Chapter Nine-Sailing Away
As soon as she was out of sight of Queen Yocasta' s castle, Amber took a long look at the map which the guards had given her. "Let's see.I can take a route through the Barrow Downs and down to Karnivahl and...no. I don't have anywhere near enough money, so a sea trip it will have to be." She walked slowly, as if there was nothing to fear, out of sight of Queen Yocasta's castle, expecting every minute that a squad of guards would come chasing after her, but nobody came. She set off to the seaport town of Pier Point on foot, and walked all day, spending the night in one of the many inns along the route.
It was evening when she reached Pier Point, and the sea glowed a deep red in the light of the setting sun. She passed numerous fishing craft, coming into shore or heading out to sea. A great war-galley was anchored on the quay but she ignored it. She passed ship after ship until she reached a large three-master with the name Naiad on it's brass name-plate. The Captain was a red haired man who stood on the quarterdeck wearing a blue frock-coat with brass buttons and she decided to hail him.
"Captain, where are you bound?"
"The city of Vandersil, but why are you interested, young lady?"
"I want to sail with you. I have friends there who are waiting for me."
"And how will you pay for your passage?"
She had managed to hide a bracelet in a secret pocket within her dress before the guards had taken the rest of the royal jewels from her and dragged her off to the Queen's torture chamber. It was pure gold and was inlaid with rubies that sparkled in the dying rays of the sun. "I can pay with this, Captain. I am of noble birth." The Captain looked her up and down for a long time and stared at her dress of red silk.
"I believe you. Come aboard, we sail in an hour. I am Captain Benning. I don't normally carry passengers but one of my crew was jailed for a month after drinking too much and getting involved in a tavern brawl, so you can sleep in his cabin. What's your name?"
"My name is Amber, Captain."
"Amber. That's a nice name for a nice girl. Don't just stand there, get aboard!"
Amber scampered up the gangplank, handed the bracelet to the Captain, and a seaman grinned at her and showed her the way to her cabin whilst the Captain bellowed out orders to the rest of the crew. The air was full of noise-the clanking of the capstan as the crew raised the anchor, the flapping of the sails in the wind, and the creaking of the ship's timbers as it headed out to sea. Amber came out on deck to gaze at the port of Pier Point as it shrank into the distance. "Ah, you again," said Captain Benning and grinned at her with a mouthful of yellow teeth. "We'll sail down past Tiptoe Point and it's lighthouse and then anchor for the night. Then we'll sail on and into Heel Bay and Heel Point and on into the Valermoore Channel, and after another night at anchor we'll sail across to Vandersil. I want you to eat at my table tonight."
"Thank you, Captain."
When Amber appeared for her meal the Captain was no longer grinning. "Amber, I want to know who you really are. Noble girls of your age do not normally make long sea journeys on their own, without their family and without even a single bodyguard. I think you're on the run. Who from?"
Amber stared at the Captain and his crew, who glared back at her, so that not a single friendly face was to be seen.
"I'm escaping a forced marriage."
"Amber, you lied to me. I brought an amulet once from one of the ports in Karnivahl and it tells me when somebody lies, by cooling down. It cost a lot but it's worth it. Tell me the truth."
"I fled Valermoore after the Queen murdered my father and ordered my execution. I am Princess Amber and I will pay you well once you deliver me safely to Vandersil."
"Grab her, gag her and tie her to the mast. No wounding and nobody is to rape her. Virgin princesses, if indeed you are a virgin, will fetch a lot of money amongst the tribesmen of the Nomansland, money that can be shared amongst all of us. You can kiss her, you can grope her, but anyone who goes too far and goes all the way will be thrown overboard."
Amber found herself dragged roughly across the deck and tied to the mast, her screams cut off by a piece of salty sailcloth that was stuffed into her mouth and tied with twine. Then the crew gathered around her and kissed her on her forehead, her eyes, her cheeks and neck, and she was helpless to wipe away any of the kisses. Hands squeezed her breasts and felt between her legs, ignoring her muffled screams and nasty looks.
