Flash Fiction #547 -- Buffy the Pirate/3

 

Serena didn't dare do more than lie on the roof and watch as the men walked away, and she couldn't follow them to learn what they were doing. Soon the two disappeared back into the city on some mission.

There were few people out, so Serena had no trouble climbing back off the roof. She found a slightly covered corner and ate a little food. She would have used a little magic to warm up if she had been braver.

The storm continued to roll in off the sea, and that kept most people indoors. That left her a chance to get closer to the ship and maybe find out what Buffy was doing. Serena still couldn't believe that her friend -- her best friend -- could have turned on them. Even if she was a cat.

The crew on the small ship looked busy despite the weather. Maybe they were just used to being wet and cold -- but Serena certainly didn't see Buffy out in that storm. The cat would be nestled into somewhere warm and with food.

Serena shivered in the rain and her stomach made enough noise that she feared being caught. She had found a little spot out of the wind -- but not the rain -- and watched as carefully as possible. She might not hear as well as Buffy, but she could still make note of things -- like the chest where they stored their swords. One of the men opened the top for a moment and must have checked to make certain it wasn't leaking. He had picked up two of the long-bladed weapons, wiped them off, and put them away. The chest was not locked.

Serena shivered again. Then she saw Buffy walk out under an overhang and look around with a disdainful flick of her tail.

"Where is Vane?" she demanded.

The man by the chest of swords gave an audible sigh as he stood straighter. "Captain Vane went to town on business."

"We were supposed to discuss matters," she all but snarled. Her tail twitched a few more times. "Tell him when he gets back that I am waiting in my .... in his rooms."

Buff turned and sauntered away. The man watched until she must have gone below deck before he turned away.

"She is going to be a problem," someone else said. Serena had not seen him until he stepped out into the open.

"She's the Captain's problem," the man said. "And that's the end of it."

From how the other obeyed, Serena guessed he must be the ship's second in command. No one else spoke at all, and Serena was ready to leave when she spotted Vane and his companion coming back. They were going to pass far too close to where she hid, and she dared not let them see her.

Serena almost used a little magic but realized in time that Buffy would sense it so close. She dropped to her knees and pulled the dark cloak tighter around her instead. She barely breathed, hoping that the two would be in a hurry to get out of the weather.

"We'll head south to summer lands," Vane said suddenly. "Take up some trade shipments again. There is too much work being a pirate, and it has done nothing for my indigestion."

"I told you," the other said. "If we change flags again, we can't come back this way."

"And miss all this lovely weather?" Vane said as they took the gangplank up. "I'll have to survive it somehow."

No one was looking her way. Serena took the opportunity to hurry away, putting a building between them before she slowed. No one had shouted, and Buffy hadn't seen her.

In the late morning, Serena finally dared the rain and wind and took to the sky, heading southward. The winds helped to push her inland, but it was a hard fight to turn her way toward home. She finally dropped to the ground, wrapped her cape around her, and trudged toward home. Walking.

It was a miserable trip.

There were a few others on the muddy road, all of those she met glaring and grumbling. Serena wanted to warn them not to go to Norco, but it was possible that all of them not only knew about the pirates but would also report her. Vane would think she and Buffy were working together, which would put the treacherous cat in danger.

She continued to walk as the night fell, and the fog rolled in as the rain and wind died. The eerie silence filled her with new dread --

A rabbit dashed across the road and startled her so much that she fell, keeping her face out of the mud by inches. She would have been trampled if there had been anything more than a wet bunny.

Serena started to cry --

"No," she said aloud, startling herself as she returned to her feet. "No, I am not a helpless little girl lost in the woods."

With a flick of her right hand, she dispersed all the mud that had started to weigh her down. As she walked, a little touch of magic to her shoes propelled the mud away. Since it was so late, no one else was on the trail. A coyote showed some interest in her until she singed his nose.

The storm died down somewhat, but Serena continued to walk rather than fly. She found no reason to hurry and wake her mother with the bad news. Being a Wise Woman, her mother might have to do something drastic about Buffy, and Serena didn't want to face that possibility. It bothered her just as much as the idea of the pirates raiding Bay Village. At least they would have a warning.

That made her consider flying again, but it was near dawn, and she knew this area. She would be home within the hour.

Mom would figure something out.

Flash Fiction #546 -- Buffy the Pirate/2

 

Serena was so anxious to get home that she almost took off right then. How could Buffy have gone to Captain Vane?

