(Continued from Ch 24, Southern Comfort)
The Chronicles of Rapina
Chapter 25, Reunions
Elisabetta and Doanthalas spent a week in one of Paolo's safehouses. It was largely unnecessary since anyone who could link Doanthalas with the escape was dead. The time was welcome as it gave the elf time to relax and think. The time they spent together helped to slowly form a bond between the elf and human. Both had skeletons in their closets and both needed someone to help them work through their problems.
The assassin smiled as she awoke. Her smile disappeared when she reached over only to discover the elf was no longer there. Elisabetta knew he did not need sleep, but she could not help wishing that he would at least lay with her until she awoke. The smile returned with the remembrance of the previous night's activities. Elisabetta had experienced her fair share of lovers, but none had been as adept as Doanthalas. She wondered if all elves were as good in bed.
With a shrug she threw off the covers and jumped out of bed. The cold early autumn air caused goose bumps to appear over her entire body. When she cradled herself for warmth her nipples were hard against her forearms. Glancing into the next room she spotted Doanthalas sitting cross-legged in front of the fire. There was a serenity to the scene as the light from the fire played across his body. Elisabetta watched the elf for a few moments. Although she was freezing and wanted nothing more than to press herself up against his warm flesh she waited. It was nice just to watch him.
Every so often his body would tremble. She wondered if it was from the cold or if he was remembering some horrible experience. His story had been hard to believe at first, but his conviction had been steadfast. Plus his depictions of the fiends and their lairs had been so detailed that Elisabetta couldn't help but believe. Still his stories seemed so detached from her and what she had been through. Elisabetta shook off any unpleasant thoughts as she stepped onto the mat behind the sylvan elf. Gently she laid her hands on his shoulders and traced his tattoos down to the front of his chest. She pressed her body against the warmth of his back and hugged him as she sat down behind the elf. Doanthalas seemed to purr as he came out of his reverie.
Doanthalas could not think of a better way to be roused from his reverie than by the feeling of Elisabetta's body against his. Her skin felt so soft and silky and her breasts caressed his back in a way that was beyond words. He took her hands in his and turned to kiss her. The assassin's lips were sweet and cool to the touch. For a long time, they just sat in front of the fire holding each other. The company was reassuring. Elisabetta stood up and grabbed her clothes before turning to Doanthalas. She seemed as if ready to speak. "What dark cloud passes over the clear skies of your mind Elisabetta?" the elf asked.
Elisabetta knelt in front of Doanthalas and grabbed his hands. "Thank you," was all that she could say before the tears welled up in her eyes. The elf cocked his head not fully understanding what she meant. "Paolo is the only other man who's ever treated me right," she said as she ran her fingers through his coppery-red hair. "I told you how he saved me from a slave's life... not only did... well, Doanthalas. You know the story. The point is... after the beatings and the rapes... a woman loses faith in men and society and... loses hope. Paolo restored that hope and faith and... and now with you..."
The sylvan elf squeezed her hand affectionately. He understood all too well what is was like to lose all hope. "Elisabetta," he began, "with you the river of hope flows freely once again for one of the woods." She looked so beautiful to him kneeling in front of him. Her dark hair cascaded around her shoulders and complemented the sensuousness of her natural curves. Her eyes seemed to swallow him up every time he looked into them. Against his better judgment, Doanthalas was developing sincere feelings for this woman. She helped to ease so much of the pain.
A troubled look crossed his face as he turned to gaze into the fire. A terrible thought had entered to elf's mind. As a human, Elisabetta would live for another thirty or forty years at the most. Doanthalas hated the thought of losing her that quickly. It was not an easy thing watching someone that you love die before your eyes. He had witnessed his brother's death at the hands of the fiends. He did not want to witness Elisabetta's. Doanthalas was a sylvan elf and they lived for a millennium or longer. How many Elisabetta's would he have to watch grow old and die? His thoughts shifted to those of his people. It had been close to a century since he had seen one of his own kind. He ached to be home with them.
"What's wrong?" she asked. "You look troubled."
"Come with me," the elf stated simply.
"Where?"
