Hiraeth

Chapter Thirteen

I stare, jaw hanging in surprise and confusion. Storm and Death is here. Storm looks around as if he's bored, and a woman tied up in front of him is not a big deal. At the same time, Death rests his hand at the two men. He seems to be friendly. He's flashing his charming smile that sure has lured that woman on a bed.

I grimace. I don't want to remember it!

On the other hand, the hulk and stick man is trembling. To lessen it, they clutch a handful of their loose shirts. They can't seem to look at Death. They're looking around, obviously avoiding Death's eye contact. But when the stick man glances at me, he abruptly falls to his knees.

“We didn't hurt her! We give her food and water!” he says it fast, that's it's barely unintelligible. Plus, he's shouting.

I scowl and raise my brow. Liar!

“Get up!” The Ax shouts, startling the stick man and me.

Death chuckles and stretches his arms. I see him look at Storm, but his body turns at me. Storm somewhat understands him, so he comes closer. Without saying a word, he starts to untie me. All I can do is stare at him in disbelief. Why the hell are they doing this? Are they here to help me? How did they find me?

Then I remember something like The Ax will sell me. So, this means they’ve bought me? What the f*ck! For what? Is it to be their plaything?

“Hey! Hey!” I yell, my breathing rapid, irregular. “Tie me back!” With my free hands, I give the rope to Storm, directly at his face. He slaps my hand, but I continue. “I'm not going anywhere!”

“Crazy,” Storm mutters, but to make me hear it.

“F*ck,” —I raise my feet in an attempt to kick Storm— “you!” But he has seen what I'm planning to do. He holds my feet to make them stay in their position as harshly as he can.

“Ouch! Let go! F*ck!”

He only stares at me while I whimper in pain. For a while, I’ve thought he would break my feet for how tight he holds it. But thank God that he lets go of it.

Idiot, Polaris!

When Storm completely unties me, he gets up. I remain on the floor. I am debating if I tie the rope again or take this opportunity to escape—the latter wins.

“Fine!” I get up— “If you want me, then okay, take me.” — and flip my hair.

At least, if I go with them, I’ll have a chance to run away again. This time, it’ll be successful.

My plan is when we are in a crowded place, I will create a commotion that involves Storm and Death. That way, when everyone’s attention is on them, it’ll be the best opportunity for me to run. I am confident that I can outrun them both. Then I’ll disguise myself to the point that even I can’t distinguish my natural face from the fake one.

A small smile creeps on my lips, but it quickly changes into a frown.

“North Star!” Death is close to resting his arms around my shoulder when I take a step backward, away from him. I throw him a glare.

“Don't North Star me—aw!” I yelp when he shoves my hair in front of my face. I fix it while still throwing glares at him.

“F*ck you!” I mouth, still annoyed by his presence. He acts as if nothing happens to us. He's unpredictable.

Death shrugs. The right corner of his lips slightly rises.

“Anyway,” he says, now he's turned to The Ax. “Captain Arkean wants to say hi.”

The man that I'm running the whole time shivers. His fear becomes more noticeable when Death taps his shoulder, smiling.

“What the hell was that?” I ask Death as we leave The Ax and his men.

I'm still upset by what he's done, but it slowly fades when I remember after our confrontation in the crow's nest, he still helps me get away from The Ax and his men. I don't know why they've done this. Isn't the reason why I'm in this situation is that they've voted me out of their ship? I mean, Death has voted me to stay, but still, it doesn't change the fact that we have all cut our ties the time I've stepped out of their ship.

But, well, I guess I am the real reason I am here after all. If I only zip my mouth that day of the performance, The Ax won't know me. I'll still be happily wandering around Port Royal, and perhaps I will make progress in finding my father and Wade.

Still, what about now? What makes the pirates realize that they'll help me? Unless they have thought that letting me go without using me is a bad idea, they'll bring me back to their ship and force me to do things for them because, of course, they've used their money to get me from The Ax. They won't let it go to waste.

“Why the hell ye won't come with us?” Death mocks, mimicking the way I speak earlier.

