The Pool of Souls
Chapter 10
They awoke early the next morning when the blue tint of the approaching day covered the sky. Alex gently but firmly nudged Piper awake and had practically jumped from the bed to get dressed. Piper slowly lifted her head up, eyes still heavy and groggy with sleep and a whiny groan escaped her lips. Her hair was wild and in tangles from the fierce passion of the night before. Strands of hair stuck to her face and mouth. Once her vision cleared she saw that Alex was quickly putting on her clothes. She already had on her pants and shirt. Piper slowly sat up stretching the muscles of her arms and back, the blanket fell from her breasts and into her lap and she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She watched in confusion at Alex's restless and hasty movements.
"I know the idea was to leave from here at first light but…" Piper yawned "But why are we rushing?"
Alex didn't answer her she just went for her boots and put them on.
"Alex?"
After she applied her boots she shook the tangles from her hair with her fingers.
Piper crawled across the bed "Alex?" she asked more insistently.
Alex still didn't answer. She was still so preoccupied with getting dressed. Did she even hear her?
"Did you get any sleep last night?"
No answer.
"Alex?!"
"What? What is it Piper?!"
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. I'm just trying to get dressed is that all right? And you should be too."
"Fine, I'll get dressed but you should know the left boot goes on the left foot." Piper said as she nodded at Alex's feet.
Alex looked down and saw that Piper was right and with a frustrated breath she angrily yanked the boot off.
"C'mon Pipes, you gotta get dressed. Hurry."
"That's just it what's the hurry? Why are we rushing out of here?"
"There's no rush. We just have a schedule to keep remember? Tylassa is only around for one year. Time is precious every second counts."
Piper still looked unsure "…Okay."
She came up from the bed picked up her shirt from the floor and started to put it on over her head. She looked down and noticed the couple buttons missing from the top but ignored them. Even as she was getting dressed Piper watched Alex's fidgety movements."Alex are you sure you're all right?"
Alex had had quite enough and gestured with her hands to emphasize her need for Piper to stop asking. "Piper. I'm fine. And I'll be even more fine if you stop asking me if I'm fine. I just want us all to get out of here. Now for the last time just get dressed okay? Can you do that please?"
Piper didn't ask again and quickly continued to dress herself. Once they were both fully clothed Alex knocked on Nicky's door and woke everyone else from their beds with orders to quickly load up the ship. With the way they were all moving Piper would've assumed that maybe they were running from something.
Just as the sun began to peep out from over the horizon the last of the supplies were loaded onto the ship the Widow's large sails opened up to catch the wind. The weather was good, there was a strong gale, and nice calm seas.
"Weigh anchor!" Alex shouted. Her orders were repeated for others to hear.
"To Tylassa!" One of the crew members shouted and a chorus of cheers erupted throughout the ship. Piper joined in with joyous energy and excitement and cheered right along with them. But when she looked up at Alex she noticed that she did not partake in their joy. Her eyes kept fleetingly wandering back towards the town of Holston.
Over the next three days despite what Alex had insisted, things certainly didn't feel very fine. Alex was antsy, she didn't talk as much, and she was drinking a lot more which seemed to add more fire to Alex's irritability. Piper noticed how her eyes would constantly follow her around the ship as if to make sure she was there. Even their nights together had become different. Not that Piper was complaining but Alex was a lot more insistent on the sex. There wasn't a lot of talking just Alex pawing at her trying desperately to get her out of her clothes. Alex had developed a sort of clinginess that wasn't there before, a need for that closeness and contact. The sex was wild and passionate and much like their mock sword fights sex almost felt like a competition. A competition of who could get who to come first and the most.
Though as good as it was Piper's worry increased. Things just felt strange. She wished Alex would talk to her but every time she pushed for answers Alex kept insisting that nothing was wrong which frustrated Piper to no end.
Late in the day, about a week into their voyage, Suzanne called out from above in the crows nest. "Patrol ship! Patrol ship off the port side!"
Alex looked up at the nest "What?!"
"Patrol ship! Imperial Flags!"
Alex let go of the helm and rushed to the side of the ship to have a look as did Piper and Nicky.
"Fuck, this is all I need right now." Alex grumbled under her breath irritably.
"Looks about ten leagues from where we are." Nicky said. "A couple hundred guns. She looks pretty strong."
"Do you think they can see us?" Piper asked.
