat behind it. There were no balled up messages littering the top. The pens were housed away, the dark ink on the maps beginning to fade in the sun. All the chairs were free of stray clothes, Sparrow always quickly hiding them away in the bureau.

Forcing these wandering thoughts from her mind, Isla moved to the only thing she was there for; the large bed that was pressed against the wall. Curtains hanging around it were tied back and showcased the tidily made bed. Without needing to be told, Sparrow stowed away Isla's weapons.

"That all, Captain?" he asked, his voice wrapped in the lilting Lorian accent.

"Yes."

Sparrow ducked out, closing the door behind him. Sinking onto the bed, Isla yanked off her boots and let them fall to the ground. Every muscle was infused with lead and her head weighed a ton. Not bothering to change, she slipped in between the blankets. The gentle rock of the ship softened her tense muscles.

As the world around her began to fade, she thought of the man locked away and a sense of hope filled her.

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Ho there!

(I have the strongest feeling I'm going to run out of pirate sounding greetings really fast! I'll have to figure out what to do)

If you have thoughts feel free to toss them overboard to me! 💬🗯💭

Was this chapter a bit slower? Well, yes, yes it was.

And this is where I'm going to ask you to trust me. Because it's more of an adventure/fantasy type book I needed to build the world. But if you dip, well I can't blame you. You will miss out on some epic fight scenes to come though. Just sayin.

Now! A little tidbit for you. I made Isla blonde on purpose. It's cause I never write blonde main characters.

If I write blondes they are the shy, mean, perky, lovable side characters.

Honestly, when I think of how I usually want to describe my main character it's dark hair, median/brown skin tone, some shade of eye color and slender. Of course I can't make all my characters look like that or they would all end up looking like Zendaya.

(Which is my plan because if I eventually get a book published she would fit the role so perfectly she would have to do it! She's so boss, she can do no wrong. But shhh I don't want anyone discovering my super duper secret plan)

Anyway, because I have the tendency to write blondes as only the side characters I decided I wanted to write a kick-butt blonde main character cause when I think of it, there really aren't that many.

I can only think of two, Celaena from Throne of Glass and Hanna from Gemina.

So the question of the chapter is: can you think of any others?

Any who, vote for adventure, comment on the stars and follow danger. (But at a safe distance cause I don't want you to actually get hurt)

This is definitely how imagined Zev to look like!