night. The dog’s underside and the majority of its face was white, yet the black came down upon its brow in a sharp arch joining at its walls to its intense, pale blue eyes, which were surrounded by a fine layer of black amongst the white. The dog’s gaze could pierce you, as though it was looking into your soul. Beneath each eye a lightly shaded triangle of blackness fell causing the animal to look truly fearsome. Captain Rike would tell anxious strangers that his dog wept the sorrows of a thousand dead pirates.
For some time we remained seated on the edge of the boat, ‘twas a strangely calming silence I could share with the beast, nothing like the atmosphere generated when a human you are not truly familiar with attempts to sit in your presence. ‘Twas certainly comforting and I quickly became aware as to why Captain Rike preferred the company of the beast over most men on his ship.
But a few hours on, and admittedly ‘twas at a point where I was beginning to daze into an uncontrolled sleep, Achilles sprung up from his seated position, he made a strange wheezing noise then burst into a flurry of powerful barks. I jumped for the dog startled me grabbing at the sleeve of my coat, I looked once over for the small wooden paddle boats and sure enough it was possible to hear a lightly ringing bell and the faintest firelight signalling through the fog. ‘Twas beginning, the feeling I gained from this very sight is unexplainable, for the levels of excitement that were surging through me were extreme.
I whistled to Samuels who rang a small bell himself, one that would not generate much racket, yet was loud enough for the majority of the ship to become aware that our moment was impending. We did not know from which direction nor from what distance the Grand Martona approached us, so ‘twas vital we remained as quiet as possible.
Moments after the bell had rung Davey Rones burst up from the orlop deck lusting for action, his gaze was rampant, he was riled up as he always was moments before a plunder. I almost feel pity for those upon whom Rike unleashed him for he was no different from a wild animal when caught up in conflict.
“Sailor, the ships be returnin’?” He yelled to me, glaring with an unbridled malice.
“Aye, Davey, they be signallin’ us now, ‘tis for sure the captain ‘as spotted our target, prepare the cannoneers in the orlop for we be soon upon our bounty.”
As I made haste to assemble the crew to their correct posts Achilles remained on watch for the encroaching boats, ‘twas surprising that the dog made no further noise, I was sure he was aware of that which was occurring.
“Sollertis, Williams, will ye help haul in the crew as they be arrivin’ upon the boats. Austin! Be sure the cannons be prepared on this top deck! Get your men in check, and Samuels, be raisin’ the anchor, matey, and prepare for plunder!” The men went without question, I returned to Achilles to join Sollertis and Christian assisting them in reloading the paddleboats to the ship. ‘Twas with great speed that we each acted, and so ‘twas necessary if all was to occur as planned.
I was not long before capture given a piece of written scripture by Sollertis. ‘Twas a recount of the plunder of the Martona, and ‘twas beautifully written. I shall reveal it here, and so save me much time writing out a much duller, brief recount of the events which occurred that night. Sollertis frequently wrote himself, and so too did he tell stories which he conjured from his own mind to the pirates of Roselyn, should I have been given the chance to again be in his presence I should certainly have spent some time with him detailing the tales he told. The thoughts of his death still plague my mind, so violent it was. This is the recount he wrote:
‘All that courage could assemble stood presently prepared upon her, as the fogs of the tempest engulfed the loan lady, laying in wait of the Martona. Amidst the depths of the endless blue, she sailed alone in wait, her departed sons returned from quest their lives in dear at stake.
- A man without knowledge would have doubtlessly assumed the very skies had fallen as the captain’s crew amassed. Courage, bravery, respect, imagine, standing in the gangways of the lady’s upper woodwork. One can see little further than six feet in any direction, a deafly quiet fills the air, only the dull footsteps of your crew, your friends, your family, covering the deck with haste. No man complains, no man questions the first mate’s orders, all present work as one in an act of unhindered unison.-
“The captain and crew!” They cried, no man a coward stood, though unobservable a light did shine through the thickness of the fog.
First came James and Edwards, faces filled with fear, back from the darkness of the blue, their troubles yet unclear. The great beast stood on all fours, observant of his surroundings as Williams hurled the haggard ropes towards the vessels incoming.
