Blazing Blunderbuss (Wyvern Chronicles Book 1) Page 5

  Hara pushed past the man. This was why she couldn’t stay with her Oupa anymore. Everyone expected her to act like a girl. Well, maybe not her Oupa, who had been the one to teach her how to be an engineer in the first place. But the others had thought it was not right.

  When Hara was younger and had a crush on one of the farmer boys, he had been told by his parents that she wasn’t suitable as a match. That was the story of her life. She wasn’t suitable for a small town and she wasn’t suitable to join the crowds who called themselves engineers. There was no place for her to belong to.

  Hara looked at the airship floating above the small town and wondered if that was why she was thinking of keeping the ship. Maybe she could make a place where she could belong. Just like Henry, there were people who thought her choices in life had been wrong, but every choice had been about surviving. If only her life was as simple as choosing right over wrong. Most of her life she had only been given wrong choices to choose from.

  Hara pushed open the door of the inn. The landlords were laughing at something Gideon had said. She came to stand behind him.

  Gideon looked up at her and smiled. “Hello, beautiful.”

  She ignored the compliment and asked, “What are you doing?”

  He waved his cards to indicate the other landowners and said, “I’m taking their money.”

  Sir Jopsen grunted and said, “Hey, I’m not that far behind. Just give me a chance and I’ll win it back.”

  Sir Mackay laughed. “You’re so far in the hole, Jopsen, you’ll soon need to take a loan from your mother-in-law.” Everyone laughed at the comment, as Jopsen’s mother-in-law was the one who held the purse strings, and they often teased the man about his limitations.

  Gideon motioned to the pile of coins in front of him and said, “I started with a single copper.”

  Jopsen harrumphed. “And one we lent him.”

  Gideon grinned. “I’m good with numbers.”

  Mackay huffed, “He’s a professor of maths, is what he is. He did warn us when he sat down.”

  Jopsen said, “Not that we believed him until he won all our money.”

  Gideon threw in his cards and said, “I think my lady wants me, so I’m going to cash out.” He scooped up the money into his shirt as there was too much to easily go into a pocket. The men muttered, but none of them complained that he was leaving the table with a small fortune.

  Hara watched them cautiously to see if they would attack, and then remembered they weren’t the usual men she dealt with. They weren’t ruthless cads. Instead, they were small-time landowners who rarely moved their asses off their seats. She turned and followed Gideon as he left the inn.

  Hara asked, “What were you doing here?”

  Gideon waddled a little so he didn’t spill his coins on the floor. “You don’t have money. I thought you might need some. And since you aren’t in my collection yet, you really need money of your own.”

  They stepped out of the tavern and stopped as they were surrounded by men. Heavily armed men. A man stepped out of the half-circle which surrounded them.

  He said, “What the hell did you do to my baby?” It seemed the pirates had found them.

  Gideon asked, “Was it really your baby? I mean, you left it guarded with a single crewman and a prisoner. It was almost like you were asking for it to be stolen. I mean, you were sitting in a smugglers’ port. Everyone there has some experience in stealing.”

  The man glared at Gideon and asked, “And you think that gives you leave to take off with my ship? My busted-up ship, thanks to you.”

  Hara stepped forward a little, hoping to prevent the pirates from trying to shoot the dragon, and said, “No need to get upset. I’m sure we can come to an arrangement.”

  Gideon brightened and said excitedly, “Of course. Money. I have money. Why don’t we buy your ship? Pay for your travels here, and you can go away and buy a new ship and everyone’s happy.”

  The pirate said, “It isn’t as simple as that. But I’m interested. Who wants a busted-up ship anyway? They’re never right, even after repairs.”

  Gideon grinned. “Excellent.”

  Hara put her hand on his arm and said, “Gideon, you can’t be serious.”

  He turned to her. “Of course, this is perfect. You can be a captain and you don’t have to live here.”

