Raised By Wolves Volume four- Wolves (72 page)

Gaston and I were approached by Captain Collier on the first day of December. I did not recognize him at first. I had only met him the once at a ball at the Governor’s, and he had been dressed like a good English navalofficer. Now he wore the dressy garb favored by Morgan: thigh-high, buff-colored, tooled leather boots that were considered quite stylish in England— where they were actually needed to keep a man’s legs warm; black wool, lace-festooned, pantaloon breeches favored in King Charles’ court; a fine, once-white, linen shirt replete with ruffles; and a heavy tri-cornered hat with plumage over a bright blue kerchief. To this he had added various rings and necklaces stolen fromthe Spanish. He did not look to be a wealthy man trying to wear a little less for the tropics, but a poor man dressing in discarded or stolenpieces ofhis master’s clothing.

He doffed his hat and bowed in cordial greeting. “I am sorry, I amat a loss onhow to properlyaddress you,”he began.
“Will and Gaston,” I said. “And you are Captain Collier?”
“That I am.” He nodded to himself. “Will and Gaston then, I have come here to invite you to become part of the
Satisfaction’s
crew. Mister Gastonis considered to be the finest physician we have, and therefore, we feel he should be surgeon oftheAdmiral’s flagship. You willreceive a berth in a cabin, and the usualcompensationfor a surgeon.”
“Thank you,”Gastonsaid. “What ofWill?”
“It is my understanding he goes where you do,” Collier said with a frown. “And the Admiral is hoping Mister Will, will be willing,” he smiled weakly, “to be a translator for the campaign.”
“Do we get the entire cabin?”I asked.
“Nay, it is shared.”
“Is there enough space to hang a wide hammock in it— near the ceilingperhaps?”I asked.
“I suppose there is,”Collier said.
I looked to Gaston and he shrugged. “Then we accept. Tell the Admiral I will accept the position of translator—his translator—and I will keep himfromappearing a fool before the

Spanish.”“He has several,”Collier said quickly.

“Tell him that if he does not trust me, then he must ask himself what he might have done to earn my wrath. And, if he will not trust me, I will not serve himat all. Tell himthese are the wages of the choices he has made. And, when I say I will do a thing, I impart that I will do it honestly and diligently. And if— despite the bad blood between us—he does not respect that, then he is besmirching my honor. And if that is the case, he can rot inHellfor allI care.”

Collier smiled grimly. “I think I will tell him he must discuss this matter withyouhimself.”
“Very good, then,” I said and waved in parting before returningto guttinga fish.
Gaston watched him walk away before turning to me. “Youare loved.”

I laughed.

I laughed.
That evening, Cudro and Ash joined us for dinner. We were quietly discussing Morgan’s offer when Pete and Chris paddled in from the
Fortune
. They appeared quite serious, and so we joined them in the surf and stood about in a circle—the only means we now had of insuring we were not overheard with so manymenwanderinginand out ofthe brush.
“’AdAVisitFromBradley,”Pete said.
“He knows,” Chris said above tightly crossed arms. “I could feelhis eyes crawlingallover me.”
I cursed. “What did he want?”
Pete smiled and shook his head. “’EOfferedMe Quartemaster OnThe
Mayflower
. SaidWeCould ’AveACabinThatWay.”
“He offered you quartermaster on the second largest ship in the fleet?” Cudro asked. “No offense Pete, but you’ve never had a command.”
“NoneTaken. IWereFlatteredFerAMoment, ThenIRealizedItBeAbout ChrisAn’Morgan’sShiteWithWill. ThenIFeltStupid. IAsked’ImIfIWould ActuallyBeQuartermaster, An’SecondInCommand, An’’ESaidNay. There WouldBeAMaster O’SailFerTheShip, An’ASecondIn CommandFerThe LandForces. ButSinceThe BrethrenNa’Be UsedTaMilitaryTitles, BradleyThoughtThey Should’AveA Quartemaster TaKeep’EmInLineAboardShip. An’SinceIBeWellRespectedAn’All.”
He spat inthe surf.
“Well, we have received an offer from Collier to sail on

the
Satisfaction
, with Gaston as surgeon and me as
one
of the

the
Satisfaction
, with Gaston as surgeon and me as
one
of the translators,” I said. “It appears they are attempting to divide us up as theysee fit.”

