Several years passed, and several things changed. The crew gained a
few new members, lost a few old ones, and continued working hard and
getting rich. And Smitty continued trying to make decisions behind the
captain's back. More importantly, he continued trying to earn the crew's
loyalty to his cause.whatever that was.
Shail, meanwhile, continued playing on the first mate's nerves. She was eighteen now, and the little game had become more of a rebellion with the odd civil war going on in the ship. The captain himself was rarely seen on board, but she could remember him from when she'd been a just a whelp. He was a good man, as pirates went, and tended to make the right decision. When she'd first been brought to the ship by Matthew, his decision may not have been right, but it had certainly been convenient for her, even if she couldn't remember it being made.
So she sided with the captain. At least, until Smitty decided to cheat.
She would never forget the day, cold and bitter, just like the weather in all her dreams. She had been taking her turn in the crow's nest, looking out for the next spot of land to appear. She happened to glance down at the smart click of boots as they crossed the deck, watching Smitty as he stalked cheerfully over to the captain, who was in the midst of a discussion with Alex. She frowned slightly as he reached into her pocket, but by the time she realized what was happening, he had drawn a pistol and shot the captain through the back.
Alex's eyes grew wide with shock and he could do little more than stand there, covered in blood that had burst from the captain's chest as he was shot, and watch in horror as the limp corpse flopped off the railing and into the sea with a splash.
Blowing smoke from his pistol, Smitty drew another one and grinned. "Well then, chaps. Looks like we need a new cap'n, eh?"
"Ye.ye killed 'im!" Alex finally seemed to regain the ability to speak, but he could still do little more than stare at Smitty in horror.
"I s'pose ye don't much want me t'be cap'n, then." Smitty clucked his tongue and shook his head, pointing the pistol at the frozen young man's forehead.
BLAM!!
Smitty dropped to the deck, his face frozen in shock and with a rather conspicuous hole through his chest.
Shail's eyes narrowed as she lowered the pistol that had taken Smitty's life. "As 'e said.methinks we need a new cap'n."
She jumped down from the Crow's nest, using the ever-faithful ropes to keep from breaking her legs at the drop. The crew was silent as they all regarded the bleeding corpse and the bloody spot on the railing where the deceased captain had fallen. Shail deposited the pistol that had ended his life on Smitty's body, and suddenly Alex awoke from his daze. Still covered in blood and other unpleasant substances, his eyes narrowed as he looked around the crew. "Well then, any suggestions?"
"I suggest we get rid o' the girl!" Snapped back an anonymous voice.
This was followed by silence, but after a moment, Shail turned and regarded the rest of the crew with a cool expression. "Feel free t'toss me off, if ye can."
She drew her sword, her strange blue eyes narrowed as she awaited a challenge. Finally, after a tense moment, one man stepped forward. He was fairly large, but he was new to the ship, and he didn't know much about Shail's history. Or how she had earned the right to be aboard the Nova through the years.
There was a tense moment of silence, Matthew and Alex's brows crinkled in silent concern, the rest of the crew looking on with scattered emotion. Finally, the man lunged forward with a loud yell, drawing his sword and swinging downward. Shail smirked and slipped out of the blade's path of motion, ducking and springing up once more, ramming the butt end of her own sword into the softest part of the man's stomach. By the time the man had thought to let out a painful choke, she smacked the hilt of her blade downward once more, this time at the nape of his neck. He crumpled to the deck in a motionless heap.
The entire fight lasted five seconds.
Shail, meanwhile, continued playing on the first mate's nerves. She was eighteen now, and the little game had become more of a rebellion with the odd civil war going on in the ship. The captain himself was rarely seen on board, but she could remember him from when she'd been a just a whelp. He was a good man, as pirates went, and tended to make the right decision. When she'd first been brought to the ship by Matthew, his decision may not have been right, but it had certainly been convenient for her, even if she couldn't remember it being made.
So she sided with the captain. At least, until Smitty decided to cheat.
She would never forget the day, cold and bitter, just like the weather in all her dreams. She had been taking her turn in the crow's nest, looking out for the next spot of land to appear. She happened to glance down at the smart click of boots as they crossed the deck, watching Smitty as he stalked cheerfully over to the captain, who was in the midst of a discussion with Alex. She frowned slightly as he reached into her pocket, but by the time she realized what was happening, he had drawn a pistol and shot the captain through the back.
Alex's eyes grew wide with shock and he could do little more than stand there, covered in blood that had burst from the captain's chest as he was shot, and watch in horror as the limp corpse flopped off the railing and into the sea with a splash.
Blowing smoke from his pistol, Smitty drew another one and grinned. "Well then, chaps. Looks like we need a new cap'n, eh?"
"Ye.ye killed 'im!" Alex finally seemed to regain the ability to speak, but he could still do little more than stare at Smitty in horror.
"I s'pose ye don't much want me t'be cap'n, then." Smitty clucked his tongue and shook his head, pointing the pistol at the frozen young man's forehead.
BLAM!!
Smitty dropped to the deck, his face frozen in shock and with a rather conspicuous hole through his chest.
Shail's eyes narrowed as she lowered the pistol that had taken Smitty's life. "As 'e said.methinks we need a new cap'n."
She jumped down from the Crow's nest, using the ever-faithful ropes to keep from breaking her legs at the drop. The crew was silent as they all regarded the bleeding corpse and the bloody spot on the railing where the deceased captain had fallen. Shail deposited the pistol that had ended his life on Smitty's body, and suddenly Alex awoke from his daze. Still covered in blood and other unpleasant substances, his eyes narrowed as he looked around the crew. "Well then, any suggestions?"
"I suggest we get rid o' the girl!" Snapped back an anonymous voice.
This was followed by silence, but after a moment, Shail turned and regarded the rest of the crew with a cool expression. "Feel free t'toss me off, if ye can."
She drew her sword, her strange blue eyes narrowed as she awaited a challenge. Finally, after a tense moment, one man stepped forward. He was fairly large, but he was new to the ship, and he didn't know much about Shail's history. Or how she had earned the right to be aboard the Nova through the years.
There was a tense moment of silence, Matthew and Alex's brows crinkled in silent concern, the rest of the crew looking on with scattered emotion. Finally, the man lunged forward with a loud yell, drawing his sword and swinging downward. Shail smirked and slipped out of the blade's path of motion, ducking and springing up once more, ramming the butt end of her own sword into the softest part of the man's stomach. By the time the man had thought to let out a painful choke, she smacked the hilt of her blade downward once more, this time at the nape of his neck. He crumpled to the deck in a motionless heap.
The entire fight lasted five seconds.