IVORY DAWN (The Razor's Adventures)

by P. S. Bartlett

  IVORY DAWN

  The Razor’s Adventures

  A Novella

  P.S. BARTLETT

  IVORY DAWN

  By

  P.S. Bartlett

  Copyright © P.S. Bartlett 2015

  Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author's imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher and/or author.

  Printed in the U.S.A.

  Table of Contents

  Part One

  Part Two

  About the Author

  Follow P.S. Bartlett

  Ivory Dawn

  Part One

  “We don’t have anything of value but ourselves,” Miranda said from the porch, as she tapped lightly on the front door to alert our attention and then ducked down behind the railing.

  “Miranda, what’s going on?” Cass asked as she opened the front door. She looked toward the sunset and saw six male silhouettes coming from the direction of the river, each carrying a blade of some sort. Their faces weren’t visible, but she could plainly see that they all were intent on some ravenous and bloody mayhem.

  “Get back inside and put out the lanterns and candles. And for God’s sakes, that blunderbuss better be loaded!” Miranda ordered.

  Cass drew up her skirt and ran back into the house, gathering up anything they could use in defense. After the Spanish raid, knowing how vulnerable they were away from the peninsula which was fortified and protected from such invasions, they’d made sure to arm themselves as well. Keara flew into the front room from the kitchen with a wooden box and flipped open the lid, exposing half a dozen blades. They reached in, took two each, and barricaded the front door with a heavy sideboard.

  It was the golden age of piracy in the world, and Charles Towne was not immune to their brutal pillaging, among other horrors. However, knowing the dangers that four young women alone could inevitably face, they’d painstakingly prepared themselves, and weren’t about to go down without a fight. On this evening, just before twilight, their fates were sealed.

  “Where’s Ivory?” Miranda gasped, looking over at her cousins at the ready, one crouched at each window.

  “Dammit to hell! She went down to the river for water for the chickens about a half hour ago,” Keara whispered. “She’s still out there—alone.”

  “Wait, her razor wasn’t in the box. She must have it with her,” Cass said, never taking her eyes from the window.

  “Of course she does. She never leaves the house without it,” Keara commented, and then hushed the girls and slid the blunderbuss through the open window, resting it on the ledge.

  The pirates were loud and howling like wolves, causing the girls to tremble and eye each other with terror. Keara nearly dropped the gun and then took a deep breath, turning the barrel in the direction of the approaching men. Cass held her pistol at her side, and as the hoots and howls drew nearer, she heard the picket gate kick open. She stood with her back against the wall next to the front door and slowly raised the heavy weapon until it was level with her own head, pointing it straight at the door.

  “We know yer in there! We seen the light all the way from the riverbank!”

  The girls held their breath and not a muscle or strand of hair strayed from its frozen place. Cass glanced to her right at Keara and mouthed to her, “Don’t shoot until I say so.”

  They listened as the weighty boots pounded the porch boards, and once Cass was satisfied that all of the men were now upon them, she motioned to Keara to fire. The screams of the pirates were more terrifying and deafening than their howls as they were splattered with tacks, nails, broken glass and any other sharp object that Keara could cram into that barrel. Cass joined her with the pistol, firing into the night.

  “You got ‘em,” Miranda whispered. She drew aside the curtain and was peeking out to see the damage done, when a thick, bloody arm reached in, snatched her by her hair, and pulled her out of the window.

  Keara was lying on her back on the floor, having been slammed in the shoulder by the kick back of the gun. She rolled back and forth, holding her arm, when Cass rushed over, grabbing her under her arms and yanking her to her feet, “Get up! One of ‘em has Miranda!”

  Cass pushed the sideboard over to open the front door, finding four of the men, either dead or dying, at her doorstep. It was nearly dark, and she stopped for a moment to allow her eyes to adjust. She had just raised the pistol and stepped to her right, when she heard her cousin’s screams coming from the side of the house. She leapt over the bloody body of the dying pirate before her and raced down the steps.

  “Keara, watch them!” she shouted. In the darkness, she came upon Miranda, with that same bloody arm pulled tightly around her neck and a dirk pointed at her side. The man was enormous and stood at least a foot over Miranda’s head. His arm looked like the low, thick branch of a tree covered in sap in the now risen moonlight.

  “Cass, stop…he’ll kill me.”

  “Not before I splatter his tiny brains all over the yard, he won’t.”

  A moment later, the tree branch fell as if struck by lightning, and Miranda ran towards Cass shouting, “Shoot him! Shoot him now!” But when Cass raised the pistol to fire, the man already lay on his back on the ground. Bent over his slit throat was Ivory, wiping her razor on his shirt.

  “Is everyone accounted for?” she asked as she stood and folded the razor in her hand.

  “Wait, weren’t there six of them?” Keara asked, looking in every direction. “Let’s get back in the house and figure out what to do.”

  “I saw Mister Six take off for the riverbank. From the looks of him, he was hit, but obviously not as bad off as this bunch,” Ivory stated upon seeing the rest of the damage littering the front porch. “Cass, help me with these bodies.”

