The Lady Is A Pirate (closed for AgentBond)

[DarkWarrioress]

Rayne DeRossa (it was the name she adopted long ago, simply because she liked the sound of it) laughed into the wind as she stood at the bow of her black frigate. Once again she had bested him. She lifted her hand in salute as his own frigate disappeared back into the night. She hadn’t seen the last of him. They have been competing for years. Spices, rum, gold, you name it; they were usually both after it. Sometimes, it was she who came away empty-handed. She took it all in good grace, as he did, she knew. They were evenly matched. Rayne was looking forward to their return to Pirate's Island. He'd have something to say about this last capture, she was sure.

Bounding away from the bow, she yelled out orders to her men, those aboard her own ship and the captured one. It wouldn’t do to linger longer than necessary. There was a price on her head. It just made things so much more interesting.

“Mr. Murphy, see to it that the crew of the Star that wishes to work for me comes aboard. Set the rest into a dingy with enough food and water for a week. Have Taggert sweep through the Northern Star and make sure that nothing was missed and that everything of value has been transferred over. We dare not tarry long in British waters. “

Dressed in black from head to toe, her cutlass catching the rays from the full moon that illuminated everything from above, Rayne moved silently to help stack their bounty so more could be brought aboard. Her red curls were pinned to her head by the black head wrap she wore. She straightened as the box she was handed dropped into place.

“The last of the men were brought aboard?” She asked her first mate, One Toe Murphy. He nodded. She glanced at the captive ship.

“Disengage and set the Star ablaze, Mr. Murphy. Then let us set sail for the island. The men deserve a little bit of recreation and relaxation before we head out to terrorize the waters again. I’ll be in my cabin if you need me.”

Glancing toward the captured ship, she briefly watched as the last of her men scampered back to the Bellezza Nera, the Black Beauty as most called her frigate. The ship was her pride and joy. Rayne took the stairs two at a time as she went below, pausing only long enough to snag a cup of what the cook called coffee before she headed to her cabin. Rayne was in a fine frame of mind this night. She had not only beat him to the Northern Star but the bounty aboard her had been richer than she expected. Rayne unstrapped her sword, tossing it to her bunk as she made to sit down behind her desk, putting her booted feet up on it, crossing them at the ankles as she leaned back in her chair to sip at the bitter brew. Surely Cook could do better than this with everything they had at their disposal? Maybe chocolate, she mused and a dash of that spice they called cinnamon.

 

[AgentBond]

It was a nice windy night, and there was nothing to break the silence except for the creaks and groans the Bellezza Nera was undergoing as it prepared to swing round to starboard and make all haste for Pirate Island. And the faint hiss the Northern Star was making as it sank.
Then there was a cough.
A figure climbed out from under the bunk in Rayne DeRossa’s cabin.
He was a scurvy looking specimen. He wore an enormous plumed hat that was frayed with patches, a black coat that looked as if it was undecided whether it was a frock coat or a trench coat, spiked black boots and beneath his coat, torn and ragged clothes. The hands he gripped the hilt of a short sword at his side with were lean but sinewy, and he was built on the lines of some great cat, such as a jaguar, tall, majestic and angular.
The effect was a tad ruined by the cobwebs that were sticking to him in various portions of his anatomy as a result of his hiding beneath the bunk.
He raised a hand to his nose, and stifled a sneeze delicately. Then he turned to Rayne DeRossa, and smiled. His teeth flashed a brilliant white in a darkish face.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Rayne had been leaning back in her chair, eyes closed, her mug cradled in her hands and resting on her abdomen when she heard at first a rustling noise. She frowned but didn’t open her eyes, suspecting a rat had somehow gotten into her cabin. But then the next sound had her bolting upright in her chair, her booted feet hitting the floor with a thud as her eyes shot open and spied someone crawling out from under her bed. Rayne shot out of her chair. Her storm gray eyes filled with fury as she shoved the mug onto the surface of the desk, her hand going immediately to the hilt of the sword at her side.

“What the bloody hell are you doing in here? For that matter, how did you get in? And under my bed? How… “ she paused to let the sarcasm build, “droll.”

Her eyes took stock of the man. While he looked seemingly harmless, she knew better. Appearances were always deceptive. While he looked the fop, her eyes did not miss what lie underneath, reminding her of some dangerous sleek big cat. He stifled a sneeze and turned to face her and smiled. She was hardly amused or feeling congenial. Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword as she arched a brow, waiting for answers that had better come quickly lest she felt inclined to remove his tongue from his head.

