Chapter Three

Wolf had been checking over the supply list for the third time before going ashore. He heard Carl yelling and screaming at the top of his lungs and wondered what the little guy had got into trouble with this time. Bounding over to the railing, he looked for him. He never would have expected the sight that met his eyes -- Carl riding a huge black dog and carrying a black flag that fluttered in the breeze.

As soon as he heard Carl's screams clearly, he called to the other men. "We will go and rescue these fair women! Though they be Witches, they do not deserve to be treated thus!" Dropping his list in a nearly empty bucket, he jumped over the side, changing into his wolf form.

Among the heads that had snapped up at the sounds of both Carl's and Wolf's shouts was a furry face with baby blue eyes that flashed at Wolf's words. "What do you mean by that -- 'though they be Witches'! Just because they are -- " She let her sentence hang in mid-air, however, as Wolf had either not heard her or ignored her for he was already gone, changing into his lupine form and racing towards Carl and the unknown dog he rode.

The familiar touch of a gentle hand on her shoulder decreased a bit of her anger. "I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it, love. If he was really prejudiced, he wouldn't be in such a rush to save them."

Celina shook her head but had to relent nonetheless. "I'm sure you're right, beloved. It's just . . . " With another shake of her head, she emitted a soft sound that was an odd cross between a growl and a sigh. "Canines. They never do bother to contemplate their word choices." Without another word, she slipped out from underneath her husband's hand and raced after Wolf. She did not need to look back to know that Morph was right behind her, and though she heard a door open somewhere behind them and smelled their Captain as she approached, she did not pause as she leaped over the side of the ship.


A barely dressed Xena was in the process of scrubbing her beloved Gabrielle's back when they had been disturbed by loud noises. Grabbing her sword, she ran out on deck just in time to see Wolf change. Xena had been waiting for the trouble to hit for a while. Their voyage had been prosperous but uneventful. She stood with the sunlight caressing her bare chest, hardly even thinking about it.

Suddenly, she felt her crew's eyes on her. She heard her quartermaster, a man known to all only as Wolverine, clear his throat in warning and did not have to look at her cook to know that Autolycus was wondering if he dared attempt to lay a hand on her. It was her weapon checker's widened eyes that her gaze settled upon as she glanced around, however. "Arm the crew and go after them!" she ordered even as she headed back to her cabin. Wesley hurried to obey his Captain's orders, tossing swords and daggers to those who did not already have their weapons on them. Most did, however, and had already left by the time he grasped his own sword.

Wolf heard the others following him. Reaching Carl, he could see that he was not in trouble from the huge animal but was riding him like a horse. "Lead on," he yipped to the dog who changed his course, returning from whence he came. Wolf slowed just enough to let the men keep him in sight. He prayed they would be in time to save the women.

As they raced, Celina thought of the Black Pearl's crew and wondered if they had heard Carl. She had just started to reach out telepathically to her sister when she found her running next to her.

Gonk knew that the people and bizarre wolf following him were pirates and that they did not belong to Jareth's ship. He could smell the abnormal, and even Supernatural, differences in them; Werewolf, Werecat, and Demon blood all drifted to him on the breeze. None of that mattered to the dog, however. All that mattered to him was getting help to his mistress; he would do anything and put up with anything, even this odd, small creature called a Gnome on his back, if it meant his beloved Elvira would live.


Reaching her armor, Xena quickly dressed, all the while telling Gabrielle what little she had been able to see and how that the trouble they had escaped from was now beginning to come after them. "Hurry, beloved; we must go to their rescue!" She knew troubles always came in threes, just like bad luck, and that it never seemed to stop coming. She was worried what the other two troubles would be and hoped that it was nothing she and Jack couldn't handle. She felt between them they could handle anything the Fates dished out and come out on top. There was a time when she was all alone, about to die, and Jack had saved her. He was like a brother to her now, and Gabby was her life and own true love. They were her family, and together they could move mountains!

Gabrielle was already fastening the last laces of her bodice when Xena finished telling her what she knew, and already the blonde's blood was boiling. "I'm so sick of these prejudiced idiots," she hissed, her green eyes blazing. "It just never ends, does it? Christians fight amongst themselves and kill each other but call Witches Satan's children and burn us at the stake. Writers are killed just because somebody in power doesn't like what they've wrote, even when it's the truth." Realizing that her always-eager tongue was on the beginning of a fiery rant that they had no time for, Gabrielle silenced herself with a shake of her head.

She glanced at her staff leaning against one of the cabin's walls, but it was her sais below it that she picked up. She flipped them around and smiled at the way they felt in her grip. Even as she did, though, memories of the times she'd came so close to being burnt and hung flashed through her mind. Only a couple of those times had been for being a pirate; far more often they were because of her love for Xena, another woman; her religious beliefs; or even just the truths she'd written that infuriated the townspeople who had themselves done the deeds she was to be killed for simply writing about. Turning back to her lover, her sais still in her hands, a ghost of Xena's infamous dangerous smile crossed her lips. "Let's go kick butt."

