As Elwin carried the sandwiches back to the room he shared with Prin, he wondered how he would handle the news of Dru being a stowaway on the ship. He wasn’t sure how he himself was handling it, but he had decided he didn’t think she was a threat, had never felt any sinister feelings from her, more bafflement if he was being honest. This was yet another strange move like most of the other things she had said and done every time he met her.
But Prin had even less of a chance to speak with her back at the captain’s house than Elwin did. As far as he knew.
Elwin arrived just in time, as Prin was sitting on the edge of the bed and putting his boots on.
Prin gave him a cheesy grin. “I was ready to come out and rescue you.”
“Oh, sorry it took so long,” Elwin said. “You’ll never believe what happened.” He sat down beside Prin and rested his head on his shoulder for a moment. It was hard to believe how strong and sturdy these shoulders were now, when not that long ago his prince had been so frail and small for his age.
Elwin handed over the sandwich, and relayed the discovery of the unexpected stowaway while Prin ate his with careful steady bites.
“Hey, this is pretty good.” Prin said. “Not as good as yours, but still.”
“How did you know it wasn’t me who made it?” Elwin teased.
“I can always tell.” Prin assured. “But anyway . . . Captain Thompson’s niece? That’s so . . .”
“Random?” Elwin supplied.
Prin took another bite. “Something like that.” He said with a full mouth. Once he had swallowed he added. “You don’t think she’s following us, do you?”
“No . . . I mean not really.” Elwin said. But why did she sneak aboard this ship? He wasn’t really satisfied with her answer.
“So should we just . . . not worry about it?” Prin asked.
“That was my plan. Unless you had some different thoughts on the matter.” Elwin said. “She has always seemed a little odd to me, but nothing I can put my finger on.”
“Aren’t we all though.” Prin said. “Or, more than a little.”
Elwin took a bite of his own sandwich and considered what Prin said. Maybe they were too odd to point it out in others.
*
“Oh-leeo the apple tree! It’s the pirate life for mee! Oh-leeo the apple tree my pirate lover kissed me!”
The pirates ate a late supper indeed, and when Elwin and Prin arrived at the galley at nine o clock it was full of crew, probably most everyone who was on the ship, if Elwin had to guess.
They were a colorful bunch, no two alike. And Aster, as always the most colorful one of all, was singing at the top of her considerably powerful lungs with the others clapping along and some joining in. She was sitting beside Captain Lucien. Elwin was surprised she wasn’t just standing on the table the way she was carrying on.
“One, two, three, the pirate captain kissed me! Oh-leeo the apple tree!” Aster sang.
Captain Lucien was sitting beside her, with Martin on the other side of him casting some serious side eye.
Lucien game Aster one, two, three, kisses on her unseasonably rosy cheek. “Coming right up, just as requested!”
Aster dissolved into giggles. She looked up after catching her breath and saw Prin and Elwin coming into the room. “Bunny! Bunnies!”
Oh I have been upgraded to bunny now? Elwin wondered. “You really should be resting.”
“I did that already!” Aster protested. “And you might not know this but indomitable energy is one of my defining traits.”
Lucien laughed. “It’s right there on the old resume is it?”
“Yes.” Aster said with a wink. “I guess my reputation really did proceed me.”
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“A really strong one always does,” Lucien said. “Pull up a seat, kids, and get some stew in you!” He made a gesture in front of him, and the men seated across from him at the table immediately picked up their food and moved to another table without a word of protest.
Prin sat down across from Aster and took her hand over the table, with a warm smile. Leaving Elwin to sit directly across from the captain himself.
Martin got up quickly, and Elwin thought for a moment he was leaving all in a huff but he came back quickly with bowls of fragrant stew and hard thin bread like homemade crackers. He disappeared again and came back with mugs of mead he sat down beside Elwin and Prin’s bowls.
“Good boy.” Captain Lucien said.
This seemed to make Martin even more peeved and he stuck out his lower lip in a pout, taking his seat again beside the captain.
“How are you Aster?” Prin wanted to know.
“Just fine, fine,” Aster said. “Why, what have you heard?” She added with a laugh.
“Nothing.” Prin laughed too. He seemed relaxed, more so than he had been before they got on the boat.
Elwin wished that he could say the same. He was wary of the ocean, the ship, but most of all the pirates. Any of those could betray you, but people were worst of all. He supposed Prin felt they had made a successful escape.
“Eat up.” Captain Lucien urged. “Meela is the best cook who’s ever worked for me! And that’s saying something.”
