Epic Tale - Chapter 14 - Part 2

As soon as the captain appeared on the deck, the crew started questioning him. It died down when he rose his hands.
“Arr, me hearties. Me knows ye waited long fer me t’return, but ye have to wait a little longer fer me answers. First, let me turn to those waiting next to the ship.”
The rest of the forenoon was then used to introduce new crew members to the pirates as well as welcoming them.
Out of the corner of her eyes, Riddle saw the captain and the co-captain making use of this chance to leave again. The trickster was about to follow them, when someone softly held her back. It was Talia, who had plucked up all of her courage.
“Riddle… I need to tell you something”, she said with a low voice. The trickster nodded and they both went into the head officer’s cabin. Leith had moved out the day they moored at this port, so now the cabin was deserted again.
Talia sat down on the bed, obviously feeling uneasy.
“I… I saw the captain yesterday…”, she began.
“He.. there was someone… they seemed to know each other… but that .. creature… it looked so horrible! As if it came right out of a nightmare! … And the captain… he was so different… They spoke of mutiny among us, Riddle!”
“I won’t let a mutiny happen”, the head officer assured, for the second time this day. Talia gave her a thankful smile.
“What exactly did that creature say?”
“It called our captain ‘Serenade’ the whole time. It said our crew would be in the same condition as his last one. It told him some of us want him removed and the majority would join them. It said we would fall apart…”
Talia's voice died down and Riddle hugged her.
“Whatever or whoever that creature was, it doesn’t know us. Don’t worry. As long as I breathe I’ll fight for our crew, our home. I promise!”
“It said if we go on, we are all going die, too”
“It just spreads lies to stop us.”
“Do you really think so?”
“But of course. We’re weaker when there’s mistrust among us. I’m certain that’s what the creature wants. It wants us to turn against each other. It wants the crew to fall apart so it can have revenge against Captain Chenbeard.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“The captain worried about a mutiny, too. After what you told me, it’s just a matter of adding two and two.”
“Is that why he kept away from us?”
“I don’t know for sure, but it could be”
“Thank you Riddle.”
“What for?”
“For being you, I guess”, Talia smiled and left the cabin. Lady Riddle went to find Aslansa. She had no clear description of the creature, but it could be some sort of demon. Maybe there was something like a demon of mistrust. Also, searching the islands for it couldn’t probably be a wrong thing to do.

