The Adventures of The Calypso

[PunkRockinHobbit]

The Cove. It was the central hub of trade and communication for every mother's son and daughter what called themselves "pirate". It was nothing more than a large, rocky piece of land, with an inlet surrounded on three sides by mountainous terrain, and supplemented with the smaller dottings of the Black Islands around it, named so for their parched obsidian soil. All along the beach of The Cove were various blacksmiths and merchants selling everything from food to weapons to ship-mending supplies. There were even a couple of traveling salesmen, as it were, pushing small carts up and down the beach, offering trinkets and treasure maps for sale. The latter of which often got said salesmen in horrible scraps, considering nine times out of ten they were horribly misleading maps, taking you to no treasure at all. But, all-in-all, The Cove was like the home away from home for the pirates roaming the seven seas.

Three docks stretched out like stiff digits into the water, one from the eastern shore, one from the western, and one from the southern, with the entrance into The Cove lying to the north. Often a pirate could sail his or her ship into The Cove and find it very difficult to find a place to dock, some even going so far as to weigh anchor in the middle of the water and row out or swim to shore. There was never a dull moment in The Cove; it was like some sort of organized chaos. But ask any pirate you found, and they'd tell you that was the way they liked it.

The shops and buildings stretched around the beach in a horseshoe shape, set back next to the thin line of palms that swayed with the sea breeze, standing like a fence between The Cove and the black mountain that jutted up behind it. No proper name had been given to that mountain. Some called it Black Skull Rock, others called it Dead Man's Cliff; most called it somewhere they wouldn't want to go.

At the southernmost point of The Cove stood The Gold Key, a tavern and inn that was the defining "hang-out" for every pirate coming and going. The proprietor of the establishment boasted that he had the finest rum to be found anywhere a pirate made port, and most of them agreed, depending upon their level of drunkenness. Many a tankard was filled and drained every night, and this night was proving to be no different. Cries of "Cheers, mate!" rang out every few moments as the patrons of The Gold Key merrily put a dent in the supply of rum. The clunky old piano that sat in the corner was played nightly by a jolly old man who often found himself accompanied by a fiddle and an accordian, according on how many musically-inclined pirates happened to be on hand on a particular night. Merry little tunes provided an upbeat background for the general din of the tavern, and a few pirates felt inclined to jig around with a tankard in one hand and their arm around a lady.

At one corner of the tavern stood a table with a piece of parchment, a quill and an inkwell. Behind it sat a middle-aged man, weatherbeaten and just as rum-soaked as any pirate you'd want to meet, coaxing patrons into signing the parchment and becoming a part of the crew of the Calypso, a magnificent ship that bobbed up and down in the water, tethered to the southern dock. The man was first-mate Barnaby Mills, a happy-go-lucky pirate that sailed under the command of one of the most off-the-wall captains sailing under the Jolly Roger.

A squinty-eyed man stood at the table, eyeing the parchment and Barnaby. "Where be yer cap'n?" he slurred, and Barnaby grinned, his round brown eyes twinkling. "Upstairs enjoying a bit o' company." The men chuckled, and the squinty-eyed pirate shook his head. "Just gettin' back in from the seas, I 'spect?" Barnaby nodded. "Aye, been too long for the Cap'n."

Just then, a door to one of the rooms upstairs burst open, and a man sailed through it, crashing into the railing and sailing down into the common room. He came to a painful hault on the floor after smashing a table not far from Barnaby and the squinty-eyes pirate, looking disheveled and slightly beaten. The men that had been enjoying the table before it was smashed in their laps pulled him to his feet, only to knock him straight off of them again. A brawl ensued, but Barnaby and the squinty-eyed pirate kept clear of it.

"Looks like your cap'n's havin' a rough go of it at the moment," the squinty-eyed fellow said, looking over to Barnaby. He peered at the fight a moment, confused, but then shook his head. "Oh, no, that ain't the cap'n."

