Private Tales The Stuff of Fairy Tales

[Rob Yew]

Godfrey felt a profound sense of weariness as he glimpsed the pirate ship in the distance, then with an effort of will he banished the thoughts entirely. His voice boomed with bravado as he summoned up a facade of lively vigor that he did not truly feel.

"My lady," he watched as she surged about in a frenzy to bar the door with the table, "allow me."

Godfrey moved the table aside with a shove that looked effortless, then drew his arming sword and nodded to Gunther. "Keep our new knight safe, Siegewright. I shall deal with yon vagabonds."

Though like as not they would deal with him.

There were two doors. This one and the one at the bottom of the stairs. If he could hold the stairs and slay enough of their number, perhaps they would find the blood price too high and strike a bargain instead.

Throwing open the door with one hand, he thrust his sword into the gap with the other.

 

[Gal]

Geddy made a wet, wheezing noise as the sword sank deep and true into his chest. Ratchett, a knave of the highest order, batted not an eye at his gurgling compatriot. Instead he brought his heavy boarding axe down upon the sword stuck betwixt the ribs of the other pirate, hoping to break first the blade, and then its noble owner.

Below, Gal listened to the echoes of fighting filter down through the humid air. Smoke slowly curled up from the pipe between her lips, dense and blue like the depths of a midnight sea.

“Five docatte Ratch doesn’t make it back alive.”

“Ah tak’ dat bet an’ rais’ ye five on top o’ it. Geddy’s alwa’ been da slo’er one o’ da two.”

“Yeah, but Ratch is older than the great wide sea.”

Gal clicked her tongue and ashed the pipe. “Troo. But ye shoold fear da man who’s livt long in a bisnis where people die yoong.”

 

[Selene]

Squelch.

She screamed. Not because that was what a lady of her breeding was suppose to do in a right and proper moment like this, no. It fell from her lips without even a thought, the pirate speared on the knight's sword.

"No!" Came her high pitch protest, though what she was protesting she wasn't sure. Maybe just being here? These events happening at all? Her pale hand reached out, shaky and unhelpful as the ax came down on Godfrey's sword.

"Kill him!" She blinked at her own words, but there was no time to be indignant over that. She picked up a book and tossed it over Godfrey's shoulder, helping.

 

[Rob Yew]

The boarding axe came down with full wrought intent and struck true upon the length of Godfrey's blade that twas not buried in cloth and flesh. The resulting clang sent such a vibration through the metal that the hilt slipped from Godfrey's numbed grasp, leaving the impaled pirate to totter against the wall and clutch at the edged metal sprouting from his chest.

A book sailed over Godfrey's shoulder and toward the axe-wielder, no vital blow, but valued all the same for ensuing befuddlement.

Deprived of weapon though he was, the knight reacted with swiftness that gave credence to his fame. These pirates had plied other professions before they took to sea, but Godfrey's trade had been the art of warfare since the time his chubby, child hands could first hold a weapon.

With sureness and strength unbound, the lionlike warrior grappled with the remaining vagabond, seeking to seize the haft of the boarding axe below the head, to prevent another stroke. Grip held fast, he kicked at the belly of the pirate, maille rattling, his aim to send the man tumbling down the stairs from whence he came, whilst leaving the axe in Godfrey's hand.

 

[Gal]

A sound like a forge bellows wheezed out of Ratchett as the knee sank into his gut. His veiny eyes bulged as he sputtered spittle all over the pretty noble. Barefoot, the pirate slipped in the slick crimson blood leaking from the paling Geddy, and went swiftly a-tumbling down the long flight of stairs.

The one thing he didn’t do was let go the axe.

In his immortal words – likely now to become an infamous posthumous quote – “I’ll sooner plough the Queen of Mantessa than lose me axe.”

A right racket did Ratchett cause as he clanged his way down the steps, until finally he kissed the door with a soft thump and did not move again.

