Chapter 35: Hello There fellow Ship! (Aurora)

A week on the waters and the small band of Aurora rebel lady of house Mert found herself breathing deep the salty air of the chilly northern waters, and while her peace upon the passage to date had been mostly with tending to the head wound received by Isla alongside the inept priest Edwin. She still enjoyed the scenery. The blue of the water. The clear of the air.

"Aurora, this sure is beautiful isn't it! And we'll reach the shores of Yannis soon enough!" Isla said walking along the deck of the ship toward her dear friend. She was finally finding herself in spite of both her and Calyx having trials of seasickness periodically.

Aurora smiles to know that her trusted friend is once more in good health as they walk along the deck. The ship was a mid-sized vessel made for cargo transport, and little else. Too large for good fishing, and too small to be a military vessel. Though being the ship for a week Aurora did find herself now with some questions for the captain. "Captain! Captain!" She calls to the lady at the helm. Holly notices and locks the wheel into place as she comes down for a conversation.

"Quit with the captain stuff, you aren't my crew lady Aurora, you're my charter guest." Holly smiles. She liked the lady of Mert, and enjoyed the company on the boat of a strong woman of conviction who didn't just want to just fall in line and be a brood mare.

"Beg pardon…Holly." Aurora finds the casual title for the Captain difficult. Holly was a few inches shorter than Aurora, and a little rough on the edges. Few scars but solid and firm calloused hands, with a fiery attitude to outmatch her golden brown hair that she hid beneath a light blue bandana. She was a tough sailor and Aurora wished to show her respect. "Holly…we have been on this ship for nearly a week now. But where is the crew?" Aurora on the walk this morning felt she had to point this out as during the entirety of their journey she had not seen a single crewman, which while shipping and sea life were a foreign world to her, she thought that the ship especially a vessel that was clearly not a family fishing boat or a rudimentary ferry barge would have something of a crew. She was puzzled as was Isla now that the comment had been brought up.

"Oh my. Where are my manners? I guess ladies when you choose a seafaring life….well I tend to forget certain things along the way." Holly laughed as she sought to make her passengers more comfortable. "CREW ASSEMBLE!" she hollered with a thundering voice that knocked the two women back a few steps in surprise to the change in volume of her voice. They both smiled at each other and looked around as they awaited a rush of personnel to make their entrance. The pounding of feet on wood was heard and one man emerged from beneath the deck.

"CREW REPORTING!" The man said. Aurora and Isla looked at him and then looked around. They were fully confused as there was only one person, one man and he was claiming to represent the entire crew.

"Is this man the only person of your crew? Or does he just represent all the others below deck?" Isla asks the captain. She looks the man over, he is nothing special and middle aged but in shape. Yet, both the ladies are surprised that there is just one person.

"He is the crew." Holly replies.

"First-mate Gregory at your service!" He stands at attention for the three ladies. Aurora is puzzled.

"You mean you only have one person to work this entire ship with you Holly?" she asks

Holly giggles. "Yeah we had a bunch of other members of our crew a couple years back, but the old captain he sort of….died."

"Oh no I'm sorry to hear. Was it plague or old age related issues?" Isla replies.

"No it was an axe to his head." Holly then points to an axe secured to the wall next to the door to the captain's quarters. "That axe."

"Oh…" Aurora is beginning to understand. "So you staged a mutiny or just put him out of his misery?"

"Well he bet me the ship that I couldn't drink an entire barrel of ale in a sitting."

"And you won and let me guess….he wouldn't pay up?" Isla again interrupted with a theory.

"No. I passed out cold with way too much of the barrel left. And so when I came to…I just killed him and took over." Holly laughed as she recounted the story.

"Well…..that sure is interesting." Aurora felt slightly uneasy about the captain in this moment, but what could she do. They were still on open water with her on her ship. "But what happened to the crew?"

"There were a bunch of us. Probably 30 or forty. But they questioned Captain Holly's leadership….so we made them walk the plank." Gregory said while still at attention.

"Did I say you could speak?" Holly slapped him on the butt and then let her hand linger an odd amount of time, making the two ladies uncomfortable. Then they noticed Gregory had a smile on his face from the event and this made them relax a bit more.

