Chapter 20 - The Hellfire
They were back at sea, the sails full. Red went back to muttering malcontentedly in the captain's cabin while Green and Blue (more or less) enjoyed the salty sea air. Boats were just so bloody boring to Red. No pubs, no men, no land, no one to steal from, no one to pick a fight with…
Green froze in place.
Blue looked to where Green was staring. "Do you know them?" she asked, gesturing toward the ship in the distance.
Green took out her spyglass and stepped closer to the deck rail. She snapped the glass shut defiantly.
"That's my ship!" she declared.
"What?" Blue asked. "Your ship?"
"What's going on?" Red asked, coming out into the daylight at the sound of a commotion.
"Green says that is her ship," Blue told her. Red gazed out at said ship.
"That one?" she asked. "How can you tell?"
Green began tying and untying ropes, realigning the rudder and preparing to switch directions dramatically.
"I know my own ship," she answered. "Even without the giant red Hellfire written on the side."
"Hellfire? Do all ships have the name 'fire' in it?" Blue asked. Green ignored her.
"Hold on," Green ordered.
All at once the ship made a ninety degree turn and was steadily picking up speed, heading directly toward the Hellfire the distance. Red screamed and flung her arms around the nearest anchored object.
"What the hell is going on?" she demanded.
"I'm getting my ship back," Green growled.
"What is the difference?" Blue asked. "A ship is a ship." Green glared at her, but did not dignify the remark with a response. "How are we going to take that ship?" Blue persisted. "There is but three of us!"
Red perked up. "What?" she said. "Is there going to be a fight?"
"Yes," Green answered, a weird glint in her eye.
"Finally!" Red exclaimed. "Something to do!"
"We are out numbered!" Blue protested.
"Even better!" Red declared, unsheathing her sword as Green directed the Dragonfire closer and closer to the Hellfire.
"Surrender now and live!" Green cried to the men aboard the Hellfire. The crew laughed as one of the ship's boys went to retrieve the captain.
"Didn't even bother to paint the name over?" Green demanded of the tall, wiry man who was Captain. "You were always a bit of an idiot, Flynn."
"What be all this 'bout surrenderin' and bein' an idiot?" asked the man named Flynn.
"You stole my ship," Green said.
The man's eyes squinted slightly. "Lady Jade?"
"At your service," Green bowed. "Now hand over my ship, and no one will get hurt."
Flynn surveyed Green and the boat around her, lingering over Blue and Red, who was smiling flirtatiously at him.
"A convincing threat," Flynn said, "if there be a crew to back it up."
"I have a crew," Green replied. Flynn cocked a brow.
"Two women?"
Red took personal offense to the man's tone of voice. "Excuse me?" she demanded. "What's wrong with women?"
Flynn smiled. "Nothin', sugar," he answered. "In fact, I quite like women."
"Sugar?" Red said. The only thing keeping her from launching herself at the lewd sailor was the small expanse of ocean between them. "Why don't you come over here and I'll show you how sugary I am."
"I'd love to, darlin," Flynn replied, "but I'm afraid I can't leave my men alone on the ship. Why don't you come over here and demonstrate for all of us?" The men jeered.
"Why you little," Red grumbled. "Pervert!" she shouted, hurling a small dagger at the Captain. The blade embedded itself into the wooden rigging right next to his head.
"Ye sure do keep interestin' company, Jade woman," Flynn remarked. Red fumed, then transformed herself into a raven.
Red hurled her talons and beak at the man's face, aiming for his eyes. Flynn waved his arms about his head, trying to fend off the vicious bird, but was losing. Some of his other men went to help their captain, but only succeeded in getting their own hands and heads bit and pooped on.
On commanders orders, a few men prepared to board the Dragonfire, but just as they jumped from the railing, hanging onto their ropes, a ferocious wind came screeching up and blew them backward, causing a few to drop into the water.
Blue was at a loss of what to do. She couldn't do anything from where she was. Unless, maybe, she jumped into the water herself…
One man's eyes aboard the Hellfire went wider than the rest as the woman in Red suddenly transformed into a dark red, almost black raven. He did not look like the other men on the ship. He was cleaner, more well-dressed, and healthier looking. He tried to push his way through the crowd that had gathered at the railing. With some difficulty he made his way closer to the captain and the bird.
"Red!" Green shouted, taking notice of the strange man making his way slowly but surely towards her.
Red took one last peck at Flynn before flying back the Dragonfire and returning to her human form.
"Do you surrender?" Green asked. The Captain looked up at her, numerous cuts bleeding down his face. "I'll make a deal with you," Green said. "You peaceably hand over the Hellfire, and I'll let you have this fine vessel here."
Flynn glared at her. "Prepare to board!" he shouted to his men.
"You don't want to do that," Green warned. The men of the Hellfire continued to ready their cutlasses.
The first wave of sailors were blown back onto their ship by another strong wind.
"Flynn," called Green. "Give up."
"Board, you filthy sea-dogs!" he barked.
A few more men tried to swing over on their ropes, but just as they did a gale-force wind blew through and all of them lost their grip and fell into the cold waters.
"Sea-witch!" someone called. Soft murmuring began circulating amongst the men. Green's emerald eyes shone brilliantly in the afternoon sun. They bore into the man named Flynn, but so caught up in anger was he that he did not heed the warnings. He grabbed a cutlass from some terrified youth and swung over to the ship.
Another wind, stronger than the first few, tore the man's hands straight off the rope. When he plunged overboard into the sea, Green bent over the railing.
"You know, the Whites can smell blood for miles," Green told the man as he came sputtering to the surface. "Even in the smallest amounts."
"Damn you, woman," he cursed. Green continued to gaze indifferently down at him. Then she shifted her gaze to the now leaderless crew of her ship.
"Let us board without mishap," Green told them, "and you may do the same. Then you may rescue your Captain from the depths. I'd advise taking the deal. It is rare for me to offer such a generous trade." The sailors shifted uncomfortably. They were apprehensive, for sailors were on average a suspicious lot, and there were none too few stories about the mysterious Sea-Witch with the ability to control the wind, among other arcane abilities.
Flynn was becoming impatient. "Do it!" he growled from his position in the water. At their captain's order, they relented.
Green took up her own cutlass and swung gracefully over to the Hellfire. Red didn't trust the ropes, so she decided to fly over. Blue very carefully imitated Green's actions and soon made it over without misfortune.
"Thank you," Green said. "Now you all may go."
"Green!" hissed Red. "What about the gold and the wine!"
"I'll take care of it," Green told her. She eyed the suspicious looking man, who was definitely not a sailor, at least not the type normally seen around there. He was approaching the place where Green and Red stood, eyes fixed on the Red woman. "Go down below," Green whispered to Red, "and see what they've got in the way of treasure."
"Okay!" Red agreed excitedly, scurrying away. She'd no doubt help herself to anything she fancied in particular, but Green didn't much care. That man was her foremost concern now. Black would not be pleased that someone would take so much apparent interest in Red.
"Over you go there," Green said, giving the strange man a rope and a push over the side.
"But…" he protested, to no avail.
"Ooohh," Red goggled upon opening the first of three chests in the hold. She leaned in and picked out an elaborate gold necklace. "They won't miss this," she told herself, pocketing it.