Alright, so here's Chapter Two! Don't forget to let me know what you think! It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside when people leave reviews. ;)


"In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans."

- Kahlil Gibran

Chapter Two

Jane was surprised to find that the small town she had rested at several years back had boomed into a thriving port. While not quite a city, it was obvious that time had been good to the town. The last time she'd stopped in Trienus, the town had consisted of a few homes, a small jail, and a town hall. As they made their way into the town, Jane noticed a pub, docks, and a lively marketplace, among other additions.

"Well," she said, "I had only expected to be able to pick up the barest of necessities. It seems, though, that fortune has smiled upon us."

Loki nodded. Jane glanced at him out of the corner of her eye as she lead him to the market. His hood was drawn up to shadow his face. She frowned to herself as she strolled past a few market stalls, ignoring the cajoling of merchants trying to ply their wares. She had no use for the common silver jewelry or wooden bowls and utensils that most of the merchants were selling. She stopped at one stall to consider an iron kettle but ultimately decided that it was too large and bulky.

"…-t's enchanted! You'll never find another quite like it! Wear it, and your footsteps will be silent as the grave! And it's beautiful! Look at this craftsmanship!"

She stopped to look at the ring; upon closer inspection, it was just an ordinary bauble. She gave the merchant a scathing look and continued on to the food stall across the street. She browsed through the selection of fruit, selecting a few, and paid the owner three sixpence for some grapefruit, apples, and an apricot. She stored the two grapefruit and an apple in her rucksack, handed an apple to Loki, and kept the apricot in her hand.

She made her way to a stall selling weapons; she glanced past the more ordinary weapons, taking a bite out of the apricot as she tried to discern whether there was anything of real value. Her gaze landed on a commonplace looking black longbow lying off to the side. She took another bite of the apricot in her hand and cocked her head to the side. The bow was crafted like a longbow, but it was only perhaps five and a half feet tall.

"Find anything of interest, dear?"

Jane looked up at the merchant who'd spoken. The woman was tall and well dressed in maroon finery. Her black hair was pulled back into a severe bun that caused the greying hair around her temples to streak backwards on her head, and her mouth was full and plump. The plains on the woman's face were sharp and unyielding, but her eyes were soft and matronly.

"Actually," Jane said, smiling at the merchant, "I'm interested in that bow, there. The one right next to that green dagger."

"Oh, that? It is a very nice piece of craftsmanship, isn't it?" the merchant said. She picked up the bow and placed it in front of Jane. Upon closer inspection, Jane saw that the bow was not black, but rather a very deep blood red; she leaned in and studied the engravings, trying to discern their meaning. Worrying at the last bit of her apricot, she decided that the markings were in a language she didn't understand.

"Where is it from?" she asked, glancing up at the older woman.

"I picked it up in the East, over the mountains. I was told that it was crafted from Moonstone, but I can't tell you how many times I've heard that scite," the merchant said, laughing.

Jane smiled at her and picked the bow up. She raised her eyebrows at the bow's light weight and turned it upside down, bracing it against her foot. She mimed stringing it, pleased with the flexibility and light weight the bow afforded while still retaining its strength.

"How much do you want for it?" she asked, righting the bow and placing it back on the stall's table.

"I'll take a florin for it," the woman told her.

Jane ran her hand along the bow, debating whether she should invest in it. She hadn't owned a bow in many years, but now that there was such an interesting one under her hand, she felt a hint of nostalgia and yearning tug at her. Jane handed the woman a florin and a shilling, and she walked off with her new bow and a quiver of arrows thrown over her shoulder. She would have to stop by an armory to pick up a new belt for her sword so that she could sling the bow and quiver across her back. Glancing back at her tall, silent shadow, she frowned.

She saw the pub at the end of the row of stalls, directly across from the docks. The pub looked to be in good shape, though it did seem to have been through a few years of slobbering drunks. All of the windows that lined the street were open, and she could hear the raucous laughter that spilled out into the street and battled with the sounds coming off the docks. No one in the pub seemed to mind the dust blowing off the road and into the pub by errant winds. Across from the pub, the docks were even more boisterous that the marketplace. Several large ships were moored to the docks, and their crews were busy aboard the ships and down along the road, traveling to and from the marketplace to get supplies. She recognized most of the flags, including the smiling Breach Shark of the Selkies royal house and the Flame Salamanders of Salamandes, the land on the southern side of the mountains that bordered Selkies.

Jane made her way up the steps and into the pub, watching as the men in her path parted when they caught sight of Loki's form behind her. The pub was as crowded as the rest of the town, and she was assaulted by the musk of hard labor as she made her way toward the bar. The large room was dimly lit, and dirt from the roads had created a muddy film on everything. Despite the open windows, the air held a great bit of smoke and body heat. Three impressive black Rumble Bear pelts were affixed to the internal walls. Many of the men were sailors, enjoying some down time while their superiors were distracted elsewhere. Jane saw a great many men with giggling whores seated upon their laps. These sailors contrasted with the regulars, who were languishing in their cups around the edges of the great room, shooting foul looks at the sailors any time a particularly loud bout of laughter was heard over the din. Jane reached the bar and smacked her hand down on the unfinished oak surface, signaling to the wench for a round of ale. She turned and looked up at Loki.