"So then Mr. Gregory why still call yourself the first-mate if you're the only person on the ship normally with Holly?" Isla continues to ask.

"Because I am sleeping with the captain."

"AND IF YOU WANT TO KEEP SLEEPING WITH THE CAPTAIN THEN YOU'LL GET BACK TO WORK!" Gregory let her know that he understood and immediately went back to work with a smile from ear to ear. Holly explained how sea life can be lonely and somehow Gregory didn't abandon or challenge her or even get made when as the new captain she sought to end pillaging and take up real freight work. The girls smiled and enjoyed hearing and knowing how the ship operated.

Edwin and Kristoff didn't enjoy the air as much but made the best of it, as they passed the time by playing checkers below deck, especially now that Isla was no longer needing care. "So Krissy…"

"It's Kristoff!"

"Right….Kristoff….uhh…Why haven't you been back to Yannis in a long time? Isn't that your home?"

"Look priest…if you really are a priest. Let's just play checkers and not waste away trying to be friends." The shaman kept playing checkers and the priest soon quieted down and just enjoyed the thrill of the game.

The day went on fairly normal for life at sea, Calyx slept on the lower deck near the bow, on a pile of ropes he arranged into a sort of nest. The party had a meal with Holly in the quarters, mostly of apples, and salted meat. The conversation was lively but beyond that there wasn't too much to be done other than relax and wait as the ship inched closer to the opposite shore. Holly estimated they would reach the nearest harbor of Yannis in a day, which did make the group excited, with the exception of Kristoff who still was focused on just serving Aurora and keeping a low profile.

As the day wore on Isla found herself on the deck alone for a time watching the waves and the wakes. "What is that?" She thinks out loud as she squints her eyes and focuses on the object growing larger by the minute. She calls over Aurora to look at the object as well. The two huddle together over starboard rail and observe the object.

"Oh it's a boat." Isla mentions after a few more minutes and realizes that is what the object is as it darts quickly across the waters as if to try and catch Captain Holly and her cargo. "HELL THERE MR. BOAT!"

A punch rings through the air as Holly rushed down from the upper deck of the stern and knocked Isla to the deck. "What are you doing?"

"I was trying to say hello to the fellow sea travelers." Isla says in reply without frustration. Holly only hit her to knock her off her feet and not harm the rider.

"AHEM! HALT YOUR VESSEL AND PREPARE TO BE BOARDED! SURRENDER NOW!" a voice calls out from the vessel speeding ahead and preparing to catch Holly's slower ship very soon. The noises and visuals from the boat catching up both become larger and more readily distinguished.

"Alright everybody! I ain't about to let my ship come under siege without a fight. I'm grabbing my axe, I suggest you grab your weapons as well." Holly gives out the order as she goes and grabs her axe from the wall rack. The others move about and grab their lance and sword while Kristoff and Edwin come up to the deck with their various uses of magic at the ready.

"YOU BEST GIVE UP!" the voice calls ahead. "WE ARE THE CREW OF THE GREAT SMALLBEARD!" All were puzzled at the name as if it was supposed to incite fear into their hearts when really they were just confused about the name "Smallbeard."

"PIRATES!" Aurora yelled as she pulled her sword from her sheathe.

"ACTUALLY WE PREFER THE NAME PRIVATEERS!" The voice called back from the other boat.

"Oh my...FORGIVE MY FRIEND.. PRIVATEERS!" Isla replied.

"ITS OKAY…HAPPENS FROM TIME TO TIME." The voice from the other boat replies back as the two ships are running nearly side by side now.

"ARE YOU GUYS GONNA STILL DO THE WHOLE RAPE AND PILLAGE THING TO US?" She asked in reply to the speaker of the enemy vessel.

"PROBABLY NOT THE RAPING BUT DEFININTELY STILL GONNA DO THE PILLAGING." The man on the other boat and several others tossed a few hook lines onto Holly's ship to allow them to pull the two barges closer. They adjusted their sped to match that of Holly's ship.