  “Ivory, I think it’s best if we regroup inside and put together some sort of plan.”

  “A plan, Cass? How do you plan on explaining to the next wave of pirates how their mates ended up dead on our property?”

  “We stood our ground tonight, and we’ll keep standing our ground until…”

  “Until when? The Carolinas run out of pirates?”

  Cass stood silent for a few moments, as Keara and Miranda looked on in the darkness, and then said, “What say you two? Should we call a vote or something?”

  “Vote all you want. I’m dragging these bastards to the river, rowing them out to the current, weighing them down, and letting them go.” Ivory had grown into a hard-headed, strong-willed young woman, and her survival instinct probably outweighed every other instinct she had.

  “Well, I guess that’s settled then,” Cass said as she brushed her hands together. “Miranda, go to the shed and get the rope. Keara, grab an arm.” Cass realized Ivory was right. This wasn’t about how much corn to plant or how to keep foxes out of the henhouse. These were dead pirates, and sooner or later someone was going to come looking for them.

  “It’s a shame. This one was very handsome,” Miranda commented nudging one of the men with her boot.

  One by one, they dragged the blood-stained and lifeless bodies of the men down to the river bank and tied their legs together at the ankles. Ivory and Cass climbed into the rowboat and pulled them along through the water. They weighed them down with the heaviest rocks they could find, and then they cut
them loose. The water was black and murky from the previous day’s rain, which helped shroud the bodies and relieved some of the angst of their deed. The bodies disappeared quickly below the surface and were soon out of sight.

  There were about two hours left of night when they’d finally completed their task. They bathed themselves in the river and huddled together around a small fire in the parlor, drying and warming their ice cold stares. “Someone please say something before I vomit,” Keara whispered, shivering beneath her blanket.

  “We had no choice. They gave us…no choice,” Cass answered, putting her arm around Keara’s shoulder.

  “I pulled the trigger. I murdered those men,” Keara murmured, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping the blanket around them.

  “We both pulled triggers,” Cass shot back at her.

  “But we’ve never killed anyone before,” Miranda said, leaning over on Cass’s other shoulder—the flame dancing in her eyes.

  There was no sound but for the crackling fire for several moments, when Ivory rose to her feet and dropped her blanket. She stood there in her bloomers and bodice looking down into the fireplace, her white undergarments glowing orange as the light and shadows from the flames danced over her. Then, she walked into the kitchen and pulled an unopened bottle of rum from the cabinet. She took four glasses and lined them up on the table, filling each one about a half an inch deep, and called them all to join her. Once assembled, they each picked up a glass and raised it into the air. Just as they were about to tap the glasses together, Cass finally spoke, “I have.”

  “Have what?” Miranda asked.

  “Killed.”

  “Who? Wh…when?” Keara sputtered.

  “It doesn’t matter. That’s behind us now. I’m sorry I told you. Now, drink.”

  Both Miranda and Keara stared at their cousin, while Ivory’s eyes wandered into the darkness.

  Part Two

  “You know we’re not safe here anymore,” Cass said, once Miranda and Keara had fallen asleep.

  “I know,” Ivory replied, staring at the battered oak table top and trying to come up with a solution.

  “I’m sure the one who got away is long back aboard that ship and has informed his mates of what transpired here. They could be at our door at any moment, Ivory. Ivory? Are you listening to me?”

  “Yes!” she shouted in a whisper. “For Christ’s sake, I’m trying to figure this out. Have you any suggestions to offer? Because I’m getting the feeling this is all falling on me, and you three killed four of them before I even arrived, if you recall.”

  “And how many have you killed prior?”

  “What difference does that make now?”

  “It makes a hell of a difference and don’t pretend it doesn’t. None of us wanted this. We did what we had to do—what you taught us to do to protect ourselves.”

  “And a damn fine job you did, too. What do you think I’d have found had you not done what we rehearsed? I’ll tell you exactly what would have happened, Cass. You’d have all been raped, beaten, and left for dead… or worse, dragged off in the night to their friends for more sport. I’m proud of you all. I’m proud of us.”

  “Well? What do we do now?”

  “How much money have we saved?”

  “I’d have to check with Miranda, but I’d say we have a couple hundred dollars. But we were going to use that to move up North.”

  “If we don’t get our asses out of this, there won’t be an “up North” for any of us.”

  “Well, there are no bodies, and we’ve scrubbed this place clean, but the word of one coward pirate is more than enough to bring another five or ten. Do you think we can take them?”

  “Five, yes. Ten, no.”

  “Look, they’re raiding the whole area. They normally don’t hang around. They take what they can and run. The one who ran, it’s possible that in the dark, in a place he’s never been before, he wouldn’t even be able to lead them back here.”

  “The river.”

  “What about it?”

  “They followed the river to get to the houses… and to us. How about you and I take a little boat ride upstream and see what we’re up against?”

  “You’re crazy, Ivory.”

  “Maybe so, but I’m not crazy enough to sit here any longer and wait for them to come to us.”

  “What about Miranda and Ke?”

