Red Dragon

Episode I The Corsair

Chapter 17 Reunion and Parting

“It was four years, Melissa. I thought you were dead. The last I saw of you…”

He didn’t need to finish the statement. Melissa remembered that the last time he had seen her she was being raped by the soldiers on the Shang black ship. It was a memory that was still painful for her. To be humiliated in front of the man she loved…

She folded her hands in her lap. She and Vandar were sitting in the garden courtyard in the center of the brothel. “I don’t blame you, Vandar. I thought you dead too. How did you escape?”

“I was damned lucky,” Vandar replied, taking a sip from his cup. They were drinking tea, a beverage that Melissa had grown used to during her stay with the Shang, but which she had never expected the hard drinking pirate captain to take up.

“I was thrown overboard, by the Shang,” Vandar continued. “I could hear you screaming. It was the most terrible moment of my life.” He stopped as his voice choked with emotion. Melissa could tell that he was having difficulty telling the story. Painful memories were being dredged up for him as well as her. She did not interrupt. She was not sure that the lump in her throat would let her.

“The water was full of sharks. They were tearing into the bodies of my crew. Maybe it was because there were so many of them that they left me alone. The Shang had taken over the Reaver, and were preparing to take her as a prize. I’m a good swimmer so I dove under the water and swam to the stern of the ship. I managed to grab hold of the rudder before they got her under weigh. I hung on there until nightfall and then managed to climb up the stern to the captain’s cabin. From there I made my way into the hold and stayed there until the ship reached port. Found myself in the Shang capital. Lucky for me the waterfront was full of nationalities of all sorts. I blended right in. Managed to hire out on a ship and head back to the Black Isles. And here I am.”

“You never went back to sea?” asked Melissa. She took another sip from her cup, her hands shaking slightly. Her companions, were seated at the same table as she and Vandar, but because the language being spoken was not Shang, none of the girls could understand anything that was being said. They remained quiet, however, fully aware of the emotional torment that was ripping through both Melissa and Vandar.

“I could not,” he replied. “There were too many painful memories.” Here he looked at Melissa’s with such intensity that she dropped her eyes.

“And so here you are,” she said.

“Yes. Master of a brothel. I had enough money saved that I was able to set myself up in this place.”

There was an awkward silence. Neither spoke for a few seconds. Finally Melissa spoke again. “I suppose I would have done the same if I had been in your place. Do you have any children?”

Vandar shook his head. “When I set up this place I needed someone to run it. I might be good with a sword, but I know nothing about running a brothel, although I’ve been in my share of them.”

He caught Melissa’s look. “Not once I met you,” he added hastily.

Melissa managed a smile. Vandar sounded almost like a guilty husband.

“Anyway,” he continued, “as I said I needed someone to run the business. The woman I chose turned out to be more than my madame.” Vandar seemed almost embarrassed as he told his story. “You’ve met her, as a matter of fact.”

“Daria,” thought Melissa. “He married Daria.” Aloud she said, “She seems like a good choice.”

“I love her, Melissa. It might have been different if I had known you were alive.”

“I understand,” Melissa said quietly. “Sometimes I think the goddess of luck is toying with me. Of all the places to come looking for a job I pick this place.” She stood up. “I will not strain the friendship we once had. I can seek employment elsewhere.”

Vandar stopped her by placing his hand on hers. His touch brought back a flood of memories. It seemed like a lifetime ago that same hand had caressed her while they… She stopped herself. That was all in the past now. Part of a lifetime that was gone forever.

“Stay,” he said. “I’ve not heard your story. I’m sure that it is much more interesting than mine. And I owe you something. Your share of my treasure.”

“My share? I did nothing for it.”

“You were a member of my crew, entitled to a full share. Since you are the only surviving member you are heir to the shares of the other crew members as well.”

“I cannot take it,” Melissa said. “Give it to the widows of the dead men instead.”

“That has already been done,” Vandar replied. “But many of the men had no wives or women waiting for them. I have charge of that wealth now, and part of it is yours.”

Melissa continued to argue against receiving any help from Vandar, but he was adamant. It was almost as if he was compensating in some way for the fact that he had not waited for her. Finally she gave in and allowed him to finance the cost of a ship. She also stayed the night and the next night. She and her companions were given a room in a secluded part of the brothel. Melissa was able to determine that this was part of Vandar’s private living quarters.

She told Vandar her story, leaving out some details she thought best kept to herself. There was no point in telling him of the numerous times she had been tortured or sexually humiliated. Then, as soon as she was able, she took her leave. She had seen little of Daria during her short stay, but the few times they had met had been awkward. Daria was polite to her, as she should have been to a guest of her husband, but Melissa could tell that her courtesy was somewhat forced. It was best she left her former lover as soon as possible.

Vandar kept his word about her share. He provided the money for a ship as she had requested. He even sent along one of his men to help select it. There were any number of suitable vessels in Hamar’s Refuge. The trick was to find one that would not sink in the first storm or cost more than its value to repair.

The ship Melissa bought was not as large as the Reaver, but the ex-sailor who picked it out assured her that it was not only sound, but it would outsail almost any ship afloat. Now it was just a matter of finding a crew.

It took her several weeks to crew the Peregrine, as Melissa called the vessel she had purchased. She had named it after the bird on her family crest. There was no shortage of cutthroats available for hire, and Melissa chose her crew carefully. She wanted men she could rely on. And then there was the problem of convincing some of them that they should take orders from a woman. That problem was solved by the first man she hired.

Vandar had sent him to her. Chance Brown was his name. He was tough, experienced, and reputed to be fearless. He was the perfect choice for first mate. He proved so adept at his new position that Melissa gave over most of the recruiting to him, trusting to his judgment. He was also, as Che Sha remarked, “Very easy to look at.” Melissa had to agree, but she had not hired Brown for his looks. She hoped he could run a ship, something that she did not trust herself to do.

Hiring Brown solved most of her problems. Melissa busied herself with equipping the ship for sea and coaching Che Sha, Shasara, and Vayasha in her language. By the time the ship was ready for sea, the three young women had an acceptable working vocabulary.

The day finally arrived when the Peregrine was ready to sail. Without fanfare the ship headed for the open sea. As the Black Isles dwindled behind her, Melissa set her eyes on the horizon. She was headed for Dakmora. The Duke had probably forgotten she existed, but she had something special planned to announce her return. She smiled. The Duke was in for a bit of a shock.

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