NIGHT by I. Rin (fantasy books to read .TXT) 📖

sky became gray. Meanwhile, the pirate ship was rapidly approaching to them. It was so close that they could distinguish the black flag with a skull on the mast and screaming figures of sailors on the deck.

 

“They are too quickly!” Julien cried. “Another twenty minutes and they will catch up with us!”

 

“No, they won’t!” smiled the sorcerer.

 

He raised his hands and began to make some circular move-ments. Suddenly a huge swirl appeared ahead.

 

“Captain, take the steering-wheel!” shouted Huron. “We are going to have some shaking!”

 

Julien rushed to help the sailor, who was at the wheel. The ship was shuddering from the high waves. Angelica looked back and saw that the same was happening with the pirate ship. The sorcerer continued moving with his hands harsher and harsher, and huge waves covered both ships.

 

“Angelica,” the captain shouted barely holding the helm, “get down to the cabin, quickly!”

 

The girl had already realized that to stay on the deck was extremely dangerous. Clinging to the side, she began moving toward the stern. Only two steps and she would be save. Lica dropped the rubbing piece and stepped forward. It was at this time the pirates shot at the merchant vessel. Julien sharply twisted the wheel. The ship lay on the left side, and a huge wave hit it with the top. Angelica screamed, but it was too late. The girl was washed away in the sea. She choked with water and passed out...

 

When Lica awoke, she was in a bed in someone’s cabin. The girl jumped up looking around. A table with maps and a compass was next to the bed. A black piano was standing nearby. Angelica went to it and noticed a medallion on the lid. The girl opened it. She saw a portrait of a handsome, dark-haired, young man inside. The young man had big green eyes and angular features.

 

“God, where am I?” Angelica began to whisper with horror. She put the medallion back and tried to see something in the window, but saw nothing except waves. At this time, she heard somebody’s footsteps and a tall young man entered the room. He wasn’t handsome. An ugly scar pockmarked his face, his long black hair with dirty greasy strands were hanging down his shoulders. Thin lips curled into a cold smile. But his eyes ... His green eyes were huge! Lica could swear that this man and the young man in the medallion were the same person!

 

“Good afternoon, lady!” the man sneered. “It was a bad idea to walk on the deck in storm! You see, what can happen!”

 

“Hello!” Angelica said softly. “Thank you! You saved my life!” “This is the custom of the sea – to pull those who are over board in a storm!”

 

“Thank you anyway!”

 

“You are welcome! Now I am wondering what I will do with you?” “Can you take me to the port,” Lica murmured hopefully.

“Holy Fool!” the man laughed. “Do you have any idea where you are now?”

 

“I can guess,” the girl nodded.

 

 “Well, well! You are on board of the ‘Black Patrick’, the pirate ship! And I’m the captain!”

 

“Patrick?”

 

“That’s right!”

 

The man made a playful nod.

 

“Who are you? And what did you do on board of the merchant ship?”

 

“My friends and I were sailing to the mountains that were on that side of the sea.”

 

“To the wild place? Why?”

 

“Somebody had to meet me there.”

 

“That sounds strange...” Patrick said, lifting his left eyebrow. “You’ve got me intrigued! But I have one prejudice. I am definitely sure that the woman on the ship is for bad luck! Therefore, I’ll drop you off at the nearest island we pass and there you will do what you want!”

 

“But Captain!” Lica exclaimed. “I hope you are a gentleman and never leave a girl alone on the island! I can die there!”

 

“I am a Pirate! And I do not care about your future. Anyway, you should be grateful to me for what I did not put you at the worry of my pirates!”

 

“I am grateful,” Angelica sobbed. “But please, do not leave me to fend for myself!”

 

“Oh, God!” Patrick said loudly. “I’m not here to calm you down!”

 

He turned and walked quickly out of the cabin, slamming the door. Now she was no longer constrained, burst of tears.

 

“Well,” she wailed, “I haven’t completed the mission, and he is going to leave me on a deserted piece of land where I will die of hunger and thirst!”

 

Having a good weep, Lica went to the piano, opened the lid and ran her finger over the keys. She was not a professional musician, but four classes of music school gave her the way for action. Angelica sat down on a chair and began to play soft, melancholic melody. She played more and more confident. The keys were groaning under her fingers, as if they were telling the girl’s sad story. Lica did not notice how the cabin door opened and Patrick went into the room with surprise and delight. Imperceptibly the captain closed the door. The girl finished playing, closed the piano and leaned on it thinking.

Patrick’s story

 

 

A few minutes later, she heard a knock on the cabin door, and then a smiling sailor went into. He was short and stout, but his face was very kind. Angelica was even surprised to see such a charming man on the pirate ship.

 

“Sorry, the captain ordered to set the table!” he said. “Today he wants to dine with you.”

 

And the sailor quickly put all unnecessary things off and brought some delicious food and drinks.

 

“Wait,” Lica hailed the sailor. “Your captain! He is a quite strange man... as if he has some secrets!”

