47. Basin Island.

"Did you hear these stories of someone named Hunter?" asked Perry, "Apparently he comes for ya when your time is up."

Maria served the drinks to the men at the table and made sure to linger a little longer than usual.

"Ain’t that what Death is supposed to do?" asked Bartholomew.

"Aye." replied Perry, "But this Hunter only comes after ya if Death can’t. On account a ya living past your time like. Ya know, you’s still alive when ya aught not to be."

"That’s just stories." said Eric, "Tain’t no such person as Hunter. Just stories to scare little kids. No one can live past their time. Once it’s up, it’s up."

"Young Will seems to believe in it." said Perry.

"That just proves my point. He’s just barely out of his childhood. Probably believes in the fairy world as well."

"But he’s a wizard. They’s suppose to be smart and all. So if he believes in it, maybe there be something to it." said Bartholomew.

Eric’s answer was to laugh in Bartholomew’s face.

"You are such a superstitious lot." he said.

Maria had to agree with Eric on that point at least, these pirates were pretty superstitious.

That helped when she first came to this island. When she found out that she would have to come to the notorious Basin island, home to every pirate imaginable, she realised that she couldn’t just pop up here and say she was travelling.

So she arranged to have herself wash up on shore, claiming to have survived a shipwreck and that the trauma had left her with partially amnesia.

Most of the ones who had found her believed that there was a reason for her being there, that the gods wanted her to be there. So they accepted her into their society quite quickly.

She took a job as a serving girl in the biggest inn in the town that they had built themselves.

Every pirate in these waters eventually wound up here. And her prey was here as well. In this inn she could listen for any hint as to the whereabouts of her quarry, and at night she would prowl around seeing if anything catches her eye.

It had been nearly a week and she had not hit on anything yet. There were too many people on this island and it was like finding a needle in a haystack.

Eric turned to her.

"Don’t you think so Anna?" he asked.

"I wouldn’t venture a guess." she told him, "But they say that every story has a grain of truth in it. That will be 3 copper if you please."

"What!" he cried, "I’m not paying for all these freeloaders."

The other two at the table laughed and lifted their drinks.

"Thanks friend."

Eric just looked at them and then back at Maria, who just smiled sweetly.

Finally a smile broke his features and he gave her the tree copper pieces.

"Next round’s on Bartholomew." he said.

"What?!"

"Duly noted." said Maria.

"What?!"

the two others at the table laughed at Bartholomew’s look of confusion.

"By the way Perry," said a voice from the small booth nearby, "you got it wrong as usual. The Hunter is a woman not a man."

"You would say that, Julie." he answered, "Just ‘cause you is one. But no woman could do what this Hunter fellow can."

"They told me that when I became a pirate." said Julie.

Maria put Julie’s drink on her table.

Julie did not look like someone who you would suspect of being a pirate. She was no more than Maria’s height, and had fiery red hair she kept in two pigtails on either side of her face.

Her face was still that of a young girl though everyone here knew she was nearing her 30th summer. Her bight green eyes made you feel she could look deep down into you and find the true you. She had actually startled Maria the first time she had met her.

But everyone knew that she could hold her own in a fight and was a good ally when going up against a well armed ship. Any man here would gladly have her by his side in a fight, but that didn’t stop them from teasing her.

"It’s not too late to turn back." said Eric, "If you want, you can marry me and have my children. You know, get away from this pirating life and do a proper woman’s job."

"I’d rather mate with a troll."

The entire place filled with laughter. Even Eric joined in.

"Isn’t she amazing." said Peggy into Maria’s ear as they stood near the bar waiting for the drinks to be ready.

Peggy, Maria had found out, had wanted to join Julie’s crew, she being the only pirate who would take on female crew members, since the others thought them unlucky. But unfortunately a few things stood in her way. Specifically, she was not particularly strong, couldn’t fight if her life depended on it and the lst time she had had a sword in her hands, she nearly cut off two of her toes.

So she stayed a serving girl where it was a lot safer.

"I suppose she is." said Maria in answer to Peggy’s question.

Julie was staring at Maria, who stared right back.

Julie had wanted Maria to join her crew.

"I can see that you are more than just a serving girl, Anna." she had told her soon after they had first met, "Why waste your talents here?"

"I am quite fine where I am thank you Lady Julie." she had told her, "I think here is a fine place to be."

"If ever you change your mind let me know."

And that had been it. Though Maria felt Julie’s stares whenever the pirate was in the bar.

"It’s funny." said Peggy, noticing the two women staring at each other, "I want to join and she doesn’t care. But you don’t and she is interested."

"Sometimes we want what we can’t have, just because we can’t have it." said Maria.

Peggy was silent.

The door to the inn opened and in walked a young lad in robes.

This was William, Will to everyone, the only mage on the island. Maria had not found out yet why he was here, but suspected it was a young adventurer thing.

He sat down at his usual table in the far corner and waved Maria over.

She walked over to him.

"What will it be tonight?" she asked.

"We need to talk Anna." he said in a low voice, "Or should I call you Hunter?"