Dead Man's Chest (The Plundered Chronicles Book 5) Page 12

  “Not certain we want to risk it since the only thing we brought with us is that box—”

  “Yeah, what’s in it?”

  Quinn shrugged. “I never looked.”

  “Whatever it is, it better be worth comin’ all this way.”

  “Open it.”

  Quinn glanced up at Kaylish, who still held the box under her arm. She had her bow slung around her back and a short sword on her free hand. “No. Not yet. We need to make certain those colonists haven’t just changed location. If we don’t find them inland, we’ll have to figure out where to go to fill the hold so we can return to make some coin.” Quinn took the box from her. “I need you to go back to the ship. Stay with Maggie.”

  “But—”

  “It wasn’t a request,” Quinn said, tucking the box inside her vest. “I’ve changed my mind. It is too dangerous. Go. Samuel, go with her and stay with the ship.”

  Handing Quinn the box, Kaylish ran back to the ship with Samuel in tow.

  “This is strange,” Seanie said, kneeling down and pointing to footprints and hoofprints. “Lots of horses have come this way recently.”

  Kneeling down, Quinn examined the prints. “So there are people here.”

  “Aye, but look at the shoe print. No shoes on some. These over here are not wearing our kind of shoes but have something on their feet. Heading into those woods.”

  Rising, Quinn ran her hand through her hair. “Woods we are not going into.”

  “Then where are we goin’?

  “South. There are other colonies dotting the coast.”

  “Why south? There’s more coastline north.”

  “Because St. Augustine is south. The Spanish colonized it a while ago. That means it is well-established, and we can get some bartering done. Take some time to figure out what this is all about. I don’t like this. I don’t like it one bit.”

  “And then what? Turn around and go home?”

  “Honestly, Fitz, I haven’t really decided. I never anticipated we’d get here to find nothing.”

  “Can I suggest somethin’?” Fitz asked. “Instead of takin’ the ship south, why don’t we go to the continent. Can’t be more than four, maybe five miles from here. There’s gotta be someone over there. Maybe another colony? Maybe the natives?”

  Tavish nodded. “I gotta agree. You put these men back on that ship, and they’re gonna mutiny fer sure.”

  “Fine. Let’s get three boats into the water and see what we can find out, but I am not taking the Emerald over there. Too risky not knowing what the bloody hell is going on here.”

  “Just three?”

  “Aye. I want the rest to return to the ship. Keep it safe. Keep the crew safe until we can find out what’s going on here.” Quinn gave each man his orders. Some were reluctant to leave her. Others could not wait to get back to the ship.

  “Tavish?”

  “Aye, lad?”

  “If we do not find another colony or other humans, we need to get out of here.”

  “Out?”

  “Go home. I… I can’t explain it, but I have a bad feeling about this place. There’s something… something amiss here. Something… not right. If I could get a sense of what it was, I would feel less anxious.”

  “Anxious?”

  “Aye. I do not know what happened here, but these colonists were not whisked away. They left, and I think they did of their own free will.”

  “How can ya tell?”

  Quinn pointed to a tree with a cross on it.

  “If they were being pursued, they wouldn’t have tried to sit around carving messages. This message was meant for someone and it means something. Once we find that out, we have more to go on.”

  “Callaghan, we can’t give a rat’s arse about these people.”

  “You think so? Do you really think I can go back to Lady Killigrew and tell her that sister is missing but we didn’t stop to even look for her? We owe it to the woman paying for this voyage to do due diligence and beat the bushes a bit before sailing home. It’s the least we can do.”

  “So you want to keep lookin’.”

  “No. First, I want to figure that word out.” Quinn stared at the word before grabbing a stick. “Tavish, spread out, single line, and walk two hundred yards in a straight line looking for enna thing that might tell us something about what happened to these people.”

  “What are you gonna do?”

  “I’m going to try to figure out this word.”

  The men looked at each other with confusion.

  “Trust me, fellas. I have a feeling there’s more to that word than meets the eye. I’m going to figure it out. Soon. I’ll be fine.”

  And she was.

  For just a minute.

  They were upon her so quickly and so silently, she didn’t have a moment to cry out for help. Before she knew what was happening, she found herself across some Indian’s lap on horseback. She was jostled as the horse galloped along.

  Not horse.

  Horses.

  They were all around her. Indians on horseback, and they were taking her with them.

  Her head ached from being hit from behind, but the rest of her felt intact. The problem was she had no idea which direction they were headed, nor how long they’d been riding. From where she lay, she could not see the sun to determine the time of day.

  When they finally arrived at their encampment or village or whatever they called it, Quinn was sore, tired, and hungry. Not in that order.

  When she slid off the horse, she was dizzy and her head beat with every beat of her heart.

  All around her, the men spoke a language that sounded like gibberish. How on earth was she going to be able to communicate with these people?

  The men led her to a blazing fire the women and children sat around. One woman rose and stood in front of Quinn, just staring at her. Then, she stepped back and tilted her head, looking her up and down. Then, she spoke to the man who had ridden with Quinn. They conferred for a moment with the large man looking Quinn up and down as the woman had. Then he laughed.

  “Great,” Quinn said in Gaelic.

