Journey to Barretts Bay

The spyglass slowly lowered from the eye that was so dark, one might easily construe it as black; an impression that was only enhanced by the black color of his brows and lashes, and the antimony-oxide liner of kohl applied around his eyes. It was applied to reduce ocean glare; a technique that he had, of all things, learned from the people (women, to be exact) of the desert. He balanced himself at the top of the mainmast ? the portion that extended beyond the box of the crow?s nest. ?What?s the latest word, Mr. Blade??

?Word is we?ll be harboring in Barretts Bay the day after tomorrow,? said Mr. Blade. The sun shown off the dull-gold, front tooth of Mr. Blade as he looked up from the crow?s nest box and grinned with a mouth that over the years had come to be missing more teeth than it now contained.

?Mr. Blade? was, of course, not his real name, but it was the only name by which people knew him. Those who had the "fortune" of once knowing his real name seemed to all end up with the untimely misfortune of having their throats cut, and it?s now been years since anyone has known him as anything but ?Mr. Blade.? The only thing that everyone actually knew about Mr. Blade was that he liked to kill, and that he was very good at it. In fact, it was about the only thing in his life that he could take pride in.

?That?s good news, Mr. Blade,? James said as he raised the spyglass one more time to view the horizon to the east, searching for other ships.

?Aye, it is, Captain Black,? said Mr. Blade. ?We?ll soon have places to destroy and people to damage.? Mr. Blade wiped his mouth with a sleeve that was already hard and crusted with God-knows-what.

?Patience, Mr. Blade. We must have patience.? Captain Black had been keeping the Sea Wolf distanced from any other ship since they had left Rhy?Din harbor. ?When the time comes, you?ll have plenty of people to damage." Captain Black paused for a moment, then continued, "I have a special favor to ask.?

?I can almost guess.?

?I'm sure you can. I want you to see to it that no harm comes to Wyheree if I'm ever not around to do that myself.?

A grin came to the evil face. ?She'll be safe, Captain Black. You can place your bets on that.?

Captain Black just gave him a look and a nod. It said it all. Unlike the situation with Mr. Blade, the crew of the Sea Wolf knew Captain Black?s real name, but no one ever used it. ?Captain Black? was enough, and it more than described his appearance. In addition to the dark and blackened eyes that had been so keenly peering through the spyglass, he also had a black mustache and black hair that was usually covered by his tri-point leather hat, and that was braided in colorful beads in several places on both sides of his head. He also had a handkerchief that was folded in a band and tied about his head. It was red and not black, but he liked it anyway.

All of this might have afforded anyone good reason to call him ?Captain Black,? but it didn?t end there. Captain Black always wore black shirts ? black, silk shirts to be exact. The black silk shirts were tucked into tight, black pants, that where themselves tucked into black boots. One could rightly assume that Captain Black was partial to black. He also liked silver and he wore a lot of it. The silver chains around his neck and silver bracelets seemed to only enhance the black background of Captain Black.

Captain Black handed the spyglass to Mr. Blade and climbed down out of his precarious perch into the less precarious crow?s nest. ?Let?s get down to the deck, Mr. Blade. It will soon be time for our first community meeting of this voyage.?

Community Meeting - Second Half

?Renowned pirates of all the seas. . .? James began his address. It got no response from his crew.

?You worthless, dirty dog sons of bitches who would kill your own mother for a mug of stale ale . . .? he tried again.

This time the voices of the men rang out in cheers as they raised their fists, some grasping knives and others grasping sabers. The cheers slowly died down.

?It is time we once again made our name known in Barrett?s Bay.? Cheers rang out again, this time for several minutes. It was the way their meetings happened. You could not hurry such things. It was the pirate way, and in all practical aspects it was a liturgy of lost souls.

?You dogs remember th? ol? pirate, Willie Redbeard, who stole some treasure from us th? last time we were in Barretts Bay.?

That was all he needed to say. Shouts and gunshots rang out for five minutes as the crew expressed their little annoyance at Redbeard and his renegade band of thieving liars, and their unanimity in their desire to hang Willie Redbeard by his willie.

Captain Black held up his hands to silent the pirates. ?Men! Men! ?Tis time for our sweet revenge.?

A tall, thin man in a tattered gray shirt and equally tattered gray pants with legs that came only to his calves stepped forward. The man had a long pointed nose, a recessed chin that augmented a significant overbite, large ears and a head that was bald at the crown. No one could disagree that Rat looked very much like his namesake. Rat could not read, but he listened to the words.

?B-but, Captain, h-how do w-we find Wi-wi-willie?? Rat asked in his characteristic squeaky, stuttering voice.

The deck erupted in shout and nods of agreement and saber waving.

?And w-what about th? pillagin? of th? town. I b-believe theft a-and k-k-kidnapping and r-rape is what we?re g-good at.?

There was another round of joyful shouts and affirmations of Mr. Rat?s great insight, this time it took another few minutes to quiet everyone down.

