Chapter 14 – Sword Play

It took them about two months to reach Brazil. After a week or so spent draped forlornly over the side of the boat, Tori had grown used to all the tossing and the turning, glad to have finally found her sea legs.

Despite having rescued the captured crewmen of The Shearwater, the new ship was running on a skeleton crew. Tori, confidence boosted by her role in the capture of the schooner, visited Jadelyn in her cabin one evening.

Jadelyn, plotting their course on the several maps spread out over her table, heard a quiet knock on her door.

"Come in."

Tori eased the door open, closing it behind her and taking a seat opposite Jadelyn. The pirate captain placed her compasses on the desk and folded her arm, facing the other woman.

"Can I help you?"

Tori tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "It's more a case of can I help you, really."

Jadelyn cocked an eyebrow. "Really? How so?"

"We've been running on a skeleton crew for a week now, so we're not exactly getting anywhere quickly."

Jadelyn interrupted her, indicated her maps. "You think I don't know this? But there's nothing any of us can do about it, certainly not you, until we reach Brazil."

Tori sighed irritably. "Hear me out. I can help. An extra pair of hands could make all the difference. Please Jade, I can't bear just sitting in my cabin doing nothing, whilst Ryder and Trina get further and further away. We've already wasted too much time on Sikowitz's island. Let me help."

Jadelyn picked up her compasses, fiddling with them. "You're right that we could use an extra pair of hands. But you don't know anything about sailing a boat. You've only just got over your seasickness, you're practically useless."

Tori frowned. "Gee, thanks Jadelyn." She got up to leave. "If that's what you think, I'd better just go sit in my cabin, being useless. Sorry for wasting your precious time."

"Tori wait."

The younger woman paused, hand on the door.

"Yes, captain?"

"Perhaps you should let me finish, before you storm off. I was going to say, your lack of ability can easily be remedied with training."

Tori's face lit up in a huge grin. "You'll let me help?"

"I said we needed the extra hands, didn't I?"

She began pouring over her maps again.

"Report for duty out on deck tomorrow at sunrise. Now go, get some sleep."

Tori saluted, still grinning. "Aye Aye, captain!" Backing out of the cabin, she headed back to her quarters, whistling jauntily.

And so, with training, Tori proved to be an excellent crew member. She easily became a favourite with the crew after they discovered she could drink their best under the table, and then some. She self-consciously attributed this to her previous life as a barmaid, but did not protest when she was affectionately nick-named "Tori Iron-Liver."

In those first few weeks, she could often be seen swabbing the decks with her new crew mates. She easily learned the lyrics to their vulgar, yet jaunty, ditties, and her fine clear voice could be heard carrying over the ocean on the wind.

At first, Beckett, assuming his role as a posh admiral, had reprimanded the crew for "teaching such foul language to a lady", but Tori, and surprisingly Jadelyn, had protested.

"Let the woman sing if she wants to Beckett. She probably heard much worse at that tavern of hers."

"That's true Beckett. Besides, I like these songs."

"I still don't think-"

"She likes the songs, Admiral. I myself am perfectly fine letting her decide if she wants to sing them or not. And bear in mind, this is my ship, not yours."

Beckett looked as if he was about to protest further, than gave up and stalked back to his cabin.

Jadelyn smirked, turning on her heel and heading back to her quarters, satisfied that she had won the argument. Truthfully, she rather enjoyed the young barmaids singing.

Over course of the next month, Tori the Barmaid became Tori the Pirate, leaving behind the menial task of swabbing the deck, and climbing high in the rigging with the more experienced sailors, learning to furl and unfurl the great sails. She even spent a night on lookout duty, high up in the crow's nest atop the swaying mainmast.

She had at first been wary of the heights. On her first trip up the rigging, despite Andre's "Whatever you do, don't look down", she had dropped her gaze for just a second, and had become so paralysed with fear it had taken Jadelyn climbing up to reassure her that if she didn't move she would kick her down to the deck herself to get her moving again.

But Tori was a girl who liked to challenge herself, to be the best she could, and, in time, she had gotten over her fear of heights, and was soon scrambling about in the rigging, far above the tiny swaying deck and ant-like sailors like a veritable monkey.

The crew taught her many things, climbing, card games, how to throw a small knife and pierce an apple thirty paces away, but no one thought to teach her to wield a sword.

In the end, she once again approached Jadelyn. At first, the captain refused to teach her to fight, saying she didn't need to learn. She relented when Tori brought up the sinking of The Shearwater.

"Remember how scared I was, Jadelyn? You had to rescue me. I don't want it to be like that. What if I get attacked when we catch up with Ryder, and can't defend myself?"

So, one morning, a week or so before they reached Brazil, the crew crowded in a circle around the two women to watch their captain give a lesson.

Removing her waistcoat, she tossed a spare cutlass to Tori, motioning for the crew to create a bit of space around them.

"Alright Vega, here are two tips. One, keep your blade tip up, and two, use your feet. The second I know you can do, I've seen you dancing. The first, not so sure." She grinned, twirling her own cutlass expertly. "Alright, here we go."

"Wait, you're just going to fight me now? I thought you were going to teach me some moves first."

Jadelyn shrugged. "Nah, I prefer teaching by way of practical." And she swung her sword at Tori.

The younger woman shrieked, and brought her cutlass up to parry the blow. There was a clang as Jadelyn's sword bounced of Tori's, who cried out, dropping her cutlass and wringing her hands.

"That hurt!"

"What, the vibrations? Better get used to it if you want to learn how to fight, Vega."

Scowling, Tori picked up her sword. Suddenly, she lunged forward. Jadelyn leapt easily out of the way, Tori careering past her, and rapped the younger woman smartly on the behind with the flat of her blade.

"Too obvious, Vega. Don't go for the easy hit."

Tori wiped her hand across her sweaty forehead. "How are you so good at this?"

"I've been doing it for years. Now, come on, sword point up."

Tori swung from her shoulder, and Jadelyn brought her blade up to block her.

"Better!"

Stepping forward she lunged at Tori, using the tip of her blade to slice off one of her shirt buttons. "Come on Vega, parry."

She lunged again, and this time Tori managed to block her, straight away moving forwards to strike at Jadelyn. The pirate swiped her blade away easily, smiling. "Well done, always keep up the attack if you have the advantage."

Lifting her cutlass above her head, she swung downwards, but Tori skipped out of the way, spinning and swinging at Jadelyn, who had to turn and hastily block the blow.

"Excellent! You very nearly almost had me then."

Tori grinned. "Use your feet. Sword fighting is almost like a dance!"

And to the onlooker, it almost was a dance. The two women exchanged blows, all the while moving around each other, quickly, slowly, it was like combative tango they had choreographed long ago, still able to subconsciously remember the steps.

It was clear Tori was a natural, her swings becoming stronger, her parries quicker, their blades weaving in and out of each other, flashing in the morning sunlight.

Both women clashed their blades together, eyes locking over the crossed steel. For a moment they just gazed at each other, then Jadelyn twisted her cutlass, sending her opponents sword clattering to the deck.

The two women were breathing heavily, the crew cheering behind them. Jadelyn slowly lowered her cutlass, her blue eyes still lost in Tori's brown ones. Then she blinked, turning away and bowing to her crew.

"And that, ladies and gents, is how to win a duel!"

Her crew cheering her, she used her cutlass to hook the hilt of Tori's, lifting it and giving it back to her.

"Keep it, you earned it."

The younger woman grinned, taking the blade and shoving it into the sash around her waist, accidentally severing it and sending the cutlass clanking to the deck once again. Tori blushed and Jadelyn laughed heartily.

"We might want to get you a scabbard for it though."