The Pirate Groom

Chapter Fifty-Four

The barbarians threw or clubbed nearby sailors into the waters below as they continued to load, aim, and fire cannons at the nearby ships. The ships were trying to separate themselves from the pack and distance themselves from the cannon fire, failing to return fire for fear of killing Humperdinck.

"Hit them below the waterline," Erik shouted to Lars and Max, who nodded and began aiming the cannons lower. Their next shot, at a nearby ship, blew a hole in the hull that sucked in enormous amounts of water. The ship listed to port, almost landing on the New Revenge.

"One down," Erik shouted.

"Three to go!" Lars replied.

Erik and Lars saw the deformed, beast-like sharks they had encountered on the island were now circling the ship, their massive fins poking out of the waters, knocking through the wreckage, eating men as they splashed into the sea.

With no other choice but to drown or be eaten, sailors from the sinking ship ran across the mast that was now lying on the deck of the New Revenge and joined the fight.

Serena and Westley were back to back, dueling against impossible odds. Wave after wave of henchmen, armed with all manner of swords and weapons, attacked.

"Westley," Serena said. "I think that it is time we stop being defensive and take the fight to them."

"Do you think that's wise?" he asked.

"I do not know," she replied. "But I think standing our ground and dying is probably unwise."

"Good point."

Westley leapt onto and off of crates and netting as he dispatched sailor after sailor.

Serena danced in and among the two barbarians, who continued clubbing the crew as they approached while firing cannons at the fleeing ships.

Westley found himself nearly surrounded by twelve fierce-looking men, with no means of escape save for climbing the mast. He grabbed a rope and prepared to cut the counterweight, which would have impressively launched him into the air and onto the relative safety of the crow's nest platform high above. But a sailor was climbing down from the crow's nest, which left only one option.

Cutting another rope, the mainsail began to unfurl and lower, slowly at first, then gathering speed as the heavy canvas fell, knocking down the descending sailor and ultimately crashing to the deck of the ship, crushing the twelve henchmen under its weight.

Westley looked around to see if anyone else noticed this amazing feat, but all were preoccupied with one task or another. Inigo was fighting Humperdinck. Serena was fending off a short man with a long sword. The barbarians were in the process of sinking another nearby ship.

Serena pirouetted away from the diminutive dueler and joined Westley at the mast.

"That was impressive," she said, as a tall man with a broadsword started hacking away at Westley.

Westley moved his head to the left, and the man's broadsword embedded itself in the right side of the mast. Pulling it free, the man swung again. "You think that was impressive?" Westley asked, this time moving his head to the right as the sword embedded itself in the left side of the mast where it was not coming free.

Westley turned and swiped his sword closely at the man's head where he had backed up against the fallen sail, striking the cloth with the tip of his sword. Bits of canvas and hair flew to the deck. The man, dropping his weapon and holding his hands up in surrender, watched in awe as Westley reached past the henchman's ear and pulled out a swatch of canvas in the shape of a paper doll.

"Wow," grunted the sailor as Westley punched him, knocking him unconscious to the deck of the ship.

Serena simply smiled as she turned on the short man with the long sword, backing him against a crumpled section of sail that was folded back on itself many times, like an accordion baffle. Swiping at the man and the canvas, he, too, dropped his sword as the flurry of steel engulfed the area around his head.

"If you would?" she asked, as Westley punched the man, knocking him to the deck where he fell on top of the first.

Westley reached toward the sail, pulling out a series of amazingly intricate and beautiful snowflakes, each one impossibly unique. True works of art.

Westley looked at Serena, impressed and confused.

"Where did you learn to do that?"

"Kindergarten, originally," Serena said. "But I must admit to practicing a bit with Inigo's sword over the years."

The second of Humperdinck's four fastest ships was now sinking rapidly into the sea.

"Two down," Erik said.

"Two to go," Lars replied.

Men were trying to abandon the sinking ship, but those who entered the blood-red water were instantly swept up by the encroaching sharks.

Two of Humperdinck's other boats were beyond the range of the barbarians' cannons and were now circling the New Revenge in a curious, clockwise manner.