To Yonder

Holding On And Letting Go
“Is anybody out there?
Is anybody listening?
Does anybody really know if it’s the end of the beginning?”
- Ross Copperman

“Do we have a next course of action?”

Alistair looked at all the men standing before him expectantly. They’d be out at sea for weeks and had only come across a few unauthorized ships, open skies, and an unbelievable amount of salt water. Things were not looking up for them to say the least, “I suppose it is about time we turn around and head back to land. Sea legs and that awful greenish tint all of you seem to be sporting are not very becoming.”

Alistair dreaded his return to the castle without any leads. Hell, he hated the fact he hadn’t come across any pirates. All he’d managed to do was enforce the law and collect taxes from a few illicit ships. Such a simple task that any fool walking the Arcadian, cobble streets could have done with ease. Alistair was not pleased.

Where was the adventure?

Alistair knew what would happen when he returned. His Father would simply pat him on the back and tell him he’d tried his best and it was the thought that really counted. His Mother on the other hand, she’d kiss every part of his body and then hug him tight before forbidding him from ever leaving his room again. Ultimately, Alistair would be back where he started, maybe even set back a few paces.

Inevitably, the boredom would eventfully set in like it always did.

Where could Alessia possibly be? Prince Cameron had come to Alistair’s family accusing the pirates of abducting her. Alistair’s Father seemed to think it was extremely plausible, so in turn, Alistair agreed as well. That had been Alistair’s goal, to find pirates, but there was only one problem; he couldn’t bloody find any.

“And what route shall we take my Prince? We could go directly…” One of the men suggested. Of course he suggested the direct route. Alistair knew most of the men on the ship were in a hurry to get home, they all had wives and families to return to. With the lack of action they’d faced, there was nothing that made staying at sea seem worth it, especially since they were being lead by a naïve and inexperienced pretty boy Prince who half the time looked practically comatose due to extreme boredom.

Alistair frowned.

He heard what was whispered about him throughout the castle walls and into the town. How he had been blessed with so much promise. Good looks, fortune, status, intelligence, able to wield a sword – all the makings of a fine young man, a good ruler, and extremely eligible bachelor. Regardless, he sat uninterested. Alistair could find no fault with that though, he chose to be unresponsive to the material and petty things that engulfed his days within the palace. He was a man of simple pleasures, an idea that was not easily accepted within his fine circles.

The more he thought about it the less eager he was to get back.

“No, go the long way,” Alistair cut off the man already making up his mind. Alistair was in no rush to return home. He would get there eventually and he wanted to enjoy what was left of his journey. Besides, he didn’t care about what the rest of the men thought about him, at the end of the day he was still the Prince, and he was still their superior. They could whisper about him all they wanted for all he cared, “All the way around. We shall do one more cursory sweep before returning. Send a message to my Father, tell him to be expecting us within the coming week if the weather is to be in our favor.”

“Very well, as you wish my Prince.”

They sailed along in virtual silence. Sadly, Alistair didn’t mind. He always found himself shrouded in stillness and left by his lonesome even as a young boy. As he’d grown, Alistair had learned to appreciate the moments he was left alone with his thoughts. It gave him time to think when so many wanted a piece of his mind at all hours of the day. In the still quiet, the young Prince found peace.

The young Prince sat staring out at the glistening water, a sea of blue that seemed to stretch on for miles and miles surrounded him. The uniformity was beginning to melt his mind… well maybe it was the heat. Regardless, he almost missed it.

A single speck gently glided across the horizon with such grace it could almost be mistaken as something else.

Alistair called for a telescope to be brought to him. Within seconds a man was at his side carrying the instrument he had summoned for, the instrument with the power to give him the information he so desperately sought.

It was too good to possibly be true. Was it possible his poor, tired eyes were deceiving him?

Alistair tried to calm himself down. There was no worth in getting himself all worked up over nothing. Before he went to peer through the lens, he took a deep breath and willed his wildest dreams to be true. With one look his luck had changed drastically. Suddenly, the winds were blowing in his favor. He released the breath he hadn’t even noticed he was holding once it had processed in his mind that this was reality.

With on word the whole game had changed, the winds were in their favor.

“Pirates!”

---

“I think I could get any lady of my choosing,” The blond man jumped up from where he was sitting just to emphasize his point, “Even the respectable ones!”

“Any respectable woman would never give you a second look once she heard the word Pirate,” Alessia commented in attempts to deflate his huge ego. She spoke the truth though; all of Alessia’s friends back home would never even think about sparing him a single glance once they heard about Will’s chosen occupation. It didn’t even matter if the man looked like he could have been carved from marble. The materialistic were only so vain when it came to certain things. Beauty was not enough to overlook other shortcomings. Within her society, wealth and status equaled power and that always trumped good looks.

“That’s because you’re not a woman,” Will reasoned, “And I’d hardly say you’re anywhere near respectable.”

If only he knew.

“At least I have more manners than you,” Alessia challenged, “Any woman would pick me over you.” So maybe that wasn’t entirely true. If you stuck meek Alec next to golden boy Will, they all knew who would be the favorite. That was beside the point.

“Have you hit your head? Perhaps this whole ships got you a little dazed and your center of gravity is a little of kilter…” Will offered, “Ingested a tad bit too much salt water? I, William, could have the Princess of Arcadia wrapped around my finger if I wanted to!”