A flame-haired vixen stepped from the room upstairs, pushing the sleeves of her baggy shirt up, the ruffles getting lost as she tucked them under at the elbows. Emerald green eyes surveyed the chaos below, and she grinned. Her tanned skin shone in the tavern light from tiny beads of sweat that had accumulated from her previous activities. Sitting on a barrel next to the door, an old pirate was looking very drunk and confused as he looked from the smashed railing to the woman now standing beside him. Adjusting the belt that held up her black leggings, she looked over to him and grinned more broadly. She took his bottle of rum, turned it up and took a long swig. With a sigh of contentment, she returned it, swiping his tri-cornered hat off his head and positioning it atop her own.

Downstairs, Barnaby looked up at her, and the squinty-eyed man followed suit. The woman looked at the old man on the barrel a moment, and, slurring her speech, she said, "He kept refusin' to call me Captain."

Barnaby, grinning, said, "That's the Cap'n."

[Zee All Knowing Peacock]

Thoronir woke from his stupor in a puddle. He pushed his hands under him and slowly rolled himself out of the mud. His head pounded, and his eyes stung as he glared into the harsh sunlight. He quickly shut them and pushed himself to his feet. His black dreaded hair was covered in mud, and his goatee was filled with dirt and rum. His sharp blues eyes were stilled dulled by the effects of alcohol. He was sick to his stomach, but he pushed it down and moved to his feet. He felt his chest and noticed the lack of mass to the pouch of gold under his shirt. Beside was his pistol, and a pouch of gunpowder on the other side of his chest. He looked around, noticing he was on the Western edge of The Cove. He was in a alley, which was well illuminated since it faced the Easterly sun.

He walked forward, his feet dragging a bit, his stumble hidden by years of hangover experience. He emerged onto the open street to see various people milling about, most in the same condition as him. He looked out into the bay, to see the Calypso harbored there along the dock. Thoronir smiled as he turned to make his way over there. He was walking down the street, looking at the stores on the side of the street. Mostly containing sub-par items and shoddily made weapons. A merchant beckoned him over and he walked over.

"Looks like ye' be needin' a sword," said the merchant, and Thoronir frowned. He reached down to his waist to find his cutlass was no longer there. With a sigh, he lifted a heavy cavalry sabre and deftly tossed a dubloon onto the table. The hawker smiled and snatched it up. He turned then, and lifted the weapon high. It was poorly balanced, and he noticed a few impurities in the metal. In a heavy fight it would be likely to snap, and that was never good. Nor was he
accustomed to using such a light, short weapon, as he was used to the heavier cutlass. He continued walking, when his shoulder hit someone else's. He turned to look at the man, to see a golden haired guy, who stood a head shorter than Thoronir. His heavily bearded face was flushed as he moved to pull his pistol. Thoronir's hand shot out and caught the man in the chin, snapping his head upward. The man fell back, and Thoronir soon saw two other men move up to him with swords drawn.

He drew his sabre and swung it once, then drew his pistol. It wasn't loaded, but they didn't know that. "What ye' want?" asked Thoronir, looking at the two men. All the people on the street had formed a ring around them, and none moved. The man Thoronir punched was still on the ground.

"Well, you just attacked our Cap'n," said one man, "and we don't take kindly to that." The man jabbed his sword forward an inch, and looked hard at Thoronir.

"Maybe if Reich wasn't so damned edgy than maybe it wouldn't 'a happened," replied Thoronir, noting with pleasure as their faces turned red. The one on the right attacked first, and he spun, his sword clanging against the other man's. He spun and his hilt cracked hard against the man's skull. His boot flew out then, pushing the man into the second man. He leapt forward, his forehead smashing the man's nose, and sending him sprawling. Thoronir scrambled upright and looked at the three men. Captain Reich was slowly regaining conciousness. He turned and strode away, returning his sword and pistol to their right places.

That had been stupid of him; he should have talked his way out. Now their whole damned ship would be following them out of harbor. He sighed and turned towards the docks. He looked out to the Calypso, harbored out along the dock. He turned and strode away towards the massive ship. He reached it to see various other sailors of the ship milling about, working on the dock. He looked around, wondering where the captain was, when she burst out of a door on the fore-deck. He waved to her, then said, "Hey, cap'n, we have to make sail, I just got in a bit o' a scrap with the boys aboard the Bloodwake. You know Reich, 'e'll be wanting a fight." With that he leapt down and moved towards the rigging, ready to make sail.