"Isla what are doing young lady?" Holly called as she stood ready to fight.

"I was just trying to reason with them, figured maybe a little respect would see them leave us alone." Holly walked up to Isla and slapped her across the face. She then pulled her back to her feet and pointed at the pegasus and told her to mount up. Isla saluted her and moved to duty.

All stood on duty as the privateers dropped a gang plank across the way now that the two ships had stabilized alongside one another. The drop thundered across the ship. But the pass was narrow and allowed for them to only moved along it two by two.

"Rally to the ladder and corral it!" Holly called out.

"What do you mean? Run right at them?" Aurora seemed confused but moved to position with Holly.

"If we don't choke them here they will certainly overrun us Lady Mert." Holly then buried her axe in the leg of the first man along the plank. Smallbeard had a large crew, perhaps too large for the small contingent to handle in any world but they would try. Isla swooped in from the side and rammed into several deeper along the plank, knocking them into the water. Some found themselves suitable in the sea, while others either drowned or where crushed by the ships waking back and forth along the sea waves. Kristoff tried to target with his dark magic those still on the other ship. He eyes an archer aiming at Isla. He chants and then looses a black bolt across the way that pierces through the archer as if he were struck by a ballistae bolt. The archer lets his arrow fly but the draw strength was weak and it falls into the sea. Kristoff smiles as he sees the flyer turn her route in safety and double back once again to the gang plank in safety. He knows he cannot stop though and begins chanting anew for his next spell.

Aurora keeps her focus as she displays her swordsmanship on the narrow plank. She takes her position and swiftly moves around the brutish axe and sword slashes of the inferior men as she clings her feet to the board. The noble woman slides under and stabs upward ripping the guts of a man as he then falls to his knee and then falls into the sea below. The blood that fell upon the deck is hot and sticky and upon the wet gang plank Aurora slip and finds her balance off. Holly pushes the pirate in front of her back and then reaches over and grabs the noble by her belt. She pulls her backward to her own ship.

"Thanks Holly. Fighting on the sea is a little different."

"Just keep on this boat for now. Don't be risky like that, you may be an excellent sword user but sea legs are a different talent altogether." Two more men ran across the gang plank while two Isla pushed into the sea had made their way up the spine of the ship to the deck. Parries and clashes of blades meet as Aurora regains her focus and defends from an incoming attack series from the man in front of her. The twang of the swords dancing and casting sears and shocks from the clashing rings in the ears of all as the sound wafts across the seas.

Far off in pursuit of the vessel is another boat that hears the ruckus and collision of steel and iron on the seas. On the ship are two pegasus knights of house Mert. Who were sent ahead to go and capture and return the lady. "Mount up Irla!"

"Yes Lt. Thrush!" The two riders on the pursuing vessel were sent by lord Mert to recover the renegade daughter. They were Lt. Thrush a seasoned knight of many years in service to the Mert house. She was third in command of the White Wings of Mert. The other was Irla, a cousin of Isla, whom was just thankful to get away from the barracks for a mission. She was seen as one of the lowest in rank and mistreated often in the company, with extra chores and lesser duties.

The two mounted up and flew true hoping to close the distance remaining and that the boat ahead would in fact be the one holding their target, Aurora.

"GET EM BOYS!" Smallbeard calls out as the pirates continue their advance. Isla does what she can without risking severe injury with clearing the gang plank, but Calyx is not a tank and cannot simply ram grown men over and over. She lands behind the lead choke which is being slightly overrun at the moment.

"Edwin cast a heal spell onto Calyx he is worn down from those blitz attacks." The body of the pegasus proved that statement true as his normally white body was bruising, even through the hair his body. The priest moved quickly and began his chant. He knew his spell ability was weak but it was better than nothing.

