Memory Thieves

By Bill Terry

When Princess Cammerrina (Cami) awakens on board a ship, she has no memory of anything in her life. In the process of trying to stay alive, she stumbles upon an insidious plan to invade her homeland and enslave the people. As her memory returns, so do her magical powers, and with the most unlikely allies, she sets out to thwart the effort of a demented wizard to steal ancient magic that could make everything she feared come to pass.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jan 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9781483548197

Bill Terry

Bill Terry is a retired CBC executive. He is the author of Blue Heaven: Encounters with the Blue Poppy and Beyond Beauty: Hunting the Wild Blue Poppy. His calendar, Poppies from the Roof of the World, also features this rare and beautiful plant. Since 1994, he has lived on BC's Sunshine Coast with his wife, pursuing a lifelong ambition to create the perfect garden. His collection of Asiatic Poppies is the most diverse in North America. Please visit meconopsis.ca.

Book preview

9781483548197

Chapter 1

Darkness engulfed her in a black shroud that dulled her senses, but the pain and horrible sounds always dragged her back to reality. Her muddled mind fought to make sense of the horrid world around her, but she couldn’t remember anything about her life before awakening in these terrifying surroundings.

What kind of creature is calling out this way? She strained to listen, but the unearthly sounds were nothing she could identify. Her weight shifted, and the throbbing returned. Who am I? Where am I? She had asked the questions over and over again, but she had no answers.

Tears had welled in her eyes—at least at first. Thirst had left her throat parched, and soon even the tears dried up. She scarcely noticed the sobs, nothing more than occasional quick gasps for air, as she listened to the dull noises around her—the terrible moans and groans.

She rolled again, only slightly, first in one direction and then the other. She didn’t actually move, but her weight shifted back and forth, and each time pain followed. Hard, rough objects scraped against her skin and pushed into her flesh from all sides.

She stared into the darkness, trying to muster the strength to fight her way out of whatever held her, but the blackness remained, and she couldn’t move. She had tried so many times already—straining her muscles until they ached. I’ll die here and never learn who I am.

The beast groaned again, and a heavy thud forced more of the hard objects into her back.

It’s holding me in its clutches, but the creature must be in pain too. She chased the thought away. I’m being stupid. No beast is capable of this.

She still wondered what hid in the darkness, and found the unknown impossible to cope with as fear washed over her once more when trembling returned with the sound of more moans.

Concentrate! You’ve got to remember if you want to get out of here. She tried to pull something—anything—from her memories, but she found nothing. This is a dream. It has to be. The groan came again, her weight shifted, and the pain intensified. I’m not dreaming.

I hate this job, and I hate this ship. Most of all I hate the cap’n. The unexpected voice startled her. Some night I’ll slip back into his cabin and slit his throat while he sleeps. I wish I had enough courage to do it tonight.

No one spoke the words except inside her mind, but the voice was not hers. Her heart beat faster when a faint light pierced the darkness. She fought against whatever constrained her and reached toward the glow. She summoned all her strength to break free and lunged.

Ahhhh! A boy screamed as he jumped back from the crate, dodging potatoes as they flew into the air. Her dark form pushed up, sitting in the middle of the box. The shriek had scared her even more, and she screamed, too.

The boy stood before her, his eyes wide. A strange noise came from his mouth, but the words made no sense, at least not at first. Who…what are you doing in my potatoes? he finally managed to ask.

In spite of his obvious alarm, he quickly regained his composure, never breaking eye contact. You aren’t a crewmember. Who are you?

She had asked herself the same question over and over again and still didn’t have an answer. Now, she sat in the crate and stared at the boy not knowing what to say.

When she failed to respond, he stood taller and puffed out his chest. He’s a teenager. Who is he? He’s not the one who confined me. He was surprised to find me here.

Are you deaf? I asked who you are and what you’re doing here.

She tried to clear her throat, but the dryness wouldn’t let her. The raspy sound she made surprised her. The words slipped over her lips in little more than a whisper. I…I don’t know.

You don’t know who you are, or what you’re doing here?

Neither. In fact, her only certainties were a need for water and the fear gripping her very being. Where am I?

How could you not know?

I…I can’t remember my name, and I don’t know where I am. Her voice cracked, and talking hurt. May I have a drink of water…please?

The boy walked to a barrel and returned with a dipper. She gulped the cool liquid until nothing was left.

