Rescue

Stone walls closed in around him. How long had he been here? His memory of anything else was fading, though it couldn't have been that long. Someone would have come for him. His shoulder scraped the ceiling as he stretched slightly. He missed the colors. He missed fresh air and the smell of the sea. He missed the rolling grass of the summer fields. He even missed the snow, piling so thick and high it threatened to swallow his village. Most of all, he missed food.

Closing his eyes against the darkness, Ayslin tried to remember moving. His legs ached from being kept tucked tight into his body so long. He'd gotten used to the smell after the first day, stopped caring about being dirty within the first week. Light filtered into his cell from the tiny slants of the grate in the door, barely more than a lighter part of the black darkness that surrounded him. If he turned, put his back against the far wall, and stretched his arm to its full length he could tighten his fingers around the grate, relieving some of the ache in his arms.

A slight sound in the darkness caught Ayslin's attention. Footsteps echoed down the hall. Quickly Ayslin moved back against the wall of his cell to make room for the bowl. He wondered which one it would be this time. Last had been water, sometime before he'd slept. His stomach growled and he knew which one he wanted. It felt like forever since they'd brought porridge.

The door opened with a loud clang and Ayslin shrank back quickly, raising his arms to block out the harsh light that filled his dark cell.

"Well, what do we have here?" A booming voice filled his tiny cell, mirth evident in the man's voice but it was nothing like the light laughter of the men of Ayslin's village. This was one of the bad men, he could tell.

A strong arm gripped his wrist, yanking him sharply from his cell. Ayslin screamed as the floor dropped suddenly away from him. He fell almost the entire length of the man that still held his wrist, hitting the stones below with a hard smack. Murky air filled his lungs as he gasped in pain but he drank it up, a luxury after the thin, stale air that worked its way through the tiny grate in his cell door.

Cold water was dumped over him and it felt like smacking the stones again. He tried to pull away, to curl against the safety of the stones but the man's grip on his arm allowed him no movement. Blinking open his eyes he waited until his vision focused before moving his head away from the floor. Four pairs of shoes stood in front of him.

Suddenly the strange man tugged him up and Ayslin screamed, his limbs protesting suddenly being forced to carry his weight. The man in front of him smiled, what few teeth that showed in his grin yellowed almost to the point of turning black. Foul breath hit him as the man laughed, reminding Ayslin of being back in the cell. The man and two others with him were dressed in dirty clothing, with a number of weapons hanging from various straps.

The burly man nodded at the fourth, a small twisted man that looked like a stooped rat. Ayslin's arm was tugged sharply and he stumbled after the burly man down a dark hall. One of the dirty men carried a shuttered lantern, the light burning Ayslin's eyes every time he looked towards it. Metal doors lined the hall four high, stretching as far as Ayslin's eye could see. As they moved along he could hear soft whimpers and cries coming from behind the metal cages.

At the end of the hall stood a long stone stairwell. Ayslin fell a number of times trying to crawl up the steps but the burly man never slowed, dragging Ayslin along behind him. A blinding sliver of light shone at the top of the steps and Ayslin shrank back, afraid. The man with the lantern opened the door and Ayslin screamed as the brightness ate at his eyes. He stumbled blindly behind the men, his feet scraping across gravel until he was lifted and tossed onto something wooden.

Darkness returned and he swam in it, his body feeling light and free for the first time in eternity. He was back in the fields of his village, running through the green fields, being chased by two of the other village boys while their mothers watched laughter softening the lines of worry etched on their faces. Elsewhere, their fathers were tending the poor crops. Ayslin's father had explained that the spirits of the earth were unhappy over something and had chosen not to grace the village with a bountiful harvest this year. Some of the men had already left for the city a week's ride to the south to seek employment. They needed money, his father explained, in order to buy enough food to survive through the winter.

When the men had come, late into the harvest, Ayslin had overjoyed. They said they were kind men, good men who would give his people money if some of the boys just wrote their name on a piece of paper. Ayslin had been the first to do so, thinking how proud his parents would be of him. He was helping the village.