Nicky looked back into the spy glass and then waved a dismissive hand "Not possible. We're well out of range there's no way. I don't think they've even noticed us. "
A loud thunderous sound of booming cannon fire broke through the silence of late day. Alex, Nicky, Piper and everyone else hit the deck hard.
Alex eyed Nicky "You were saying?!"
"My mistake." Nicky shrugged innocently.
She rolled her eyes, not in the mood to argue. "Open the sails, ready the cannons, prepare to fire if need be!"
Everyone ran to their posts. The patrol ship was turning and was sailing right towards them still firing and the Widow fired back with a vicious barrage of cannon fire. Piper ran up to a spot at one of the swivel guns and readied to fire once the enemy ship got close enough. When it was well within range Piper aimed the gun at what she recognized to be the ship's powdered kegs. She fired and the barrels exploded killing several of the men on board, bodies flew into the air and landed in the water. She fired again and killed a few more. Alex continued to yell her orders to keep firing and the enemy ship started to turn its broadside towards them aiming all of it's gun's at the Widow's bow. In response Alex turned the ship exposing the ship's hull to the attack and ordered everyone to prepare to open fire.
Nicky looked up in fear at Alex "Uh, Vause, what are you doing? Enemy ship is about to fire we'll suffer less damage if we allow it to hit the bow instead!"
"We can beat it before it has the chance! Ready to fire!"
"Vause!"
"I said ready to fire!"
"They're preparing to attack we're turning too slow!" Nicky shouted up at her.
"Load up the chain shots too!"
The Widow was almost in position to fire but the enemy ship had already begun it's attack. The guns fired hundreds of vicious explosive rounds at the Widow's broadside, heavy iron balls engulfed in flames ripping away at Alex's ship and her crew, heads were blown clear off their bodies, guts were ripped out. Piper abandoned the swivel and took cover from the assault. It was such a vicious attack on the ship that the impact from the enemy's heavy barrage hit their supply of their own powdered kegs. Their was a violent explosion at the ship's stern and it took out several more of ship's crew. Bloody dismembered bodies flew into the air in a cloud of dark grey smoke, fire, and wooden splinters.
Piper looked wide eyed at Alex who didn't even seemed fazed by the fact that a good chunk of the crew had been obliterated in that horrible explosion.
"Fire!" Alex yelled. "D'you all hear what I said? I said fire!"
It took several moments for the Widow to regroup. They found their chance when the patrol ship stop firing to reload their guns. "Open fire with everything we have, tear at their masts!"
The Widow returned it's attack and it didn't stop. It's broadside hit up against the enemy ship's and their cannons ripped through the enemy's hull like paper. There was a madness to all of this that filled Piper with fear and worry. Alex was someone Piper believed to have a good control on things, who thought things through, who could handle just about anything, but her actions as of now seemed more reckless and inhumane. Seeing Alex at the helm always made Piper's heart swell with great admiration at the power she exuded when she was there. But the Alex she was witnessing now was becoming unrecognizable.
The enemy patrol ship was finally destroyed, left in a stand still and completely immobilized. Parts of the ship was engulfed in flames and black smoke floated towards the sky from the burning canvases of their sails.
Alex abandoned the helm and drew her sword "Board the ship, salvage whatever supplies you can!"
The Black Widow's crew had grown thinner in it's numbers but still they fought and followed their captain's orders and swung aboard the enemy ship with guns and swords raised. Alex followed right along with them and so did Piper. The soldiers on the dead vessel opened fire with their muskets and pistols shooting at a few of Alex's crew and killing them mid swing before some of them could board. Those that did make it immediately began their attack. Alex swung aboard and sliced off a man's head and Piper came in right behind her. The Black Widow crew set to work of ridding the ship of it's remaining officers while others went to work to scavenge the ship for any useful supplies.
Nicky took some the crew down through the enemy ship's lower decks. It was dark with very little light coming through. The ship was taking on a lot of water that filled the cargo hold up to their knees and leaked from the wooden floor boards up above. They all moved with urgency and with her sword out Nicky sloshed through the water with Lorna and a few others tailing right behind her. Those in the back found stores of metal, usable cloth, wood and weapons.