He sat studying her while she drank. You asked where you are. That’s obvious. You’re in my potatoes. Durr told me to come down and fetch some for dinner. You nearly scared me to death jumping out at me like you did.

"But who put me in with the potatoes, and where is here?"

He shrugged. "I got no idea why you’re here, but you’re on Thellia."

What’s a Thellia?

I had a cousin once who couldn’t remember anything. A mule kicked him in the head. You didn’t get kicked by one did you?

She stared at him without answering, wondering if she had.

Thellia’s a ship, and being here’s not good for you, he said.

Do ships always groan like this?

She ain’t groaning much now. This is her happy sound. Wait till we hit some rough weather and she’ll moan like she was dyin’. Don’t worry none, though. She’s as sound as any ship ever made.

How did I get here?

I think you must have been in the crate all along, but you still haven’t told me who you are?

She sat in silence for a moment as she tried to remember anything before the darkness, fear, and pain. Nothing came to mind. I’m sure it sounds strange, but I really don’t know who I am. I don’t have any memories before waking up here in the dark.

The fear she experienced earlier had diminished. The boy in front of her did not seem to represent a threat, but he did little to help her understand her surroundings.

Someone must have dumped me in the crate. She paused, thinking about an earlier comment. What did you mean when you said it’s not good for me to be here?

Cap’n Narrley won’t be happy, but the crew will, you being a girl and all. But the cap’n’s goin’ to be furious. A stowaway’s a serious problem. Everyone’s expected to pay for their passage, and he’s likely to be pretty rough on you if he finds out you’re here. I think you need to get back under those potatoes and don’t come out until we’re in port.

I didn’t stowaway on purpose. Surely, he’ll understand.

The cap’n ain’t an understanding man.

Every muscle in her body ached, and the lumpy potatoes underneath her hurt. She slid over the side of the crate and stood on wobbly legs.

Your…your clothes. They’re made from gorth cloth.

Her gaze darted around the room, and she shook her head. I don’t know what you mean.

Are you a princess or just a rich person?

She grabbed at her woolen cloak and pulled it out where she could see it. I…what’s gorth cloth?

Not your cloak, he said. It’s what’s underneath. Everyone’s heard of gorth cloth. Only rich people wear it. Don’t let the cap’n or the crew find out about this. They’ll want to hold you for ransom.

If I don’t know who I am, how could they?

They’ll figure something out soon enough, and it ain’t goin’ to be good for you. You’ve got to hide until we make port where I can get you off the ship. Natchas is our next stop in four or five days.

She didn’t understand why he would help, but he hadn’t run away screaming about a girl wearing gorth cloth. Nothing happening around her made any sense, but she was in danger, and she had few options. She had to trust him. He agreed to hide her until she found a way to safely go ashore. Hopefully by then I’ll remember something about how I got here—who I am.

The boy glanced at the ladder across the room. I gotta get back up topside before they come looking for me, and you need to find a place to hide while I figure out what to do. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone about you. I hate the cap’n. I’d like to slip into his cabin at night and slit his throat.

He looked her up and down. If they find you, he might let you work for your passage if they think you’re a boy. First thing we gotta to do is get you some clothes. We’ll have to cut your hair, too.

He grinned. Everyone says I’m pretty smart, so I’ll find everything we need. You just stay hidden until I come back.

He turned and scurried up the ladder, carrying an armload of potatoes with him. Unanswered questions flooded her thoughts as he disappeared through a hole in the deck. The words he used when he talked about the captain were the same as those in my mind. I don’t understand what’s happening. Did I somehow hear his thoughts? That’s ridiculous. No one can do that.

Not willing to burrow back under the potatoes, at least not yet, she searched for a hiding place. Stacked grain sacks reached the ceiling. Crates were stored throughout the room, and barrels and coils of rope filled most of the remaining space. A huge pile of canvas lay nearby. She shook her head and rejected the urge to hide there, opting for the stack of grain bags and the narrow gap between them and the wall. She barely squeezed into the space, but once inside, she found more room than expected. Best of all, a warm feeling of security surrounded her, and she didn’t think anyone would accidentally stumble across her hiding place.

With no memories to fall back on, she tried to remember everything her newfound friend had said. She somehow understood a ship was simply a large boat, but that was the full extent of what she knew. Her mind’s eye pictured a small sailing craft being pushed across a lake by the wind, but nothing else. This is much larger than the boat in my mind. I can’t even imagine what something so big must look like. She unsuccessfully tried to pull more from her memories and was still working on the problem when the boy called for her in the near darkness.