To the wooded womb that birthed me... the place of my people... home," Doanthalas said it with a look of yearning in his eyes. "My heart aches for my family and friends... my forest brethren. I want you too see the beauty of it with me."
Without stopping to consider her answer Elisabetta said, "Yes."
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Doanthalas was busy making preparations for the journey. When Elisabetta had shown him a map he had looked at her with a confused look on his face. Apparently, his people didn't use maps. When she asked how they were going to find his people with no idea of where they were going Doanthalas had simply replied, "I will know like the robin knows when returning from his wintery home each spring." "Let him be cryptic," she thought as she rounded the corner into the marketplace. She had a few things of her own to do before they departed.
A lone merchant at a small stand held up a small trinket for her inspection. "Genuine pirate treasure! Only three silvers!" the merchant rasped. A wide brimmed hat sheltered his face from the sun and his body seemed to be lost amongst the loose folds of his clothes.
"Three silvers say you?" she asked as she stepped up to his stand.
The man rubbed his hands together and replied, "Aye. Only three silvers. You are right!"
"It's... okaaaaaaay," she said as she casually tossed it back to the merchant who fumbled it and dropped it on the ground. "But what I'm looking for is something that was owned by the nefarious pirate RED JACK!"
The merchant looked up in surprise, but then smiled broadly. "I have just the thing," he said as he lifted a small scroll case made from a human femur. With a sly look the man glanced from side to side before whispering, "It contains a treasure map. That it does." He nodded with pride as Elisabetta took the case from him.
"It most likely contains a simple child's drawing of Turnmoor or some equally worthless document," she said dismissively. "But... I'm in a generous mood so I shall take it."
"Excellent!" the man exclaimed as he took her money. "You won't be sorry. That map will lead you to a treasure worthy of a pirate as sinister as Red Jack!"
The assassin smiled as she walked away. She knew the location of one of Paolo's safehouses very near to the marketplace. There she would be able to work uninterrupted and unobserved.
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A few hours later Paolo packed up his wares and disappeared down the back streets of Turnmoor. He had made only one sale that day, but he didn't care. He was in the business of killing; not selling. The discarded trinket was the only evidence of his passing.
The assassin locked the door behind her and lit a candle. All the windows were shuttered and locked. A quick search of the premises confirmed that Elisabetta was indeed alone. She placed the Femur scroll case on the table and looked at it for a moment. There by the seam was Paolo's mark; a two-headed serpent. Both ends of the femur screwed off to reveal the map inside. The map was worthless and obviously made up. None of the rivers or cities corresponded to any actual rivers or cities. But then again the map wasn't important. The writing on the map was. Elisabetta picked up the two scroll ends and screwed them together. Each end had a string of symbols etched along its edge. When placed together the symbols matched up to reveal a code. She used the code to decipher the words on the map.
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Light reflected off the polished surface of the locket. Doanthalas had taken it off the body of one of the guards he had slain. What had compelled him to take it remained a mystery to the elf. All the locket did was cause him pain. The sight of it made him feel despicable. Doanthalas had only opened the locket once to see what was inside. What he saw had been too much for him. Inside was a picture of the slain guard, an attractive woman (most likely his wife), and a beautiful young girl (probably his daughter). The elf wondered what they would do without the guard. How much pain they must be feeling, and it was all because of Doanthalas. The opening of the door interrupted the elf's musings. Standing up he pocketed the locket and stepped back into the shadows.
Seeing Doanthalas trying to hide in the shadows of the room momentarily brightened her mood. With a smile Elisabetta teased, "Tsk. Tsk. You DO need to pay better attention when I'm teaching you things."
With an embarrassed look Doanthalas stepped out of the shadows. Although Elisabetta was smiling he could tell that something was weighing heavily on her mind.
Her mood darkened almost immediately. "Doanthalas, I have some news you'll want to hear," she said as she shut the door and locked it. "It's about Rage... he's been captured."
"Let Jack and his men come for the boy. The time to rejoin my people has come," the elf said curtly.
"He'll be dead by the time Jack and his men hear about his capture!" the assassin said as she grabbed Doanthalas by the shoulders. "By the Gods! He's practically a child!"