[PunkRockinHobbit]

Captain Fox moved forward toward the broken railing, leering down at the man she had just sent down into the common room as he was getting his just desserts, being kicked and beaten from one group of fighting pirates to the next. She stood there teetering on her long legs a moment, and then a look of realization hit her. "Oh!" she exclaimed, and turning, she weaved her way back into the room from whence she had come. Moments later, she returned, a black bandana tied over her head, those fiery locks tucked behind her ears. A red leather corset was secured tightly around her torso, and her belt was fastened around her waist. To her left hung her rapier, and to her right her pistol. A compass dangled also from the belt, and a newly-acquired whip was secured at her right side. In her left hand she held the tri-cornered hat she had just swiped from the drunk pirate upon the barrel, and in her right hand, a black velvet pouch jingling with gold coins, and a sheathed cutlass. She jerked the hat onto her head, grinning,

Lera moved with unsteady grace down the stairs, gingerly avoiding the fighting that had broken out, and, more importantly, the barman who had brandished his pistols and was threatening to shoot the whole lot of them. She made her way to Barnaby, who was laughing heartily. Lera grinned at him. "Any o' me crew that's caught up in this mess, get 'em out. We sleep on the Calypso tonight." Barnaby nodded and Lera made her way to the exit, stopping next to a particularly handsome young pirate that had just been knocked nearly clean of his senses and was sitting on the floor, shaking the cobwebs out of his head. She yanked him up by his collar and dragged him out with her into the streets.

The morning sun rose clear and bright, and as it peeked over the eastern edge of the black mountain, already Lera's crew was hard at work loading supplies and making ready to sail. The Calypso was being weighed down with all manner of food and drink to keep the men going, for it was going to be a long journey. Barnaby was barking orders in the absence of their captain, but as Thoronir climbed the gangplank, the door to the cabin burst open, and a thigh-high-booted leg thrust the handsome young pirate from the previous night out. Her voice could be heard before she could be seen, and though her crew generally tried to ignore her rantings, they could hear her quite clearly this morning: "--ye lousy excuse for a man! Steal yerself a couple o' doubloons, learn how t' treat a lady!" The pirate had fallen to his hands and knees, and as he was trying to get up, Lera sent a deft kick into his midsection. She scowled down at him a moment before looking over to three of her more vicious-looking hands. "Scupper that, gents, starboard." The men grinned, and as the pirate scrambled to his feet, they took hold of him, dragged him over to the starboard railing, and tossed him over.

Lera heard Thoronir calling to her, and her sharp emerald eyes found him above her, leaning over the railing on the quarterdeck. She grinned as he told her of his fight with Captain Reich of the Bloodwake, and she chuckled. "I knew takin' ye onto me crew wouldn't leave me wantin' for trouble." She looked over to the Bloodwake, now nearly ready to make sail. "We can't have him followin' us all over the seven seas, though. If it's a fight he's wantin', it's a fight he'll get." Her emerald eyes glittered as she looked back to Thoronir.

"Oh!" she cried, and she disappeared back into her cabin briefly. When she returned, she had donned her newly-acquired hat and was carrying the sheathed cutlass. "Oi, Thoronir!" she called, tossing the weapon to him. "Found this last night back at the Gold Key, figured ye might be wantin' it back."

She sauntered across the deck where Barnaby hailed her, his chubby cheeks already red from yelling at the crew. "Do we have a headin', Cap'n?" he asked, and Lera grinned. "Aye... set the prow to the west, Barnaby, I want t' feel the sun on me back this mornin'. Let's lead Reich out for a bit of a scrap." Barnaby grinned and turned, taking in a sharp breath. Lera quickly scurried away toward the prow, valuing her hearing. As she reached the front of her ship, she could hear him almost as if she was standing next to him.

"Weigh anchor! Man the capstan! Hoist the mainmast! Man the guns! Secure the rigging! Heave to, yeh scurvy dogs, or the bosun'll start ye right!"