Hey, girl! Come on out. I got some clothes for you.

Slipping from behind the grain bags, she watched him for a moment in the dim light. He held a bundle in his hand. Seeing no one else in the shadows, she stepped from her hiding place.

Hi, I’m glad you came back.

He smiled. I still don’t know what to call you.

Anything you’d like, I guess, but I don’t know your name either.

It’s not my real name, but everyone around here calls me Carp. They say I’m not worth much more until I get a job on deck. It made me mad at first, but I got use to it. I don’t mind now.

I don’t like it either. What should I call you?

"I’m used to Carp. I probably wouldn’t answer anyone calling me Mallik."

Mallik. I like that better, but I’ll call you Carp if that’s what you want.

He nodded. We still have to come up with something for you. At least while you’re aboard Thellia, you need a boy’s name. And you gotta look like one, too. I wasn’t kidding about how dangerous it is for a girl here. I brought clothes for you. I think they’ll fit good enough, but we’ve got to do something with your hair. He removed large shears from his belt.

She instinctively pulled back, not understanding why. Hair didn’t seem important, but for some reason it was.

Carp worked quickly and sheered her long brown tresses. As the hair fell around her feet, tears welled in her eyes, but she didn’t understand why.

Carp finished and produced a small mirror. A stranger’s face, that of a girl in her late teens, stared back at her from the glass. As for what he had done with the shears, if Carp’s haircut set the standard, hers was fine.

With the job completed, she retreated behind the grain bags to change into the clothing he brought. She had no idea where he got them and didn’t want to ask. The clothes were only marginally clean and a bit worn, but they would do. Once dressed, she folded her old shirt and pants in a neat bundle before hurrying back to where Carp waited. She stopped and stared at the empty floor. Her shorn hair was gone.

Yeah, I tossed it overboard, he said. "If they’d found it, they’d know you was aboard.

Sadness swept over her, but before she had time to dwell on the subject, Carp motioned for her to follow him over to the ladder leading to the deck above.

The air’s better over here, he said. You look almost natural. You’re a bit tall and a little skinny for your age, but a lot of boys are, so I guess you’ll pass fine enough if you’re found. Now we gotta get you a name. He paused. "How about Zelkie? That’s my brother’s name, but I don’t think he’d mind. Besides, we won’t be running into him."

Zelkie sounds good to me.

You need more than a name. You need a story about how you got here just in case you get caught. Two days ago we left the coast of Laranzo where we picked up this cargo to be transported back to Natchas. I think it’d be impossible to convince anyone you sailed with us both ways. We carried a load of men down here on the trip over. If someone finds you say your name’s Zelkie, and you live on a farm in Laranzo.

Why would I sneak onboard? They won’t believe me.

Maybe they will. Tell them you hated life there and were running away. Say your stepfather beat you. When Thellia dropped anchor in the cove, you sneaked aboard inside a crate. Hopefully, they’ll just put you to work. If you don’t get caught, I’ll take you off the ship in Natchas. You’ll be on your own, but that’s better than being here.

Zelkie and Carp talked for a long time before he left the hold, and she returned to her hiding place with the food he brought. Her hunger overcame the bad taste, and she ate every bite and wished she had more.

The space between the bags and bulkhead was large enough to accommodate Zelkie’s needs but little else. Carp continued to pay her visits when his duties allowed. His stays were always short except late in the evening after most of the crew went to sleep. He brought her food every night, and she enjoyed his company.

Zelkie spent her days trying to pull out forgotten memories but never achieved any success. More often a flood of unidentified voices filled her mind. Everyone spoke at once, and she had difficulty making sense of the sounds. The possibility that the voices inside her head came from crewmembers terrified her, and she concentrated on shutting them out. That worked most of the time. Even then, individual voices occasionally startled her. They came in short sentences or phrases the same way it happened when she first heard Carp’s voice—disjointed thoughts for the most part.

Have I always had the ability to listen to the thoughts of others? She had pondered that thought countless times. Is that why I’m here? Someone onboard must know something about me. Why else would they have brought me aboard?

Even though the intrusions frightened her, they had one advantage. She almost always knew when Carp was coming before he climbed down the ladder. In the process, she learned the visits were equally important to him.

She was unsure, but from what Carp had told her on his first visit, she thought Thellia would make port in another two days. Living below decks had one major disadvantage. She couldn’t tell night from day. Everything depended on whether the crew left the hatch cover open, and for some time, it had been closed.

