Battle for the Winds (closed)

[Destiny]

Battle for the Winds
Writers
@Talon7448 @momadness @KhaosStorm @Destiny​

The wind blew the fog of the battle around her in a swirl of morning mist and the acrid stench of gunpowder. A few tendrils of bright red hair dances along pink lips and the smile there was anything but friendly. Standing on the deck of her ship that was beginning to catch the wind drawing away from the battered spanish bitch that more then likely would never make it home. Her green eyes lifted to the sky in thanks to the gods of the sea for another successful battle. Turning she came face to face with one of the newer crew members covered in blood and gore, his eyes held a feral gaze that put her hackles up. In a matter of seconds a dagger appear and was at his throat before he uttered a word, blood coated her arm and her chest already was was a bit more. She watched him drop to the deck and stepped over his dying body with a barked,"clean that up!"

The battle was over it was time for clean up, beginning to walk along the deck of her ship she hollered out orders for the washing and sanding of the decks. Calling for men to wash the blood off of railings and other things. She called for lines to be checked for the sales to be fixed her orders were rapidly followed. Captain Kal was not a woman you wanted to cross blades with if you didn't have too. "You know I am supposed to do that."Johnny said as he walked up beside her and handed her a cotton square. "I am quite aware of what my second in command is supposed to be doing? How man dead? How much did we get?" Kalinda asked the man standing beside her well over 6 inches taller then herself and she took the cloth and began wipe her hands. Just as she was about to speak again she head it a woman crying and she gritted her teeth and turn around to see a woman on the ship her clothing torn and ragged along her chest and shoulders. Her skirts that might have been sea foam green if not for all the blood pillowed around her as two crew men stood over her and seemed to be arguing over who would have the wench. Kalinda strolled across the deck and she pulled two daggers one for each hand and she spin then along her fingers,"YOU two..." Johnny walked up beside her," Now Captain ..." Kalinda glared at him her voice low and menacing as she spoke," there better be a good reason for this, Johnny." The two sailors that had been arguing over the woman stopped talking and turned to face her and the first mate as they approached.


A dagger sailed through the air and pierced the heart of one of the men as she growled," WE DO NOT TAKE PRISONERS!" The second dagger sailed and met its mark next and the second sailor fell to the deck. "Really Ka... Erm captain you need to stop killing men..we already have trouble recruiting them now." Emerald green eyes met steel grey and she placed a finger to his chest and each word was marked with a poke," NO. women. on. this. ship." Reaching out she grabbed the woman by the hair and began to drag her to the side of the ship," that goes for this one as well." She shoved the woman over the side of the ship uncaring for the scream that ripped the air as she turned to face the First Mate. "You need to recruit better. Every man on this ship already gets more then his fair share Johnny, Hell I don't' even take my CAPTAINS portion and only get what all of you get." She shook her head, "We will be in port in two days time the men can have a week to fuck, game and drug their brains out, until then. KEEP THEM INLINE!" She walked back to the two men she had just killed and grabbed her daggers out of their chests and cleaned her daggers off on their shirts.


Walking off to the captain's quarters she called over her shoulder, " Send Alex with bath water and make sure he remembers to gather everything I need to bath." Walking past two other men she pointed to the two men on the deck," Clean that up!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Cape Verde~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


The ship was at rest and the men had all left except for the first mate, the bosun and Kalinda. She couldn't go anywhere in the ports alone without her faithful hounds and she chuckled as she spoke, "You both are worse then father ever was. I will be fine." she adjusted her daggers the sword at her hip and the tilt of her hat. A black veil covered her lower face and she was sporting a black silk shirt that was tucked into a pair of black broadcloth pants that left little to the imagination. These were tucked into a pair of jack boots that were well made but worn and gave her a few inches of height that made her look statuesque. "We can get all the provisions Kal, you don't need to go ashore," Carl the bosun spoke. Only Johnny and Carl were allowed to call her by that name and they rarely did it. Most of the crew had been loyal to her father, and when he had died 2 years back she was made the captain of the 'Scarlet Witch'. When she was handed the reins, thing had definitely changed, prisoners were no longer taken and women especially were never allowed on the ship. "look its been a month since I have been off this ship, I won't kill anyone this time... and you two old hound dogs always have my back so I should be fine. I am going ashore and that is all."

Finally reaching the shore in the dinghy she scrambled over the side and helped to drag the boat onto the beach. She wobbled a bit getting her legs back from having spent so much time on shore she headed into the town with her two hound dogs following. All she wanted was a nice long bath with some perfumed soap and as much rum as she could find. She knew she would only have a week here the men would be out of funds soon and there wasn't ever enough time. This was more or less a home port for her. She paid bribes and she wasn't molested by the local constabulary. She kept a house on the edge of the town and she was finally happy to be home and called to the servants to get her bath ready. Maria came bustling out of the kitchen," Mi bebe," and Kalinda was engulfed in a hug that might crack a few ribs if she didn't untangle herself from the woman. "Yes Maria I am home and for a week as well," She listened to the spanish woman who had helped raise her as well babble on about her being so thin and what a mess she was and how she was a beautiful girl and she shouldn't be on the seas. The same argument that had been had for years and more then likely would be had for more years to come.