What was she doing?

Serena felt alone, confused, and afraid. Buffy should have told her something about a plan -- if the cat had one that reached beyond joining the pirates ... which well might have been the draw.

The cat should have talked to her about it. That annoyed Serena enough that she decided she would have to finish the work on her own. She didn't need Buffy.

Much.

Serena considered giving up and going home anyway but quickly smothered that thought with a wave of annoyance. Buffy was only her Familiar, after all. If Serena wanted to become a Wise Woman like her mother, she needed to learn to work independently. Wings, her mother's crow familiar, was often gone for months on research outings. Buffy was going to have to learn to do the same. This might be a good start ...

If she hadn't just joined the pirates instead.

Serena spent the next two days gathering information without asking questions, a trick she had learned young. No one told secrets to the Wise Woman's daughter, but she learned them anyway.

Being in such a large town was frightening at first, but Serena soon realized that the number of people helped her blend in. They were used to not knowing everyone, so she could buy a little bread and a hunk of cheese without drawing attention.

She had automatically bought Buffy's favorite kind of cheese and found she could only nibble a little bit without starting to sniff. Serena shoved it away for later.

Serena collected significant information over the next two days and knew it was time to head home. She dared walk closer to the docks on the third day, planning to fly away after dark.

However, a bad storm blew in, and Serena knew better than to test her wings against those winds or her luck against the lightning. Instead, she found a mostly dry spot where the upper floor of a somewhat rowdy inn over-hanged the lower roof, making a cozy spot for her and a few pigeons. She dared just a touch of magic to clear an area for herself and settled in with her cloak pulled up and around her.

She had dozed off but came awake at the sound of voices far too close. The pigeons made more noise than she did, though.

"I can't believe the cat figured out where we'd hidden our private treasure. That was ours! She had no right to turn us over to Vane."

"At least he didn't kick us off without pay," another man said. "But it ain't right. The cat is taking over, and maybe we're lucky to get out before she's in charge."

"Captain Vane will regret listening to her, even if she does spin a pretty tale about villages with no protection."

Serena shivered at those words. Buffy liked Bay Village, and everyone was friendly to her. No one demanded that the cat lose the ability to fly, even when she made things inconvenient.  

If another miserable storm hadn't blown in, she might have taken off right then and headed home with the news. The men had settled in to sleep, still mumbling about the trouble but not ready to go out into the cold and wet to teach that cat a lesson.

Despite herself, Serena worried about Buffy and these evil people. She had never considered it before, but she realized that cats had never understood much about the trouble with making enemies. For cats, it had seemed normal. They had friends, and everyone else couldn't be trusted.

Serena spent most of the night curled up in the little wet spot and took off before dawn for fear of being spotted. She didn't go far because the wind grew worse. Damp and miserable, she found what refuge she could in the spots between buildings -- at least the ones not already taken by the plethora of people who had nowhere to go.

Serena liked the town less and less.

She wandered toward the dock just as the sun rose on a gray, windy, wet day. Having been so upset about Buffy, Serena realized that she'd learned almost nothing about the pirates. From what little she had heard, they were going to at least supplement their pirating with raiding villages. She wondered if even Norco would be safe.

She could not wish them ill, so she wished them wisdom instead.

When she saw Captain Vane and one of his men walking toward her, Serena almost panicked. However, there was no reason for the man to know her since she carefully covered her wings. She kept her step steady and nodded when the two stepped aside for her. Polite pirates.

They had stopped talking when she neared and remained silent for a few more steps. That gave Serena time to find and climb a rickety ladder -- no room to fly -- on the side of what appeared to be a warehouse. From there, she bundled up her cloak and unfurled her wings. The Captain and his man had gone two buildings down and paused under a canopy.

Serena landed quietly on that roof and snaked her way to the edge above the covering where they stood.

"She was right about the weather," Vane said. "I am not saying we would have sunk in it, but it might have been close. I am glad to be in a snug port for a day or two more."

"And what if a patrol ship comes in?"

"What if one does? We've nothing to hide -- well, except the Wise Woman's shipment, and I've got that in my secret compartment. Do you think the locals will turn us in? We are as safe as we could be, Tunis. When the weather clears, we head for Bay Village."*

Flash Fiction # 545 -- Buffy the Pirate/1

 

The raiders were back.

