The small vessel had been trailing them since dawn, steadily gaining on the ship, but Kris didn't look too concerned. They were both in the crows nest sloping up lunch, and when Alice thought to ask about it he waved her off, explaining that only somebody stupid or desperate would attack with a boat that small, his words accentuated by his eastern accent.
He was an eagle eyed man, and seemingly immune to the vertigo that threatened to overtake Alice every time she looked down. Unlike most of the other crewmembers that preferred to keep their hair short, his butterscotch mane went all the way down to his butt, even in a braid. There was aloofness in his hazel eyes, and he seemed to not take anything too seriously.
“So what do you think such a small craft is doing so far away from shore?” she asked.
He stretched lazily. “I donno, maybe it's a fishing boat? We’re not that far from a few small port towns.” He shrugged.
“Then why is it following us?” Alice was tense. The last time she saw a ship this close, she begrudgingly thought, she was abducted by pirates.
“Does it matter?” he asked, “Its not like it can do anything. Anyway, I already alerted the Captain so don’t worry about it. If anything bigger appears clue me in.” With that he placed his hat over his eyes and leaned back, indicating he was not to be disturbed.
A little while later, as if sensing a change in the air, Kris woke up. The small ship was gaining on them, its flags within sight now.
“Whaddaya know? I guess the bastards really are stupid and desperate,” he remarked, placing his cutlass between his teeth. Then, with all the grace of a dancer he swung and maneuvered his muscular body down the ropes, and made his way to the deck with astonishing speed.
Alice’s depart downward was the exact opposite, lacking nothing but grace. She swung her butt around the railing, and as slowly as she could, lowered herself down to the ropes. Looking at the sky the entire time, she chanted to herself. Left, right. Left, right. Left, right. Until she felt her feet touch solid surface. Her arms and legs were shaking. Heights were not her forte.
The other ship was surprisingly close, and she could make out about four or five crewmembers scrambling about it surface, adjusting sails, and going back and forth from the hold. She was a light and fast vessel, and the Arabella had no hopes of outrunning her. Still, with the ship only a fraction of its size, the Arabella had a high advantage and could almost certainty win a battle if it came to that.
Kris tried to shoo her away, but Alice wanted to watch this. She yet again remembered how, the last time she stayed in her cabin during a fight, pirates had overtaken her ship. She could not stress this enough.
The other vessel lined up horizontally with the Arabella, and the Captain motioned for her to fire. The boom of cannons caused Alice to cover her ears. It was much louder than she had remembered. When the smoke cleared, the other vessel remained intact. It’s faded name, the Wolpertinger, was left untouched. They had missed her completely.
The Wolpertinger got ready to fire, opening its hatches to reveal an impressive twelve cannons, a much greater number than the usual five for a ship that size. The volley connected to the Arabella, a massive target, and punctured two sizable holes in her hull. A few of the men abandoned the deck, rushing down to fix the damage.
The smaller ship rocked back from the force of firing so many canons at once, but quickly regained its balance and sped toward the bigger vessel. Before the cannons could be reloaded, she pulled up to the starboard of the ship, roughly scraping its side. The few men launched their grapples, and boarded the Arabella.
Alice froze. She knew that they outnumbered the attackers at least two to one normally, but a majority of the crew disappearing below deck to repair the damage done by the canons. Fortunately for her, none of the pirates of the Wolpertinger paid her any mind. Unfortunately, they were all going for the Captain.
With the help of Kris and Brutus, he dispatched the first two, but soon more boarded the ship, occupying the remaining men. Augustus was outmatched three to one, yet he was still doing strikingly well. He twirled and parried, his fighting style vaguely reminding her of that of court duals. With mastery he struck a low blow to one of the men, felling him at his knees. Deflecting another jab, he pushed a man back, driving his own sword into his throat. It was beautiful and horrible at the same time, and Alice could not look away. She was mesmerized.
The remaining man glared at Augustus, visibly upset. In response the Captain switch his sword from his right to his left hand, infuriating the pirate even more. Even with the disadvantage of using the wrong hand, Augustus easily sidestepped the man’s first charge. The second time he wasn't so lucky, and steel crashed against steel. His sword work was a bit sloppier, but he still managed to push the other man back, all the while smirking like he was having fun, like it was a game. He was so caught up in it that he didn’t notice the other man creeping behind him, his leg dragging uselessly on the floor.
Alice tried to warn him, but the clash of swords struck down her words. She didn't know what to do. The other man was backing up more readily now, feigning fatigue as he waited for his partner to approach and strike the Captain down.
Without thinking, she bolted. Freeing the cutlass from the dead man’s grip, she took a couple quick strides forward, and plunged it through the limping sailor’s back, just as he was about to strike Augustus. The blade made a horrible sucking noise as it entered his body, and she could feel it splitting his ribs as it went in. The costae spuriae, she recalled from one of Nelson’s medical books.
Taking advantage of his opponent’s surprise, the Captain cut through his hands in one clean motion, ridding him of a weapon and a few fingers. When he turned around, Alice was holding the cutlass, its shaft still deep in the man’s stomach, blood dripping down its handle. She stared doe eyed at him, like she was afraid to move.
Gently, he pried her fingers off the handle one by one. She was stiff, her breaths shallow, and her eyes unblinking. Pulling her back, he lifted her light body up in his arms. He could feel her heart racing against his chest as he carried her to the cabin, in full view of his crew. Coaxing her from her grip on his neck, he laid her on the couch and carefully placed a pillow under her head, caringly covering her with a warm wool blanket.
“Thank you,” he softly whispered in her ear. Not knowing what else to say, he exited the cabin, leaving Alice to her thoughts
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