Pirates

A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates!  (Part Five: Blog twenty-four)

~ Caedar Writing & Artwork: Books by Author, Interviews, Guest Blogs, and more... ~ Leave a comment

A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates!  (Part fIVe: Blog twenty-four)

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

“Cachaça is getting full and Eau-de-vie is getting closer,” ‘Wheel Turner’ says as she wraps leather around her clogs to keep them from getting damaged.

Oli gazes up into the clear sky at the milky white colour of Cachaça.  She reaches up with both hands and opens them so it looks like she’s holding the moon.  The moon is so large it takes up most of her sight.  “Wonder if anything lives on her?” she asks.  ‘Wheel Turner’ doesn’t reply so she turns her head to the east.  “Makes me thirsty,” she says staring at the burgundy coloured Eau-de-vie.

“We’ll get you as close as possible, sirs,” Zala says.  Oli smiles at the tall girl in her violet robe, taken from somewhere, maybe from a wreckage.  It makes Zala look noble and in control.  Aarini who wears a nearly see through silk blouse and Chesah in her own kimono could be princesses; pirate princesses. 

Oli sees Umi checking over the fire box in the middle of the pinnace.  Next the waterproof buckets and ropes.  Lastly Oli sees Umi have each girl stand up and unfasten their robes to check that their knives are secured tightly. 

Peering over the side of the boat into the water as they get closer to the shore Umi raises her hand.  “Halt!” she commands.  “There is a sandy stretch towards the atoll here.”

Oli climbs over the side followed by ‘Wheel Turner’ as the girls lean the opposite way to counterbalance.  Once in the water Oli realizes it only reaches just above her knees.  Zala passes her and ‘Wheel Turner’ each a water sack made from sheep stomach.  Oli realizes that the sacks are older than she is since they came from Earth.  She and ‘Wheel Turner’ tie the mouth strings of the sacks to their waists and swing the body of the sacks over their shoulders.  Next Zala passes them each a chord of thin rope, and wrapped biscuits which Oli and ‘Wheel Turner’ tuck into their tops. 

“When Eau-de-vie is in front of Cachaça,” she hears ‘Wheel Turner’ tells Zala.

“Aye, aye, Helmswoman,” Zala replies.

Taylor Norris, RMT, as First Mate ‘One Eye’ Olanis:  taynorris@gmail.com

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;

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

Alex Watt for background pictures

Daiana Duca for background pictures

A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates!  (Part four: Blog twenty)

~ Caedar Writing & Artwork: Books by Author, Interviews, Guest Blogs, and more... ~ Leave a comment

A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates!  (Part four: Blog twenty)

By Dan Watt and Taylor Norris

Umi sees ‘One Eye’ drops an anchor on the port side and another on the starboard.  Once the boat is gently bobbing more-or-less in place Umi slips her awabi-okoshi through her fundoshi or as ‘One Eye’ calls it, a chastity belt in case a dolphin tail male seeks her out.  The long handle of the awabi-okoshi was originally used by Ama to scrape abalone off surfaces.  She keeps it to scrape off whatever grows on the outside of the hull.  Next she slips a Nihonto Tanto knife through the fundoshi; a gift from her dying father after he fought off three of Barthadrow’s men.  She grimaces at the memory of him thrusting it hilt first towards her as blood poured out of his numerous wounds.  Memories of all the horrible things Barthadrow has done and caused makes her blood boil.  She spits into the water. 

Lastly she ties a thin but strong rope around her waist.  Next she ties the other end onto the handle of a wooden basket caulked so it floats.  At the bow of the pinnace ‘One Eye’ ties another rope through an eyehook a top the gunwale to the basket then places it onto the surface.

“One pull I’m coming up, two pull me up,” Umi reminds Zala and Chesah.

 She rolls her shoulders back and lifts her heels alternately off the bottom of the boat while taking in controlled breaths.  When it feels right she takes in a deep breath and dives into the water.

It’s cold but also refreshing as it covers her mostly naked body.  She doesn’t wear clothing because it absorbs water and captures air.  It also keeps the coldness in when she exits the water.

She’ll cut off long lengths of the dogweed first.  The hope is that the weed will keep both its strength and flexibility for the bows and arrows the Captain wants made.  The rope to the portside anchor is taught and near her.  As she cuts near the bottom of a dogweed stem with her Nihonto Tanto she feels a gush of water against her back.  She glances back but doesn’t see anything.

