Lions of the Sea

18

They spotted the Sovereign out at sea as soon as they sailed past the northernmost cape of Tortuga. Her side was against the Lion's, the corsair ship with her bow pointing to the west, the Spanish one bow to the east, both vessels floating still. The pirates had gained the boarding initiative and the fight was on the Spanish warrior. Laventry ordered to strike sail and slow down, to allow the smaller boats to catch up with the Royal Eagle. Then he instructed the captains and ordered to make sail again.

The fighting ships were about five miles offshore. The Royal Eagle beat southeast, sails set to load all the side wind. As soon as they were in range, Laventry ordered to fire the fore chasers, shattering the Lion's stern and rendering useless its aft guns. While the gunners reloaded, the Royal Eagle's crew spread along the larboard side.

Laventry kept his eyes on the Spanish warrior. The Royal Eagle barreled closer on a slanted course that would take her only yards away from the Sovereign's bow and the Lion's stern. Marina saw the other ships sailing ahead to the south, spreading out to stand between them and the second Spanish warrior, which closed in at full speed.

"Hold tight, pearl," the corsair said, grabbing the bridge handrail with both hands. "Ready!" he commanded. He waited until most of his men gathered by the larboard bow and shouted on top of his lungs, "Now!"

The pilots turned hard alarboard. And the men at the bows threw two sturdy lanyards with huge hooks at their ends, which sank into the Lion's starboard gunwale. Twenty pirates grabbed each hawser and heaved, making the Royal Eagle's turn even sharper.

The risky maneuver set the ship parallel to the Spanish warrior opposite the Sovereign. The pirates working the rigging left the Royal Eagle laying to the wind and the pilot had the bowsprit touch the Lion, stopping the pirate ship laying alongside the warrior. South of them, the other pirate boats opened fire against the second warrior. But Marina paid them no attention.

The Royal Eagle crew opened fire with muskets and pistols against the Spaniards showing up from their ship.

"Stay here, pearl," Laventry said. "I'm grabbing Wan Claup." The corsair ran down from the bridge to lead his men, sword and pistol in hand. "TORTUGA!" he shouted, climbing the gunwale to board the Lion.

The Sovereign crew, cornered across the Lion against the larboard side, replied to Laventry's shout, fighting with renewed energy. Laventry led his men like an unstoppable wedge, pushing through the Spaniards toward their Brethren.

Marina understood they meant to open a corridor across the enemy lines to allow Wan Claup and his crew to reach the Royal Eagle. She noticed the tingling of excitement running all over her body as she watched the fight. Blood pumped in her veins. The smell of gunpowder filled the air; shouts, occasional shots, the clash of steel reverberated in her ears.

Then she spotted her uncle. He fought flanked by Maxó and De Neill, leading his crew as they struggled to meet with Laventry by the foremast. She watched him in proud awe. He fought bravely, unerring, irreducible. Until she saw him halt sharply, and horror froze her where she stood. A blood stain appeared on her uncle's chest, expanding quickly. Wan Claup turned to his right and back, his face in disarrange, and staggered.

"No!" Marina cried, desperate.

Maxó held Wan Claup up to keep him from crumbling down, calling out loud for help while De Neill covered them the best he could.

Marina scampered to the gunwale and looked the same way her uncle had when he was shot from behind. In the mess of the close fight, she spotted a blond officer with no cuirass. He was dropping a smoking gun to wield his sword.

Fury overcame horror. While Maxó and De Neill carried Wan Claup to the Royal Eagle, surrounded by Laventry's men, Marina unsheathed her sword, grabbed a rope and jumped from the corsair ship to the Lion's bridge.

Her mind emptied as soon as she set foot on the enemy ship. She jumped over the bridge's handrail to land outside the cabin's door. Then she wielded her misericorde too and made her way to the larboard side, near the mainmast, where the officer with no cuirass was fighting. The long hours practicing with Monsieur Etienne paid off as expected. She faced and beat without hesitation two soldiers that came in her way, never losing sight of the blond officer.

The Spaniard seemed to sense somebody was seeking him. He killed one of the Sovereign's gunners and turned to her. The fair mane escaped the ribbon and his deep blue eyes glimmered in the blood-sprayed face. Marina was only three steps away. He smirked and stepped up to meet her, pushing out of the way another Spaniard that tried to attack her.

"Bad day for leaving the hold, boy," he said mockingly, swooping his blade down on her.

Marina balanced her feet and crossed sword and knife over her head, stopping the blow. She didn't bother replying to the Spaniard's mock. Like Laventry had said: when the time for steel came, the time to talk was over. So she let her blade reply, taking advantage of the strength her fury added to her arms.

She pushed the officer back and charged against him. The Spaniard had trusted his physical build would give him the upper hand, and he certainly didn't expect to come across a cabin boy who knew fencing. Marina used that moment of surprise to rain blows and feints on him until she found a breach. She tried to slice his throat open. But the officer reacted in time to save his life. He hurt Marina's inner right arm, a cut that deflected her blow. But Marina's blade scratched his face, leaving a bloody line along his cheekbone. The Spaniard cursed aloud and charged against her brashly. Marina stepped back, letting him come forth and blocking his blows. Until she locked his blade with sword and misericorde again.

"I'm going to kill you, little bastard!" the Spaniard snarled, their faces close behind locked steels.

Marina met his eyes and forced a smirk to distract him. At the same time, she kneed him in his belly and yanked the sword from his hand. She raised her blade to kill him, but a bunch of pirates appeared out of nowhere to come between them. An arm circled her waist from behind and she was lifted from the ground. A pirate hit the Spaniard in the head with the butt of his pistol, decking him down.

"Damn it, Marina!" Laventry cried, holding her tight. "We need to go!"

The fallen officer looked up, grabbing his beaten head. And before Laventry forced her to turn around, the girl saw the surprise on his face. His lips moving, repeating her name, as if wondering whether he'd heard it right.

Laventry and his men dragged her on a short but dangerous sprint through the enemies closing in on them. They didn't stop until they jumped both gunwales to the Royal Eagle.

Marina stepped back, bewildered, her eyes on the Lion's mainmast, where the Spaniard officer still was. All around her, the last pirates jumped back on board and Laventry shouted his commands.

"Cut the ropes! Up the muskets! Make sail! Larboard guns ready! Fish the Sovereign's men left!"

The corsair grabbed her good arm and dragged her to the stern. The musket fire from the Spaniards forced them to seek shelter behind the steps to the bridge.

"Sacre Dieu, child! Have you gone crazy? What the hell were you doing, fighting there when I had already called to retreat? Come! Go wash and see your uncle, for he's not well! I still have to take us out of here alive!"