Chapter 11 - The Cat and the Fiddle
The sound of the shot echoed in Lissandra's ears. She couldn't hear herself screaming. She saw a thick stream of dark blood on the floor. She observed the sinister smile upon Fiddle's face and the glint of light vanishing from his eyes. She was shaking with astonishment. It took both Fiddle and herself a minute to realize what had happened. Lissandra had not been shot, or even harmed. The blood was not her own. Lissandra looked down at the dead black cat lying before her. She looked back at Fiddle, whom also had an expression of surprise.
'I missed?' Fiddle asked.
'No. You managed to kill something, just not me. That sure adds the element of surprise.' Lissandra said nastily.
'And disappointment on my behalf.' Fiddle sighed and pointed the pistol at Lissandra once more.
'Is this how you want to your victory?' Lissandra said in desperation. 'You want to cheat in battle and disobey the rules of the fight. What would you celebrate? That you were a coward?' She was running out of things to say. 'How utterly immoral can a man get?'
But Fiddle wasn't buying any of this and he pulled the trigger again. But all that followed was a click and a frown.
'Damnit!' He yelled.
A smile broke out on Lissandra's face. She jumped to her feet and ran for her sword. She reached the edge of the battlement, where her sword lay, when she heard a familiar voice call. 'Lissandra! Lissandra...'
She turned. 'Jack!' He was running to her in full sprint. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Fiddle ready to pounce.
She yelled for him to go back but she only caught the formation of 'what?' on his lips before Fiddle had jumped him and put his blade to Jack's throat.
'Stop!' Lissandra yelled with such power.
'Don't you remember?' Fiddle laughed. 'I'm "immoral". Put down the sword miss and maybe I'll lower mine.' Lissandra obeyed and lowered her sword. 'I can't believe you did that.' Fiddle looked surprised. 'I could kill both of you right now. You'd sacrifice your life for him, wouldn't you? Why?'
Lissandra was quiet. A million thoughts were running through her brain. What was the response he wanted from her? What was she to say? When finally she made up her mind, she agreed it was the usual stereotypical thing to say, 'I love him.'
Fiddle smiled. It was the answer he wanted. 'Don't you see? Love is a weakness.' Fiddle was very impressed with himself for spending the last minute making this comeback statement.
'But love itself is strong. The bond between two people can be stronger than a sword on flesh. It can even force one to give up their life.'
'And to what point, dear missy? If one gives up their life, than they cannot love.'
'Perhaps it is better to have ever loved than live alone.'
'So then, what will it be, hmm?' Fiddle tightened his grip. 'Life or love?' He tightened his grip on the blade and pressed it harder against Jack's throat.
Lissandra smiled. 'Yo ho. Yo ho. A pirates love for me.' And in a split second she flung her sword in the air with her feet and caught it in her right hand. Fiddle, astonished, started his swipe his blade on Jack's throat. But before the blade could pierce into Jack's skin, Lissandra had stabbed Fiddle in the heart. Fiddle immediately fell to the ground, leaving Jack screaming like a little girl.
'It's just a little cut!' Lissandra laughed.
He stopped panicking and stood in front of Lissandra. He put his grubby hands on her cold arms. 'A pirates love for me?' he laughed. 'You need a better comeback than that.'
'It was all I could think of!'
'I think I'll stick to the negotiating, darling. You're a better fighter than me anyway.'
'I could kick your arse!' Lissandra said.
'Oh my!' Jack said sarcastically. 'What's happened to Lissandra? Is that? I think it is! You're smiling!'
'Shut up.' She blushed. But Jack just smiled back cupped his hands around her face. Their jaws locked into a ferocious kiss. But Jack pulled away. 'What are you doing?' Lissandra yelled. 'You pulled back!'
'I'm sorry. I'm not used to kissing you without an interruption in the middle.'
Lissandra smiled and kissed him with more vigour than ever. After their magnificent kiss she gazed into his deep eyes and he stared back in hers, until they had a rather rude awakening. A cannon hit the wall beneath them and the ledge was crumbling. They remembered that they still had a war to stop and would have to stop kissing for a while.
