9

Ria stood at the front of the ship, staring into the dark sky. Jack stood at the wheel, fiddling with his compass, "It's not broken I swear!" he told her.

"Captain!" the watch called, Jack staggered to the watch, Ria took over the wheel.

"What now?" he asked the young man,

"Look that way Captain… if my eyes are not mistaken, I'd bet my life that's The Intruder." He stuttered, Jack squinted into the distance, along the horizon came another ship, a black sail and a flag, two white daggers crossing over and an eye in the centre. Jack realised that they were going to be under an attack from another pirate ship,

"PREPARE FOR THE INTRUDER!"

~

"This is stupid, why do we have to be locked in father's cabin when we can help fight?" Ellie sulked, Peter didn't seem to mind being stuck in the cabin, there was a lot of rum, "I mean, everyone knows The Intruder has twice the number of men in out crew!" she moaned and kicked a draw, it clicked open. Pete spotted it, and looked inside, Ellie smiled as she pulled out two real swords,

"I guess father wouldn't mind if we played would he?" Peter asked mischievously, Ellie nodded and tossed a sword to Peter. They were a little lighter than their wooden play swords and they swung nicely. "I love this sword," she said touching the sharp blade carefully when they heard men's cries, and swords clashing. Splashes. Shouts. Laughing, evil men laughing. It was all very loud. Ellie and Peter peered through the window, trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on. Men were pouring onto the Pearl, fighting with their friends.

"Look Ellie! There's father!" Peter said, pointing at a man swinging from a rope and kicking two others to the ground. "Yes!" Peter said happily. Ellie grinned, she saw her mother, busy battling three tall men at the one time,

"Look, look Pete! There's mother!" she said pointing when Mr. Cotton crashed through the cabin door, in strode a fat man with a long blade. Peter cowered into the corner, Ellie drew her new sword from its sheath. "Leave Mr. Cotton alone!" she said loudly, the fat man turned to find a small girl with a long sword standing bravely before him. He laughed,

"CAPTAIN!" he shouted at his own Captain. "LOOK WHAT I'VE FOUND, TWO LITTLE CHILDREN!" he hollered. Ellie grew angry, she attacked the fat man with his guard down, and he parried them surprised at the strength from such a small creature. He didn't have time to attack at all, Peter rooted for his brave sister, who was beating the fat fool to his knees. With a final thrust she disarmed the fully grown man and didn't stop to pierce his chest. The young girl removed the sword from the fat man and wiped it clean on his trousers when-

"Well, well, well…" a tall dark man with piecing black eyes and an ugly scar from his ear to his mouth strode in. Ellie stood still, and bravely raised her sword, ready for the challenge, the man laughed, "So small!" he said and suddenly picked the girl up by her collar, Ellie screamed and swung her sword at the man, but his arm was long and she couldn't reach. He pulled the sword from her grasp, Peter, out raged, ran screaming at the man's leg and took a large bite. The man cried out and pulled him up also. "LETS GO MEN!" he barked, and he left with the two little Sparrows under his arms, kicking, screaming, biting, and scratching.

 Ria killed the third man and looked for Jack, instead she saw her two children, being carried away by the other pirates.

"JACK!" she screamed, "THEY'VE TAKEN PETER AND ELLIE!" she ran frantically towards the plank of wood where the last few Intruders were, Jack saw her desperately trying to get to the other ship when CRACK!! The make shift bridge broke and fell into the sea, the path to his children was broken.

"PETER! ELLIE!" he cried at the side of The Pearl, Ria screamed at the other ship, beating her fists down on the wood, crying.

"MOTHER! FATHER! HELP!" they heard Ellie screaming, Jack restrained Ria from jumping off the ship and swimming to their children, it would be suicide.

"HELP US! HEL-MMM!! Mmm!" Peter tried to shout, but was muffled by a large hand over his mouth.

"No…" Ria whispered, growing pale, "Come back! Come back!" she whispered as she watched The Intruder sail away with her son and daughter. Jack and Ria hugged each other, crying, "They're just children… only children…"

~