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;

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

A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates!  (Part four: Blog nineteen)

~ Caedar Writing & Artwork: Books by Author, Interviews, Guest Blogs, and more... ~ Leave a comment

A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates!  (Part four: Blog nineteen)

By Dan Watt and Taylor Norris

As the Nagua moves beyond the visibility of the city Umi’s thoughts turn to the next day when she will dive for the wooded plants ‘Dizzying Blade’ wants for the bow and arrows.  “You will come on the boat with us tomorrow Zala and Chesah.”  She smiles at the others.  “The rest of you, we try next time.”

She hears the other girls grumble that they won’t be going.  Umi smiles at the sight of Zala putting her arm around Chesah and asking her if she’s excited about the coming morning.  Only a few of the girls are willing to swim.  Most are terrified of putting their head below the surface.  She chuckles under her breath at the memory of the ‘Harlot’ telling her, she would rather eat ‘Unibrow’s’ wormy fish meal, like they were forced to years ago, than learn to be an Ama.

The Nagua is anchored about a mile from the shore of an atoll.  Umi is wearing a kimono robe with images of the leaves from a sakaki tree stitched on.   She closes her eyes and takes in deep, even breaths of the salty air. 

She opens her eyes and sees ‘One Eye’ who isn’t currently wearing her eyepatch looking back at her from the bow of the pinnace with a lopsided grin.  “We’ll keep the embers going while you dive,” ‘One Eye’ says with as she swipes away one of the flying insects that live near the shore. 

Umi stares into the yellow sky.  Pelicans with their long thick beaks swoop nearby.  She can also see frigatebirds with their thin pointed beaks and long tails.  Nearby a yellow beaked masked booby, with its wings drawn in, dives into the water.  Most of the other birds she has seen on this world keep closer to shore.  She remembers the Captain saying she wonders if they’re originally from Earth and were resting on the ships when the whirlpools pulled them to this planet.

Before her, in a cast iron box made from one of the unused cannons, are the embers of a fire.  She’ll need the warmth when she leaves the water.  She undoes her sash and lets the sun shine on her mostly bare skin.  She ties a tenugui over her head to keep her hair out of her eyes.  She is already wearing a fundoshi below.  Over the side she can see the sunlight piercing the water.  About two fathoms down the tops of seaweed flow back and forth in the current.   Growing in-between the seaweed are the hard and straight stands of what the Queen of Pirates named dogweed.

To the stern of the pinnace sit Zala and Chesah rowing.  ‘One Eye’ is navigator.  Zala’s eyes are bright and observant.  Chesah appears a bit squeamish. 

“First Mate Olanis knows that if I tug the rope once, I’m coming up, but if I tug twice I’m to be pulled up,” she tells the girls.

“And if we see danger we tug twice, wait for a tug back from Umi, then pull her back to the surface like Crazy Bumbee would,” ‘One Eye’ adds.

A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates! (Part three Blog fourteen)

~ Caedar Writing & Artwork: Books by Author, Interviews, Guest Blogs, and more... ~ Leave a comment

A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates!  (Part three Blog fourteen)

By Dan Watt and Taylor Norris

Master-at-arms ‘Dizzying Speed’ Sadie stands beside Zala on the foc’s’cle with her mouth wide open in awe.  She’s completely engrossed in the fight between the tiny, busty Filipino girl Althea, and the tall wide hipped Egyptian girl Mesi.  The two girls are screaming at each other in a mixture of English and their ancestral language.  Suddenly Althea trips over a bucket.  Mesi grabs Althea’s hair and yanks Althea back to her feet.  Althea jumps to her feet smashing the crown of her head under Mesi’s chin.  Althea starts crying while holding the top of her head while she points an accusatory finger at Althea.  At the same moment Althea is rubbing her chin with one hand while pointing the finger of her free hand at Mesi. 

“Sir?” Sadie hears Zala says but waves her off.

Mesi is staggering and shifting her lower jaw side-to-side while Althea is pointing at the top of her head and crying while she shouts at Mesi.  Mesi punches Althea in the stomach with her thumb wrapped under her fingers.  Both girls cry out.  Althea is now holding her stomach and Mesi is rubbing her thumb.