[Zee All Knowing Peacock]

Thoronir looked up and caught the cutlass. He quickly unstrapped the sabre and threw it to the deck, then strapped his old sword back on. He felt comforted by the extra weight that was now on his hip. He moved to the rigging and grabbed a jib line, pulling it taught. He tied a quick eight knot and moved onto the next line. He continued with the rigging, setting it up so it would catch all the wind possible. They were headed straight into the wind, which would make it harder to turn around and leave the bay. Reich's ship was docked facing the other direction, making it a bit easier for them to get out. Unfortunately though, the Calypso was known for its navigation despite its size, and compared to the Bloodwake it was a giant. If worse came to worst, they could just ram through Reich's ship. Not exactly subtle, but just the way Thoronir liked it.

He turned and looked out towards the sun; it was already a full three bells past dawn, which meant Thoronir had been unconcious for some time. He turned to look towards Captain Lera. She stood facing the sun, giving her a faint silhouette against the golden light. He saw her crimson locks, and slight curves. He shook himself and turned towards the dock, then grabbed a crate and carried it onto the ship. He moved it to the aft deck and placed it against the railing. After a while everything was loaded up, and he looked around. They were ready to make sail. He drew his sword and placed it point down against the deck. He pulled out his pistol and checked it; clean.

Alright, Reich, let's see what yer made of...

[PunkRockinHobbit]

Lera walked from the prow of her ship back to the stern, observing and monitoring the work of her crew. She climbed the companionway and walked to the railing, facing east, taking in the sunlight that was now filling The Cove. Her hands were on her hips, and the wind that was blowing out of the south was shifting her crimson locks to her left. She peered over the black mountain a moment before turning to look upon The Cove itself, her back to the wind, forcing her long hair to whip around either side of her face. She wondered, as she always did before setting out from The Cove, if she would ever look upon the shores she once called home ever again. A part of her loved The Cove, and always would, for she had spent part of her childhood here, growing up into the woman she was now. And yet, a part of her would forever hate this place, for every time she returned she relived in her mind a part of her past, a part she wanted to forget badly.

"Bah," she muttered to herself, spitting into the ocean with a scowl before turning and walking with long strides back down the companionway. She headed back into her cabin, shutting the door behind her. It was a fairly furnished room with little more than what was needed. A finely crafted desk sat opposite the door near the wall, on the port wall was a vanity and a bureau, and on the starboard wall was a four-poster bed, surrounded by curtains that were currently closed. Lera walked over to her desk, picking up the belt that lay upon it and strapping it around her waist. Her rapier hung from the belt, as well as her compass, her pistol, and the whip she had stolen the night before. Making sure her weapons were secure, she strode over to the vanity, whereupon laid many rings and bangles. She adorned herself with these; eight rings to slip over each of her fingers minus her thumbs, and enough bangles so that she jingled every time she moved her wrists.

Her emerald eyes moved to the top right-hand drawer of the vanity, and a fire burned within them. She stared at the drawer for many long moments, as if it had nastily insulted her. At last, as if resigned to something, Lera reached out and opened the drawer slowly. At first glance, it was empty, but she ran her finger along the edge of the bottom of the drawer and found a chink big enough to slide the end of her finger into. She applied pressure and lifted the board, and underneath it lay the biggest emerald Lera had ever seen, set with small diamonds all around and hung on a long silver chain. She stared at it, taken away to another time and place for many moments. Her eyes went dull, as if she was seeing something from far away in her thoughts. Blinking out of her rememberance, Lera moved to slam the drawer shut again, but she found instead that her other hand had taken the jewel up, and she was clutching it tightly. She sighed heavily and slipped the chain around her neck. She looked down at it resting against her chest, a deep frown upon her face. Shutting the drawer back slowly, Lera exited her cabin. As she stood there, several hands that looked her way recognized the necklace she wore, and shot worried and confused glances at one another. These were the men that had been with her since she'd been made Captain, those of the crew that knew most about her. The others she had picked up along the way paid it no mind.

She stood watching her crew bustling this way and that, making the final preperations before setting sail. The wind was most certainly against them this morning, which did nothing to heighten her mood. She surveyed her numbers a bit. She had made port with a crew forty-strong, and had picked up an additional ten hands last night at the Gold Key, and it took every bit of that to run a tight ship under fighting conditions. She didn't know how many men Reich had crewing his ship, but she was certain he didn't outnumber the Calypso. This would be a relatively easy victory, and a large morale boost.

