The Javelin's flag lowered, then rose, then lowered and rose again. Ryon looked at the advancing Pikeshaft, then turned his eyes to the brewing storm. Not a storm. A hurricane. He looked at Birchleaf and Lucar, who were watching the advancing vermin ship warily. "They say that the sea is a cruel mistress." Squirrel and mouse looked at him. Ryon smiled. "Before this is over, we will both see how cruel she can be."

A wind sprung up in short order, and Ryon ordered the sails lowered. The Javelin raced forward, driven on by the conflicting winds of the storm. Ryon began issuing orders. "Run out the port side ballistae. Tighten the sails. Issue arms."

Javelin crewbeasts ran to and fro about the ship, preparing for what might be their last battle. It began to rain. Within seconds everybeast was soaked. The Pikeshaft was still advancing, driven on as well by the winds.

The Javelin made it into the Maelstrom before the Pikeshaft, spray flying up around it as it was carried by the circling current. The Pikeshaft itself followed. Rain lashed down, and Ryon shoved an otter off of the tiller. He began to deftly maneuver it.

Blacktail scowled as the Javelin sailed ahead of him. "Bow chasers!" he roared. The Pikeshaft's chasers ran out of the ship's bow, and fired, one after the other. The shots whistled past Ryon and barely missed hitting the mast. Two great fountains of water flumed up from the Maelstrom, soaking the deck of the Javelin.

Lucar ran up the stairs and grabbed onto Ryon's shoulder, then shouted into his ear. "Take us out! Otherwise they'll overbear us!"

Ryon pushed the young mouse off. He then shouted above the noise of the Maelstrom and the storm. "Captain the ballistae! Archers and slingers, make ready! Ready the shafts and rocks!"

Birchleaf added her own order from the main deck. "Prepare to broadside!"

The two ships managed their way across the Maelstrom, Ryon maneuvering into a current inside the Maelstrom to put it ahead of the Pikeshaft. They then began to circle one another, like a pair of predatory fish. Sharpear poked his head up from belowdecks. "We're ready down here, Captain!"

Ryon shook his head. "Not yet."

Blackreed looked nervously at the Pikeshaft. "Ryon…"

"Not yet, Blackreed."

Blacktail's paw rose and the stoat's eyes narrowed.

Birchleaf turned to the Javelin's captain. "Ryon!"

Ryon bellowed, loud and long. "Fire!"

Blackreed and Birchleaf relayed the order in unison. "Fire!"

Sharpear dropped down belowdecks, roaring at the top of his lungs. "Fire! Fire all!"

The ballistae let loose with a powerful volley, crashing into the Pikeshaft. Blacktail roared his own order. "Fire!"

The vermin ship's ballistae shot back, the boulders and spears ripping into the Javelin's timbers.

Lucar stood on the main deck, shouting to the ballistae lining the railing as they loosed their rocks. "Fire!"

The two ships exchanged shots, while the crewbeasts on the deck exchanged arrows and slingstones with the enemy. Rocks crashed into the hull timbers below them, blowing crewbeasts across the room as screams and shouts rent the already noise-filled air and blood flowed freely across the deck. Ryon laughed as the wind howled in his ears and boulders and ballista bolts whistled by his head. "It's too late to alter course now, mates!"

The two ships fought on, pounding each other like the elements themselves. The Pikeshaft's first mate, a fox called Baneclaw, shouted over the battle. "Prepare to board!"

Blacktail shouted "Cover!" and knocked Baneclaw to the deck. A rock from the Javelin ripped through the railing. Vermin screamed as the rock crashed through them. Blacktail got up. His position had blocked most of the debris from hitting him, and what little had had just bounced off of his thick tunic and cape. But Baneclaw had not been so lucky. Blacktail had tackled him feet first, and his throat had been torn by splinters from the shattered railing. Blacktail looked around. Three crewbeasts, a ferret, a weasel, and a rat, lay dead on the deck, blood on their faces and bodies.

"Cap'n…help me."

Blacktail looked down at Baneclaw. The fox was reaching up to him, hope and pleading in his eyes. Blacktail grabbed the collar of the fox's tunic, looking at him. Baneclaw attempted a smile. "Thankee, Cap'n." The smile turned to horror and pain as Blacktail took out his sword and stabbed him. The fox's shocked eyes stared into Blacktail's own. The stoat grinned evilly.

"A wounded first mate is of no use to me."

He pushed the dead fox off of his blade and took command of the ship again. In response to Baneclaw's final order, vermin lined the rails with ropes in their paws. Blacktail barked at them. "What are you waiting for, you slack-jawed fools? Go!"

The vermin leapt from the rail on their ropes, shouting and yelling war cries. With Ryon's cry of "Boarders away!" the Javelin's crew had swung from the railing as well. The two lines crossed, and passed one another.

Blackreed hurled a stone from his sling. It hit a ferret in the chest and knocked him off of his rope. He fell screaming into the abyss. Birchleaf and Lucar drew their swords and joined in the crew defending the ship. Birchleaf parried a blow from a fox, threw off the blade, and then stabbed him. Lucar brought Martin's blade down upon a rat's skull. Ryon was defending the wheel, fighting vermin while he steered the Javelin at the same time. As he ran a weasel through, he looked up and saw Blacktail commanding the Pikeshaft's wheel. He narrowed his eyes. He then drew his attention back to the battle as a ferret behind him let out a wild yell and charged at him. "Sharpear!" Ryon yelled as he fended the vermin off. The mouse looked at him. Ryon ran his opponent through, and shouted again. "Take the wheel!"

