Ahoy mates! My apologies on the late hour of this chapter. Old habits die hard, you know? I was caught up in a lot of things over the past few days, and found myself unable to type it up. However, it is here, so without further ado, I present to you...
The Frigate
With everything out in the open about Solomon, they were all able to work more fluidly. Him being a possible threat or trouble was no longer in their minds. They continued on Kat’s quest for revenge with ease, using her compass as a guide. It led them faithfully towards many skeletons just waiting to be sunk. At times, though, the arrow was unsteady and followed Lawrence around instead. It was times like that where she snapped it shut quickly and distracted herself with something else.
Things went smoothly for about four months. The group had spent their time successfully sinking skeletal ships and raiding the occasional merchant or EITC ship. Kat was up the crow’s nest checking on the sail’s knots when she stared off into the distance. She squinted her eyes towards the speck in the horizon. “Land ho!” she called down to Solomon, who was presently steering. She scurried down the rigging so she could check on their position.
“No need to look at the maps, Kat. I know where we are,” Lawrence said when her boots hit the deck. HE put a hand to the small of her back to point her towards the island, and she felt that flutter she always quickly tapped down. “You see that smoke?” he asked, pointing. “We’re approaching Padres del Fuego, the volcanic Fathers of Fire indeed.” Lawrence looked at the island with darkened eyes and Kat glanced at him worriedly. She remembered what had happened to him last time he was there.
“Hey, look over there!” Solomon yelled, pointing to port side. They turned to see a Navy frigate patrolling the waters. “How would you like a brand new ship to sail into Padres with, Kat?” he asked with a grin.
“I’d like it very much, Solomon,” she replied, “but exactly how do you plan on acquiring such a fine piece of craftsmanship?” She spoke to him as if he was crazy.
Solomon grinned wider. “I have a plan.”
Solomon had proven time and time again over the past few months how apt he was with strategy, so Kat and Lawrence listened intently. He quickly outlined the actions they would take, with the other two adding their ideas and refinements. When they finished planning it out, they separated on their different jobs, all confident about gaining a new ship.
Solomon had taken Kat’s story about her and Hector tricking the EITC ship into thinking they were lost, and put his own twist on it. They took one of the torn sails they had kept from months before, when they had first found Solomon, and hung them up in place of a good one. Kat went to change into her ragged clothes. Lawrence and Solomon would carry most of their arsenal though; it wouldn’t look good if a woman was carrying a shiny cutlass around.
It didn’t take long to get everything set up, and when they did, they attempted to sail towards the naval ship. Solomon hid in the hold and Kat and Lawrence tried crying out for ‘Help’ when they got close enough.
The Navy launched a small dinghy so a group of them could board the small
Cutthroat Wolf. “What is the problem?” the leader of the troop asked on the ship.
Kat felt ridiculous playing the part of hapless woman, but did it anyway. “Please, you must help us!” she cried, desperately hanging on to the closest soldier. “We were attacked by pirates! Somehow we got away, but my husband,” Lawrence’s eyebrows shot up for a moment, “caught one of them! Please, you must help us!”
“Please calm down ma’am,” the soldier she clutched to said as he disentangled her from him. “We shall take care of him.”
Kat ran to Lawrence instead now. “Please, I don’t want to be here when you see him! He scares me!”
Lawrence wrapped his arms around her in fake comfort. “Please take my
wife,” he lightly emphasized the word, “onto your ship while we take care of the pirate,” he requested of the Navy men.
The leader thought for a moment, then accepted. “Very well. Figgins!” One of the men stood up a little straighter. “Take this woman back to our ship!”
A young sergeant from the back saluted. “Aye aye sir! Come with me miss.” He came to escort her from Lawrence’s arms, gripping her shoulder gently.
“Be careful, Sam,” she told him as she got into the dinghy.
He winked at her. “Always am, love.” The small boat splashed into the waters and she lost sight of Lawrence. Figgins began rowing them to the red and white sails, and Kat couldn’t help but really worry about Lawrence and Solomon.
“What’s your name, miss?” the young sergeant asked her, as if trying to make conversation.
“Katherine,” she responded without thought, still concerned for her men. It took her a moment to realize her mistake, but when she did, her eyes widened and she felt like hitting herself. Figgins didn’t notice though.
“Well, it is nice to meet you, miss, even under these circumstances.” He was a rather friendly bloke, rather relaxed, and Kat felt a kind of affinity towards him. He was unlike any Navy man she’d ever met, even in the time she was still married. They were silent until they reached the frigate.
There weren’t as many Navy uniforms on the other side as she had anticipated. That would make things easier when the time came. She wandered around the ship, subtly examining it as any captain would inspect a new piece of equipment. It seemed to be in very good shape, likely just commissioned not long ago.
Figgins came up beside her. “Everything alright ma’am?” he asked.
Kat nodded lightly. “Yes, everything is fine, I suppose,” she said. She noticed a small telescope hanging off of the sergeant’s belt. “Figgins, do you mind if I borrow that?” she asked him, pointing to the spyglass. “I would like to be able to see what is going on with my husband.”
Figgins looked hesitant. “Ma’am, I’m not entirely certain if that’s the wisest idea…”
“Please, Figgins? Just give it to me,” she said, holding out her hand. The man reluctantly unclipped it from his belt and handed over his telescope. Kat raised it to her eye and focused in on her ship.
