A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates!  (Part One Blog four)

“Lower the Pinnace!” Oli shouts.  Not a single crew member from on the deck or in the hull stirs.

The Captain takes a swig of brandy and says, “We’ll do it ourselves.  Let’s take out the mast first and we’ll row.”

Oli grimaces.  Normally it takes six women to lower the pinnace.  At least it’s tied to the port side of the Nagua instead of flipped over on the deck. 

The Captain climbs down the rope ladder first while Oli and the Navigator hold onto the lowering ropes to keep the pinnace stable.  Once all three are in the boat Oli takes one set of oars while Master Jo Anne grabs hold of the ones nearest the bow. 

“How long to shore?” the Captain asks with her hands on the rudder stick.

“About ten minutes,” Oli replies.  She knows that with two more crew members the rowing would go much quicker.

They slide onto the sandy shore of the cove where Captain “Peg leg” and most of his crew are sleeping around a dying camp fire.

 The Captain stands up and unlatches the lid of her seat.  Oli sees her take out a wooden stake and mallet.  The Captain shoos her and the Navigator off the boat before she follows.  The Navigator throws a rope with a loop at its end from the bow of the pinnace to the Captain.  The Captain hammers the stake through the loop into the beach sand.  Watching the Captain has Oli thinking of what she would like to do to Barthadrow’s rotten heart.

Oli with the Navigator follow the Captain as she saunters over to Captain “Peg leg’s” snoring form.  Captain “Peg leg’s” stump is bare for all to see.  The Captain nudges Captain “Peg leg’s” side.

“What!  Are we being attacked?!” Captain “Peg leg” shouts out as he groggily grabs his detached false limb and twists it over the bottom of his stump.

“That would depend,” Oli hears the Captain say in a voice thick with contempt.

“Captain Alejandra,” Captain “Peg leg” says as he stands up and gives a sweeping bow.  Oli doesn’t miss how quickly Captain “Peg leg” composes himself by combing his grey hair back and pulling the sides of his waxed mustache to regain the curls.  He gives a toothy smile while his eyelids hood his calculating slate grey eyes.

“Captain “Peg leg”,” the Captain replies.

Captain “Peg leg” screws up his face and smooths out his goatee.  “This about the harlot girl?”

“No,” the Captain replies.

“Oh, well nothing really happened there,” Captain “Peg leg” says in a soothing, paternal voice.  “The tall girl with the amazon body.  The, the “Wheel Turner” I heard them call her.  Long brunette hair and eyes that blaze blue.”

Oli smiles as the Captain says nothing in reply.

“Aye, The Helmswoman, that’s who.  The one a man would gawk at but daren’t approach.  She pulled off young, innocent Dirst before the younger lass and he could be as one.”

“Where is he?”  The Captain’s voice echoes Death’s own call.

“Look, I heard the story about what you did to Crazy Bumbee when he tried to force himself on you.  How you slashed either side of his mouth so he had a permanent smile.  But this is different.  And I’m short on capable men.”

“I’ll take that into account,” the Captain says and draws her rapier.  Oli does the same as does the Navigator.

Captain “Peg leg” licks his lips.  He walks over to a young man with tousled dirty blond hair.  “Get up Dirst,” Captain “Peg leg” says in a hushed voice.

After the young man stands up Oli guesses he’s maybe sixteen or seventeen years old.  Tall and Lanky with a handsome grin but the dull blue eyes are miserly. 

“Consent,” the Captain says up into the young man’s face, “is much more enjoyable and safer than forcing oneself on another.”

“Oh, I learned my lesson,” the young man says with a false smile.

Oli sees a blur of motion from the Captain’s rapier.  The next moment the young man is looking at one of his molars lying at his feet. 

Using a hanky the Captain scoops it up.  “It will remind her of your apology.  However, if you still don’t understand the importance of the word consent, I’ll send my Master-of-Arms to visit you.  Oli sees the Captain glance at Dirst’s crotch.  “Perhaps a ball would make a better reminder than a tooth.”  Having said this, the Captain smiles sweetly up at the young man.  “Whether from below or above.”  Oli watches the young man for any rebuttal as the Captain turns away.  “Captain “Peg leg”,” she hears the Captain say.

“Captain Alejandra,” Captain “Peg leg” says with a sigh.

The young man stands frozen with one finger pressed against the gap in his mouth.  Oli turns and follows the Captain and Navigator back to the pinnace.     

Back on the deck of the Nagua the Captain turns to her and says with mischief, “Time to put your eyepiece on.  We’ll pull up the pinnace then I need you to go below into the hold my First Mate.”

“Aye Captain,” Oli replies with a cruel grin.  Out of her chest pocket she takes out an eyepatch and covers her left eye with it. 

Tags: Adventure, Female Pirates, Pirates, Story