Governor banged the capstan once again with the butt-end of his pistol. This time it fired accidentally, put a bullet hole through his long trench coat, knocked the hat off of Snakeskin (who was too drunk to notice), and embedded itself in the port gunn?le. Governor took a quick look at his coat and continued to speak as if that kind of near-death calamity happened every day (as opposed to the usual once a month). ?Listen up, you perverted sons of ill-bred asses an? unknown fathers! Our Captain is going to speak!?

Captain Black acted as if this was the most routinely run parliamentary meeting that ever took place. He expected such actions from his men, for they were the people that society had forgotten. They were the rift-raft, the misplaced, the ignored, the people who had fallen through the cracks of society. Captain James Black took pity on them. He gave them employment, a position, and respect ? the three things their lives had always been lacking. In return, they each gave him their undying loyalty.

Take Mr. Turmoil for example. Turmoil had a sandy hair, a round face, a round body, and a toothy grin. His body was not as round as it once was. He had once been the respected owner of a small boot and shoe repair business in a major port city. He would spend the earnings on food, drink and gambling ? and plenty of each. One night he gambled away his business in a game that he felt sure that he had the winning hand. With no boot and shoe repair business, Tom Merle soon fell into poverty ? and then he fell into the cracks of the city.

One cold, rainy night, a much less round Tom Merle was sitting outside a tavern with a cup in hand, looking pitiful and begging for any loose copper that some kind soul would spare. That?s when he met Captain Black. ?What?s your name,? Captain Black asked him.

?Tom Merle,? he replied while looking up upon the dashing sea captain and trying to shield his eyes from the rain at the same time.

?Well, Mr. Turmoil, I think I would like to offer you a job.

Tom Merle rose to his feet. ?I?ll work hard for you, I will. You won?t be sorry.?

?I?m sure I won?t,? Captain Black replied with a grin. He put a silver coin in Tom?s cup. ?Take care of yourself, Mr. Turmoil, and meet me at the Sea Wolf at noon tomorrow.?

?Thank you, sir. Thank you! And the name is Tom Merle.? But no one ever called him that again.

"SOCIAL HOUR"

The decks of the Sea Wolf became a huge party of more than one hundred drinking, singing, dancing pirates that looked like they had just stepped out of some macabre play. Mr. Blade didn't dance. He stood there and drank from a jug. Rat stood beside him and ate some cheese and drank from a mug of ale. The Earl of Wormwood still swung on the seat between the masts, but now he drank from a jug that was tossed up to him. He also played a fiddle, joining in with those on the deck. James looked to Wyh and winked, "This be ye first Sea Wolf Social Hour, love. I think we should be makin' the best of it."

She looked all about the decks, listening to the fiddles and watching his crew enjoy themselves, then she turned her eyes to his, with a little smile. "You are right, though I have never seen the like before. What I heard drifting in the windows seemed much - quieter."

"Ahhh...but now they are on a mission! They smell money, and th' smell of money makes them wild. That's a good thing. I count on that happening." He took her hand in his, "Come, love, I think a jug of rum has our name on it!" He laughed and pulled her along, weaving in and out of men on the deck.

His laughter was contagious, and she found herself laughing as they made their way across the deck, her hand safe in his, smiling as she was pulled past the crew.

They came to Governor who saw them arrive, "Ahhh...my captain..and the beautiful Lady Wyheree! You've come to join our Social Hour!"

Captain Black would nearly always go to his stateroom during the Social Hours, so to see him on deck at this time was unusual. It's not that he didn't like celebrating, but he felt it was best to not be too close to the men in a social setting, not if they were going to take orders from him without questioning. "Aye, we are here! Ye have a jug of rum for us there, Gov'nor?"

"Aye, Cap'n, here you are! Drink well you two and enjoy the Social Hour!"

He took the jug, took a long drink and handed it to Wyh.

She took the jug he offered, and took a drink from it - it seemed even stronger than the rum at the Inn - and she handed the jug back to her Captain with a smile. "This is a different sort of rum than what we have shared before - I like this one best!"

Captain Black laughed! "Wyh, ye are one 'ell of a pirate! I love ye, I do!!" He took the jug and had another drink and pulled her to their "dance floor". Seeing male pirates dancing with other male pirates who wore mop heads was a strange site indeed - rather hysterical, actually. Having a real woman on board when not in a port was a rare and welcomed occurrence. "Have another drink, Wyh...then we shall dance!"

She did manage to take another drink - she was laughing as she watched his crew dance, her eyes shining with merriment. "Have I had enough practice?"

"Of course! If you practice any more, you'd be too good an' wouldn't be allowed t' dance! We only allow the 'unpracticed' to dance at Social Hours. Ye don't want to be over qualified, do ye?"

"Of course not - I am as unpracticed as they come!"

He laughed and realized that he loved her so. He put and arm around her waist and began to spin in a horn pipe dance. The pirates in that area began to clap and stamp their boots in rhythm to the music, encouraging the dancers.

Wyh was a very fast learner, and she followed where he led her in the dance, trusting him like no one else, her cheeks coloring up from the drink and the reel, laughing until she was breathless.

James drank and held out the jug at arm's length as they spun around. Ol' One-Eye walked right into it and the jug connected with his head. He was so drunk he walked another ten feet before he put a hand to his head and slumped down on the deck. James laughed and gave Wyh a rum flavored kiss.

