The Girl and the Orc - (A Middle Earth Story)

Pirates?

     Rain pressed her lips together in frustration. After the elf had got them, they had went out to the deck to see what was going on. A huge ship was coming straight towards them.
     Pirates.
     "Havish," Rain sighed, "Why is it that every time you say something, it happens?"
     Havish only shrugged, "I'm just cool like that."
     Bogwater looked grave, "So, what do we do?" He had never been in a situation with pirates before, but he knew the pirates were extremely violent.
        "Let me handle this," grinned the old man, "I've dealt with my fair share of pirates."
    Rain and Bogwater both looked at their old friend. "Seriously?" Rain furrowed her brows.
     "Yeah, I used to be a pirate back in the day," Havish nodded.
     "Havish," exclaimed the Orc, "You are just full of surprises, aren't you?"
      The old man nodded, "Yep."
     The pirate ship came pulling up close to them, a tall man stood on the edge of the ship while the other pirates got prepared for battle. He had an elaborate, decorated jacket on. On his head was a huge hat with a feather sticking out of it. The man had a long, black, beard. The captain.
      The man spoke out with a loud clear voice, "We are going to board your ship now. Don't worry, if you don't fight back we won't kill you. We are only looking for your gold."
     "But we don't have any gold," Rain shouted back.
      "That's what they all say!" the captain gave a deep laugh.
      "Wait a minute," Havish squinted against the bright sun, "Do I know you?"
      "Havish?" exclaimed the pirate captain, "Is that you? Do you remember me? I used to be your right-hand man!"
      "Why, I'll be! It is you," laughed the old man, "You have your own ship now?"
     "How come he knows everybody?" Rain asked Bogwater.
      The Orc shrugged.
      The Pirate Captain demanded his crew pull his ship up close to the trio's ship. After a while, they accomplished this. The Captain used a stray rope to swing himself across to the Wandering Trio.
      Once he made it across, Havish pulled his old friend into a bear hug. "It's so good to see you again!"
     "Nice to see you too, old man!" The pirate returned the embrace with a huge grin.
       "I have to introduce you to my friends," Havish pulled back and pointed to Rain and Bogwater. "This girl is Rain and the Orc is Bogwater."
      "How did you manage to become friends with an Orc?" Laughed the Pirate.
     Havish grinned, "It's a long story. But now we are looking to explore the rest of the world. We are to make reports and return them to Elrond."
     "You never cease to surprise me, Mr. Havish!"
      "Speaking of that," Havish laughed, "I still can't believe you are your own boss now! Just the other day it seems, you were a funny little sidekick."
      "I'm not a sidekick anymore, I killed your old rival. And I took his crew in ship."
      Havish's brown eyes grew wide, "Really? You killed him? Why! That's great!"
     "How is that great?" Rain furrowed her brows. It didn't seem like a good thing to go around killing people.
    The pirate captain looked over at the girl. He gave her a little smirk, "Well, ain't she a pretty little thing. Head strong too."
     Bogwater sneered. He didn't have time to deal with a murderous Pirate as well as an Elf. "She's not allowed to flirt with pirates."
    Havish and the Pirate Captain threw their head backs in laughter. "I guess that means I ought not to mess with her then," the captain snorted.
     "He's a bit overprotective," Havish shrugged.
     "Am not!" Bogwater argued.
     "You just said she wasn't allowed to flirt with pirates. Seems overprotective to me," the old man chuckled. "Are you her dad now?"
     "No," Bogwater huffed.
     Lorsan finally had his turn to speak. He was ticked off. How dare a bunch of pirates try to board their ship! It was outrageous! "I'm afraid we don't have the gold you're looking for, I'm sorry but you'll have to leave empty handed."
    "Nah!" the Pirate laughed again, "We're coming with you! Aren't we boys?" He called back to the rest of the crew he had left on his ship.
    "Aye!" they all shouted in union, shaking their swords in the air with excitement. They had all remembered Havish from along time ago, they all wanted to be with their old friend again.
     Rain was nervous about this change of events. Weren't pirates violent? And that just added even more unruly men to the bunch. What about her and the women elves? Seemed like it wouldn't be a good idea, but she couldn't argue it. Havish was her friend, and she trusted him. Hopefully she wouldn't have to deal with any more Lorsan types.
     Bogwater was pissed. Now he had to deal with a bunch of pirates drooling over his Rain? He had enough problems already! Rain could hardly leave her room without being tormented by that elf, now she had more restless men that had a chance to go after her. It was too bad they were friends with Havish, or he would have absolutely refused. He couldn't judge the pirates without getting to know them first. He just had to hope Havish knew what he was doing.
     "By the way," the pirate captain turned to Rain to introduce himself. "My name is Captain Blackbeard. But you can just call me Blackbeard." He held his hand out to her for her to shake. Or so Rain thought. She took his hand to be polite and Blackbeard pulled her hand up to his face, planting a tender kiss on her fingers before letting her hand go with a sly wink.
     Rain stood in shock. WHAT? Since when did pirates go around kissing people's hands?
     Bogwater fumed, the pompous jerk! What made him think he could just kiss  Rain's hand like that? That was his job! Well, not like he would do that without making a fool of himself, but...
     Blackbeard looked back at his old friend, Havish, "Where is the Captain's Quarters? I insist on seeing how you run your ship."
    "Actually, it's my ship," Rain stuck her nose in the air.
     "Your ship? You're just a girl? What would a girl know about running a ship?"
     Rain stomped her foot, "I'll have you know-"
     Havish rolled his eyes, "She really doesn't know snot about it."
     "Well, why aren't you captain?" asked Blackbeard.
     Havish shrugged, "Elrond insisted that I sit this one out."
     Lorsan piped up, "Actually, I'm the one who suggested it."
      Blackbeard stared at the Elf, dumbfounded, "Are you daft? Are you trying to sink your ship? Do you want to be fish food?"
      "Now, wait a minute," Rain interjected, "I might not know much about ship-sailing. But I know how to read, and that's as good as anything."
     "You can't read how to steer a ship in the right direction," retorted Blackbeard.
     "I just think it's funny how-"
     Bogwater put a hand on Rain's shoulder, "Calm down. He's not worth it."
     "I'll say," Lorsan scoffed.
     Blackbeard ignored the three, acknowledging his old friend instead, "Say, why don't you show me around your ship! It's a beauty, I'd love a tour."
  
    And this was the beginning of the Pirate Takeover.