Since Carp’s last visit, the seas had become rougher, and the moaning and creaking of the timbers intensified. As the ship’s motion increased, the cargo around her shifted, only slightly at first. Conditions continued to worsen, and several of the grain bags crashed into her hiding place from above as the entire stack leaned toward the hull. Fearing all would collapse, she abandoned her secure confines and scurried out into the open area. Moments later, the stack of grain bags tumbled into the void. Crates soon slid about, smashing into each other and scattering the contents across the deck. With no place safe, Zelkie climbed atop the pile of canvas and sat trembling.

Without warning, the hatch cover flew open, and a dozen sailors scurried down the ladder as she scampered behind a crate. A large man stood off to the side and barked orders, and the group hurried to secure everything with ropes tied to rings attached to the heavy ship timbers.

She shivered, wondering if they would find her. She tried to shrink down and make herself as small as possible. As she huddled in the shadows, a sailor tossed a loop of rope across the top of the crate and Zelkie. He pulled the line tight, pinning her to the container.

Aaaaah!

The men all stopped and turned toward the unexpected cry. The sailor leaned across the box to stare down at her. Stowaway!

A strong hand reached down and grabbed her by the collar, jerking her over the crate. He dropped her in a heap on the deck in front of the assembled men.

A dark-skinned seaman stared down at her. Well, what do we got here? He nudged her with his foot. We got us a stowaway, Bordrop.

Bordrop, the large man giving the orders, glared down at her. What’s your name, lad? His booming voice caused her to jump.

She tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. When she failed to answer, he hit her with the back of his hand, knocking her to the deck. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, and a trickle ran down her chin. For a fleeting moment, she considered protecting herself with a shield, but the disjointed thought made no sense, and it soon passed. She fought back tears. Zelkie.

Cap’n Narrley ain’t goin’ to be happy to learn you’re ridin’ in his ship without payin’. For your sake, I hope you can afford passage, but lookin’ at you, I doubt that’ll happen. Where you from, boy?

Laranzo. She scarcely heard her own weak voice.

What’s that? Speak up so’s the boys in the back can hear you.

Laranzo! I live on a farm in Laranzo. I saw your ship at anchor, and I sneaked aboard when you were loading cargo.

The huge man chuckled. Well, Zelkie from Laranzo, you got money for passage?

She looked away and forced an answer. No.

Don’t think I heard quite right. Did you say you ain’t got no money to pay for these fine accommodations you been enjoyin’? What made you think you could just dance in here and take up residence on this ship without so much as a by your leave, sir.

I didn’t want to be a farmer like my father and brothers. I wanted a life at sea.

You wanted a life at sea, did ya? What makes you think you want to go to sea?

Her gaze darted around the room, stopping when she saw Carp standing in the back of the group. Deep creases crossed his forehead, telling her how important the answer to this question was. Not sure what else to say, she settled on the first thing that came to mind. Because I’ve been to sea before.

Is that so? Well, tell me, young seaman, what do they call the pointy end of the ship? The men around her laughed.

She realized the mistake she had made immediately, but the realization came too late. Boredrop would test her, and the answers she gave might well determine her fate.

Bow! Carp’s voice almost shouted inside her thoughts. Tell him the bow. Other voices entered her mind all saying the same thing.

She looked up at Boredrop. The front of the ship is the bow.

The man had been leaning over, but now, he stood up and took a step backwards. You surprise me, lad. Course that was too easy. Reaching down he picked up the end of a rope. And what might a sailor call this?

A chorus of voices around her sang out.

A line.

How about them stairways going up?

That’s a ladder. Once again, she took her cue from the voices in her head.

Bordrop asked more questions, and she continued to answer correctly. He stood with his arms folded across his chest. Well, Zelkie from Laranzo, exactly what did you do when you went to sea?

For the first time, she couldn’t use the thoughts of others and would fail any test requiring her to show seamanship skills. She swallowed hard. I was a cabin boy.

Well, we already got ourselves one of them, but Cap’n Narrley might find some use for you if he’s in a good mood. You better hope he is else he’ll likely have me toss you overboard. That’s what happens to stowaways. Come on. We’ll go check on the cap’n’s mood.

The big man grabbed Zelkie by the shoulder and half dragged her and half pushed her toward the ladder leading out of the hold. She scurried up ahead of the man only to come to an abrupt halt as she reached the main deck. Myriad lines, billowing sails, and tall masts towered above her. But the sea amazed her most of all. There was no horizon. The distant sky blended with the swirling mass of huge, blue-green waves. The wind blew hard, ripping the tops off the swells, spreading salt spray across the deck.

