(continued from Ch 8, Training and Battle)

The Chronicles of Rapina
Chapter 9, Basic Pirates 


The next few days went by much more smoothly for Rapina. Beck was wounded and could not practice at arms. No one else Hock paired her with had quite the staying power of Beck. Moreover, Rapina was beginning to adapt to the constant activity, something she would not have been able to do so well had it not been for the powers she'd inherited from the lust sprit. 

Rapina finished Red Jack's dictionary at the end of the week. In front of the men he'd promised to let her see the new book after she'd finished with Leech Kennon's book, but in truth he had told her she could see it when she was done with the dictionary. According to Jack, it was a cryptic book that even he could not make heads or tails of, and Rapina would need a large vocabulary even to begin to understand it. 

On the seventh day, Captain Red Jack gave everyone a day off. Most of the men used it to wash their clothes, take a bath and take care of personal business. Since Pike and Fishy washed Rapina's clothes and her body each night, Rapina thought she had some spare time, until Fletcher Arzael caught up with her... 

"Rapina, I was waiting for the right moment to tell you how much I appreciated you saving us from the fire-throwers the other night." 

Rapina blushed. "I was glad I could do something for you, my shooting wasn't exactly stellar." 

Arzael smiled, "Nor would I expect it to be after just a few days of archery training. I have a gift for you. Arzael brought a hand-tooled weapons belt from behind his back. On it hung the rapier and main gauche he had selected from the booty the night after the battle. "I've noticed you haven't the build for a broad sword. Neither do I. I think these weapons will serve you better, but these are just things, the real gift I'd like to give you is the training in how to use them." 

"Rapina smiled brightly. Thank you Arzael. This belt is beautiful. Did you carve all the flowers into it?" Rapina put the belt on. It fit well and lent itself to the deadly grace of the weapons." 

"Yes, I did. Leather working was something I originally picked up so I could make my own quivers and arm guards, but it's become something of a hobby in recent years." 

"I can see you've gotten very good at it," Rapina smiled. "When did you want to train me to use these?" 

"I was thinking we could start today, and I will work something out with Kennon to lend you to me from the time you get back from the fields and forests until dinner at least a few days a week. He may keep you at work a little longer after dinner, but at least you stand to gain a means to defend yourself with weapons more sophisticated and suitable to your build than short sword and shield." 

"I think it will be a good thing," Rapina affirmed.

The training Arzael gave Rapina in the use of the rapier was worlds apart from the training she was getting from arms master Hock in short sword. Hock taught toughness, mercilessness, drill and repetition, whereas Arzael seemed more like a dance instructor than a drill sergeant. There were stretches, exercises, positions, stances and moves, each with it's own little tune that Arzael hummed or strummed on his lute. 

Where Rapina struggled and gritted her teeth under Hock's training, she laughed and jumped and danced her way through Arzael's. Rapina spent most of her day off dancing and laughing and learning the basics of the graceful art of fencing. The practice yard was the whole of Red Jack's isle. By the time it began to get dark, Rapina knew she was going to enjoy her time with Arzael more than anything else. 

"Ah, I see the sun says our time is up." Arzael grinned. 

"Already? Goodness, where did the hours go? It's been so fun! When you first proposed it I thought I'd be spending more grueling hours bumping into dummies." 

"What did you say? Hock's style of teaching is suitable only for dummies? Oh I quite agree, but never let him hear that. He'll flay you alive," Arzael smiled. 

Rapina grinned. "Thank you Arzael, for the finest day I've had since arriving here on the isle." Rapina hugged the fletcher and could not resist nibbling his ear. When they parted, it was Arzael who was blushing. "I couldn't help it. You have such cute ears," Rapina smirked. 

"Do you really think so? I have heard such more than once," Arzael feigned vanity. I'm so glad you enjoyed fencing. I'll be looking forward to our next lesson." 

"Me too." Rapina replied.

Although the camp was in high spirits due to their recent victory, no one was sleeping well. The savage-elf was still on the loose. He had been spotted a few times by the night watch, but had easily eluded any pursuit. Stories about his evil supernatural powers spread throughout the ranks of the pirates. Some were convinced he was a ghost. Others thought he was a demon. Whatever the opinion the reaction was always the same. Fear. 

Drake had heard all of the stories twenty times over. Drake had been grievously wounded during the battle. The bloody bandage wrapped around his chest was testament to that fact. He had fought valiantly and saved many lives including Kent's. He had proved himself a capable fighter that night and a few pirates had come to visit to express their thanks. Drake humbly accepted their thanks and talked amiably with them until they had to return to duty. Kent was the only one who hadn't come to visit him yet. This bothered Drake. Kent was his friend and should be here. After all he didn't blame Kent for his condition. A smile crossed Drake's face as Kent walked in. 

"Hey Drake," Kent said meekly. "How are you feeling?" 

Drake tried to shrug, but stopped as fingers of pain shot through his body. "Ugh! Surprisingly well for having been skewered," he replied. "You know Kent..." 

"Drake! Listen...I'm sorry!" he pleaded as he knelt next to Drake. "I know it was my fault that you were wounded. I...I just don't have what it takes to be a good pirate..." 

"Listen to you!" Drake practically laughed. "A good pirate? Is there such a thing? A good pirate is about as rare as a good meal from Piggy or Fishy. Heh. Don't worry Kent...it wasn't your fault." 

'Yes. It was!" 

"No! It wasn't. I made the choice to take on two people at once. I was the one who foolishly let one of them get behind me..." 

"Yes, but if I hadn't gotten myself in trouble in the first place you would still be fine." 

"Kent. Listen to me. You're my friend. Friends look out for each other. You were in trouble. I couldn't just stand by and watch you get killed. So what if I was wounded? I'm not dead! And I WILL get better. Don't worry so much about this. You would have done the same for me." Drake reached out and squeezed Kent's shoulder. He smiled as Kent looked up. "I'm okay. You're okay. So what's the problem? I don't see one. Now go away. I'm tired." 

Kent smiled back at Drake. He was glad that Drake was alive. He still felt bad, but Drake had eased his mind a lot. "Okay. Rest up my friend. I'll visit you again tomorrow." 

"Okay. See you tomorrow." 

The captain had been watching the exchange from just outside the door. He stepped through as Kent turned to leave. "Thar ye are Kent! Roger's bin lookin fer ye! So quit yer lollygagging and get to yer lesson!" 

"Yes sir! Sorry sir!" Kent practically sprinted out the door. 

Red Jack waited for Kent to leave before closing the door and sitting down next to Drake. He studied the young man for a few moments. 

"Captain? Uh...good evening...um...Is there something I can..." 

"Yes. There is. Be quiet." He paused before continuing. "I've heard a lot of good things about you from my men. And most of them came from men who were trustworthy." He paused and smiled inwardly. His dramatic pauses always made the men nervous. Jack loved that. "It looks like even Kent owes you a debt of gratitude. Tell me about it." He paused as he awaited Drake's response. 

"well sir...Kent and Tim had gotten themselves cornered by three of the raiders and were in deep trouble. I was busy fighting off my own raider just a few paces away. Kent isn't very good in combat...at least not yet...so he wasn't much help for Tim. To his credit Tim fought bravely right up until...until those bastards killed him!" Drake paused long enough to collect himself. Kent didn't stand a chance against three raiders. Luckily I had just dispatched my opponent and was able to help him. I jumped in front of the raiders and positioned myself so that only one of them could get at Kent. Kent was able to hold off his attacker while I did what I could to hold off the other two." Drake paused and winced in pain. "sorry sir. Sometimes the pain is too great for me to continue speaking." 

"That's quite all right. Continue. Please." 

"Kent's opponent was a better swordsman than him and apparently disarmed him. But before dispatching Kent he turned and stabbed me through the back. I thought I was dead for sure. I don't really remember much after that, but from what I understand a few of the men came to our rescue and finished off the raiders." Drake winced again and looked to the captain. 

"Hmmmm. Interesting story." He paused. "And it matches the story Logan related to me. There aren't too many men here who would risk their lives like you did. They would rather save their own hides than help out a comrade. That's why I like to keep the men like you close to me. Roger, Logan, Arzael...they're all like that. It's what has kept us all alive this long. What I'm saying is this: When you're all healed I want you to report directly to me. I have something special in mind for you. Until then take this." Red Jack handed a flask to Drake. 

"what is it captain?" 

"A little something to speed up the healing process...you didn't get a chance to choose your boon or booty the other night so this is your substitute. With that elixir you should be up and ready for action in a matter of weeks instead of months. Drink most of it and then pour the rest on your wounds." 

"Thank you captain." Drake said as the captain walked out the door without replying. He smiled to himself when he reflected upon the captain's words. He was startled from his reverie when Rapina walked in. 

Rapina had been cleaning wounds, changing dressings and applying herbal poultices to various men's wounds since the end of the day's arms training. Now it was Drake's turn. Rapina got more herbs and bandages from Leech Kennon's stores, cleansed, and then refilled her basin. She walked into the infirmary room where Drake was staying just off the main room. "Hi Drake, time to change your dressings." 

A dark figure peeked in through the window. The figure was well concealed from the eyes of the pirates. The savage-elf was very adept at staying out of sight. It was how his people had survived unmolested for so long. He had been listening in since Kent had arrived. He would have continued listening to Drake and Rapina had a drunken pirate not wandered too close to his hiding spot. The pirate stumbled around the corner of the infirmary and belched loudly. The belch startled the savage-elf and was loud enough to be heard by Rapina and Drake. Light from the pirate's torch fell upon the savage-elf's face just as Rapina and Drake turned to look out the window. 

Rapina's head turned as a pirate belched near the window. What she saw in addition to the pirate's face, closer in, was writhing images that caught the light - the wild elf's tattoos. Rapina blinked, "was that...? I thought I saw the wild elf." 

The drunken pirate stared in horror at the savage-elf and was about to scream when a powerful fist slammed into his throat. The pirate crumpled to the ground clutching his throat. He couldn't breathe let alone make a sound. The savage-elf stealthily made his way to the tree line. No one save Rapina, Drake and the pirate had seen him. The pirate wouldn't be raising the alarm anytime soon. 

Rapina heard the sound of a fist slamming into firm flesh and then nothing. She waited for just an instant before running back into the main room of the infirmary. "Leech Kennon, it's the wild elf, Drake and I just saw him out the window. I think he's hit someone." 

Rapina rushed out the door with the Leech and his burly guard, but all they could do was help the man who'd been punched. The elf was nowhere to be seen... 

That night, Brackston told Rapina to report to the Captain's house after her bath. When she arrived, the Captain took her up to the library. There on the table was a large, heavy volume bound in ancient leather. 

"We found it years ago on a merchant ship that carried a few passengers. There was a man there who made a torch he threw flare up bigger than a bon-fire as it hit are rigging. But for the strength of are men at th' oars, that ship would have out-run us. The torch man jumped overboard as we boarded, and we never found him. We were a goodly distance from shore too. No man I know could have made the swim under water. If we hadn't been busy with the ship's crew, we'd have nabbed 'im, but he got away clean. Are archers never saw his head come above water once 'e jumped in." 

