Noises of people coming down in the bilge. A lantern, shadows. Gonzalo entered, followed by some friends.
"Hurry up, now we'll cut your chains. But keep silent!" the man said.
"What's happening, a mutiny?" Alvaro asked.
"No. Don't even think about it. But Don Hernando's gold and some sound friendship... Now we free you. There is a boat ready for you, we will let you down on the sea. The men on watch accepted to get stunned in exchange for Don Hernando's gold. You will disappear and everything will be settled."
"But... we will die at sea." Alvaro said.
"There are small islands, not far from our course. You could reach them..." Ramiro said.
"And anyway, to die at sea, or here in the bilge or on a stake, it's all the same. But at sea there is at least some hope." Felipe commented.
"The captain will be furious, he will investigate..." Esteban said.
"He who knows will not talk. He who would talk, doesn't know." Gonzalo said.
They went upstairs sneaking in the shadows until they were on the deck. Miguel was waiting for them near the boat ready to be lowered to the sea.
"I've loaded on the boat all the food and the water I could. Hurry up, hurry up!"
In that moment they heard somebody coming and Miguel and his friends unsheathed their knives, tense. But Bartolome recognised Don Hernando.
"You?" he asked, stupefied.
"I paid the men on watch. I too am coming on the boat. I'll come with you."
"But you, Don Hernando, you don't face the risks of these men, remaining on board." Pedro said.
"You think so? Anyway I don't want to part from Manuel. I made him this promise, I owe him that. And I am a man of my word."
"Hurry up, now, there is no time to waste." Gonzalo said.
The eight men get up the boat, taking with them also the inanimate body of Santiago. Before lowering the boat to the sea, Gonzalo gave them some weapons.
"May God help you, friends." he said.
"Just a moment. And Jaime?" Esteban asked.
"Before your disappearance is discovered, he will be in the sea with a knife through his heart, we promise you." Eusebio said sharply.
"Good. Thank you, friends. And may God reward you."
The boat was silently lowered to the water. The men on board unhooked the cables and pushed the craft from the ship, pushing against its broadside with their oars. Then they started to row with caution, trying not to make any noise. The ship became more and more distant, with its sails, still and black in the moonlight. When they were at a safe distance, four of the men started to row strongly, and rapidly increased the distance between them and the ship.
Meanwhile on the Morisco their friends were preparing for when the disappearance was known, so that nobody could trace who had helped the prisoners. Then Ramiro went to see Jaime who was in his berth.
"Ola, man. How is it that you are not with the other men enjoying yourself?" the young sailor asked him.
"I don't feel like it. What do you want?" Jaime asked, frowning.
"You don't feel like enjoying yourself?" Ramiro asked and with his hand he boldly felt between the man's legs.
The man looked at him, surprised then had a lascivious smile while his cudgel started to become hard. He took Ramiro's arm pulling the youth to him and whispered, aroused: "Come here in my berth, sailor."
"No... I don't want my man to come to know that, and here we can be seen... Come to the stern, there is nobody there at this time." Ramiro murmured, continuing to finger through the cloth of the breeches the throbbing erection of the sailor, then with a lustful smile, lowering his voice, said: "And if you tell nobody... I'll also like to suck your meat spoke..."
Jaime was completely aroused. He lowered his legs from the berth sitting up, pulled the young man between his widespread thighs and squeezed him against his chest. He kneaded his buttocks and asked, with a low voice, his eyes sparkling with lust.
"You'll really do me a blow job, and then take it in your nice ass?"
"If you swear to me you'll never tell to anybody..."
"I swear it, on my soul!" the man promptly said.
"I've heard that yours is the biggest here on board..." Ramiro murmured continuing to knead the hard meat column.
"And you want all of it, Ramiro?" the crew chief asked, standing up.
"Yes, all of it! You are a real man, Jaime."
"Let's go." the man said with coarse voice.
They reached the stern without coming across anybody. Here the young sailor knelt in front of Jaime, looking up at him with eyes showing a strong desire. The man opened his breach and pulled out his cudgel, which was already hard.
"Get to it, sailor!" he ordered, excited.
And then five men jumped on him, plugging his mouth so that he could not shout for help and held him fast, pointing their knives at his body. Also Ramiro had pulled out his knife and, holding Jaime's member with one hand, he put the blade edge under the heavy testicle sack. Then, Miguel came out and went in front of him, he, too, with knife in hand.
"Do you remember Diaz and Domingo, you worm? And poor Lope? You are going to keep them company, after we geld you. And this knife I will push in your heart, is Santiago's knife!" he said, hard. Then said to his friends: "Spread his legs and keep him still!"
