CHAPTER THREE - THE PIRATE AND THE OLD MAN
CHAPTER FOUR - THE GHOST OF THE PAST
Chapter Five - The Parting
Kevin slept deeply on the deck of the Concord, unaware that the pirate lay next to him. Jack could not bring himself to fall asleep as he lay there just watching Kevin. To Jack's eye his son looked so peaceful, so restful, so young and soon to be so alone, except for Kate. He knew he had done that which was best for the boy. The parting would bring the pirate great pain and he desired to get on with it, but he knew he could not just slip away. Jack lay still, listening to the water gently lap against the hull of the Concord, and watching the few clouds passing by, briefly covering the night stars. He began to hear fish jumping in the water, to hear the songbirds sing, the dawn had yet to come but the darkness of the night began to wane. He leaned over, and shook Kevin.
"Wake up, Kevin, wake up son, it is time."
Kevin slowly awoke.
"Da? What is it?" Kevin sat up and looked upon his father briefly, then turned away, he did not want to hear the words that were to be spoken.
"Son, it is time for us to part our ways. Now you mind your Aunt Kate. On board, you watch, you listen and you learn, so soon enough you will be a fine sailor. Son, look me in the eyes."
Kevin looked his father square in the eyes, holding back his tears, as the pirate continued to speak.
"Kevin, be good, be strong, be proud, be brave and be true. And always know deep in your heart that you are most loved."
With those words, Jack kissed Kevin's forehead and quickly gathered his belongings and bid his son good bye. Jack moved quietly across the deck of the Concord so as not to awaken the crew.
Kevin watched his father move down the gangplank and into the darkness towards Bath Town. Kevin sat alone and began to sob. He tried to gasp for air with all his might, but the pain in his chest was far too heavy for him to breath. He sat there panting and crying softly. Mr. Hagney, who had been sleeping nearby and who had heard all that had been spoken, reached out and touched Kevin on the head.
"Easy lad, tis the way of this world. We are all parted too soon. Now do as your father commanded and be brave. Lay down and try to get some sleep, we have a busy day ahead and you will need your rest."
Mr. Hagney's words were comforting and Kevin lay back down, but sleep would avoid him.
Jack's heart broke for the parting, his mind convinced him that it was best to leave Kevin with Kate, and yet his heart was heavy. His paced quickened as he walked through Bath Town with eyes set ahead. Had he been more careful, he would have noticed that he had been followed off the Concord.
Kate O'Donnell Lewis had slipped off the Concord unnoticed.
When she and Maggie fled Donegal, Maggie made here promise never to think of Ireland again - for it would only break her heart and broken heart can not live. She knew that all too well.
Her own mother died of grief when her father was killed in battle fighting for King James, defending Ireland from the invader, King William.
Her brothers Sean, Michael and Patrick, were soldiers like her father. After the fall of Limerick, they were exiled to France and to her their fate remained unknown.
Maggie, had saved her, for Maggie always knew which way the wind did blow. After Limerick fell, Maggie told her that soon enough the English would come. Their home would be forfeited and they would be left landless and alone in the world. Maggie had sold all the cattle and everything that had not been nailed to the floor. When the new owner of the O'Donnell estate arrived to claim his reward for supporting King William, a certain Sir Mungo Campbell, he found the house and barns burned to the ground and the fields empty.
Maggie had made arrangements for the two of them to sail from Cork to Barbados, with all their silver in hand and by that silver their dignity secured.
Tonight would be different for Kate, tonight was a night to remember the things of the past, tonight was a night to strike a blow against those who had killed and had stolen all that she had once known and loved.
She watched Jack turn off the lane outside of Bath Town by a large oak. She followed him at a distance down a path that opened onto a beach where sat Jack on a small sailboat.
Jack found Mr. Murray's boat on the beach, now his boat, fully supplied, his Captain was a man of his word.
He sat down on the boat, and unwrapped the deerskin, taking out his sword. He looked to the east, the early rays of the yet risen sun filled the morning sky with a deep red glow, a sign, a sign that a storm was brewing.
Jack would wait for the tide to set sail. He began to intently sharpen the blade of his sword, a double edged basket hilt claymore, with the emblem of the Clan MacDonald upon the hilt. So intent was he at the task he did not notice that he was no longer alone.
Kate silently approached watching the pirate prepare his sword of vengeance. She took a deep breath and at last spoke.
"Jack. Are you stealing away without some much as a farewell?"
Jack looked up and saw her standing in the dawn light, with her red hair flowing down her shoulders and her bright blue eyes fixed upon him. In a moment of hope and of confusion he uttered.
"Maggie?"
"No, if it were only so, then we would not be parting, and your son would still be by your side." Kate said.
"Ah, Kate, my apologies, in the light . . . I thought . . . it has been a hard night." spoke Jack.
"I know Jack, a hard night indeed. I have something for you." She held out a small piece of paper neatly folded.
"What is this in your hand Kate?"
"Justice, for in Donegal, justice always rests in the hands of the O'Donnell, now take it Jack."
Jack took the paper and opened it up, it was a list of names, the names of ships.
"These are the names of the ships owned by the Argyll that sail in these waters. The first ship on the list is the Skye. She will be at port on Roanoke Island in two days. The Captain and the crew have nothing to do with this, do you understand Jack?"
Jack nodded. Kate continued to explain.
"The master of the Skye is Malcomb Campbell, and he controls the silver. He keeps two keys about his neck, one to his cabin and one to a strong box in his cabin. It is the way on all the ships of the Argyll. The master of the ship controls the silver, keeps the keys and most important is always a close relation to the Argyll himself."
Jack nodded and spoke, "I think it not a sin, to steal from those who steal. And I think it not a sin, to kill those who murder."
The sun broke above the horizon and a south wind began to blow. Kate's red hair shimmered like fire and whipped about her head in the winds. Her blue eyes turned to ice, hard, cold and fixed upon the pirate.
"Give me your sword."
Kate took the sword in her hands. Upon the sharp tip she cut her finger, gently she drew her wound down the side of the blade covering it with her own blood.
"Kneel before me." she commanded.
Jack knelt before Kate, who no longer looked as Kate, but in the wind and in the light of the new dawn, against the red sky, with blue eyes of ice and red hair of fire, she appeared as a pagan goddess of myth and of legend.
"Hold out your hands and take this sword. I command thee Iaian Alasdair MacDonald of Glencoe, son of a murdered Chieftan, husband to a murdered wife, father to murdered children, with this sword of steel, thou shall steal, from those who steal. And with this sword, thou shall kill, those who have wrongly killed. Let not this sword sleep in your hands, and let not your resolve waiver, all the remaining days of your life. And with this sword, be a vengeance for me and for thee, upon those who have cast us to the winds."
Jack took back his sword.
Kate turned and walked away, never to lay eyes upon the pirate, Jack Henry, again.