"We found his stateroom and belongings aboard the ship though. There were two books originally, this one and another. Deeth, one of the ship's mates looked through this book, and then the second. The second volume burst into flame when Deeth looked at the first page. Deeth was blinded and burned beyond recognition. Blind and in pain, useless as a pirate, he stabbed himself through the heart. It was a sad day. Deeth was a promising officer. I had another man look through this book again, just in case. I'm in no mood ta see yer pretty face torched." The captain said.

"Thank you Captain Red Jack." 

"When we're alone, Jack or Red'll do fine." 

"Okay Cap, er Red," Rapina smiled. 

"See if ye can make any sense of that thar book. I've looked at it meself, I don't have the patience fer it. It's cryptic as code even though it's usin' real words. I know it's about magic, but It'll be a chore ta make heads 'er tails of it." 

Rapina's face brightened. "Magic? Wow! Thank you Jack," Rapina said hugging the pirate captain. "I'll try to figure it out." 

Jack had not been kidding about the book. It was about magic - magical theory, and it was very difficult to understand. Rapina's vocabulary had grown tremendously from reading the dictionary, but there were still words in the book that she had no definition for. The book also seemed to assume prior knowledge. Some of the knowledge, such as knowledge of herbs or gem stones, Rapina had or could come across in Jack or Leech Kennon's libraries, or by asking one of Jack's officers. There was even a section on sex magic, one that Rapina found quite interesting. A week or so later when she found the section, she read a few of the more fascinating lines to Jack. 

Sometimes Rapina just couldn't understand a passage without doing more research than she was willing to do until she had at least read the book once through. On those occasions she just kept doggedly reading in hopes that some later passage would give some clue as to the meaning of the earlier one. After two weeks, Rapina had read the book once, and had a pretty good feel for it. It was a book on magical theory. It contained no spells unless one counted a few odd exercises. Many of these were mental exercises that Rapina started trying on nights she could not look at the book because she had to sleep in the barracks. On nights when she visited Jack, she continued to do research trying to understand the innumerable difficult passages she had bookmarked. In many cases, understanding a single passage required reading several other books in Jack's library. It was a daunting task, but to Rapina it was the most interesting kind of puzzle. 

In addition, during the weeks after the battle, Rapina continued to struggle in arms master Hock's basic training. The wily arms master seemed determined that she was a waste of his time, and that he would make sure she washed out. Luckily, he couldn't be too overt in his methods or Captain Red Jack would hang him from a yard arm. 

During one of her enjoyable fencing training sessions with Fletcher Arzael, Rapina dropped a hint. She said she could swear Hock deliberately paired her with the most durable boys, the ones that had claimed the top positions in the obstacle course race. That is, as long as they were not so huge as to make the mismatch painfully obvious. She had noticed that Arzael had looked over from the archery butts at the training grounds more often during the morning while he trained another group of recruits at archery. Yet, even if he too suspected Hock's methods, they were too subtle to make the arms master culpable of anything. 

With Beck wounded the arms master could not use his finest agent of exhaustion on Rapina. He still used Emery, but Rapina had been able to seduce the boy at the party after the battle. Once he had made love to her, he had treated her better. Often she was able to sneak off with him in the evening so that he would "donate" enough energy to make the others Hock threw at her less of a problem. Unfortunately, Hock had a good eye for when a boy was tired and inevitably paired Rapina with someone stronger. She could not possibly make love with every recruit possessed of a strong constitution, but she had found a few good men who helped fortify her against Hock's daily onslaught. 

In spite of the powers she had gained from the lust spirit, Rapina was hard pressed against Hock's astute attack. She was frequently tired, and her power reserves often dwindled dangerously low. On the other hand, in the four weeks of basic training thus far, the power she had expended had not gone to waste. Captain Red Jack, who was the only one who regularly saw Rapina nude under good light had told her, "I don't know what Hock's got ye doin' girl, but yer gettin' darn right muscular. If it weren't fer the fact that yer shaped nothin' like a boy, I'd be complainin', but ye look good, fit an' vital." 

In the four weeks of exhaustive drill and repetition thus far, Rapina had learned to be handy with a short sword and shield, but not nearly as skilled as she was becoming at the art of fencing. Arzael's training methods were uncanny. Fencing was a song and dance Rapina enjoyed. It was a pleasure to wield a rapier. Often she did not realize what progress she was making. Arzael made it so fun it never really occurred to her that she was practicing something that could be potentially deadly to her foes. 

Rapina's archery was slowly improving as well. The bow that had originally been too strong for her now bent easily enough, and her arrows flew true to the target more often than they once had. Arzael had upped the ante, however, and was sometimes using sliding and swinging targets that were more difficult for the recruits to hit. Thankfully, a great deal of hitting a moving target depended on intelligence and dexterity, two qualities Rapina had in greater abundance than most of the boys. The fact that Arzael seemed to spend just a little bit more time during practice helping Rapina with the finer points of archery than he did with the other recruits had not hurt either. 

A few weeks after the battle, Drake was well enough to resume his duties. He reported to the Captain as ordered. Red Jack was engrossed in one of his many books when Drake entered. Drake waited a moment before speaking up. "Reporting...as...um...ordered sir." 

"Ah yes. Drake. Come. Sit." Red Jack motioned towards one of the chairs in the room. "How are you feeling? Better? Good. Has Roger been tutoring ye as I instructed?" 

"Yes sir. He has. I'm not sure why, but..." 

"That's why ye're here Drake. Ya see...I like what I've seen. Ye're going to make a fine leader. But ye lack a few of the essential skills...such as bein' able ta read, but I have set Roger to remedy that, and I'm going to have ye trained in th' skills ye lack." "Why? Ye may ask. Because I need a man like yerself ta help Logan keep an eye on things here at the camp. Logan's done a damn fine job, but it's a lot of work an' he needs some help. Ye're going ta provide that help. Do ye understand?" 

"Yes sir." 

"Good. Now report ta Logan. He'll begin yer trainin'." 
---

It was evening and Leech Kennon had just let Rapina off work. Earlier she had a lesson with Arzael so her usual time to dally with the men before bed had been cut in two. Pike and Fishy probably had a bath ready for her. There was no question that she needed one after the day's exercises. Rapina made her way through the trees on the edge of the clearing. As she passed the cage that had once held the wild elf captive she noticed that the bent bars had been put back in place. There was a new horizontal bar wove its way around the cage reinforcing the vertical bars, including the ones that the elf had bent. Fishy and another man had used their grasp of the blacksmith's art to reinforce the cage during the week immediately after the battle. 

The wild elf had been spotted only a few times during the last few weeks, and there was a contest going between Brackston and Arzael as to who could first recapture the wild elf. While after the wild elf, Brackston's dog Thumper had more than once got a nose full of pungent herbs that had ruined his ability to track the elf for a day or so. Leech Kennon had helped by contributing a sleep-inducing drug that could be used to coat arrows, traps or darts, but neither contestant had been successful thus far. In a way, Rapina was glad. It was not right for the wild elf to be caged and displayed. 

Rapina continued walking as she neared her favorite stand of bushes behind the pantry shed. After she passed them she would enter the clearing and go around the shed to where the door was. Then Pike and Fishy would welcome her to her bath. 

Suddenly the wild elf dropped from a tree in front of her. Rapina let out a squeal of surprise, jumped to the side and was caught in the bushes. 


The savage-elf looked around quickly. Once satisfied that they were alone he held out his hand to Rapina. 

Rapina looked at the elf's hand for a second and then put her own on top of it. The elf gripped her hand and shook it. His grip was very strong, but he did not hurt her. 

"Set fear aside glowing one. Our lives flow together. Our shadows mingle." The savage-elf paused. His emerald eyes drank deeply of Rapina. 

Rapina was a little confused by the elf's flowery language, but guessed he wanted to be her friend, either that or he was making a prophesy. Rapina could not be sure, Elves were so poetic. Rapina's senses quivered with the vitality the elf's strength and ambient lust, and she realized she had best do something to distract her mind from her senses before her body did anything untoward. 

"What is your name?" Rapina asked. 

"Doanthalas...to chase away the clouds. Your tongue can not speak my true name as your ears do not hear it entirely." Doanthalas looked around once more to see if anyone had snuck up on them. Satisfied he began anew. "Rapina, though you are the favorite of the pack you still walk the precipice." 

"I think I understand what you mean, Doanthalis," Rapina pronounced the name slowly so she would get it right. "There is danger here and I must be careful. In the world away from these pirates, an evil man of rank and power tried to enslave me, and failed. I fled the greater danger of his vengeful family, but those who harbor me are dangerous too." 

"Events have been set into motion which threaten this camp with destruction. You are the eye of the storm." 

Do you mean those soldiers who attacked? Are there more to come? I don't understand how I am the eye of the storm. How do you know these things? 

"The children of the forest see everything and hear all. They know. Soon the winds will come and blow all this away." Doanthalas indicated the camp with a sweep of his arm. 

What will cause this destruction? How can we be prepared? 

"Warn your friend Drake and any others you wish. I shall return with the sun." As Doanthalas turned to leave a sound reached his ears. 

Fletcher Arzael had noticed that the wild elf, thus far, had been sighted on the outskirts of camp in the late evening before bed. He did not understand why the wild elf had not left the area, but it was obvious that he had not. The Archer had made up special arrows; small game blunts tipped with needles coated with Kennon's sleep-inducing drug. Arzael now customarily spent the evening sneaking around the outskirts of the camp with an arrow knocked, trying to catch the wild elf as he spied on the camp for a reason that eluded the Fletcher. Arzael was moving stealthily through the trees when he barely heard a sharp squeal from far off. 

It took him a little time to silently reach the location, but as he neared it he saw in the distance that Rapina was cornered by the wild elf. He aimed low to make doubly sure that he would not hit Rapina's eye in the unlikely event that he missed his target. The arrow flew true, nailing the elf in the thigh. The drug would not put the elf to sleep immediately, but in a minute or two the elf's leg would be numb and unusable. Arzael knew that if he could track the elf for just five or ten minutes, sleep would overtake his quarry. Arzael would best Brackston and claim the prize Captain Red Jack was offering for the return of the wild elf. 

In an instant the wild-elf was tensed and ready to make his move. Unfortunately Arzael had already made his. The arrow made a muffled thwacking sound as it embedded itself deeply into Doanthalas' thigh. The only sound the wild-elf made in reply was a snarl as he leapt towards his assailant. His movements were swift even with an arrow embedded in his leg. 

Arzael was a seasoned warrior, but never before had he fought anything like the wild-elf. He made the mistake of slipping his bow into the case on his back and did not have enough time to draw his rapier and main gauche before the wild elf was upon him. Doanthalas grabbed Arzael's wrists as he drew his swords and pressed his thumbs into the flesh as he moved Arzael's arms out and apart. Arzael's grip was compromised and his blades were flung out of reach. Doanthalis then dropped the half-elf's hands and grabed Arzael's neck. As the wild-elf's steel-like grip tightened around his throat there was only one thought going through Arzael's mind, "I'm dead!" 

