Beauty's Beast Read online

  "I'm starting to see a pattern. Why would I take on a trouble maker?"

  "I'm not so much a troublemaker but I hate to see injustice done to others. When one of the crew was so hungry he stole, I took his punishment and would do it again in a second."

  "What's your name?"

  "Oba at your service."

  "Well Oba," Beauty stood. "Tell you what, we sail at first light. If you are on deck when we sail, welcome. If not, good luck on your travels."

  A grin split his face and pulled his scares tight. "You won't regret it."

  "Pray I don’t, for the ocean is a cold grave."

  Beauty didn't give him time to respond but turned and walked past her crew as they found entertainment and out the door. The first deep breathes of ocean air uncontaminated with the smell of cheap mead and spoiled bodies cleared her slightly congested nose. Why she even went ashore was a question she asked each time. There was nothing for her in port. She wasn't given to over drinking or sex with random men or women. She left the front of the saloon and started walking toward where the ship was docked. The path was overgrown and here and there people coupled or slept off too much drink. When she reached the water’s edge she stopped, braced her legs hip width apart and stared out over the ocean. Somewhere out there was a place she would be able to call home and not have to worry about it being taken away.

  "A beautiful sight, is it not?"

  The deep voice of the beast rode the wind.

  "Is there no peace from you?" she asked as she kept her eyes focused on the horizon past the ocean.

  "You hold the key to my freedom," a chuckle vibrated her ears.

  Beauty touched the small pocket where the map was hidden. "We still need to find two more pieces but I felt my crew needed some down time."

  "You don’t need to explain."

  "How are you here?"

  "You are near water. I can project to you if you wish?"

  "No need. One of my men was possessed, again." Beauty changed the subject. "It was after we found the second piece of the map."

  "Can you describe this?"

  "It was black. Or when it left him it was like a black smoke. What was strange was even after Ramon was dead his body continued to move."

  "The shaman after my treasure has found you and it looks like they are not going easy on you and yours."

  "How do I fight against something like that? If it was a man I could shoot him but a spirit? There is no protection."

  "Yes there is. In this village is there a fortune teller?"

  "Yes Madam Johan, why?"

  "Do you know her surname? Or her background?"

  "She was taken as a slave and somehow ended up here. No one has ever asked her how she escaped or why she doesn't return home."

  "I wonder if she is a descendent or a shaman herself. Go ask her for protection for your crew before you search for the next part of the map."

  "You think a trinket is going to protect me and my crew?"

  "What do you have to lose at this point?"

  Beauty shrugged and continued to stare out to sea. "She should still be up. I will visit her now." Beauty waited for the beast to speak but his presence was no longer there. "Could have said goodbye." With a last look at the sea she turned and headed to the Madam Johan's.

  Chapter Two

  Madam Johan's small brick house sat at the end of a row of shops. The front door pointed south and she only had one window on the north side. If she wasn't with a client she could be found in her rocking chair with her feet propped on the porch railing smoking her long pipe. Beauty found her in such a pose and waved. Beauty took a few seconds to take in the picture she made with her dark skin, black scarf wrapped around her head and the colorful dress with gold and silver bracelets and necklaces to accommodate the look.

  "I thought I would never see you grace the doors of my home." Johan stood and moved slowly to the edge of her porch. "I see you come seeking help in your travels."

  "Everyone is talking about it." Beauty stopped at the edge of the porch. "I was told by a friend that you could make me a trinket that would give my crew protection."

  She sucked on her pipe and blew smoke out her nose. "Maybe. But first I want to read your cards."

  "I don't need -"

  "We need to listen to the spirit world," Johan interrupted. "They have insights that we can only began to imagine. What harm can be done?"

  Beauty took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She had been avoiding Madam Johan for just this reason, she hated to be told what her future held. The last person who had done so was the shaman in her home village and because of what he said she was sold into slavery. "I don't trust it."

  "It is what it is." Johan reached to a small table and picked up a deck of large cards. She shuffled the cards while staring at Beauty. "You carry a load not meant for one person." She placed a card down and glanced at it. "The inverted fool. Take heed of what I tell you for your journey depends on it. Thus far you have traveled by reacting to that around you but to reach the end of your travels with your crew alive, you must start to think and plan." She laid the next card down. "The moon. You will make more mistakes as you seek that which you want. Beware of your personal limitations and lean on those close to you." The third and last card was laid down and she sucked in a breath. "Six of Wands. You will not only be successful during your journey but you will be given that which your heart most desires."

  Beauty stared at the three cards laid out on the railing. To her they just looked like pictures drawn on paper, nothing magical. In her village, the shaman read the bones of recently killed birds and they were more often wrong. Could Johan be saying what she wanted to hear?

  "I see you are skeptical," Johan gathered the cards and placed them back on the table. "Come back in the morning and I will have your protection ready. Think of what I just told you." She turned and walked in her house closing the door behind her.

  Beauty stood for a second staring at the closed door and wondering just what she got herself into. There was nothing she could do until morning so she headed back to the saloon and soon lost herself in her cups and dark thoughts.

  "Hey captain, why the dark look?"

  Beauty glanced up into the smiling face of Hugos. "You left the ship."

