The Adventures of Pocahontas and John Rolfe: Book I

Chapter 16: A Narrow Escape

The Adventures of Pocahontas and John Rolfe: Book I

Chapter 16: A Narrow Escape

They've caught him. What do we do? Adahy asked. We've got to free ourselves and him so we can capture him for our own purposes. This is getting more and more complicated.

These are not things you should worry about right now. I give you permission to enjoy the show. An opportunity is coming, the blade replied in premonition. Very soon. Be alert.

Adahy blinked. He was seated farther away than most from the scene on a stump in the midst of the dense trees. Another one of the pirates, Muttonchops, was keeping an eye on him while Demon Dave assisted with the 'setup.' The cur stood behind him, holding onto the rope that kept him bound. "Want a better view, Injun?" Muttonchops offered.

No, stay put, the demon instructed.

Adahy glanced up at Muttonchops. "No, I can see just fine from here."

The pirate raised a brow, eyeing Adahy. "You don't seem too enthused about this. Isn't this the very same paleface who severed your hands?" Muttonchops inquired, puzzled.

"Have you ever seen me outwardly 'enthused'?" Adahy countered.

Muttonchops paused a moment and conceded with a nod. "Point taken. You Injuns are so damn stoic," he remarked, shaking his head back and forth. "Glad I'm not one of ye."

"We're glad you're not one of us either," Adahy calmly retorted.

Muttonchops snapped the rope binding him. "Watch your trap!" he barked.

Adahy ignored his captor. He kept his gaze on John Rolfe's soon-to-be-not-so-flawless white back as the bosun swung the whip back, preparing for the first skin-splitting blow. The diplomat had been thrashing violently against his bindings and shouting to be freed, but the bosun warned him to quiet down. "Let's hear you beg," mocked the Affrikaan.

At first, Adahy wondered if it was his imagination. He thought he heard the subtlest of swoosh sounds before the switch came down with a much louder swish. John Rolfe had been struggling with all his might, his skin turning bright red from the effort.

CRACK!

The willow whip struck the pine tree where John Rolfe had been not even a fraction of a second before, sending bark debris flying into the bosun's face. He sputtered and raged, "What the hell...?!" Adahy jumped to his feet to see what had happened. When he glanced down, he found Rolfe crumpled on the ground at the bosun's feet. A tomahawk embedded in the side of the pine tree indicated just where the bindings had been severed.

The bosun was so furious about missing his target that his swarthy face turned a deep dark shade of red. He spotted John Rolfe on the ground trying to crawl away and he drew back the whip again, targeting the fallen man before he could hope to escape. A sleek arrow put an end to the bosun's attempt at an assault. It embedded itself right in the spot between the Affrikaan's chest and shoulder, forcing the dark-skinned pirate to release his grip on the cruel implement. The bosun's agonized howl could not even be heard over the thundering war cry which immediately emanated from the obscuring foliage surrounding the area. "HE-LE-LE-LE-LE-LE-LE-LE-LE-LAAUUU!" it echoed over the trees.

"Savages! It's an ambush!" Flame decried. "Find cover and return fire!"

Half of the crew panicked and started shooting into the brush without running for cover first. Two men, Patch Fiddick and Demon Dave, ended up with an arrow straight through the gullet. The latter collapsed immediately, whereas the former stumbled around holding the tail of the embedded projectile as he tried to breathe through the blockage.