The Pool of Souls
Chapter 3
Castle Wynthorne was a towering structure that stood out almost at the edge of the sea. The lights from the castle windows shined brightly against the darkness of the night like a beacon calling out to the arriving ships and as Alex predicted the moon was large and full, a beautiful deep shade of blue that reflected upon the rippling black waters.
The Black Widow had dropped anchor and drew up it's sails. It stayed out of range from the castle eyes that would wish to spot them.
"There she is," Alex said as she looked through her spyglass "Castle Wynthorne."
"Hmm not a bad looking house." said Nicky "It's damn big, bigger than my old house. You think Vladimir's compensating for something?"
"If that's the case all the lords of these noble houses are." said Piper.
"Well, bigger the house the smaller the cock I'd say. I'd bet my dick is bigger than his."
Alex's face turned up in disgust "Alright, enough already."
She turned her spyglass away from the castle and towards the ships that were pulling into the docks "Vladmir's guests are arriving right on time. Piper do you recognize the symbols on the banners of some of those ships?" Alex asked as she turned the spy glass over her.
Piper peeped through it and squinted her eye "It's a bit hard to make out in the dark but it looks like…two black battle axes on a red field, that's Lord Victor's house, House Baewal. The purple banners and sword piercing through a shield that's Lady Gwendolyn of House Pierce. Then it looks like House Lynwood and Morton. There's definitely a lot of people here. Vladmir's house is going to be quite full with all these guests."
"Looks like Lady Gwendolyn's ship is the last to arrive. She's pulling into the dock now." Alex said as Piper handed her back the spyglass and pushed it closed. "Perfect, there's our way in."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean there's our noblewoman. She's your way inside. But we have to hurry. Let's bring the ship around those rock formations over there to keep us hidden and get the rowboats ready. Weigh the anchor."
When Alex took up her post at the helm Piper and Nicky worked together to ready one of the rowboats. As Piper watched Nicky struggle with the ropes she noticed how sweaty she looked. She was breathing heavily from her mouth."Nicky are you alright?"
Nicky gathered an armful of rope in her arms and heaved it from the boat "I'm perfect, never better." She grunted out. Nicky stopped and hunched over with both hands on her knees. She looked up when she saw Piper staring at her. "It's just the usual chest pains alright. Nothing you need to worry yourself about."
"I know you say I shouldn't worry but I am worried about you—what do I do with these?"
"Just roll 'em together and toss them onto the deck. Why? 'cause I'm not my usual chipper self is that it? I've been like this since I was little girl Piper. I was born with a weak heart. The sweating and being out of breath is a normal thing for me."
"I had no idea."
"Well now you know, surprise."
"Are you sure this is normal? It's looking pretty bad."
"Maybe. But there's nothing I can do about it, so let's drop it."
"Why don't you go and help Alex I can manage this."
Nicky stopped what she was doing and put one hand on her hip and flicked her other hand dismissively "Piper. I'm fine. The last thing I want or need is people treating me like I'm fucking fragile. Do that and all you'll end up doing is pissing me off."
"Fine, if you insist. But can you at least tell me something?"
"Depends."
"What's going on between you and Alex?"
Nicky scoffed "Already developing some insecurities in your relationship with your new pirate girlfriend?"
Piper rolled her eyes "No. I mean I was watching the two of you when we were downstairs discussing our plans and while words say one thing body language can say a hell of a lot more. There's more to this trip than what Alex is saying isn't there? I saw it on both of your faces."
"Ever think you're probably just seeing things?"
"I'm not seeing things, I know what I saw. You two were looking at each other like—like I don't know, like you both shared some sort of hidden secret. I half expected one of you wink at the other. What do you know?"
"I might know something, then again I might not. Doesn't mean I'm going to tell you."
"Is that because you can't or you won't."
"Won't. Alex and I have a history but she's my captain too. It ain't exactly my place to talk about it. If she wanted everyone to know she would've told everyone. But she didn't which means she doesn't."
"But why wouldn't she?"
"She has her reasons."
"But if there's more to this trip than what's being said then we should have the right to know exactly what we're getting ourselves into."
Nicky raised an eyebrow at her, placed both hands on her hips, and scoffed "Right, says the woman who informed the Imperial Armada about Litch and failed to tell everyone."
Piper felt the sting of the jab. Nicky groaned and apologized "Listen Piper, Alex is the captain, and don't tell her I said this but she's a damn good one. She's never steered us wrong. If she felt that it was something necessary for the entire crew to know about then she would say so."
"So this is about more than some hidden legendary treasure chamber isn't it? There's something on that island that Alex desires far more than gold."