Rapina ran after Doanthalis and picked up the arrow that had fallen as Doanthalis ran at Arzael. It was a small game blunt fitted with a long needle. She recognized the drug Kennon had made at the base of the needle. When she reached the two elves she dropped the arrow and pulled with all her strength at Doanthalis' arms to no avail. "Stop that! The whole camp is afraid of you; don't you see? They don't think they are safe with you sneaking around. I know the pirates have not been kind to you, but Arzael was just trying to protect his mates. He is a good man and part elf, his arrow was drugged, not deadly, and if you kill him the Captain will kill you, can't you see? 


The half-elf slumped to the ground as he hacked and coughed trying to catch his breath. His terror-stricken eyes never left Doanthalas as the wild-elf released his grip and stumbled backwards. 

Doanthalas' eyes fell upon Rapina. The look on his face was unmistakable; it spoke only of betrayal. "Wh...wha...whu...", was all that he managed to utter before turning and sprinting into the forest. His sprint, more of a fast-paced limp than an actual sprint, carried him swiftly away. It wasn't long before Rapina and Arzael lost sight of him in the forest. 

Arzael coughed but stood. "Go fetch Brackston, I must follow his trail," Arzael said in a hoarse voice. 

Rapina ran to the nearby barracks but found Brackston gone. Drake was there, so Rapina very briefly told him what had happened before she ran back to see if she could catch up with Arzael. Thankfully, she found him. 

At first, the trail was hard to follow. A few random drops of blood and some displaced leaves were the only evidence of the wild-elf's passage. As the sleep poison set in, Doanthalas dragged his bad leg increasingly, leaving a clearer trail. It was all that Doanthalas could do to keep moving. About thirty minutes later Arzael and Rapina knew that they had almost caught up to him. 

"Did you hear that? It sounded like a dog barking." 

Rapina nodded, "Let's hurry, it sounded like Thumper." 

Arzael and Rapina broke into a small clearing and found Brackston and his dog Thumper assaulting the now nearly helpless elf. Blood ran freely from countless wounds on the wild-elf's body. Thumper had torn through Doanthalas' flesh in many areas. Meanwhile Brackston was busy pummeling and kicking the elf. 

"That's it Thumper! Git 'em! Yer not so tough now are ye elf?" Brackston spat at the elf and turned as he noticed Rapina and Arzael. "Ey! Lookee what I caught." Thumper had a firm grip on the elf's already wounded thigh and was violently tearing a large gash in it. Doanthalas feebly attempted to fend off the dog, but could do little is his drugged up state. 

"Dammit man! Call off your dog! The elf is helpless. I already hit him with an arrow laced with sleep poison." 

"Oh no ya don't! I caught im fair and square. He's just...resistin'...ah...arrest...heh." 

"Resisting nothing! He's practically unconscious. Call off your dog!" 

"Nah. Not just yet." 

Arzael pulled another drugged arrow from his quiver and pulled the sheath from the needle-tip. He nocked the arrow, "Call off your dog!" 

"You wouldn't!" Brackston seemed incredulous. 

The bow twanged and the dog yelped as the arrow sank into his shank. 

"Damn you! I'll kill yo..." He stopped abruptly when he felt the cool metal of Arzael's rapier against his neck. 

"Thumper is only slightly wounded. The sleep poison will give you enough time to clean and dress that wound. I'd suggest you get started before he wakes up and tears you apart like he did the elf." 

"Cap'n Jack will hear about this!" Brackston shouted as he stomped off with his wounded dog cradled in his arms. 

The master archer waved Brackston away and hurried over to the elf. Doanthalas had been badly beaten by Brackston and mauled by Thumper. "this is bad. I'm going to need your help Rapina...otherwise he'll bleed to death." 

When Arzael turned back to look at the wild elf he saw that Rapina had already started cleaning and bandaging the elf's wounds. 

Arzael and Rapina finished attending to Doanthalas' wounds. He was barely conscious, but still he struggled. The soothing words they uttered did nothing to calm the wild-elf. Not until Arzael started to sing. It was a beautiful and haunting melody. Rapina couldn't understand the words, but they sounded beautiful whatever they meant. And they seemed to calm the wild-elf. 

"This leg is in bad shape. Thumper has torn an artery. We'll have to get him back to camp to properly deal with it. Let's wrap it for now." 

Rapina applied a tourniquet to the artery as Leech Kennon had taught her. 

The wild-elf was covered in blood and sweat. His eyes tried vainly to focus on something, anything. How he was still conscious Arzael could not figure out. The sleep poison should have knocked him out a long time ago. 

"I thought you were going to kill me for sure." Arzael said to the elf. "I'm guessing Rapina helped me out there, but whatever the reason...Theau lunea. And for what it's worth...I'm sorry." 

The wild-elf's eyes cleared for a moment. Doanthalas grabbed Arzael's hand and fixed his emerald eyes on the archer. He uttered a single word before finally passing into unconsciousness. "ChubritÚ." 

The master archer's body straightened and then trembled as if hit with a massive shock. "Come Rapina, Let's get him back to camp." Arzael barely managed to say the words. He seemed choked up over something. 

Rapina guessed, now that Arzael realized that Doanthalas was not both mute and insane, he was feeling very badly about the way the wild elf had been treated. 

With Rapina's help, Arzael was able to convince Red Jack to allow the elf to be treated in a guarded hut instead of his cage. The wounds were severe enough that he would not be able to escape easily. Guards were assigned to keep an eye on the elf and Logan was charged with overseeing the reinforcement of the hut. As his assistant, Drake was responsible for ensuring Doanthalas did not escape as well. 

Logan inspected the door. "This door will have to be changed. I want thicker wood and it should bar from the outside. Make sure the hinges are mounted on the outside as well." Logan looked at the wall and rapped on it with his fist. "These walls will have to be reinforced. Come here and take a look at these windows Drake." 

Drake walked over and examined the windows. "Hmmm. These windows will never hold him as is." 

"So what do you think we should do about it?" Logan asked.

Drake scratched his head. "Well at first I thought about boarding them up completely, but then we'd be going in blind every time we opened the door. So I'd suggest barring the windows instead. We'll have to take out these windows and replace them with specially constructed windows." 

Logan nodded his head approvingly but said nothing. He then ushered Drake inside. The wild elf was lying unconscious on the sole bed in the room. His wrists and his ankles were tied down. "Looks quite peaceful for a savage...eh, Drake?" 

Drake muttered, "Yeah." He was in awe of the elf. His tattoos were magnificent and Drake had never seen an elf before. He was shorter than the average human and a bit leaner. Yet he looked solid for an elf. Drake imagined elves to be a lot less muscular than the wild elf. He looked just a strong, if not stronger, than most any man in the camp. Drake feared him. He had heard all the stories. 

The hut was reinforced and the elf's rope bonds were replaced with manacles. Drake visited every night to check up on things. Leech Kennon and Rapina were put in charge of seeing to the elf's recovery. Captain Red Jack stopped by the day before he was to leave on a raid. Rapina was cleaning Doanthalas' wounds when he entered. 

"Thar's me beauty! How's me pet elf doin'?" 

Doanthalas glared at the captain with steely eyes. He didn't utter a word. He just fixed his emerald eyes on the captain and stared. 

"Thankfully he is a strong elf and that really nasty bite has not become infected." 

"Come. Walk with me Rapina. Ye can do that later." The captain escorted her outside. "Now thar's a reason I put ye on 'elf' duty. Heh. I understand he has a soft spot for ye so I'd like ye to talk to 'im. See if ye can get through to him. We could use someone like 'im. What d'ya think?" 

"You could do lots worse than having an elf like him under your command. He's stealthy and a good fighter. I'm not sure what his past is or why he stayed around camp. I'll try to figure out his interest and if he wants to join the crew instead of spying on us, you'll be the first to know what he decides." 

"Ye realize that things are strained 'tween Arzael and Brackston concernin' the elf, don't ye? They're not happy that I made em split the reward. I don't think it'll affect ye...just be careful." 

Rapina nodded, "I think it will be okay. If that arrow had been a broad-head instead of a needle-tipped blunt, I don't think they'd ever make up. As it was, the wound looked nastier than it really was once the arrow was pulled out. Brackston pretends he doesn't love anyone or anything, but he loves that mean old dog," Rapina smiled. 

Rapina decided she would try to get to know Doanthalis before she broached the subject of joining the crew. It occurred to her that the wild elf might join the crew just so he could get free of his bonds. Then he might try to escape. Rapina could not blame him if that was what he wanted to do, but she could give him a fighting chance by not mentioning the captain's offer until Doanthalis' wounds healed. 

At the end of the forth week of basic training everything changed. Captain Red Jack, his ship and his crew, including oarmaster Pike left to go raiding to, "pay the bills." Meanwhile the recruits still had their second month of basic training to endure. Logan now took full control of the camp. Rapina could no longer visit the Captain's bed, nor would Pike be seeing her at bath time. Both were far away, sailing the river Augustana. Rapina was given access to the captain's library by Logan at least once a week, usually on her day off. He allowed her to borrow up to ten volumes to be kept on Leech Kennon's shelf during the week; thus Rapina was able to continue her work deciphering the puzzling treatise on magic. 

As soon as the captain left, arms master Hock started a program to train the small and weak to defend themselves against the big and strong. Hock made sure Rapina got her exposure to big and strong first thing in the morning, the better to exhaust her and let her fatigue guarantee that she would take a beating in the rest of the day's practice. Rapina was inevitably subjected to the biggest and strongest of the big, namely Lester, or Jake who was nearly as big as Les, but faster. 

With Pike gone, Rapina had one less lover to help her heal from Hock's clever ploys. Thankfully, other lovers had become available. Both Drake and Beck had recovered from their wounds. Even so, Rapina was often forced to expend the full amount of magical energy gained on a previous evening just to partly heal her many bruises and to keep fatigue from overwhelming her. 

The number of bruises was a problem too. Rapina did not dare do more than partly heal the area below the skin because she knew revealing her magic would be big trouble. Partly healed bruises still caused pain, especially if a person had enough of them. Some days she had little or no power to expend on fatigue because of the number of painful bruises inflicted by the large, strong recruits. During these times she counted on will power and her improved physical condition to carry her through the rigors that Hock happily threw her way. 

Thankfully, Rapina was much stronger than she had been four weeks ago, but Hock was really bringing out his big guns. Had Rapina been a normal girl, the accumulated debility of the minor injuries she was sustaining every day would surely have made it impossible for her to continue. Yet, thanks to the lust spirit, she could heal those hurts, if only partly for fear of revealing her magic. As it turned out, Rapina often lacked the power to do more than take the edge off her injuries anyway. Some days she encountered more lovers or faired better in the combat training and accumulated energy, but just as often she sustained a worse than normal battering and had to drain her stores of power. 

It seemed the longer Captain Red Jack was away, the meaner and cleverer Hock got. On the first morning of the second week after Captain Red Jack left, Hock started Rapina with Jake, then switched in Les. After that he paired her with Domonic, a boy who combined endurance nearly as great as Beck's with strength and speed approaching Jake's. 