  "Well someone told me you were sitting here, alone, drinking. I thought I would join you for a bit. Want to talk about whatever is bothering you?"

  "You know how I hate shaman because of what happened in my village, right?"

  "Aye."

  "I went to the local witch," she put her head in her hands. "She read my cards and I don’t know if I should believe what she said or not."

  "It's not for me to know what she said but do not judge all magic users by the one in your village," Hugos waved down a serving girl and ordered them two drinks. "I for one cannot wait to have our own port. The crap they call brew is all but water."

  "Aye." Beauty smelled the brew the serving girl set before her and wrinkled her nose. "Smells like piss."

  "Here's to piss." Hugos held up his cup before downing the contents. "Shit that's gross."

  Beauty laughed and sipped her before setting it on the table. Her eyes scanned the crowd and landed on her crew members who were all enjoying themselves. "I picked up another for the crew."

  Hugos turned from where he was ogling a server's breast. "Has Amina met them?"

  "Nay but I can’t wait to see what happens. He's that great brute over there." Beauty pointed at Oba who was arm wrestling anyone in sight, Amina stood off to the side watching.

  "Looks like she is going to meet him sooner than you thought."

  "Now this will be entertainment."

  Beauty leaned forward and watched as Amina sat down and cracked her knuckles. Her opponents usually looked scared the second she sat down but Oba just smiled and winked. When their hands touched, Beauty could have sworn she saw sparks fly and something clicked between them. The look in her best friend’s eyes told a different story.
Muscles stood out on both their necks as they battled for dominance. Sweat started to trail down their faces and the smiles became grimaces.

  Amina leaned forward and Beauty watched as her arm started to shake. A roar burst from the crowd as Oba slammed Amina's arm hard onto the table. Without breaking eye contact he picked up his cup, downed the content and slammed it on the table beside Amina's arm. He said something to Amina that had her lifting her lip in a sneer before standing and stomping to where Beauty was. She threw herself in a chair and glared at the wall.

  "That man gets to me."

  "You mean he is the only man or woman who has beat you in years?"

  "He cheated." Amina picked up Beauty's half empty cup and emptied it down her throat before wiping the back of her mouth with her hand. "I swear he did and I need to figure out how."

  "Well you will have a voyage to figure it out." Beauty smiled when Amina eyes snapped to her. "What did you just say?"

  "He signed on to the crew," Beauty shrugged. "We can't very well say no. We lost too many."

  Amina slumped in her chair. "I know but can't we find someone not him?"

  "Oh no, I haven't seen you this rattled in ages." Beauty stood and grinned down at her quartermaster. "I think I'm going to like this part of the voyage."

  Beauty nodded at Hugos who had his hand up a serving girls skirt and ordered another drink for Amina before strolling out the pub. She needed time alone before she told her crew that they would be facing even more danger. As the hulking figure of the ship drew closers she thought about leaving the crew and finding the treasure on her own. She could always come back for them. A burst of laughter and a squeal made her shake her head. There was no way she was going to be able to leave her family behind.

  Chapter Three

  The next morning The Freedom set sail with ten new crew members including Madam Johan. She had found Beauty before the sun had risen and explained how she had seen her future and it was with the crew. Who was Beauty to argue with fate but she did warn Johan everyone worked on the crew. Now she stood watching as Johan was taught how to man the sails. This was going to be an interesting voyage.

  "Can we toss him over the side?" Amina growled as she stomped to Beauty's side. "Or maybe hang him by his toes from the mass."

  "What happened?" Beauty asked, fighting to keep the smile out of her voice.

  "That brute just pushed me out the way when I was helping take supplies below." She pointed to her chest and her eyes grew large. "Like I can’t carry a small barrel."

  "He was just helping, I'm sure." Beauty let the smile slide across her lips. "Some men are that way."

  Amina spit to the side. "I have carried heavier things and if he thinks he can show me up, he has another thing coming."

  Hugos' laugh floated over to them. "You would think Amina is flustered."

  "I'm not." Amina stood taller and puffed out her chest. "No man can intimidate me."

  Beauty laughed and when Amina glared at her and stormed off, she laughed harder.

  "You know we are never going to hear the end of this." Hugos stated.

  "Yes, but to watch her around Oba is beyond fun." Beauty turned from her watching her quartermaster and faced Hugos. "But more seriously, we have two more pieces of map to find. Last night I thought of leaving you all behind and doing it alone."

  "We would have hunted you down." Hugos glared. "We are family and we stick together no matter how dangerous it becomes."

  "Tell that to the few who decided not to continue."

  "They are cowards and when we have a port they will not be welcomed. Life is not without dangers, why sit on the sidelines?"

  "Excuse me?"

  Beauty turned and lifted an eyebrow when she saw Johan. "Yes? Already learn what you need?"

  "No, not even close." She wrinkled her nose. "But I wanted to say thanks again for allowing me passage."

  "You didn’t give me much choice." Beauty smiled. "I think you even had all your belongings with you."

  "You could have still turned me away but I think the gods want me on this journey, I just need to figure out why."

  "Just as the map only reveals its secrets when it’s time, so will the gods." Beauty said. "Have you been shown to the sleeping quarters?"

