Moonlight Waves

The Offensive

Nereida Sitara

   Ian knocks the sword from my hand for the thousandth time and I growl as I bend over to pick it up.
  "You just need more practice." Ian says, "Let's do it again."
   I lower the rapier to my side and plant a hand on my hip. "I've been terrible with every weapon I've tried and I don't think practice is going to change that. They just don't feel natural in my hand."
   "Then we'll keep practicing until it does feel natural." He responds.
   For the last two weeks Ian has emerged from below deck with a new weapon for me to try each day. I about took out Dani in the crows nest with the bow, both the long bow and the cross bow. I missed the target repeatedly with the throwing knifes. The axe was even harder for me to aim and I could never get the right rhythm for swinging it, the mace was just as bad. I'm at least an okay shot with a musket, but I'll only get one shot out of it before I have to reload and that's not very easy to do in the middle of a battle.
   For the last few days we've just stuck to the rapier, hoping that I'll magically get better. But I'm out right terrible with it.
   "Come on," Ian says, "again."
I raise my rapier and take my fighting stance, trying to make sure my feet and body are angled the right way just as Ian instructed. This time I don't wait for Ian to attack first, I lunge for him first, but he swiftly avoids me and blocks my strike. Almost immediately regains offensive and I'm forced to defensive. In mere seconds I'm disarmed and he gracefully catches my rapier in his hand.
   He tosses it back to me and I catch it by the handle.
"Let's try again." He says.
   "I'd rather not get my butt kicked again." I huff, not even trying to hide my frustration as I sink to the floor and cross my legs, cupping my face in my hands.
  Ian sheaths his own sword and leans against The Moonlighter's railing. "You'll get better eventually." He says, trying to encourage me. "No one stays this bad forever."
   "Gee, that's comforting." I respond, "Maybe by the time I'm eighty I'll be able to hold my sword in my hand for at least a minute."
   "I think we've gone through every weapon we have, but we can try—" Ian is saying, but is interrupted by Captain Dax.
   "Ian," Captain Dax says, "mind the helm. I'll take Nereida's training from here." He holds his hand out for my rapier and I give it to him. "She's clearly rubbish with a rapier."
   "Aye, Captain." Ian answers him, giving me a nod before leaving us.
   "Come on," Captain Dax motions for me, "let's let you choose the weapon this time."
  He walks away without waiting for me and I scramble to my feet, rushing after him. We go below deck and he leads me past the canons lining the wall and the crates of gunpowder and canon balls, to the far corner in the back.
  Several different weapons line the wall and a crate of flintlocks sits in front of them. I recognize several of these weapons as the ones Ian brought up for me to try, but there are a few I haven't seen yet. There's a spear, nun-chucks, a weapon with a long chain and spiked ball on the end I can't remember the name for, and a few others.
  "Find one that appeals to you." Captain Dax tells me, crossing his arms and waiting for me to take my pick.
  I step towards the wall and run my eyes slowly over my choices, trying to find one that I might be able to handle.
  "You'll need to learn to defend yourself," Captain Dax says as I scan the walls, "if you can't defend yourself than you're already dead, and I can't expect my men to sacrifice themselves to save you every time someone new comes at you with their sword drawn."
  I nod my head in acknowledgment and turn around to start at the end of the wall again when my eye catches on something silver on the floor. I squat down and see a long silver rod sticking out from behind some crates. I grab it with my hands and tug, but it gets caught on something. I climb up onto the crates and lay down on my belly, stretching my hand down behind the crates and grasping for the silver rod.
   "Now what are you doing?" Captain Dax asks me.
"Almost....got it..." I answer, sliding my fingers around the rod. It's a little thicker than I first thought, but fits easily into my hand. I pull it up and jump down from the crates.
  It's a iron trident with three sharp points. No fancy designs or anything, but no less powerful looking. I reach up and press my finger to the left point, I instinctively draw my hand back when it pricks my finger.
  "A trident." Captain Dax comments, grabbing it from me and inspecting it. "A fisherman gave this to us as a gift when we rescued him after his boat went down. I thought it used to hang with the other weapons, but it must of fallen."
  He hands it back to me and I toss it back and forth between my hands. "Can I try the trident?" I ask him.
  "Sure, but I've never fought with a trident before." He answers.
   "Then we'll both learn." I shrug.
  When we emerge back above deck, Captain Dax immediately draws his own rapier and takes his stance.
  "Just try and block my attacks." He tells me and I raise the trident in front of me.
  With the end of it sitting on the deck, it's the length of my entire body, but is surprisingly light. I wrap my hands around the middle of the trident and wait for Captain Dax to come at me.
  He swings his sword swiftly for my stomach and to my surprise I tilt the trident almost effortlessly in front of his blade, the sword scratching against the prongs of the trident. He withdraws and comes at me again, and again I block his attack. We do this several more times and each time I'm able to move the trident in front of his blade and block it.
  "Very good." Captain Dax praises, "Now try being on the offensive."
  I plant the trident in front of me and take in a deep breath before widening my stance and lifting the trident at an angle. I swipe for his leg but he dances out of the way and pushes against my trident with his sword, but the thin rapier does barely anything against the sturdiness of the trident. I swipe again, he dances out of the way. I lung for his stomach but he jumps back. I keep swinging, lunging, and swiping for him and he has no choice but to back up with each attack I make. He tries to push me back with his rapier but I easily block his attempt and remain on the offensive. The sound of metal against metal rings throughout the ship and echoes off the waves with a satisfying rhythm.
So this is why people like sword fighting so much. It is kind of fun.
  Captain Dax lunges forward for me again, but this time instead of blocking it, I spin around so his outstretched arm and sword are on my right and I spin the trident so it is upside down and slide the prongs right over the Captain's handle. With one quick thrust of the trident, the Captain's rapier is wretched from his hand.
  I look at the dropped sword for a second longer before turning back to Captain Dax with a grin spread across my face. Captain Dax is shaking out the hand that was jerked from his handle, but he looks mildly impressed.
  The crew suddenly lets out a loud cheer and a few holler me congratulations. I look to see Ian still standing at the helm with a look that looks like he might be proud of me.
  "Way to go!" Robby hollers, suddenly beside me and lifting me up onto the railing. I grab hold of the ropes before I fall into the sea and grin at all the smiling faces looking at me.
   Every one of them looks proud of me.
Trident still in hand, I raise it above my head in victory and that warrants another round of hoots and hollers. I find Si among them, her hands held above her head and clapping for me.
  I jump down from the railing, with a silly grin plastered to my face, as Captain Dax orders them all back to work and I look down at the trident in my hand, liking the way it makes me feel strong. The way it makes me feel powerful and useful—no longer helpless. I'm capable of something now, no longer an unskilled girl. I have something I'm good at now.
  "You're pretty good with that." Captain Dax comments, "You seem natural with it."
  "It seems to fit perfectly in my hands." I beam.
"Well, let's make sure that wasn't just beginners luck." He says and draws his rapier again.
  I eagerly raise my trident and take my stance.
   Ready for the next battle.
     And the one after that.
       And the one after that.