After Dominic, he paired her with Trevor, and then Edgar, the two meanest, deadliest and most sadistic recruits around. Rapina literally limped to archery practice. Her face was red and she was holding back an immense flood of tears. Rapina sniffled her way through archery practice, doing quite poorly considering her skill. 

After practice she got her Rapier and reported to Arzael's workshop for a fencing lesson. After limping in and closing the door, Rapina just fell on Arzael and burst into tears as half-elf held her. 

"I saw it lass, I saw it too. It wasn't fair at all. I saw what he did to you. He used big, strong boys first to wear you out, then Trevor and Edgar to hurt you. He might as well have taken you aside and beat you himself. I know about those two boys. They already have reputations around camp. Hock's usually a good man, but he has a blind spot about women. He thinks they don't belong at an arms practice." 

"If I didn't know the recruits as well as I do from training them at archery, I wouldn't have been able to see that Hock's been picking on you, but today, any fool could have seen it. Logan doesn't know the recruits like I do, but he knows Trevor and Edgar. If Hock does that again, I can take it to Logan. I wish I could take it to him now, but Hock would shrug it off as just sour luck that you got both bad apples in one day." 

For today's practice, Arzael led Rapina into a room she hadn't seen before and pointed to a neatly made bed. Let's dress your wounds and then you can take a nap. There's no sense in aggravating those cuts and bruises. A good trainer knows when his student has had enough. Rapina reluctantly let go of Arzael and let him cleanse the deep scratches she'd sustained from the dull points of the wooden practice swords. Her bruises were worse than the scratches, but there was little that Arzael could do about them. Afterwards she held Arzael for a moment then collapsed, too exhausted to ask for the love that she needed to heal. 

After her nap, Rapina felt a little better. She was still badly beat up, and Arzael mentioned this fact to Kennon after he walked her over to work. Kennon shook his head all the while he applied herbs to Rapina's scratches and bruises. 

"I'd say this was excessive for a day at arms practice, Kennon frowned. I won't even bother telling Hock, he already knows, but I can mention it to Logan. It won't amount to a hill of beans unless it happens more than once, but it won't hurt either. I need you in one piece if I am going to get any good work out of you. Fact is I've never had a better assistant. Captain Jack's never given me a recruit with half your intelligence, and I'll be damned if I'm going to stand by while Hock lets some stupid, sadistic half-wit pirate recruit brain you with a practice sword." 

That evening Rapina was well enough to feel the hunger. Fishy started her off at bath time. After that Rapina found Drake and Emry. The truth of it was Rapina was fighting mad at Hock and she was storming inside. She began to use her powers with a certain detached ruthlessness, enjoying Beck, and then seducing Dominic and Jake in rapid succession. As Jake sweated over her, and she drank his power like a wanton lush drinks wine, just by chance she thought of Hock and wondered why. She'd been given an answer - Hock didn't like women, but did that explain what was going on in his mind? 

Rapina moaned and pulled Jake into her with all the might of her strong thighs as he gushed his lusty power into her. Rapina smiled but not as genuinely as she normally would have. She was using Jake for power. Had Jake known what was going on and welcomed it just the same, then Rapina would have felt much better, but she really didn't even particularly like Jake. She was using him, and she did not like herself for it. 

"Mmmm, that felt so good," Rapina said, trying to steal the genuineness from the memory of a simpler time with oarmaster Pike, and surprising herself with what a good job she had done. "We'd better get back to the fires though. I love men, but if it were too plain that I spent a lot of time with other men, I don't think Jack would appreciate it. 

Jake stiffened as if stabbed. "Yeah, you're right. Ah, damn you're dangerous. I could really get in trouble. Jake grinned, but I'd die happy." 

"I think Red knows me well enough to know that I'm not going to be a nun while he's gone, but it doesn't hurt to make it appear as though I am. It's certainly not something you want to brag about doing." 

Jake wagged his head from side to side. "No bragging here ma'am, that would be suicide. Lord knows what Brackston would do to me." 

Rapina got up and mopped herself off a bit with some leaves. "See you later," she whispered huskily. 

Jake got his pants on quickly. "Uh-huh," he said, making tracks. 

As she walked the outskirts of camp, Rapina put herself in Hock's place. "Women don't belong in combat, so she'll wash out in a week or two. She's not washing out, but the minute things get tough, she'll wash out. Damn, I can tell Beck is too much for her, why hasn't she folded?... Rapina traced a possible progression from disdain to curiosity to alarm. She tried to imagine Hock's reports to the captain.

"Captain, that woman's tougher than any I've ever seen. It just ain't natural..."

"Keep an eye on her for me Hock, her Aunt was a witch. I need to know if she's got powers she's not telling us about." 

Rapina could imagine what might have been happening behind the scenes in her mind. On the other hand, Hock could just be doggedly trying to get her to wash out. He might be utterly convinced that women washed out, and determined not to prove himself wrong. 

The trouble was, though Rapina had just made love with a hoard of men, the only thing she could possibly do if she used the power they'd given her was to implicate herself as a witch. Even though she had tried to make sure she stored the power away rather than letting it flow to her wounds, her control was not perfect. She could feel that her wounds lacked the depth of pain that they had had earlier in the evening. Rapina would have to be very careful. She was in a very difficult situation. If she showed magic she had failed to tell the captain about, then she was doomed, but if she did not use her power more strongly, Hock's latest onslaught would wash her out. How could she win? 

As the newly gained power ricocheted around Rapina's stimulated mind, she quickly saw there was only one way out. She must not heal any faster than she had been. She could use her power against fatigue to attempt to avoid and minimize wounds, but she would have to continue to limit its use on wounds already sustained. Any trick she could use to prevent wounds would be essential, and she would have to do all she could to learn more. Rapina wracked her brains for the names of the smallest of the pirates. Certainly Arzael would be an invaluable resource, but Rapina would have to use every ounce of her intelligence to save herself from Hock's impossible trap. 

Rapina worried about who she might trust. Unfortunately, if there was a test of her magic going, it was most likely the inner circle of officers who were in on it. Rapina needed to make sure that her background information was good before she asked anyone with too much rank to help her learn to weather the big men. She started at the bottom of the heap with Dulgar, the pirate who disposed of bodies, cleaned latrines and did every other horrible job no one else wanted. She caught up with the pirate scooping sewage out of an over-filled latrine for dumping in the swamp. The smell was hideous. 

"Dulgar, of the small men, which do the best in raids and fights?" 

Dulgar pulled a piece of hard roll out of a pouch with his filthy hand and took a bite. He blinked at Rapina in momentary confusion. "Why you askin' me?" 

"You clean up the dead bodies, don't you?" 

"Uh-hu." 

"Then you must know which of the small men has been around for a while that you haven't planted in the ground, right?" 

"Dulgar scratched his head. Dulgar knows," He said succinctly. "Why you want to know." 

"For arms practice. They're doing big against little and the big guys are bruising me to a pulp." 

"Hoho, I see. Take these buckets to the boat, an I tell you." 

Rapina wrinkled her nose involuntarily but complied. With only a skirt on there was nothing preventing her spilling on her bare legs. She tried not to but was not entirely successful. 

"You go look for Skitch down by the shore. He's the little man you want to see. He raids, but Captain left him here to help protect de camp dis time. He is a horse trader, but smart, you know? You go see him, work somethin' out." 

Rapina thanked Dulgar, and After a visit to the well to fetch water to wash her legs, Rapina found a man nearly a head shorter than she on watch at the lake shore. 

"Um, are you Skitch?" 

"That'd be me," Skitch grinned. "Now what's the captain's lady doin' lookin' for a humble pirate like me? Carryin' oders?" 

"No, actually I need your help." 

"What seems to be the problem?" 

"Hock is training big against little, and strong against weak. The big men are hurting me, they're beating me bad." 

"'Least you got someone else beatin' ya. Stuck on this island the only one beatin' me is meself. It's a real ferocious problem." 

"You beat yourself?" Rapina asked in confusion. 

Skitch grinned, "in a manner o' speakin' a man has ta get relief somehow." 

Rapina's tingling lust sense told her Skitch's meaning even if her small-town upbringing didn't. 

"Those big guys bruise me up bad every day and it's really hurting. If you can teach me some things that really work, I would be so grateful." 

"An how grateful would that be?" 

"As grateful as my body was bruisless." 

"I got the tricks ya need, and I see ye've got the currency I'm needin,' but how do I know yer gonna give it over? 

"How do I know your tricks are going to work?" 

"Hmm, na I'll tell ya what I'll do. Fer just the littlest taste o' currency, I'll teach ya one o' my best tricks, an' if it works, then maybe we do some swappin in th' evenin's ta come, deal?" 

"Deal," Rapina agreed.

"Na I'd like that taste." 

Rapina blinked. "Um, what were you interested in?" 

Skitch cupped his fingers under Rapina's left breast. And grinned like a sea dog when he saw both of Rapina's nipples rise in unison and dent the fabric of her tunic. "I've been noticin' ye've got quite a pair here, been wantin' a taste fer quite some time." 

Rapina blushed and looked around to make sure the coast was clear. She smoothed back her raven hair and lifted her tunic over her head. Her breasts came free of her shirt, moving just slightly as it came up over her head. After the band of men she'd seen this evening, her breasts were extra full and flushed, and her nipples protruded pinkly. 

Skitch inhaled, "Mother o' all the gods, such divine majesty I have never afore beheld. I must bow down and worship at the holy altar of the first fetishical church o' the holy nipple." Skitch fondled Rapina's breasts with greedy fascination. Then he bowed down and began kissing, suckling and worshipping Rapina's, "holy orbs." 

Rapina giggled, then moaned and then practically writhed with sensation. After a while she struggled to regain her composure, "A taste, you have a taste." 

Skitch threw back his head and sighed, "Ahhh, indeed I have, and a good taste it was. Now fer the first trick, and one ye can use right away tomorrow if ye practice it with me a few times." Skitch grinned, and taught and grinned. 

The trick was brilliant and took advantage of the high center of gravity of large, tall men. It was a little difficult to practice on Skitch, since he was neither large nor tall, but Rapina made do. She went over it several times with the pirate before she heard horn calling the recruits to come to bed at the barracks. 

Rapina fell asleep replaying the trick in her mind with Jake, Les, Drake and every other big, tall man she had ever sparred with. 

Rapina still took a beating during the remainder of the fifth week of basic training. Thanks to tricks from Skitch, Rapina's beating was not quite so severe, and Rapina happily nixed the wily pirate's need to beat himself. 

The sixth week was a mixed bag. The wounds she sustained were not due to lack of preparation. Skitch was truly inspired, and Arzael had done everything he could do to teach Rapina the considerable number of tricks he knew for beating big and strong men ever since the day she limped into his shop. 

Rapina was now using more energy to banish fatigue, keep alert and avoid being hit badly than to actually heal wounds. She used every trick and dodge she could think of to minimize damage, and to get the friendly boys not to hit her with the full force their arms could generate. Every night as she fell asleep she went over the things that had worked and the things that had failed and why. She tried to invent new tricks and she made sure to visit Skitch whenever she could. She also tried to visit as many of her most energetic lovers as she could squeeze in on the side. 