"Now, I want to know what's gotten into your petticoats since we got into town," she said, leaning backwards against the edge of the bar and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nothing," he muttered, looking over her head at the barrels of ale and the dirty pewter tankards that lined the back wall as the bar wench returned with two pints. The blonde wench leaned across the bar to place the tankards in directly in front of Jane and Loki, granting them full view of her ample bosom.

"This one's on the house," the girl said, righting herself. Jane looked back up at her face and put a sixpence on the bar, giving the wench a wink and a smirk. She turned back to Loki and took a long swig of her ale before she continued their conversation.

"Codswallop," she said, scrutinizing the visible portion of his face, "I've known you less than a day, and I can tell you've got some sand caught in those too-tight breeches of yours. I haven't seen more than half of your face since we got here," she said. The corners of his mouth were pulled down and, as she spoke, the right side of his jaw gained a tick.

"I would just prefer it if we got what we came here for and left," he said, punctuating his wishes by downing his pint in a few short swallows. He slammed the tankard down on the bar and turned on his heel, headed for the exit.

Jane sighed and finished her pint, watching as he walked through the double doors. She set her tankard on the bar and followed him. As she moved to follow his footsteps, she looked back at the bar for a last view of the busty wench; she noticed that a short, fat man with rotten teeth and mismatched clothing seemed to have taken particular interest in her. Jane rolled her eyes and joined Loki where he hovered outside of the door.

"Well, Princess, since you're so ready to leave, let's head back through the market. I just need a belt and some salt, and then we'll be on our way," she told Loki with a grin.

#

"Well, well, what 'ave we got 'ere, gents? A li'l princess and 'er bodyguard? Or is it tha other way aroun'?"

Jane felt Loki start beside her, taken aback by the sudden voice behind them. The only astonishment that Jane could muster was over how long it had taken the rogues to make themselves known. They had barely made it out of the town before she realized that they were being followed, but the Sky Pirates had allowed more than an hour's walk before revealing themselves.

"Don't you have anything better to do than make an arse out of yourself?" Jane asked, rolling her eyes and turning on her heel to face the owner of the grating voice.

She was met with the visage of a man well worn by strong winds. She mused that, some decades ago, the man in front of her had probably been an attractive youth. That youth had long since been lost to the struggles of piracy. In its place now stood a man with a wide, strong jaw, yellowed teeth, and a large nose that had obviously been broken more than a few times. A black pirate's hat with a red stripe lining the brim sat atop a mass of matted salt and pepper hair that fell to his shoulders where it met a frock coat that matched the hat. Both the hat and the coat still had the gleam of new clothes, lacking the holes and faded color that the rest of his crew displayed. Although his mouth wore a sneer, his eyes were stony and lackluster, sinking into his face and creating deep shadows above his cheekbones. Yet, these were not the most defining aspects of the man. She found his most memorable aspect to be the deep, flesh-colored gouge that ran from his right temple straight through his nose down to the left side of his chin.

"Well, now, Love, tha's no way t' talk t' a group of fine gen'lemen. Now, 'm certain ya can find a way t' make it up t' good ol' Cap'n Love 'n his crew, don't ya think?"

Jane cursed to herself; this was the last thing that she needed after the lost time that her shopping in Trienus had cost. Her fingers itched for the handle of her longsword, but there was no point in making the first move when the Sky Pirate's ego was going to do that for her. If she waited, she knew that she would have the advantage of surprise. This was just another group of men that underestimated her power, no better than any of the others that had come her way in the past.

"I don't know what ballroom you seem to think you've walked into, but there is no orchestra playing in this valley tonight. The closest tavern is an hour north of here. I'd get walking if you want to make it there before all the pretty whores have their attention diverted elsewhere," Jane replied as she pretended to study her fingernails. From her periphery, she counted less than twenty men, including the Captain. The pitiful number raised her spirits even further. Noticing the fat man from the bar, she looked back up with a smile at the captain. "Although, it seems that you've already had a fine enough time in Trienus."

"This one 'ere has sharp tongue, eh, gent's? Wha' d'ya say we cut 'er down a peg or two?" Captain Love sneered, signaling to his crew.

She threw a quick glance at Loki and sent up a fleeting prayer to whichever country's gods might be watching that he would be skilled enough with a sword to survive the fight. She grasped the hilt of her sword lightly in her hand as she watched as Captain Love's crew took leering steps closer to them. Captain Love stood several paces behind the mass of men, wearing a smirk that made Jane want to add another gouge to his countenance. As her fingers flexed, she felt the power of the sword begin to course through her veins. Her sword had been bought at invaluable personal expense, but she had yet to regret the decision. Forged under the earth, it had been crafted specifically for her. The Masters at their Craft had bound the blade to her essence, creating an invaluable fighting partner from an inanimate object.