"No. By human standards he is a man. By mine he is an infant." Doanthalas' thoughts turned to the picture in the locket. Who would care when Rage was gone? Jack might. Some of his men might, but not in the same way a mother and father might. The elf liked Rage. The kid still possessed a lot of innocence and naivetÚ. He deserved better than to die like this. Besides the elf felt protective of the kid. Rage had a kind soul. With a nod of his head Doanthalas motioned for Elisabetta to continue.
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It had been two days since they had left Turnmoor. A coalition of wealthy men from around Turnmoor had joined a few noblemen in a team effort to destroy Jack, but they had only been able to find and capture one pirate. Rage had been informed by Henrich Li'Yeiraun, that he was being moved to the location where he would be executed. Rage had not seen an opportunity for escape either day. A couple of instances had been promising, but had passed too quickly for him to exploit. Tonight, however, was different. Most of the guards had passed out after a hard night of drinking and storytelling. The guard with the keys to Rage's manacles was snoring not two feet away. The other guard had not passed out, but did have a full bladder from too much ale. When he went to go find himself a tree Rage made his move. The young pirate grabbed the keys and unlocked his manacles. The he took the guard's sword and dagger. Finally he moved as stealthily (and melodramatically) as he could to the safety of the tree line. Rage had no intention of being executed, ever.
When Rage had disappeared into the darkness the guard returned from the tree he had found. He did his best to make his curses and rantings sound convincing as he attempted to rouse the handful of other guards.
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"Tell me again how you lost him," Henrich Li'Yeiraun said with an iciness that made the man standing before him shiver.
"My Lord, we... his trail was easy to follow for the first day and a half, but then... we... we lost him. His trail just... disappeared," the man said with great and obvious discomfort.
"How is that possible? Please explain," Henrich sneered.
"It's not possible unless he..." the man struggled for words, "...unless he had some sort of help."
"I see," Henrich clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace the room. "SIX of my BEST pathfinders, with you as their leader," he indicated the man standing before him, "failed to track a blundering CHILD for more than ONE DAY!" He stepped in front of the pathfinder and gave him a piercing stare. "I am NOT happy!" Henrich resumed his pacing. "Since you were the leader of this mission you hold responsibility for its success or failure."
The man appeared ready to say something, but then thought better of it and bit his lip. He swallowed hard when Henrich began speaking again.
"As the responsible party I think it only fitting that you take the place of the prisoner you lost at his execution!" Gasps were heard throughout the room and the pathfinder's jaw dropped. "This fiasco has cost me a lot of time and money. I do not like failure. That is why you must be my example to my men. Guards! Take him away."
The guards dragged the stunned pathfinder out of the room. When the door had shut Henrich Li'Yeiraun turned to the gathered Turnmoor officials who were all trying to speak at once.
Henrich Li'Yeiraun held up his hand for silence, "ONE AT A TIME... if you will gentlemen."
"We took a huge gamble on this plan of yours Lord Li'Yeiraun and it appears that we've all lost. I, for one, do not like to lose either. Red Jack MUST be made to pay!"
"And that he will," Henrich walked up to the front of the room. "Gentlemen, your lack of faith strikes me to the quick. Did you honestly think I would not have prepared for this eventuality?"
With a skeptical look the official said, "You mean you really HAVEN'T lost him?"
Lord Li'Yeiraun smiled evilly, "Not by a long shot."
"So you just sentenced that man to death for no reason?"
Holding up a finger he said, "No, for a very GOOD reason. He DID fail me. It is only because of my planning and foresight that the location of this pirate is still known to me. The death of the pathfinder will serve as an example to my men that I will brook no failure."
The gathered coalition of nobles, gentlemen and officials of the city of Turnmoor looked at each other and swallowed hard. None of them EVER wanted to be on the bad side of Henrich Li'Yeiraun.
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Elisabetta and Doanthalas had caught up with Rage a day after his "escape". The elf's superior knowledge of the natural world had enabled them to lose their pursuers easily. When the trio was sure they had lost the pathfinders they set about the task of finding Red Jack. Rage wanted to return to the pirate lifestyle even though Doanthalas tried to talk him out of it. Elisabetta encouraged the boy to follow his heart no matter where it led him. This turned out to be back to the pirate camp.