In spite of this, during practice Trevor crushed her foot by stamping on it. Rapina fell and rolled clutching her foot and then got up stepping very gingerly. The sadistic boy had hated it when he was outwitted by one of Rapina's many tricks, and this had been his revenge. Rapina had felt bones snap. She did not dare heal the wound until the bones had been set, but she could not let Leech Kennon do it or he would know she had a broken foot. 

Instead, Rapina limped and grimaced her way through to archery practice and then took a break to, "relieve herself." In the trees, She gritted her teeth and snapped her own bones back in place just as Kennon had taught her on a wounded pirate not so long ago. She then tried very carefully to knit the bones without healing the bruises on the top of her foot. She managed a certain degree of success, and then collapsed into a crying heap. Never in her short life had she endured so much, but she knew that revealing her power could bring her a quick death at the hands of the pirates. In time, she hoped to learn other magical talents and then she would pretend to learn sex magic as well. 

That night Rapina talked to Skitch. "Crushed yer foot did 'e, I outta brain 'im meself. Did he break it?" 

"I think he cracked the bones. I was really lucky, the turf was soft. " 

"Skitch nodded. "No more Mr. nice guy! Tanight I teach ye some dirty, mean, low down tricks ye can use 'gainst scum like Trevor who ain't got enough sense ta take it easy on a lady." 

And teach he did, ears, noses, balls, kidneys, no vulnerable body part was taboo on Skitch's short list of the dirtiest dirty tricks. To top it off, the pirate threw in the clean trick he had been going to teach Rapina before she told him what Trevor had done. Rapina enjoyed amply rewarding her diminutive lover. 

The end of the seventh week of basic training saw Hock in a sourer mood than ever before. He practically raged at Lester, Jake, Jonas and Dominic, not to pull their punches just because Rapina was a woman. Lester really tried to hit Rapina. 

To his credit, Jake took the arms master's abuse and undermined him at every turn, refusing to hit Rapina hard. Jake was a loyal friend of Drake's and although she had originally seduced him out of pain, he had since earned her respect and genuine affection. 

Drake, though he tried to keep Rapina on her toes, never hit Rapina with his full strength. This was not surprising given that Drake had made love to Rapina many times since they had met, and Rapina had largely been the one who tended Drake's wounds when he was down. 

Lester honestly tried to hit hard, and he was the biggest of the big, but not too bright. With her arsenal of tricks from Skitch and Arzael, Rapina felled the poor boy as a lumberjack fells an oak every time Hock threw him her way. 

Jonas was another story, Hock was able to scowl the boy into hitting hard and he was faster than Lester ever thought of being. Even with Rapina's growing hoard of clever tricks, Jonas hurt her every time she was forced to spar with him. 

Dominic was clearly intimidated by Hock's brusque manner and he was even more effective than Jonas was against smaller people. Fortunately, He had a soft spot for Rapina, and even when Hock was on his case, he was careful not to do more than give Rapina a few bruises. 

Trevor and Edgar were by far the most dangerous boys to practice with although they were not as big as some of the others. Both were bloodthirsty and sadistic. Both enjoyed hurting people, and both thought nothing of using the kind of dirty tricks that Skitch had taught Rapina, but that Rapina was too honorable to use. Early in the training, Beck had been better than both Trevor and Edgar, but after being wounded in battle, Beck had only been able to watch training for a couple of weeks. Edgar and Trevor were now more than a match for him as long as they were able to use some of the dirty tricks they'd devised. 

Near the end of the seventh week, Skitch somehow wheeled and dealed some time off during Rapina's arms practice and spent most of his time watching Jonas, though he appeared to be watching everyone. For the remainder of the week, Rapina spent a portion of her evenings, attending Skitch's class on, "harpooning" Jonas. 

The next week Jonas really did not know what hit him. Hock's mood went immediately foul. His best weapon bested by a girl! On Wednesday Hock's theme was, "surviving a fight with someone more skilled than you." The arms master brought in several pirates from camp including Brackston. Rapina was saddled with Buck, Hock's right hand man. He was unnecessarily brutal until he missed taking off Rapina's left nipple by a fraction of an inch. 

To Rapina's surprise, it was Bloody Brackston, "mother" to her recruit barracks that spoke up. 

"Go ahead an' hurt 'er Buck, take off 'er nipple. I want ta watch Red Jack feed yew yer balls as an appetizer ta that first meal ye'll be havin' wif the wild elf. Heh, heh, heh." 

Buck's face went so pale it was nearly blue. He realized the truth in Brackston's words. A recruit might be forgiven if he inadvertently damaged the Captain's wench, but Buck was not a recruit, and he knew how Jack's mind worked. Piggy mouthed off, so Jack cut out his tongue. If Buck damaged Jack's red-hot wench, he would be loosing his balls, just as Brackston said. 

Buck's manner was transformed, and though badly bruised at the beginning, Rapina actually learned a few things from Buck that day and the next about fighting an overwhelming foe. 

Friday was the first day of final fights. By the end of Saturday, the best recruits would be known. The elimination fights were short. The first person to get in three good hits won. Anyone who lost three fights was eliminated from the competition. There were around 32 recruits and they were divided into four groups of eight by a random drawing to start. 

Rapina breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that she was in group two, whereas both Edgar and Trevor were in group one. The battle between them would be that group's first fight. With any luck, they would mangle each other so badly that no one would have a problem with them. Oddly, when they fought each other, though Edgar lost, the fight was clean. Somehow, this made Rapina nervous. 

Rapina, Drake and Jonas were the top finishers from group two and went on to compete in another elimination. When it was over, Rapina, Drake and Jonas were still in the running along with Trevor, Edgar and Dominic. The next day would determine the winners. Rapina's first fight would be with Dominic, while Drake's would be with Jonas. The most interesting fight would likely be the third one, Edgar's first fight. Edgar and Trevor would again face each other. Rapina wondered if they would fight clean this time. 

The Archery practice was shortened that day because of the time it took to do the eliminations. The Archery eliminations were much easier. The first test was a fixed target at medium range. Each recruit took three shots. The markings on their arrows identified the top twelve shooters. The top twelve archers then fired at a moving target, also at medium range. The top six were selected for the next day's contest. 

Rapina barely managed to be one of the twelve best archers on the initial fixed target test. For moving targets she came out number four and would thus play a role in both the missile and hand-to-hand competitions the next day. In archery, she would be competing against Drake, Trevor, Beck, Jonas, and Dominic. 

That evening, while Rapina was busy preparing for the next day's competition by wrapping her lovely, long legs around as many of her favorite boyfriends as was practical, Captain Red Jack's longship slid onto the marsh and docked at Red Jack's Isle. The captain was to have been in port two days ago but a river blockade erected by the local nobles had delayed him. Since the trouble with the mercenaries, the captain had been using a "fishing boat" to scout the waters ahead of the longship for major difficulties and potential targets. A well-organized land assault using a skeleton crew aboard the longship to draw the enemy's attention had cleared the blockade and netted the pirates another cache of arms and armor. 

That night in the captain's hall, Red Jack conferred with his officers. 

"...Good and what have ye found out about Rapina, arms master?" 

Hock scowled, "That yer damned wench is smarter than me, that's what! Let me tell ya captain, I tried real hard. At first, I was sure she'd wash right out, but that was stupid. The obstacle course ain't everything, but it's a pretty good indicator and she came in bettern' half the recruits, but sometimes my head's just a bit on th' thick side. I had ta justify how a wench could be doin' so well, so when I talked ta ya and ya said ta watch fer magic, I was sure that's what was up. That wench was magicin' 'er way through training." 

"I was all convinced about it, but I'll tell ye, she didn't fight like magic. She be bright as they come, but she got bruised up like the rest 'o the recruits, more so 'cause a who I had ta pit 'er against ta see all them spells I thought she must be usin'. Well now, fact is I can't say if she be using magic 'er not. She heals right fast but so does Beck, an he ain't a witch, I'm pretty sure. It's hard even fer me ta tell just how bad a blow is. I can tell within reason, but the bruisin' don't appear till later, and Rapina, she don't bruise easy, but you an' I both 'ave seen bruises on 'er." 

"Hock shook his head. One time I really hurt her, put 'er in with Trevor 'an then Edgar. They both fight dirty, an let me tell ya, after Kennon and Arzael here worked me over about it I felt like a real cad. They acted like they couldn't talk to an old salt like me about such a thing to the lady, but that didn't prevent 'em from comin' over an' given me hell in private. I hurt the poor wench an them two saw the wounds. They healed quick, but magic quick? I can't say 'less the magic's mighty sluggish. 

"'One thing's certain, she's a devil with that damn pussy a her's. I had 'er watched clandestine-like off 'an on. I know she tol' ye she couldn't help foolin' around right from the start, so I didn't do nothin' about it, but I'll tell ya, that wench's frisky as a rabbit in heat an' she knows how ta use it. Every time I foun' a boy who'd really tire 'er out and knock 'er around, she'd make eyes at 'im all durin' their fightin' anytime when I wasn't lookin'. No boy could stand up ta a wench like that makin' eyes at 'im. Every one, 'ed loose it right there. 'Ventually some evenin' she'd take 'im behind the pantry 'an, bang 'is balls ta th' moon. After that 'ed be worthless as a wooden nickel. No magic in it, what man would want ta endanger 'is chances ta get back between _them_ legs again? 

"It weren't magic that spoilt my plan ta wash 'er out or detect 'er magic though. It twer' lots simpler: Brains and determination. That wench endured more pain, spent more brainpower and time trainin' at arms than any other recruit I had. When she kept endurin' an' not washin out 'er castin' magery a man like me could detect; I threw the big guys at 'er. I thought I had 'er. She turned around, an' foun' that damn Skitch without the help of o' single officer here, I might add. 

That Skitch is the wiliest damn pip-squeak on th' isle, an' she got 'im ta teach 'er all about how the small, weak, fast an' brainy can bust up the big dumbs. Pretty soon my big guys were trippin' all over makin fools of 'emselves tryin' ta fight 'er." 'f ye ask me, th' only magic I can be sure she has is th' magic 'tween 'er ears and the magic 'tween 'er legs." 

Captain Jack smiled, "Any observations Fletcher?" 

"I was puzzled about Hock's treatment of her, but now I understand. She is a very healthy and affectionate woman. It was all I could do not to sleep with her, especially when she nibbled my ear." 

The officers laughed. 

Arzael waved his hand, "I make it a point not to sleep with my basic students. It wouldn't be right. She is the most unusual recruit I've ever known, so much so that I wonder why we got her at all." 

"I wish I could say she has no good reason ta be here, but I can't. Even in two-bit small towns, the powerful are not always honest 'r kind." 

"Enough 'o the wench fer now. Truth is if she's got magic, she don't trust us enough ta tell us. 'Can't imagine why neither, don't I have a honest face?" 

Coarse laughter filled the air. 