The pirates waiting at the door toed it open with some apprehension, and revealed to their hidden comrades the two tangled corpses piled at the foot of the stairs.

“Ah guess…” Gal drawled out, smoke trailing out between sharp teeth, “we both win.”

 

[Selene]

Selene watched the pirate fall out of sight, her chest heaving and eyes wide as saucers.

A book thumped into Godfrey's chest, held out by a shaky hand as she did not cease staring down the dark hole that was the stairway. "This is my last one one," she offered, voice tense and almost inaudible.

They were both weaponless now, her without her frying pan and Godfrey without his sword. She visibly shook, the violence quite a shock to her senses. She turned her back to hem all and half curled into herself, her arms wrapping around her bare torso.

"Oh Gods, we're going to die." And she didn't want to die, as she had just discovered. She turned back to him, a few distressed tears escaping down her face. "What are we going to do? There's too many."

 

[Rob Yew]

Tears streaked her perfect features and Godfrey felt a pang in his heart. He raised a hand to her cheek, then saw that the maille still glistened with dragon's blood. He dropped the hand to his side.

"Fear not, my lady. They would have to make a corpse of me to get to you and there's not a warrior alive who has bested me in the melee."

Not since Sir Marian Banick perished in the desert in a war against some sheikh.

"Gunther, an axe."

The grim dwarf tossed him a short, one-handed axe, suitable for a dwarf, but in Godfrey's hand it looked a mere hatchet. He would make do.

Striding down several steps, he stood in the spiraling stairway and called down.

"Send your best, brigands. I'll cleave them like pudding."

 

[Gal]

Oredin turned to her with a furrowed brow. “What’s pudding?”

“Ah don’ got ne cloo.”

Gal ashed the scorched remainder of kālau leaves and tucked the pipe back into her crimson sash.

“Lye’em, Breic, break oot da axes an’ cot doon a few o’ dose trees. Less light a fyre oonder dem fine arses.”

It’d been a long few days at sea with naught but fresh and dried fish for company. Besides, you can’t beat smoked meat.

 

[Selene]

Silence.

Silence fell from the bottom of the tower. Selene squirmed in apprehension, glancing at the other two in a desperate hope for answers. "What are they doing?" She asked rapidly, not pausing for a response as she paced. She fluttered to the window, then was left to gasp.

A tree swayed on the rocky cliff face, crackling under the assault of the pirates. It fell with a force that they felt up the tower, clashing across the main square.

She ducked back inside the window as the sentry tasked to shoot down any faces that came out, saw her.

She gasped, her back pressed against the wall, trying so very hard to not dissolve into hyperventilating. "I don't think that's going to work. They're going to smoke us out."

 

[Rob Yew]

"You're right, but-" what had he been trying to say? The thoughts came so thickly to his head. Smoke swirled around them, heady and noxious. Godfrey clutched the wall for support, eyelids growing heavy. He coughed, choking.

"We need to get out. We need to-"

He sucked in another lungful of smoke, then dropped like a stone to the floor, unconscious.

 

[Selene]

Selene fell to the window, coughing and gasping for fresh air. "Heeeeeeelp!" She screeched out of it, the call useless but desperately given just the same.

The dwarf seemed to be made of heartier stock. He came up behind her and pressed a wet cloth to her mouth. "Here, breathe through this."

And so she did, pained tears streaming down her face from the smoke as he grabbed onto the collar of Godfrey and grimly began dragging him round and round, out of the tower.

They stumbled out, blind and coughing as they pushed past the bush fires set up at the bottom of the tower to smoke them out.

Selene spilled across the warm, dark rock of the cliff face, disoriented and gasping in the untainted air.

 

[Gal]

Siegewright might’ve been of hartier stock, but he was also a practical sort. Once his eyes adjusted to the light of day and he’d eyeballed the number of pirates rising out of the bushes, the temptation to unload his crossbow fled quickly and decisively.

“Chain ‘em.”