“Because you are a bastard!” Anger creeps into my voice. There's no other explanation. It's because I can't sometimes stand him. Let alone I don't know why they're doing this. “You might f*ck m—”

“Hold on,” he cuts off my sentence before I can finish making it. He then chuckles, his clenched fist covering his mouth. After a few seconds of trying to control his laughter, he smirks and asks me in mock astonishment. “Are ye suggesting?”

“Ye—no! I don't know—sh*t!” I yelp and realize what I have said. My cheeks flush. I watch him, my eyes narrow to slits, while his eyes and mouth open wide and eyebrows raise. F*ck!

I hold my body and head erect. “What I mean is hell no!”

He cackles. “Okay.”

“Shut up!”

I walk fast and walk beside Storm. I choose to walk with him rather than Death because he won't annoy me. He barely speaks, unlike the b*stard behind.

“Stupid,” he says, so random that I've thought it I am not the one he's called stupid.

What stupid thing did I do?

Well, he annoys me now.

“Shut up!” I roll my eyes.

We turn a few corners, following the maze of empty, almost destroyed houses. There's no one here except for the three of us. It explains why it's so quiet when those bastards have dragged me in here. Plus, this area is now full of garbage and damaged furniture. We all need to be careful not to step on broken bottles. If I can explain this place in one word, it will be a mess.

“Careful,” Death pulls me closer to him when I almost step on a wood that has nails on it.

“Duh!” I roll my eyes. “I've seen it already.”

Honestly, I haven't seen it since my eyes wander at other things. I just don't want to admit it, knowing Storm is still beside me. I have enough of his one-word insults for me.

“Welcome,” Death says.

We're all quiet after that. We walk side by side, away from the place that I wish I don't see again. I am in between them, which I find hard to run if given a chance.

“Anyway,” I break the silence. I'll let the two not think I'm not planning my escape. “Answer this truthfully.”

I need to know at least why they're doing this before I escape. I promise myself that if I run, I'll try my very best not to get myself in trouble again. I know it'll be challenging, but for my life, I'll try.

“Why buy me from them?”

“Captain Arkean wants to talk to ye,” Death answers.

In an instant, I get curious. Why would Captain Arkean spend his money on me when he's the Captain of the pirates who voted me out of their ship? Is he that rich that he's wasting his precious money for a woman like me? If he wants to talk to me, he should have done it when I'm still on his ship. And how much do I worth? It'll be a shame if he just bought me for bucks. That will be annoying!

But anyway, I need to ask more questions.

“Why?”

“Don't know.”

“You don't know, or you just don't want to tell?”

“Sort of.”

This b*stard! He lets me think about it, gets curious, and won't feed my curiosity.

“Hey, Storm!” I call Storm, who I now only realize that he's meters away from us. He walks fast. Fortunately, he stops. I ran towards him, still careful. “What is that b*stard saying that your Captain has something to tell me? What is it?”

He gives me a half-shrug.

I smack my forehead, shaking. “Wow! You sure did answer me. It seems like you're a great contender for a question and answer.”

He ignores me and continues walking. So, this is what I've said that at least he doesn't annoy me because he doesn't speak too much? F*cking hell! It turns out he annoys me much more than Death.

If only Wade is here. We might get through this and find my father, then leave this world. I wonder if he's also experiencing this. He is running for his life every day. Or does he have a much more peaceful life than mine in this world? Did he already find his happiness in this place? Is he searching for me? I don't know. All I can do is wish for his best. I won't question him if he's indeed happy in this new world. Maybe I will also find mine or see myself dying.

“Know it by yourself,” Death says when he catches up.

How can I know it by myself when I'm planning to escape? I just need to let this curiosity be gone so I won't think of it. If I do run without knowing what Captain Arkean wants to tell me, I will live my next day thinking about it until I forget it, which I know is impossible to happen. I need to feed this curiosity, or I'll get crazy.

“I don't understand why he wants to talk to me,” I say, my voice being low. “Just let me know so I can live peacefully. That isn't difficult.”

