Ch.7 Duel to Death
"Last chance darling," the pirate said smiling.
"Last plunder, Sir Pirate," Josephine said.
"Oh, call me Captain," he said.
"Oh the formalities. Very well, Captain," Josephine said, flicking her sword side to side.
"What are you called?" The Pirate asked her.
Josephine thought. "Jaclyn Madelani," she said.
"Very well, Jaclyn," the Pirate smiled. "Now to business: no pushing, no shoving, and no telling mommy. Oh sorry, hit a sore spot did I?"
Josephine lunged. There was a clang at he parried.
"Excellent form, yes, great form," he said.
Josephine looked at him in disgust.
"Of course," she said, "Why wouldn't I have good form?" She said accenting each word with a thrust.
He lunged at her; she parried.
"Maybe because you're a girl?" he said jumping to avoid the swing at the knees.
"And being a girl has absolutely nothing to do with it," she said parrying three of his attacks.
"Well, you're excellent on stationary work, but how is your footwork?" he asked rhetorically.
"If I go like this," he said crossing one foot over the other and cut at her.
She moved to block his attacks. Three clangs.
"Very good! And if I go like this," he said stepping the other way.
She copied his movement and parried his thrusts.
"Well captain, if have finished thinking that you're playing with me, let's get onto the real business," she said. She lunged.
He blocked. She pushed down and out to get his sword away from his body. It worked. She lunged. He nimbly twirled to avoid it. It was close.
"Hmm. I guess that dress is weighing you down a bit; you're timing was off," he said. He cut at her legs.
She blocked. "If I had wanted undressing, I would have asked for it," Josephine said.
She pushed his sword away and spun into him and hit him in the crouch with her hilt. He dropped his sword and fell to the ground. She had another of her daggers to his throat in an instant.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Do it," the Captain said still in pain.
Her hand trembled. She looked into his eyes and saw something: fear. She looked at her dagger.
"I'm not a killer," she said quietly. She stood and walked away hurriedly.
The Captain was on his feet in an instant. He chased after her and pushed her against the wall. He held the dagger she had thrown at him to her throat.
He looked into her eyes and saw something there: no fear. "A worthy opponent," he thought. "Nor am I a killer," he said. He took the other dagger out of her hand and opened the door and went out.
Josephine followed him with her eyes. "We will meet again," she muttered softly looking at the one remaining dagger of her three.
"Last chance darling," the pirate said smiling.
"Last plunder, Sir Pirate," Josephine said.
"Oh, call me Captain," he said.
"Oh the formalities. Very well, Captain," Josephine said, flicking her sword side to side.
"What are you called?" The Pirate asked her.
Josephine thought. "Jaclyn Madelani," she said.
"Very well, Jaclyn," the Pirate smiled. "Now to business: no pushing, no shoving, and no telling mommy. Oh sorry, hit a sore spot did I?"
Josephine lunged. There was a clang at he parried.
"Excellent form, yes, great form," he said.
Josephine looked at him in disgust.
"Of course," she said, "Why wouldn't I have good form?" She said accenting each word with a thrust.
He lunged at her; she parried.
"Maybe because you're a girl?" he said jumping to avoid the swing at the knees.
"And being a girl has absolutely nothing to do with it," she said parrying three of his attacks.
"Well, you're excellent on stationary work, but how is your footwork?" he asked rhetorically.
"If I go like this," he said crossing one foot over the other and cut at her.
She moved to block his attacks. Three clangs.
"Very good! And if I go like this," he said stepping the other way.
She copied his movement and parried his thrusts.
"Well captain, if have finished thinking that you're playing with me, let's get onto the real business," she said. She lunged.
He blocked. She pushed down and out to get his sword away from his body. It worked. She lunged. He nimbly twirled to avoid it. It was close.
"Hmm. I guess that dress is weighing you down a bit; you're timing was off," he said. He cut at her legs.
She blocked. "If I had wanted undressing, I would have asked for it," Josephine said.
She pushed his sword away and spun into him and hit him in the crouch with her hilt. He dropped his sword and fell to the ground. She had another of her daggers to his throat in an instant.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Do it," the Captain said still in pain.
Her hand trembled. She looked into his eyes and saw something: fear. She looked at her dagger.
"I'm not a killer," she said quietly. She stood and walked away hurriedly.
The Captain was on his feet in an instant. He chased after her and pushed her against the wall. He held the dagger she had thrown at him to her throat.
He looked into her eyes and saw something there: no fear. "A worthy opponent," he thought. "Nor am I a killer," he said. He took the other dagger out of her hand and opened the door and went out.
Josephine followed him with her eyes. "We will meet again," she muttered softly looking at the one remaining dagger of her three.