The order came on a rough voice, thick with Cerak accent and full of smoke to boot. A tall, dark woman strode into the clearing like she owned the place, hands braced on lively hips. Her men worked to bind the tragic trio even as her obsidian eyes took them all in. Ripe like black cherries her lips quirked up into a sharp smile. She crouched in front of the kneeling blonde, fingers hooking under a pale chin to meet her gaze.

“Dis a bad pleys fo’ a jentle wummin like ye. Terrible tings haunt dese waters. Monsters.” A few of the pirates chortled as they yerked the knight and the dwarf to their feet. “Yer an’ his daddy, dey pay lotsa gold fo’ yer noble asses ta’ git home in one piece, ne?”

“E cos’ da facit’ col sua nave, Capo?”

Gal tilted her head in thought. “Yes. Wat ta’ do wit his ship. Wat ta’ do…” she smiled bright and wide. “Ah tink we earnt a prize, no?”

The men cheered; the cutlasses sang; but her eyes never left the girl.

 

[Selene]

There was one thing to be said about Selene as she was bound and spoken to in tongues-- she never shrunk back in fear. Oh she was afraid, yes. And her lungs burned and her bare skin prickled against the brisk sea breeze. But as she was hefted to her feet as jostled about, she didn't shy back. And she met Gal's attentions with an unwavering gaze, her chin tilted stubbornly up.

"My father will pay you nothing," she shot back, catching enough of their butchered words to gist it out. "So you might as well spare us all the effort and leave me here before the dragon comes back and burns you to a crisp." She struggled against the bindings then, casting an indignant look back at their tightness. What was she going to do? Break out of them? Please.

 

[Gal]

“Ne?” Gal blinked at the blonde, head canted like that of a curious cat. “Das a pity.”

What affability she’d shown went up in smoke along with her smile. She shoved the girl down the slope after the rest of her party. It was maquis and brambles all the way to the shore, tearing at fragile skin and flimsy clothing until they emerged onto the black sand.

It might’ve been peaceful, were it not for the pirates swarming the anchored ship. The skeleton crew left onboard as Urahil and his men ventured to fight the dragon would scarcely pose any challenge to a band of ruthless brigands. For as long as they held out, however, Gal had the time on her hands to question the hapless captives at her leisure.

After pushing the blonde down onto the ground, Gal calmly took a seat on a nearby rock and relit her pipe.

“Yer fadder will not pay, den.” She exhaled a plume of blue smoke and watched Cerano throw the first mate over the gunwale. “Are ye a virgin?”

 

[Selene]

She cried out as she stumbled into the ground, tears stinging her eyes in indignant pain. She rubbed at various cuts across her bare calfs, her jaw locking up at the vicious woman's question.

What an imprudent question!

...One that she was hesitant to answer. Would it be a good or a bad thing for her if she was? The pirate grew unkind with her once she confessed there would be no money in returning her, and maybe that was true, she couldn't tell anymore. The bluff had been taken seriously all the same.

Now she had no clue what to expect for future. Would she be sold off? If so, wouldn't being unpure be the best for her? Or would it just get her throat slit, a profit for someone like her too minute to waste the effort on?

It was safer to not answer at all, a fire in her gaze as she shot back, "Pardon? I do not speak your tongue."

 

[Gal]

“Das tu bad.” She puffed smoke into her face and ashed off her pipe. In the blink of an eye the pirate was back on her feet, reduced to a black silhouette by the glare of the sun at her back.

“Cerano! E ancorro finit’?”

“Quasi. Dammi un po’.”

Gal hummed and tipped her head back at the girl in the sand. Scraped raw, dressed in little more than tatters, and somehow still defiant as if she were sitting on a golden throne. That’s Anir nobles for you.

“Less try dis again, hm?” She crouched in front of her this time, so close their breaths mingled on the salty breeze. “Is important fo’ da price of sale we set in Cerak. If yer worth mor’, ye get sold ta’ better man. If yer sold ta’ better man, ye don’ git hit so bad. Ye git fed mor’ an’ screwt less.”