Meanwhile, Leelu was walking through the city - again. Her feet carried her to the part of the market place, where all sorts of fabrics were produced and sold. She had been here everyday since they had vacation and slowly, even the beehive of a market failed to lift her spirit. She really appreciated how people tried to make her smile, but her gloomy mood increased with every day Dan didn’t return.
Her thoughts were interrupted when a hand crafted felt rose appeared in front of her eye.
“A smile looks much better on you”, a friendly voice said. Startled and a little flattered the seamstress turned around. Leith was standing next to her, showing one of those bright, yet also devilish smiles.
“Take it, or I’ll feel like a fool”, he laughed and waved the rose in front of Leelu’s slightly blushed face.
Leelu blinked, a little flattered, yet also concerned. Wasn't the selkie Lady Riddle's love interest? Also, she hadn’t seen him around since the arrival.
"Thanks, Leith," she replied politely, accepting the rose with a small smile.
"Shouldn't you be with a certain trickster right now? I'm sure she needs more of a mood lift than I do." she had to comment, looking over the soft and fuzzy flower she now held.
"Nah, I'm sure she's fine. Probably relieved a few men of their cash and now  plays games on the ship, but you aren’t. So I figured you need this more than her", Leith grinned and added with a prankful twinkle in his eyes:
"You just shouldn't tell her that I'm giving out roses to sad girls, aye?"
He then pretends to ponder a moment.
"Unless she finds that noble, selfless and heroic. In that case, you have to."
Leelu broke into laughter when Leith even underlined those attributes with ridiculous poses. It was a real shame his worn down cloak wasn’t a flapping, bright cape.
“I shall”, she chuckled.
“Wonderful. And now that you owe me a favor, you’ll have to help me out”, Leith claimed and led Leelu into a small shop. It was one of those shops crammed with old and mysterious items of which each single one could cause a whole series of adventures.
Leith held up a ring that looked more expensive than a small kingdom.
“Too pretentious, isn’t it?”
“What are you looking for?”, Leelu wondered.
“Something that won’t end up on a poker table”, he answered and carelessly put the ring back down, delving deeper into the shop.
Leelu pondered for a moment.
“I think basically anything that can’t defend itself is a potential wager to her”, the seamstress answered after a while. Leith was nowhere to be seen, but from somewhere she could hear a triumphant exclamation.
She found the selkie standing in front of some cages, of which one was opened. The animal it had hosted was now climbing over Leith’s shoulders. It was the size of a cat with much bigger ears, fluffy chest, cheeks and tail tip. The back was of  bright orange with a white front and a white face with big turquoise eyes, On the back and the ear tips were black marking.
. Leelu couldn’t help it as she saw the creature.
“Awww… it’s adorable!”
The animal turned its head to her and jumped onto the ground, walking over to the seamstress. It made a sound close to a meow and softly rubbed itself against the pirate’s legs.
“May I help you?” an old voice asked and a small  man emerged from the shades of the store. Every aspect of his appearance had “shopkeeper” written in bold letters across it.
The cat-like creature wandered gracefully over him and tried climbing onto his shoulders. The man picked the purring animal up and brought it back into the cage.
“Don’t get fooled by her look. The moment you walk outside, that sly beast’d be gone with the wind in a jiffy before returnin’ here”, he said and locked the cage.
“But still you are selling her?”, Leith wondered. The shopkeeper chuckled.
“I gave up, lad, because  every time I tried to sell her, I had to give my customers her money back. Now she lives in the shop..”
“Where did you get her?”, Leelu asked unable to remove her eyes from the creature.
“Do you have the time to listen to an old man’s story?”
Leith looked over to Leelu, but the seamstress had nothing better to do, so she nodded. Anything that would keep her distracted was welcome.
“Aye, spin your yarn, old man”, the selkie said and pulled up two stools. The shopkeeper climbed onto a pile of carpets and cushions, sat down with crossed legs and began his tale:

“It was sev’ral months ago. The night was dark and the moon shone through the clouds like the sparkling eye of a dancer through the veils. I was just about to close the shop when there was a knock on my door. At the same time a storm broke loose, howling like a pack of starvin’ wolves, I tell you. The knocking became louder and I pitied the poor devil outside my door. So I opened and let my late visitor in. ‘Twas a gypsy lady, but a mighty fine one, I tell you, lad. Even in the weak light I had, her coal eyes were sparklin’ like embers. I tell you, with those eyes, that woman could easily seduce the devil himself. I will never forget those eyes, framed by her ebony hair.
She carried and bundle that moved slightly. I first I though she carried a child, but when she removed the covers that beautiful beast over there looked at me.
“Please, good Sir’, she began and I tell you, her voice carried the melody lands far away.
‘I can’t take care of her anymore and you are a merchant. Please let me sell her to you.’
Who was I to decline a wish of that exotic goddess? She whispered somethin’ to the little creature, as if sayin’ goodbye to a child and without countin’ her payment, she went back outside into the ragin’ storm. I followed her, but she was nowhere to be seen.
Ever since that day I tried sellin’ that little fella over there, but she keeps comin’ back all the time.”

“Would you sell her to me?”, Leith asked when the old man had finished.
“I told you, lad, she’ll run off.”
“No woman ran away from me so far”, Leith said with a devilish grin and Leelu felt her cheeks slightly blushing. Should she tell Riddle about this?
The shopkeeper shrugged his shoulders.
“‘Tis your money, lad.”
“Great!”, Leith cheered, getting up and pulling forth a small leathery bag containing some coins. For a moment Leelu wondered where he got the money from, but it surely wasn’t her business.

Few minutes later, the selkie and Leelu left the shop again, the strange creature purring in Leith’s arms.
“Let’s see if we can make it to the ship without the little one running off”, Leith suggested.
“Do you believe the old man’s story?”, Leelu wondered.
“I think he was just trying to get a higher price out of it. It’s a big port town. You pay for both the item and the story”, he laughed.
“I guess you’re right”, the pirate chuckled. When the trio arrived at the ship, something unexpected happened.