 

[AgentBond]

“What the bloody hell are you doing in here? For that matter, how did you get in? And under my bed? How… droll.”
The stranger gave an involuntary chortle at Rayne deRossa’s poor attempt at sarcasm. He bowed, an elegant, formal and old-fashioned bow.
“Well, madam, I rather thought climbing in to a lady’s bed without her permission wouldn’t be quite the done thing, don’t you know?” He flashed a cheeky smile. “I am, madam, an unfortunate personage who has business of rather a pressing nature that takes him to Pirate’s Island. They do not allow penniless and luckless sailors like myself on board merchant ships, it appears. Most regrettable.” He sniffed back a crocodile tear. “Well, then, I had the brilliant idea of hiding away in a certain vessel, one Northern Star of late memory. And so, y’see, I was stowing away, in as reasonable comfort as stowaways are allowed, when a ship captained by this here certain rather fine looking lady torched the poor damned vessel that was carrying me. I hit the starboard side and was almost hurled overboard, but by God’s grace I have some natural athleticism, so I managed to clamber on to the prow of this here other pirate ship, climb through a porthole, and to cut a bally long story short, here I am.”

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She didn’t know whether to be amused or irritated. With her hand still resting on the hilt of her sword, she left her comfy chair, setting the mug down on her desk and came around it, still keeping a safe distance between herself and the stranger. Rayne perched on the corner of her desk.

“So, you just figured you’d hitch a ride aboard my ship, bypassing my orders to either pledge to become one of my crew or be set adrift in one of the rafts, eh? “

She scrutinized him thoroughly. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t have you just tossed overboard and left for the sharks and be quick about it because my patience is wearing thin. It was your misfortune to pick my cabin to hide in.”

 

[AgentBond]

“Certainly, madam,” said the man. The hand that was not gripping his sword twirled silently and slowly behind his back.

He removed the other hand from his sword and scratched his stubble covered chin thoughtfully.

“One good reason, did you say, hum? Well, now, well, how about the word treasure, eh? How about if I tell you that I am one of three people who know the secret of the location of what is possibly the greatest treasure hoard ever to be found this side of the seas, and that the other two are dead?”

He sat down on Rayne DeRossa’s bed, crossing his legs.

“How about that?”

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She studied the jackanape. There was no hiding the glint of interest in her eyes.

“Treasure, you say? Tell me more. “

Her hand lifted away from the hilt of her sword. Arms crossed over her chest instead. Did the fool really know where there was treasure to be had or was he merely stringing her along until they could sail into the bay of Pirate’s Island? Either he convinced her there was a treasure or she would have him lashed to the foremast while she cut out his tongue and that would only be the beginning. Her green eyes held a hint of impatience.

“And while you are about it, you may also tell me two things. What pressing matters take you to Pirate’s Island and how are you called. Do not try my patience in the telling of your tale, because I have little of it as it is. Your life hangs in the balance of the telling.”

 

[AgentBond]

“Of course,” returned the man.

“Milady,” he began, “away to the north of this place, on an island known as

Isla Esquelita, lies buried a great treasure. I was a gentleman of fortune just

the same as you are a gentlewoman of fortune, only not a high and mighty

captain like yourself, but a hired arm, a mercenary. But a damned good one at

that…." He coughed.
"However that’s neither here nor there. My latest… ahem, assignment came

when I was hired by one Simone Caravour on a mission to capture a galleon of

the Spanish Emperor. We were successful, but after the raid, when all the

crew were sound asleep in wine-sodden slumber after their drunk revelry, my

captain ordered me to side silently down the hatchway into their quarters and

murder each and every one of them in their beds save the first mate. This I

did, and the blood was crimson and thick and glistening as if it had rained down in a downpour...." The man paused for a time.

Then he continued, "Then the captain bid me to wake the first mate, and we

three got into a dinghy and sailed to this island to bury the treasure. As soon

as we had done so, the captain killed the first mate with a blow to a head with

a spade. He would have finished me off as well, but I have some knowledge of

Asian wrestling systems, and managed to get the better of him. With the

captain’s body lying at my feet my first thought was to dig up the treasure, but

then I saw something in the distance that convinced me that it would be more

prudent to return to the island with the aid of a bold and fearless pirate crew.

This is what I am currently trying to locate, and it is the reason why I have

pressing business on Pirate’s Island, I go there to seek recruits. As for your

other question,” he exhaled, “I do not give my true name lightly to people….

But there is something about you. My name is Cyanthos de Fulminata… Fulminata is my family name.. It means “charged with lighting.” Why I bear that name is… a long story.”

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Rayne let him get away with that Milady this time. She didn’t want to sidetrack his story. She listened intently and when he was finished…

“So, Mister de Fulminata, what did you see that made you feel it was far more prudent to seek out Pirate’s Island a crew to aid you?”

