The Matriarch's Daughter

Chapter Twenty-Two: To the Rescue

Thepa and the others raced to the starboard side, just in time to see a ship twice the size of the Dinghy fast approaching them. Its 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. "Do you know who they are? 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. It's possible they could be independent. It wouldn't be the first time. If they're not Swampspell, they could be dangerous. We need to be prepared."

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

"Aye, captain!" 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 and she started to bark orders of her own. "Rory, you should 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 she didn't feel as confident as she sounded, the team responded promptly. Next to her, Wilran started praying, 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 appeared threatening, but none of them moved aggressively towards them, making Thepa uneasy.

"Julius?" spoke Thepa apprehensively.

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

At that moment, Thepa's eyes caught movement from the opposing ship. A figure, slender and agile, swung gracefully from a rope attached to the ship's mast. The figure cut through the air, the wind whipping around her as the rope reached its highest point. With expert precision, she released her grip, twisting into a flawless somersault. When she landed, it was with a soft thud, both feet planted firmly on the deck of Thepa's ship, the wood creaking beneath the impact.

It was only then Thepa got her first look at the pink-haired, pale-skinned, scantily-clad human. Despite her daring entrance, the woman's expression was casual. 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 her friend. As they caught up, Lily made a subtle circling gesture with her hand. It was then that the second ship slowed down.

"Lily, I'm glad to see you, don't get me wrong, but why are you here?" said Thepa. "How could you possibly know I was here?"

Lily took her time in answering, somewhat uneased by the question. "I heard about the Beachwick..."