Chapter 3
Copyright J.B. Norman
Meanwhile, Dunstana Darkstone is preparing to meet her own mentor from the Brotherhood.
“I’m going now, Mom!” she calls as snatches down her hat from the hook and hurries out the door of Darkstone Manor.
Dodging and weaving through the streets of Porthaven – jumping over a big puddle, ducking a rough fellow being flung through the window of the Hammered Nail, sidestepping a runaway waterlemon cart, and shooting a would-be pickpocket in the face with her cork gun – she reaches the meetinghouse of the Red Wolf pirates.
Finally arriving at her destination, Dunstana eagerly mounts the steps and knocks on the front door. Despite belonging to the Red Wolves, the door itself is, in fact, blue.
“Hi,” Dunstana says to the bemused pirate who opens the door. “I’m here to see your captain. She’s gonna be my mentor! See, I’ve got a letter from the Brotherhood and everything!”
Grinning, she reaches into her pocket, takes out the crumbled paper. and presents what proves to be, after much frantic smoothing-out, a thrice-notarised letter from the Brotherhood of the Coasts authorising Dunstana’s participation in the Brotherhood’s Mentorship Program.
The pirates of Realmgard are well-known for their insistence on all of their documents being accurate, authentic, and able to hold up to all possible legal scrutiny.
In fact, among the Brotherhood-sanctioned pirates of Realmgard, the inclusion of a ship’s notary among the crew is viewed as just as important as that of a ship’s cat.
For whereas the ship’s cat catches rats, the ship’s notary catches potential lacks of due diligence and legal specificity.
Pulling a little pair of reading glasses from his shirt pocket, the Red Wolf Pirate takes the letter from Dunstana. “This Williams fellow, he’s a licensed notary, is he?” the pirate.
“Uh huh,” Dunstana answers.
“Recognised and in good standing with the Law Society of Porthaven, Her Serenity the Prince, and the Brotherhood of the Coasts?”
“Uh huh,” Dunstana answers.
“Well, then,” he declares. “This all seems to be in order.”
He looks over his shoulder. “Captain, there’s a… well, small child here to see you,” he calls.
“Mycroft!” Dunstana exclaims giddily as the older pirate appears in the doorway. “This is great! I bet you’re going to be the best mentor ever!” She leaps at her and catches her in a flying tackle-hug.
“Gah!” Myra Morningstar exclaims. “What are you… Did you just call me Mycroft? My name is Myra!”
“I’m not good at names, okay?” Dunstana says. “At least I got the My- part right!”
“Listen, kid,” Myra says. “I don’t like you. You don’t like me, but I guess I have to mentor you, so—”
“But I do like you,” Dunstana notes. “How come you don’t like me?”
“Well, you did just call me Mycroft,” Myra mutters.
“I’m not good at names, okay?” Dunstana repeats, still latched onto the older pirate like a barnacle, but Myra has never seen a barnacle with such sad and woebegone eyes.
“Well, just get good at my name,” Myra says. “And get off of me!”
Dunstana relinquishes her grip on the older pirate’s midsection. She takes a step back. “Question,” she says, shoving her hand into the air. “What does a mentor do?”
“Well, they… mentor people. You know, younger people. Pirates, mainly. In need of mentoring… ship. Programs. For pirates,” Myra stammers.
“Annie says you can’t use the word you’re trying to explain when you’re explaining the word,” Dunstana mutters.
Myra groans. “Look, I’m here to help you learn how to be a pirate,” she says. “If you don’t want my help, you can leave.” She reaches for the door of the meetinghouse.
“I already know how to be a pirate,” Dunstana notes. “I mean, hey, I’m the one who got the treasure on Oake Island.”
Myra starts closing the door. “Right. On your way, then.”
Dunstana grabs her sleeve. “No! Don’t go! Do you know how hard it is to find another girl to be your mentor?”
“Actually, yeah,” Myra answers, lingering on the doorstep. While the Brotherhood of the Coasts isn’t exactly unwelcoming of female members, it’s not for nothing it’s called the Brother-hood. It can be hard for female pirates to make it, something Myra is acutely aware of.
“Besides,” Dunstana continues desperately, leaping on Myra’s fleeting moment of hesitation. “You’re so cool. Because, like, you’re a strong, independent woman doing it for yourself.”
“Yeah,” Myra says with a self-satisfied grin. “I am cool.”
“Yeah!” Dunstana agrees. “And, like, you totally don’t even need a man, because you’re a driven, goal-oriented woman of action!”
Myra stares down at Dunstana. “What?”
“What?” Dunstana asks, staring back up at Myra. “Those are all the reasons Amara is always giving for why she likes reading Krimson Katja stories. And, hey, you’ve even got red hair, just like she does! But you’re wearing way more clothes than Krimson Katja usually does.”
Myra stares down at the younger pirate.
“Come on, please?” Dunstana continues. “I can get you one of my Dad’s hats. I can get you, like, five hats. With autographs! And I’ll get Williams to notarise you some Certificates of Authenticity!”
“Deal,” Myra says, enticed by the prospect of owning a hat autographed by Dorian Darkstone himself.
Myra yelps as Dunstana begins single-mindedly hauling her away.
“If anything happens to my bird while I’m gone,” Myra calls back to her pirates, “you’re getting keelhauled!”
Myra’s pet parrot was a Wintermorn gift from the other Red Wolves, and she has quickly become quite fond of the bird.
The Red Wolves all applaud and cheer on their captain as they watch her go.
“That’s our captain,” one the Wolves sobs.
Another Wolf reaches to gently pat his shoulder.
“I’m just so proud of Captain Myra,” he continues, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.
“Teaching the next generation of pirates like that. She’s an inspiration. Oh, if only I’d had a mentor like her when I was young pirate.”
“Yeah,” the second pirate agrees. “Then you might have actually become a good pirate.”
“Yeah, then I would have – Hey!”
Chapter 2
Chapter 4
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