“Shouldn’t you be breaking this up, sir?” Zala says, her voice a bit louder this time.

“But…,” Sadie says.

“They might hurt each other sir,” Zala warns her.

Mesi charges Althea with her head just as Althea slips on the wet deck.  They both crash into a very angry looking ‘Unibrow’ Nippie whose wielding a ladle.

“I’ve never seen such a horribly bad fight,” Sadie says in awe.  “Not even a pretend fight,” she continues as she climbs down to the deck.

“Great fight,” she hears ‘One Eye’ cackle across the ship from the Helm.

“Absolutely amazing,” Sadie agrees absent mindedly.  Her very concise mind is still pondering how two people could fight with such imprecision.  She knows some of the other girls are Egyptian and Filipino but none of them fight as horribly as these two.

“Mesi!  Althea!” she shouts out at them then after a moment of thought continues, “And Nippie!  Stand down!”  She walks briskly towards them.

‘Unibrow’ is snarling at the girls as she taps the spoon of the ladle against her palm.

“We wish to duel sir,” Mesi says with her chin held high.

“To the death,” Althea adds.

“The problem with that,” Sadie says in a quiet, mocking tone, “Is that you would probably kill yourselves instead of each other.  Mesi, you’re to go with ‘Cook’ Nippie and work with her and Janet in the Galley.  Althea, you’ll find ‘Harlot’ Thelma and help her make strings.  Now!”

She hears ‘One-Eye’ laughing from the helm.  “We could send them to Barthodrow if he wasn’t such a bilge-sucking rapescillion,” ‘One-Eye’ shouts.

“That would make it too easy to defeat him,” Sadie shouts back.  “Everyone’s got a talent.  Well met sailing sister, got to go and carve bows so they shoot arrows that sing like banshees.”

“Keep sturdy on your feet,” ‘One-Eye’ says as she turns the wheel counter clock-wise.

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

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

Fire & Steel (medieval rapier): https://fireandsteel.ca/

A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates! (Part two Blog ten)

~ Caedar Writing & Artwork: Books by Author, Interviews, Guest Blogs, and more... ~ Leave a comment

A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates!  (Part two Blog ten)

By Dan Watt and Taylor Norris

As the horizon grows redder Master Jo Anne is shocked to see Captain Peg leg’s Surprise less than ten fathoms away. 

“Mornin’ Kyaputen, Zala,” she hears Umi say.

“Morning Umi,” the Captain replies groggily.

She hears the Captain walk up to her. 

“Bastards are trying to take our wind now that we’re in the open,” the Captain says.  “You are officially relieved to sleep Master Jo Anne.”

“I thanks you Captain Alejandra,” she replies passing the Captain the telescope.  “Zala will call for you?”

“Aye,” the Captain replies rubbing sleep from her eyes.  “Could you send our ‘Master-at-arms’ to me?”

“Aye Captain Alejandra, that I will.”  She and the Captain consider each other sisters.  In front of the crew she will only say ‘Captain’ but alone they refer to each other by title and true name.  A reminder that they are no different than any of the other girls. 

As she walks towards the stairs she says, “Morning Zala.”

“Mornin’ ‘Navigator’,” Zala replies wavering on her feet.

On the deck she sees ‘One Eye’ talking to ‘Wheel Turner’ and the ‘Harlot’.  ‘One Eye’ has her mandolin strapped around her shoulders.

“Looks like Humphrey peeing over the gunwale,” She hears ‘One Eye’ say mischievously.

“That’s who I want,” the ‘Harlot’ says followed by a cooing sound.  The ‘Harlot’ steps up to the deck’s starboard gunwale, and making a funnel with her hands shouts out.  “Looks more like a mushroom than a carrot.”

“I’ll carrot you, you flat chested harpy.”  She can just hear Humphrey shout back at the ‘Harlot’.

The ‘Harlot’ undoes her blouse and shakes her chest in reply.

“What are you doing?” ‘One Eye’ asks as she bends over laughing.

“He’s seen it a few years ago,” the ‘Harlot’ replies with a shrug.

“Did you try to get pregnant than?” ‘One Eye’ asks.