The sound of the shot echoed in Lissandra's ears. She couldn't hear herself screaming. She saw a thick stream of dark blood on the floor. She observed the sinister smile upon Fiddle's face and the glint of light vanishing from his eyes. She was shaking with astonishment. It took both Fiddle and herself a minute to realize what had happened. Lissandra had not been shot, or even harmed. The blood was not her own. Lissandra looked down at the dead black cat lying before her. She looked back at Fiddle, whom also had an expression of surprise.
'I missed?' Fiddle asked.
'No. You managed to kill something, just not me. That sure adds the element of surprise.' Lissandra said nastily.
'And disappointment on my behalf.' Fiddle sighed and pointed the pistol at Lissandra once more.
'Is this how you want to your victory?' Lissandra said in desperation. 'You want to cheat in battle and disobey the rules of the fight. What would you celebrate? That you were a coward?' She was running out of things to say. 'How utterly immoral can a man get?'
But Fiddle wasn't buying any of this and he pulled the trigger again. But all that followed was a click and a frown.
'Damnit!' He yelled.
A smile broke out on Lissandra's face. She jumped to her feet and ran for her sword. She reached the edge of the battlement, where her sword lay, when she heard a familiar voice call. 'Lissandra! Lissandra...'
She turned. 'Jack!' He was running to her in full sprint. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Fiddle ready to pounce.
She yelled for him to go back but she only caught the formation of 'what?' on his lips before Fiddle had jumped him and put his blade to Jack's throat.
'Stop!' Lissandra yelled with such power.
'Don't you remember?' Fiddle laughed. 'I'm "immoral". Put down the sword miss and maybe I'll lower mine.' Lissandra obeyed and lowered her sword. 'I can't believe you did that.' Fiddle looked surprised. 'I could kill both of you right now. You'd sacrifice your life for him, wouldn't you? Why?'
Lissandra was quiet. A million thoughts were running through her brain. What was the response he wanted from her? What was she to say? When finally she made up her mind, she agreed it was the usual stereotypical thing to say, 'I love him.'
Fiddle smiled. It was the answer he wanted. 'Don't you see? Love is a weakness.' Fiddle was very impressed with himself for spending the last minute making this comeback statement.
'But love itself is strong. The bond between two people can be stronger than a sword on flesh. It can even force one to give up their life.'
'And to what point, dear missy? If one gives up their life, than they cannot love.'
'Perhaps it is better to have ever loved than live alone.'
'So then, what will it be, hmm?' Fiddle tightened his grip. 'Life or love?' He tightened his grip on the blade and pressed it harder against Jack's throat.
Lissandra smiled. 'Yo ho. Yo ho. A pirates love for me.' And in a split second she flung her sword in the air with her feet and caught it in her right hand. Fiddle, astonished, started his swipe his blade on Jack's throat. But before the blade could pierce into Jack's skin, Lissandra had stabbed Fiddle in the heart. Fiddle immediately fell to the ground, leaving Jack screaming like a little girl.
'It's just a little cut!' Lissandra laughed.
He stopped panicking and stood in front of Lissandra. He put his grubby hands on her cold arms. 'A pirates love for me?' he laughed. 'You need a better comeback than that.'
'It was all I could think of!'
'I think I'll stick to the negotiating, darling. You're a better fighter than me anyway.'
'I could kick your arse!' Lissandra said.
'Oh my!' Jack said sarcastically. 'What's happened to Lissandra? Is that? I think it is! You're smiling!'
'Shut up.' She blushed. But Jack just smiled back cupped his hands around her face. Their jaws locked into a ferocious kiss. But Jack pulled away. 'What are you doing?' Lissandra yelled. 'You pulled back!'
'I'm sorry. I'm not used to kissing you without an interruption in the middle.'
Lissandra smiled and kissed him with more vigour than ever. After their magnificent kiss she gazed into his deep eyes and he stared back in hers, until they had a rather rude awakening. A cannon hit the wall beneath them and the ledge was crumbling. They remembered that they still had a war to stop and would have to stop kissing for a while.