Then the men had come the next day, riding giant horses and carrying more steel than Ayslin had ever seen in his life. They'd taken every boy that signed the paper, saying that the boys belonged to the men. Ayslin didn't remember much after that. There was the dark wagon, where the boys had huddled together and cried. Then the men had opened the door and pulled them out one by one, hitting them in the face until the boys fell silent. Ayslin had woken in the cell with not enough room to stretch or even sit up. He wondered if the other boys from his village were still in the cells he'd been drug past or if they'd been taken away as well.

Ayslin woke to the feel of coarse sheets beneath him and a scratchy blanket overtop of him. For a moment he thought he'd been rescued and he sat up in surprise. A noise from the side of the cluttered wooden cabin drew Ayslin's eyes. All hope faded from his eyes as the burly man smiled at him, lips stretched wide in a lecherous grin. The man wore only a filthy pair of trousers now, his hairy chest dotted with a number of scars.

"Who you?" Ayslin stuttered brokenly in the Common Tongue.

The burly man stood, tossing the dagger he'd been picking his teeth with onto the table next to a plate of greasy bones. Ayslin's stomach rolled again as he stared at the empty plate and he almost forgot he'd asked the question.

"I'm Captain Blackstone, boy."

Ayslin's eyes went wide in terror and he backed as far as he could away from the evil man. Even in the far Northern Reaches they'd heard the exploits of the Pirate Blackstone, though rumor said he'd disappeared three years ago.

"Please," Ayslin begged, his eyes threatening to fill with tears. "Let go. I do nothing."

The captain's broken grin stretched wider. "Didn't you read that little contract you signed, boy?"

Ayslin shook his head. "No read." They'd promised that it was nothing bad. They just wanted the boy's names. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Captain Blackstone's laugh echoed through the cabin, as dark as his name. He reached the bed, leaning forward to grab Ayslin's arm before he could dart for the door. Black eyes glittered cruelly. "There's nothing out there except for more of my men and the open sea." Ayslin felt his heart sink as he realized he couldn't run. The captain moved onto the bed and Ayslin trembled in fear. "Just you and me, boy."

Ayslin screamed as the captain pressed down on him, his cries echoing from the cabin to be swallowed up in the sea.

"Boy!"

Ayslin flinched as he was called. Gripping the rope tightly with both hands, he glanced down to see Blackstone's second calling him from the deck below. Fresh bruises on his shoulders protested being stretched, but Ayslin had gotten used to ignoring pain as he worked on the ship. Nearly half a year's time had passed since he'd first been brought aboard Blackstone's ship. In the north the first spring flowers would be budding in the fields.

"The captain wants you in his cabin." Blackstone's second smiled widely as he delivered the message. Ayslin forced down the urge to hurl. Blackstone was worse than any of his men, delighting in the pain he could bring. "When you're done with him, come down to the crew cabin."

Ayslin nodded once, his face a blank mask. The wind caressed his back, quiet waves beckoning him from below and for a moment Ayslin was at peace. He felt gentle hands on his back even though no one was there. The touches had been happening more often whenever Ayslin worked on the rigging.

Glancing down at the water Ayslin imagined he saw the figures of women there, beckoning him. The wind at his back hugged him, gently urging him towards the water. Turning is head, Ayslin stared at the crew littering the deck. He remembered the touch of each of them as he was held down, forced into unwanted acts. His eyes teared at the memory and he gasped in a shaky breath as he made up his mind.

Closing his eyes, Ayslin let go of the rope and stepped off the mast. Spreading his arms he let the wind take him in a gentle caress. Shouts echoed along the deck and he could imagine men rushing forward as he sped towards the water. More hands welcomed him as he hit the water, the expected smack never coming as he slipped below the water. The wind came with him as the water pulled him away from the ship. A woman's face pressed close, smiling as she pressed her lips against Ayslin. His mouth opened reflexively and a breath of sweet air slipped in.

Relaxing in the arms surrounding him, Ayslin let the women carry him away.

"Captain!"