Aurora and Holly now firmly backed from the gangplank where engrossed in battle, being backed only by each and the dark energy attacks of the shaman Kristoff, as he is able. Aurora and Holly cleave a man and kick his body into the men crossing. They fall back for a moment and then shove his body out of the way and into the sea. There is no mercy or room for sympathy in the life of a privateer. Aurora leaps forward slashing her blade downward unto the axe of a pirate. He blocks the blow with both hands holding the axe high as though it were a bar able to keep him from death. She then kicks up knocking the man in the jaw pushing him off balance and providing an opening in his gut. She slides her blade clean through his midsection pausing for a moment after the execution of the attack. The man's intestines spill onto the deck as he drops his axe to try and collect himself from the attack. Holly finds no pity for him and stomps his head into the deck. Smashing so hard she forgets her strength and knocks his head through the floorboard. Though the damage was enough to put the man out of his misery and into eternity. The captain grabs another man coming aboard and pull him in close. She head butts him with all her might, the blow breaks his nose as he stumbles about before the captain slams her axe into his neck, she pulls it back out in a swift motion and returns to composure as the odds still hang out of favor.

The air catches a slight chill on the already colder waters as the two flying knights of House Mert arrive. Hey instantly reinforce and create a slight break in the action on Holly's ship as Thrush shows her seasoned prowess, connecting her lance strikes and utilizing her mounted position to dodge and maintain a safe distance. "Lady Mert, we are here to escort you back to your father."

"Thrush, Irla, please this is not the time we are under siege now." Aurora says as takes a blunt shot to the left arm, she was able to rotate her body enough to glance and weaken the shot and yet the blow left her favoring her left side as the toils of prolonged combat were beginning to take effect.

"Just hop upon my Pegasus and we shall fly back to our ship in the distance and make back for Aath." Thrush had a singular focus in her mission, to get Aurora to comply.

"No I will not abandon my friends and our host to their doom." Aurora leans forward to catch her breath as she wins another exchange, felling a pirate to the deck. Isla moves to greet her cousin and the higher ranked knight.

"Look she is going to do whatever she feels is right, which in this moment, is get these privateers routed and perhaps finish them off." Thrush had a frustrated look on her face but nodded in agreement getting rid of the pirate threat was the best thing for the realm. She agreed to help defeat Smallbeard. Irla was just happy to see Isla in one piece and also was enjoying every moment of being away from the barracks as she was scheduled for latrine duty for the 27th straight month. Irla hated latrine duty.

The two breathe new life into the battle as the three flying knights rip through the lines of the enemy. In a matter of moments the beleaguered enemy calls for a retreat back onto their ship in attempt to flee, as yes they had the superior numbers but the risk was becoming too much for the pirate to bear. He had no desire to see his men from this world on a fool's errand. "OHHH HELL NO!" Holly was not having that type of behavior. She ran across the gangplank as the enemy crew were sliding it back over to their ship and trying to engage in oar maneuvers below deck to create separation. Aurora seeing the captain take a brave action and begin to fight the other ship completely outnumbered signaled for Isla to come and fly her over to help. Isla understood and the lord hopped onto Calyx and they flew to the other ship much to the chagrin and frustration of Thrush who saw the potential retreat as a moment to end their involvement and bring the lady at once back to their vessel to return to Aath. Kristoff found himself at a greater range, nearly too far with the increased separation between the barges to continue to accurately cast his spells. Yet Edwin encouraged a different tactic for the adept of dark magic, to fire into the lower side of their hull and see if he could puncture the wood and create a leak that would drag the ship under. The shaman began channeling, he was drained from the flux bombs and yet knew this was something he needed to remain focused on.

Seeing their lady fly into the deeper conflict the other two riders knew they must follow suit. They flew to the other ship and together the five on board tormented and began routing the men attempting to flee. Most had no longer a focus on fighting and the few who did found themselves outmatched and confused by the large winged horses all along the deck of the ship. Calyx and the other two made sure they were no mere mount, but a weapon unto themselves, with kicks and swats of their wings the deck cleared quickly as those who failed to fall into the sea found their death in other ways through the brutish brawling of Captain Holly, or through the calm and collected slicing of Aurora's blade work. Smallbeard's crew was nearing its end. Smiles were all around as the clear tide was turning.