With one hand he grasped the man's cock and balls, now soft, and put the blade on them. Jaime had a terrorised look and did not even try to free himself.
"Are you trembling, worm? It's become soft, now? Don't you enjoy yourself, now, bilge's rat?" Miguel hissed and with a sharp gesture made the sharp blade spring up and sheared clean off the man's genitals that he threw in the sea.
Then he opened the man's shirt and sunk the blade straight in Jaime's heart. The man opened wide his eyes, his body made a violent start that staggered the men holding him, and then lay still.
"In the sea!" Miguel ordered, leaving the blade in his heart.
The body flew beyond the bulwark and a plop was heard.
"We have to clean all this blood." Bartolome said.
"No, his worthy pals will do that. Rather, we have to carefully control that no one of us has blood stains on his clothes or body." Gonzalo said.
"I have plenty, but I did foresee that, so I'm wearing clothes stolen from Luis. I have a change, I'll wash and hide Luis clothes. If they find them, it will be the Jaime's good friend who'll be in a very bad fix." Miguel said quietly, starting to disrobe.
The seven men went back into the hold separately and joined the other sailors, drinking and singing together.
The nine on the boat didn't have the possibility to see Jaime's body fall into the sea, because they were too far and the ship was now just a distant, barely visible, dark silhouette. They had changed places and also Don Hernando wanted to row with the others. When the sun started to rise, they stopped rowing - the ship was no longer visible.
"We have to get organised, if we want a chance to survive." Felipe said. All nodded in consent.
"The first thing is to elect our chief." Esteban said."
"I propose Don Hernando." Felipe said.
"No, you are the elderly and the more skilled, here." Don Hernando answered him.
"I'm just three years older than you. And we all owe to you our escape. And you too have been sailing forever. And you are used to be in command. I insist! I propose Don Hernando as our chief."
Everybody assented and approved.
"But Santiago is still unconscious, he didn't vote." Don Hernando pointed out.
"He too will agree, and anyway you have seven votes on nine." Esteban answered, "Accept, please."
"I accept. And I start with the new rules. First, you all have to stop addressing me in a formal way and to use the 'Don': we are united for life or death. From now on I'll be Hernando, just that, without the 'Don'."
"Yes, Captain."
"And no captain, nor chief. Just Hernando, I said."
"But Don... but you are the chief!"
"All right, but no titles amongst us. Second, the hierarchy. Very simple, in order of age. Therefore after me Felipe, then Esteban, if I'm not wrong, then the others."
"But Alvaro and I are both eighteen..." Sancio said.
"Also Manuel and I are both twenty one."
"If you don't know your birthday, just decide between you and let us know and it will be that way. Third: Felipe and Esteban will be my councillors in any normal decision, but we will vote for any basic decision. Fourth: Jose will immediately check how much water and food we have on board and he will decide the shares. You will calculate fifteen days on sea and two shares per day per person... and may God help us. After you have checked and calculated, you will give us our first meal, then we will start to row again. Do you have objections? Questions?"
The men thought about for a while, then Alvaro said:
"In what direction do we go? Do you have any idea, Do... any idea, Hernando?"
"Yes, I studied the charts. Towards south south-east there are several small islands. We can orient the boat with the sun and the stars. If we are lucky and if we don't meet storms or currents, we should be able to catch sight of a landing place within, let's say... ten days. If not... we will see."
Everybody nodded in consent.
"And, what will we do, supposing we find an island, once we've landed?" Juan asked.
"It depends. If we can, we will settle there. If not, we will look for another island. But one problem at a time. Now we have to eat, then to row again. For the moment, two shifts of four men each, alternating. When also Santiago will be able to row, we will have three shifts of three men each, in rotation. Do you have any more questions?"
"We will never again be able to go back to Spain, right?" Sancio asked.
"No, my friend: there a stake is waiting for us, never forget that." Esteban said.
"Any more questions?" Hernando again asked.
"No, Hernando." Felipe answered after looking at all the men.
A little later, Jose handed out the food. It was scarce, but nobody protested. There was also some rum and some cream they used to treat Santiago and the backs of the men that had been whipped. Then, while four men rested, the other four went to row with vigour.
Manuel was resting near Hernando and, under the sheet under which they were sheltering from the sun strong rays, the youth stretched out his hand and started to caress his man between his legs.
"Not now..." Hernando whispered, smiling.
"Just to touch you. It is too many days we can't do anything. At least to touch you..."
"But if you continue to touch me in this way, I will end up by me not resisting and starting to make love with you in front of everybody..."
