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Katrina
“Do you think they’ll chase us the whole way?” I crouched down, sitting on the singular ledge behind the helm.
“I wouldn’t be shocked if he follows us the whole way to the Triangle. Thane loves the hunt.”
“Great,” I muttered. “And how long will it take us to get there this time?”
“We should average about five knots, so…maybe three days and a few hours?”
I reached up to rub my shoulders as the wind picked up and sent my hair whipping around my neck. “This time when we get there, let’s stop before we get near the center of the Triangle,” I said.
“That’s the plan,” Milo fidgeted with one of the knobs of the ship’s wheel. “But God knows how we’ll get to the trident from there.”
“I have a few ideas,” I said with a heavy sigh, fixing my gaze towards the horizon. I really only had one idea. And if it didn’t work, we were screwed as far as I was concerned. But after everything I’d learned about myself these past few days, I was more confident than I’d ever been. And I was finally ready to face the parts of myself that scared me the most and test my limits. After a moment, I stood up and stepped down from the helm’s post. “I’m gonna go check on the others. Might as well let them know how long we'll be sailing for.”
“Tell them to check the weapons in the main quarters. And pick something out for each of you. Preferably something you know how to use.” Milo tossed me a key ring he’d hung from his belt.
“Will do,” I nodded. It wanted to smile at the feeling that we were all our own little crew, however incompetent. At least we were finally all working together.
I made my way over to the rigging where McKenzie and Noah stood looking like they’d just come off a roller coaster.
“Okay I don’t know if I attached these things correctly, but we’re moving so I’m gonna say it’s good enough.” Noah wiped the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand.
“I think we’re good for now. As long as the winds stay this way for the next couple of days.”
“This isn’t going to be a short trip, is it?” Noah pressed his lips together.
I shot him a grin with a look of apology. “Do you consider three days a long trip?”
He sighed with a grumble and a look of defeat. “I guess not in this century.”
“Well, we’d better get pretty good with these sails because we have company.” I gestured toward the horizon behind us and the ship sailing onward in the distance. It was barely a dot on the surface, but I secretly feared how quickly it might be able to close the distance between us.
“They’re coming for us?” McKenzie blurted, standing on her tippy toes to get a better perspective.
“Technically Milo, but I think we’re a package deal,” I said. “Which is why we are gonna spend these next few days sharpening our swordsmanship skills.”
I led them to the cabin and used the key Milo had given me to unlock the door. Inside, I found a much smaller cabin than I’d seen before, but it made sense given the petite size of the schooner. A hammock and square desk took up most of the room, alongside a wall rack of a few swords and pistols and an urn stuffed full with scrolls and maps. “Come on, pick something. Or two.” I stepped forward, taking a cutlass down from its spot along the sword rack.
“Every minute we’re here I’m still having to convince myself I didn’t get sucked into a video game.” Noah hesitantly reached for a blunderbuss and a short sword.
“Seriously,” McKenzie spouted. “I’m pretty sure me with a weapon is more dangerous than that gang of pirates chasing us.”
“Well, if they keep us from reaching the trident, we’ll be stuck in this video game for the rest of our lives, so…” I raised both eyebrows at them and tucked in my chin.
“Fair enough,” McKenzie shrugged, strapping a sword belt to her waist.
“Hopefully we won’t have to use these,” I said, “It’s just a precaution.”
I gripped the sword in my hand. It felt heavy and awkward, unlike the cutlass I’d held in my spar against Bellamy. I thought of him then, remembering the way he looked out at the sea like it was his home. I hoped he’d made peace with himself, wherever he was. Then I turned my attention to refocus on the sword in my grasp. I walked to Milo, carrying an assortment of swords for him to choose from.
“Did you want to add to your arsenal?” I asked with a grin.
“I suppose it can’t hurt,” Milo said, swiping up a sharp, barely curved cutlass from the selection and sheathing it in the baldric sling across his back, crossed with the other he already wore. “Best to never have just one sword.”
I watched him for a moment at the helm. The way he handled the wheel as he breathed in the sea scent all around him, the ocean winds tousling his hair around his face and neck. The way he stood, more than a whole head taller than me, guiding his stolen ship. There was something hopeful in him that I’d never noticed before. Something beyond the hope of outrunning his enemies. But a real, deep hope that he’d always seemed to be pursuing in life was just over the horizon. Bellamy loved the sea. But Milo loved the promises it brought. Because his life had been changed by it in so many ways.
I stepped forward, settling next to him at the wheel, and leaned my head on his shoulder. He stopped and smiled at me with tender eyes that made me feel like we could outrun the whole world, just he and I, the same way we did on his motorcycle. I watched the open water in front of us as our little ship carried us along with the wind and waves. And I would’ve been content to stay that way forever.