“Don’t over hype it.” Meela said with a laugh, leaning back in her chair at a nearby table. “It’s simple fare today. Give me some time and extra supplies and I’ll cook us up a real feast.”
Elwin took a bite of his stew and it was savory, well seasoned, and delicious, with generous chunks of beef, carrots, potatoes, and onions. Something simple, as she had said, but made the best of.
“It’s really good.” Elwin said.
“Aww, I’m not used to compliments.” Meela said. But her smile said she had full confidence in her food.
Prin was looking at Lucien was his head tilted to the side, as though he were considering saying something but not sure if he should. He continued holding onto Aster’s hand for comfort.
Aster gave him a curious smile, tilting her own head to the side in an unconsciously mirroring pose. “What’s the matter, hun?”
“Nothing’s the matter.” Prin said. “I just want to talk to the captain and I’m deciding if now is the right time or not.”
Elwin bit his lip, but didn’t say anything. He would have to trust that Prin knew what he was doing, and what it was safe to talk about. It was hard to trust, even Prin, with that.
“Huh? Fire away! What’s stopping you?” Lucien said. “I’m very approachable.”
“Ask anyone.” Aster teased.
Captain Lucien snickered and patted Aster’s head, wrapping her long red braid around his hand. “Seriously.” He said, trying to school his features into something serious to match his tone.
“Okay.” Prin took a deep breath. “I’m looking for a witch. I don’t know . . . her name or what she looks like. But, the last time she was seen she was getting on a boat with an ugly mermaid figurehead, going in . . . vaguely this direction? Right, Elwin? We think, but that’s not certain either.”
Lucien let go of Aster’s hair and leaned back on his bench, scratching his chin full of artful blonde stubble. “That’s not a lot to go on.”
“We know.” Prin said with a grimace. “But this is . . . this is very important.”
“First of all, there are a lo-ot of ships with ugly mermaid figureheads, sorry to be the one to tell you. Some intentional and some not.” Captain Lucien laughed. “I never wanted to put a figurehead on this beauty.” He patted the table as though lovingly petting the leg of a beloved horse. “It’s a classic, wouldn’t want to mess up the lines. However it is quite the rage among pirates, and even rich boy’s little yachts.” He laughed again to show what he thought of such frivolous vessels owned by worthless frivolous people.
Prin sighed. “I was afraid of that. And neither of us actually saw it ourselves so it’s not like we can pick it out of a lineup. The only thing else I know . . . is she’s a very powerful witch, a shapeshifter. People don’t believe me but it’s true.”
“So you are determined to find this witch. Either you need her help, she screwed you over. Or, she’s your long lost mother!” Lucien pointed at Prin as though he had surely figured it out with that one.
Prin gave him a little crooked smile. “Definitely not my mother but as far as the first two, a little of column A, a lot of column B.”
Captain Lucien nodded as though he knew it all along. “There’s two kinds of powerful witch, the kind who hides away deep in the woods somewhere hoping no one can find her to bother her. OR, the type that puts out their skills for hire.” He rubbed his fingers together. “Can make a lot of money that way! I even knew one who lived on a houseboat one time and did people’s fortunes from right on her boat. Not particularly skilled though. More of a novelty act, that one.”
“I think she does that.” Prin said. “Yes, she must.”
“Well hey, that’s a good place to start!” Captain Lucien said. He leaned across the table and put his hand on Prin’s shoulder. “You seem like a smart lad, and well connected, here’s what you do. Put out the word, ads in papers, banners at festivals, whatever you gotta do. Say you’ve got this big well paying job for a witch, make it an offer she can’t refuse. And she’ll come to you! You won’t have to do a thing.”
“Won’t that take a while?” Prin asked.
“And be really expensive.” Elwin mused. Although, the idea wasn’t totally without merit.
“Yep. And you’d have to stay in one place and wait for her to come. Maybe not so good to be gallivanting around on the open seas, you’ll never find her that way!” Captain Lucien said.
Prin looked crestfallen. “We don’t have any money. And we can’t wait for years for her to show up.”
“Not to mention all the other witches and wizards that will show up to take the job.” Aster pointed out. “Of course, maybe one of them could help . . . the ones that seem any good you could let them have a try.”
Prin leaned his chin on his fist. “It’s not something we can do.” He said.
“I’m sure something will come to you! If it’s important enough, any problem can be solved.” Captain Lucien said cheerily.
Prin took a lackadaisical bite of his stew, perking up a little when he saw the taste was to his liking. “If you have no choice but to solve it, then eventually you will. Whatever it takes.” He said grimly.