"Collect whatever you can find and take it back up top." Nicky said to the others as she surveyed her surroundings. She stopped and clutched at the sharp pain she felt in her chest and with the sharp pains came the harsh raspy coughs. Nicky grabbed hold of a wooden beam and slowly started to lean up against it as the coughs brought up an arm and coughed hard into her elbow. When she pulled away she looked down and saw a heavy red stain on her white sleeve and she tasted blood on her lips. For a moment she froze but then quickly regained her composure when she saw Lorna coming up from behind her. "Hurry up what are you guys doing let's move!"
"Help!" Nicky was about to turn around and head back up the steps when she heard the call again and then several more, all begging for help.
"Help us don't leave us all down here to die! Please!"
"Wait a second." Nicky called back to the others. She doubled back and followed the sounds of the voices.
Nicky continued to slosh through the water further down into the ship. The deeper she went the louder the voices got and then she finally found them. The room was rapidly filling with water and there were frightened pirates trapped behind iron bars screaming and shouting for help. At first Nicky had half the mind to leave them all, to just take the necessary supplies and run back up top, but her conscious wouldn't allow her to.
"Fuck." She growled.
"C'mon and help me break these fucking locks!" She hollered back to the others. "C'mon let's go already!"
Nicky pulled out her gun and ordered the prisoners to get back away from the blast. She fired a shot at the locks and yanked them off the bars. "Now get out all of ya, move!"
She went to the next one and fired another shot. One by one Nicky went to each cell and freed them all.
"Ok you're all free. The party's up top, we've taken over. And you're all more than welcome to join us. Let's go!"
Nicky led the horde of pirates back through the maze of the lower decks and back up top where the fight was taking place.
Alex and Piper took their fighting stances, standing back to back against each other. Both of them tried to catch their breath.
"Piper remember to keep your guard up on your left, you're weaker on the left side." She said over her shoulder.
"I'll keep my guard up if you remember to not be so over confident, overconfidence makes you careless."
The soldiers all came rushing in at them. Piper and Alex broke apart and continued their fight. Alex yelled her battle cry, danced and twirled around, running the men through and cutting off heads. She severed limbs and sliced through guts. A soldier came at Alex wielding his sword with both hands over his head like a hammer ready to bring it down right on Alex. Alex quickly crossed her blades and blocked the attack just before kicking him in the chest.
Piper was able to hold her own disarming one soldier at a time, dodging, thrusting, and parrying her way through the groups of armed men. Piper dropped her sword and the soldier swung his sword again. Piper ducked and came up grabbing both of his shoulders. She kneed him hard in the groin, he doubled over, and she kneed him again in the chest, and then punched him hard across the face. The man fell over and Piper stopped to comfort her aching hand until she turned around and a soldier struck her in the face and grabbed her in tight a bear hug from behind.
"Filthy wench!" He growled against her ear as he threw her hard like a rag doll against the wooden rail. She hit her head and hissed at the pain, clutching her fingers over the spot where it hurt.
The man drew out his sword and cut the netting from the sail and it fell on top of her. Piper became caught and tangled within the net, her boots and arms intertwined within the holes. Piper let out an angry grunt with the effort of trying to fight and free herself, her sword to far out of reach.
The soldier went to work immediately stabbing at the net trying to get at Piper. Her only defense was to roll back and forth hoping that every time he tried to stab at her he would miss. But the more she moved the more she tangled herself within the confines of the rope.
Alex who had saw Piper's distress quickly took her attention away from the soldier she was fighting and ran quickly to Piper's aid but just as she was about to slice her sword through the man's back she was tackled from the side and slammed against the wall. Her anger spiked at these men that were blocking her path to Piper. She was losing focus. "Piper!" she yelled. One of the soldiers punched Alex in the face and she responded quickly with a two move combination and a sword thrust up through his chin. She tasted blood on her lip. Three men were right on top of her and she still saw Piper struggling to free herself from the rope trap. She was angry with herself that she couldn't get to her, angry that these men were in her way. With her anger taking hold her fighting became sloppy. Every swing of her sword became more violent and reckless. "Pipes!"
A knife came whistling through the air and struck the man that was attacking Piper right in the temple. Piper suddenly stop struggling and looked through the gaps of the net and saw the man fall down dead. Stepping over the soldier's dead body, was a young man, or at least he looked like a young man, she really couldn't see clearly enough while still caught in the trap. The stranger drew his knife from the soldier's skull and came to his knees over Piper. He started to use the knife to cut her free and untangle her from the rope.