Captain Baily Ralston raced to the side of the ship, his gaze following his crewman's outstretched finger. Beneath the surface of the waves he could see a figure sliding closer to the ship. As it approached he could make out the shape of a small boy floating underneath the waves. Just as the corpse was about to hit his ship, the waves broke and the boy floated up towards them.

The crewman backed off quickly, crossing his chest with a sign to ward off evil. Baily held his place as the dripping boy settled on the planks of his deck. The boy's eyes were closed but his mouth was open and he seemed to be breathing. Kneeling on the deck Baily set his fingers against the side of the boy's neck. The skin was cool to the touch but there was movement beneath his fingers.

"He's alive," Baily shouted, turning towards the stunned crewmen littering the deck impatiently. "Get a blanket, quickly. And some dry clothes."

Bruises littered the boy's chest, more peaking out beneath the thin trousers he wore. His blonde hair was matted to his head with water, and Baily imagined it must have been filthy before the water washed it clean. The boy was thin, obviously undernourished and Baily made a mental note to have his cook prepare a hearty broth.

Pale blue eyes the color of a shallow inlet blinked open as Baily carefully wrapped the boy in a blanket and lifted him into his arms.

"Rest," he whispered, holding the boy close. "You're safe."

The boy fell back asleep without hesitation.

Ayslin woke slowly, experience telling him it was better to hide any sign of his return to consciousness until he knew where he was. He cracked an eye open, barely a sliver but enough to give him a faint glance of the room around him. The cabin looked nothing like anything on the Bloody Water. It was too clean, too organized. Taking in a light breath he realized it smelled better too, the faint scent of herbs littering the air.

Slowly Ayslin sat up. Layers of cloth shifted against his skin as he rose and Ayslin stared down in surprise to find himself dressed in clean clothing. Pulling away the fabric of his white shirt, he found his chest had been bandaged as well, the sterile white of the bandages putting the clean shirt to shame.

The door to the cabin opened and Ayslin jumped, shifting his back against the wall even though he knew it would do him no good.

A clean-shaven man in a plain white shirt and brown trousers walked in, his green eyes lighting as he saw Ayslin. Red hair faded by the sun was pulled back in a ponytail that ran halfway down the man's back. An easy smile graced the man's face as he carefully shut the door while balancing a tray with one hand.

"Ah, good, you're awake." The man's voice was pleasant, reminding Ayslin fondly of the men in his village. As he stepped closer, Ayslin smelled the faint scent of soap and cleaning herbs.

"Do you feel well enough to get out of bed?" The man asked politely as he stood next to a polished round table. A similar wooded desk was fixed to the floor on the opposite corner of the room from the bed, a series of closed cabinets stuck in the walls around it. The cabin looked almost uninhabited. Everything seemed to be tucked away securely in some part of the cabin.

Slowly Ayslin nodded.

The man set the tray down on the table and pulled out a chair in front of it. Ayslin was confused when the man stood next to it, staring at him instead of sitting down.

"Do you need a hand up?"

Ayslin stared up at the man, a small frown crinkling his lips as he shook his head. Rising slowly, Ayslin kept an eye on the man. His eyes shifted towards the door.

"I'm afraid that way isn't of much use right now," the man commented easily. "We'll be at port in another day, but until then it's just water and a bit of deck out there." His eyes gazed at Ayslin with a mix of pity and concern. "Don't worry, you're safe here. Please, eat."

Cautiously crossing the room, Ayslin sat in the chair, blinking in surprise when the man pushed the chair in for him before removing the lid from a steaming bowl of broth. A thick slice of bread sat on the tray next to an apple and a large glass of water.

The man moved away, taking the chair on the opposite side of the table.

"Aren't you hungry?" The man smiled gently at him.

Ayslin frowned at the man once more before cautiously lifting the spoon and tasting the broth. The warm liquid trailed down his throat, not too hot and evenly spiced. It was perhaps the best thing he'd tasted in his life, definitely the best in his memory. His stomach roared, reminding him how long it'd been since he'd eaten.

