I had been blindfolded for so long that the dirty cloth was now adhered to my eyelids with dried blood and seawater. A bead of sweat trickled down my back as I shifted against my bindings. The sunburn I felt forming on my extremities was my only clue of the days passing by. An insect landed on my lip, and unable to swat it away, I tried once again to get my bearings rather than fixate on my discomfort. A gentle breeze carried the smell of salt through the air. That, and a musty smell that I could only imagine was the funk of my captors after days spent at sea. They hadn’t said a word to me since they’d pulled me from my chambers, but I could smell the tobacco on their breath. Strangely, they’d never bothered to gag me. Not even for the first few hours, when I’d felt the boat rocking beneath me and realized I was being taken out to sea. I’d screamed until my voice faltered, left with only a burning in my throat. Since then, I had surrendered to the silence. Locals of the port I’d been snatched from had been whispering about pirates lurking about the town at night, ransacking shops and peering through window sills. My father had dismissed the issue as idle gossip cooked up by simpletons when I’d brought it up at morning tea, so I listened to the old merchant. That very night, I had been dragged from my bed. How I wished I had listened to those simpletons now. Despite my abiding terror at the situation I’d found myself in, I was surprised when none of my captors laid a hand on me. Each time I drifted off to sleep, I half-expected to awaken with a dagger pressed to my neck. But instead, I would find that someone had placed bread between my hands or poured water down my throat. So I was needed alive- but for what? Suddenly, the boat lurched forward, sending me onto my knees. Firm hands lifted me to my feet for the first time in days. Someone cut the ropes around my ankles as we began to trudge through the sand. Birds called out from above us in rustling trees, though none of their songs were familiar.  I gasped in pain as calloused fingers began working on the cloth across my eyes, preparing to release me from the darkness.