[Episode 10] Spire and the Dragonwood Affair

[Novelette] Tales of Stonehaven [1,236 words]

Spire and the Dragonwood Affair is the first of five novelettes in The 5th Compass series. Captain Silverblade, the most feared and hated pirate in all of Stonehaven, has put her life in the hands of four of her most trusted pirates. Their mission is to each take possession of an enchanted compass and hide them where no one can ever find them. This is the story of Spire and how he got on with hiding the compass given to him.

Running away would not be an option for Spire. While he could definitely outrun them, he also knew they would not let Isobel out of their sight once he fled. He wanted desperately to speak with her privately, tell her why he ran and hope she would understand. But with four large male relations standing in his way all he could do was glance in her direction every once in a while.

“Do you know which way you’re going, pirate?”

If Spire was being honest, he had no idea where they were going. In fact, his instinct was to head towards the heavily populated marketplace. He knew this would be the last place he’d find Wendynn, who would want to head towards a more secluded area to hide the compass, but he hoped he might find a way to lose the brothers and buy himself a bit of time to come up with a better plan. In the market, surrounded by people, no plan came to him.

“I know which way I’m going. We said we’d meet up here just before sunset to buy supplies.” All lies, but what else could he say?

“Then, where is he? I don’t see no pirates here?” The four brothers looked around, ignoring the gawking looks they were getting from the merchants and shoppers around them.

Spire pretended to join them in looking when he saw the answer to all his prayers. The two pirates who left with Wendynn when they first arrived were each eating an apple, haggling with a peddler’s food cart.

“There,” Spire pointed. The four brothers looked in the general direction though they were not sure who he was pointing at. Spire led the way, and they followed close behind, Isobel in tow. “Men, I am surprised to see you here eating. Where is Wendynn?”

One pirate choked on the piece of apple he had been chewing and coughed loudly, while the other spit out the piece he chewed. “Spire, what are you doing away from the ship?”

“Never mind that. Where is Wendynn? Isn’t he with you?” Spire looked around in desperation, as he quickly realized Wendynn was in fact not with them.

“And who be these two babes?”

Another of the four brothers guffawed and pointed mockingly, “Brother, I believe they’re pirates.”

“Aye, which one of ye is the one closest to that female pirate?” Someone shoved Spire into another brother who grabbed onto him quick while the other three surrounded the two pirates.

The merchant who had been haggling with them recognized the four brothers and knew they were prone to violence. He discreetly backed away from his own table and remained hidden in the shadows silently praying to Zoldir that no harm would come to his stand or his produce.

“He must be talking about Wendynn.”

“Wendynn? What sort of name is that? Spire, is that who we be lookin’ fer?”

Spire nodded and said, “Tell them where he is, boys.”

“Yeah, boys. Tell us where he is.” Two of the brothers cracked their knuckles, ready to fight.

“That’s just it, you see, we don’t know.” Before the other pirate could speak and confirm that they did not know where Wendynn was, he was lifted in the air by the throat.

“Are you sure? Is he lying?” The brother who held him in the air by the throat looked back at Spire for confirmation.

“Pirates value their life above all else. If he says they don’t know. They don’t know.”

He loosened his grip and let the pirate fall back to his feet, gasping for air.

“What shall we do now?”

“Why don’t we take them all back to mother and let her decide?” Isobel who had remained quiet and in the background of everything that was happening finally spoke. Her four brothers, Spire and the two pirates all looked in her direction, having forgotten she was there the whole time.

“She’s right. Mother will know what to do.”

The four brothers nodded in unison. Each took hold of one pirate while the fourth led the way through the market and back to the tavern. Isobel walked beside Spire and whispered to him so no one else could hear.

“I hope you have a plan?”

“A plan? We’re going to see your mother. She probably hates me more than your brothers.”

“I’m sure you can change her mind. You charmed me, didn’t you?” Isobel tucked her long blonde hair behind her ears like she always did when they were together, and Spire wanted to say it was she who charmed him but there wasn’t time for that. Just around the corner from the end of the market was the tavern owned by her mother and Spire needed to prepare himself for bringing on the charm.

“But why bring them back here?” their mother questioned, her hands on her hips, waiting for an answer. None of her sons would look at her, let alone speak.

“It was my idea, mother. I thought you being so wise could tell them what they should do.” Isobel wasn’t afraid of her mother the way her brothers were. It was a trait her mother was proud to see she had passed on to at least one of her five children.

“Nonsense. You’ve never come to me for advice a day in your life. Now you, there,” she said, pointing at Spire. “I see your hand in this.”

Spire stepped forward, his shoulders squared, and head held high. “It was your daughter’s suggestion, but I see now why she made it. Your sons would never make such a daring move without their mother’s consent.”

“That is true, mum. ‘Specially since we’re doin’ this fer ya.”

“What? What is it you’re doing for me that involves gettin’ yerselves mixed up with pirates?” She scrunched up her nose at the very idea.

“This one ‘ere came to Dragonwood with her second in command, he did,” one brother said.

“That’s right. And we reckon if we catch him…” Another brother started to speak but his voice trailed off when his mother looked him in the eyes and folded her arms.

“… the king might reward us,” the youngest brother said, picking up where his brother left off. She turned to look at him now but for the first time he didn’t back down. “We reckon the king will make you a Lady and let us join his guard.”

The youngest brother looked to his older brother to back him up. “That pirate’s second in command must know a lot and the king can get it out of him.”

Their mother turned her back on her sons to look at her daughter, who had remained quiet behind her. She furrowed her eyebrows and breathed in deeply as she contemplated everything told to her. Spire wanted to speak again but Isobel looked at him and gave a short shake of her head. She knew interrupting her mother while she was thinking would not work in his favor.

Finally, she turned to her sons with a smile on her face. “If nothing else, the king would surely reward us with coin beyond our wildest imagination.” The four brothers smiled at each other knowing this had been the first time they had impressed their mother since the time they ran Spire out of town after deflowering their sister. “Now, tell me more about this pirate.”