"Is it good?"

Ayslin glanced up in surprise, his spoon pausing halfway from the bowl. He nodded.

The man's smile widened and he gestured for Ayslin to continue eating. Ayslin wondered what he would have to do for the man in exchange for the food and clothing. At the moment, he didn't really care. For the first time in six months he didn't have to beg or offer his body for the smallest scraps of food.

"My name is Baily Ralston," the man introduced quietly as Ayslin ate. "This ship is the Dauntless Tracker. What's your name, child?"

Ayslin blinked. How long had it been since someone had cared what his name was?

"Ayslin," he answered slowly.

Baily nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Ayslin. Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Glancing across the table, Ayslin shook his head. His shoulders relaxed slightly as Baily stayed on the opposite side of the table, not once making a move towards Ayslin.

"How did you get your injuries?"

Ayslin froze, his hand freezing with the spoon still in his mouth. Carefully, he removed the utensil and set it in the almost empty bowl.

"I understand your reluctance," Baily said quietly, his voice soothing. "I'd like to help you, to make sure they don't do this to anyone else."

Ayslin stiffened and stared across the table warily. "You want to return me." He'd managed to pick up more of the Common Tongue during his stay with Captain Blackstone and his crew, though he would have happily gone without the knowledge of the language and the crew he learned it from.

Baily shook his head quickly, his eyes hurt. "No, I wouldn't. I assure you I want only to help you. If you'd like, I can drop you off at Whitecliff manor before we go after the men who hurt you. The lord there is a very kind man."

Ayslin watched Baily closely. "What will you do with the man who hurt me?"

"I'll kill him," Baily answered without hesitation.

"And his crew?"

Baily nodded, his eyes grim.

Ayslin made up his mind quickly. "I will tell you with one condition."

"Name it." He had the impression that he could ask for anything under the sky and Baily would give it.

Ayslin let a small smile fall on his lips. "I want to watch as you kill him."

"Done." With a quick nod, Baily spit on his palm. Ayslin mirrored the action, his small handed easily enveloped in Captain Baily's as the sealed the deal.

"His name is Captain Blackstone."

Baily's eyes widened. "Are you certain?"

Ayslin nodded with conviction. "That is what he told me."

A frown marred Baily's face and Ayslin found his confidence failing. Obviously Blackstone was someone to be feared. He wondered if the captain would back out on his deal now that he knew who he was facing.

"Describe him to me." Confidence and anger filled Baily's voice.

Blinking in surprise, Ayslin called up every memory of Blackstone's body, describing the man down to the last scar.

"And his ship?"

"Bloody Water," Ayslin answered.

Captain Baily Ralston rose with a nod. "I'll order a change of course immediately."

Ayslin held out his hand as the wind danced around him. Tiny fingers danced against his palm as the wind swirled, a vague female figure visible in the winds. Below him Ayslin could see two more female figures dancing in the waves, their bodies seeming nothing more than the ripples of the ocean tide.

"There you are."

Ayslin turned with a small smile as Captain Baily approached to lean against the railing next to him. Nearly two weeks they'd been on the chase of the Bloody Water, and not once during that time had the captain or any of his men laid a hand on Ayslin. After months of captivity, he was beginning to relax.

The captain squinted at the air in front of Ayslin, his eyes missing the figure in the wind. With a smile he shook his head.

"The men thought you were a spriteling at first," Baily remarked offhandedly. That explained the men's distance from Ayslin, though he found he didn't mind.

"And now?"

Laughter filled the air as Baily chuckled. "They still think you're someone enchanted, but they're not afraid that you're going to curse the ship anymore."

Ayslin found himself smiling along with the captain. He glanced sideways at the captain's calm face. "And yourself?"

Baily's grin widened as he smiled down at Ayslin. "I merely think you're enchanting." Despite the flirtatious tone of his voice, Baily's hands didn't even twitch towards him.

Ayslin had been surprised on his first night on the Dauntless Tracker to learn that he'd been occupying the captain's bed. Instead of insisting Ayslin share, or sending him off to the crewmen's quarters, the captain slept on the floor by Ayslin's bed. He'd been oddly comforted by the gesture.