  “Wake them up. Pants, coats, hats, pistols, and blades. We’ll all go.”

  “You’ll get us all killed before we’re done.”

  “Have some faith. If we stay here, we’re dead anyway—one way or the other.”

  “Good point, but at least we could hide somewhere until they move on.”

  “Cass, let me ask you something; are you really happy here raising chickens and vegetables?”

  “It’s a nice life. It’s peaceful and…”

  “Safe?”

  “It was…but what are you suggesting?”

  “I don’t know yet, but I’d like to find out what it’s like out there before what’s out there comes after us again. Maybe next time, we won’t be so lucky,” Ivory whispered when an unfamiliar sound snapped her head around to see the fletching end of an arrow poking out from the wall just to the left of her head. “Never mind, they’re already here. Get down! ”

  Ivory and Cass dove beneath the heavy dining table and tipped it forward for cover. The box of blades and arms scattered to the floor, and Ivory tipped the table back again halfway, drawing on Cass to push it forward until they could tilt it back and bring the bulk of the weapons to their fighting side.

  “Miranda and Keara, get on the floor!” Cass called out towards the bedrooms. “We’re under attack again!”

  Keara came crawling out on her hands and knees, dragging the already loaded and ready blunderbuss tucked under her arm. “How many do you think?”

  “We don’t know. Can you make it to the window?” Ivory asked.

  “I suppose if I don’t at least try we’ll find out, sooner rather than later.”

  Keara reached her vantage spot at the window, and through the sheer curtains she saw a tall, slim man in a plumed tricorn, wearing a long black surcoat trimmed in gold thread. He appeared to be simply strolling towards their front fence. He was flanked by three pirates on his left and two on his right.

  “Would you believe it appears the captain himself is about to enter our yard?”

  “I’d believe just about anything at this point,” Miranda mumbled.

  “Hello? Is anyone at home?” inquired the deep, male voice coming from the front yard.

  “You just stop right there!” Keara shouted from the window. With the unmistakable barrel of the blunderbuss pointed directly at him, the man raised his arms from his sides and waved the other men to stop.

  “Madame, may I have a word with the man of the house?” he asked. The swarthy captain stood at least six feet four inches tall, not including his hat. He stood with his feet spread wide apart, and on them he wore knee-high black bucket boots. With his hands raised, his coat opened in the front enough to see a large pistol tucked in his leather belt, as well as a cutlass. “Hello? Sir?”

  The front door flew open, and Ivory stepped out, a broadsword in her right hand and a pistol in her left. Her long white hair was stuffed inside of a worn black leather cavalier hat. It wasn’t until she was standing there, facing them down, that she realized she was still in her night clothes, although she had at least remembered her hat, belt and boots before bolting out the door. The men burst into laughter at the sight of her, but her face was as cold as a gravestone, and just as rigid.

  “I’m so sorry to have disturbed you, Madame,” the man said, removing his hat to bow, when she fired the pistol into the air, nearly knocking herself off the porch.

  “All of you! Remove your weapons and toss them to the ground!” she shouted.

  The men turned and looked at each other curiously and then erupted again in laughter. One by one, Miranda, Cassandra, and
Keara appeared from behind Ivory and took a spot at her side—each holding two blades—except for Keara who, with a heave and swing, propped the blunderbuss on the porch rail and aimed it directly at the captain. All at once, the men fell silent, and the captain dropped his hat back on his head with a wide grin.

  “Ladies, why so armed? We have more than enough money to pay,” the captain said, laughing again and then folding his arms across his chest.

  “I beg your pardon?” shouted Miranda.

  “They think we’re whores. They think this a fucking whorehouse,” Keara whispered through her teeth.

  “Gentlemen, I can assure you, you couldn’t be more mistaken,” Cass spoke, straightening her back, which only served to raise her chest at them, inciting more laughs, as well as a few vulgar terms of twisted admiration.

  Ivory had heard enough. She handed Cass the pistol, stepped forward, and turned towards Keara who still rested the gun on the rail. “If he makes one move, shoot. Shoot through me if you have to, but shoot him… and then kill them all.” She turned back from the second step and started to descend, never taking her eyes off the now sneering captain. “You, sir. I’d have a word with you, please!” she shouted, pointing her broadsword in his general direction.

  “Me first? Well of course me first, I am the Captain, after all,” he joked, grabbing his crotch and swaying like a willow in the breeze again, inciting his men.

  “You may play with yourself all day long, but I can assure you that your little worm won’t find a hole to hide in on our land.” Ivory stood firm, holding the sword out in front of her, daring them to advance. “Now, if you’d like to speak to me like the true woman I am, approach me, sir. If not, I’d suggest you and your men remove yourselves from our property.”

  “You’ve intrigued me, Madame,” the captain said, hushing his men and telling them to stand down.

  “Follow me,” Ivory said, leading the captain into the house. Cass, Miranda, and Keara all bore holes into the man, glaring at him as he passed through them to enter. Then, side by side, they stood guard over the home as the lazy sailors sat or laid down in the grass to wait.