Rayne Ch. 08

The crew of the Eclipse gave their captain a wide berth. For Rayne was a man driven, he was exhausted, haggard and beside himself with worry.

Maria wasn't in much better shape, as she too was out of her mind with worry. She prayed for a vision that would lead Rayne in the right direction, bringing them to Gabriella's side, but no visions came. She paced the cabin like a lioness caged, wringing her narled, aged hands as she racked her brain for anything she might have overlooked that might be of some help. Yet nothing came to mind, and finally in total exhaustion she laid upon the bunk just to rest her tired feet and mind.

Almost instantly she fell into a deep trance-like sleep and the vision started. Mist swirled eerily and inky black waters seemed to echo the sounds of pain and death. Straining to see thru the mists, yet she could not make out where or what was there. She could see herself as if from a distance on her bunk; her brow furrowed in concentration and hears her moans of pain as blinding pain ripped thru her head. The pain was so bad, yet she tried to distance herself from it and concentrate on the vision instead. The winds began to pick up and the mist swirled and there on the inky black water sat The Scarlet Flame, listing, no signs of life upon it. Maria strained harder and harder to see all that she could see. The decks were red with blood and she saw many men laying in macabre fashion, and at first she thought all were dead, but then there were some signs of life. Moaning from the men, slight movements, coughing and retching, at least there were some still alive. But search as she might, she saw no sign of Gabriella. She tried to take in every detail, something that would guide them to the ship, and she noticed that the mists were gone and the North Star shone brightly...and that the bow of the ship pointed directly north. The vision started to disappear, and then just as it was almost gone, she saw the sash that Gabriella always wore snagged on the railing of the ship, ripped and fluttering in the breeze.

Maria staggered from the bunk, head pounding, but with a single thought driving her onward; she must reach Rayne and point him in the right direction. The old crone all but dragged herself up the steps to the deck, and screeched for Rayne. He was at her side instantly and one look at her and he knew the vision had at last come. He was fearful of exactly what it had been, yet he longed to know. Maria imparted all that she had seen and Rayne turned and shouted the orders to turn due north to the helmsman that had taken over when Rayne had raced to Maria's side.

Rayne helped her down the stairs back to her cabin, and mixed the powders in a small drink for her so that blissful sleep would come to ease the pounding in her head that the visions always brought. Just before she drifted off to sleep Maria whispered "she is gone,"

Rayne wanted more. What had she meant gone? Did she mean gone as in not on the ship? Or gone as if she were among the dead? No, he wouldn't let himself believe that, not until he had proof positive, not even if it meant sailing the seas till his dying day! He pushed the crew almost beyond their limits, but they all gave and gave willingly; they knew they could expect no less should any of them need Rayne to do the same for them.

Through the night the ship cut through the water and with the first light of day, the sailor in the crow's nest hollered. There sat The Scarlet Flame, listless just as Maria had seen it in her vision. They approached cautiously and used the grappling hooks to board the ship. The stench on the ship was horrible, the decks were indeed awash in blood, the dead lay bloating in the rising sun and the dying lay moaning and pleading for help or someone to put them out of their misery.

The men and Maria went from man to man seeing what could be done, if anything to save them. Rayne raced thru the ship looking for Gabriella, but she was nowhere to be found. They questioned each man, but most were so delirious they didn't even comprehend what was being asked of them.

Then, the cabin boy was found terrified but without injury, hiding in the flour barrel. The lad was almost tongue-tied with fear, and if the situation hadn't been so grave Rayne might have laughed at him. The boy was quite a sight, covered in white from head to toe with only his eyes peering out owlishly at the sailors surrounding him. Rayne calmed him as best he could which was difficult as he just wanted to shake the truth from the lad. He finally managed to get out of the boy that the devil had swooped down on the ship in the middle of the night and his talons had ripped apart the sailors and then he had flown off with Gabriella in his grasp. When asked which way the devil had flew with her, he pointed west.

Dread ripped thru Rayne, for he knew the foolish boy believed it was the devil, but he and Maria exchanged tormented glances, they knew it was a devil alright, it was Torquemada that had captured Gabriella. Sick dread filled Rayne and a fear like nothing he had ever experience squeezed his heart. He feared that he would be too late to save his love, but, he swore that he would hunt that bastard down and put an end to his life for the torment he had inflicted on Gabriella. And, if that bastard harmed one hair on her head, but he knew there was no if, he knew she was being tortured probably that very minute and the thought made him want to retch.

The wounded men were taken care of and a skeleton crew placed aboard The Scarlet Flame and they shadowed Rayne's ship as they headed west at a fast clip. It had already been two weeks since she had been taken from the ship, and he didn't know how long she could survive and if she survived physically, he feared her mind would snap under the madman's torture that he knew was sure to be heaped upon his beloved.

All day long the winds held and they made good time, until late afternoon when the winds died down and finally ceased all together. The lull lasted thru the night, with the ship barely moving and Rayne let Maria talk him into turning over the helm to one of the other helmsmen. She reasoned with him that he would do Gabriella little good if they found her and he was too exhausted to think much less fight.

It was sound advice and he knew she was right. So, he went to his cabin and fell into a troubled slumber. He kept seeing Gabriella being tortured, raped and beaten over and over again. When he awoke his mood was made no better by the fact that the winds still had not picked up. During this listlessness the sailors kept busy repairing sails and cleaning decks, anything not to dwell on what was on everyone's mind.

Red worked diligently on the maiden he was carving, and unaware that she was taking on the likeness of Gabriella. When Rayne noticed what he was doing, it was like being dealt a physical blow the longing to hold her was so strong and he wondered if he would ever hold her in his arms again. How he longed for the chance to teach her all the secrets that lovers share. But even more, he longed to share his life with her, to make her his wife. That thought, unbidden as it was, shocked him to his very core. He, who thought love, was a mockery, thanks to Lionel, longed for that bond with this woman who he realized had become everything to him. He was standing behind Red, who was unaware that Rayne was there, and he reached out a hand and laid it on 'Reds shoulder.

"When this is over and Gabriella is safe, and you've finished the carving, it will go on my ship Red."

Rayne turned and walked away and a very shocked Red looked after him, and the crotchety old sailor had a tear in his eye, for he didn't think there was a prayer that she was still alive.

After nearly a week of listlessness a storm blew in, and it was the worst storm that Rayne had ever ridden out. There were times when he feared the ship would spit asunder and they would all go down with it, but with the dawn of a new day the storm finally abated, and the winds blew strong and they were once more speeding westward. Maria swore it was an omen, that the storm had cleansed the ocean and that it meant that Gabriella was alive. Rayne wasn't so sure, but wouldn't voice that doubt as he refused to take the hope that she clung so desperately to from the old woman that he had grown so fond of. Only time would tell, and time right now, was his biggest nemesis.