A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates!  (Part Seven: Blog Forty-Six)

By Dan Watt and Taylor Norris, co-authors of the Rita Walker series

“Master-at-arms,” she hears Sasha shout.  Then someone else saying something to Sasha, maybe “One Eye”.  “Assistant Master-at-arms,” Sasha corrects herself.  Groggily she slides out of her hammock and starts dressing.  She hurries when Sasha starts screaming out: “Amelie!  Amelie!”  “The octopus—dice-opus, is back!”

“Dixopus!” Amelie admonishes as she tugs on her boots.  “Learn how to speak French, Sasha,” she continues as she belts on her Ninjato.  She grabs the wooden practice sword—just in case.

Up on deck she sees “One Eye” staring down from the fo’c’sle with an amused expression.  On the deck, near the helm is the dixopus wielding the wooden sword back and forth as Sasha runs from stern to port trying to get away from the tentacled limb and its weapon.

“Are the Captain and others not here?” Amelie shouts up to “One Eye”.

“They signaled it will be another day,” “One Eye” shouts down to her with a grin.  “This situation is all yours Assistant Master-at-arms.”

Amelie raises her chin and lowers her upper eyelids giving her eyes a confident, half lidded appearance.  “Come for a lesson dixopus?” she asks with a twirl of the wooden sword.  She charges forward, wielding the sword.  The dixopus brings its sword down on her.  She easily side steps the attack and with a circular movement of her sword hand disarms the dixopus.  Stepping back she tells the very large mollusk, “You’re attacks are wild and clumsy.”

The dixopus grabs the sword with the same tentacled arm.  This time, holding it out and waiting. 

Amelie steps in moves with the graceful movements of a dancer; just as “Dizzying Sword” taught her and Arsema.  She taps the dixopus’s sword on one side then the other.  Next she holds her sword arms still.  The dixopus reproduces the same tapping on her sword.

Time seems to stand still as she teaches the dixopus to lunge, but not over extend; to side step while attacking and parlaying; and the unique style of overhead, mid body, and lower body attacks.  These including jabs, thrusts, parlays, and slices.  Soon the dixopus is looking grey and its siphons are straining for air.  So Amelie makes a low sweeping bow to it then points her sword towards the gunwale.  As the dixopus disappears over the rail, Amelie shouts, “Same time tomorrow!”

Dan Watt is the author of the epic dark fantasy fiction book BARD

Taylor Norris, RMT, as First Mate ‘One Eye’ Olanis:  taynorris@gmail.com (Kitchener-Waterloo)

With thanks to Joanne Gosling (Navigator ‘Storm Caller’ Master Jo Anne): Joanne is an Interior Decorator who specializes in closets: Jgosling@calclosets.com Calclosetsjoanne or Joannegosling22@gmail.com

Leah Weir (Helmswoman ‘Wheel Turner’ Synthia): model and cover editor;

Andraya Watt as Assistant-Master-at-Arms, Amelie

With Thanks To:

Fire & Steel for the Medieval Rapier:  http://fireandsteel.ca/

Alex Watt for background pictures

Daiana Duca for background pictures

Krissy Karmaschek for background pictures

Tags: Fantasy Adventure, Female Pirates, Readers Community, Science Fiction, Writing Community