  The woman said something to the men, who all backed away from the fire before disappearing into the shadows.

  “Do you speak English?” the woman asked.

  Quinn’s eyebrows shot up. “I do! You do, too?”

  The tall, thin woman with the flawless skin smiled softly and nodded. “I do. The colonists. They teached me. Speak slowly and I will understand. I am Tadita.”

  Quinn wanted to look for a way out, for a weapon, for something that might help her get out of this, but she did not even know what this was. If they’d wanted her dead, she’d be dead already.

  “I am Captain Callaghan. Why did they bring me here?”

  She frowned slightly. “Captain? A woman captain?”

  “Yes.”

  “Chofufuzira” she said softly. “Interesting. They bring you for you to seek those who do not want to be found.”

  “Wait. You know where they are?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then, are we in Croatoan?”

  Tadita shook her head slowly. “No. Croatoan is different island.”

  “Is that where they are? The colonists? Have they moved there?”

  She shook her head, looked over Quinn’s shoulder, and spoke to someone Quinn could not see in a language that sounded more unfamiliar to her than any she had ever heard. “They are not there, either. Are you… hungry?”

  “I am, but I would rather have answers. Are the colonists alive?”

  Tadita motioned for Quinn to sit by the fire. Dusk was falling, and she knew her crew would be frantically searching for her, yet for the life of her, she could not get her bearings. Tall trees obscured the moon, if it was out there, and her head throbbed so much she could barely think.

  “Do you speak of those on the island?”

  Quinn felt her stomach drop.

  “Aren’t we… aren’t we on the island?”

&
nbsp; Tadita reached a hand out to Quinn and pulled her to the log where they both sat. “We are not.”

  The fire swam before her as she fought the panic welling up inside her. If she wasn’t on the island any longer “Where… where are we then?”

  “Here.” Tadita picked up a stick and drew in the dust. “The island is here. We are here.”

  Across the small inlet, Quinn tried to calm her pounding heart. So she wasn’t that far.

  “You seek the colonists.”

  Quinn perked up. “I do.”

  “You have nothing to fear from us, Captain Callaghan. We trade with colonists. We are peaceful people.”

  Quinn felt the knot on the back of her head. “Oh really? Then why knock me out and bring me here?”

  Tadita frowned and sighed. “Would you have just come?”

  “No.”

  “Exactly. You sent your men looking for those who do not wish to be found while the Croatoan are ready to kill you all. They came to the island when they saw your boat. These are not people you want to engage with.”

  Quinn rose unsteadily to her feet. “What? The Croatoans are not good people?”

  Tadita gently pulled Quinn back to the log. “They are not us. They are unlike any other tribe in this region. They do not like the white men unless they can have their women and children.”

  Quinn felt panic take over. “I have to get back. I must get to my men.”

  “I do not know how to say this, but your men are either dead or about to be. We grabbed you before the Croatoan could.” Tadita laid her hand on Quinn’s thigh. “The colonists. The one you seek are not far from here.”

  “I don’t give a shit about them. I have to go to my men.”

  One of the natives who took Quinn spoke sharply to Tadita, who listened passively until he was done.

  “He says we cannot return to the island until the Croatoan are gone. They would battle us if we set foot there.”

  “Then I’ll go on my own.” Quinn rose again.

  “And you will die before you reach the island.” Tadita spoke to the young man, who nodded before leaving. “You will never find your way out of these woods alone. You have not an idea what you face here. Until the Croatoans leave the island, we will not take you there.”

  Quinn took a deep breath and steadied herself. If she could get to the colonists, maybe they would be more helpful in getting her back to the island. It was the only card she had to play. “Can we start out at daybreak to the colony?”

  “Of course. Now, please sit. Let our healer help your head and allow me to put something in your belly.”

  Quinn’s stomach growled. “I’d like that, and then maybe you can tell me how it is you speak English so well, how far the colonists are, and how long it will take me…us…to get back to my ship.”

  “Of course. My people here are on our way back from the colony on the island.”

  “Why were you there then?”

  Tadita spoke to a young woman who disappeared before returning with a cold leg of some animal, which had once roasted over fire. She handed the leg to Quinn as if afraid Quinn might bite her.

  Quinn bit into it and found it delicious. “Thank you.”

  “We came to greet the one who we believed to be Walter Raleigh. The colonists saved three of our children from being taken by the Croatoans, so my father, our chief is in… in…”

  “Indebted. You are indebted to the colonist who were once on the island because of this.”

  “Yes. We would never reveal to the English where they are or what happened to them.”

  “So when you realized my men and I are not the English?”

  “We started back. That was when we saw the Croatoan coming toward you and your people. We heard you speak different languages. We took you to protect you.”

  “But you’re certain you can take me to the colonist and…back to the ship.”

  “Yes. Then they can help you back to the island. It is less than half a day’s walk.”

  “Half a day?” Quinn glanced around. “Faster by horse.”

  “Of course. But the colonists only have a few.”

  “I only need one.”

  Tadita shook her head. “It is very simple to get lost here. You will need a guide. Tonight, you eat. Rest. Let Doe-Eyes help your head. You were hit hard.”

