stowaway by lady asha wheeler (best classic books to read txt) 📕

She went to the captain’s cabin and accepted the messages. With a shock, she found one addressed to her father. Silently she cursed. She couldn’t deliver that one.
On the dock, she pulled Harve aside. He agreed to take it as she delivered the others. They met later at the Hogs Head Inn.
She cleaned up as best she could and changed cloths. She made the visit to her father short, just under an hour.
After changing again, she walked in the Silver Pin. She watched each woman, looking for the right one. As the hour grew later, she noticed that Zara, an older woman, was finding it harder to smile and entice. She kept rubbing her back and stayed clear of the rougher sailors.
As Zara passed their table, Ella grabbed her wrist. "How much for the rest of the night?"
Harve looked shocked. He studied them, smiled then, raised his rum in a toast, and took a long drink.
To Zara’s credit she looked weary but her voice was strong, "Five silvers."
Ella nodded and stood. When Zara took Elle's hand as they walked between the tables Elle pulled it back and placed it around her. When they made it to Zara's room Elle dropped her arm and surveyed the small space.
There was just a small bed, little more than a cot; it was flanked by wooden crates, a scared armoire, and a low dresser with a chipped pitcher sitting in a large mismatched bowl.
"I've seen you before. What would you like to do?" Zara said enticingly as she undid buttons.
"What’s your name?" Elle asked.
Zara smiled, "Zara. Your El. Decided what you want?"
"Sleep." Elle said.
Zara lifted an eyebrow, walked over, and rubbed her body against Elle's. "Are you shy? I could help you. I'm very experienced. Is that it? Is this your first time?" She asked rubbing Elle and unbuttoning her tunic.
"I just want sleep." Elle said. She moved to the bed sat down and started unlacing her boots.
"Are you... Do you...?” Zara began.
Elle looked up and waited. Elle smiled. "No, I’m not that way," she said.
"So just sleep?" Zara asked she seemed unsure.
"What we do or don’t do stays in this room." Elle demanded. She pressed her back into the mattress.
Zara nodded. Zara undress and lay on the bed and snuggled close to Elle. Elle didn’t sleep until Zara's breathing was deep and even. When she woke, Zara stood at the dresser pouring water in the bowl. She turned and smiled.
"Most of the others are downstairs eating. Wash up and we can go down."
Elle pulled on her boots.
As she laced them, Zara spoke again. "I'll keep your secret. Some of the men wouldn’t be happy to find a woman on their ships crew. Bad luck an all."
Elle stared at her unsure what to say. "How'd you know?" she asked.
Zara cleared her throat. "When i woke my hand had wandered. You really needn’t worry. I learned long ago to keep a patrons secrets."
Elle left eight pieces of silver on the dresser. Downstairs Zara made a show of touching Elle, whispering in her ear and siting in her lap.
Before Elle could leave, Zara planted a hungry looking kiss on her lips. The crew who saw it told those that didn’t. The jokes lasted for weeks at sea. Even the new men on the crew shared the joke. That trip only lasted three months. The hold filled quickly and they headed back to port.
Elle quickly delivered Captain Talbot messages and returned the replies to him at the Silver Pin. Elle slept in Zara’s bed once again but didn’t stay the next morning to brake the nights fast.

Captain Talbot had sent a few of the crew to pick up an order from her father. That night Captain Talbot sat at her table at the Silver Pin. He asked her to extend her contract for another year. "The information you bring makes us all wealthier, El. I won’t ask how you come by it but we are intrigued by it." She watched as he smiled at a barmaid that walked by their table.
Elle knew many of people in the town and had a few contacts on other ports as well. She made sure that all of the people that she spoke with knew to keep her dead. She knew places that private conversations could be over heard. As she had told him, her size was her advantage.
Elle had thousands of euros in a French bank. The small amount she kept with her was just a drop in a pond. Still she wasn’t ready to leave the sea so she agreed to stay another year.
Talbot ordered a round of drinks. As she drank, she watched as people came and went. When she stood her head swam like the sea struck by Neptune’s trident. For a moment her stomach rolled. She reached out to study herself but found a hand instead of the table she had been reaching for.
Zara had suddenly appeared and now held her hand.
"Leaving so soon? Come now- I can give ye a reason to stay." She asked in a loud voice. Her hands traveled over Elle and she leaned close and whispered. "Come to my room before you make a fool of yourself."
Elle put one foot in front of the other but without Zara's guiding hands she wouldn’t have made it to the stairs, much less up them. Elle collapsed in a heavy heap on the bed. She groaned and closed her eyes to make the spinning stop.
"What were you thinking drinking that much rum?" Zara scolded.
Elle groaned. "Harve?"
Zara shook her head. "He's downstairs with your captain. You need to sleep. If you vomit you'll owe me an extra silver." she handed Elle a glass of water. "Drink it if you want to walk in the morning."
She took the cup and struggled to drink every drop. She fell asleep with the empty vessel still in her hand.
That stay on docks lasted five days but after that night, Elle drank even less usual. Even then, it was usually ale or watered rum. The last day in port, in a dress she bought from Zara, Elle went to visit her father. She stayed most of the day.
As she started to leave, he warned her to be careful on her trip, that pirates had been very active lately. She assured him that she would. She pressed a bag of coin in his hand and kissed his cheek.

They sailed north. She practiced the sword with anyone who cared to try. She had indeed learned well. They anchored off the coast of an island north of Ireland. The island was so small it took a scouting party a day and 1/2 to walk across and back. Elle practiced alone on the beach when time allowed.
Dance with the sword she called it. Her movements were now like water over smooth stones.
"You’re quite good, Runner." Miles said from a rocky outcropping.
She turned and sliced the air in a smooth motion. "Aye, i try, mate, i try." she said.
"Wanna opponent?" he asked jumping down from the rocks.
"Always."
The man drew his sword & advanced. The clash of steal rang threw the air. It wasn’t long that she realized that to him this wasn’t practice. Their movements fast and hard they thrust and blocked. Sweat beaded on their skin.
"Enough!" the captain yelled the order from the outcropping Miles had used before. Now the captain advance toward them. "Miles, to the ship."
When Miles had gone he demanded, "Were you trying to get yourself killed? Miles has hated you since he joined the crew."
Elle’s face heated. "I didn’t know." She said honestly.
"Make no mistake he does," the captain said. "Plant your feet," he demanded.
Elle did and blocked a strike.
"There may come a time you don’t feel the energy to fight. - Find it." he said and advanced. His constant attack wore her down.
She knew that this was a punishment although she was not sure what she had done.
Finally, his sword came down and struck her. It was so quick she felt nothing. "Damn it boy!" he yelled as he sheathed his sword. Now it started to sting.
Blood bloomed like a crimson flower on her shoulder. "Let me see boy." the captain said and reached for her.
She backed up. A sting became a burn, she hissed in pain. "Can you get Harve?" she asked on a pained hiss.
"As your captain i demand you let me see it, Runner."
Elle dropped her hand. He pulled back the shirt. "You’ll need stitches." he said and pulled the shirt back farther looking for further damage. "What the hell?" his eyes flew up and clashed with hers. She hastily looked away. His hands dropped.
"I’m sorry, Captain." she said unable to meet his eyes.
"Harve knows?" he demanded. He pushed her hand over the wound. She nodded and her face twisted in pain. "Stay here." he demanded as he stood and left.
Elle sat down in the sand pressing her hand to her bloody shoulder. She hissed at the pain the pressure caused. The beach seemed to cloud. Blood squished threw her fingers.
"I'll fix ye up, lad." Harve said a moment later.