For months, they scoured the countryside looking for any sign of Jack and his pirates. Everywhere they went they found the same thing, nothing. Doanthalas was growing restless. He wanted to be back with his people. Elisabetta did her best to keep Doanthalas's' spirits high. She taught him all the skills she had learned from Paolo to distract him from the huge amount of time that was going by. Rage helped her to teach the elf about human society, and every day they all practiced together with their weapons. Each had something to contribute for the benefit of the others.
In return Doanthalas taught them about his people. He also showed them how to live off the land and use the natural world to its best effect. A strong bond of friendship formed between the trio as the months progressed. However, every night Rage and Elisabetta's sleep was interrupted by Doanthalas's' tortured screams. A few more months passed in this way, and winter was well along before the trio got their break. While they rested along a roadside, they spotted a man and woman approaching in the distance. The companions greeted them when the two were within earshot. The man and woman returned the greetings, but looked surprised when they got a closer look at Rage.
"What?!?!" the young pirate queried. Doanthalas was usually the one to get strange looks. The unwanted attention made Rage uncomfortable.
"You are Rage, one of Red Jack's pirates, are you not?" it came out as more of a statement than a question.
The elf's hand moved toward the hilt of his sword. He was not sure who this man was, but he did look like a capable warrior. It was possible that he was a bounty hunter come to collect his bounty. The woman, however, had the bearing of a noblewoman... not a warrior.
Elisabetta's attention was drawn to the young woman. Why did she look so familiar? Who was she? The assassin could not put her finger on it.
"Forgive me if I offend," the man said as he removed his cap and ran his fingers through his short chestnut brown hair. "My name is Mansun Dido."
"And how, exactly, do you know who I am?" the young pirate asked.
"I was the leader of the pathfinders sent to track you down after your escape." Mansun noticed the trio's tense reaction to his last statement and pleaded, "Stay your hands! I beg you."
The woman stepped between the companions and Mansun her emerald eyes flashing confidently as her long light brown hair blew in the breeze. "Please. Listen to us. We are not here for THAT purpose. Mansun no longer works for... Lord Li'Yeiraun. He is now in my employ."
That was it! The name Li'Yeiraun had jogged her memory. "I know you," she said as she walked up to the woman. "You're Adriana Li'Yeiraun... Henrich's daughter."
"Yes. Unfortunately I am. How is it that you know this?" she asked.
The assassin shrugged, "I live and work in Turnmoor and like to keep abreast of situations that arise... it's good for business. But enough about me; you still haven't explained why you are here."
"Fair enough. Lady Li'Yeiraun helped me to escape imprisonment and in return I'm helping her to find the pirate Red Jack."
"Imprisonment? What was your crime?"
"My crime was failing to follow your trail. Lord Li'Yeiraun sentenced me to take your place at the execution."
Doanthalas helped me to lose your group," he said indicating the tattooed elf. "I ran into him and Elisabetta not long after I escaped. I didn't even know I was being followed, but Doanthalas knew right away. He hid us so well that one of your men practically stepped on us and didn't discover our hiding place. It was pretty amazing."
Mansun turned a respectful eye towards the elf. "I've been a pathfinder for years and, until now, had thought that I was pretty damned good at it. But it seems that I still have much to learn."
The elf did not say anything. Humans were so clumsy in the natural world.
"We just obtained some information from Brackensville this morning," Adriana said. "But now that we've met up with you it looks like we won't need it after all."
"Well... there's just one slight problem with that... we're not sure where Red Jack is either." She looked from Rage to Doanthalas who both just shrugged.
"Well, then with our information and your knowledge of Red Jack we should be able to find him relatively easily. Correct?"
"Tell me the why of your seeking the dread pirate Red Jack," the elf asked of Adriana.
"I... uh... my reasons are personal," she said as her face flushed red.
The assassin watched Doanthalas shrug and walk over to the pathfinder. "Why don't you share this information with us and then we'll decide if we can trust you enough to take to Jack," she stated simply.