She studied him, her head tilted slightly to one side. Her arms unfolded, fingers reaching for the hilt of her sword, curling around it as she drew it slowly out of its scabbard. Rayne pointed it in his direction, waving the tip at him as she gestured to his clothing.

“Strip. Naked. Now. Then you may answer my question.”

 

[AgentBond]

The man raised an eyebrow. “That,” he remarked, “is a strange request, but seeing the accompanying…. ahem…. persuasion of that whacking great sword, I suppose I have no option but to comply.”

He unbuttoned his frock coat and frilled white shirt and let them fall.
Then he bent down and in one smooth fluid motion stripped off his pantaloons.

Then he stretched himself back up again to his full six feet, panting as he looked down at his chiselled abdomen, now covered with a fine sheen of sweat from his slight exertions.

He stood there, naked in his lithe, muscular, sinewy body, with a well-formed chest and muscular buttocks that would put any Greek God to shame, and smiled upwards at Rayne De Rossa.

An enormous brown stake was erupting from the centre of the forest that covered his crotch and slowly, slowly unfurling into a serpentine beast.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Noting the raised eyebrow, made Rayne mentally laugh. She crossed one leg over the other as she watched him strip down. Her eyes watched his frock coat fall to the floor, then that frilly white shirt of his. His pantaloons were next. His smile told her he was unashamed of his nakedness. Her eyes meandered slowly over his lithe form and had to grudgingly admit to herself that he had every right to be. Her brow arched slightly as her eyes came to his groin.

Rayne started moving toward her cabin door, sword and her eyes still on her stowaway as she opened the door and hollered for Cook. She wasn’t that far from the galley. On her way back to her desk she paused to scoop up Fulminata’s clothing in one hand. It wasn’t long before a big rotund man appeared in her open doorway.

“Mr. Green, would you please send one of the boys to fetch Mr. Murphy? It seems we have a stowaway from the Northern Star. The cheeky bastard decided to hide himself under my bed. “

She resettled on the corner of her desk. Even the sudden appearance of Otis Green, her cook, didn’t seem to deflate the scoundrel in front of her. The cook took one look at the man, snickered softly then wandered off to do his captain’s bidding. She set the man’s clothing on her desk for the moment. Her sword had not been resheathed. Instead she held at her shoulder for the moment.

“Tell me, Mister de Fuminata, do you always so readily arise to the occasion when asked to strip?”

Rayne’s eyes held a glimmer of mischief and more than a glimmer of humor. The sword left her shoulder and pointed at his private male parts. The tip of her sword bobbed up and down as she spoke.

“You can tell your friend there, he can stop saluting now. I wanted you naked for one reason only. It is far more difficult for a man to lie when he is naked and a sword tip is within striking range of his more… uh… favorable parts. Now, tell me what did you see out there that made you feel it would be far more prudent of you to travel to Pirate’s Island to solicit a crew?”

 

[AgentBond]

The man laughed.

“To answer your first question,” he said, “Not always, milady. But such an

attractive member of the species female armed with a sword to boot seems

somehow to speak to my… ah, depths. But yes, I generally can rise to the

occasion well enough if required, I have had that name amongst those who

knew me well.”


The man smiled. “ My friend tells me he has too high a.... regard for you to be

able to stop saluting.Now as to your second question, madame, I assure you

naked or not I have always been a… ah, cunning linguist. If I did so desire as

to lie to you, I would have, and it would have been a very long time before you

realized it. However, I see no reasonable profit in lying to you. What I saw far

in the distance on Isla Esquelita, was a line of skeletons marching towards

me through the fog…”

 

[DarkWarrioress]

He made her laugh. He was a cheeky rogue to be sure… and… her eyes roamed over his form, a slight appreciative acknowledgement to be found in them, not at all hard on the eyes either. For just a moment, her primal instincts came rushing to the fore. She held them in check. How long had it been since she had slept with a man? Her mind calculated. Far too long. He was still speaking bit she was hardly paying attention until she caught him saying something about skeletons. She blinked a couple of times. Her eyes lifted to his once more. Any sexual thought she had been thinking vanished.

The man might be full of himself, in more ways than one, especially if he thought he could get away with lying to her. Her eyes turned thoughtful and wary. The one thing she wasn’t, was a fool. Did he think she believed him? A line of marching skeletons? Did he really think she was that stupid? Her lips quirked.

“Clasp your hands behind your back, Mister de Fuminata. Keep them there until I tell you otherwise.”

So far, he had not been a stupid man. She would find out if he continued to be so.

“So, tell me about these skeletons. How did you manage to elude them? Or did they simply vanish into the fog?”