  What did he mean by that? The pirate captain said, “It isn’t going to be cheap.”

  Gideon shrugged and said, “How about we start with this.”

  He poured the coins from his shirt onto the ground. All the pirates’ eyes followed the dropping money.

  Gideon clapped his hands excitedly and said, “Good, it looks like we can negotiate.”

  The pirate captain snapped up his head and said, “I want three times that for the ship, and I want all that in gold coins for the trouble you’ve put us through.”

  Hara gaped. That was more than what a rich noble would gain in a year from the rents of his peasants.

  Gideon surprised her when he said, “Done.”

  He twisted his hand in the air and more coins joined the ones on the ground, until they made a mound which came up to her knees. The captain motioned to one of his men and they started shovelling the coins into a bag.

  The captain came closer and said, “There are some things you need to know about the ship. She is a privateer. A Rosh ship. They financed her.”

  Hara frowned at the captain and said, “So she isn’t even your ship to sell?”

  He shrugged. “Oh, she was mine. I just got a little into hock to the wrong people. I’m afraid that debt goes with the ship. The Rosh don’t particularly care who is flying her. Or you can see if they forget about her and leave you alone. We’ll go collect our gear. Nice doing business with you.” He tipped his hat as a farewell.

  Hara didn’t like this development. The pirates finished packing up the coins and disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. Hara turned to Gideon now that they were alone.

  She hit his arm and said, “Thanks. Now I have a pirate ship.”

  Gideon was completely oblivious to her sarcasm as he grinned and said, “You’re welcome.”

  She glared at him and said, “You don’t get it. The Rosh are now going to be after us.”

  He tilted his head to the side, reminding her of an animal. He asked, “Weren’t we being chased by Rosh people already? So more Rosh won’t really make a difference in the long run.”

  Hara threw her hands up in frustration and walked away. She was an idiot to try to talk rationally with a dragon.

  Gideon asked, “Where are you going?”

  She threw the comment over her shoulder. “To fix my new airship, apparently. Though technically, it’s yours.”

  “Nonsense. What would I want with an airship? I have my own wings. Consider it payment for saving my life. Or we can settle it completely if you agree to be in my collection.”

  Hara snorted. “In your dreams, Gideon.”

  He purred, “Mmm, my dreams. Sweetheart, you’ll always be in my dreams.”

  Hara blushed, but decided silence was the best solution to his annoying presence.

  Hara passed the wrench up to Alfred. He grunted a thank you, and she went back to putting together the join which he would replace once he had installed the sail mast.

  Alfred asked, “Why did you leave your father? I mean, you’ve always stuck by him.”

  Hara wasn’t astonished that he was confused by her loyalty to her father. She said, “You mean even after he was such a douche bag? Well, the last time he left me, to be honest, and that was in a prison. That was the last straw. When I ended up in the court, the judge took pity on me or I’d still be there. He put me to work on a ship and once I’d paid my time I started back, but I just never quite got here until now.”

  Hara sighed and added, “I don’t fit here, Oupa. I don’t know if I fit anywhere.”

  Alfred grunted, but he didn’t disagree. He finished the attachment and waved his hand and she
passed him the next thing.

  He asked, “You want anything special put on your ship? She is yours, after all.”

  Hara sighed and said, “You know Gideon bought it for me. Do I owe him anything for that? I’m not sure how owing and debt work with him.”

  Her Oupa stopped for a moment and gave her a quizzical look. After a moment he asked, “You know he’s a dragon, right?”

  Hara was shocked. “Yeah, but I didn’t think anyone else knew.”

  Alfred shrugged. “It’s the eyes. Though most dragons are usually bigger. They can choose their form when they arrive on this plane. Most wanted to intimidate. He was different. From a different faction, I reckon. I never got the whole story. But dragons have golden eyes.”

  Hara blinked in stunned confusion and eventually asked, “You knew him? Before, I mean. I knew dragons could live for a very long time. I mean he doesn’t look that old.” She winced at her babbling.