Xena grinned at her as she ran out of the cabin. "Let's get dangerous, love." Reaching the railing, she jumped over the side and turned to watch as Gabby jumped. Xena never grew tired of watching Gabrielle in motion. She was so graceful. In dangerous moments, she was her best ally, and she knew danger lay just before them. All around she could see the others running, and she knew that time was of the very essence. She wondered where Jack was and hoped he was having a better day than she was.

Gabrielle placed one hand on the railing and sprung over its side. Landing beside her lover, she took off without another word. Though a storm raged in her green eyes and her heart hammered furiously against her breast, she remained calm. She had seen too many other lives lost due to prejudice; these Christians would not take the Witches. She knew the others would fight to protect them, but she did not stop to think about them as she ran next to Xena. Instead, she thought only that Xena and she would make certain that the others of their religious beliefs escaped alive.


No answer came to Jack's impatient ears so as soon as he reached the ship, he climbed quickly up the rope and onto the deck of his beloved ship. He was startled to see that no one was aboard. He called out again. It was a rule that some one always remain aboard, alert for trouble, and ready to sail at a moment's notice. He wondered what could have caused the complete desertion of the Pearl. A worried frown creased his forehead and his eyes darkened. Was treachery aboard? Had his men been arrested, despite the Governor's having agreed to grant them amnesty for this day alone, his daughter's wedding day? He hoped not! He decided to climb up to the crow's nest so he could get a better view. Releasing one of the ropes, he sprung neatly into the nest.

Far out to the right of the harbor was a huge group of people chasing another group of people. The chasers were carrying pitchforks and yelling nasty things that Jack could not understand from the distance that separated them. Jack didn't like the looks of things. He could see Wolf and his men running, and he, too, wanted to be there to help. He climbed quickly back down only to land in the midst of an angry mob who had come on the Pearl uninvited. He would not have to go to the fighting -- he grinned impishly --; the fighting had come to him!

Jack now stood alone amidst what appeared to be six burly guards. Jack figured that they were not the same ones he had seen running. He was alone but not afraid for himself but only for Will. These men were blocking him and keeping him from going after Wolf; thus they were keeping him from getting to Will. In a strong voice, Jack now demanded, "Who are you, and why are you on my ship? You are trespassing, and I'll thank you to leave my ship as quickly as you came! If you don't, I'll have to throw you off!" He was not jesting, and he put all of his determination into his words and stance, believing he could follow up on his words but hoping that he was right.

The guards already had their swords drawn, and now their leader pointed his sword at the pirate's throat. "You do not order us, pirate. We take orders from His Majesty alone and will leave this ship only when you have returned our Princess to us."

Jack's mouth fell open in surprise. What the Hell were these idiots babbling on about? A Princess aboard his ship? "I think you got the wrong ship, mate. There's never been a Princess on here. The most exalted presence that's ever been on this ship was the governor's daughter, and there's not any women aboard now." He did not move as the sword was dangerously near his jugular. He continued to glare angrily at the guard while hoping desperately that he could find a way out of this mess.

The guard captain's sword pressed closer against the pirate's throat. "You may be lying, or you may simply not be aware of her," he admitted. "However, the Princess is here. We saw her sneak aboard." It was at that moment that the guard's blue eyes caught sight of a flicker of movement in the shadows on the opposite side of the ship. He looked up, though his blade remained at Jack's throat. "Princess!" he called. "Bruce, Davis, take this pirate," he instructed them. Two of the guards reached out to snatch Jack's arms, but already their captain had moved away and was headed for the Princess who tried desperately to shrink back into the shadows.

Jack had no ideal how the girl had got aboard the ship. What he did know was that the idiot captain had just screwed up. He had let go of him before the others had grabbed him. He danced quickly away from them, turning as he did so and snatching his sword out. The other guards did not have theirs out. "Huh, captain!" one of the guards managed to squeak out. "Captain, we got a situation!" another one came up with. Jack grinned evilly at them. Thank the Goddess he had been given a chance and that he was quick enough to take advantage of it. Keeping his back against the ship, he waited for them to make their next move.

"Handle it!" the captain snapped back at the lower guards without even bothering to glance their way. His gaze remained focus on the Princess' silhouette instead. "Oh, Princess, my love, why do you try to hide from me? You know I will not hurt you." Instead of answering him, however, she began to try to slip away from him. "Princess?"

Upon hearing that the captain did not care what happened to the pirate, all five guards pulled their swords out. Jack immediately attacked the two that were in the front, trying to keep his back against the ship's wall, but he soon found that he was unable to do so. The minute he stepped away from the wall, they surrounded him.

While Jack could easily have handled the two and put them out of commission, the other three came at his back side, and he was soon forced to drop his sword. He still stared glaringly at them. He had not been easy to take down. He now feared for the worst -- that he would be killed and never get to see Will again. His heart was breaking.

What could have happened to his precious friend? Who would save he himself now? Would he be killed and no one even know that Will was missing? The guards forced him to his knees, each of them pointing their swords at his throat. He still held his head high. His dying thoughts would be of Will. He now realized how deeply he loved Will, and Will would never even know.

He saw the captain of the guard closing in on the woman and knew that he could not help her. It was at his darkest moment that he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Was it to be more attackers or could rescue possibly have arrived?

To Be Continued . . .