"BOOOMM!" The pirate ship lunged hard to the port on the waters as consecutive shots from Kristoff into the side of the boat had created the breach in the hull. Water began pouring into the ship, dropping the boat over toward the portside with a strong lean that would only increase until a deeper submergence caused a balance back upon the ship's final moments above water. "THUNK!" The Smallbeard took the distraction of the shot and had leapt in the air toward the cluster of five decimating his plans and futures. His initial target was Isla and ye the sudden shift in the ship whilst he was in air redirected him unto the chest of Thrush. The sword pierced through quickly. As the pirate captain landed upon the back of her flying horse. Thrush fell forward in the saddle after looking down purely just to notice the wound in her chest. As she leaned over the blood dripped down the sides of her steed and sent a panic into the beast. Smallbeard loved the idea of perhaps either selling the pegasus or using it for his own devices, but the situation was dire and not one that would allow for any opportunity to collect anything of value now. He pulls a long knife from a scabbard on his back at his waist and shoves it into the neck of the flyer.

"NEEIIIGGHHHHHHH!" The scream of horse is terrifying as it screeches with the last efforts of its vocal chords as its pure blood gushes unto the sinking ship's deck. The mount falls to its side. As death comes for the mannered beast.

"AHHHH SHIT!" Smallbeard finds himself pinned to the deck with his left leg under the dying and rattling horse. He flails and struggles to pull himself out from under the beast. Yet, as the men around him either in a panic have all fled ship or fallen at the hands of the small band that returned the invasion, he was not safe and with Aurora shoving her sword through the last man on the deck still standing of this world, Smallbeard had all the attention now.

"AHHHH…Damn!" He pushes and pushes as Aurora and the other clear up the remaining chattel. There was an anger brewing at the death of Thrush, yet, it was combat and these things happen. However all involved wished to ensure this man had a true experience of suffering and not just a quick end. "Fine I yield!" The pirate captain called out, trying to appeal to Aurora's noble side. He had heard stories of the wisdom, self-control, and mercy of the great houses and he could tell she was someone bred of those conditions, especially with the escort of flying knights. "Take me prisoner noble woman." Aurora looked to Holly and refused such a ploy. She did have a kind heart and wished to protect rather than harm, but knew that men like this proved of no value and only made waters such as these more unsafe than they already were. Sheathing her sword, the woman reaches down and grabs the lance of her fallen sworn knight, Thrush, and then hands it to Holly.

"Thank you Aurora, I think I know what needs to be done." Holly then shoved the spear through the right shoulder of the man. All the way through, pinning him to the deck of the ship. The wound was painful but was intentionally aimed to not in itself be fatal in the short term. The pirate moaned and groaned as cried out as he found himself unable to move and flail further. The group on the sinking ship look him over for a few moments as he moves from fear and pain, and then to acceptance….Only to then see terror on his face as the waters of the gulf sea found their way onto the deck, low at first and then with a slight increase. The man panicked as he was pinned two ways now and had no way of freeing himself.

"NOOOO! NOOOO!" He cried as Holly climbed aboard Irla's peg with her and Aurora remounted Calyx alongside Isla. They gave the body of Thrush, in her shiny armor coated in the sigil of Aurora's ancestors one last look. Then they gave a hollow glance to Smallbeard whom huffed and huffed as if he could blow the water off the deck as the boat moved quicker into the sea. The horse's wings took flight and the four watched as the boat and Smallbeard were swallowed by the sea. Several men floated around in the waters as the next moments transpired and some tried to swim for Holly's vessel, yet Gregory had the ship moving further and further at a pace that no man in water could catch, to create separation and ensure that no undertow from the sinking enemy ship would drag them to a similar fate.

The four dropped down onto the deck of their friendly boat. Holly and Aurora the most tired from the fighting dropped to the floor and leaned their backs against the wall and breathed deep sighs of relief.

"My lady please the danger is over. We must return to my vessel Thrush and I came from and return you to Aath to speak with your father. He isn't mad and thinks we can still get you married to Vespasian Bruin." Irla picks up right where her and Thrush left off and not in a moment's rest.

"Irla come on. Don't be that naïve." Isla replied. "Cousin, Aurora has gone to all this trouble, coming this way, separating herself from house Mert, and traveling to Yannis with intent to beseech the neutral western kingdom to join arms against the Bruin, she isn't doing this just to be some rebellious spoiled noble. She is doing this for her people."