The Captain of the Calypso stalked forward, eyeing the men still on deck. Several had gone below to man the cannons, waiting on the word to load and fire. "All o' ye, save ten, get below! Run out the oars! The mornin' winds be against us, and I want me stern to The Cove ere The Bloodwake leaves! Give me movement, or I'll have yer skins hangin' in my cabin as trophies, ye dirty bilge rats!" Despite the fact she was a fragile-looking female, Lera commanded a great deal of respect among her crew, and there was much scurrying about on deck. When it was said and done, ten hands remained on deck, and the rest were manning the oars. Lera climbed the companionway to the quarterdeck, where stood the helm. As the boat creaked into motion, she took hold of the helm, guiding her ship out of The Cove, perhaps for the last time.

[KooriTheSneak]

Her name was Sheena. A young, quiet girl who had traveled from the far east. She had heard of a woman commanding a great ship, The Calypso. And at last, she had finally found it. She was hiding in the storage compartment of the ship, figuring that the shadows would provide her with camouflage. Sheena had inflitrated the giant ship. Noone noticed her. She couldn't be noticed. She needed to talk to the Captain of The Calypso, Lera Fox.

[PunkRockinHobbit]

The Calypso glided through the waters of The Cove, heading north and out to open sea. Lera lovingly held the helm, patting it as though it were her own child. They were coming upon the other docks now, and the Bloodwake was tethered at the eastern dock, hoisting the anchor and making ready to sail out into the open waters in pursuit of Lera and her crew. Her left hand was now wrapped around one of the hand-holds on the wheel, and she was leaning back, facing the Bloodwake, her right hand upon her hip. A grin was on her face, and she called out to the ten hands remaining on deck. "Give 'em a show, gents!" With whoops of delight, the ten crew members rushed starboard, leaning over the railing and jeering at the Bloodwake. Then, turning around, each of the ten men mooned Captain Reich and his crew, still jeering and throwing insult after insult their way. Lera removed her hat and waved at Reich, who was absolutely livid. She laughed, feeling her spirits lightened at the antagonization, and she felt ready to take them down.

When the Calypso cleared The Cove and was out in open water, Lera spun the helm left, taking them into the western waters. The winds shifted, and the sails filled. Lera took in a deep breath and sighed heavily, her crimson locks whipping all about her face. "Haul in the oars!" she cried, and Barnaby rushed below deck to relay the order. Soon, the oars were being pulled out of the water, and the men that had been manning them emerged on deck once again, looking just as ready for a fight as their captain.

"Barnaby!" Lera cried, and she heard the familiar reply of, "Cap'n?" at her side. She looked over at him, grinning. "Man the helm, Barnaby, I want'a keep an eye on the stern o' me ship, see when ol' Reich manages out o' The Cove..." Barnaby nodded and, with an, "Aye, Cap'n!" he took the helm, leaving Lera free to wander to the back of her ship, her keen eyes keeping a watch out for the Bloodwake emerging from the islands of The Cove. More supplies, fresh weapons... she thought to herself. I wonder if any of 'em have any coin left after spendin' time in The Cove...

Soon the prow of the Bloodwake emerged from between the rocks, and Lera grinned again. "Be ready, gents!" she cried, turning and stalking over her ship, eyeing each crewmember as she passed. "Let 'em gain on us, give 'em some hope, get 'em in range of the stern guns." A bellow of anticipation and excitement passed over the crew. "No quarter, gents!" Lera cried, and again, more cheers. "What ye find, ye keep!" Cheers. "And remember, dead men tell no tales..." More cheers, even louder yet. The men were ready, and so was she.

[Zee All Knowing Peacock]

Thoronir stood at the rail, looking out at the waves, which were bleached a golden white by the high sun. His sword was in one hand, his pistol in the other. His stance was readied, as he waited for the Bloodwake to pull up. He had been looking for a good scrap now for some time, and as the sun slowly set out towards the west, and the Bloodwake slowly drew closer, he felt a great calm slowly descend upon him. He sighed and put his pistol away, then stabbed his cutlass into the deck, where it stood quivering. He turned and moved towards a small hatch in the floor of the deck. He was still a little tipsy from the alcohol last night, and he weaved slightly as he walked. He reached down, turned the latch and pulled. The door came open and he moved down into the storage compartment. He walked into the dark and turned, heading for the crew quarters. He walked through the darkness when his leg kicked something. He cast a casual glance at the shadows, when something caught his eye. A glint, like from something medal. He shrugged and kept moving, on towards the far door.

