VALKYRIE

Opening the satchel, I saw there was an intricate metal box in it, just large enough to cover the flat of my hand. Its surface was a puzzle of tiny bronze and copper gears, a delicate work of miniature machinery, which seemed impossible to manipulate. “Interesting,” I murmured, smirking as I inspected the object with careful consideration. “I wonder what makes this strange instrument so valuable?”

“It’s not valuable, it’s just a tool,” he said, a tension hiding behind the casual words. “It’s not of any worth to you.”

I tilted my head to the side, dropping the cube into the deep pocket of my frock coat. There was a sterile rage behind his calm expression that gave me a sense of accomplishment. “You said it yourself. You’re an engineer, on the run, and seem to want this back very badly. If it’s something that you want, then it’s the very thing I need.”

“How do you figure that?” He seemed increasingly agitated as he shook his head. “You won’t be able to use it, and you seem to have plenty of pricier paperweights, I don’t think you need another.”

I stepped closer to him, narrowing my eyes as I gave him a cold and calculated smile. “What’s your name?”

He was silent for a moment, expression unreadable, before he answered. “William Arliss,” he forced the name past gritted teeth.

“Well, William Arliss, while Tarren and I don’t agree often, he’s certainly in my favor today. I never trust a rat. And with this kind of leverage,” I patted my pocket, winking at him, “I think we can both agree you’ll start to smarten up and learn your place aboard my ship. Like I said before, there are worse things than death.”

“You’ve made that very clear,” he muttered, eyes dropping as he shook his head slowly. “No one even saw me board the ship, now did they? I’m good at keeping out of sight. You’ll hardly notice I’m here.” William was quietly taunting me, a fire in his eyes even as he promised to fall in line.

I gritted my teeth, quietly seething. “Well, as you’re standing here cuffed in irons, you may want to make sure of that this time,” I snapped. I turned away from him, glancing towards Cordelia who had remained silent for the entirety of my investigation. “Go with Tarren. Take our guest to a room. Have it guarded inside and out at all times until we make port.”

She nodded, going to stand beside her brother as she said sternly, “Yes, Captain.”

As I walked back towards my chair, prepared to regain the meeting with my crew that had been so suddenly interrupted, I glanced over my shoulder, tipping my hat to the intriguing William Arliss, if that even was his name. “Thanks for the trinket, Mr. Arliss,” I said, taking the strange cube out of my pocket to taunt him.

Cordelia took William by the arm, turning him toward the door; he looked back at me over his shoulder, anger still boiling under his cool gaze. “I gave you my name, it’s polite to return the favor. Unless you want me to guess.” He smirked at me, and I doubted anything he came up with would be favorable.

Regaining my seat, I placed the instrument back in my pocket as I regarded William, equally fascinated and frustrated by how much fight there was in him. “I suppose I do owe you that much at most.” I gripped the ends of the armrest, smiling as I said, “My name is Valkyrie, captain of the Marauder. Welcome aboard, Mr. Arliss. We’ll see how long you stay.”

~~~

Striding down the regal halls I opened the door to my private quarters, closing it hard behind me. Like the rest of my ship, my room was adorned with lavish furnishings, fit for royalty. There was a faint hum as I flipped a heavy switch on the wall, the chandelier above flickering to life in a warm, soft glow amidst the shadows of the night sky. I took off my hat, hanging it on a hook by the door as I brushed my fingers through my thick black hair, tying it back out of my face.

I passed intricate chests that were spilling over with jewels and a chaise lounge that sat before an unlit fireplace. I made my way over to my large, carved desk, brimming with maps and documents and scattered with gold coins. At the back of the room behind the desk was a wall of windows. Rows of long vertical glass panes divided into small squares and arched into points at the top were framed by heavy velvet curtains. They let in the blue light of the clouds and glittering stars as we sailed through clear skies.

Inside though, it felt like a storm was brewing.

I reached into my pocket, taking out the strange mechanical cube that the brave William Arliss had wanted so very badly to hold onto. I placed it on the center of my desk as I pressed my hands against the heavy slab of wood, looking at it with careful curiosity.

A knock at the door pulled my gaze up from the mysterious machinery and I bristled as it opened before I could raise my voice to allow entry. Tarren strode into my room, anger dark on his face as he shut the door behind him. Aggravation was in every tense line of his body as he stormed across to perch on the edge of my bed, fixing me with burning green eyes. “Have you lost your edge?” he growled the words, “Lettin’ a rat talk to you like that, givin’ the stowaway a room, do you really plan on keeping him around?”

I glanced at him sitting easily on my finely embroidered duvet, amongst the sea of expensive throws. “You know,” I said, taking off my coat as I hung it off the back of my armchair, “you sound awfully jealous for a man who entered his captain’s quarters without permission and made his home on my bed.” I couldn’t help smiling slyly as I walked to stand in front of him, leaning back on the edge of my desk, looking him over.

“Hardly,” Tarren scoffed at me, but my words seemed to have taken the edge off his anger, his expression softening into aggrieved disapproval. “But I don’t agree with keepin’ him onboard. He’s got a price on his head, if he’s not lyin’ to us. Selling ‘im off seems smarter, and if he’s not worth the coin, we can toss the bastard over the rails.”

“He might be worth the coin. If he really is an engineer, imagine what the government will pay… But having an engineer on board could have its benefits. Get his services, take him where he wants to go so he’ll pay us like he says, then ransom him off. Have our cake and eat it, too. You don’t like the sounds of that?” I raised a brow in question, folding my arms across my chest as I watched him chew on his lower lip.

I could tell he was trying to find an argument, giving up with a sigh of irritation. “I still don’t like it,” he grumbled. “It’s askin’ for trouble, and he could be toying with us, or sabotage the ship.”

“What?” I asked, getting off the edge of my desk as I slowly walked to stand before him. I tilted his chin up to look at me before I sat down beside him. “Don’t you trust me?”

Tarren smirked at me, shaking his head. His fingers reached for my face, stroking my jawline as he reached back to untie my hair with his other hand. “Any man would be a fool to trust you, Captain.”

A sly smile spread across my lips. “Well look at that. You’re learning… Now, we’ll just have to wait and see how long it takes our Mr. Arliss.” Thinking about the self-proclaimed engineer and his strange gray eyes, I couldn’t help but turn away from Tarren as I glanced back over to my desk.

The cube was still sitting there, untouched, and it somehow surprised me. Staring at it, I felt an eerie sensation come over me… as if it were sitting there staring back at me, waiting for me to discover its worth.