"You have no choice but to trust us. We have the information and you don't."
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An uneasy peace was accepted. Although they still did not trust each other the two groups set out. Their search took them to a remote area near Hapton on a tributary of the Augustana West of Turnmoor that flowed from the North. The pirate camp was well hidden, but easy enough for the elf and pathfinder to find working together. After the first few tense moments one of the pirate sentries recognized Doanthalas and Rage. The small band was allowed into the camp. Pike, Brackston, and Skitch followed by Drake and Red Jack came out to greet their comrades and question the other two.
"By the gods! I'll be damned! We figured you both for dead or lost, but I'm glad to be wrong. Where have you been all this time?"
The sylvan elf clasped Pike's hand and the two embraced. He was genuinely glad to see the Norseman again. "The months have rushed swiftly past like the river past the rocks. Much has happened and needs telling, but... something has afflicted Drake and the captain." Doanthalas indicated the two gaping figures standing mere feet away.
The Norseman glanced past Rage, Skitch and Brackston who were all busy greeting one another. The sight he saw made him momentarily forget that he was going to ask the name of the beautiful lady standing next to Doanthalas. Red Jack and Drake were both staring open-mouthed at the beautiful young lady and the stranger accompanying her. Pike turned to Doanthalas. "Who are...", he began.
"Why is she here?!?!?!?!" the pirate captain bellowed. "I want some answers NOW!!! And who are these OTHER people?!?!"
Adriana Li'Yeiraun was standing in front of him. He could not believe his eyes. Drake was overjoyed to see her, but still too shocked to smile. Jack's booming voice brought him back to his senses.
The pirate captain intimidated Adriana, but she was a noblewoman so she decided she had better act like one. Adriana stepped up to Red Jack and said in a strong voice, "I am Adriana Li'Yeiraun and this is my servant Mansun Dido. My reason for being here is simple; I wish to join your group."
Many jaws dropped and some laughter erupted in the camp. For a few minutes things were chaotic as everyone tried to speak at once. Soon, however, Jack had everything back under control.
"First of all," he began. "Don't EVER use the name Li'Yeiraun in my presence again, ever. Secondly I would never allow YOU to become a pirate."
"And why NOT?!?!?!" she challenged haughtily. "I can handle anything you've got!"
A thundering laugh issued forth from Jack's lungs. "Oh I KNOW for a fact that you can handle anything I throw at you." the captain retorted. "The fact is that no daughter of mine is going to be a pirate. Not now; not EVER!"
The camp erupted into total chaos for a few minutes as everyone debated this new revelation. After things finally calmed down introductions were finished and it was agreed that Adriana and Mansun could stay. At least until Red Jack figured out something to do with them.
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Henrich Li' Yeiraun smiled evilly as he spied the events at the pirate camp through Nordula's magic kettle. The calm waters enabled them both to clearly see the goings on almost as if they were right there. Lord Li' Yeiraun turned to his court mage. Nordula was a tall, lithe man with short, dark hair. His crimson and black robes were adorned with silver arcane symbols and a gold talisman hung from his neck. It glowed with an unnatural light. It had been generations that Nordula and his ancestors had served the Li' Yeiraun family, yet Nordula had surpassed his ancestors. He was a true magician rather than a mere sooth sayer. Henrich fixed his gaze on the wizard's dark brown eyes. "Once again you have served me well. Count on the money you need for your spell research being delivered very soon. Now that they are all assembled at Red Jack's camp the time for action has come. I do not want to act rashly, however, so I must plan." He turned towards the door and took a few steps. "Be sure to inform me if they appear ready to break camp. I want to keep them all together. Revenge will be so much sweeter that way."
The mage bowed as Lord Li' Yeiraun opened the door. "As you wish milord."
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The next few days passed quickly for everyone except Doanthalas and Elisabetta. The elf had descended into a depression that worried everyone. For hours on end he would sit there twirling the locket in his hands and gazing into the forest. Only the assassin knew what was on his mind. Elisabetta would have talked to the elf about it if she did not have a lot on her own troubled mind. As it turned out Doanthalas saved her the trouble.