Bordrop shoved her along. You act like you ain’t never looked at water before.

No…I mean this ship’s a lot bigger than the one I was on.

She didn’t have a chance to view the spectacle for long before Bordrop hustled her down another short ladder and into the passageway. He banged on an ornately carved door and waited. The door swung open and revealed a huge man whose very presence caused her to gasp. Her gaze darted back and forth between his face and his massive hands resembling hams. A scraggly black beard hung halfway down his chest, and his eyes were so dark they reminded her of coal. He wore baggy, gray trousers with a wide leather belt. His rumpled white shirt with blossomed sleeves and open collar gave the appearance of him having slept in his clothes. His frown left no doubt that the captain did not like seeing a stranger standing before him.

Boredrop pushed her through the doorway. Found a stowaway down in the main hold. Came aboard at Laranzo. Says he’s a farmer, but the lad seems familiar enough with the ship. Told me he’s been to sea before as a cabin boy. I don’t have no use for him on deck; he’s too scrawny, but cook might be able to find him some work to do. Maybe the food can be made edible with a little extra help, but I doubt it.

The captain squinted one eye and stared down at Zelkie with a gaze that left her feeling small and insignificant. What ship did you sail? His deep voice seemed almost soothing and out of character for the man’s immense size.

Gallery, out of Delli. Zelkie had absolutely no idea why she gave such an answer. She had never heard of the ship or a place called Delli.

Delli? What were you doing on an Adderissian ship? That’s a long way from Laranzo.

Just like you, they sailed in to take on cargo, and I went aboard. I stayed on board for almost a year, until they returned to Laranzo. I got off because my mother was sick. She’s better now. When you sailed into the cove, I thought your ship offered a chance to go back to sea. I’m willing to work for my passage.

His eye squinted again as he stared down at her. Oh, you’ll do enough of that. I’ll make use of your labor for the remainder of this trip and the next one as well. You’ll receive nothing but your meals and a place to bunk. If you’re not a good worker, I’ll sell you to the slave traders. Cause me trouble and I’ll put you ashore on a deserted island and let you die a slow death. Do you understand me?

He didn’t wait for an answer. The cap’n wheeled around, and as the door closed, he barked orders over his shoulder. Give him to the cook and tell Durr to have the boy serve my dinner this evening. I want to see how he treats the cap’n.

Bordrop spun Zelkie around again, pushing her ahead of him up the passageway. Well, Zelkie of Laranzo, looks like your lucky day. You won’t be goin swimmin’ after all. He chuckled softly as they headed toward the galley.

A filthy apron covered Durr’s sizable pot-belly, and his body odor caused her to retreat to the far side of the room. He stood with a troubled frown on his face, but once Bordrop left, he became jovial and pleasant to be around as long as she stayed upwind.

He squinted as he eyed her up and down. So…the cap’n wants you to serve him this evenin’. He’s particular. He don’t want you droppin’ food all over the deck and table, and heaven help you if you drop any on him. Do that and he’ll likely send you sprawlin’ across the length of the cabin. He even expects a clean napkin with every meal, and he wants the silverware washed after he uses it. I think that’s a big waste of time, but he’s the cap’n. Bordrop says you done this before. I hope so because the cap’n’s mood turns ugly when things ain’t done to his likin’. Get with Carp and have him give you some pointers. He’s been doin’ this for a long time. Cap’n don’t like the way he serves, but he ain’t tossed him overboard yet. Listen to him, and maybe you’ll make it through the day.

He turned toward Carp and curled his finger. Come over here, boy. You get out of servin’ the cap’n this evening. Zelkie gets the honor. I’m sure that’ll break your heart. Tell him everything he needs to do to keep from being fed to the sharks.

Carp had waited quietly in the corner listening, but he gave no indication that he knew her. On the contrary, he leaned against the bulkhead with his arms folded across his chest. By all outward appearances, he didn’t care a whit about the newcomer. When Durr called him over, he took Zelkie by the arm. Come with me, kid. There’s a lot we need to do before you serve the cap’n tonight.

The two walked out of the galley onto the deck. Work continued around them, but no one seemed to pay much attention to their presence. Once out of Durr’s earshot, Carp hardly controlled his excitement. "How could you answer all those questions? I thought you were dead for sure when Bordrop started asking them. He’s not one to