Days later he'd asked the captain why he never touched Ayslin in the way Captain Blackstone had. Baily responded that no matter how attractive Ayslin was, he wouldn't touch a child. The words had been both disappointing and encouraging at the same time.

"We'll be coming upon the Bloody Water this evening or the next morning. When we do, I want you to stay up in the crow's nest. Is that understood?"

Ayslin nodded once. He'd never expected Baily to let him near combat and he wasn't disappointed to be kept out of the way. All he wanted was to watch as the crew of Bloody Water was slaughtered. He deserved to watch.

They came upon the dirty ship as the sun was sinking towards the horizon. From his time on Captain Ralston's ship he could tell how disorganized and unclean Blackstone's ship was. The wind rose around him, a maiden of air sitting on the railing of the crow's nest near Ayslin. Even though Baily had the flag of parley raised, Blackstone's crew looked armed for murder.

The form of the dirty captain was visible by the railing, two of his crewmembers unwilling shields in front of him. Already a corpse littered the deck in front of Blackstone, most likely from someone who objected to being a shield. Baily stood at the railing with his men behind him, their weapons sheathed.

"What be yer call for parley?" Blackstone shouted as the two ships drew close.

"Are you Captain Blackstone?" Baily asked in a clear voice. His shoulders were set in a tense line.

"Aye, I be." Blackstone chuckled. "Who be you to dare go looking for the dreaded pirate Blackstone?"

The sound of steel scraping scabbard rang through the air as Baily drew his sword with a smile. "The real Captain Blackstone."

Ayslin was as surprised as Captain Blackstone as Baily leaped the short distance between the ships. The first of Blackstone's men were down before Blackstone realized it, and Ayslin found himself smiling slightly in satisfaction as one of the men who'd hurt him was killed. Both sides shouted suddenly as they fell into the fray. Baily's men bridged the distance between the ships, running across a sturdy plank to swarm the deck of Blackstone's ship.

Blackstone's men were both outnumbered and outclassed. While Blackstone's men were used to winning by reputation and sheer force, Baily's men fought with practiced skill, almost military-like in their efficiency. Blackstone's men fell like chaff, their bodies littering the deck as their blood stained the deck. As his men fought and died beneath Baily's expert blade, Blackstone was slowly singled out as the obvious focus of his attention. A few of the pirates called for surrender but their cries were quickly silenced with the flick of a blade from one of Baily's crew.

"How dare you tarnish the Blackstone name." The wind carried Baily's words to the crow's nest as the redheaded captain squared off with Blackstone.

Crawling forward to the edge of the crows nest, Ayslin watched with wide eyes as Baily dispatched the greasy captain with efficient strokes. One blow knocked Blackstone's sword to the side, Baily's sword slipping down the steel and around the guard to slice through Blackstone's fingers. Blackstone dropped the sword with a scream. Blood arced through the air in quick spurts from the stump of his hand. A second fountain joined the air as Baily brought his sword around in a two-handed swing that cut cleanly through Blackstone's neck, effectively silencing the man's pain-filled cries.

Relief welled inside of Ayslin as he saw Blackstone fall. Never again would he have to suffer that man's touch. Baily turned and nodded to Ayslin. As the captain stepped back over to the Dauntless Tracker Ayslin slipped from the crow's nest. For the first time since striking their deal Baily touched Ayslin, his hand landing lightly on Ayslin's shoulder and squeezing. Ayslin smiled, his fear of a man's touch fading from him.

The wind screamed warning and Ayslin turned in time to see one of the dying men on Bloody Water fire a crossbow. Anger welled in Ayslin as the bolt sped towards Baily and he let the rage out with a roar. The air turned, reversing the bolt and sending it back towards the sender. A rush of air hit the man seconds after the bolt struck home in his chest, carrying the man off the ship. Screams ripped through the air from behind the ship and Ayslin knew the water was seeking vengeance for him.