Well that was a bold statement. Alessia bit her tongue to stop herself from laughing out loud. Alessia went to open her mouth when another voice cut into their heated debate.

“You are at it again?” Tanek walked around to look at the two of them looking quite annoyed, “I am running a ship. Will, you have duties.”

“Duties? Those are your duties that you have passed on as mine,” Will said without thinking. Quickly, he clamped his mouth shut and adverted his eyes trying to avoid Tanek’s harsh glare. He’d just landed himself with a week’s worth of extra work at least. Will’s immunity to Tanek’s consistent mood swings and harsh reign only extended so far.

Without a single word Will knew he was in trouble. With a single look Will knew what he had to do.

“I think I’ve suddenly found something to do.” Will quickly scurried off before Tanek could say anything else to him. The Captain was obviously not in the mood to be messed with today.

Will stopped at the doorway studying the Captain. Alessia recognized a flash of recognition that flitted across his face. For a second, Alessia could have sworn she saw a look of sympathy and deep sadness within Will’s eyes. Before Alessia had a chance to observe further, Will was already gone. Suddenly, there were two.

“And you…”

“Me?” Alessia asked connecting gazes with the Captain.

“Yes you,” Tanek seemed to be in a horrible mood. Perhaps he’d put his breeches on backwards and tied them just a bit too tight, “You’re the only one here.” He didn’t need to be so uptight; it was very unbecoming even if he was gorgeous.

“I would assign you something to do, but I doubt it would ever be done,” Tanek’s eyes narrowed accusingly, “You spend more time distracting my crew than anything else. I liked you better when all you did was sit on the deck and do nothing. At least then my crew was productive and able to complete tasks without delay.”

Alessia knew she was in no position to challenge the Captain, but she decided she would anyway. Just because he was in a foul mood didn’t give him the right to make everyone else dreadfully miserable.

“What has got you in such a sour mood?” Alessia’s eyes narrowed to match the Captain’s.

Alessia found that the longer she was on this ship the more comfortable she began. That only led to her spitfire personality emerging especially at the most inopportune of times. She had been born to lead and there were just some character traits of hers that were too overwhelming to contain.

“Do not challenge me. You are testing my patience once again.”

Tanek quickly ran a hand through his hair momentarily stunning Alessia before she regained her composure and subsequently opened her mouth, “And?”

The two of them clashed.

Tanek looked rigid. His entire body was tense and his blue eyes looked like a scary combination of steel ice. There was a thick tension in the air. The Captain was like a ticking time bomb and he was about to go off at any given moment.

“I believe I have told you before, I will not hesitate to dispose of you if you choose to cause me problems. I have always done everything I say, do not test my honest word.” Tanek warned, his voice dangerously low. For a second, it almost sounded like he was growling, “So help me god I will-“

And then it stopped in the blink of an eye.

“Come along ‘ere lad,” An unknown voice said. Before Alessia could figure out who it was, she felt a tug on her arm and found that she was suddenly across the deck. Tanek’s gaze was still firmly planted on her following the path in which she was being dragged in. His sharp gaze pierced right through her like daggers.

Alessia turned to look at her savior and saw a very serious looking toothless man. She’d never seen him not grinning… something about it unsettled her immensely. When she turned back to search for Tanek, his place had been occupied by emptiness.

She turned back to the Toothy who began to speak, “It’d be best if ye steer clear of the Capt’n today, ye hear me?”

Alessia’s mind filled with confusion. What could possibly be so wrong with today that it had Tanek on edge? She looked around. The sun was shining and there was a refreshing breeze, absolutely nothing was wrong with the weather. Actually, it was the perfect weather to be a pirate in her opinion. Thinking on, she hadn’t heard of any conflicts between any of the crewmates either.

She had come across Tanek when he was in a bad mood for one reason or another. Quarreling men, maintenance problems with the ship, something. There was always a reason for Tanek’s mood but today Alessia was at a complete loss.

“I…” She began looking down at her hands loosely curled into fists. Should she ask? “I do not understand.”

“You shan’t,” the man looked at her before continuing, “Most of the men on the ship don’t know… don’t understand. It’s the time of year. When the ships are coming to make landfall. The Capt’n…”

Alessia was even more confused. Maybe if Toothy chose not to talk with such cryptic messages perhaps she could understand, at the very least she would definitely try. Thoughts rushed through Alessia’s head, maybe Tanek had found out something… maybe Alessia should confess her secret before it was too late. Perhaps he’d already found out and was waiting for the most opportune moment to bring it up? He could be sparing her and waiting to do it in private. Tanek seemed to be the type of man to do that, the honorable thing.

Her thoughts were running absolutely wild and there was no way she could catch them all.
The horror must have been expressed on Alessia’s face because Toothy quickly reassured her, “Not to worry mate, ain’t nothin’ you did… ain’t nothin’ any of us could’ve prevented…”

Alessia was relieved, but even more curious than before. What possibly could have happened and then it hit her as soon as the words came out of the man’s mouth. What about Tanek’s mystifying past?

“Tis’ not me place to be telling yer, but well, I reckon today is the very day the Capt’n’s Mother died.”
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