Previously: Esmiralda and her companions have discovered that the shattered ship--found upside-down and in the middle of a forest—was once captained by Harfirgorn the Merciless, a pirate of some repute that had vanished long ago. Following clues in a log book they find in the pirate’s quarters, they hope to discover clues to his final resting place—and the treasure that he is most likely buried with...
Later, I looked down at Seymuhr's inert body. A swollen, purple knot showed where he had knocked himself cold in a vain attempt to kill a persistent insect. Even so, he wore a peaceful smile and I wondered if he dreamt and what those visions were. A land without insects, probably.
I sat on a fallen tree and ignored the rumbling in my stomach. Nearby, Broo Fang practiced what looked like a form of structured dance, moving his legs and arms in slow, graceful arcs that simulated punches, kicks and blocks. Occasionally, those steady, fluid movements would end in a sudden, violent snap and sharp exhalation of breath that would have made me chuckle if not for the power evident behind them. How could anything sound so silly and look so dangerous at the same time? That thought summed up our little band, I suddenly realized.
I pulled out the log book and propped it open.
"Do you think we'll find more clues to our destination?" Merrick stopped in front of me and rested a boot on the fallen trunk. He chewed absently on a dried spider leg.
"It's doubtful," I admitted. "This tome was left behind. There is no reason to believe that its author knew where Harfigorn and Adelane were heading." I was more interested in the history contained in the pages than anything else. As a historian myself, I wanted to compare the accounts within the book to the tales I had heard of the time. Besides, if some of them could be taken out, verified and sold into the Queen's Record, I would gain some coin as well as notoriety. Take that, Connell Malak.
"True," Merrick agreed. "The pirate or witch who made their plans known would be a strange one, indeed."
"And not as successful as Harigorn, most like. Still, I find the account of their voyage fascinating."
"Oh? You found something?" He leaned in and I could smell his musk mingling with the leather of his breastplate, a not entirely unpleasant scent.
"Look here," I said, turning the book around. "If I read this right, Harfigorn..."
But a peculiar feeling took hold of me and froze the words on my tongue. It felt as if the land was suddenly dipped in shadow, although the sun remained bright overhead. The wind stilled, the forest grew silent. Merrick gasped. Broo Fang stood as rigid as a statue, then a sneer formed on his lips.
"You seek me?" He said in a voice that was not his own. "Fools...."