They had scuttled two ships in a month and took the crews to be ransomed or sold. Serena's mother lost an expensive -- and essential -- shipment of ingredients for potions. If she hadn't been so desperate, she never would have suggested Serena and her familiar, Buffy, check into things. 

"I worry about my shipment falling into the wrong hands," the older woman admitted. "So, I want you and Buffy to go up to Norco and see if you can learn anything. Just be careful. All the ships have been hit between here and Norco, so they may have more information. It is a larger town. Don't do anything unwise, either of you."

Serena kept herself from shouting with joy that her mother trusted her to do anything at all. Granted that there were reasons it wasn't safe to send the two of them out together. However, they had defeated the flying mice (never mind that they had accidentally created them), and they'd saved the babies, and at some point, they started to become competent in what they did.

Buffy, wisely, said nothing at all this time. The cat was too much like Serena and enjoyed their adventures. The cat also loved her wings which made her more than polite around Serena's mother, who was a Wise Woman of some power. They both had their wings on sufferance right now, especially since they'd destroyed a thatch roof when they were chasing a group of owls. And they had scared the village's three horses when they tried to land and ride.

They had found and herded some lost sheep back to the shepherd, though. And found one lost child.

For the moment, it equaled out.

Serena dressed in dark clothes, and the two climbed to the roof and flew away in the early morning light. Serena wore a pouch with a long cape and some food inside. With luck, they wouldn't need to show themselves at all while there.

They had about thirty miles to go, and it turned out to be more tiring than either expected. They stopped every five miles or so, and they also mainly flew inland, so they didn't draw attention from the two small fishing villages or anyone sailing near the shore. Serena preferred to avoid flying over the trees with no easy place to land, but she and Buffy both had fun startling the squirrels.

The combination of rests and flying out of view of the sea took far longer than either had expected. They arrived at Norco when the sun was almost down.

And there they found trouble.

They swept into an alley, and both landed well for a change. That scared a few mice half out of their wits, though. For once, the cat paid no attention to them.

"Did you see?" Buffy whispered. "Something big happening down at the docks. I was afraid you were going to fly straight into it."

"I could hear a lot of yelling, but they didn't sound unhappy," Serena said as she pulled her cloak over her wings.

"Maybe they caught the raiders, and then we could go home in the morning," Buffy said with a wistful sigh. "From what I saw, we won't find anywhere nice to sleep tonight, let alone anything decent to eat."

Serena silently agreed with her. She picked up the cat to hide her wings and forced herself to walk bravely out into the street. Others soon passed her, and no one paid much attention. Buff stayed hidden in the cape cloak which covered their wings. Serena didn't doubt that the locals would have heard about the flying witch girl and her flying familiar from the little village to the south of them.

In the dark, though, she went unnoticed in the crowd. They were a boisterous group celebrating something. Serena had almost gotten brave enough to ask what was happening when an unexpected shout went up.

"There he is! Norco's savior -- Pirate Vane!"

"You don't think --" Buffy said.

"Shush."

The yells went up through the crowd, and Serena could see a tall, thin man standing on the deck of a shabby boat -- but one stacked with boxes. While she watched in amazement, Pirate Vane began to auction off the crates.

Serena and Buffy watched for a while but then began to back away. Others were pressing in to join the auction but did not notice anyone leaving.

"This is not what I expected," Serena said as they took cover back in the alley. "And we do not dare get caught here. Especially since he preyed on a ship heading for our village, which means the locals don't care about anyone but themselves."

"And this is different from other humans how?"

"You can't really feel that way, Buffy. Don't you have a good life?" Serena asked -- it was mostly just to keep from thinking how much trouble they'd found. "I think we need to fly right straight home. Yes, right now, tonight."

"You need to fly home," Buffy corrected. Serena could barely see her walking out of the alley. "I have something else I need to do."

"Buffy --"

But she had darted away and on her feet, besides. Serena almost raced after her, but she knew that would draw unwanted attention. She didn't dare even call for the cat.

"You are supposed to be my familiar!" she whispered and then darted back into the alley when she heard others nearing.

What did Buffy think she was doing? Well, Serena wasn't going to leave until she found out. Serena dared fly to the roof of a tall building and watched the nearby dock. She could see the raider's ship and considerable activity lighted by torches whose smoke drifted around the area like fog.

She even saw Buffy fly to the ship and land on Captain Vane's shoulder like a furry parrot...