  Her Oupa didn’t seem to care about her rambling and nodded. “He used to hang around the court when I was there.”

  Hara had known her Oupa had once been a famous engineer, but she had always assumed it had only been around other engineers. She had never thought of him as brushing shoulders with dragons and nobles.

  Alfred went back to installing the join, and she asked, “What was he like back then?”

  His face screwed up and he stuck his tongue out between his teeth as he worked. He finished installing the piece and said, “A geek. He likes numbers more than he likes people, or even other dragons.”

  Why wasn’t she surprised by that? But if he was a dragon who visited court and probably had a lot of money, what was he doing hanging out with her?

  “So why did he buy me an airship?”

  Alfred shrugged and said, “I wouldn’t worry about it. Dragons don’t see money the same way we do. Gold is only useful to them once they’ve found a mate. Before that they see it as a useful thing to collect but not particularly valuable. You don’t owe him anything.”

  Hara huffed. She didn’t like not knowing the dragon’s thoughts. “Nobody does something like that without expecting something in return.”

  Alfred stopped and looked at her for a long moment before he said, “What do you think of him?”

  She shrugged. “He’s annoying. He always hangs around and he talks all the time. He flirts with me. He’s just annoying.”

  Alfred grunted and went back to work. After a while he asked, “Are you ever going to settle down with a man?”

  She was shocked by the question, as her Oupa had never been one to ask about her love life. This wasn’t the first time that day he had asked, either. Why was he all of a sudden so concerned about what she thought about the dragon? He had never cared before about her love life. Actually, anything which had to do with being a girl had been too difficult for him to talk about. It had been Anna who had told her how to deal with her period and other girly things.

  Hara peered past the gears so she could see his face, but he continued to work as if the words he had said were innocuous. She sighed and said, “I’m only starting to figure out what I want from life without complicating it with a man.”

  Her Oupa stopped and pushed out from under the contraption he had been working on. He looked at her for a long moment then said, “I hoped that seeing how happy Mildred and I were would show you that there can be joy in being with someone who understands you.”

  Hara sighed and said, “I saw that, but Oupa, I’m a smart woman and I can get through life without a man if I want to.”

  Alfred raised a single eyebrow and said, “I didn’t say anything about you being able to live without a man. I meant that there’s a happiness being with someone else that you can’t have by yourself.”

  Hara snorted and said, “I’m happy as I am now. I don’t need a man to be happy.”

  He frowned at her words, then shook his head. “Just don’t chase away people who want to be in your life, sweetheart. You might regret it.”

  She had certainly regretted sticking by her father for so long. If this happiness her Oupa was talking about meant putting up with the downs as well, she could do without it.

  At least now, with her ship fixed, she could take the dragon home.

  Hara looked down when a female voice called out, “Hey there.”

  It was a young woman, dressed in gray drab clothes. Hara looked at her Oupa but he waved her off. She climbed down the scaffold to the ground.

  The girl stood with her hands twisted in her skirts.

  Hara asked, “Yeah?”

  The girl hesitated, then said, “I hear you need a hand with your ship here.”

  Hara looked the girl up and down and then leaned against the scaffolding and asked, “What’s your story?” There had to be one for a girl of good family to want to sign on with a ship like Hara’s.

  Though the girl was plainly dressed, she had a ribbon in her hair and ink stains on her fingers. She had been educated, and her family had enough money to occasionally buy small luxuries like ribbons. Her clothes were practical and plain, but the cloth was thick and well-woven. Anyone who signed on with her would lose whatever reputation they had.

  The girl sighed and said, “I’m not from a rich family. My father is a third generation farm worker. But I grew up pretty close to one of the landowner families. They aren’t particularly rich either, but they have a nice little farm. Well, they have a son. And I thought he was sweet on me.”

  Hara sighed and said, “I get it. He isn’t interested in you anymore?”