“Nay, was too young, made him pull out.  Kinda regret that now.  But I’d want to keep him with me and that’s not allowed.  Well my mischievous sisterlies, I’m off to make strings for bows and crossbows.”  The ‘Harlot’ nonchalantly sways her hips as she walks away.

“Why would she be making strings for bows and crossbows?”  ‘Wheel Turner’ asks.  “And a bit of regret in that last statement.  Wonder if we ever get a permanent place on the mainland if she’ll surrender her sea feet to have a land bound family.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me,” ‘One Eye’ says.

“Her last statement reminds me.  I’ve got to wake the ‘Master-at-arms’ before I can sleep,” Master Jo Anne says as she wonders what the Captain has in store for the crew.

“I’ll go with you,” ‘Wheel Turner’ says.

“Both of you be careful,” ‘One Eye’ warns them.  “She sleeps with a knife.”

“I’ll poke her with a mop handle,” Master Jo Anne tells ‘One Eye’ with a grin.

A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates! (Part Two Blog seven)

~ Caedar Writing & Artwork: Books by Author, Interviews, Guest Blogs, and more... ~ Leave a comment

A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates!  (Part Part Two Blog seven)

Part Two

“The sun is down and the two moons visible,” Navigator ‘Storm Caller’ Master Jo Anne sings as she stands at the base of the bowsprit peering into the darkening horizon with a telescope.  “Smell the salt in the air to know how close to shore you are.”

Compare the direction of the wind to the movement of the waves

And you’ll know where you’re heading even in thick fog

Learn the stars that are the same but just off from those you remember seeing on lost Earth

Then take another sip of rum and you’ll see dolphin-tails and fish-tails even when there are none.”

 She hears the Captain talking to the Ship Builder behind her.  The Captain will sleep through the night before taking over her role as navigator in the morning.  ‘One Eye’ will take ‘Wheel Turner’s’ position during the day until they get through the deadly shallows of what is secretly called Hidden Cove Strait.  She watches the rapid water flowing between the barren island No Life and the cliffs that contain the cove they just left, known as Only Death Lives Here.

She glances back just as Umi climbs up to the fo’c’sle with a dim lantern.  Umi will be the caller for the night until they get through the shoals.  She has quite the lungs for such a quiet girl.  Normally Master Jo Anne only sees her dressed in a white loin cloth; white to ward off sharks or whatever swims below in this world.   Right now Umi’s in a mix match of capris, fish boots, and a blanket.  What she’s wearing under the blanket Master Jo Anne can’t tell.  She sees the Ship Builder nod at the Captain and Umi as walks her way.

The Ship Builder stands beside her with a rolled cloth.  “In case you need it,” he says in halting words.

“I’m good,” she replies tapping the coiled hand guard of her rapier.  Her gaze stays on his missing finger.  “I miss her too,” she says.  She looks up and notices his face drawn in.  “Look,” she continues as she lifts a small scrying ball attached to a thick silver necklace from her shirt.  His expression turns to admonishment.  “I didn’t steal it, she gave it to me,” she says hurriedly.  “She was teaching me how to use it.  When I’m out here alone it helps me to focus.  I don’t think it tells me what is about to happen.  More it clears my thoughts so I can predict what is up ahead based on what I already see in front of me.”

She notices his lips quiver before he takes in a deep breath and tells her, “I’ll leave you to it then.”  She watches him climb down the ladder of the fo’c’sle.

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

~ Caedar Writing & Artwork: Books by Author, Interviews, Guest Blogs, and more... ~ Leave a comment

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. 

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

~ Caedar Writing & Artwork: Books by Author, Interviews, Guest Blogs, and more... ~ Leave a comment
  • Laura Suen Tel 416 435 9150 fireandsteelonline@gmail.com

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

“I asked her,” Oli says with frustration, “I swear that one is the child of Lust.  She got drunk on rum and admits she may have opened herself willingly to Captain Peg leg’s crew.  It’s Janice I worry about.  One of Captain Peg leg’s younger men decided she was willing when she was not.  “Wheel Turn” Sylvia stopped him before he could get on top of her.”  As she worried would happen the Captain once again spits into the water.

“Master Navigator Jo Anne,” she hears the Captain call out with a voice full of icy decision.  Their Navigator ties back her long brunette hair with a blue ribbon as she saunters towards them.  Oli notices how the Navigator already has her hand wrapped around the hilt of her rapier.  The hand guard is a marvel of coiled metal.

