August 1735
My father's inn, The Gold Cannon, was crowded as usual, but my father was always able to make room. It was late, so I slowly began mounting the staircase to my bedroom. As I rummaged through my dresser for my nightgown, I noticed something strange about the drawer. Something I hadn't noticed before. There seemed to be a catch in the left hand corner.
Curious, I carefully lifted the catch...and found myself overwhelmed by what was inside. There was what looked like a tattered piece of paper, but when I looked again, I realized that it was a map of the Caribbean. beside the map...I gasped in astonishment. Next to the map was a slightly curved dagger encased and engraved in gold. The map seemed to date back to the Hundred years War. The dagger, however, was from even before that. 'c. 982 A.D.' the gold inscription read.
"I have to show Father," I told myself, taking the intriguing objects with me.
I had known for a long time that our family's dwelling had existed for awhile, but I had never even imagined that it had stood for centuries, refurnished and rebuilt for ages. I was halfway to my parents' bedchamber when I heard screams and shouts coming from outside, and what sounded like cannon-fire.
"We're under attack!" someone yelled.
"It's the French!" someone else screamed. "The French are attacking!"
Not another battle! I thought. It was then That I realized what I must do. I rushed back into my bedroom and grabbed an old rucksack from under my bed and thrust the objects inside. I then proceeded to dash up the staircase that led to the part of our home that was the inn, banging on everyone's door to warn them about the French.
Suddenly, the wall in front of me caved in, erupting in flames. I screamed, "The inn's on fire!"
Hopefully, my parents would hear. It was then that I realized my skirt had caught on something. I frantically began trying to free myself when a flaming beam fell from the ceiling, something struck me on the head, and all went black.
I awoke in Father's arms. He seemed to be running as fast as he could as the fighting continued around him.
"W...Where are we going?" I mumbled, barely incomprehensible.
"Shh. Be quiet, Alina. We're leaving England. For the time being at least. We have to hurry. Your mother and Georgie are already on the ship."
"Ship? What ship?"
Father smiled gently. "The Red Trident. It's our passage to America."
"America," I breathed, and fell asleep.
September 1735
My family and I have been on this ship for a month. It seems longer than that, and I am sick of the sea. Traveling across the Atlantic Ocean most certainly has its ups and downs. There are too many British refugees to count. Most of the children are boys between the ages of six and sixteen. One is seventeen, my own age.
"Ali, this is boring," my seven-year-old brother stated. "When are we getting there?"
"It'll be awhile yet, Georgie," I replied. "You just have to be patient."
Back in my cabin, I examined the objects in my rucksack for what seemed like the thousandth time since I had acquired them. Where did they come from? What had they been doing in my room?
It was then that my life changed forever. I heard screams and shouts coming from the deck, like I did the night of the French invasion.
"PIRATES!" someone screamed.
I slowly crept out to see what was occurring. I stopped in my attempt to help the captain when I realized just how many pirates were on board. There were at twenty or more. I gasped as I saw my little brother kicking and struggling against the gigantic man who held him. My screams were silenced by a foreign hand clamped onto my mouth as I glimpsed the dead bodies of my parents lying on the deck. I kicked and struggled even as I felt someone dragging me into the darkness.
"Stop struggling, girl," a young man's voice whispered in my ear. "I'm not going to hurt you." He changed his tone of voice abruptly. "Listen to me if you want to live."
"Who are you?" I demanded.
"No one of consequence. Now listen to me and do as I say. When the crew leaves, escape down the rigging and row to the nearest shore. It's either Trinidad and Tobago or Grenada. If you want to save your brother, board a ship that's going to Port Royal, Jamaica. That's where the pirates are headed."
"How do you know all this?"
"That's for me to know, and you to find out."
With that, he was gone.
October 1735
Jim Fowler was a mystery, from his flame red head to the bottom of his boots. He claimed he was British, but I knew better than that. He had a strange accent that I had never heard before. I ran into him on several occasions after he rescued me from the pirates. I seemed to run into him wherever I went which made me wonder, was it just coincidence, or was he stalking me? Nevertheless, I welcomed his company--when he appeared that is--on my quest to save my brother. He seemed to come and go as if he were a ghost. One minute he was there, and the next he wasn't--not that I believe in such things, but despite his quite evident flaw of leaving you behind and returning unexpectedly, he fascinated me.
