Telum

Telum took Julia's hands into his own. The scent of rain hung palpably in the air as their ship rocked gently in the night. The rest of the crew, besides the helmsman alone, were asleep in their cabins below.

"I'm sorry," Julia whispered, "but as long as my father is the captain of this ship, we'll never be able to open ourselves completely, you know that. He'd never settle for my being given to a deckhand."

"I wish I had never even come aboard and met you."

"Don't," she cooed.

Telum let her hands drop and gripped the side-railing of the stern. Flitting between the passing of pitch cloud cover, a full moon's glow came cascading around them. The ocean was breaking into whitecaps. They were steering directly into a waking storm.

"How can I not? I was happier when I was ignorant of such feelings as these. They lure me into false hopes and false dreams."

"Have I fallen in love with a blind man? Do you not see me here with you, in this situation together with you? I am just as stricken as you are."

A soft pattering of rain began trickling down around them. In the distance, Telum discerned a flashing light of a passing vessel communicating with their own. From the bow of their ship, the helmsman, oblivious to their meeting, signaled back with his lantern. A chill wind broke aboard, filling the sails to the brim.

"You don't understand," he replied, almost in a whisper. "I'm alone, Julia. I'm all alone in this world and you still have a family." He took a deep breath and sighed, turning back towards her. "For a moment, you made me remember what it was like."

"Telum..."

Julia motioned to embrace him, but he jerked back away from her arms. They stood locked in gaze for what felt like hours, the wind climbing to a howel around them. Telum opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by an echoing blast in the distance. What sounded like lightning exploded into cannon fire as the ship shook violently beneath them. Splinters of wood and shrapnel went screeching in all directions. From the front of the ship, the helmsman hammered on the warning bell fiercely.


"Julia!" Telum shouted.

Another shot sounded and again their vessel buckled under the hit. Julia was knocked off her feet by the surge and went rolling under the railing off the edge of the stern.

"Man overboard!"

Telum went racing for a lifesaver hanging on the side of the captain's cabin. The crew came surged out from below, looks of confusion and fright hot on their faces. As though on cue, the rain came crashing down in full force over them. Another shot rang out, another hit rattled them all.

As Telum grasped the lifesaver in his hands, the captain came sprinting out of his quarters, still in his woolen pajamas.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Under fire, sir. I know not from whom or why!" the helmsmen shouted in reply.

"Your daughter is overboard, sir," Telum also shouted after.

He went sprinting full force back to the stern with the captain hot on his heels. Telum threw the lifesaver over to Julia, but she was already too far behind.

"Hang on, Julia. Just keep kicking," the captain directed her. Then, turning to the helmsman, he yelled, "Turn this vessel around, now!"

"Its cold, dad! My legs are... numb!"

"But we're under fire, Jeffery!" the helmsman shouted back.

"I am Jeffery on shore, but now I am captain and you do as I say you fool. Turn her around!" Jeffery turned to Telum and snatched him up by his shirt collar, forcing him hard against the mast pole. "What the hell is my daughter doing in the water? I swear to God if she drowns..."

His last words were cut short as another blast ripped into their hull. The frame was weakening under the barrage, and the last shot sounded as though it was beginning to break open their ship's carapace.

"We don't have time for this," Jeffery said, releasing him. "Get into the cabins, now."

Telum remained rooted to the spot, watching the captain intently. "No."

"The hell do you mean no? That's an order, go!"

"I love your daughter, sir. I love Julia."

A flash of lightning broke over the sea, radiating over their pale faces and matted hair. Julia had disappeared behind the other side of the ship as they came close to completing the turn back for her. Another shot rang out, this time tearing through a topsail.

"They're coming for you, Telum."

"What? What do you mean? Who are they?"

Jeffery took Telum by the hand and lifted it up beneath the dim lamplight. The shape of the crescent moon was glowing red on his palm. It was again shining through the bandage he always kept concealing it.

"Why do you think we took you on board as a deckmate instead of cutting your hands off when we caught you stealing from us in Portsmouth? The king has been looking for you for decades, kid, the king and every other bloodthirsty pirate and powerhungry vagabond in the sea. You are invaluable."

Telum's mind went scrambling for answers to questions he didn't even know how to begin asking. Everything was suddenly crashing down on him.

"Now's not the time for any questions," he continued. "They won't sink us because they need you, but you're not here, do you understand?"

"Julia..." Telum mustered.

"Is not in your destiny, kid. Get the hell down below so I can ensure that the sea floor is not in hers."

It took every ounce of Telum's strength to comply to the captain's demand. He felt trapped between the prospect of Julia drowning, the cannon fire and the enormous truth just enveiled to him about himself. Still, he mustered enough will to sprint away and dove into the lower quarters amid a scrambling, frantic crew.

Stowed away on his cot, his imagination was tearing into him with as unrelenting force as the cannonballs beating harder and harder into their ship. Turning his hand over, he stared at the ember moon with mounting anger. What was this curse unexpectedly borne upon him? He thought about Julia and the whole crew he had suddenly put at risk.

"They want this?" he asked himself aloud.

From a chest at the foot of his cot he pulled out a large hunting knife. Its end glinted sharply beneath the rocking candlelight. Laying the cursed hand down on the cot, he glared at it maniacly, gripping the handle of the knife tighter with his other.

The cannon fire stopped. Suddenly aware of the imminent silence, Telum froze, listening intently for any sound or indication. The ship recoiled against something large and hooks could be heard grappling onto the starboard side of the vessel. As gun shots sounded amongst ensuing screams from the crew, Telum raised the knife up directly over his wrist. He clenched his teeth tight, preparing himself for the pain.

Just as he flexed to bring the knife down with full force, the cabin door burst open and a shot rang out. The knife went flying as a bullet pierced the hand that held it. Clenching and cradling his wound in pain, Telum turned to see a tall, muscular man standing silhouetted in the doorway.

"Get up, you're coming with us, Telum," the man spoke almost in a hiss. "We've been looking all over for you."

Telum's heart was throbbing painfully in his chest. He could almost feel it pumping its way up and out through his throat.

"Where..." his voice restricted, cutting his words short. "Where is Julia?"

The man's mouth cracked into a sickly smile. Telum looked down at his tan boots, nausea washing over him as he found them splashed with fresh blood.

"So that was her name?" he laughed. "She's of no concern to you now, boy. We've got bigger things to do, you and I."

(Word count: 1331)