“She sleeps with that rapier,” Oli says, hoping it will dwindle down the deathly coldness she feels emitting from the Captain.  “I asked her if I could try it to see how smoothly it wields.  She took a step back and partially withdrew it.  I won’t ask her again after that.”

“It was her father’s,” the Captain says, “the last reminder of him from Earth.  We’re off to see Captain Peg leg,” the Captain says to both her and the Navigator.  “Our dear Helmswoman, “Wheel Turn” Synthia, will be in command.”  Oli follows the gaze of the Captain as she peers over the railing of the fo’c’sle where a female figure is slouched against the base of the foremast with her right hand still holding a bottle of rum.  “Or our Master-at-Arms “Dizzying Blade” Sadie.”  Oli once again follows the Captain’s gaze.  This time towards the centre of the deck, where their Master-at-Arms is sprawled against the capstan.    In her right hand she is grasping the hilt of her rapier and in the other a jug of rum.

“Thelma,” the Captain calls to the girl sewing the battens into the extra mainsail.

Oli is always amazed how Thelma’s skin constantly glows with sensuality now that’s she’s a young woman.

“Yes, Oh Captain my Captain,” Thelma replies while continuing to sew.

“Your encounter with Captain Peg leg and his crew, was it consensual?” 

“Aye Captain, it was.  Not all seeds sown grow.  So I can’t rely on a single sower can I?”

Oli is as surprised as the Captain by Thelma’s nonchalant words.

“You want to get pregnant?” the Captain asks.

“What about the Ship Builder,” Oli blurts out.  She wishes she hadn’t as the Captain is now giving her a dark look.

“You wouldn’t know this because you moved out of the hold years ago,” Thelma says to her.  “But he’s like an absent father, the kind who is always around.  We’ve known him since we were children and never has he abused any of us.  I thought he was just arrogant, only ever speaking to the Navigator and Captain.”  Oli didn’t miss the sarcasm.  “However,” Thelma continues, “when the Captain told me to sew up a torn sail with poor instruction–.”

“I was never good at it,” the Captain interrupts.

“The Ship Builder came over to me, and in his deep, hesitant voice, kindly showed me how.  I’ve been excellent ever since.  Also, where he’s missing a finger is creepy.  How do you only lose that finger—it makes no sense.”

Oli gasps at the sudden paleness on the Captain’s face.

“So you want to get pregnant?” the Captain asks regaining her composure.

“I do.  I want to sail with the Pirate Queen again.”

“You don’t like it with us?”  Oli can hear the hurt in the Captain’s voice.

“It’s more I don’t just want to have a baby I also want to be around them.”

“Well, by the time we reach the Pregnancy Ship we’ll know if that’s to be or not,” the Captain says.  It’s the first time Oli has seen the Captain flustered.  “By the way, until the Helmswoman or Master-at-arms wakes, you’re in charge.”

“Lovely,” Thelma replies.

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

~ Caedar Writing & Artwork: Books by Author, Interviews, Guest Blogs, and more... ~ Leave a comment

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

“Aye, and when Barthadrow tried to put him into the evil barrel he escaped with some of the other boys.  After telling us his story he talked of consent and that as he built up his crew any of the original boys who prefer the opposite sex were allowed to join other ships.”

 “Tristan is a good man,” the Captain says.  “We would have been captured or killed by Barthadrow’s crew a number of times without him.”

“He is,” Oli says with a smirk.  “Probably because our surgeons Canneta and Areso are mated his crew thinks ours is like theirs and we prefer to partner with other females.  The exception being the Ship Builder of course, the only male you let live on the Nagua.  I know you and he are close, as is our Navigator is to both of you, but he doesn’t seem to fit our motley crew and I sense he would not be a fit on the Unbroken. 

“You and the Pirate Queen saved me when I was ten and I would guess at least ten years have passed since then.  I was so busy trying to prove myself all that time that I never bothered to ask about him before.  Yours and the Navigator’s relationship to him, is hard to grasp.  Not a lover, not a father figure, nor an older brother but I’ve always sensed a deep comradery between the three of you.  And it’s an interesting finger he is missing.”

Oli sees an anguished look cross the Captain’s face.  “You are like my sister,” the Captain says in a faraway voice, “You and the Navigator, but I think it’s best to keep that story hidden for now First Mate.”