"I'll do it!" Manuel answered feeling the now hard member of his man. "And I think that here everybody needs it. What wrong could there be? It will not be the first time that two have to do it under the other's eyes. On the ship at times it happened, they didn't have a personal cabin like you. And here, besides poor Santiago, we are all couples, right?"
"No, my sweet Manuel. I too desire you very much, but let's wait until we find an island."
"Ten more days? And if we don't find it? I want to make love with you, before dying or before not having any more energy to do it. And also the others, I'm sure. Don't you think that this is a decision to take all together?"
"You are right. At the next break to eat, you will put the problem and we will discuss it and take a decision. But now stop, please."
"Don't you want me?"
"And how, I want you!"
"Then, let me feel it. Touch me and I will stop touching you."
"Ah, little rascal!" the man smiled, but slipped his hand inside his friend's breeches and gently caressed and fingered him.
Manuel laid his head on his man's chest and enjoyed that light, but intimate and exciting touch. When he caught the glance of Juan, who was rowing nearby, and that, noticing the slight movement under the sheet, slyly smiled to him, the boy winked to him with the air of an accomplice.
During the next break to eat, Manuel talked to the others.
"Men, each of us is here with his man, or boy. But it is a long time that nobody of us had had the possibility to withdraw with his mate in intimacy. I don't know about you, but I feel stronger and stronger the need to unite with my Hernando..."
Everybody assented and some flung to his mate glances of desire.
"Now," Manuel continued, "the problem is that each couple, during his rest shifts, could unite, but would have to do it under everybody's eyes. And you know very well that it will not be enough to hide under the sheet while we meet: ours are always somewhat ... animated encounters."
Several of the men giggled cunningly.
"And if to have just a quickie in front of the others could be not such a big problem, to exchange tenderness, letting himself go, could be embarrassing both for the couple and for the others. So, I ask everybody to propose a possible solution, then Hernando will make us vote."
They discussed. All really had that problem and all desired to be able to exchange some tenderness and possibly not right under the companions eyes. But the boat was small. At the end Jose proposed:
"Each of us, in the day, has four shifts, two to row, two to rest. If we row in couples, each couple has, during the day, the same rest shifts. On the aft, if we dispose differently the provisions, we can get enough space to lie down in two. We can rise a sheet to divide that space from the rest of the boat, and anyway who is rowing shows his back to that point. The other two can sit on the fore for that shift. One shift sitting on the fore, and one lying on the aft, comfortable, to sleep or to do what they more desire... avoiding too many acrobatics, in order not to unbalance the boat."
Everybody laughed at that idea, but they all assented.
"It seems to me the best idea, to now." Esteban said, "Would you let us vote on it, Hernando?"
Of course they all agreed. Using the two spare oars and the sheet, they made a kind of tent on the stern, closing it at the front with the provisions. Under the tent, with another sheet, they prepared a kind of bed. Then they drew by lots the order in the use of the "cabin", as they called it.
The first couple to use it, was Juan and Alvaro. Under the rays of the setting sun that, filtering through the sheet, flooded the "cabin" with a warm, golden-red light, the two undressed completely, sat one in front of the other intertwining their legs, and started to caress each other's bodies, quivering with desire, and their already erect members.
Juan bent between Alvaro's legs and captured his turgid member with his lips, and started to suck, filled with desire. Alvaro quivered and turned a little so that he was able to rummage with his fingers in the crevice between his man's buttocks, teasing his warm and throbbing hole.
Juan quivered and whispered: "Oh, yes, Alvaro... very soon..."
"But then, you too will fuck me, right?" the ship's boy asked in an excited murmur.
"Sure, sure." the young sailor answered and started again to work with his mouth and tongue on the member and on the body of his friend, until he felt that it was all a quiver. Then Juan knelt, lying his chest on the edge of the stern, where the tent shaped like a triangular window. He parted his knees and stretched back his firm and greedy ass.
"Go on, Alvaro, fuck me!" he murmured.
The boy knelt at his back, between his legs, with his fingers carefully wet his hole with saliva, then leant his hands on the young sailor's hips and started to get into him.
"Ah..." Juan moaned feeling at last the boy's rod penetrate in him.
"Do you like it, my beautiful male?" Alvaro whispered, pushing deeper inside.
"So much! You know it. It's always so good." the young man murmured.
Alvaro now was shaking inside his man with small, calibrated and steady strokes, more like an expert man than the boy he was. After so many days of abstinence, both were finally giving themselves to that first union, happy that they were able to do it in the open air, amongst the waves lapping and under the sun's caress. On the ship they always had had to be very careful, especially Juan: giving head and making himself penetrated by a ship's boy, if the others discovered it, would have meant for him to became everybody's laughing stock. Now they didn't have that problem any more: what they did in the secret of the "cabin" was just their business.