She explained all this as if she were informing her of the weather, emphasizing each sentence with a slow nod.

 

[Selene]

Selene's expression grew tighter with each slowly annunciated word. She could try to play dumb, but comprehension was clearly there as every bit of her tensed and drew closer into herself as Gal leveled her meaning clear and firm.

Her lips pursed, trying to mask the very real fear that shined in her eyes. She forced herself to remain steady, though she couldn't prevent the goosebumps that formed across her skin, despite the steady heat of the sun beaming down on her on the rocky beach.

"You wouldn't do that to me," she challenged softly, her voice quaking despite herself. "You wouldn't put me through that. No matter how different our stations, were both woman." She shook her head, unable to accept it. "We don't do that to each other," she stated, almost naive in the way she swore against it.

 

[Gal]

Her brows went up. Her mouth went down. For a moment, Gal was the picture of bemusement.

Then she realized the girl was being serious.

“Qest’ ragazza pensant’ perche uterq abbiammi zinne ricever’ trattamente special.” It came out on a laugh, long and loud, and her crew joined in as soon as the words registered. The nazrani turned incredulous black eyes back to the blonde, shoulders still shaking with dying chuckles.

“Do wat, little girl? Ah wouldne do noting ‘cept sell ye ta’ wha payt da most. An’ even if ah didne…” she spread her arms wide, a full-body shrug, “wat do ye sajest ah do wit ye? Da dwarf dere, he can fix op me balliste. Da sleepin’ boy, ‘is daddy will pay fo’. But ye…” Gal leaned in and pinched a pale cheek, “ye can do noting, an’ ye ain’ worth noting.”

She stood back, hands braced on her hips. “So tell mi, qe ahm supposta’ do wit ye?”

 

[Selene]

Selene smacked the woman's hands back with her tied up own, a pink tinge to her cheeks. "Miei dei!" She exclaimed, switching begrudgingly into Gal's other tongue and sticking to it. "Don't you touch me. You think just because you lit a fire under my tower, you own me? Because you don't. I'm not your property, I'm not anyone's property-- you can leave me and my worthless self back to my prison, I didn't ask to be saved by you! My gods, the nerves on you, your mother must be so ashamed!"

She ranted, fury filling her.

 

[Gal]

Her eyes danced as her mouth split into a grin. “So you speak my tongue after all.”

Quick as a snake, Gal yanked the girl to her feet by the rope around her wrists. “I will touch you all I like.” Her words were calm even as she gripped the blonde by the jaw and nearly lifted her off the ground. “And if you don’t stop running your pretty little mouth, I’ll let my crew touch you too. Every. Last. One of them.”

“And I’m not your fucking savior. This ain’t some stupid fairytale that you read in your fancy castle. Broken or not, you’ll be fresh goods down in Cerak. Don’t get many blue-blooded folk down there, and some men…” she tilted her head to the side, gaze sauntering downward, “they’ve an appetite for that. I wouldn’t—”

Before she could say anything more, Cerano called from the ship.

“Tick tock, girl. Are you sure your father won’t pay for you?”

 

[Selene]

She jerked her jaw away, a tear spilling down her cheek. She wiped it off on her shoulder, replying angrily, "He will."

She wouldn't even look at the woman now, her gut burning with a mixture of emotions so vehement it hurt. None of this was going according to anyone's plan. Her future looked abruptly grim and in a twisted turn of events she found herself yearning for her tower again.

She casted it a glance before blinking back another tear and clearing out her throat. "The knight too. He's my betrothed," she informed the pirate through gritted teeth.

As much as she did not want to marry any man, he had meant her no harm by coming here. She would not leave him to the hands of this monster.

"Take us to Vel Anir," she ordered, finally meeting her gaze, simmering in defiant anger.

 

[Gal]

“And they say nobles are the lucky ones.” Her eyes flicked from the rebellious blonde to the knight they were presently dragging aboard Her Ladyship. “Wouldn’t pick that sob if you put a knife to my throat.”