"Isla that is not my call to make." Irla replies. She is younger than her cousin and fairer in appearance. Her hair a more lavender shade and longer than Isla's though family resemblance is noticeable. "We are members of the White Wings of Mert. We serve the family, and the family head Lord Aulick Mert demands that Aurora return to Aath." Isla sees that appealing to Irla's sense of duty to perhaps a better cause would not sway the knight from her nagging purpose. So she smiled as she knew a better way to move her from her task at hand.

"Look Irla, I'd be upset too if I had latrine duty waiting on me when I returned." The younger flyer perked up at the comment. The nightmarish barrage of thoughts and frustrations associated with that particular chore nearly knocked her off her mount. She hated latrine duty. More than anything she wanted a different role in the White Wings, and yet all she ever received was Latrine duty. She dismounted. Isla dismounted as well. The two pegs, Calyx and Opeth sensing the mood of the situation walked over to the pile of ropes on the deck and laid down for a rest together.

"There you go, see no more latrine duty. A fresh start." Isla smiles as she knows Irla has now joined their little band of rebels even if she has not voiced the statement yet aloud.

"Irla we are going to Yannis, and we are happy to have you along on our journey." Aurora speaks as she still lays against the railing, her body is sore from the fighting. Edwin notices and applies a light healing spell to numb the pain on the lord.

"Lady Aurora, I perhaps will continue my oath to serve your family, by serving you in your quest." She bows on the deck. "Consider me and Opeth, yours to command." Smiles are shared by all in the coming moments. Isla fills Irla in on the grand scope of how all the events have occurred. Kristoff bandages his hands up as the effects of the rapid use of his spells took a toll on his own health in the process, yet he wasn't fearful or in any danger as he knew is limits.

For about half an hour this was the scene as the pulsing of battle faded to the bottom of the sea, and the first glimpses of the Western shore became slightly in view. Isla excused herself from her cousin with a hug for her to go sit by Aurora and rest. Irla just smiled, as she felt more free and useful than she had in many a day.

"Aurora, that could have been a close one." Isla speaks as she sits down next her close friend.

"It was, I am just glad we had those two arrive when they did to turn the tide. I mean we were probably able to pull out a victory but it would have been for nothing if that man had simply gotten away." Aurora rubs her arm. She doesn't say it, but the lady hates how easy the taking of life is becoming and in the back of her mind she is afraid of becoming too comfortable with killing.

"I am just glad you're safe." Isla leans her head onto the shoulder of Aurora. Both smile. Then Aurora twitches up with a question, pushing Isla back off of her.

"Isla….Earlier when the privateer ship was roaring up from the distance to intercept us…you acted or seemed different." She slowed down as she tried to find the best way to describe her confusion. "You have always been light hearted and positive, but you seemed…childlike or simple." Aurora already felt odd in trying to have this conversation and somehow she could not figure out the correct combination of words.

"I think…I know what you mean sister." Isla held her friend's hand to reassure her that no offense was taken. "My head…It still hurts from when I was knocked out cold in Cross Point. I was out for a long time, and I still have a foggy feeling in my mind….So maybe that is making me a little more childish in moments." Isla looked just as puzzled. Both could tell that she still had full mental faculties and intellect, but they both felt a concern that maybe the injuries sustained in that fight would have such a longer implication. They both agreed to not linger on the concern and both soon fell asleep right there on the deck after the weariness from battle set in and the gentle rocking of the boat from Gregory's excellent helming drifted them to a needed slumber.

Irla watched them drift off as she took in the new surroundings and contemplated the future, something she general avoided. She now felt alive, and free from waste duty.

"HEY YOU! NEW GIRL!" Holly called as she rallied to her feet, as sadly being a small crew there was never much time for rest of any sort during voyage.

"Yes captain?" Irla replied.

"Go down below deck and clean out the waste buckets." Holly commanded of her newest guest. Irla nodded with a smile, oblivious to the fact that she once again had found herself handling or taking care of waste.