It was a short, sweeping intercourse. Soon Alvaro unloaded all his youthful mettle inside his young and beautiful sailor. Then the ship's boy, happy but not yet completely sated, made Juan turn around and sucked the turgid rod until he felt his man was ready, then they swapped positions and it was the young sailor's turn to savour the hot, little and welcoming ass of his ship's boy. He sank inside the boy with few, firm strokes and took him with enthusiasm. He was slipping in and out with pleasure and also that intercourse was hot, strong, passionate and... short. Juan's hand on the boy's rod felt that Alvaro was enjoying at the same time with him, and for this he felt an even stronger pleasure. When they had finally taken their fill, they put their clothes and lied down to rest, in a half embrace.
"Who knows what would they say if they knew we blow each other?" Alvaro asked in a whisper.
"Nothing."
"But they say that a real man would never take it in his mouth."
"They say. But who knows how many do it. Especially amongst us who love a man. And it is so good!"
"And if they knew that I fuck you?"
"This also. Who knows how many youths do it to their old men?"
"But you aren't my old man, you are just three years older than me, even if you are already a sailor and I am still a ship's boy. You are my young man, my young sailor."
Juan smiled and caressed his hair. Then they become silent, enjoying their undisturbed intimacy, and relaxed. On board it would not have been possible to stay in that way, as soon as they reached their orgasm, they had to part. And instead, it was great being able to stay in that way. Juan was asking himself if they would have save themselves, or if they were to die at sea... But he said nothing not to alarm his boy, who was naturally driven to pessimism. They fell asleep serenely.
When the shift changed, it was Felipe and Jose who used the "cabin".
"You want to fuck me?" the youngest asked.
"Don't you feel like?" Felipe asked.
"Sure I want! Look here!" Jose said with a wide smile hastily lowering his breeches on his hips and showing to his man his soaring erection.
Felipe stretched out his hands and caressed and fingered that hard and strong member and smiled at the pleasure quivers of the boy. "Jose, don't you never feel the desire to fuck an ass?"
"Well, a little, yes. On the ship, at times, I fucked Chico's ass."
"But wasn't he with Ramon?"
"Yes, but he liked me also. We did it hiding from Ramon. It was Chico who started, to ask me to fuck him."
"And... do you now miss Chico?"
"No, not him, but... a nice ass, a little, I miss. Well, Chico was very good in one thing..."
"Really? And in what?"
"To... to give blow jobs."
"Did he blow you?"
"Yes, and he liked. Me too, of course. I promised him to never tell anybody he liked sucking, but nowadays..."
"Did you ever suck a cock? You can tell me, I'll keep the secret."
"No, never. Gil repeated me that I didn't know what I was missing not to suck it. But he just said so because he hoped to persuade me to give him a blow job. But I... I never dared to do it. Moreover, a real man will never do that, right?"
"Yes, it is right. But at times I ask myself why. Who knows who decided this thing?" Felipe said and undressed, slightly shivering at the night breeze. They lied down on their side, one in front of the other. For a while they masturbated reciprocally, in silence.
"Do you know that I like very much your nice handle?" Jose said.
"Yes, I know." the man answered, smiling in the dark.
Continuing to masturbate the young man, with his other hand he caressed his buttocks, then entered with his fingers on the crevice passing his fingertips up and down, brushing the warm and soft hole.
Jose strongly thrilled with pleasure and exhaled an imploring "Yes..." then excited murmured: "Fuck me!" and went on all fours.
Felipe knelt at his back, leant against him and, while Jose drove his friend's stake with his hand, started to push, keeping both his hands on the turgid genitals of Jose and pulling the boy towards him. The tender, docile, welcoming flesh of Jose opened and Felipe deeply slid inside him and when he felt he was firmly driven inside his friend, he started to take him with virile strokes of his loins. Jose was enjoying this strong and steady servicing. And thinking of the beautiful member of his man who was bringing him to the stars, thought confusedly, and felt that it could even have tried to take it in his mouth, that he could even enjoy it, if he was not afraid to have his friend's mockery.