A letter was waiting on the dresser as she walked into her room and as she took off her clothing it drew her attention. She hadn't had a letter in months, and she was hoping it was Isa, She missed her long time friend and wanted to see her again soon. Grabbing up the letter after she had divested herself of her clothing she walked to the door overlooking the sea and began to read the letter uncaring of anyone seeing her. Her eyes began to darken and her teeth gritted the more she read. "Maria!" She called to the servant and she waited for the woman to arrive her voice frantic, " when did this arrive?" Maria shook her head and she seemed to be thinking, "2 weeks ago."

 

[Talon7448]

The battle was fierce and unforgiving if you could call it that. The twin forts on the Isle of Goree' fell faster than he could have anticipated. The defense towers, and long range cannon emplacements were destroyed in an instant, then his war caravel's bombarding with each of their four, 12 inch-long range cannon's, and twenty 8-inch broadside cannon's, 10 on the starboard, and port flanks respectively ..... and he had three in his raiding fleet. Along with 4 corsair's each with five , 6-inch cannon's on their flanks, and two whaling/boarding harpoons, 1 forward, and the other aft. And the most recent addition was a large Spanish freighter capable of holding, more than the corsairs, and carrack's combined 3 years prior, which he affectionately named the Large Lady. Affection... oddly enough he had no true affection for anything other than the thrill of battle, the pitch and roll of naval tactics, and conquering of enemies, and the taking of loot, and on occasion the taking of and lamentation of a woman, he grins to himself, some not always amendable to his debaucherous ways.

"Cap'n Dayne" his first mate Smitts called as he approached Kerrigan. " The corsairs are anchored save one as ordered, and all manned boats are en route to clean up the survivors, just yer boat, and me own are waiting on us." Nodding to his first mate, "Excellent Smitts" he takes another look from his own carrack, The Crimson Gale seeing the fallen towers and smoke rising from a dozen fires or more. Smitts replied " The other carracks , The Gory Blade, and the Hammerhead stood anchored on opposite flanking points of the island occasionally firing a cannon shot to keep survivors from getting to any ships that remained seaworthy. " Dayne had the outward appearance, and education of a British Aristocrat, cleaner than most pirates of the time, he was well kept, looking much younger than he was , the only give to his age was the silver in his well groomed goatee, and a streak of silver coming down his hair that hung in front of his hair just passed his shoulders. That was where his Aristocracy stopped, his outward appearance belied a cruel, and tortuous soul, whipped into him, during his time in the stock yards, as many found out much too late and to their detriment all too often.

Dayne walked to the gunwale, and climbed down the rope ladder, and boarding his landing boat, and immediately his men rowed as if death were chasing them, and it was. As everyone of his crewmen understood that if they responded too slow or kept the Captain from his true enjoyment, that of martial combat, they knew they're lives were forfeit. As the approached shore Dayne saw that nearly all the man to man fighting was done, a few scuffles here and there, as all men were put to death, no quarter given or received in these large raids, and his orders were always followed to the letter.... well almost always. As Dayne made shore he lept from the boat to see one of his newer crewmen taking his pleasure from one of the local women, shaking his head as he approached, he pulled one of his visible 4 flintlock pistols, cock it back, and shot the crewman in the back of his head, letting his dead body fall atop the battered and bruised woman as she slowly pulled herself from beneath the man, she groveled at his boot thanking him for killing her attacker. He looked her up and down realizing this was not the first crewman to have attacked her, with a silent shrug, he pulls his falcion free, and beheads her, in a clean swipe, lifting his booted he pushed her lifeless, and headless body into the sand. " Smitts!! Inform the rest of the crews, that NO liberties are to be taken until all loot is accounted for and secured, it seems they have forgotten protocol."

Knowing Smitts would get the word out quickly especially with the runners they had available to him, he sent them out immediately, "Oh and find out if you will, who else took of this woman" he says nudging her body with his boot, "they've a price to pay as well" Looking at the carnage on the beach he appreciates the carnage and bloodlust his men have shown. " Nilson" he calls out to his quartermaster " Be sure you personally take stock of all powder, cannon balls, weapons, wicks, bullets everything, and send your boy Tomas, and Jacob to take stock of all food stores, and grains, casks, and what have you, and post guards at all storage buildings, and the homes of the wealthy, until we get there to take stock of the loot" Shortly thereafter Smitts returned with two more men they found out, that had the woman he killed, making an example he had them each dig a hole about 3 feet deep, then bound their hands and feet, and dumped them in head first, then buried them like that with half of their bodies protruding from the sand. The message was clear, and it didn't matter what they had done, just that they had broken protocol, and broken the order of the raid, and that just did not happen. Pulling his pipe as he watched the final death kicks, and struggles of the two crewmen, he took a long drag on his pipe, again looking at to his fleet... " aye this was a good day indeed", he said out loud.