Sharpear nodded and moved to take over the ship. Ryon ran down the stairs and jumped on a mooring rope. Birchleaf and Lucar got up on either side of him. Birchleaf smiled. Ryon smiled back. In unison they swung, joining the battle aboard the Pikeshaft.

Blacktail saw the three swing aboard. Leaving a rat to take the wheel, he drew his sword, advancing on Ryon as Birchleaf and Lucar joined the main fighting. The squirrel captain saw him coming. "So, we meet again, stoat."

"Aye, whelp. For the last time!" Blacktail lunged.

Ryon parried, and the most important duel of his life began. The two moved around the ship and through the fighting, thrusting, parrying, and slicing. Both swords had equal reach, but where Ryon's style was flowing and elegant, Blacktail was hammering at him with his cutlass, hoping to knock the blade aside and then move in for the kill. Ryon faked a slice at the stoat's head, then kicked him in the shin. He then spun left and slashed at Blacktail's right leg. The stoat narrowly avoided the blow, slicing at Ryon's neck. The squirrel ducked and stabbed upward. Blacktail parried the blow and sliced down. Ryon danced backwards, up against the ship's rail.

Blacktail advanced on him, and sliced downward. Ryon whirled right and stabbed at his foe. Blacktail again parried the blow and swung at Ryon's legs. The squirrel jumped up onto the rail and began to climb up a rope towards the mainmast. Blacktail scowled. Knowing that slicing the rope off would do no good, he swung onto the rigging and began to climb.

Ryon jumped onto the mast, leaning against it to recover his breath. He then saw Blacktail climbing the rigging. The squirrel rolled his eyes and readied his saber.

Blacktail jumped onto the mast. He lunged at Ryon and they began to duel again, this time more carefully. Blacktail sliced downward, only to be blocked by Ryon's blade again. The squirrel kicked him away and began to flourish the blade in a rapid x shape. He then lunged at his enemy. Blacktail ducked it and delivered a fierce uppercut to Ryon's jaw. The squirrel reeled, an almost foolish expression of surprise on his face. Blacktail swept his legs out from under him, and Ryon fell.

Luckily, Lucar was fighting just below them. The searat he was fighting was about to stab when Ryon's unconscious form fell on top of him. Lucar looked at the captain in shock. He looked around frantically. "Birchleaf!"

The squirrelmaid slew her opponent and looked over at him. Lucar gestured frantically at the motionless Ryon. She ran over and stood near them both. Lucar, hearing a thud from his right, looked around. Blacktail stood there, sword drawn. He began walking towards the three. Lucar charged at him.

Blacktail blocked the blow and swung at Lucar's shoulder. The young mouse twirled, his wet tunic flapping in the wind. Martin's sword swung at Blacktail's waist. The stoat blocked it and brought the blade over his head. Swinging, he delivered a kick to Lucar's face. The young mouse fell with an exclamation of surprise to the deck. At the sound of clashing steel, Birchleaf had turned, and now stood directly over Ryon with her rapier pointed at Blacktail. "Come any closer and I'll kill you."

Blacktail gave a harsh laugh. "I doubt it, maid." He charged at her and swung. She blocked the sword and with a flick of her wrist, threw the blade away. Blacktail ducked her counterattack and kicked her. She fell to the deck and made to crawl back to Ryon. Blacktail, poised over the squirrel with his sword pointed downward, looked at her with amusement. "Ah. Love. A powerful, but fragile bond." He made to stab downward, but a heavy piece of wood hit him in the side of the head.

Blacktail turned. Lucar stood there, a piece of timber in his paws. Blacktail scowled. "Do not try my patience, whelp!"

"A whelp I may be, but I'm a warrior second!"

Blacktail had lost patience. He lunged at Lucar, and the mouse blocked the blow with the timber. He swung at Blacktail, missing when the stoat ducked. Blacktail swung upward and knocked the wood from Lucar's paws. The young mouse stared at him, and Blacktail hit him again. He then made to finish the mouse off, but screamed in pain when a sword entered his back. Blacktail turned. Ryon was conscious, sheer fury in his eyes. One arm was extended, and his saber extended from Blacktail's back. Blacktail stared at the squirrel, then fell to the side. Lucar sat upright, and saw the dead stoat. Ryon slumped back to the deck. Birchleaf gathered him in her arms and gasped when she felt blood, warm against the cold rain, seeping through Ryon's tunic. She looked around and saw two spare ropes.

Blackreed had joined the fighting aboard the Pikeshaft during the course of Ryon's duel, and saw Birchleaf carrying Ryon. He ran over and took his captain from Birchleaf's paws and yelled to the remaining Vale Islanders. "Pull back to the Javelin! Now!"

The islanders ran to the ropes and swung back across. Blackreed landed on his back, burdened as he was by Ryon's body. Sharpear shouted to a pair of crewbeasts that were wrestling a ballista into position. "Make ready quickly! That hunk of driftwood will take us down if we don't make fast!"

The two hurried, and loaded a rock. They fired, and the rock shot into the air, slamming into the Pikeshaft's mast and shattering it. The Javelin tugged itself free of the Pikeshaft's rigging, and Sharpear pulled madly to starboard, until the ship rose out of the Maelstrom. As the ship began to sail on the ocean once more, he could see, through the rain, the Sea Horde armada scattering. Their leadership gone, they now had nothing to hold them together. Some ships were attacking one another, back to the old ways of fighting amongst themselves for loot.

Birchleaf was leaning over Ryon, and she stared at him until he opened his eyes. He smiled when his vision focused on the squirrelmaid. "We did it."

She nodded, and hugged him. The captain gasped and fell unconscious a short time later. Blackreed carried the squirrel to a bed, followed closely by the others.

Anyone who's seen the last POTC movie knows where the battle scene is from. R and R!