He reached it, and a hand reached out to grab it. But when he touched it, he didn't turn the handle. Something inside him was screaming, and his pistol was burning inside his jacket. He reached in and grabbed his pistol. He walked back and noticed what had been glinting was gone. "Welcome aboard the Calypso," said Thoronir, a smile creeping across his face, "the finest ship on the seas. We like to drink, and we like to fight, but we hate stowaways."

[PunkRockinHobbit]

Lera stood at the stern of her ship, grinning as the Bloodwake slowly closed the gap in the water. "That's right, Reich, just a tad closer, love," she murmured, her emerald eyes glittering with the anticipation of the fight. She stared intently at the prow of the oncoming ship, judging the distance that lay between them. Her grin widened as The Bloodwake moved within range. "There," she said, nodding. "Haul out the stern guns!" she cried, and below deck, a panel swung forward, and from beneath it, a twelve pound cannon protruded, primed and ready for the fire. Twenty more just like it were on board, ten on each side of the ship, and each were manned by bloodthirsty pirates, waiting only for the word before they blew the Bloodwake to smithereens.

Lera produced her telescope and extended it to its full length. She peered through it to the Bloodwake, where Reich was barking orders, standing on a crate to make himself look more menacing. Lera laughed heartily and, not knowing what else to do, the other men began laughing as well. Lera spun on her heel and looked at them all, and the laughing ceased almost immediately. But she grinned and nodded once before turning back around to observe the Bloodwake once more. A chant began to rise from the crew, a gutteral, almost barking sound, a sound the foes of the Calypso never soon forgot.

A sudden frantic upswing in the pace of the crew upon the Bloodwake told Lera that they had spotted the cannon pointing straight at them, and were trying to slow their ship down to pull them back out of range. "Where be the Troublemaker? Where be Thoronir!" she cried then, turning and scanning the crew. "I want 'im to be th' first to fire upon our fine friends. Seems fittin', after all!" She grinned wickedly. "Thoronir! Let 'em taste the stern gun! Where be ye?"

[Ghosting]

Gripping onto the Bloodwake’s mast and sitting on the yard which intersected it was a young man who grinned as the chants of Calypso rang in his ears carried by the wind which blew through his messy black hair. He unlike the rest of the crew knew of Captain Lera Foxes trap before the cannon was even noticed by Reich, a burst of laughter escaping him as he watched Reich’s face grew red as he shouted orders from atop a crate. From his view point this young man observed the Calypso with delicacy as if the ship was a long lost lover, his deep green eyes taking in every detail of the ship and recording it to memory even though he had seen it many a time before. With a small sigh he stood upon the yard the sails billowing underneath him and took one last look at the Calypso before making his way down the mast and onto the busy deck below.

With a thump the young man’s tatty black boots landed on the deck his presence unnoticed as the rest of the crew scurried about the Bloodwake like the ants that they were reminiscent of when he was above the on the yard. After looking about the Bloodwake quickly, his green eyes darting from place to place, he headed down below deck quietly slinking among the shadows so he wouldn’t get noticed. Opening the caption’s door, filching as it made a sharp squeak interrupting the silence below deck, the young man entered closing and locking it with a click behind him. Withdrawing a bag from one of the large pockets the young man set about to work poking about various draws and chests in the cabin and delicately placing any rare and valuable items into the bag, smaller ones going into on of his pockets. Sighing as he finished the young man glanced about the room checking for anything he happened to leave behind, his eyes alighting on Captain Reich’s desk. “Well well well what do we have ‘ere?” he said to himself smugly as he opened one of the draws after spending much time picking the lock. Fingers twitching and with a wide grin the young man reached into the draw lifting out large ruby, drawing the ruby near his face and stroking it gently the young man muttered into its imaginary ear how happy he was to see it and how much joy it would bring to his Captain. Satisfied from his pillaging he turned to leave his grin from earlier disappearing and turning into an expression of dread instead as he heard voices and movement outside the door. “I guess its plan B then” he muttered to himself as he redistributed the items in the bag to his pockets, leaving some mediocre items behind and opened the captain cabin’s window, somehow managing to clamber his way back to deck.