"I figured the combat angle might be a long shot, that's why I let 'er read that damned magic book. Gods know I can't make sense of it. How's she doin' on that Kennon?" 

"Well sir, it's hard to keep track of her intellectual abilities. At first she seemed kind of average in her reading ability, but after you told me how fascinating she found your dictionary, I tried a few tests of my own. I think while she was reading my herb book and looking up words as she went along, she absorbed the contents of my medicinal dictionary. Now I can use any word in that book and I never get a blank stare from her. It wasn't that way at first, mind you, but now there's not a word in that book I can't use. After about the third week when she probably finished both dictionaries, she could read anything on my shelf, and she just keeps getting faster, sir." 

"This magic book of yours has had her engaged for quite a while. Sure, I could be wrong, but it looks to me like she is really applying herself to figure it out. It doesn't seem like she knows it already." 

"Logan, what's yer view." 

"I agree with Kennon. The book interests her a lot, and she's been borrowin' volumes from your library every week trying to get enough background to figure it out. I don't know how in hell she reads more'n a chapter outa ten volumes, but I guess it's like Kennon says, she's gettin' fast. Sometimes your library is just not up to it an' she can't find the answer she's lookin' for. If this is all a fake, It's so damned good she'd have ta be a wizard, and if that's the case 'an she don't like us, then we can all kiss are ass g'bye. Want my opinion? She's just a brilliant kid with heart-stompin' good looks." 

Red Jack grinned, "Enough 'o the wench then. We may not know all 'er secrets, but she's never struck out at anyone, Hock 'ere ain't been turned into a frog and 'e still's got 'is wits about 'im. Th' way I look at it, she passed th' test. If she's not tellin' us everything, she'll do it in 'er own good time. I'm sure glad we got the results we did, 'cause I'm fixin ta dip me wand in 'er magic soon as I can. I been with a lot 'o women, but she's hotter an sweeter than any five of 'em put tagether." 

"What about the festivities tamorrow, Hock, who's gonna be competin'" 

"In hand-ta-hand we'll have Drake, Dominic, Edgar, Jonas, Trevor, and Rapina, sir. That last one's my fault. I kept pittin' her up against the best of 'em tryin' ta make 'er wash out 'er cast spells. Instead she just learned ta manage 'em." Hock shook his head. 

Red Jack smiled, "An' what o' th' archers, Fletcher?" 

"Beck, Drake, Dominic, Trevor, Jonas, and Rapina, sir." 

"Sounds like a good group. If no one has anything ta add, let's all get some rest. We won't be gettin' any tomorrow night, thar's gonna be one hell of a party ye won't want ta miss." 

The next day was packed with activity. Practically the whole pirate camp had gathered to watch the best recruits in their rite of passage. It was a fun and boisterous occasion for the spectators and the winners. The losers, while still far ahead of everyone else in skill, had a less enjoyable experience. The first three bouts were between Rapina and Dominic, Drake and Jonas, and Edgar and Trevor. Rapina and Drake both won, but no one noticed since everyone was fixated on Edgar and Trevor's fight. 

The curious thing about the fight was that nothing happened. Well nothing DIRTY happened. It was a clean fight. Trevor won, but no one was sure if he was better or if Edgar had just let him win. Rapina won her next fight against Jonas. Jonas was good, but her extra training with Skitch had given Rapina the edge. Drake and Edgar fought next. It was a down and dirty fight. Both recruits beat each other severely. In the end, Drake won out. Edgar's dirty tricks could not compare to Drake's strength and skill. 

After the bout with Edgar, Drake was in no condition to take on Trevor. Still he held his own and managed to keep Trevor from mauling him. Edgar and Dominic's bout was over quickly. Edgar managed to knee the unfortunate Dominic in the groin before he pummeled him into submission. Somehow Rapina managed to squeak past Trevor in the next fight. It almost seemed like he let her win. Still he did leave a few nasty wounds as reminders. Drake, although badly battered, was able to defeat Dominic. 

Rapina and Edgar's match was next and everyone gathered to watch. Rapina's training helped her to stay alive, but that was about it. Edgar beat her mercilessly. He was much better than anyone had ever guessed. It seemed that he had also found himself a mentor, but had managed to hide it from everyone until now. Edgar's last fight was with Jonas. Jonas had to be carried to the infirmary after the match. 

The last scheduled bout of the day was between Drake and Rapina. It appeared as though Rapina could barely stand up, let alone fight, but she won the match. It looked to some that she had landed a lucky blow to knock Drake unconscious. In truth, she had an ace up her sleeve. She was beat to a pulp after Edgar, but she still had a good store of magical energy because her other fights had gone relatively well. She healed the underbellies of her wounds but acted as though still devastated. 

Drake had fallen for a clever trap based on her favoring her "damaged" right side. It happened that the part Drake had left open was his head, and Rapina's over-eager reflexes and her training from Skitch had done the rest. There was the possibility that Drake had thrown the bout for her, that her head blow had not been accurate or powerful enough to fell Drake for the full fifteen seconds. That was something only Drake could know for sure. 

It was no wonder Edgar had put Jonas in the infirmary. Trevor had bruised the poor boy to a pulp in the previous match, and then Edgar unleashed his nasty tricks and training on poor Jonas in the next bout. Since Trevor had also bested Jonas, that left both Trevor and Rapina, each with only one loss. Drake and Edgar had two losses each. 

"We 'ave a close battle 'ere. Rapina an' Trevor each 'ave four wins in five bouts, an Edgar an' Drake Each 'ave three wins in five bouts." 

That means we 'ave ta make some new bouts till we got a clear winner. Rapina an Trevor'll be up for a rematch next while Drake regains 'is wits. 

Trevor looked at Edgar and smiled the devil's smile. 

Rapina swallowed hard. She wondered if Edgar had not thrown the bought to Trevor in return for him throwing the bout to someone they both thought had little chance of winning - Rapina herself. Rapina knew what she had to do, she just was not sure she would be able to do it. She dug into what little remained of her magical energy and released some of it into her mind to keep herself alert. 

Trevor came on strong circling towards Rapina vigorously, trying to keep her on the defensive, raining blows off her shield as she sidled and backed in the face of his mighty onslaught. He knew she would weaken, she was a girl, and he only had to hurt her good and she would be out of the battle. Trevor bashed the lighter woman with his shield throwing her backward, and then he rushed her off-hand side and scored. He only wished he could have hit her harder. The wench had turned too quickly. Edgar had not hit her hard enough earlier. She was somehow recovering her mobility, but now she was shaken and Trevor would press the advantage and find her weakness. 

Rapina kept moving, trying not to get clubbed in her off side again. Trevor was watching her very closely, just waiting for an opportunity. 

Trevor saw his chance. The stupid girl had her foot out just a little too far. He had put her out of commission this way once before. Suddenly he stepped in and slammed his foot down. As he came in, he swung towards her head. 

Rapina felt the vibration on the ground as Trevor's foot slammed into the area hers had been only a fraction of a second earlier. She ducked straight down with all of her strength she brought the edge of her large shield slamming towards Trevor's instep. She felt the wind of his practice sword as it swished over her head and then heard the most hideous crunching sound as her shield struck its mark. She smiled behind her shield as she realized that Trevor had fallen for her trap. 

Trevor screamed as several bones in his foot broke under the edge of Rapina's shield. She had brought it down like on his foot like an axe. 

Rapina pushed forward and Trevor fell backwards. She moved her shield aside and smacked Trevor's broken foot with everything she was worth. 

"Break! That's one hit each. You got 15 seconds ta get up Trevor, or ye loose." 

Somehow Trevor forced himself to stand though horrible pain lanced up his leg. The damn wench had figured his favorite trick and used it against him. 

This time it was Rapina who circled rapidly and rained a few blows against Trevor's shield. She went faster and faster then slammed her shield into his shield, forcing him to catch himself with his broken foot or fall backwards. 

Trevor grimaced and launched a blow at Rapina's head. Her shield caught the brunt of it, but it gave her enough of a rap that it counted as a hit. 

As she tried to fend off the head hit, Rapina spun Trevor and jabbed her practice sword into his kidney with every ounce of her strength for her second score. For a few moments after the head blow, her vision swam, but she managed to recover her wits if not her bruised skull. Trevor stared daggers at her for the kidney blow and his mangled foot. 

"Shieldless!" Trevor challenged. 

"If you were behind in scoring, you could demand a style change, but we're even, challenge denied," Rapina smiled menacingly. 

"I'm going ta kill you, you bleedin' bitch!" 

Hock rang the bell. 

Rapina circled to Trevor's off side again, keeping low and compact, then she slammed into him like a bullet. He fell backwards but pulled his feet away too fast for her to hit them. 

After he was up again, Rapina circled in the opposite direction, she crossed swords with him for a few blows then pivoted and bashed him down once again, this time rapping him on the thigh. She was now ahead, 3 hits to 2. 

"Shieldless!" 

"Doff yer shields." 

Rapina carefully put her shield aside and met Trevor once again. Trevor launched a rapid series of blows, feinted and punched Rapina hard in her right breast. Rapina screamed in pain and jumped to the side too late as Trevor landed a practice sword blow and a big bruise on her left arm. 

"Three hits ta three!" 

Trevor swung for the wench's pretty face then launched an unexpected kick at her knee with his bad foot. 

Rapina jumped above the kick and parried. The blow glanced off her sword. Her fencing training had saved her. As she landed, she stepped in. 

Trevor grabbed the bitch's ear and was about to rip it off when her knee hammered into his balls like a battering ram. Trevor roared with pain. 

Rapina felt Trevor's grip on her ear loosen and she pushed him hard. She had not telegraphed her move because she had not needed to glance down at his groin. His sexual energy had guided her. He fell on his back and pulled his feet in, but Rapina was already swinging her practice sword. Its tip thumped against Trevor's good foot, and then she jumped to the side. 

"Four ta three!" 

Trevor got up, but even his good foot was hurt now. He'd fix that wench. 

Rapina kept her knees bent, she knew Trevor would try to do something unexpected. 

Trevor hopped forward tangled swords, and overbore Rapina, pushing her down with his superior weight. 

Rapina went into a backwards somersault and came up standing. She parried Trevor's sword and stepped backward as she caught his fist in her hand and jerked it towards her. 

Trevor felt his arm being pulled, he could not keep up the pace, not without stepping forward on his useless foot. 

Rapina could see the pain in Trevor's face as he took the weight on his bad foot then quickly stepped forward back onto his good foot. Rapina reversed direction and stamped his good instep with everything she had. 

Trevor roared with pain and fell forward onto his knees. 

Rapina slammed her knee into Trevor's nose with a crunch at the same time as she crowned him the with hilt of her practice sword. 

Trevor felt a blow near the top of the back of his head and then everything went black. 

"Five ta three. Rapina wins. See here, in a raid, a good pirate fights dirty 'an ta the death, but fightin' dirty in a friendly bout is double-edged. Pretty soon them folks who usually fight clean is gonna make an exception in yer case. Thisn' gives Rapina five wins outa six. The winner O' Drake and Edgar is going ta have four outa six, same as Trevor. That means Drake or Edgar is goin' ta be fightin' Trevor, assumin' Trevor wakes up. Seems ta me anybody who can't beat a boy w' two broken feet ain't worth a sack o' potatoes." 