Once free Piper looked into the frantic eyes of the stranger who saved her. She had never seen this person before and he wasn't part of their crew. As Piper got a better look at him she realized that he wasn't a he at all, he was a she, a very beautiful she even with her filthy appearance. She was short haired, gray eyed, high cheek bones, and full lips, slender, almost the same height as Piper and maybe the same age. She held out her hand and revealed an arm covered in tattoos and a branded "P" on her wrist. She was urging her to stand up. She spoke to snap Piper out of the trance of the stranger that had rescued her.
"You want to get up now instead of sitting around here waiting to die?" The woman asked in her island accent.
Piper extended her hand out and grabbed hold of the woman's hand to hoist her up.
Alex still continued her fight and saw everything that happened. Thankful she was that someone came to help Piper, confused by the stranger that did it, the short haired boy that she recognized immediately to be a woman. And in a way it kind of bothered her more than it should've. She stabbed one more soldier through the gut but then she was struck hard from behind and Alex fell flat on her stomach. A heavy boot pressed hard into her back and Alex cried out in pain. Two other soldiers repeatedly kicked at Alex. She heard Piper's voice calling her name and as she tried her best to look up from the ground she saw Piper sword in hand running towards her as well as the woman. The woman had two knives twirling expertly in her hands. She threw one knife and then the other. Both men that were kicking Alex fell dead and Piper took out the last one with a mighty swing across his face.
Piper helped Alex up on her feet. "Alex are you all right?" Alex looked over at the woman suspiciously "I'm fine. Who is this?" Piper looked at the woman, also wanting to know.
The woman reclaimed her knives "Stella. Stella Carlin. And while it would be delightful to hear you issue your thanks and gratitude and to learn your names as well we should probably finish with what we have going on here wouldn't you agree?"
Alex's face frowned up "Thanks and gratitude? I was doing just fine."
"Not from where I was standing you weren't."
Alex was about to say something else but Piper cut in "She's right Al, let's finish this first."
Piper, Alex, and Stella all came together to dispatch the remaining soldiers, Alex and Piper with their swords and Stella with her daggers. Stella was a really skilled fighter and gave the soldiers a hard time even with their larger weapons. They made their way all the way up to the helm of the ship and found the ship's captain. Just when he was about to run away Stella stopped him by throwing her dagger right through the captain's wrist. He yelled in pain and dropped his weapon.
"Wow, that was a good shot." Piper said sincerely impressed, "And from so far away."
Alex gave Piper a look.
"Well, it was."
She rolled her eyes and walked over to the captain. She kicked him in the chest, he fell to the ground and Alex stabbed him in the stomach and yanked her sword free.
"Help me get him up." Alex said to Piper. They hoisted the captain up as he bled out from his wound. They brought him over to the rail looking over the main deck. Alex shouted down at everyone still engaged in battle.
"This fight is over! Everyone drop your weapons now!"
Everyone looked up. Battle cries and the clanging of steel slowly faded. " I said drop your weapons!"
Alex held her sword to the captain's throat and quickly dragged it across. The captain fell down dead to the floor. The soldiers that remained let their swords fall to the ground with a chorus of clanging steel as they impacted with the floor.
"This ship is now under my control!"
The remaining soldiers were brought to the ship's main deck and tied up and gagged. Nicky oversaw the loading of the salvaged supplies while Alex just paced around tapping her sword to her shoulder and looked into the malicious eyes of each individual soldier. Piper stood off to the side with a few of the Black Widow crew watching and waiting.
"I would like to thank you all for your cooperation. I assure you all of your goods will be put to good use."
One of the shipmates handed Alex the ship's flag with the emblem of Imperial Terra right on it's front. Alex threw the flag on one of the random burning embers that ate away at the ship. "My regards to Byll Chapman."
"That's everything. We're ready to go." Nicky reported.
"Good let's get out of here. We're done."
"Uh just a second Vause." Alex turned back around to look at Nicky. "So during the fight as we were searching the ship we found a few cells with several prisoners." Nicky looked over and gestured to the small group standing off to the side. In front of the group was the woman Alex remembered to be named Stella.
Alex looked at them for a moment and then looked back and Nicky "What's your point?"
Nicky eased into the question "My point is do you want us to do anything with them?"
Alex looked at all of them again. She looked at Piper, and then at her own crew. She didn't even take a moment to think it over. "Leave them."