  Quinn tentatively touched the huge bump on the back of her head, which had not stopped throbbing. “That would be good. Thank you. And…thank you for this meat.”

  Rising, Tadita lightly set her hand on Quinn’s shoulder. “You are a brave warrior. A fighter. A leader of men. Please do not try to leave at dark if you wish to see your men again. You do not understand the creatures of our world… creatures you do not have… animals who hunt at night so quietly, they cannot hear themselves. Do you understand my meaning?”

  Quinn gazed out into the darkness of the woods surrounding them. Leaving now would be foolish. “I believe I do.”

  “Good. Get sleep. We leave at dawn.”

  Sleep refused to light on Quinn’s shoulders as she lay near the fire surrounded by these strange people.

  Strange.

  They even smelled different, but they were incredibly fit, muscular men with clear, intense eyes and serious demeanor. They seemed confused about her, but more had been intimidating and aggressive. In fact, they seemed more interested than wary or afraid of her.

  Feeling the back of her head, she was surprised the knot had gone down quite a bit. She felt better, was no longer hungry and her head stopped throbbing. Still, she could not stop thinking about her men. Surely they had been able to fight off these natives. From what Quinn could see, they relied on the use of three weapons: bow, knife, and an ax. Her men, when well-organized, were nigh unbeatable.

  They had to be alive.

  She could not bear to think otherwise… to think of someone carting off Gallagher, Kaylish, and Maggie…It was unbearable.

  “Cannot sleep?”

  Quinn glanced up to find Tadita. “I wish I could, but I fear for my men. You were correct when you said I do not know your creatures. I do not know anything about your people or your culture.”

  “I can teach you what you need to know.”

  For the next few hours, Tadita answered all of Quinn’s questions about the New World, about the Old World, about her indigenous culture, the deer meat they had given Quinn to eat, their interaction with the Europeans, and so much more.

  By the time Tadita finished, the darkness of night peeled back to allow a small sliver of light to peek through.

  “The horses should be ready,” Tadita said softly.

  Quinn came to her feet when a young boy brought her sword belt to her.

  Gathering up the box and her swords, Quinn followed Tadita to the horses where half a dozen warriors waited on horseback.

  “You protect that box with your life. Why?”

  “It is why we are here.”

  “What is in it?”

  “I have no idea.”

  Tadita frowned. “I do not understand. You…”

  “Don’t know. I know. It’s ridiculous, but I truly do not know. We came to the New World in order to deliver it. I intend on delivering it.” Quinn looked at the young men gathering around. “They’re coming as well?”

  “Yes. It is a dangerous journey. We have watched many of your people enter the wilderness and never return. It is not safe for the unknowing.”

  Quinn mounted a horse. “Much like the sea, I would imagine.”

  When Tadita mounted, Quinn nodded respectfully. “At times, you seem to be their leader.”

  “Kind words, though not true. The warriors know I understand you. We value communication, so being able to give information back to them settles them.”

  “They know I won’t harm them?”

  Tadita kicked her horse. “No. They know they will harm you if you try. Ours is a fierce warrior tribe. There is little we fear.”

  “Except the Croatoan.”

>   Tadita smiled as she turned her horse around. “Yes. And rightfully so.”

  Tadita was right.

  These woods would be impossible to navigate without help. She could be lost in them for days—a perfect place for the colonists to escape to. It was a like a labyrinth.

  They’d been on the horses nearly three hours when they came to a small clearing. Immediately, three white men on horseback entered the clearing.

  “What have we here?” the older gentleman with shoulder-length grey hair asked in a clipped English tone.

  “My name is Callaghan,” Quinn said, prompting her horse to move forward.

  All three pointed muskets at her.

  “Hold right there, Callaghan,” the older man warned. He was much older than the other men on either side of him. “You speak English, but you are not.”

  “No, sir, I am not. I am—”

  “Grace O’Malley! Scourge of the Sea. Warrior of Wet, queen of—”

  “I am all that and more, sir,” Quinn said, hoping beyond hope that pretending to be Grace would work in her favor. “And I have brought something from Lady Killigrew for her sister.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Truly? She will be delighted, as will many of us who have heard the many deleterious tales of the great Irish Chieftain, Grace O’Malley.”

  Great?

  Quinn frowned, perplexed.

  “Taddy, it is wonderful to see you again.”

  Tadita walked her horse closer. “Thank you. We have helped a… Grace here escape the Croatoan.”

  “Ugh. You’re a very lucky woman, Grace. Those natives are a dangerous lot.” He moved closer. “William. William Taranes. I’m the governor of the colony, and it’s my job to meet every person before allowing them to join us.”

  “Tadita has explained to me that you all left and wish not to be found. I have travelled across the ocean to bring this box to Diane Killigrew.”

  “Just that box?” William leaned over. “You came all this way to deliver a single box?”

  “I owed Lady Killigrew a favor.”

  “Must have been a big favor.”

  “Favor and friendship combined.” Quinn turned to Tadita. “Thank you so much for saving me and bringing me here. I will forever be in your debt.”

  Tadita smiled softly. “There is no debt, Cal… my friend. One day, we will meet again, and you can return the favor.”