The Matriarch's Daughter

Chapter Thirty-Four: To the Rescue

Thepa and the others raced to the starboard side, just in time to see a ship half size of the Dinghy fast approaching them. Unlike theirs, the ship was sleek. A flag of a skull and crossed swords, made it clear that it was a pirate vessel, even to Thepa who had spent very little time on the high seas. Below it flew another flag, sporting two lines of colors: red on top of yellow.

"Julius!" Thepa bellowed. "Is it Swampspell?"

Julius shook his head. "I don't know the colors. It could be, but as far as I know we had no ship bearing that mark. We need to be prepared."

"We don't have time for this!" Thepa cursed. "Take evasive maneuvers!"

"Aye, Captain Thepa!" the ship's captain responded. "But we won't get far. That kind of ship will overtake us in minutes."

"Do what you must!" Thepa ordered, as the ship's captain called out to his sailors and took control of the helm.

"Turn to port! Full speed!"

A fight? Now? Thepa hoped it wouldn't come to that, but based on the reactions of those around her, she thought it unlikely. Still, it was best to be prepared. "Rory, head below deck. The rest of you, prepare for battle. They might have numbers on us, but we should have superior strength. Hopefully, we can scare them off once they realize we're not merchants."

Although Thepa didn't feel as confident as she sounded, the team responded promptly. Next to her, Wilran started to pray. Yenry conjured a ball of light that fanned out to cover the ship, while the rest readied bows and watched the pirate vessel closing in. When the ship was almost upon them, it turned to match their pace, pulling up beside them on the starboard side. Once it did, Thepa could see over twenty pirates on deck, yet something seemed off. They were threatening, but none of them moved aggressively.

"Julius?" spoke Thepa apprehensively.

"I don't know, Captain Thepa. I have never seen this tactic before. Should we attack?"

Thepa's eyes caught movement from the opposing ship. A slender figure swung gracefully from a rope attached to the ship's mast. The woman cut through the air, the wind whipping around her. As the rope reached its highest point, she released her grip, twisting into a somersault landing a few feet away with a soft thud, the wood creaking beneath the impact.

It was only then Thepa got her first look at the pink-haired, pale-skinned, scantily-clad human. Happily, Thepa addressed her at once.

"Lily!"

"Ms. Tiger!" shouted Julius.

The woman smiled a mischievous smile. "At ease, boys."

Julius and Thepa lowered their bows as Thepa gave her a lopsided grin. "Leave it to you to make a grand entrance. The girl I met months ago would have just cut my neck first."

"Well, that girl had to learn a hard lesson. Now ya got me," Lily said with a wry smile placing her hands on her hips.

"Well, good thing she didn't forget it. I wouldn't have gone easier the second time," Thepa replied as she embraced the woman. Proof of how much things had changed. "And don't get me wrong. I'm glad to see you, but why are you here?"

"I heard about the Beachwick...Sister Vivian." Lily trailed.

Thepa nodded. "Yes, we are on our way to deal with that."

"I assumed. Our informants in Pearlview told us you were headed this way, but ..." she turned and looked at Wilran. "They also said the High Priestess of Chandeidra saved them."

Wilran blushed in embarrassment as Thepa mentally kicked herself. She had not contacted her old team regarding Rory. It was another reminder of her medicated self-absorption.