“I’llNa’SailWithBradley,” Pete said. He looked to

Cudro. “WereYaPlannin’ OnSailin’ WithPeirrot?”
“Nay, Donovan. He needs us, or rather me. Morgan has
said he wishes the captains to lead the ground forces, and the
masters of sail to mind the ships: as it has always been done
amongst the Brethren. But Donovan is both, and he is not happy
about the prospect of leading the fifty men Morgan is
commanding him to take into battle against the Spanish. So I
offered to play Captain for him. Morgan doesn’t seem to care
where Ashand I are.”
“Do not take it as a personalaffront,”I teased. “I take it as a blessing,”Ashsaid.
Cudro laughed. “Aye, I don’t either. I consider us
fortunate.”
“So you’llcaptainthe
Fortune
,”I said.
“
Donovan’s Fortune
,” Ash said. “There are five ships
here named
Fortune
.”
“Well, no one has ever found sailors imaginative when it
comes to namingships,”I said. “People, perhaps.”
“I do not consider them imaginative when naming
people,”Chris scoffed. “Theyare like children:‘Look, he’s bald,
so we’llcallhimHarry’.”
“True,” Cudro said, “but you’ve never seen them
struggle to name a ship. You’d think someone asked them to
write an opera for all the teeth-gnashing ship-naming starts. In
the end, they go with the simplest thing, or they name it after the end, they go with the simplest thing, or they name it after
another ship theysaw.”
“You should call Donovan’s ship the
Virgin Queen
,”
Gastonsaid witha grin.
We laughed.
“Aye,” I said, “Elizabeth should be represented in any
raid onPanama. Drake would wishit that way.”
“So you two will sail with Donovan,” I said again. I
looked to Pete. “Youshould sailwithPeirrot.”
He was squinting at the sunset. “ThatWereMyThinkin’.”
He turned back to Cudro.
“WeNeedYaTaMakeArrangementsWith’Im. Morgan’ll
NeverLetUsBoardThe
Josephine
. SoWe’ll’AveTaSwimTo’Er.
We’llNeedOur
ITol’BradleyI’dThinkOnIt,
WishTaBeQuatermaster,
ThenITol’’ImWe Would
AforeWeSailedWithYouLot. SinceWeNa’Be Seein’Ya
FerAwhileWithUsAllOnDifferentShips.”
“As always, youare far ahead ofthe rest ofus inthinking
ofthings tactical,”I said.
Pete snorted, but then he grinned.
“SomeoneNeedsTaBe.”
We turned away fromsuch treacherous topics and made
our way back to our fire. I stopped Pete. “You would make an
excellent Captain.”
He hooked the back of my head and planted a kiss on
mylips. “ThankYa.”
“Do that again,”I said.
WeaponsAn’GearOnFirst. An’EvenIfIDidNa’ I’dSailWith’ImAnyway. BeSpendin’TheDays “Do that again,”I said.
He raised a brow. I gave hima coy smile and pulled his
mouth to mine. He did not resist, and the kiss was equal plunder
and surrender on both our parts. It was much as I had imagined
kissing himwould be: very good, and it lit a fire in my cock. He
pulled awaywitha curse and wide eyes that quicklynarrowed to
a mixofrespect and wonder. I grinned.
Then Gaston was bowling him into the surf while Pete
protested vehemently that he did not start it. I was concerned for
a moment, until I realized my matelot was not at all angry. Pete
saw the same, and they began to play roughly as was their wont

oflate.I waded back to camp.

 

“What was that?”Chris asked witha touchofpique.

I laughed. “A thing Pete and I have long been curious about. Now that he has you, it is meaningless, and not a threat to anyofus.”

He did not believe me. I knew my words true for me; but in truth, I worried that I lied in regards to Pete’s assessment ofthe matter. Onlytime would tell.

I was thankful Pete seemed willing to make no mention of the kiss when Gaston and he at last waded to shore with gasping breath. It had been my only worry in partaking of it; but nay, he made no innuendo, nor did I find him regarding me with the hungry lust he had exhibited prior to taking Chris on as

matelot.Gaston, however, teased, “And how did he kiss?” once

we were alone.
“Withthe promise offine meals best left uneaten,”I said. “Withthe promise offine meals best left uneaten,”I said. He laughed, and kissed me, and did other things until I

forgot dininganywhere but at his table.

The next day, December Second, Pete and Chris moved ashore, and Cudro and Ash moved to the new
Virgin Queen
. Donovan was quite happy with the new name. Cudro was named captain that day, and thus he attended the meeting of the thirty-seven captains that night where they unanimously—of course—ratified Morgan’s choice oftargets, Panama.

Morgan came to call the next night—alone, to my surprise. I was also amazed he was not wearing boots or fancy breeches, untilhe motioned for me to follow and walked out into the surf. I joined himwithout hesitation.

“I apologize for the boat,” he said by way of greeting, and held up a hand to ward off protest. “I could not let you leave. I am not betting on the wrong horse. I keep underestimating you—and Modyford surely does, but… Nay, I think you would be a fool to face your father. You would do best to wait for old age to take him.”

“Believe it or not, I agree,” I said. “I did not, when I came here, but I have had a change of heart. I have just become verydamntired ofpeople
lording
it over me, youunderstand?”