As far as she was concerned, righteous never looked good on anyone.

When the girl found her spine, Gal scoffed and yanked her along by the length of rope. “What’d I say about running your mouth?” Not that she would actually give her to the crew – waste of good flesh – but the blonde couldn’t know that.

“I take you to Anir, and the only payment I get is a noose ‘round my neck.” She shook her head and lead the way up the boarding plank. Urahil’s ship swayed abreast the brigantine, manned by a prize crew selected from her own.

“Weigh anchor!” Rang out as she set foot on the deck, and the lines swarmed with activity. Gal turned to the blonde with a cool curl to her lips. “Just because I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth doesn’t mean I’m stupid. You’d do well to remember that, princess.”

“Take her to my cabin,” she cast over her shoulder along with the rope. It was Malris that caught it, his pockmarked face oozing into a grin at the sight of unspoiled aristocratic beauty. Gal pinned him with a steely gaze, hands wrapped around the helm.

“To my cabin.”

 

[Selene]

Selene visibly stalled as she was passed off, her composure crumbling a touch as it took actual force for Malris to yank her forward.

"No!" She could be heard protesting as she was dragged off, glancing wildly back for the woman that was now clearly the captain.

But as life had it, Malris did not touch her. He seemed to want to though, his gaze lingering uncomfortably long on her torn ensemble before licking his lips and locking her into the captains cabin.

She broke for the porthole, tearing it open and jamming her head out. Her expression fell as her eyes dropped allll the way down, catching the height of the cabin compared to the waterline.

 

[Gal]

Sails unfurled, yards braced and jibs hauled, the brigantine soon caught the wind and departed for southern waters. Waves broke against the prow, spraying salt and foam up the gunwale. If the blonde kept her head stuck out any longer, she’d find her hair curling into a barbarian mess.

It’s how Gal maintained her curls, really. Effortless.

“She giv ye any trooble?”

Malris grunted as he stopped at her right, irked as ever that she heard him coming. He’d been trying to beat her senses for years, and had paltry luck so far. “No.”

“Da knight?”

“Still passed out last I saw.”

“Giv ‘im a dunk in da bilge, weyk ‘im op right quiq. Don’ want ‘im goin’ bad in da head if we wantsta’ sell ‘im.” He grumbled his assent and turned to leave. “An’ da dwarf?”

“Anir or bloody coin, doesn’t matter much to him. He’s agreed to take a look at the starboard ballistae when we next make port.”

“Keep da eye on ‘im still, ne? Could be mor’ freynd dan mercenario.”

“Got it, Capo. And…” he trailed off, clearing his throat, “the girl?”

“No.”

There was only silence after that. Lines creaked as the sky bled from blue to purple to red. When the sun kissed the horizon, their sails caught fire, burning bright until the sea swallowed the flaming star and everything went dark.

Despite his years, Cerano walked lighter than Malris. Because of his years, he’d long stopped trying to surprise her.

“Relieving.”

“Night watch is all yours,” she stepped away from the helm and stretched her locked limbs.

“Just don’t keep the crew up with her screaming, yeah?”

Gal gave a good-natured snort and stalked away without another word.

 

[Selene]

Selene had long since given up on her escape attempts, no way out but the port hole, and even her shoulders were too large for that. Besides. What would she do after that? They were deep in open sea.

Despite the hours left in the room, the woman did not make herself comfortable. She had slid down the wall beneath that open window, the chilly night air wafting down on her. And still she did not move, her expression pinched as she spent the hours lost in worrying thoughts.

She jolted from them when the door opened, a wary glance casted at the form that pushed through. Relief filled her to see it was Gal, which felt like a betrayal of her senses. All the same, the monster felt like the worse of two evils, Selene genuinely afraid of being handled by the crew.

A girl she could handle. Girls weren't dangerous. Right?

She glared softly up at her from over her knees, not welcoming in the slightest.