Although he was still hurting from his earlier bouts Drake was feeling much better after his short rest. He stretched his sore muscles before stepping into the ring. "Well my 'friend'. It's time to see what you're really made of." Drake raised his sword and shield and beckoned Edgar forth. 

Edgar was also a little worse for wear, but he definitely had enough energy to make Drake eat his words. He smiled inwardly. "I held back last time. You won't be so lucky this time, heh." Edgar brought his sword and shield to bear and stepped towards Drake. 

Edgar had indeed been holding back. Drake was having a more difficult time of fending off his attacks and landing blows of his own. Fortunately, Drake had not needed to use all of his skill to defeat Edgar in their previous bout. Now, however, he would have to use every ounce of skill he possessed. Their wooden swords clattered against each other, off their shields, and even found their mark occasionally. 

So far, it was a dead heat. Neither attacker could gain the advantage. Edgar frowned. He was exhausted from his earlier matches. Yet he was sure that Drake was feeling no better. Nevertheless, if he did not score a decisive hit soon he would have too little energy left to stand let alone win. 

Drake was tired. His muscles ached and he had more bruises than he could ever remember having. Still he fought on. Edgar would have to use every bit of his energy if he wanted to beat Drake. Drake patiently waited for Edgar to make a mistake. He knew that eventually one of them would. He just hoped that Edgar would be the first to slip up. Unfortunately Drake's leg cramped up horribly and gave out on him. Drake crumpled to the ground and Edgar saw his opportunity. He brought his sword around in an arc hoping to bash Drake's skull in with it. Fortunately Drake was cool headed enough to retain his senses and brought his shield up just in time to fend off the blow. 

"Damn!" Edgar hissed as he stumbled past Drake. He had put too much behind his swing and had lost his balance. 

As Edgar stumbled past, Drake brought his sword to bear on the back of Edgar's knees. His sword found its mark and Edgar toppled backwards. 

Edgar looked up in astonishment just in time to see the hilt of Drake's sword. A moment of pain was followed by darkness. 

"Ouch! Drake wins! Forget tha score! Edgar's out cold! It looks like it's just you and Trevor left Drake." Hock rolled his eyes. "This oughta be an excitin' match." Hock yawned. 

The match between Drake and Trevor did not last long. Trevor could barely stand. Drake just danced around him and landed his blows easily. He could have really walloped Trevor, but he just settled for landing scoring hits. 

The archery contest took far less time to complete than had the hand-to-hand contest. The six archers took five shots each at a moving target at close, medium and long range. In the end, Rapina came in third. Dominic won first place, and Drake came in second beating Rapina by equaling her at the two closer ranges and besting her at long range. Beck came in forth, Jonas fifth, and Trevor, who could presently neither stand nor see straight, came in last. 

The contests finished in the late afternoon, and the pirates returned to the central clearing where Fishy and Piggy were already to begin serving a feast. 

"Before I reward these fine winners taday, I've got an announcement ta make," Red Jack hollered so that all could hear. "We was late gettin' back here because we had ta knock out a blockade. Luckily are scouts saw it before we was on top of it 'an we were able ta sneak aroun' one side by land an' take 'em by surprise. It took a while for the toadies on th' the other side o' the river ta figure out what was happenin.' They tried ta come over the blockadin' barges ta help their mates, but by then we was just about done killin' 'em and were ready as each wave 'o soldiers arrived down the narrow neck o' barges blockin' the river. We slaughtered 'em with arrows. We got some wounded, but we did mighty well considerin'." 

"Now this blockade was in the narrows o' the river before she widens out and starts gettin' marshy here about. What I'm thinkin' is that the men in black we fought a month back were missed by whoever paid 'em. They know we have a camp in this marsh an that's why their soldiers in black never came back. They figured ta catch are boat, and then use captured pirates ta lead 'em here through the confusion o' the marsh. Instead we killed the soldiers and smashed the blockade, an' now they ain't got many soldiers left ta attack us with. 

But ya got ta understand nobles. They got deep pockets from taxin' the snot outa' the peasants. Taxin's just like raidin' only it keeps the peasants alive an' producin' year after year. Most nobles are tight-wads in spite of their hoards, an' they don't much like throwin' money down a rat-hole searchin' for are ships which amount ta a needle in a haystack. Unfortunately now they got are general location, and they got their spoilt brat noblemans' pride hurt. They'll dig deep, hire 'em selves an army an' maybe call on the bigger lords fer aid. Ya can bet on it." 

The blockade was mostly a string o' barges spannin' the river, but close ta shore there was a big merchant ship housin' the officers. We captured that boat an' got it parked closer ta the mouth o' the marsh. Tanight we party, but not as hard as I'd like, 'cause tamarra we're goin' ta strike this camp an' take loads a stuff in the longships out ta the merchant ship and stuff 'er full. Then we're going ta get the hell otta here, set up a camp somewhere else, an go back ta bein' a needle in a haystack again. This was a great secret camp, but it ain't secret no more." 

"The up side 'o the blockade destroyin' is we got a new hoard o' weapons an' armor and I'm going ta give the winners here first stab at 'em. I see some of ye winners were also former battle heroes. Ye may already have better weapons then these. If ye do, take a spare or ask fer a boon. I'll see what I can do. Now, don't be too disappointed, ye still can party hard, we're jus' going ta have ta double the watch and get are drinkin' done early so as we can get ta bed before dawn and get us a few hours o' sleep. 

Now, back ta the rewardin'. The surprise winner in taday's hand-ta-hand was Rapina. I watched 'er fight. She's fast, she's alert 'an she keeps goin' even when she's beat ta shit. Any o' the top six might o' won. It was a close match. Seein' as how we have a good hoard 'o blades, I'm offerin' every one o' the six a weapon. Fifth an' sixth place gives ye one item, third an fourth gives ye two items, first an' second gives ye three items. If ye won at hand-ta-hand and archery, add 'em up. First place gives ye a special winner's boon or another item. If ye already got the weapons ye want, then ask fer a boon. Rapina, ye've a winner's boon, plus ye got 3 items fer bein' first in hand ta hand, an two items for bein' third in archery. What'll ya have? 

While Red Jack was talking, Rapina had looked over the weapons. "May I ask Arzael to inspect the rapiers for me, Sir? 

"Indeed ye can." 

There were only three rapiers. They had all of them carried by officers, no doubt. Arzael tested each blade, and handed one of them to Rapina. 

"I see this one has had a few gems removed from it's sheath, hilt, and guard. It is a blade of utmost quality, at least as good as my own, probably better, and obviously quite new. The steel is unusual. I see no signs of rust. I've never seen such a clear and elaborate tang mark before, either. It's a tiny coat of arms. The script makes it clear that the blade was forged in Montfort." Arzael handed the blade and sheath to Rapina. 

"Aye, it warr a nobleman's blade, the commander an' chief o' the blockade, an' a fine swordsman. Thar's a main gauche that goes with it over thar." 

Arzael nodded and handed the main gauche to Rapina. 

Rapina smiled, she had never seen weapons of such quality. Rapina looked at the armor, but it was easy to see none of it was shaped as she was. She found a throwing knife in a kidskin sheath, but that was the only other item of interest. 

"Is that all ye can find girl? What else will ye have? Ye still have yer two items from th' archery contest an' th' winner's boon." 

"Boon, Sir," Rapina said.

What'll it be? The captain asked.

Rapina went to the captain and whispered in his ear. 

Whisper and counter whisper traveled back and forth between Rapina and the captain. 

"Ye drive a hard bargain, wench. DONE!" 

"Rapina's no longer me own booty. She's a free wench!" 

The men cheered! 

Red Jack grinned a salty grin, "She says I got certain qualities guaranteein' I'll not be sleepin' alone if I asks 'er over, so get one thing straight. My wench 'er not, any 'a ye sea dogs hurts 'er an' ruins me fun, ye'll be suppin' on yer own balls, understand? Don't ye worry too much. If ye don't hurt 'er too bad I'll serve 'em to ye cooked 'stead 'a raw," the captain glared at the men with a look so deadly that the men involuntarily felt themselves being castrated by the captain's knife. 

"Y'er, not ta fight over 'er nor treat 'er like yer property, neither. When I free a wench, damn it! She stays free. Don't be thinkin' yer gonna sweet talk 'er an' get 'er all ta yerself Neither. That aint goin' ta happen. She's a pirate not a nun. That wench is hotter'n a bank o' embers, an ye try ta steal 'er fer yerself, ye'll be facin' down half an' army o' fightin' mad pirates. One more thing, I'll have no pimpin'. There'll be no makin' deals with each other fer the wench's favors. Now that I've freed 'er, the only one in charge o' Rapina's favors is Rapina. Understand? 

Yes Sir! The men replied.

The captain wiped his brow. "That's the biggest winner's boon I've granted in years, but the odds o' a wench winnin' hand ta hand over thirty some strong men are so long as ta be near impossible. Th' way I see it, she earned everything she got." 

"Now ye got two more items comin' to ya girl, what'll it be?" 

Rapina smiled, "Permission to build my own place at the new camp, sir?" 

"Now ordinarily that would be a boon I'd never grant ta a new crewman, but Leech Kennon has told me that ye are fast becomin' th' finest medic he's ever had th' pleasure ta train. Lots' o' times ye'll be tendin' the wounded at odd times' o' the night so as Kennon can get some sleep 'least half the time. That an' bein' as ye moan like a hyena when ye're under a good lover, I'm goin' ta have ta grant somethin' just so me men can get a decent night's sleep," Jack chuckled. 

Rapina blushed. 

"As are chief nurse, I'll give ye yer own room off the infirmary, done!" 

"Now, ye got one more, wench, make it good." 

"There were a few things on our little boat the boys had from me, and then you got them when we joined up. I'd like them back." 

"Oi, now girl, ye had some good stuff there," the captain chuckled. Ye had a goodly bit o' coin an' a chunk 'o gold but I've gone and spent most o' that. But I tell ye what, I'll give ye back the few silvers remainin', plus any clothes an' weapons ye're presently usin' from me stores, 'an th' two pendants ye had, includin' the lighted one. No sense in yer goin' blind readin' in th' dark. A blind wench can't 'preciate a man's... good looks," Captain Red Jack winked. 

The pirates laughed. 

"Well now, I've been hard pressed fer boons. Imagine that, givin' a wench both 'er freedom an' 'er possessions back in one day. Ye'd think I warr some kind 'o gentleman." 

The crewmen gasped. 

"I'll have ta do some raidin' and torcherin' just ta get me bad name back," the captain chuckled. "Now who do we 'ave next? 

Edgar pushed his way to the front. "I am sir!" he belted out as he scanned the booty. 

"Now hold on there Edgar, ye finished fourth in hand ta hand. Ye'll get yer things, but ye'll have ta wait fer them that finished before ye." 

Drake patiently waited for Edgar to finish his outburst before stepping forward to claim a splendid sword and parrying dagger. 