Flash Fiction #544 -- The Exile

 

If I slowed down, I would look back and stop and never move on. That was what my unreasoning mind told me, so I kept going down the trail past the late autumn fields of barley.

I had not expected the elders to exile me.

I stopped because the rage nearly blinded me. I hadn't felt that way when I'd fought Martin when he caught Carola by her hair and kicked her. He had no right, betrothed or not.

The Elders disagreed. Just a girl, has no rights, shouldn't have been talking with you, the Stewards' son.

That boy was exiled to the village because even his own father couldn't stand Martin. And now Martin would remain, and I must go, who had always enjoyed living in the little town and knowing everyone.

I still wanted to turn around, but the rage gave me power to go on instead. The three Elders had turned me away because of politics, not right or wrong, and I had no way to fight against that decision.

So, at fifteen, I walked away from Brook with nothing more than the clothing I wore and four copper pieces I had saved. Behind me, I could hear people squabbling over the little hut I had lived in after my mother died of a fever. It wasn't worth that much arguing.

Don't look back.

That proved easier after the first few miles. At least it was early in the day and pleasant enough weather. I passed people on the road, and most at least muttered a 'good day' to me.

I helped an old man with his stuck cart and his stubborn donkey. He gave me a ripe, fresh apple, which I appreciated, having had nothing to eat all day.

"Two more miles to Karlston," the old man said with a wave of his hand down the road. "You tell Old Tom -- he runs the stable this end of town -- that I sent you, and he'll know why."

"And you are?" I asked.

"His brother, Mic. He'll fix you up with a job for a few days."

"Thank you!"

Old Tom was a nice man who ran a stable mostly for people spending the night at one of the local inns. He needed someone to keep an eye on the place at night.

"Not the best job," he admitted.  

I was happy to take it, though. He paid two pennies a night plus dinner. I told him the truth about my exile the first night.  

"Mic is a good judge of character," he said.

"I didn't tell him."

"You weren't going to work for him. The fact you were honest with me means a lot. Eat the soup. Then I'll show you around."

I knew enough about horses to be of help, and Old Tom even set me up with a bed in one of the stalls where I could sleep, but not too soundly. I stopped a couple break-ins that first week. Everyone was happy, including the town's Reeve, who had been forced to explain losses back to the lord of the demesne. That he was also the lord over Brook worried me initially, but nothing came of it.

Although Carlston was only a day's walk from Brook, few came this way. Being a whole day away, they would never get back home before dark, except in a wagon,  and that would mean borrowing the estate's oxen -- never mind the horses -- and that was not going to happen.

I had not expected leaving Brook to lead to something better.

I spent four years there, making friends with the locals and finding my place. I helped Mic with apple picking, too. I couldn't have asked for a better life.

Mic died in the early spring while chopping wood. Old Tom died, quiet and asleep, on a late winter day.

I hadn't seen in coming. Suddenly there was no certainty in life. I sat in the stables feeling far worse than I had when they'd exiled me from home. The funeral and burial had been a brutal assault on my emotions. I didn't dare let myself stay around others.

The Reeve came to see me. I looked up, expecting a customer and not knowing what to do. When I saw him, I stood with a polite nod.

"Tom Winder left you everything, boy. Stable, house in town, house in the orchard, and the apple orchard he got from Mic."

I sat back down.

"Sir?"

"You are Richard Reese. You are an exile from Brook -- intolerant little village of fools, by the way -- and you have worked here for most of four years."

"Yes?"

"Old Tom liked you, boy," the older man said. "Before you came along, the brothers despaired of what to do with their estates. Unless you are a fool and turn it down."

"I am not a fool. However, Lord Green --"

"I've already spoken to him. Let's go to the house."

And so, once again, I fell from what looked like a bad situation to a good one. Better than good. Old Tom had never said so, but he was one of Carlston's three most influential and wealthy men. Now I was in his place. That evening I went back to his grave beside Mic's and promised to do my best for both of them.

All three of the elders from Brook showed up in town one day. They came by wagon, and when they went straight to the Reeve, without more than an angry stare at the stables, I knew why they were here.

Master Reeve and the three came back. He called me out.

"Is this the person --"

"That's the black heart! You had best be rid of him! We exiled him --"

"Yes, we know. I wanted to make sure we weren't discussing something else. And since you slandered one of the most respected citizens of this town ... well, I hope you brought your coin purses."