“Quite,” he said with a smile. “That is why I amhere and not inmynative Wales. Here I amanAdmiral.”
“Here I ama free man.”
He nodded thoughtfully at that. “I would be honored to have youand no other translate for me.”
“ThenI accept.”
“And if Bradley’s offer to Pete was unacceptable, then they should come to the
Satisfaction
as well. It would be best for the girl.”
“I doubt that. The fact that you told Bradley, and probably others, makes things difficult indeed. They know, and thus they can think of nothing else. Chris said Bradley’s eyes were all over
him
, and since Bradley is not known for ogling boys…”
“I see,” Morgan said with another thoughtful nod. “They do not know how to lie well, do they?”
“Nay, theypale incomparisonto masters suchas us.”
He snorted and cackled at that. “Damn I will enjoy havingyouwithme onthis campaign.”
I sighed. “I have begun to think it is as it was meant to be. When it is over, I expect us to part peacefully, though. I— with my people—will sail where I must, and you will return to Jamaica.”
He considered that for a time before nodding with a smile. “I agree. Youhave myword.”He offered his hand and we shook onit.
“Whendo we sail, Admiral?”I asked.
“Ina few days.”
“Good, thenwe willremainashore and make the most of what privacyit stillaffords us.”
He nodded. “I willnot worry, then.”
We parted company and I returned to the fire and three anxious pairs ofeyes.
“We have declared a truce,”I said quietly.
“DoYaTrust’Im?”Pete whispered.
“Like I trust the Devil,”I said.
Later I told Gastonallthat had beensaid.
“You were not specific enough in your agreement with him,”he noted.
I chuckled. “I do not expect himto willinglyhonor it, so I did not care.”
He nodded. “I wonder how large a craft we would have to steal in order to sail it around the cape from one sea to the other? Or across the SouthernSea the wayDrake went?”
“We would need Drake’s maps, and the Bard,” I said, though the idea was intriguing. “Nay, I think we stand a better chance of seeing our children in this life if we find some way of escapingMorganwhenallare returningto the ships.”
He nodded. “Thenlet us planonthat.”
The four of us visited Cudro and Ash the next day and agreed that unless anopportunitypresented itselfbefore then, we would plan to escape after the raid; and that we would allhave a much better sense of things once we were all ashore for the attack on Panama. Cudro confirmed he had made arrangements with Peirrot, and Pete’s and Chris’ bags, muskets, pistols, powder and shot—and our gold—were already aboard the
Josephine
.
We said our farewells to Cudro and Ash, as we would not see them again before landing to march on Panama. That night, we parted withPete and Chris—without kissing—and they slipped away into the water to swimto the
Josephine
. The next day, Gaston and I packed up our things and went to the
Satisfaction
.

Short of the galleons we had once taken, the
Satisfaction
was the largest ship I had beenaboard. There were indeed several cabins, and not one cabin and two closets as the
Mayflower
possessed. We were ushered to one on the port side. There were four hammocks hanging within it, and I was minded of the cabin I had lived in on my journey to the West Indies on the
King’s Hope
. After discussing the matter with the carpenter and master of sail—with whom we would share the room—we unstrung two of the hammocks and placed our large one up high near the ceiling where it could receive the breeze fromthe room’s one porthole. The carpenter, being a large man, used the three hammocks thus left over to stringa reinforced bed near the floor beneath us. The master of sail thus had the other side of the room in which to sling his hammock at a middle height. We placed one of our suede hides on our hammock to give us privacy, arranged our things in the nooks and crannies of the ceilingbeams—placinghooks where needed—and settled in.

Later in the day, we were brought the ship’s medicine chest. It was well-stocked by a physician at the beginning of its life and had remained so; as apparently many of the apothecary items had been unused—as well as the finer instruments and tools—by the
Satisfaction’s
surgeons. Gaston was ecstatic. He spent hours examiningand organizingit.

The day before the fleet was to sail, we were summoned to the maincabin, where we found Bradley, Collier, and Norman withMorgan.

“Where are Pete and his
matelot
?”Morganasked. Bradleyand Normansmirked. Collier frowned.

Gaston and I looked to Bradley. “Are they not on the
Mayflower
?”I asked.
Morgan sighed. “Never mind.” Then he sighed again. “Just tellme, are theystillwiththe fleet?”
“Well, Admiral,” I said with a grin, “as there is no way for themto leave the fleet, I would assume so.”
“It is onyour head,”Morgansaid.
“My head?” I scoffed. “Admiral, Gaston’s
cousin
is Pete’s
matelot
. Pete is more than capable of doing what is best for the men in his life. That is why Gaston entrusted his cousin to him.”
Gaston was nodding agreeably: the three captains were frowning:Morganawarded me a begrudgingand knowingnod.
“Well,” Morgan said and took another sip of rum. “So be it, then. Sorryto bother you.”
“It is not a bother,”I said cheerily. “Ifyoushould happen to locate them, please let us know. We are curious.”
Gaston and I waited until we were safely behind our cabin door before snickering. Then we made a fervent whispered prayer to the Gods that theywere not found.
The fleet set sailon December Twelfth, Sixteen Hundred and Seventy. Morgan bragged to Modyford that he had thirtysix vessels and eighteen hundred men, but in truth, many of the vessels were small coastal boats and not large enough to sail to the Spanish Main—or keep pace with the larger ships. By my count, we were an unprecedented buccaneer force of perhaps over seventeen hundred, spread among twenty-eight ships varying in size from seventy-ton sloops to one-hundred-and