Owned by the Ocean (24 page)

Senona sighed
and fell back down on the bed, grimacing as her head hit harder
than she’d expected. Sitting up again, she looked around. The cabin
was bare except for the large desk and dresser. There were no
portraits or items of sentiment. No clues as to who the young
Captain was. The only thing that gave Senona an insight into his
character was the ornate woodwork that gave testimony to expensive
and sophisticated taste. He was no simple Captain, of that Senona
was certain.

Straightening
her dress and quickly braiding her long hair, Senona left the cabin
to explore her surroundings and find Naldo. The ship wasn’t large,
obviously not meant for passengers, but instead for speed. Below
deck, Naldo was calmly eating some hay. The fact that he was in a
dark and smelly ship hold didn’t seem to faze him at all. “Good
morning, Naldo. I hope your night went better than mine.” She
stroked his muscled shoulder rhythmically as she spoke.

“
He slept well, ma’am. I found him stretched right out on the
floor when I came down to feed him this morning. Good thing I made
the stall big so he could rest his legs,” said a young version of
the Captain, as he came down the steps with a large pail of water
in hand; he looked to be about sixteen.

“
Yes, very thoughtful of you. How long do you suppose the
supply of water and hay will last?”

“
Only a few days. We’ll make Port Gibraltar by the end of the
week and get more. We left in a bit of a hurry last
night.”

“
Thank you for looking after Naldo for me. What is your
name?”

“
James Foxton,” he responded, not offering any further
information. “Just doing my job, ma’am.”

Senona smiled
as she watched James walk away cheerfully. The Captain was a
mystery. She didn’t understand how the same man who ordered her
abduction could also have such a happy boy on his crew, a boy that
she was certain was his younger brother. She picked some clean
straw off the floor of Naldo’s stall and gave him a quick brushing.
Finding his halter and lead rope dumped unceremoniously on a crate,
she put them on Naldo, who nuzzled her as she did so. 

“
Come, Naldo, let’s get your legs stretched.”

Senona didn’t
know why she always spoke to him. She knew he couldn’t understand
her, but somehow, it gave her an odd sort of comfort that someone
was listening, even if it was only a horse. She led him out of his
stall and up on deck. He followed her calmly, but his eyes showed
his apprehension towards his new surroundings, and his ears
twitched in constant attention. The sailors going about their
various jobs and the surrounding water alarmed Naldo, but he stayed
close to Senona, her reassuring words helping to calm him.

“
That’s a fine looking stallion ye got there.”

Senona gave a
start and turned around to face a grizzled, yet kind faced old man.
He wore a large smile that, she suspected, could put even her Padre
at ease. “Thank you.”

“
The name’s Karl. I’m the Quartermaster here.”

“
Senona Montez.”

“
Pleased to meet ye. If any of the crew gives ye any trouble,
ye come see me. We ain’t too used to guests.”

“
I’ll try to stay out of the way.”

“
Don’t ye worry your pretty little head about that. No one is
gonna mind. I’m just makin’ sure the men here treat ye right.” Karl
turned to walk away but Senona stopped him.

“
Karl?”

“
Yes, my pretty?”

“
Why does the Captain keep James aboard? How does he get his
education?”

“
We’re naught but simple sailors. How would the Cap’n
accomplish that? Educations are for rich people, men much better
than us.”

“
There is more to the Captain and his brother than this
life.”

“
Ye can keep those ideas if ye like, but I ain’t gonna confirm
them. The boy is happy here and, although this life is a hard one,
even I can’t say he’d be better off on shore. The Cap’n does his
best to do right by him.”

“
Are there no parents?”

“
Begging your pardon, miss, but I can’t be answering questions
about neither the Captain nor his brother. You're just gonna have
to ask him yourself.”

“
Thank you, Karl.”

“
Aye.”

Karl walked
away, leaving Senona alone in the middle of a deck crawling with
activity. Making her way over to the railing where she hoped to be
out of the way, she leaned out to try and catch a glimpse of
Barcelona. It was there; a dark line along the horizon. She could
just make out the cliffs that she had ridden across so many
times. 

“
You seem to have the young stallion's trust. Not many horses
would be so calm at sea,” said Brant as he approached
her.

“
Naldo has trust in me, and that was not easy to earn. But as
calm as he looks, he is quite nervous.”

“
I wouldn't guess it.”

“
Not everything is as it seems. See, his eyes are wide and
anxious, his ears are constantly moving in total attention, and if
you touch him, you will feel that he is trembling. If not for his
complete trust in me, Naldo would flee.”

“
I was raised in a lord’s house and had riding instructors of
the best caliber but none ever taught me this,” said Brant
thoughtfully, as he studied Naldo more closely. “It’s as if he’s
talking to you with every move he makes.”

Senona smiled,
so she had guessed right that he was a noble.

“
That is exactly what he’s doing. Teachers tell you how to
handle a horse, how to tame it, and be master over it. They do not
teach you how to communicate or form a partnership with
one.”

“
You’re different from other noblewomen I’ve
known.”

“
I certainly hope so. If you hadn’t been able to see any
difference, I would have been insulted.” 

Brant put her
at ease. It was an uncommon feeling for her as she was used to
constantly being on edge around people. What made it even stranger
was that this man should terrify and anger her. He had taken her
aboard his ship against her will, and now she found herself talking
to him as if he were a friend, something she hadn’t had in quite
some time.

“
I knew you were a noble from the moment I saw you, but there
was something in your demeanor that made it apparent that you are
different.” Then he added, “Besides, what woman would leave a home
such as the Montez estate?”

“
Then you know who I am.”