Once on deck the young man blended into the crowd of the crew working, not even looking up when a few crew members came up to the captain and reported that his cabin had been looted. With a smirk he worked along side the rest of the crew, his heart pounding and waiting for the crucial moment when he could jump ship. Hoping that Captain Lera Fox didn’t blow the ship to bits before it pulled up closer to Calypso and he had a chance to use a rope to swing over or to jump into a rowing boat the sea being his very last resort.

[PunkRockinHobbit]

Lera scowled as she surveyed her crew, trying to find Thoronir. "Oy, you!" She pointed to a young man, obviously new to the crew. He nearly jumped out of his skin as she addressed him. "Find Thoronir! He's missin' out on all the fun, and I don't like me crew randomly disappearin' on me ship." The young man nodded fervently and dashed off below deck, the nervous look on his face telling Lera he obviously had no idea whatsoever who Thoronir was. She grinned. "There's a good lad," she murmured, turning around to survey the Bloodwake through her telescope once more. Despite their best efforts, they were drawing nearer still to the Calypso, and Reich looked beside himself, hopping up and down on his crate and pointing passionately at the Calypso, or, rather, at the stern gun that was pointed in their direction.

Knowing they had no more time to waste, Lera gave the command. "Fire the stern gun!" she cried, and nearly immediately, the loud, echoing boom of the stern gun rent the air. Shouts of disdain and terror from the crew of the Bloodwake could be heard, mingled with the high-pitched chatter of Captain Reich, trying to maintain order. The stern gun had found its mark; a large, gaping hole could now be seen in the prow of the opposing ship.

Observing the chaos through her telescope, Lera grinned broadly. The crew was a mess; well, most of the crew was a mess. Lera took notice of one young sailor seeming to almost enjoy the panic that had taken over around him, his dark hair being tousseled in the wind. She leaned over the rail, peering more intently at him, and a broad smile crossed her face. "Well, yer alive after all," she murmured to herself. Collapsing her telescope and tucking it away again, Lera turned and paced toward her first mate.

"Barnaby!"

"Cap'n?"

"Seems we'll be takin' a guest on board, a dark-haired thief what been away for too long," Lera replied, winking.

"Aye!" Barnaby replied enthusiastically. "Orders?"

Lera stared at Barnaby a moment, grinning, her emerald eyes glinting. "Drop anchor, let 'em get up next to us. I'm tired o' foolin'."

The splash of the anchor being dropped into the water soon met Lera's ears, and she watched as the Bloodwake had no choice but to pull up right next to them. "Haul out the starboard guns!" Lera bellowed, ten twelve-pound cannons pointing now at the port side of the Bloodwake. "Weigh anchor! Keep up with that filth! Arm yerselves, and FIRE!"

[Ghosting]

The young man grinned as the ship shook on impact of the cannonball, he smiled excitedly to himself and leaned over the ships side to examining the gapping hole seen in the prow of the ship. “What a good shot” he commented a little bit two loudly a pirate about the same age as himself giving him a bewildered stare. Grinning widely he came up to the pirate who now seemed to be rather pale in his face and slapped him on his shoulder. “With an attitude like that I’d be expecting you abandoning ship soon! Might just as well do it now because there’s now way the Bloodwake is going to win against Calypso” he said to the pirate, who’s face somehow turned even paler. Chuckling to himself the young man turned away his green eyes noticing the Bloodwake’s advance on the Calypso, her anchor now in the sea and the new shouts of Reich from on top of his crate. “Today really is my lucky day…” he muttered as he maneuvered over to the port side of Bloodwake.

With a sigh the young man waited patiently until the Bloodwake drew up to the Calypso, a brief simile coming over his face as he watched the twelve pound cannons being hauled out, the Bloodwake’s doing the same. Removing his sheathed cutlass at his left side he swiftly cut an unnecessary piece of rope in the ships rigging and once more sheathed his companion, brushing against the embedded jade at the pommel with his thumb. His companion looked strange by his left side since unlike his short messy black hair with bits of it poking up in random directions, his tatty pantaloon like pants almost undistinguishable as brown, his black jacket with various frays and stains it was actually well looked after. Gripping the rope tightly and moving back a little the vagabond swung over to the Calypso, turning back to see the bewildered face of the other young man he was speaking to before.

