A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates!  BOOK TWO  (Part Fifteen: Blog Seventy-One):  The End, For A While…

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

Helmswomen “Wheel Turner” Sadie goes below deck on the Nagua,possibly for the last time.  

Walking past the half-shut cannon ports, she sees extra light from hanging lanterns near the centre of the Hull.  She reaches up and touches Canneta’s shoulder first, then Areso’s.  The surgeons are looking over two of the girls, badly maimed in the battle for “One Eye’s” Freya. 

Imani lies in a hammock, her left forearm bandaged over the stump, where her hand used to be.  Her hair is pleated and covered in beads and seashells. 

Sadie can’t fathom how Imani loops her hair over her forehead without it untangling.  “I’ll be missing you,” she says to Imani with unabashed tears.  The girl’s normally lustrous dark skin, now has a sickly grey tinge.

“Don’t cry for me,” Imani says with her Angolan accent.  “The “Ship Builder” promised to make me something special.  “Lose a hand, gain a hook,” she quips, causing Sadie to smile through her tears.

In the hammock beside Imani’s, she sees Niamh.  Niamh’s strawberry blonde hair sticks to her glistening skin.  Normally her skin is light but now it’s almost translucent.  Her right, bottom leg, is missing. 

She hears Imani shift over and sees her staring at Niamh.  “I and the “Ship Builder” will take care of her, sir,” Imani assures her.  “I reckon she’ll be a right, proper pirate, once she has a peg.”

The ship rocks hard.  She realizes the wind is getting rough up above.

Sadie bites down on her lower lip and nods.  She daren’t try to speak right now.  

“That she will,” she finally manages to rasp out.

She’s furious.  Storming up to the main deck she feels she has a singular purpose now.  Putting on a fake smile, she nods at the crew of the Nagua and crosses a boarding ladder to the Freya.  She heads directly to the Helm.

Getting the feel of the new helms wheel, she shouts, “Ready Captain,” to Olanis.

“Remember crew,” she hears Olanis say, as the boarding plank is pulled onto the Nagua, “It is a woman’s obligation to scorn.  We sail now to prepare.  But our memories are long.  We will have our vengeance, for all our fallen sisters!”

Sadie turns the helms wheel so the Freya moves away from the Nagua.  “Aye, Captain,” she says with the others, into the strengthening wind.  “Vengeance, we will have!”

The Nagua and Freya will be traveling towards their next destination for awhile now.  While they do, I will soon be introducing an as yet unnamed, Steampunk hybrid story…

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/

El Cid Rapier held by Helmswoman “Wheel Turner” Sadie:  http://www.Blades-UK.com

Alex Watt for background pictures

Daiana Duca for background pictures

Krissy Karmaschek for background pictures

Tags: Pirates, Readers, Story Telling, Story Time, Writers