“Ye ken that wasna my fault.” Nairnie’s hands went to her hips and she squinted one eye at the man. One thing about the old woman was that she could put the fear of God into anyone . . . even pirates. When her hands went to her hips, every man there knew it was time to run the other way.
“Get back to work, Goldtooth,” Mardon ordered.
“Aye, Cap’n.” The big man turned to leave.
“Wait,” said Mardon, stopping him. “Aaron’s my new quartermaster now, but since he refuses to give up his last position, he’ll need an assistant bosun. Are you up for the challenge?”
“Me?” Goldtooth straightened his stance. At the same time, he took a step back from Nairnie, making distance between them. “Ye know ye can count on me, Cap’n.”
“Good. Then go check on the men and tell Stitch I want to see him. Oh, and send Ramble to clean up my cabin,” he told him, speaking of the chatty young cabin boy.
“Aye, Cap’n,” said Goldtooth, turning so fast to leave that he brushed into Nairnie and she lost her balance. Mardon reached out and grabbed her before she fell.
“Someone needs to teach yer crew manners,” sniffed the old woman, gaining her sea legs beneath her once again.
“Why didn’t you stay on shore?” Mardon asked her in a low voice.
“Aye, Grandmother,” Aaron joined in the conversation. “We figured you’d be happy to be off this ship. Especially now since the galley is destroyed.”
The galley was a small enclosure near the front of the ship. It is where Nairnie cooked, and slept as well.
“Well, someone’s got to cook for ye two so it might as well be me, galley or no’. After all, ye dinna have a cook since yers died over the winter.”
“Aye, we have a few positions to fill, but I plan on fixing that soon,” Mardon told her.
“Do you think you can make us those biscuits again, Grandmother?” asked Aaron. His eyes glistened with excitement from under his mop of long, blond hair. One thing about Aaron was that he liked to eat, even though he was just as fit as Mardon and Tristan and didn’t have extra fat on him anywhere. “You know what I mean. The ones with all the butter and herbs on them.” Aaron plopped down atop a wooden box and stretched out his long legs, crossing his arms as well as his bare feet.
“I dinna ken,” said Nairnie in her crackly old voice. Her wimple fluttered in the breeze and she tied it tighter as she spoke. “Tristan told me he didna want me cookin’ on the ship anymore after that last fire.”
“It wasn’t your fault, just like you said,” protested Aaron. “The crew loves your biscuits. Especially me!”
“Stop with this childish chatter about biscuits,” groaned Mardon, his head filled with a million thoughts and worries now that Tristan was gone. They were down on crewmen. First they lost both Noll and Wybert when they committed treason to go work for their nemesis, Nereus. Then Mardon lost two more men when they’d fought Nereus for a treasure that ended up being naught but a hoax. Mardon was filling Tristan’s position but could really use another man for bosun, even though he’d promised Aaron the job. “Nairnie, you really shouldn’t even be here at all. I have half a mind to turn around and drop you off with Tristan in Ravenscar where you should have stayed.”
“Nay, ye ken ye dinna want to do that,” said Nairnie.
“Why not?” he grunted, starting to think that a woman on board truly was nothing but a distraction. “I’m captain now that Tristan is gone, so I make the decisions.”
“What about the biscuits?” asked Aaron, not letting up.
Mardon let out a frustrated breath, wondering if his brother was ever going to stop talking about food. “We’re going to dock so Peg Leg Pate can get the supplies needed to fix the galley, not to mention that squeaky stair. While we’re there, Aaron, you can get all the biscuits you want. The crew can get booze, and I can get laid. It’s all past due and wearing thin on all of us.”
“Ye’re no’ thinkin’ of searchin’ out the comfort of a whore, are ye?” scolded Nairnie, her hands still on her hips and her eyes narrowed. By her stance, Mardon already expected trouble, and regretted saying that in front of her now. The old woman was probably going to start slapping him and Aaron next.
“Nairnie, you’d be wise to keep your nose out of my business,” Mardon warned her, still staring out to sea as he directed the ship. “I can see this isn’t going to work after all. I’ve just made a decision that I think will be the best for everyone. When we dock, you’ll be staying there and not coming back aboard the Falcon again. Savvy?”
“No’ comin’ back? What are ye sayin’? Ye two are my grandsons and I’ll no’ leave ye to do yer pillagin’ and plunderin’ without me havin’ a say about it.”
“Grandmother, we’re pirates,” explained Aaron under his breath. “You can’t change that. It’s what we do.”
“Tristan changed,” she said, raising her chin proudly, as if she were taking credit for their brother’s foolish choice of marrying a wench and giving up their way of life. “He changed and he’s happy about it. Ye two can do that, too.”
“No matter how much you threaten us or how many times you slap us, it isn’t going to matter,” Mardon informed her. “We’re not changing, and you’re not coming with us any further. You’ll stay at the next port if I have to tie you up to keep you from sneaking aboard the ship again.”
“Hrmph!” She crossed her arms over her chest next. “Well, that’s fine, just fine. Treat yer grandmathair that way if ye want, but then I willna help ye decipher the next clue of where to find the treasure.”
“That’s right, Mardon. She’s got the clue to the treasure,” said Aaron.
“How do we know that’s really a clue you’ve got?” asked Mardon. “Our father played us for fools unless you’ve forgotten. We never should have believed that old treasure map led to anything but disappointment.”
“Have a little faith in me,” grumbled Nairnie. “If ye take me with ye instead of leavin’ me on shore, I’m sure I can figure out where to find the treasure. I was able to rip off part of the clue, but dinna forget that Nereus has the other half. We need to act fast before he figures it out before us.”
Nereus, the brothers’ nemesis, managed to get to the buried treasure before them on the island. Even though there was no treasure, there was a parchment inside the chest of rocks with a clue leading them somewhere else. It was only because of Nairnie that they had half a clue. Mayhap he was being a little harsh with her.
“Let me see that clue.” Mardon’s hand shot out but Nairnie slapped it away.
“Even if ye’re a bluidy pirate, ye can have a little respect and show some manners around yer grandmathair,” sniffed Nairnie.
“Well, even if Mardon doesn’t respect you, I do,” said Aaron, standing up and putting his arm around Nairnie’s shoulders in a doting manner. It sickened Mardon to see his brother acting this way.
“I ken ye do, Aaron. Ye’re a dear lad,” said Nairnie, patting Aaron on the hand gently even though she’d just slapped Mardon. The whole thing was ridiculous. It bothered Mardon immensely. Still, why should he even care? He’d lived twenty-eight years without even knowing he had a grandmother, and he certainly didn’t need one this late in life.