A change in the winds

Chapter three: Revealing the past.

Three days had passed and not a word was spoken between Jack and Kenna. She had stayed in her cabin most of the time, because her efforts to explain herself to Jack hadn't been successful. He was terrified of her and her hidden powers, and as soon as he got a glimpse of her he was gone. It didn't matter how much she tried, he refused to be near her. Food had been brought down to her cabin these past two days. She stopped going to the galley, it was too lonely to sit there all by herself. If she happened to meet Jack down there he would leave the room without as much as a glance at her. The other crewmembers knew nothing of what Jack had discovered, so they considered their Captain's sudden change of behaviour very strange. Jack had forbidden them to speak to her, and no one should attend to her, besides the man who brought her food. She was to be ignored.

It was early evening and Kenna sat in her cabin, carving runes into the headboard. It was a rune spell similar to the one she used while the slave dealers held her captive. It was a protection spell, supposed to protect the person lying on the bed from all kinds of evil. The knife, she had gotten from one of the men to cut her meal, but she never returned it when the man came to fetch the tray. Growing tired of the isolation she stood up from her bed. This had to stop here. Soon they would reach port and she would be sent off. She cut a piece out of one of the desk's legs and brought it over to the bed. She carved some runes into the wooden piece, supposed to prevent anger and avoid wrath. Then she took the knife and cut her palm, letting the drops of blood trickle from the blade and onto the wooden piece. She took the piece over to the desk, where a brass teapot sat. She opened the teapot and put the wooden piece into the pot. She fetched a candle and set the wooden piece on fire. As the piece burned she chanted a magic psalm, pouring her energy into the spell. Smoke glided up from the pot, uniting the four elements, earth, water, fire and air.

On the upper floor, Jack sat inside his cabin. He was reading the charts, calculating the shortest way to next port. He couldn't wait for Kenna to be gone; she scared the hell out of him. She had lied to him and tricked him into letting her go along with them. He would never forgive her. He felt his anger boiling up again. He had never felt so used. Suddenly it was as if something had flown through him, he couldn't feel the anger anymore.

'' What the hell happened here? Oh jeez, this is freakin' me out!'' He stood up from his chair. '' I bet this has somethin' ta do with her.'' He left his cabin and marched down to Kenna's. He threw the door open, slamming it against the wall.

'' This has gone far enough! Stop yer witch craftin' or I be throwin' ye into the sea,'' Jack growled. Kenna turned around surprised. Had it actually worked? Well at least not for long, he was angrier now than when she last saw him.

'' I've had enough of yer spell castin'. Ye be scarin' the whole crew!''

'' How did I do that, you don't allow anyone to talk to me,'' Kenna replied with a frown.

'' They be feelin' it, we all be feelin' it,'' Jack barked out.

'' It can't have been me. I haven't been making any spells…part from the one I did today.'' The last part was spoken in a lower tone of voice.

'' Aha! I knew it be ye…I felt it. What did ye do ta me?'' Jack inquired furious but keeping a good distance between them.

'' It was a spell to prevent anger and avoid wrath, I was only calming you down so we could talk.''

'' Calmin' me down! Do I seem calm?''

'' No, but you were calm weren't you? You did calm down before heating up again.''

'' That's not the point here. Ye shouldn't be playin' around with people's emotions like that…''

'' I didn't have much choice did I? You won't talk to me so I had to find a way to get you to talk.'' Kenna was getting really annoyed. Why did he have to make such a deal out of everything, it wasn't as she had done him any harm.

'' I've got nothin' ta say ta ye…''

'' But I do. Please let me explain everything. If you still feel you should throw me off the ship after I've explained myself you can do that. Just please hear me out.''

'' Fine, but if you start makin' any new spells the sea will be yer next home,'' Jack threatened.

'' Agreed. Now sit down.'' Jack sat down on the chair by the desk, eying the teapot strangely. Kenna sat down on the bed. Jack's eyes wandered over the room, checking if he saw some strange witchcraft things or signs. His eyes landed on the headboard.