Brant’s eyes
sparkled in silent amusement. “Well, rumors do get around with the
young women about ‘that Montez girl.’ I’m afraid I’d recognize you
almost anywhere. Aren’t you missing your wedding today?”

“
I am. I’m sure I will be the scandal of the season after this
exploit.” She laughed. “I’ll leave you to your work though. I think
Naldo has had quite enough fresh air.” 

After making
sure Naldo was comfortable and had everything he needed, Senona
went back on deck. Still unsure of what to make of the situation
she found herself in, she figured the best thing to do was to keep
busy and keep her mind off of things until a decision had to be
made. 

Due to the
ship leaving in such a hurry, there was plenty that needed doing.
Karl was walking around the deck giving orders to men or inspecting
their work. He seemed to be a gentle task master. Senona observed
him dealing with a few younger sailors and was surprised to see him
carefully explain what they had done incorrectly and proceed to
show them how it was to be done. Not once did she hear an angry
word cross his lips. As he passed near Senona, she called him over.
“Karl, is there anything I can do?” 

Karl stopped
and looked at her, surprised. “Have ye ever been on a ship?”

“
No, but I'm a fast learner.”

He looked
thoughtful. “Well, I ain't got time to show ye much now, but
perhaps ye can take a climb up to the crow’s nest. Take a good look
around and let me know what ye see.”

Senona glanced
down at her skirt and was all the more thankful that she’d worn a
simple dress without the layers and layers of petticoats that would
have impeded her climb. With a nod of her head and a shrug of her
shoulders, Senona walked off towards the mast and was climbing
quickly up the small ladder before Karl could get another word in.
The thought of anyone being able to see up her skirts barely
crossed her mind. She’d been climbing trees all her life and
modesty was not something she had ever worried much about, plus it
gave her a smug sense of satisfaction to imagine her mother’s face
if she could see her now.

Senona had
never been so high in her life, and the view did not disappoint. It
was breathtaking. She looked around and saw the thin lines that
were the land masses of Spain and Africa on either side. However,
out here in middle of the Mediterranean Sea they were completely
alone with nothing but the wind and the waves for company, friends
that could quickly turn on you out in open water. It was a daunting
thought, being at the mercy of the waves and on a less than
reputable ship. She had seen the Jolly Roger hanging idly below.
Captain Foxton made no effort to hide his ship's purpose. 

She could have
climbed down then and reported to Karl, but instead she chose to
enjoy the view. 

“
Breathtaking, ain't it?” asked a young man, standing on the
spar directly below her.

Senona guessed
he had just finished unfurling a sail, though she was too caught up
in her own thoughts to notice. Reaching down, she held her skirts
tightly against her legs, something she hadn’t been able to do
while climbing.

“
It's amazing. I would almost be content to stay here
forever.”

“
Almost, but not quite?” asked the man.

“
Not quite. There is something about solid ground under your
feet that you just can't replace. You're at the mercy of the wind
and water here. At least on land you have more control. My name's
Senona.”

“
Matt.”

Senona smiled.
She had yet to receive an introduction that included a last name
from anyone besides the Captain and his brother. “It's nice to meet
you, Matt. If you don't mind me asking, what is life like on this
ship?” It wouldn't hurt to try and get an idea of what the Captain
was like, and what better way to do so than to find out from the
men who spent every day with him?

“
Best life I ever had. The Cap'n looks after his crew better
than most Cap'ns. Don't base what ye think of him by what happened
last night. He's a good man.”

“
That's hard to believe.”

“
Ye aren't angry with me. I was the one that hauled ye
here.”

Senona
grimaced. She had thought he sounded familiar but hadn't wanted to
make any accusations. It wouldn't have gotten her anywhere to cause
conflict. “On his orders.”

“
He was trying to help ye.”

She said
nothing. Could she really deny that? There had been no evidence to
the contrary, and she had to admit they were treating her quite
admirably so far, aside from the previous night. 

Matt smiled a
cocky sort of grin. He knew she had no argument. “I best be getting
down. Karl will be hollering up at me soon to get down and back to
work.” He made his way over to a shroud and began to shimmy
down. 

Senona took
one last look around and then she too climbed down to inform Karl
of how alone they were. But with the threat of land all around her,
Senona felt they weren't alone enough. She was still too close to
home to be safe.

Senona walked
into the Captain's dining room that night wearing the same clothes
she had worn the night before, and all day. It was very much
against her upbringing, but she had a limited supply of clothing.
She blushed briefly upon realising she was late and had caused the
Captain, Karl, and James to wait. However, she quickly shook it
off. After all, she was among pirates, not among the nobility of
Spain.

“
Good evening,” she said with a forced smile. 

Brant stood up
and helped Senona to her seat, directly to the right of
his. 

“
Thank you, Captain,” she said, sitting quietly and placing a
napkin on her lap.

The array of
food was spectacular, considering they were on a ship, and one that
had left in a hurry at that. Senona thought back to the days when
she had been friends with Caton; he had told her horror stories
about the food on ships and was somewhat relieved to see they
weren't true.

“
This all looks quite amazing, Captain.”

“
This is only the first day at sea. Just wait until we've been
out here for a few weeks. Not much will look good then,” said
James.

Brant
chuckled. “I'm afraid he's right. I would recommend enjoying it
while the food is still fresh. We are fortunate that the cook had
the good sense to get a few things when we had first
docked.” 

At this,
everyone started to eat. Those few words seemed to instill haste in
everyone, as if the food may go stale as they sat there. However,
after a few minutes of eating in silence, Senona spoke up, not
entirely comfortable with the lack of conversation.

“
How long do you expect to be at sea before we dock in Port
Royale?” she asked between mouthfuls of potatoes.

Brant lifted
an eyebrow in amusement. “You're staying with your kidnappers
then?”