Nicky stopped talking and went back to work but Piper kept going "Alex said something about Arah finding his heart's desire and bringing back what was lost or something, what does that mean?"
"Fuck, you don't give up do you? Look this trip is…personal for Alex, a plan that was years in the making, and that's all I'm going to say about it."
"Personal? If it's so personal why wouldn't she tell me? She's told me everything else, about her past, all of it. Why would she not share her intentions with me?"
"I think that's a conversation you need to have with her. I don't know why. But if I were to make a guess I'd bet it may have had a lot to do with what happened to us all in the past couple of weeks. Maybe she had intended to tell you but we had ran into that little conflict with Byll back there. Maybe some of that trust had been lost. Piper if you want to know so badly just ask her yourself. Go to the source. You're not getting anything out of me."
Piper looked up at Alex as the thoughts in her brain were running rapid. Just what exactly were they getting themselves into? What could possibly be on that island that Alex wanted so badly? Piper wanted to know.
Piper and Alex jumped into the rowboat along with Nicky and two other shipmates. Alex spoke back towards the remaining crew "We're headed towards Lady Gwendolyn's ship. The rest of you divide into groups and take a couple of the other remaining rowboats and we'll meet you all at the castle back gate. Keep yourselves hidden. You are not to do anything until we get there. Whoever is left will stay here and guard the ship."
"Lower us down."Alex ordered and the crew lowered the ropes and the rowboat slowly descended down onto the inky black water. Piper looked up and watched as they grew further and further away from the deck and the crew. Every time they pulled at the ropes the boat jolted and knocked against the side of the ship and the further down they went. Piper could feel her chest getting tighter and tighter and suddenly she was starting to feel like maybe she had made a stupid mistake in volunteering to do this. But she was determined, she was determined to find her way back into the crew's good graces, she was determined to make herself feel worthy of being with Alex. In truth Piper felt that she did have something to prove, maybe not to the crew, maybe not to Alex, but to herself. After losing the only family she ever knew, it was like starting over with a blank slate, her life beginning anew. Her time as Princess Piper of Imperial Terra was over, another life. Now it was time for her to figure out who this new Piper was and where she exactly she fit in in the world.
Finally they hit the water with a light splash and the two shipmates took up the oars and began to paddle towards Lady Gwendolyn's ship at the docks. Piper watched as Alex checked her belt for her weapons making sure her knives were well sharpened and her pistols were properly loaded. She also saw that Nicky was doing the same.
Alex stopped briefly from what she was doing and looked at Piper "Everything alright Pipes?"
Piper swallowed and sighed "Fine." she said, though she knew already that Alex wouldn't believe her.
"You don't have to do this. If you want to back out, now's the time to say so." Nicky looked at her too, her eyes asking the same question.
Piper looked at Nicky and then back to Alex. Piper clenched her fists "Keep rowing." she said with confidence "Let's go. I'll be fine."
Alex nodded and the rowers kept on rowing and continued on swiftly and quietly towards Lady Gwendolyn's ship. When they reached the ship's broadside they all looked up and saw a couple of armed men patrolling and looking out over the ship's ledge but they did not see them.
Alex turned and looked at all of them. "I'm going to climb up and have a look to see what we're dealing with. But no matter what we proceed quickly and quietly, no guns. We don't need to draw attention to ourselves. Everyone nodded at Alex's instructions.
"Alright but be quick about it." said Nicky
Alex slowly climbed up the ship's side and peeped just over the ledge. When she climbed back down into the boat she informed the others. "There's a light coming from the captain's quarters so she has to be in there and there's five armed men, easy picking. Just remember no guns. Piper you and I will handle the ones guarding the captain's quarters and we'll head inside, Nicky you and the others will handle the rest."
Alex drew her sword, so did Piper, Nicky, and the others. "Alright let's go."
They all scaled back up the side of the ship with Alex taking the lead. A soldier with his back facing the ledge let out a deep yawn and stretched his arms to the sky. Alex had him in an instant. She slit his throat and leapt aboard the ship. The others followed suit. Alex's assault alerted the others and Nicky immediately carried out her instructions. Alex and Piper ran towards the captain's quarters. Piper took out the one on the right. Alex gutted the one on the left, cracked open the door and gestured for Piper to run inside.
Lady Gwendolyn jumped up from her chair immediately at the rude intrusion "Who are you—pirates! Guards!"
Piper and Alex both rushed over to where she stood and pointed the tips of their blades at Gwendolyn's face.
"Don't waste your time screaming, no one is coming to save you." said Piper.
"What is the meaning of this?!"
"We'll explain momentarily." Alex tilted her head and a cocky smile spread across her lips she gently tapped Gwendolyn's desk with her sword and gestured for her to come around towards them "But first if you would be so kind."