'' What have ye done ta me bed!'' He shouted as he jumped off the chair. '' Ye've carved a curse on the head board!''

Kenna shook her head. '' It's not a curse, it's a protection spell. Why would I curse my own bed?''

'' Have ye cursed other things in here? '' Jack frantically scanned the room, finding a piece missing from one of the desk's legs. '' Why be a piece missin' from the desk?''

'' I used it to make the soothing spell before,'' Kenna admitted. '' I've only carved the runes on the head board and made the anger soothing spell, which remains lie in the teapot.'' Jack eyed the pot with fear. '' Don't worry, the teapot won't do you any harm.''

'' Why are ye doin' this? Why can't ye just be like everyone else?''

'' Well there's a long story behind that. Sit down and I'll tell you.'' Jack sat down again and Kenna began her story.

'' Ages ago a Viking named Erik Bloodaxe sailed from Norway toYork, claiming the land as his own. He had a wife named Gunnhild, who was Danish and was thought to be a witch. They settled in York after years of pirating and had a son, Haeric.'' Jack's face showed sheer confusion, what had that to do with her? Kenna saw his expression and stopped her storytelling.

'' Be patient, it will all be explained soon.'' She cleared her throat and kept on with the story. '' This man is my ancestor. Through the ages my ancestors lived in York until my grandmother got kidnapped and sold to a man in Jamaica. The man was a very powerful shaman and had a wicked mind. He knew nothing of my grandmother's abilities. She knew she would never defeat him anyways, he was much too strong. That man was the leader in a shaman cult, its members brainwashed with his ideas of the perfect world. She was forced to live with that man, witnessing his crime against the people. One day she met a merchant from Haiti and they fell in love. They talked about running away together, but my grandmother was too scared to leave. She knew that man, Tobo, would come after her and probably kill her. But one night she gathered up the courage to leave and they ran away to Haiti. She and that man got married and had my mother. Even though it has been forty years, every day she fears he will find her.''

As she continued on with the story, Jack's mind untangled. He now knew why she was a magic user. '' So ye inherited yer powers from an old Viking from Norway? I never expected a far fetched connection like that.''

'' Actually it was his wife that my powers come from, but yes, it seems a bit far fetched. Of course rune magic isn't something you know; you've got to learn how to use it. My grandmother taught my mother, who taught me. This is an ancient family secret.''

'' And that guy, Toby or somethin', yer grandmother never saw him again?''

'' No, fortunately not, but she still fears him.'' She fiddled with a necklace that she had around her neck. '' This is a lucky charm made by my grandmother. It will protect the one wearing it from danger.''

'' Well it doesn't seem ta work very well, ye got kidnapped.''

'' But then I was rescued by you,'' she said with a smile.

'' Not fairly, ye used magic ta trick me into savin' ye…''

'' Even though rune magic can be powerful it has to be built up from a foundation. It can only enhance not create.''

'' Which means?''

'' It means that there had to be some kindness in you for the spell to work.''

'' Oh, I see…so none of the other men could have saved ye because they don't have any kindness in them?''

'' Yes, they wanted to harm me, to own me, but you, you just were in the right place at the right time.''

'' So what are the runes on the bed protectin' ye from?''

'' Any hazard that might occur, I can carve them into your bed if you want.''

'' No thank you…I'll rely on me luck,'' Jack replied, not fully trusting those runes.

'' So since I've explained myself do you still intend to throw me in the ocean?''

'' No, but if I catch ye doin' some mumbo jumbo in yer cabin I might consider it again.''

'' Thanks Jack, as long as you don't deprive me of human contact I won't,'' she laughed.

'' Agreed, ye can talk ta the crew. But not be tellin' them about yer powers, they might get scared.''

'' Like you?'' she teased.

'' I wasn't scared…just a little intimidated that's all.'' Jack stuck his chest out.

'' If you say so...'' she said with a smile as she left the cabin.

'' I have a feelin' she not be believin' me…'' Jack said with a frown.