“I don’t understand the desire to be with the same sex,” Oli continues.  She realizes drinking so much brandy the other night has loosened her tongue.  “So many of them are good looking and intelligent and we are not a large population yet.  However, at least they have their mates with them.”  Oli hears the lament in her own voice.  “Yours and mine are currently captaining ships hardly larger than sloops.  Not favourable odds when you consider they’re guarding the Pregnancy Ship against Barthadrow’s fleet.”

“We’ll be departing tomorrow.”  The Captain reassures her.  “As for your other point, I think as long as there are enough children on the Pregnancy Boat, it won’t matter.  They could always begrudgingly mate for the sake of continuance.  What’s important is Tristan considers children sacred while Barthadrow treats them the same as adults.”  The Captain spits into the water and changes the subject.  “We have quite the variety of ship crews in the cove.”  The Captain points at the farthest ship to their left.  “The Cannibals, vegan until they go mad during the crossover of the two moons.  We want to stay far away from them.”

“From a distance we saw a few of the other crews trading for flour and other goods with the Cannibals,” Oli says.  “I used the spyglass you gave me and all the Cannibals look anemic.  It’s too bad we can’t get them to attack the island Barthadrow has captured and made into a home base.”

“Perhaps the crossing of the two moons tells them they are missing something in their diet.”  The Captain points at the next galleon.  The Sames have the complete range of human skin colours.  Midnight blue to almost translucent skin, some even have patches of different colours.”

“But they all have the curly blonde hair of the poodles from Earth, or like some of us have below,” Oli adds with mischief in her voice.

They both laugh.

She sees the Captain gaze far to the right.  A ship so huge it seems unreal bobs up and down there.  “The Real Talls should make it to the Pregnancy Ship first.  I know we and others were sucked into the whirlpool during the giant shooting star that caused Luna to turn a cobalt blue colour.  I think though, the Real Talls, Sames, and Cannibals are from somewhere else.  Did you get caulking along with the other supplies?”  Oli follows the Captain’s gaze as it wanders to a nearby galleon, one just a bit larger than the Nagua.  Captain Nathan Peg leg’s Surprise.

“I bartered some of the excess spiked orange we had in the barrels from trading with the Horse People with Captain Peg leg for caulking,” she says.  “Most of our supplies we bartered with Tristan.” 

“Any problems?” the Captain asks.

This is the part of the conversation Oli is dreading.  “Yes,” she replies with a tremble in her voice.

“Someone has wronged one of our crew?  Our Harlot, Thelma?”

They both look down at the deck where a buxom girl with her blouse partially undone sits needling battens into a spare mainsail while a lit lantern swings from an overhead rope. 

A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates!

~ Caedar Writing & Artwork: Books by Author, Interviews, Guest Blogs, and more... ~ Leave a comment

Just a little while ago I was looking at different agents and one wrote that she would love a story about female pirates.  Also not too long I finished reading Samuel Bawlf’s “The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake”.  This all culminated in me talking to Taylor Norris (co-author of Rita Walker, Rita Walker: Australia) about writing a female pirate story. 

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl is one of my favourite movies.  I remember Joshamee (Kevin McNally) introducing Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) to his new crew.  When Jack stopped at Anamaria (Zoe Saldana), who is also a captain, I thought who is she?  In the next movie I looked for her but that was the last Pirates of the Caribbean, Zoe Saldana was in.  Since then she has become Queen of the Universe. 

Although I can’t use Zoe Saldana’s image nor directly use the name Anamaria I am determined to continue Zoe Saldana’s ruling of the galaxy.  Captain Alejandra is the captain of the Nagua, and she looks suspiciously similar to Zoe Saldana.

There’s also a Japanese female professional wrestler that influenced the idea for the story.  Kairi Sane is often seen dressed as a pirate before her matches.  

A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates song!:

Lost on land

At home at sea

Where the hills are liquid

And the mountains roll

We’re a raucous, wild sisterhood

We mock everyone including ourselves

But harm any one of us and your days are doomed

At dawn we groan at all the work, to do

By noon we’re laughing

And at night, with a cup of rum to keep us warm,

We sit on the deck in a circle singing

As First Mate One Eye Oli’s plays her Mandolin