Seven of the eighteen attacking pirates were making their way toward her, and she used their slow pace to study them. Three seemed more eager than the others for a fight; these three would probably be the easiest to take down. One was a good deal taller than the others were, and she knew that she would have to brave his arm span to get him off his feet before she would have any advantage. Two toward the front seemed to be new to the pirate's life; their faces still held the roundness of youth, and their faces held a cautious eagerness that none of the other pirates had. Jane could tell that the last two pirates were the most experienced of the group.

Jane waited until the last possible moment before drawing her longsword, Kelpie. The longsword as thin and skeletal. The blade was a unique swirling mixture of smoky gray and royal blue, and the dark gray hilt was covered in engravings of the same blue color. She swung the sword around her wrist and waited until one of the young pirates swung his cutlass at her before she lunged forward and slid Kelpie straight through his gut. She dodged an attack from the tall pirate on her left, and the first fell to the ground when she pulled Kelpie back. She swung her arm in a wide arc, and her sword slid neatly through the front half of the first eager pirate's throat. As she blocked another attack from the tall pirate, she felt herself begin to meld with Kelpie in a way that no one else in the world would ever know from this particular weapon. All of her years of training were magnified with Kelpie in her hand.

She knocked the legs out from beneath the pirate with a well-timed blow and, when he hit the ground, she stabbed downward through his gut. The pirate's body jerked upward and blood gurgled up from his open mouth. She tore her sword out of him and traded blows with another of the eager pirates for a moment before she sliced sideways across his face, and as he doubled over, she thrust Kelpie upward through his ribs. He slumped down into her shoulder, and she shrugged him off, his body sliding off of Kelpie onto the ground. The second youth blocked her first attack, but her upward counter-strike had Kelpie speared through his jaw. She felt the blood spurt from his mouth and the new orifice she'd provided for him and splatter across her face. Her own blood ran hot in response, surging and pounding against her restraining flesh, and Kelpie was thundering in her hand with its own heartbeat.

All noise was drowned out by a white roar in the back of her mind, and she felt the bloodlust rise within her; the hunger was echoed by the Dubbukkian metal in her hand. The power, as seductive and nubile as ever, ran through her veins and taunted her sense, supplicating her to let go of control for only just a moment. Jane shook her head and the world snapped back into place as a flash of blue caught her attention. She threw a glance at Loki and was astonished to see that what she'd assumed was one large blade was actually dual blades with some interesting qualities of their own. Though perhaps not as invasive as her own, the swords in his grasp were still impressive. Instead of one dull, non-descript weapon, his hands were wrapped firmly around the hilts of two impressive black swords, which pulsed with surges of bright green lightning. Her brows drew together as she watched him lop off the head of the fat pirate from the tavern. It was rare for a traveler to have even one enchanted sword; her own had taken three years' worth of jobs to afford.

Jane's attention was torn back to her own battle as one of the final pirates moved closer to her. She cut down the last two men who stood in her way, thrusting Kelpie down into the first man's foot and jamming her gambler's blade into his temple. She ripped her dagger from the pirate's flesh and turned to the last of the lot. In one smooth motion, she tore the sword from the dead man's foot and sliced through the last man's gut as he raised his blade over his head in preparation to deal a downward strike. As he fell to the ground, Jane came face to face with Captain Love. The Captain wasted no time getting to business, a trait that Jane admired, and she read his frustration in his agitated gait and swordplay. Steel clashed against steel as she gauged his fighting skill and technique, and as their battle continued, she watched fear crawl across his face. Tired of the cat-and-mouse game she had fallen into, she found an opening and knocked the knuckles of his hand with the hilt of her blade as she swung her body around his to avoid his strike. The hit caused the Captain to drop his sword, and she came full circle with her sword pressed into the apex of his collarbone.

"What say you, 'gent''?" she rasped, placing the slightest bit of pressure into the sword. She watched in vague amusement as his adam's apple bobbed up and down.

"Mercy," the Captain whispered, his arms stretched in supplication.

Jane pondered the notion as she pulled the tip of her sword from his throat down to his black and red frock coat. She made an exaggerated display of thinking about the request, a coy smile making its way onto her face, as she studied the captain's outfit; she tapped the tip of her sword against the breast pocket of the coat a few times. If done properly, she was certain that she could take his life without spilling any unnecessary blood.

She heard Loki's footsteps approaching from behind her, and the idea of ending the captain seemed less fulfilling. Captains were notoriously stubborn men, and he would likely squirm and make a mess. She smiled at the Captain winningly and tapped the point of her sword on the brim of his hat.

"I certainly do like this ensemble," she mused, lifting a brow.


Woo! Chapter two! I have three or four more chapters already written, I'm just trying to see if it's worth it to post them. So, what do you think?