Ye still 'ave another item fer yer second place in hand-ta-hand and three more fer yer archery win, Drake. Use 'em 'er loose 'em. We got quite a selection 'o armor. I've seen a few suits that might fit ye. If yer done with takin' blades I'll let the next winner have a go at it. 

Drake nodded and went to try on a couple of suits of armor. 

After the others had gone, Edgar found a particularly wicked looking dagger and sword that he claimed as his own. 

Drake found a fine suit of leather armor. The leather plates smelled good as they had been boiled in bees wax for extra strength. 

The captain again spoke to Drake, "Ye're nearly as big o' winner taday as Rapina, ye got 3 more items fer yer second place in Archery, Drake. Arzael, show the man some 'o them bows we captured." 

Arzael handed Drake a heavy bow. "Try it, if you can bend it, you'll never need another bow. That's elven craftsmanship there, and there is none better." 

Drake could bend the bow but it was not easy. Although an elf had made it, the bow had obviously been made for a burly human officer. 

When he saw that Drake was able to bend the bow, the fletcher handed the quiver of arrows that went with it to Drake. 

Ye 'ave another two ta go, what'll it be? 

Drake could not think of much else, but then realized there were a couple of things he could use. "Boon, Sir. " 

"What da ye want?" 

"Broadsword training, and ship's pilot training as soon as I am ready, Sir?" 

"Done! Ye'll have the broadsword trainin' first an' when ye 'ave yer letters down ye'll be gettin' pilot's training." 

The other winners took weapons, armor, special duties, weapons training or job training, as their rewards. 

Inside Rapina glowed with the triumph of victory, but outside she felt like one huge, painful, walking bruise. The feast the followed the prizes was the best she had eaten so far. During and after the feast one pirate after another congratulated her. Many of them clapped her on the back or touched her bruised arm. Rapina was in even more pain than she had been before the rush of victory had subsided. 

Rapina found that a pint of ale helped ease her suffering. Two pints made her belly swell but allowed her to completely forget her pain. Three pints and her coordination and better judgment dissolved like salt in water. She danced too close to lusty men often bumping against them. Sometimes she groped back when she was groped, and she practically jumped oarmaster Pike and dragged him into the bushes. 

Had it not become such a habit, she would never have remembered to control the energy to prevent healing her wounds too completely. She barely managed to keep from letting her need drain too much energy from her lover. The tryst with Pike helped; it eased her wounds a bit and momentarily cleared her head a little. Rapina realized she would be in big trouble if she did not curb her drinking. She decided she had better avoid the center of the party for a while and took a second mug of ale and some food to the infirmary for Doanthalis. 

The wild elf's numerous wounds were almost healed. Rapina did not know what Captain Red Jack planned to do with Doanthalis now that the pirates were moving, but she decided she had better see if he wanted to join the crew before the Captain made any irreversible decisions. 

"Hi Doanthalis. I brought you food and ale. How are the wounds?" Rapina asked. 

Doanthalas' emerald eyes settled on Rapina, but he didn't smile. He never seemed to smile...ever. "My strength returns as does the sun at the dawn." He looked down at his manacles and tugged at them absently. The elf sighed and looked back to Rapina. 

"I'm glad you're feeling better. I felt like one big bruise before I drank too much ale," Rapina grinned; but I was so lucky today. We had the final combat bouts for arms training and I took first place in hand-to-hand combat and third in archery. Now we're having a big party. 

I've brought some news, too. I am a little more of a free woman today. For our winning, we got to choose several items of booty, arms and such, or boons, getting the captain to grant us some favor. By a boon, I am no longer the captain's property, so I am a freer woman, though I'm still a pirate. That's kind of a necessity. I crossed a powerful man who wanted to enslave me, so now I'm stuck as an outlaw keeping the company of outlaws. 

You should know something else too. The captain's ship destroyed a river blockade on the way here. The local nobles know there is a pirate camp somewhere in this marsh. Captain Red Jack said that we have to be difficult to find or the nobles will use their wealth to hire an army to put us down. Since our camp is no longer secret, we're going to strike it tomorrow and leave this area.

"So far, the Captain hasn't said what he plans to do with you. I don't know what brought you here to this marsh or if you are attached to this area, but I think I can get Captain Red Jack to let you join the crew if you want to. I've heard him make remarks in praise of your fighting technique." 

The muscles in the elf's face tightened and a troubled look entered his eyes. One hand absently traced the outline of one of the more demonic looking tattoos. "For countless seasons my life has not been my own. It seems that my life may never again be my own." Doanthalas looked away and swallowed hard. "My only attachment to this place are the manacles that bind me to this bed. My...home...lies...many dawns away." A deep melancholy seemed to settle in over the elf. He was quiet for a long time before continuing. 

"Your...captain...is right in that I fight with the ferocity of a cornered forest child." Noticing Rapina's confused look he said, "A forest child...as in a panther or wolf...or bear..." Tremors seemed to ripple through his body. "The...the spirits that dwell in darkness were my guides. They killed the elf and gave life to the savage." Doanthalas looked at his hands. "The taint of their vile spirits and the blood of those I have killed will always stain these hands." The tattooed elf closed his eyes. "Your captain already controls my life. It seems as if we are already joined. Tell this captain that if these bonds are removed I will do his bidding." 
--- 

Later that night, the captain invited Rapina to his bed and she slept with him until early the next morning. Logan got the camp up and running, hangovers and all. 

While she was dressing, Captain Red Jack came with her things. Here now, don't put yer shirt on just yet, I'd like ta admire those tits fer a minute 'er two more, an' I got yer things. That damn Trevor punched ye pretty hard in the right one, I expected a much bigger bruise. Ye sure ye ain't got some magic power? 

"Aunti said I'd have my own set of talents. Maybe healing fast is one of them, or maybe I was just lucky," Rapina shrugged. "It really hurt when he punched me." 

Aye, I could tell. An' if it weren't fer th' fact ye broke 'is feet, I'd a had Brackston work 'im over fer damagin' me goods. Ye've got quite a collection o' bruises there, but ye're doin' pretty well considerin'. Most times th' recruits're sore for a couple o' weeks after th' end o' basic. 

"Here's th' silver an' agate pendant," the captain put the pendant around Rapina's neck and looked at the way the dreamstone nestled just between the fullness of her breasts. "Heh, if it warr any bigger it wouldn't fit," The captain grinned. 

"Here's the crystal light. I'm throwin' in th' little black leather pouch ta keep it from lightin up yer lower chest. Arzael made it. Lucky that chain's a bit longer'n th' other or ye'd never be able ta wear 'em both. Looks good, but I'll bet that gold chain came off from the holy symbol I already sold off." 

Rapina nodded emphatically, her breasts bouncing buoyantly as she did. "Yes, it did, but the light was more useful to me on a chain than the holy symbol was." 

"That be th' case always," The captain chuckled. I sold the symbol an' the signet off, but I foun' out the name o' th' family yer reverend Evangeline belonged to. His father warr th' Marquis of Avengene. Th' way I understand it, th' marquis was the son o' a Northern baron, who was killed by orcs or some such. His dad gettin' killed must a made 'im madder'n hell 'cause 'e made 'imself into a war lord, an' expanded 'is holdin's considerably. He grabbed a lot o' land, an' 'is barony gave th' crown some fine military service in the border wars 'bout twenty-five years back. 'Cause a those things th' crown granted 'im a bigger title. Now 'es got ta be seventy ta eighty w' one foot in the grave. Chances are good 'is first born is already filin' half 'is shoes. I'll say one thing for ye, when ya go about getting yerself in trouble, ye get in trouble w' the best." 

Rapina frowned. "Just my luck, a Marquis. Why couldn't he have been the second son of a landless knight?" 

"Look at the bright side, girl, ye've got extra motivation ta become a wizard," the captain smiled. 

Rapina nodded. "Now that I'm out of basic, maybe I'll have more time to study." 

"Ye should have a little bit more, though not as much as ye might like. We're goin' ta be catchin' ye up with Kent in navigation trainin' and Leech Kennon is goin' ta keep ye goin' on medicine 'till 'e runs out 'o books. Right now we'd better get dressed and help w' th' move. Here's a lighter version o' th' money pouch ye brought. It's all silver an copper, but at least it's spendable. Now let's get goin', I've got an elf ta free an' a camp ta pack up," the captain smiled. 

For the rest of the day the pirate camp was a flurry of activity. A small crew including Kent and oarmaster Pike took Red Jack's longship back and forth between the merchant vessel nearer the river and the camp itself. Everything movable had to go. Rapina spent most of her time helping Leech Kennon and his guards load up as much of the infirmary as they could fit in the boat. By evening, every pirate looked exhausted as he ate a simple meal. 

"Ye did good, men, but ye're not done yet," Captain Red Jack announced. "Are scouts say th' way is open tanight, but we can't count on it stayin' that way. We're goin' ta do some dangerous sailin' tanight while th' nobles are still lickin' their wounds an' meetin' w' one another. Sailin' in th' dark is th' only way we can slip the nobles without 'em knowin we left, 'er whether we went downstream 'er up. Load up the last of it and git yerself on a boat. 

Doanthalis, I 'ave a special job for ye. I don't much like entrustin' it to a green recruit, but It'll give ye a chance ta prove yerself. I know ye elves can see in th' dark, an though the wind be favorable for us this eve, I can see by the clouds its goin' ta be darker'n a wolf's mouth. I want ye ta climb the mast an' be th' look-out. Arzael, yer goin' ta pilot. An the other ships are goin' ta follow us in a line. We'll have bullseye lanterns kept flashin' at are other boats if need be, but that'll be the only light on are ship, hardly more'n a firefly. I got some green tinted glass we can use ta make it the firefly color. 

Two longships and a large, bargish merchant vessel slipped out of the marsh that night and headed upstream - West on the river Augustana. It was the opposite of the logical direction, so Red Jack took it. Rapina helped man the sails for the first part of the night, then went to bed and slept very soundly. When she woke, the ships were moored in a bayou that was surrounded by thick forest. Rapina spent most of the rest of the day learning navigation from Roger and reading Jack's magic book. She took a nap in the late afternoon and was up in time to help get the ships underway. 

The second night went much like the first, but this time Rapina was up all night helping with the sails and signal light. The third night the wind was calm and both longships were used to tow the merchant ship. Oarsmen took twenty minute stints at the oars, rowing as hard as they could, then resting until it was again their turn. After a week of night sailing, Captain Red Jack changed the schedule. For the next seven days the ships sailed day and night. 

When the captain was satisfied that he had traveled far enough, scouts were sent out to find a new camp. Red Jack preferred large marshes for his pirate camps. They were difficult places for large, organized armies of foot soldiers to attack, and ships could easily run aground or become lost in them. Unfortunately, the banks of the river in this area were high, and marshes were scarce and small. Eventually the pirates found a large lake that opened into the river. At the center of the lake was an isle, one Red Jack claimed as his own. 
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This ends Basic Pirates, Chapter 9 of The Chronicles of Rapina.
The story continues in Chapter 10, New Beginnings.

Copyright 2001 by Rapina