“Haul them aboard!” Commanded the first mate, and so the men were saved, out of the grasp of the Grand Martona, her captain momentarily reprieved. Once aboard the shaking sailors revealed to us their troubles:
“The captain was sighted giving the signal, the Martona knows we are here.”
“Where is the captain?” The first mate asks, yet the two have no idea.
Another boat came out of the night, saved from the savage seas, they too however were unaware of where our lost brothers could be.
As the sands of the time glass drained each man stood still prepared, the longest time did pass away before a dim light flared. We assumed it to be the Peter brothers, and so it was indeed, yet with them came a second boat. It was Captain Rike and Reid.
-“She knows we’re here lad!” The captain yells.
“Edwards, go down to the orlop deck and tell Davey to prepare the cannons, the Martona may be upon us in but a moment. To your positions, men! Be prepared!”
The few that stood waiting upon their brave leader’s return struggled to drag him aboard, once on deck, we halted for breath, as Davey gave orders beneath the stern. The virtuous captain’s crew stood still, silently we gazed outwards into the eternal mist.-
Abruptly, the blackness beyond the thick fog was ruptured by thunderous flares of fire and fury, the sound of cannons broke the peace as the captain’s crew ducked and dived in hopes to evade the Martona’s blind flurry.
I was dragged to the floor by a crew mate, as the black pearls ruptured the captain’s beauty, her starboard hit, with accuracy split, the woodwork of her body. Marcus Reynolds, a quiet one, I saw stricken by one such pearl, straight to the sternum, his conscious fled him with the sound of crunching bone. For all the horrors seen in my time I would not wish to go, to darkness and death by the blow of a ball as the fate Reynolds had been thrown.
-Before all is calm, up from the orlop bursts the giant Damien Rones, straight to the head, he grabs Reynolds’ corpse and tosses it down to the locker. “Turn starboard Samuels!” The animal yells, commanding the crewmate with anger, and so does the navigator turn her about, on go us to the Martona and riches.
“We’re getting nowhere!” Cries the virtuous, and orders we raise the masts, so me and Christian with others at hand hoisted her releasing the sails, at last, we were propelled by the calmest winds at night towards the Martona.-
A tranquil serenity returned to the air for but a brief moment in time, then without hesitance the captain yells FIRE! And cannons rumble and flame, ripping through the infinite fog, a boom and inferno did flare.
“Direct hit!” The quartermaster calls, his excitement excessive and live, the crew did howl and burst to joy as new confidence in us thrived. On we pursued towards the ship that burned her bones alight, with woodwork wounded the captain called to all that stood present with might:
“Prepare the planks! Boards and swords! Prepare to plunder the Martona...” Though his interest seemingly faded with each word he did roar, enough was done to gather the crew; I could feel their confidence soared. Each man with haste rose to his feet, believing the worst to be clear, but in a brief moment that split the silence again the crew cowered with fear.
It was a mere gamble the Martona did take, for by now her position was near, and head on we faced the enemy misplaced its judgement of our met
hods in war. The pearls she released did no more than break a hole in the primary mast’s sail, so on we prowled with confident knowledge her best attempts had failed.
“Aim for the stern!” The giant yelled from the far reaches of the lady at night, to Samuels who stood at the bridge of the beauty, attempting to guide her right, into the Martona’s waters we washed, approaching her woodwork with haste, swashbucklers pistols ready to ride into the bounty who’s loot now was ripe.
With hooks and rope prepared to launch we encroached upon the Martona’s starboard, with power and accuracy the crew hurled cords and entwined we became with our hoard.
“Prepare for plunder! All on deck! Into their gangways we go!” As the ships became one, and boards were lowered the pirates lust did grow. Fifty men, standing prepared, in thick fog the crew stood toe to toe, yet a silence fell upon the air, I sensed upon the Martona great sorrow.
-“Not a man does stir, captain, what should we do?” But then the giant stepped down, off of the platform leaving his cannoneers he marched without thought through the gangway. As the pirates parted, one stepped out amongst many. I would without doubt place him amongst men of my Hellenic ancient past, the blood of a Spartan, his fearless nature standing tall amongst his company.-
So
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