The sight of her filled him with so many conflicting emotions. He wanted to take her in his arms so that they could dissolve into each other, but at the same time he loathed her. She was a killer... an assassin pure and simple. Where he had been taught to respect all life, she had been taught to respect money and power. Not that Doanthalas had not done his fair share of killing. He had. But he had not had any choice... or had he. The locket felt hot in his hand. Had it really been necessary to kill those guards? After all, they were merely doing their job. The sight of her muscular body silhouetted by the moonlight made his heart beat faster. She was so shapely and beautiful and capable of great kindness. Yet, at the same time, she was so deadly and capable of great evil. Sooner or later it would come between the bond they had formed. A cool breeze blew his coppery hair across his tattooed face. With a sigh Doanthalas stepped out of the tree line. He deliberately stepped on a branch to alert her to his presence.
Elisabetta instinctively drew her dagger as she spun around to face the intruder. Years working for Paolo had made her paranoid. That paranoia had kept her alive so far. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw the tattooed form of her lover standing in the moonlight. "Doanthalas! You scared me...", she began.
"You have come to this place to kill him. Haven't you?" the sylvan elf stated.
He knew! Elisabetta had hoped to bring this up at a later time, but Doanthalas had figured out her real purpose sooner than expected. No sense in lying to him. He would know. "Yes," she answered simply.
A profound look of sadness and disappointment crossed his face. "Know that I will not aid you in this task."
"Will you try to stop me then?"
"That I do not know," was all the sylvan elf could manage to say before the emotions came flooding in. Doanthalas began to fade silently into the forest.
"I owe Paolo my life! I have to do this for him! Don't you understand?" she managed to cry between sobs.
She had made her choice. A coldness engulfed Doanthalas's' body. Every beat of his heart caused severe pain. The world seemed dark and distant to him. With a few quick strides he gave himself over completely to the forest.
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Rage fell right back into his life. It was good for him to be back with Pike and Brackston and Skitch. Everything was as it had been. Everything except for all the new faces in the camp. The young pirate missed his dead comrades. He also missed Drake, although Drake was not dead. He was just spending a lot of time with Jack lately. Maybe Jack had something big in mind for the ex-farmer.
The logbooks had to be the most boring thing Drake could think of to be working on. He was glad that Jack had taught him to read, but at the same time he hated all the mundane tasks that came with it. It did not help that he was thinking about Adriana all the time either. They were going to meet up later and gaze at the stars. She was teaching the young pirate about the constellations and the particulars of wooing a lady. A smile played across his face as his quill scratched against the paper of the logbook.
The captain cleared his throat loudly. The fact that Drake almost jumped out of his chair made Jack smile broadly. He formed his face into a stern mask before Drake turned his way. "Drake," he began, "it's obvious ta me that something is going on between ye and me daughter." The young pirate's mouth moved, but no sound issued forth. Jack was enjoying watching the boy squirm. "I feel I have to ask what yer intentions towards her are. Hmmm?"
"I... uh... er... that is I... ah," was all that he could manage to blurt out. Drake had never been so scared before in his life. Even the horrible touch of a ghoul was nothing compared to the stern look on Red Jack's face at that moment.
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!" the pirate captain boomed. The sight of Drake was too much. He could not hold back the laughter anymore. "Relax son! I'm glad that Adriana has sense enough ta fall for a man like you instead of the other riff raff in the camp. Besides there's something I've been meaning ta talk to ye about." He ran his fingers through his dark hair and took a deep breath. "I'll be damned if I allow my daughter to live a life like... like this! Sure there are some perks to being the 'Dread Pirate Red Jack,' but I would give it all up for a moment o' peace. True peace. I hate having ta look over me shoulder all the time. I hate having ta sleep with one eye open. I hate the fact that I will be hunted until the day I die. Do ye see why I don't want this life fer her?" Drake nodded and Red Jack continued, "That's why I want ye ta take her away from here. Away from this... Away from... me." The captain's eyes glistened with moisture. "She never had a good father. At least she can have a good husband."
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This ends Reunions, Chapter 25 of The Chronicles of Rapina.
The story continues in Chapter 26, The Jolly Roger.
Copyright 2001 by Rapina