"Come away," Baily whispered to him softly, his arm around Ayslin's waist as he led Ayslin back into his cabin.

Ayslin looked up at the captain questioningly. "You're Blackstone?"

Baily nodded with a smile, wiping his blade on a cloth from one of the cabinets before tucking it away in a chest. "The real one."

"You don't seem like a pirate," Ayslin remarked with curiosity. Baily was too kind to be a pirate.

"I'm not really," Baily smiled, taking a seat at the table while Ayslin sank onto the bed. "But there are things that persuade me to be."

Ayslin nodded. It didn't really make sense to him but he accepted it without a care. He felt the ship jerk as it pulled away from the Bloody Water. "So your name isn't Ralston?"

"It is. I was named Captain Blackstone by my predecessor five years ago, but I don't use the title often."

Soft sheets welcomed Ayslin as he settled onto the bed. Baily stepped closer, placing a soft kiss on Ayslin's forehead before moving away again. The smell of burning flesh and wood filled the air as Ayslin drifted to sleep and he smiled.

Ayslin waited on the outcrop of rock overlooking the harbor as he did every year after the first winter thaw. He'd been there every morning for the past week, arriving before the sun and staying until the sun reached its noonday peak. The wind greeted him with a smile as it always did. Far below him the water sprites danced in glee and he knew he'd see white sails soon.

Today marked the sixth spring since Captain Baily Blackstone had returned him to the Northern Reaches, and the first time he'd seen Baily since he'd reached majority. Ayslin could still remember the joy of his parents as Baily had returned him to his village. The same joy was repeated again over the next four years as all ten of the boys who had been taken from the village were returned. Baily always returned in the spring, right after the first thaw, whether he had someone to return or not. He'd stay for a day and a night, his crew welcomed among the village as they traded for supplies. It was the happiest time of the year for Ayslin.

This year would be the best and Ayslin smiled as white sails dotted the horizon. Rising swiftly he raced down the path back to the village. Over the last six years he'd grown taller, almost Baily's equal in height though he remained thinner, his body lithe as a runner's. He wore his blonde hair long in the same style as the captain.

Ayslin smiled as he raced through the village, shouting a happy warning to his parents as he ran past their hut. Decorations littered the village in preparation for the celebration that was planned for tonight. Several villagers, men and women he had known since his birth, shouted their good wishes as Ayslin ran past. The Dauntless Tracker was fast approaching as his feet hit the wood planks of the harbor, though it would still be several moments before they were close enough to dock. He couldn't wait that long.

Letting his feet carrying him as they will, Ayslin ran off the dock into the waiting arms of an air sprite. She smiled at him, chuckling warmly in his ear as she carried him to the deck of the Dauntless Tracker. Baily was waiting with a giant smile on his face, his arms outstretched to catch Ayslin. The sprite balanced him on the railing and Ayslin let himself fall forward into Baily's arms with a laugh. Strong arms caught him, spinning them around once before dropping Ayslin to his feet.

Baily leaned forward to place his customary kiss on Ayslin's forehead but Ayslin stretched up, catching Baily on the lips instead.

"Ayslin!" Baily pulled back quickly, the warning in his voice belied by the smile in his eyes. "What have I told you about that?"

A devious grin stretched across Ayslin's face as he pulled Baily closer. "It's been six years, Baily. I'm at my majority." The captain looked surprised for a moment, the look disappearing from his face as Ayslin stretched up to kiss him again.

Around the deck Baily's crew cheered, their shouts filling the air as Baily finally kissed Ayslin back. Ayslin smiled into the kiss as he was victorious. For the first time in six years Baily allowed Ayslin to taste his lips. The captain's tongue slipped between them and Ayslin welcomed it. He'd waited so long for this. Finally, the moment was here and he found it more than worth the wait.

Ayslin smiled broadly when they finally parted, his arms wrapped tightly around Baily's shoulders.

"The entire village is waiting to celebrate," Ayslin whispered happily.

"Well then," Baily smiled, "best not to keep them waiting, husband-mine."