Lawrence was talking to the Navy as he leaned down to open the hold. Kat felt her shoulders tense and her breathing hitch. Solomon leaped out with a sword in each hand and pointed them at the soldiers. They began backing up slowly as Lawrence drew his sword as well. One brave soul tried drawing his blade and charging them, but Lawrence just parried and punched him in the face. He stumbled to the ground, much to the shock of his comrades. Kat saw Solomon’s lips move and his face harden as he spoke harshly to the other soldiers. They began marching down into the hold, where she figured the boys would tie them of lock them up.
She lowered the eyeglass to find Figgins staring at her worriedly. It was rather odd to see such a soft look attached to that uniform. She couldn’t help but smile gently at him. “He’s fine, mate,” she said softly. She looked through the telescope again to see Lawrence and Solomon getting in a row boat and come towards the frigate.
Kat looked back at Figgins and grimaced. “Sorry mate,” she said, and she punched him cleanly across the face, then took a piece of wood from inside her shirt and knocked him on the back of the head. He fell over, unconscious. Kat stole his sword and swung a length of rope just sitting on deck over her shoulders. She licked her lips nervously as she waited for Lawrence and Solomon to get to the ship.
A soldier came down from the front of the ship where she was. “Hey, wha’ happened to him?” the man asked.
“Um… Caribbean sun,” Kat responded. With fluidity, she unraveled part of the rope and wrapped it around the soldier’s neck. He spluttered and struggled against it, but Kat just pulled tighter. His body soon fell limp and he flopped on top of Figgins. Kat reached down and lightly touched his neck. A soft pulse fluttered back up to the tips of her fingers. She nodded lightly and waited for Lawrence and Solomon to arrive.
She threw part of the rope over side, letting them climb up. They all barely spoke, just knowing what they needed to do. Kat left the men to go talk to the captain, and they waited until she was out of sight to begin their strike.
“Sir?” Kat asked timidly to the back of the captain. The man turned towards her, his back now to the rest of the ship. She smiled lightly at him. “I want to thank you for your hospitality, sir,” she said as she watched Lawrence and Solomon take out the other Navy quickly and quietly. “It is truly appreciated, and I hope you’ll let my husband and I stay on the ship.”
The captain nodded briskly. “But of course, ma’am. You are welcome to stay as long as you wish.”
Kat grinned that mischievous smirk of a pirate. “I was hoping you’d say that.” At the tail end of her words, one of the Navy soldiers cried out, making the captain turn to see the disturbance. Kat took the loop of rope she’d had behind her back and caught the man in it. She tightened it around his arms and tied it off, ignoring the cries of protest. The captain was spluttering in fury as she tugged him close by the rope, his back to her. “Again, I’d like to thank you for your welcome, captain,” she murmured threateningly in his ear. “I do, in fact, plan on staying as long as I like.” He growled and tried to kick her. It wasn’t difficult for her to dodge it. “Come now captain, you wouldn’t hit a lady, would you?” she didn’t give him a chance to answer before she slammed his head against the mast, effectively knocking him out.
Unsheathing the sword she had stolen from Figgins and taking the one from the captain’s belt, she went to help her boys. They easily dispatched of the soldiers, swords slashing and crashing in the sea air. Somehow, Kat made her way back to the front of the ship. One of the fallen men had stood, and Kat moved without thought to strike him down.
“Katherine!” the body cried. With her name falling from his lips, the fighting, cold hearted Kat fell. Now she was able to see the person standing in front of her. Teeth unclenched and stance relaxed as Figgins stood there with his hands raised, looking as if he feared for his life. It was then Kat noticed one of her swords was pointing directly at his heart. She let her arm drop a little, and Figgins visibly relaxed.
“What shall be your choice, mate?” she asked him lowly. “Shall you be coming with me, choose the life outside the law, or shall I set you off in a dinghy with your Navy friends?”
“Let me come with you, please,” Figgins begged. “I’m tired of the Navy. I want to live a new life.”
“Very well then,” Kat nodded. She suddenly felt very tired. “Here, take your bloody sword back,” she muttered, tossing him the blade from her left hand. “Lawrence, Solomon!” The two appeared from around the corner. “Wrap it up mates, I think we’re done here.”
They loaded up the Navy into a few life boats and set them out to sea. Kat wasn’t completely without mercy; she placed oars in the boats so that they may have a fighting chance. Lawrence went back over to the sloop, while the other three took over the now pirated frigate, and all began towards Padres del Fuego.
As Kat took the wheel, Solomon came up to her with a grin. “What is it?” she asked.
Solomon grinned wider. Your name is Katherine?” Kat just groaned and directed them towards the volcanic island.
Thanks go out again to KeeperoftheCode for letting me move Solomon around like my little doll.
I apologize for any grammatical/random errors in this chapter. I am very tired, and am not going through and proof reading it before posting. Oh, and I also apologize for saying last week, "Nothing like this next week." I'm terrible, I know.
Well mates, you know how I work by now, yes? Haha, I kid. Reviews are always appreciated, but not necessary. Thanks for reading mates!
-Kat Crestshot
PS: I forgot to mention this last night, but I shall be changing my posting days to Fridays. I find that I come home and have too much to do on Thursday nights, and with the weekend open on Fridays for me to do whatever work needed, I am able to type on those nights. Thank you!