He knew so much about the world for someone his age, which was surprising. As much as he was intriguing, he was also confusing. He was much different from when I first met him on the ship. Then again, he was under great stress trying to rescue me. Sometimes he is as confusing as teh origin of the artifacts in my rucksack.
It turns out that what the pirates wanted was not at Port Royal.
"From what I found out by spying on the pirates, they took your brother and the other boys to try to convert them into piracy." Jim explained on one occasion.
"What!" I exclaimed. "Why?"
He shrugged. "I guess that they want to recruit more pirates. Taking them young is the best way...or so I've heard."
I still was not convinced. His behavior was beginning to rouse my suspicion, and I didn't even know what I suspected him of. A spy for the French? Ridiculous! He would've killed me or handed me over to the French by now. Pirate? That's even more laughable. However, his knowledge about pirates was remarkable for someone who claims to learn it all by spying on them. Besides, if he was a pirate, why would he help me?
I never showed him the map, for as much as I wanted to trust him, I couldn't. The pirates found the location of their "stolen" treasure without a map. Soon after, Jim disappeared without a trace. he returned once again as I boarded the ship Ocean's Doom for the island in question.
"Alina, I've been spying on the pirates. I don't think their treasure is as easy to open as they think it is. I...I've seen the chest."
"Who are you, really?" I demanded.
"Are you alright? I'm Jim Fowler, remember?"
"Something tells me you aren't who you say you are."
"Alina, I...I..."
"You're one of them." I accused softly. "You don't want to help me or my brother at all, do you? You just want the treasure for yourself!"
"I...It's not like that...I can explain..."
"Explain what?" I cried. "All your disappearance to that pirate ship known as Dragon's Lust? I've seen it in the harbor. I saw you on that ship from a distance. I can recognize you anywhere!" I took a deep breath. "Why did you lie to me? Why...what else are you, pirate? A mutineer? A thief?"
His face was as cold as stone. "I'm sorry you see me that way, Alina."
With that, he disappeared over the rigging, and was gone.
My breath caught in my throat. I suddenly collapsed on the deck and began to cry. I realized then that I had just been venting my anger at him for lying. I now understood the truth: I had not meant a word of what I had just said.
It was on the twenty-first day of October when I discovered how to board the ship unnoticed. There was a large hole in the side of the ship from past battles. I silently crept through the passage, and fumbled around in the dark. I ran into something rectangular...the chest! My hand conveniently fell on a lantern with matches. I lit the lamp and nearly fell over in shock. There on the chest with faded letter was the name: Daniel Berkeley.
This chest belonged to my ancestor? Then that must mean...the dagger. It must have been looted from the same location or...I noticed what should have been the keyhole. In its place was a slightly curved slot in the exact shape of the dagger. Determined, I slide the dagger into the slot when...
A rough hand jerked me to my feet. I found myself flung onto the deck.
"Now, who does this be, Baldwin?"
He prodded me forward with his sword. "Alina Berkeley." I stated confidently. "I believe you hold my brother George against his will. I've come to get him back."
The pirates laughed. "Walk the plank. We have what we want from ye. Yer dagger be with the treasure."
"Wait," I said. "Jim..."
"What do you want?"
"Jim, I'm sorry for what I said. I was angry and confused. before I leave, will you forgive me?"
"On second thought, kill her instead." The captain said.
Jim's eyes widened. "No!" he pointed his sword at the captain's heart. "Anything but that!"
"I always knew I couldn't trust you, Fowler. Creeping off and returning unexpectedly. Who are you really, boy?"
"My name is Aiden O'Dwyer. I believe you knew my mother, Maeve? We have a score to settle, Peter Mullet."
After a gruesome bur victorious battle won by Jim...Aiden, I was greeted by the excited chatter of little boys scattering onto the deck.
"Ali!" Georgie jumped into my arms and related everything that had happened in the past months to me.
"I told you I'd find him," said Aiden.
"I'm sorry I didn't believe you."
"I'm sorry I lied to you about my name...about everything."
"Aiden?" I said. "What will you do now? Mullet's dad, you've avenged your mother's mutineer. Will you return to Ireland, and become the next Pirate King in your mother's stead? It's an awful long way from here."
"Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Only time can tell. What about you, Miss Berkeley? You have enough money with that chest to settle like a queen in the colonies. That was your original plan. Will you go or stay?"
"I think I'll stay. The sea is quite fascinating after all."
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