With a sudden rush of cheekiness he waved to him just before he landed on the deck with a thump, his right leg collapsing and leaving him clumsily sprawled on the floor. Pushing himself up from the deck the young man rose to his feet a small curse uttered under his breath as some of the contents of his pockets spilled on the floor. Smiling timidly to the circle of Calypso crew members that surrounded him suspiciously, obviously not recognizing his face, the young man paused a moment considering what to do yet instead of carrying out his plan his green eyes now almost deep blue-green as the sea looked past them to see the young man from before jumping of the Bloodwake's starboard side. With a burst of laughter he pushed pass the barrier in front of him, a surprise to the short and stocky man who was directly blocking his path as he was expecting no strength to come from the tall and lanky youth. Leaning over the ships banister the youth shouted to the other who was in the water, his jeering somehow filled with kindness at the same time. “You dn’t make a very good pirate do ya mate? Glad ye listen’d to me advice tho but next time try to find a better cap'n! Especially on who doesn’t turn into a beetroot every time they shout orders” the youth yelled loudly, a chuckle and an all too familiar smirk appearing upon his face

[PunkRockinHobbit]

As soon as the ships were even again, and Lera's command echoed over the Calypso, a series of ear-splitting bangs from below deck vibrated the ship. The guns had been fired, ripping hole after hole into the hull of the Bloodwake. Lera could hear Reich's temper shattering under the attack more clearly than ever now, and she laughed, drawing her rapier. "Prepare to board, gents!" she cried, thrusting her weapon above her head. There was a deafening roar of delight from her crew. "Fire off!" she called, and again the twelve pound guns did what they do best, cracking and splintering the boat on their starboard.

Grabbing various ropes and stretching planks between the rails of the ships, the crew of the Calypso advanced upon the Bloodwake, satisfying the thirst that had been growing in them for weeks: the thirst for blood. Cries of anguish filled the air as the Bloodwake's numbers dwindled. Lera swung over, her feet landing deftly upon the deck of her opposition, those fierce emerald eyes alight with bloodlust and searching for Reich. She found him scrabbling away, trying to get below deck and hide himself from her. But it was no good. She was on him faster than a parched pirate on rum, planting herself firmly between him and escape.

"Going somewhere, love?" she jeered, and he pulled his sword with surprising speed. "I'll send ye to the depths for this, Fox!" he bellowed, and the two of them fought, their swords clanging at a frenzied pace. Lera's crimson locks streamed behind her as she advanced on Reich, and, in his hurry to get away, he tripped and fell onto his back, still fighting. With a deft kick of her left foot, she knocked his sword away, glaring down at him now. "That's Cap'n Fox, ye bilge rat. Send me regards t' Davy Jones..." And with that, she finished him.

She looked around, surveying the slaughter. There were none left that had sailed upon the Bloodwake. "Victory, gents!" she called, and her crew erupted into cheers, and immediately they scattered, looking for anything that might be worth taking back over to the Calypso.

Lera boarded her own ship again, wiping her rapier clean and sheathing it at her side once more. She looked over and noticed that about five of her crewmembers were gathered around a sixth man, cracking their knuckles and trying to decide what to do with him first. "What do we have here?" she called, striding over. One of her men piped up. "He swung over from the Bloodwake just 'fore we boarded, Cap'n, treasure fallin' outta his pockets everywhere. We figger he's pillaged what he wants from there, and come fer us now." Lera grinned, a cold grin, as the men parted to show her his face. The dark hair, the emerald eyes... for a fleeting moment, Lera was taken back to another time and place, and her heart skipped. She blinked, staring at him harder, and she recognized the youth in front of her. "Bless me bones, yer back!" she cried, rushing forward and taking him by the shoulders. "I told ye not t' return till ye had it. So, where is it? Show me!" She was almost shaking him, so excited was she. The rest of the crew, returning one by one, was beginning to gather now, wondering what was going on.