As soon as she was out of sight of Queen Yocasta' s castle, Amber took a long look at the map which the guards had given her. "Let's see.I can take a route through the Barrow Downs and down to Karnivahl and...no. I don't have anywhere near enough money, so a sea trip it will have to be." She walked slowly, as if there was nothing to fear, out of sight of Queen Yocasta's castle, expecting every minute that a squad of guards would come chasing after her, but nobody came. She set off to the seaport town of Pier Point on foot, and walked all day, spending the night in one of the many inns along the route.
It was evening when she reached Pier Point, and the sea glowed a deep red in the light of the setting sun. She passed numerous fishing craft, coming into shore or heading out to sea. A great war-galley was anchored on the quay but she ignored it. She passed ship after ship until she reached a large three-master with the name Naiad on it's brass name-plate. The Captain was a red haired man who stood on the quarterdeck wearing a blue frock-coat with brass buttons and she decided to hail him.
"Captain, where are you bound?"
"The city of Vandersil, but why are you interested, young lady?"
"I want to sail with you. I have friends there who are waiting for me."
"And how will you pay for your passage?"
She had managed to hide a bracelet in a secret pocket within her dress before the guards had taken the rest of the royal jewels from her and dragged her off to the Queen's torture chamber. It was pure gold and was inlaid with rubies that sparkled in the dying rays of the sun. "I can pay with this, Captain. I am of noble birth." The Captain looked her up and down for a long time and stared at her dress of red silk.
"I believe you. Come aboard, we sail in an hour. I am Captain Benning. I don't normally carry passengers but one of my crew was jailed for a month after drinking too much and getting involved in a tavern brawl, so you can sleep in his cabin. What's your name?"
"My name is Amber, Captain."
"Amber. That's a nice name for a nice girl. Don't just stand there, get aboard!"
Amber scampered up the gangplank, handed the bracelet to the Captain, and a seaman grinned at her and showed her the way to her cabin whilst the Captain bellowed out orders to the rest of the crew. The air was full of noise-the clanking of the capstan as the crew raised the anchor, the flapping of the sails in the wind, and the creaking of the ship's timbers as it headed out to sea. Amber came out on deck to gaze at the port of Pier Point as it shrank into the distance. "Ah, you again," said Captain Benning and grinned at her with a mouthful of yellow teeth. "We'll sail down past Tiptoe Point and it's lighthouse and then anchor for the night. Then we'll sail on and into Heel Bay and Heel Point and on into the Valermoore Channel, and after another night at anchor we'll sail across to Vandersil. I want you to eat at my table tonight."
"Thank you, Captain."
When Amber appeared for her meal the Captain was no longer grinning. "Amber, I want to know who you really are. Noble girls of your age do not normally make long sea journeys on their own, without their family and without even a single bodyguard. I think you're on the run. Who from?"
Amber stared at the Captain and his crew, who glared back at her, so that not a single friendly face was to be seen.
"I'm escaping a forced marriage."
"Amber, you lied to me. I brought an amulet once from one of the ports in Karnivahl and it tells me when somebody lies, by cooling down. It cost a lot but it's worth it. Tell me the truth."
"I fled Valermoore after the Queen murdered my father and ordered my execution. I am Princess Amber and I will pay you well once you deliver me safely to Vandersil."
"Grab her, gag her and tie her to the mast. No wounding and nobody is to rape her. Virgin princesses, if indeed you are a virgin, will fetch a lot of money amongst the tribesmen of the Nomansland, money that can be shared amongst all of us. You can kiss her, you can grope her, but anyone who goes too far and goes all the way will be thrown overboard."
Amber found herself dragged roughly across the deck and tied to the mast, her screams cut off by a piece of salty sailcloth that was stuffed into her mouth and tied with twine. Then the crew gathered around her and kissed her on her forehead, her eyes, her cheeks and neck, and she was helpless to wipe away any of the kisses. Hands squeezed her breasts and felt between her legs, ignoring her muffled screams and nasty looks.