  She shook her head, blushing profusely. “No, it isn’t exactly what you think. You see, when I told him no, he started telling everyone I was easy and available. Even if I wanted to make a match no one would have me, because they think I sleep with landowners for money. I just need to get out of here. Find a place for myself where people don’t know me.”

  Hara tapped her chin with her finger as she thought. They were short-handed but they really needed skilled people. It wasn’t conventional to take on female crew, but people would have to get used to it if Hara was to remain the captain.

  Hara asked, “Are you willing to work?”

  The girl nodded her head vigorously.

  Hara gave in. “Then meet back here tomorrow. We’ll be leaving just after dawn.”

  The girl’s face lit up and she grabbed Hara’s hand and shook it vigorously. “You won’t regret this, Captain.” She turned and started to trot away, excited.

  Hara called out before the girl was too far away. “What’s your name?”

  The girl turned and said, “I’m Alice.” She spun around and skipped away.

  A damn puppy was what Alice reminded Hara of. She would probably be as bad as the bloody dragon. Taking in strays, as Hara did, would quickly lead to trouble.

  Henry eyed Alice as she finished climbing up the ladder. The girl looked around and then picked up her single bag and went further into the ship. The place was a little messed up as the pirates hadn’t been particularly careful when they had cleaned out their things the day before.

  Henry turned to Hara and asked, “Who’s the girl?”

  Hara hauled up the gear and grunted as she pulled it over the lip of the deck. “That’s the new crewmember, Alice, and no, you are not to chase her. She’s had enough trouble here in town. She doesn’t need a sex-starved workmate chasing after her.”

  Henry ducked his head and blushed. “Wasn’t thinking to.”

  Hara turned to him and said, “Good, because this is not a pirate ship, so there’ll be no raping and pillaging.”

  He huffed. “Not that they let me off the ship when they were taking on others.”

  Hara raised an eyebrow and asked, “What are you more upset about? That you couldn’t rape and pillage, or that you couldn’t get off the ship?”

  Henry wrinkled his nose. “Sorry, I’m just mad I’m still stuck on this bloody ship.”

  She said, “There’s no need for you to stay.”

&nbs
p; Henry shook his head. “There is. I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

  She thought about that for a moment, then said, “You were a cook. If you could get a job in a tavern or something, would you be happy with that?”

  He shrugged, suddenly shy to speak to her. She raised her eyebrows and said, “I know places where no one will care who you were on a pirate ship, nor that you had to turn to survive. Don’t worry, you’ll be landlocked soon enough.”

  Gideon pulled himself up the ladder and thumped down heavily as he threw his legs over the low railing. He grinned at her and said, “Morning, beautiful.”

  She glared at him. “Don’t call me beautiful.”

  He asked without hesitation, “Oh, would ‘sweetheart’ be better?”

  Hara rolled her eyes and walked away. Hopefully, if she ignored his flirting he would stop—though she wouldn’t be holding her breath.

  Gideon leaned against the window and looked outside. He said, “Where are we going?”

  Hara was setting their course and said distractedly, “I’m taking you home.”

  He spun around and looked at her. “I thought I told you I’d like to stick with you for a while.”

  She shrugged and added, “And I don’t particularly care what you want.”

  Gideon stepped closer so she was forced to look up into his face. He did not look like his usual amused and distracted self. He said, “If I wanted to return to my abode, I would have said as much.”

  Hara raised an eyebrow, curious by this change in him. “Just be happy you’re getting a free ride. It’s the least I can do after you used your winnings to buy the ship.”

  He growled, and it was so much like an animal growl that her eyes widened in shock. But she wasn’t about to be intimidated. “I’m heading for the capital of the Empire, and you said you’d tag along. Well, mate, you’re going to tag along until we get there, and then we can go our separate ways.”

  His gold eyes sparked and he turned away. “We’ll see.”

  She didn’t think she had won this argument, but at least it was over for the moment.