Chapter Summary: No gold? Out swords, then! Barahir and the Swan Knights take on the Corsair crew. Will Mari be able to survive the battle?
Author notes: I would like to extend my deepest apologies to all my readers for the long period of time between my updates. I have been going through some trouble with my family as well as school. On top of that, I'm in a financial crisis, and will soon be getting a part-time job (I hope). Christmas break is here, thank God. Glorfindel, my muse, has been good to me, and so he helped me with papers for school before he helped me with this story. I sincerely hope that you will find this chapter to your satisfaction.
Shout outs:
Terreis – Yes, I'm an edgy sort of girl. Mari will be saved, and she'll even help a bit!
Mercury Gray – Yes, Barahir will come and save his cousin, and when the moment is right, he'll ask for his reward…
Mariette – Dear me, have you gone mad? Poor girl…
Roisin Dubh – That's why the only problem I have with POTC is that they make pirates out to be funny, friendly characters. They aren't. Blackbeard wasn't a guy to laugh at. He killed people, and didn't think much of it.
Lassy – Who said anything about this being the last chapter?
Shin-chan – EE! We win!
Shallindra – Boromir and Faramir are back at home with Pops...I mean…Denethor. They'll have something to say about this episode.
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Sarka stood on deck, watching the boat come closer. It bore several men, one of them more lordly than the others. It was the young Swan lord Barahir, he presumed. What displeased him most was that there was no sign of a chest anywhere on the boat.
Maybe they had left it in a safe place on shore, Sarka hoped darkly.
When the young man had reached the ship and come aboard, Sarka was still unhappy about the absence of the chest. It seemed Barahir's mood was just as dark. The Corsair captain looked back on shore. A young dog sat upon the beach, its ears erect, its bearing regal. It was perhaps a hunting dog of the house of Imarhil. Turning back to the young man, he smirked and bowed.
"I assume, my lord, that you have come to parley for the life of the young maid we hold captive," he began, starting the meeting with insolence.
With barely veiled contempt and impatience, Barahir answered, "Where is she?"
"She is within my quarters," Sarka smiled calmly. "We were dining together when my men sighted your coming."
The son of Imrahil glared at him, seemingly to test his eyes for any lies. Sarka's eyes shifted. The keen glitter in the young prince's eyes reminded him too much that he was a descendant of Elves, his equal enemy.
Barahir saw what he did not wish to see. He feared the possibility of what had truly happened in the captain's cabin.
"Take me to her," he commanded.
"You shall see her in a moment," the Corsair replied. "But first, I believe you were told to bring gold with you. I should like to know where it is."
"Compliments of the lords of Dol Amroth."
Prince Barahir drew his hunting knife and threw it to the deck of the ship, imbedding it into the salted wood. Sarka stared at the weapon a moment, letting the meaning sink into his mind before glaring at his opponent.
"We do not reward kidnappers with gold, nor do we congratulate thieves. If you desire to live, you will deliver Lady Silmarien to us immediately."
Sarka's eyes narrowed to dangerously glittering slits. Turning to Ergot, who stood at his side, he whispered a command. His first mate nodded and went to the captain's cabin, unlocking it and going inside. The Corsair captain smiled.
"He shall return with your lady," he replied.
Ergot closed the door behind him, his eyes immediately searching out the prisoner. His lips curled into a smile when he saw her sitting on the bed, rubbing her eyes. Ergot took note that the hem of her skirt was thrown up to her knees and smirked.
"Didn't take him long to figure what he wanted," he thought, moving toward her. The narcotic he had given her had not been enough to knock her out for a very long period of time, and she was swiftly regaining her wits. He had to act quickly, if he were to carry out his captain's command.
She had caught his movement, however, and though she was not completely restored to her senses, she stumbled away. "Who are you," she demanded. "Where am I?"
"Be silent," he sneered, drawing the knife from his belt. "You are going to die."
Her hand passed over her face, and her eyes focused. Her body was slow to respond to everything she asked of it, and so her retreat from his approach was weak. Her feet lead her away from him, setting the still-laden table between them.
Ergot growled. "You make this more difficult than it truly needs to be," he hissed. The knife left his hand, hurtling toward her.
Silmarien reached for her still empty platter and held it up, in a weak defense against his attack. The blade of the knife pierced the hammered metal to the hilt. The sight of the glittering steel helped to clear her mind and rid Silmarien of the rest of the narcotic's effects. Her eyes were wide with the shock of what had just happened as she gasped, realizing that she had just narrowly escaped death.
Lowering the platter, Mari saw the pirate coming at her, having climbed atop the table, lunging toward her. Not remembering that she knew not how to use the weapon, she pulled the knife out of the damaged platter and held it ready, screaming just as he leaped toward her to cover her mouth. Silmarien found herself on her back, with the pirate pinning her to the floor, his one hand covering her mouth, clutching her cheeks, his other hand cupping the back of her head.
Mari's eyes opened after the initial pain of landing on the hardened wood and looked into Ergot's eyes. She saw pain, shock, anger, confusion, defeat. They both looked down to his chest, where the knife was embedded. Silmarien had peirced his flesh with the weapon he had meant to kill her with. Yet, Ergot still had strength to harm her, and began to twist her neck into an unnatural position in an attempt to break it.
Silmarien whimpered in fear and pain and pulled the knife out of his chest only to replace it twice more. Blood dribbled from his lips and stained her gown. Gradually his frame went limp as life quickly left his form. Ergot died atop her.
Catching her breath, Silmarien called upon all her strength to move the body off of her. The corpse rolled away and the daughter of Denethor suddenly heard the clashings of swords. A familiar shout made her heart leap with joy.
Scrambling to her feet, Silmarien ran to the door and opened it only to be nearly knocked back by a pirate who had been thrown back by a warrior. Shaking her head from the collision, she suddenly felt a pair of arms around her waist, lifting her off her feet. Crying out in fear, she turned to see that it was a Swan Knight who held her.
"My lady! I have been commanded to take you to safety," the warrior said.
With that, he swept her to the boat that they had used in coming to the Corsair ship, weaving between the fighting and joined by a few other knights. Together, they made a hedge about Silmarien, shielding her from every side as they helped her into the boat.
Mari sat in the boat as it launched away from the ship, and couldn't help but look back and wonder what would happen to the remaining Swan Knights. Had her uncle found Lothiriel When they got to shore, she still looked back. A sharp yelp made her jump a little.
"Ranger! You helped them find me!" Silmarien cried out as she embraced the young pup, who attempted to bathe her face in wet, slobbering kisses.
There was a shout further down the beach. A party of six pirates who had been in search of food drew their swords, quickly advancing upon the four Swan Knights.
Ranger immediately tensed, barking viciously at the coming enemy as if to tell them, "You'll not take her from me again!"
The pup ran toward the foremost pirate, leaping toward his neck and clamping on with all his might. The man died a mere few moments later, his neck crushed. Ranger immediately rushed over to his mistress to see to it that she was not captured or harmed while the men fought.
Mari simply sat in shock. She had already been attacked and had killed a pirate, somehow escaped a battle on the ship and was now witnessing whata terrible thing warriors participated in. Her body was simply running on adrenaline. She had not had sleep for an entire night and had been roughly treated.
A knight of Dol Amroth ran his sword through a pirate, who fell near here. His eyes were going dark, and the terrible gashes across his chest and face made her convulse. Backing away from the corpse, Mari turned and retched before she fell into unconciousness. Ranger still stood guard over his mistress and saw the Swan Knights' victory over the pirates.
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