Lady Gwendolyn raised her hands in defeat, tremulously walking from around her desk and stopping in between Piper and Alex.
"Turn around." Alex said gesturing with her sword. Gwendolyn looked at Alex in confusion
"Do it."Alex commanded. Gwendolyn jumped and then spun quickly around in a circle.
"Not that fast you twat, slowly."
She stopped mid spin and then looked at Piper. Piper bulged her eyes at her and nodded her head at her to emphasize Alex's orders. Gwendolyn began to turn much slower than before "That's right." Alex coached "Slower, slower…now stop!"
Lady Gwendolyn's face was turning red from embarrassment and anger "What in god's name are you doing?"
Alex didn't look at her. "Shopping." She pursed her lips thoughtfully and continued to eye Gwendolyn's dress. "What do you think Pipes? She's about your size wouldn't you say?"
"It's hideous."
"What?"
"Look at all that lace. The rose pattern, the black trim, this would look much better on you."
"Come on you would look great in this, and I think fuchsia is kind of your color."
"I don't have the breasts for this."
"Oh sure you do."
Gwendolyn cut in "Excuse me…"
"Quiet please." Alex said pointing the tip of her blade at Gwendolyn's chin "Well, it will definitely look a lot better on you than her. And it's not like we have a lot to choose from Piper. Store's a little low on items in here."
Piper rolled her eyes "True, fine let's take it."
"What?" Gwendolyn said looking at them both.
"You heard her," Alex said flicking Gwendolyn's shoulder "We'll take it, all of it. Start undressing."
"You can't be serious? You're both mad."
"Maybe. But you have two swords at your throat, do you really want to ask that question?" asked Piper.
Gwendolyn stared wide eyed at Piper completely shook by the deadly calm of her voice, as was Alex.
"Take them off." Piper ordered.
Lady Gwendolyn sat watching her two captors admiring Piper in her new ball gown in the vanity mirror. Gwendolyn had been gagged and rope tied to her chair left in nothing but her undergarments.
Alex turned and looked back over at Gwendolyn with a smile on her face "Thank you. We appreciate your business."
Gwendolyn mumbled a curse against her gag.
"I don't care what anyone says," Piper huffed "I will never get used to wearing a fucking corset." Piper looked down to make the final adjustments to the dress. "Wow, my breasts really don't look too bad in this."
"See told you. Alright now give me your weapons." Alex said
"What, why?"
"You're posing as a noblewoman, noblewomen don't carry weapons."
"Well what if I might need them?"
"The goal is less suspicion Piper, not more. Guns, now."
Piper handed over her two pistols. Alex shook her head "No, keep the knife hide it under the dress. You should keep that much at least. Strap it to your leg. Though hopefully you wont have to use it."
Piper kept looking at herself in the mirror. She continued to fuss with her dress and fidgeted with the lace and the strings. Over and over again she kept telling herself to just relax. Why was she so nervous? She knew how to be a noblewoman. This was easy, she knew the part to play. Why was she still shaking?
Alex, sensing Piper's fear came up from behind her and rubbed her hands on Piper's shoulders. She whispered into her ear and the air from her breath felt hot, gentle, and soft against her skin.
"Shhhh." Her grip tightened a little around her to ease her trembling body. "Calm yourself Pipes, take a deep breath." Piper shut her eyes as she did as Alex said and she felt her body starting to relax.
"You are a nice blonde lady aren't you?" Alex whispered in a sultry and seductive voice against her ear. One of her hands moved from Piper's shoulder and slowly eased it's way inside the top of Piper's corset right over the creamy white flesh of her breast. Piper opened her mouth with a silent gasp when she felt Alex cup her in her hand and slowly begin to move and caress her there. Her hand was so soft and warm. While her palm cupped the underside of her breast Alex's finger and thumb played with her nipple until it became hard against her finger tips. "A proper young lady. A beautiful noble woman on her way to fancy ball to enjoy a nice fancy dinner with all the other fancy nobles." Alex's velvety soft lips were teasing her cheek and Piper was losing herself under the spell of Alex's voice and her deeply arousing touch against her skin. She felt her body already beginning to miss it the moment Alex stopped and she turned Piper around to face her. "Remember, nothing reckless, brave, or stupid, you're only there to do one thing."
"Right, get the key and find the caches."
She cupped Piper's cheeks and stroked them with her thumbs "Then find the back gate and me and the others will meet you there once you do so we can get inside. Easy."
Piper nodded "I can do this."
"I know." Alex said "It's all going to be okay." she drew Piper in for kiss and Piper's trembling ceased, her doubts and fears evaporating into thin air.