 

“Oh!” the young man laughed. “Our captain has many secrets! At least one is that he is a lord.”

 

Suddenly the sailor realized that he blundered out too much. He quickly left the room. Frankly saying, Angelica was terribly hungry, but she did not dare to touch the food. The girl was patiently waiting Patrick.

 

Finally, the captain came, but she could hardly recognize him now. He was wearing clean clothes and smelled fresh. Beautiful black hair was curling down his shoulders. Even his scar didn’t seem so awful to Lica now.

 

“What was the cause of these changes, Captain?” Angelica surprised honestly.

 

“I cannot afford myself to be untidy in company of such a beautiful young lady!” Patrick grinned.

 

He sat opposite the girl and looked at her. Only now did Lica see how deep Patrick’s green eyes were. They were no longer cold, rather, very, very sad.

 

“You are hungry, aren’t you?” said the captain. “Please, help yourself!”

 

He poured her some red wine and pulled a bowl of fruit. “You are right, I am very hungry,” Angelica agreed. “And it smells so good!”

 

“Today my cook did his best!” said Patrick. “You know there are some moments in life when only delicious food can bring real pleasure! By the way, you know my name but I still do not know yours!”

 

“Angelica!”

 

“Nice name!”

 

The Captain gave Lica grilled fish.

 

“You play the piano very well,” Patrick noticed.

 

“Not very well!” the girl embarrassed. “So, so...”

 

“Do not be shy!” the captain smiled. “But you are very sad; your music speaks for you!”

 

“Why do I have to be happy?” asked Angelica. “May be because you are going to leave me on the desert island?”

 

The Captain broke, but caught himself.

 

“You have to understand,” he said. “This is not a yacht for pleasure. A woman on the pirate ship is a problem primarily for herself!”

 

“But why won’t you take me to the port?”

 

“Are you kidding me? There we will be caught and hanged by the authorities!”

 

Lica was silent. Her appetite was gone. She was staring at the table.

 

“Why do you stop eating?” Patrick asked.

 

“I don’t want to, thank you.”

 

“Do not be silly, eat! Maybe this is the last good dinner in your life.”

 

“And what about the death wish?” she asked.

 

“Speak!” the captain nodded.

 

“Could you leave me, please, tomorrow morning. I would not like to spend the night on a desert island.”

 

 “Agreed!” Patrick grinned. “One night in your presence on the ship, I think I will be able to stand! Then I have a wish... Play something else!”

 

Angelica did not want to do it, but she was afraid to argue with the captain. The girl came to the instrument, sat behind it and began to play “Requiem” by Mozart. She sometimes fakes, her fingers fell the wrong way but she continued to play. When she finished, the last chords were still in the air, Patrick came and kissed her hand.

 

“Bravo!” he said sincerely. “I have never heard such wonderful music!”

 

“Why do you have the piano here?” asked the girl. “My bride gave it to me as a present. But...” Suddenly the captain stopped and paused.

 

“Captain,” quietly said Angelica, “I have seen your medallion. On the photo, you look completely different, more honest and open. Tell me about your life, anyway tomorrow I will leave and we never meet again!”

 

“Then promise me that you’ll eat something!” Patrick smiled. He gave Lica his hand and led her to the table. The girl took a glass of wine and prepared to listen.

 

“To begin with, I was born in a very rich and noble family,” the captain began. “My parents didn’t grudge any money for me. I got the best education in our city. When I grew up, my mother and father would like to marry me to a girl from a noble family. Every month my mom organized balls, which attracted all the young damsels from wealthy families. At first I was amused, then pall, and then I got so fed up with them that using any opportunity I tried to avoid going to the balls. Once I escaped from my parents in the port. Not to be bored, I went to the tavern, where I heard beautiful music. On a small stage there was a piano, and a young beautiful girl was playing a sad melody. I was flabbergasted! The piano in the tavern and a commoner could play it - it was beyond my compre-hension. Nevertheless, I stayed to listen the tune to the end. When she finished, she stood up and shouted the saloonkeeper: ‘Thank you, Gregory! I will come again tomorrow at the same time!’ Tavern keeper smiled and waved the young girl. Now I could see her better. Big black eyes seemed to be able to incinerate anyone. Red lips, thin chiseled nose... She could outshine the most exquisite beautiful ladies. She ran past me and her long, jet-black hair touched my hand. I realized that I was gone. My heart was beating quickly and I had never felt anything like that to anyone before. I went to the saloonkeeper, throwing him a gold coin I asked him: ‘Who is this young lady?’ ‘Oh, young gentleman, you’d better to look at someone else!’ whispered the saloonkeeper. ‘She is Mary – the daughter of Old Jack! He doted on her. He gave her as the best education as no one else dreamed about. She can play several musical instruments, speaks five languages. Moreover, she can sail better than her father can and she is good at fighting!’ I had heard from my father about Old Jack. There was no pirate more crafty, cunning and elusive than he was. He easily plundered ships