To give his ass, amongst sailors, was a normal thing, especially if the one being the top was older than the one being the bottom. And Felipe was eight years older than him, so everything was regular... But who knows why sailors have so complicated rules? Why two men liking each other cannot do all they feel like, without worrying? He would have liked to fuck Felipe's ass, for instance, and possibly even to try to give him a blow job... Fancying those things, Jose come in the hands of his man with warm and strong jets and his anus palpitated and contracted at each squirt and that unchained also Felipe's orgasm and the man unloaded in him with strong strokes, squeezing the boy against his body. When, sated, they relaxed. Felipe said:
"I always like a lot doing it with you. You are one of the hottest and arousing males I ever met. You make me feel like a bull, when I cover you. I'm happy that you wanted to continue with me also when you became a sailor."
"I too like really a lot doing it with you."
"But you miss a nice little ass, right?"
"A little..."
"Tell me... do you like Alvaro?"
"Yes, but he is with Juan."
"Well, I was thinking, if they agreed, at times we could even swap, you could do it with Alvaro and I with Juan. Wouldn't you like it?"
"Sure, if they agreed..."
"I think yes. We will ask them when we are rowing together."
Then it was the turn of Hernando and Miguel.
"God, I couldn't resist any more, my love!" Manuel said embracing his man and kissing him in the mouth as soon as they were in the "cabin". They played with their tongues, brushing one against the other their strong erections. Hernando had taught him to kiss, and he, after resisting at first, had accepted and now really loved doing it.
They slowly undressed each other, touching, kissing, quivering. When they were naked, they lay down and Manuel turned around so that they both could savour the wild virility of the other. This also Hernando taught to Manuel and the youth had become more skilled than his master, lover and now also chief. They licked and sucked each other for a long while then Manuel, when felt he couldn't restrain himself any more, offered himself to his man, laying on his tummy and spreading his legs. Hernando lay on him, rummaging with his hard member between his friend's buttocks. His member was long and tapered, smooth, hard and straight like a Toledo blade. Manuel liked too much feeling it sheathing in himself, deeper and deeper. He was feeling wonderful and very intense sensations. And then feeling it moving up and down, and skilfully waving inside him: he was feeling in paradise. He could feel all the passion of his lover and was happy for that. He could feel how much the man on him was enjoying that union and this made him enjoy it. He knew he was loved by Hernando and he loved the man with all his being.
Before becoming Hernando's lover, he did made love with several sailors, but without ever tying himself to anybody. Between all he remembered with some pleasure the strong and virile Gonzalo, the wonderful and passionate Xavier and the gentle Esteban. But since he was with Hernando, neither he nor his man, he was sure, had ever had intercourse with others, also because they, unlike the other couples, not only got on really well together, not only had a strong friendship, but were in love.
When Manuel understood, from Hernando glances, that the man liked him, when he was put on duty to the cabins, one evening he offered himself to the noble man. Hernando had invited the youth in his bed, and had penetrated him. Manuel at once felt conquered by the noble man's way to make love: he was virile, passionate and gentle at the same time. But when, after several times they had made love, Hernando told him that he was in love with him, the youth, inside himself, had smiled. Amongst sailors, you fuck, you don't fall in love. But little by little Hernando had fascinated him, conquered him, succeeded in making him fall in love... and now Manuel would never leave him, cheat on him. Especially now that Hernando had joined them because he didn't want to leave him: an incredible, wonderful proof of his love.
He felt Hernando vibrate with all his body and understood that his lover was near reaching the top of the pleasure. Then Manuel skilfully moved under him to accentuate his enjoyment, until he felt the man completely sink inside him and unloading in him lightly panting and moaning. When both felt relaxed, the two lovers parted. Hernando turned to reach the still hard and sound rod of his lover, took it again between his lips and, as usual, gave him pleasure with his mouth, bringing him to a more and more intense enjoyment, until he could greedily drink all the abundant, warm and perfumed cream that Manuel was erupting. Then they embraced tightly and tenderly kissed.
"You'll never leave me, right, Hernando?"
"No, never, you know it very well."
"Sure, I know. And I too will never leave you."
"Not even when I will be an old man and you will find a young, fresh and nice boy?"
"No. We will grow old together. You are just seven years older than me, anyway. We will become old together, if we can find and island."
"We will find it, I feel it." Hernando answered caressing his lover, "And there we will live, free and happy, I promise you."
"I believe you, my love. And then, we will tell everybody that we are in love, right?"
"Sure, to everybody."
"And as you are the chief, and you can make laws, you will make a law saying that we are united, forever."
"A kind of marriage between men? It is a funny idea..."
"Anyway, will you make such a law?"
"I'll think about it. And if also the others think that it is a good idea, I will do it. But a good chief cannot make laws just for his own advantage."
"But if the others agree to have such a law, will you unite with me?"
"Sure, in that case I want to be the first to use it, to use such a law."
"Thank you. I love you so much!"
"Yes, my beloved."