"Wait, what?" Piper asked over hearing the conversation.
Alex's look was cold and unflinching "I didn't stutter Piper, I've made my orders very clear, leave them, we have what we need now we're leaving."
"Wait, just wait a minute, Alex we can't just leave them here. This ship is dead still in the water, how long before it sinks. We can't leave these people here to go down with this ship."
"Sure we can and we will."
"Alex this is inhumane. They've been starved and beaten by the looks of it. I think we should help them."
Alex scoffed "Help them how exactly?"
"Why don't we consider some alternatives?
"What alternatives?"
"They did help us in the fight and unfortunately we've lost a lot of the crew during the battle I'm thinking maybe—"
"No."
"Are you going to let me finish?" Piper asked irritably.
"I know what you're going to say and the answer is no, if you're going to suggest that we allow these people to fill in for our losses, no, fuck no, forget it, not happening."
"We should at least offer them the choice."
"No. Piper!"
"Seriously what is wrong with you? Why are you acting like such a bitch about this?!"
Alex flattened a hand to her chest and laughed sarcastically "Ho ho, I'm acting like a bitch? Because I don't want to invite total strangers on my ship?"
"All right, All right." Nicky said cutting between them "Look Vause in a way I have to side with Piper on this one. Believe me this has nothing to do with human decency —well maybe some of it does— but I'm thinking more so in terms of covering for our losses. You saw, Alex. We've suffered some heavy losses." Nicky refrained from mentioning that it was due to Alex's recklessness was the reason why they suffered.
"We could use the extra help with certain duties on the ship."
"Then we'll just have to double up on the duties, everyone will pull the extra weight."
"C'mon Vause you know that's not possible."
"Is it really you?"All three women looked over at Stella when she finally spoke up. "Are you—are you really Captain Alexandria Vause?"
Alex squinted her eyes at her. "Why?"
"I just heard so much about you, about your reputation. I'm a huge admirer." she said with a smile "And might I say what an honor it is to meet you. There aren't very many female pirates out there that captain their own ships. You're practically a legend. Even more so now that everyone knows you're a woman."
The look on Alex's face was distrustful she looked at Stella like a dog ready to pounce. Piper didn't even think she realized it but Alex's hand was fidgeting with the pommel of her gun.
Stella then looked over at Piper. "And if she's Vause than I guess that would mean that you must the one called Piper that everyone's talking about. The rebel princess that got away."
"Yes, that's—"
"Shut up Piper, don't say anything."
Alex slowly walked towards Stella and Stella didn't shy away. She just stood there confidently."I remember you, you're the one who saved Piper."
"And you if I recall." Stella said.
"Whatever. Why did you help Piper?"
Stella looked past Alex in Piper's direction "She looked like she needed some help and I didn't see you or anyone else around to help her. "
Piper could see Alex bristling. Suddenly she whipped out her gun and pointed it at Stella's face. The prisoners all took one step back away from her in shock.
"Alex!" Piper shouted.
"What the bloody hell?!" Stella jumped back with both hands up in defense.
"You heard so much about me huh? From who? Who told you about me? Who do you know, and where did you come from?!"
"Well, which question do you want me to answer first?"
"Don't get fucking cute with me. Answer the question."
"I don't know anyone, no one told me anything it's just things I've heard from local bars, people talk."
"Not a good enough answer."
"Not good enough? I saved your ass! And this warrants a gun in my face?"
"Alex, stop it you're acting insane!" Piper yelled from her left.
Nicky nodded "Vause, Piper's right put the gun down."
"I'm just trying to figure out who she is. Where'd you come from? Start talking and if I'm satisfied with your answer maybe I won't shoot you."
"Alex!" Piper said as she stepped out in front between the gun and Stella "Stop. What are you doing? Stella helped us. They all helped us."
Alex was not hearing any of it. "Piper get out of the way."
Piper wouldn't move. The gun in Alex's hand was trembling. Her jaw was clenched.
"Alex. Listen to me. Put the gun down."
Stella stood from behind Piper. She looked afraid and unsure of what was about to happen.
Alex slowly lowered the gun and rubbed her temples with her fingers "You know what I'm done. You and Nicky both can do whatever you fucking want."
"Everyone back aboard the ship we're leaving now!"
Alex stormed off back across the planks. That was the last straw and Piper finally had enough, she needed answers and now. "Alex we need to talk."