Mardon (Pirate Lords #2) - Elizabeth Rose Page 0,1

of the ship. He wiped his hands on his breeches. “Quartermaster,” he repeated with a nod. “Aye, I think I’m going to like this new position after all.”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” griped Mardon. “Remember, if you sluff off just once, I swear I’ll give one of your positions to someone else and take back everything I’ve promised. Now, get down there and see what all the commotion is about.” Aaron frowned. “Quartermaster,” Mardon made sure to say, watching his brother’s mouth turn up into a snide grin.

“Aye, aye, Cap’n,” said Aaron, running down the stairs of the sterncastle with newfound energy.

Mardon knew exactly what the commotion was about because he’d seen their grandmother, Nairnie, waving to Tristan from the bow of the ship as they left port. He should have turned right around and left the old woman on shore where she belonged but, instead, he’d turned a blind eye and let her stay. For some odd reason, he felt as if he didn’t mind. He supposed he was trying to fill the empty gap that Tristan left in their lives now. Somehow, he had a stronger sense of family with his grandmother there.

Aaron bolted back up the steps within moments with Nairnie and Goldtooth right behind him. The old woman was mumbling something and shaking her head.

“Mardon, it’s just Grandmother,” said Aaron, smiling as they approached. “It seems she snuck back onto the ship and didn’t stay back in Ravenscar with Tristan and Gavina after all.”

“Cap’n, I found her hidin’ in the burned-out galley,” announced Goldtooth. Goldtooth was a big, burly man, having gotten his nickname because of his gold front tooth. “Do ye want me to throw her overboard?” He, like the rest of the crew, wouldn’t think twice about getting rid of a woman since it was known that a female on board would only bring them ill luck. After all, hadn’t they seen that happen when Tristan’s wife, Gavina, was on board? Mardon hoped now that he was captain, he could avoid anything that would bring bad luck upon their heads. Mardon, Aaron, and also the crew had become fond of Nairnie, so he wasn’t sure that he really wanted to get rid of her after all, bad luck or not.

“Get yer hands off of me, and stop talkin’ nonsense, ye big oaf!” Nairnie, a short, plump, older woman had been found floating in the sea, thrown from another ship in a storm. Mardon and his brothers had brought her aboard. “Where’s my ladle? I need my ladle,” complained the old woman, slapping away Goldtooth’s hand, looking for her oversized spoon that she’d been using as a weapon against all the pirates rather than for scooping stew.

“Nay, no one is throwing my grandmother overboard. Leave her be,” commanded Mardon, staring out to sea.

“Are ye sure?” asked Goldtooth. “After all, ye know it’s bad luck to have a woman on board.” His eyes flashed over to the galley where Nairnie had been cooking. A fire had taken place there that nearly lit the ship up like a torch.

“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.