  "Yes. It will take some getting used to. I have been long on my own with my own space."

  "Just wait," Beauty laughed. "In a week, if not a few days, everyone will be a little ripe."

  "More than they are already?"

  "You have no idea," Beauty shrugged. "I have gotten used to it but still wish there was a way to bathe."

  "Johan, you are needed," Serena yelled. "You can talk when the work is done."

  "I guess that's my cue to get back to work." She turned and her long flowing skirt, which she had refused to change out of, swirled around her legs.

  "There is something off about her," Beauty muttered to Hugos.

  "There's something off about all of us," he answered.

  "True, but she seems to be a special kind of off." Beauty shrugged. "No time to figure it out."

  "Slackers," Amina grumbled as she jumped to the quarterdeck. "We took on a crew of slackers."

  "What's wrong?" Beauty asked as she looked out over the crew. "Everyone seemed to be doing their job."

  "Oh they know how to do their jobs but they don't seem to care about doing it right." Amina put her hands on her hip and glared down at the crew. "It's a pity we cannot run this ship with just the three of us."

  "Are you sure it's the whole crew or just a certain someone?" Hugos teased.

  "Fuck," Amina turned her back on the crew and glared at Hugos. "You have no idea how annoying that man is. How about I steer and you try to get him to do what you say."

  Beauty laughed. "Hugos, I told you this would be an interesting sail."

  "While you two find amusement with my troubles, have we a direction?"

  Beauty pulled the map from the small pocket in her pants and spread it out. "I don't know really. I swear every time I think I have it figured out, it changes."

  "Is there no coded message?" Hugos asked.

  "No, not this time." Beauty frowned. "Just another piece of the map."

  "What could that mean?" Amina asked pointing at a pod of dolphins. "I have never seen a map with fish."

  "Dolphins are good luck," Beauty smiled. "Maybe our fortune is turning and this will be an easy run." She glanced at Hugos. "Looks like we are headed south." She felt the pull of the boat as it slowly turned and the kick as the wind hit the sails and they jerked forward.

  Chapter Four

  A brisk wind blew from the north bringing a slight chill. The sun was just peeking over the horizon and Beauty felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Her eyes scanned the horizon and sky before landing back on the ships map. Sometime between dawn and sunrise the ship had moved.

  "Hugos have we changed course?"

  "Nay," he squinted at the sun. "But the sun tells a different story."

  "Aye. This map is useless," she slammed her fist down on it.

  "What about the other one?" he asked. "I can only assume we are near another piece."

  "I thought the same thing but when I looked at it, nothing. It didn’t even twitch."

  Hugos frowned. "Well I will have a hard time finding a safe course until we find a way to read a map, any map."

  A loud boom rocked the ship.

  "Devil's wave!"

  Beauty glanced at Hugos and knew the fear in his eyes was reflected in hers. Devil waves came out of nowhere and only a few ships had ever escaped their clutches. Even the most experienced sailors feared this wave for there was no way to outrun it.

  "Amina, hunker down." Beauty yelled.

  The crew flew into action. Anything that could be tied down was and ropes were tied around waists and ankles. Beauty secured herself to the ship.

  "May the gods help us all."

  The wave hit port side and the ship went vertical. Just when Beauty feared they
would capsize the wave broke and they were tossed back level. The thud as her crew hit the deck and the cries of pain echoed her own. Where was the beast when she needed him most?

  "Oh shit," Hugos screamed.

  Beauty turned and her mouth fell open. Where before a blank sea was now land rushed toward them.

  "Drop anchors," Amina yelled as she jumped to the quarterdeck. "All of them."

  As the anchors were dropped, the ship creaked as it was pulled to a sudden stop.

  "That was close," Hugos wiped sweat from his eyes. "Where are we? It looks like noon."

  "Not again," Amina moaned. "Can’t we just travel by normal means? This ship is going to be the death of me."

  "Not as long as I'm here," Oba called from where he was checking the sails. "I'll always protect you."

  "I don’t need your protection, you yellow belly."

  Oba threw his head back and laughed. "One day soon you will take back those words."

  "Fix the sails and mind your own council," Amina turned her back and crossed her arms, glaring at Beauty and Hugos. "And you two can stop smiling. He drives me crazy."

  "Enough playing," Beauty said. " We need to figure out where we are." She pulled the cursed map from her pocket and wasn't surprised to find it dry. "Bloody map."

  "Where does it lead?" Hugos asked.

  Beauty glared as a thin line danced across the paper toward land. She turned the map and the line reversed directions and again pointed at land. "I guess we are where we are supposed to be. "She looked up and frowned. "But we were weeks away from any port," she used her spyglass to check out the land. "It seems there may be a village."

  "The only thing we can do is ask someone," Amina said. "Someone on the island must know where we are."

  "We take a few and head to shore."

  "I say we give everyone some land time." Hugos wagged his eyebrows. "Maybe find some entertainment."

  "I see your point. Amina let the crew know?”

  Amina turned to the crew and started shouting orders. "I guess you slackers are going to get some shore time. We sail at daybreak. If you are not back, you will be left behind."