“Walk fast,” he says. “And we'll reach the ship fast. Ask Captain Arkean everything. Not us.”

I'm not planning to go back to that ship! They once kicked me out. Maybe I'm just exaggerating it, but still, they let a lost woman get into this place without some knowledge on how people work here and money to support me for days. Well, they did tell me Port Royal is where transactions between merchants and pirates take place and also their resting home. Death also warns me that this place is much more dangerous than the Arkean ship. But it's only that. They haven't told me whom I should avoid and stick with because they'll help me. Maybe I hate them for that.

“But my guess is he took pity on ye,” Death continues.

That makes me look at him. Our eyes meet, and I'm the one to break it first.

“Why now when I kneel in front of him and his men so all of you won't kill? If he indeed thinks I'm pitiful, then he hasn't let his men vote me out.”

“Democracy, North Star.”

“But what's the difference now? Even if he took pity on me, then what about others?”

He smiles. “Ye'll see.”

“Don't give me vague answers, Death,” I warn him. “It's annoying.”

He shrugs.

For the first time I've got here, I walk peacefully without watching my back, then running afterward. When we reach a crowded place, my desire for an escape rises then abruptly falls when I remember Captain Arkean. I don't know if Death is telling me the truth. Maybe he's doing this to lure me, and then he'll show me his true colors—the same as what happened that night when he left me in that crow's nest.

But what if he's telling me the truth, and Captain Arkean indeed took pity on me? Even the pirates? So, that will mean I will be able to live a peaceful life when I'm still here. Then they'll help me find my father and Wade. However, if I stay here in Port Royal, Ax and his men might see me again, or I'll get into another trouble which might be more dangerous because it means I won't be able to leave this place if no one lets me be inside their ship.

“Escape, and ye'll regret it,” Death warns me as if he reads my mind the whole time. Maybe I'm that transparent for him to know that it's what I'm planning.

I stop walking and stomp my feet on the ground like a child throwing a tantrum. “Argh! I don't know what to do! I can't trust you guys.”

“i***t,” Storm says after a long time.

Here he goes again. The only thing I've heard from him today and will hear again are his insults.

“Is being skeptical a f*cking i***t now? Huh?”

He shrugs.

The f*ck is wrong with them?

Okay! That's it! I hate them! I don't want to stay with this bunch of men! I can't even stand these two. How much more if there are many of them? F*ck my curiosity!

But what's wrong with me? Why am I not running? These two will chase me, yes, but I might find a place to hide. How many times have I escaped the people who first chased me? Several times.

However, it did not end well. The Ax's men still caught me. Maybe this might be different. I just need to learn from my mistakes. I just need to be extra careful.

F*ck! Why won't these feet move from the other direction? I can now see the Arkean flag. We're almost near. It'll be much harder to escape when I step into that ship again. Sh*t! I just need to turn away! Run. Find a hiding place. I'll disguise. Then it's all good!

But easier said than done. Indeed when I find myself slowly stepping on the plank.

“Hold me—sh*t!” I shout to Death. He's behind me.

“Okay,” he answers, laughing.

He places both his hands on my shoulder and gently pushes me forward. Somehow it makes it easier to cross the plank since I am balanced because of Death. If I feel like I'm going to fall, Death will gently pull me to another direction to balance me again.

“Well, it's not as dangerous as I thought,” I say confidently as I successfully cross, though my voice betrays me again.

“Yeah, seems like,” Death mocks.

I ignore him. My eyes fall into Captain Arkean on the helm. His back faces us. Weirdly, I can't see other pirates. They're supposed to be here. I wonder where they are or what they're doing. But then, why do I care? I'm here because I need to feed my curiosity. And now that I'm here, I'll be throwing questions, hoping Captain Arkean will answer it all.

It doesn't take a minute when the captain senses our presence. His gaze immediately finds my eyes as he approaches us.

I watch him, unable to form words.

Do I need to say something? A thank you, perhaps? Or do I ask him immediately since it's the sole reason I am here?

“It's good to see ye back,” he says, smiling.