The Merman and the Pirate

By Laura Hawks

In this version of the Little Mermaid, merman Arien gives up his voice to gain legs in order to repay a debt.
Arien enjoyed his quiet life in the world's oceans. He had no interest in the cold-hearted, crass humans until his little sister was accidentally caught in the nets of the Coral Queen and released by the schooner's kind-hearted Captain.
Pirate ship Captain Molly Obsidian is on a mission to make an alliance with the governor of the Castillo de San Marcos when she finds a stranded male on a makeshift raft. Rescuing him, she hopes she hasn't put her crew or her mission in danger.
With time running out, unlikely alliances and surprising betrayals lead up to an explosive conclusion.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Laura Hawks
• Release date: Jul 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005842062

Laura Hawks

Ms. Hawks has always been interested in writing in some form or other. A few years back, she was involved with and then ran a Star Trek Interactive Writing Group which was successful for a number of years. Yes, she is a trekker and proud of it.A few years back, she received her Master's Degree in Ancient Civilizations, Native American History and United States History.It was at this time she got involved in role playing on FaceBook, which gave her ample opportunities to grow and hone her writing ability.Living with three males takes up a lot of her free time.. granted they are all cats, but when they are not trying to push her out of bed, they are trying to help her type.She does several personal appearances around the country at Author/Reader conventions. Please check the website to see where she will appear next.

Book preview

The Merman

And

The Pirate

Laura Hawks

Copyright © 2021 Laura Hawks

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 9798462540745

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to you, the readers, for whom writing wouldn’t be as enjoyable.

I would also like to dedicate this to my mother, whom I miss more than words can describe.

May you all find pleasure in this world, whether it be from your friends, family, or fur-babies. We only pass this way once, make it worthwhile.

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Further Reading

Words For Warriors II: A Word Search Book

Balconies of New Orleans

YA Paranormal:

Gumshoe and the Mysterious Mushrooms

(These books are Adult Themed)

Demon Trilogy: Demon’s Kiss

Demon’s Dream

Demon’s Web

Spirit Walker’s Thrillers: Shifter’s Hope

Shifter’s Pride

Shifter’s Journey

Shifter’s Dance

Ghost and the Grimoire

Fractured Fairytales:

Snow White and the Seven Cannibals

Valley View Mysteries: Flaming Retribution

Stalking the Stalker

ACKNOWLEDGMEnts

I would like to thank all of my friends, family and fans who sent good wishes and kept me in their thoughts during my medical crisis of late. Without your thoughts and prayers, this book might not have been published.

I would like to thank all of you for your notes, emails and posts. They are greatly appreciated.

I hope that after reading this novel, you will take time to let me know your thoughts. My platforms are located in the back of this book under About the Author.

I would also appreciate it very much if you left a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads.

Thank you for your patronage and friendship.

Merman and the Pirate

Chapter One

The ocean wind howled relentlessly while it whipped the Jolly Roger flag against the main mast. The waves battered the ship as the rain poured down on the soaked bodies of the crew trying desperately to hold on while securing the vessel. The heavens were open, the sky so dark it was hard to see beyond the ship itself. At times the wind sounded like singing, and at times some of the novice crew swore the seas were haunted with the sounds of ghostly spirits of those who died at sea. The ship cut into the grayish-blue of the churning water as waves crashed against the wooden hull, tossing the ship from side to side. The gale had come up quickly, but the captain had been through a multitude of storms over the years and was as prepared as much as possible.

The strength of the winds made securing the masts almost unmanageable, and the men had a difficult time making sure the masts were tied down properly. The entire crew was on deck, working to secure the ship or hanging on for dear life. It was safer to be topside than in the holds or quarters. The fragile and important sails and masts of the ships needed to be protected at all costs if the ship was to make it safely through the storm. High winds could cripple a ship by shredding its sails or even toppling its masts, leaving it at the mercy of the elements. Since fully extended sails were to be avoided in storms and hurricanes as they put too much pressure on the mast, the safest option was to stow the sails or tie them down, depending on how much forewarning they had of the squall coming.

The schooner, the Coral Queen, had a master sailor as her captain—one who’d ridden through many of Mother Nature’s assaults. The captain stood on the deck, hands gripping the ship’s wheel as orders were barked amongst the crewmen. Waves splashed over the sides of the ship, as it would lean to and fro, the strength of the water pounding heavily against the hull.

There were many times the ship’s captain enjoyed sailing the seas. This wasn’t one of them. Concern for the crew and the ship’s cargo outweighed the pleasure of gently gliding the open water. The Coral Queen was a pirate ship led by the infamous Captain Obsidian, known as the Black Stone. The captain, Molly Obsidian, enjoyed the name given her by many of her victims. She’d found it ironic, but also useful to protect herself and her crew from those who thought a woman would make a poor captain.

But Molly was an exception to the rule when it came to being a leader, and a great one at that. She’d only been eleven years old when she’d been abandoned. Or so the crew believes. The truth was difficult for Molly to admit, so she fudged her past slightly. She’d dressed as a boy and stowed away on the Coral Queen. Captain Puttile took pity on her and the crew voted for her to stay, albeit, they thought she was just a young boy at the time, and another set of hands were always useful.

As a sprog, or newbie sailor, she was required to learn the components of the ship quickly and as efficiently as any man. Once she’d proven herself in the operation of the vessel, they were surprised to learn she was a blossoming young woman. Puttile continued to protect her, and the crew grew to love her. She was an excellent navigator and quickly rose through the ranks to quartermaster, which was the second-most important person on the ship.

When Puttile was captured and hung for piracy, the crew voted Molly to be the new captain and she utilized all the knowledge she’d gained over the years to safely guide the crew through the storm they were now enduring.

The winds picked up and screeching could be heard, sounding like banshees traveling through the howling gales. The wood on the main mast cracked, and the men nearby scrambled in their bare feet to other areas in order to hold on and avoid the wood splintering onto the deck.

Get those lines secure, Molly called out as she knew the mast ropes needed to be tightened if they were to have any chance at saving the main sail rigging.

Her sailing master, Jeb Firth, moved over to the men, barking orders to make sure the ropes were secured and the sails were protected.

Somehow the wind picked up again, pulling on the nets tied to the stern, and when Molly realized they were pulling on the ship she had Firth cut the nets. Only then did they all hear the unrecognizable, inconsolable wailing and screeching over the cacophony of the storm.

Chapter Two

Prince Arien swam along the coastline, viewing the wrecked ships battered and broken upon the shore. His father, King Eldoris, enjoyed when the tempest storms destroyed the