Wyh savored his kiss - until she caught site of the crewman sprawled on the deck. "Is he all right?"

James looked over to One-Eye, "Oh sure, lass. He'll awake an' feel th' better for it. He'll thank me in th' morn for th' time out when he couldn't drink." The captain then turned and pulled Wyh tight against his body, feeling her curves against him.

GETTING INTO POSITION

The morning after the "Company Meeting" went without incident, and during the afternoon and early evening they saw a merchant ship and several fishing ships, but nothing to be concerned about or to concern themselves with. The following day the excitement picked up on the Sea Wolf. They were approaching the coast and more ships were being seen in the distance. By midday they were several miles off the coast, turning westward beneath the jut of land that led to Barretts Bay. James brought Wyh to the bow of the ship. He had a spyglass and stood there, looking toward the coast. "All looks t' be clear, Wyh. You want to take a look?"

"I would love to, Captain - I cannot believe we are here already!" Excitement danced in her eyes as she waited for her turn with his spyglass.

He turned over the spyglass and stood behind her, arms around her to help her aim it. "Look off to your left, around the point is where we're headed."

She aimed the glass as he directed, enjoying being so close to him, and she leaned slightly into his arms as she caught her first glimpse. "We should arrive this evening, correct?"

"Actually a little before. We're going to have to hide for a while and come in at night." He kissed her cheek. ?We need for this to be a surprise.?

She smiled at the kiss on her cheek. "How does one hide a ship?"

With that he grinned. "Ahhh...good question!" He aimed the spyglass to the right. "In that group of trees is where a creek exits into the ocean. We're going to 'back in' to that creek."

?And stay put until nightfall. I think I understand." She looked into his dark eyes and grinned. "I fear the excitement in contagious. I am eager for the adventure myself."

"It's going to be interesting, my love. With any luck, we'll be leaving this harbor a whole lot heavier than we enter."

She kept close to him still. "I would help with the luck in any way you wish."

He smiled and gave Wyh another kiss. "With your help, love, ol' Willie Redbeard doesn't stand a chance."

Her eyes closed as she savored his kiss. "He certainly does not - though I am curious as to what was taken from you. Willie Redbead showed very poor judgment in choosing to steal from you."

"Aye, he did, love. We had a certain treasure of gold that he stole from us as it was being transported to the ?rightful? owner." Actually the gold belonged to the King of England and was for military pay, and James stole it and was laundering it in Barrett's Bay.

"So.. how do we get it back - and how may I help?"

"Ahhh....that's the special secret plan! I still need to think of it, actually. These kinds of things can't be rushed, love." He winked. "Let's have something to eat while we have time."

All that afternoon they sailed toward the land, a common RhyDin merchant flag being raised to ease any suspicions. Then they came very close to the shore at the only place that had enough depth for the ship - right at the mouth of the creek. Suddenly the crew was racing around with activity.

She kept carefully out of the way of the bustling crew - amazed at how well they all worked, and she watched all the activity with a sense of awe.

A row boat was lowered and several men left with rope and tackle. The rope was attached to the stern of the ship. They rode to shore, some men on one side of the channel and some on the other side. Other crew had lowered all the sails. It went like a well-oiled machine. Soon the men on the shore were pulling the ship into the channel of the creek, stern first.

It is obvious to Wyh this is a favorite hiding spot, given how smoothly and quickly the ship is steered into the narrow creek. She still keeps from being underfoot, and she takes the time to study the coastline, pulling a quill and parchment from her ever-handy pocket to sketch the channel and the coast.

Within a half hour they were tied to the shore and hidden from view. James went up to Wyh, "You ever climb a mast before?"

"Never - I was always a passenger aboard ship. Could you show me?" She slipped her quill and parchment back into her pocket, her silver eyes eager to learn.

He winked, attached the spyglass on his hip and led her to the main mast. "Do you want to go first, or follow me?"

"I think I will follow you, and move where you do - unless that is not the safest way to start?"

?That will be fine, lass. We?ll just go slow and carefully.? James led the way and they slowly climbed he main mast, past the top sail, into the crow?s nest. He went slowly, pointing out to Wyh how to climb the mast, where to grip and where to place one?s foot. When they reached the crows nest they were just able to see over the low shoreline trees and into the harbor of Barrett?s Bay.

James took the spyglass and searched the harbor. He continued to search. Finally he took the scope away from his eye and slammed the mast with his fist. ?Damn!?

He looked at Wyh and took a deep breath, ?Redbeard?s ship is nowhere to be seen. Either he?s late or he was here and left already. If he?s late, that?s fine. If he?s come and gone, then we?re out of luck.? He had hoped to show her Willie Redbeard?s ship, but instead he showed her the buildings, the harbor and pointed out some of the ships he recognized.

When they returned to the main deck he called over Mr. Blade. ?I have a job for you. Go into town tonight and find out if Redbeard has been here or if he?s late. Take Rat with you.?

Mr. Blade grinned. He loved ?assignments?, especially ones that might require him to damage some people. ?We?ll leave as soon as it?s dark.?

?And cause no trouble!? James commanded. ?Remember, we?re not supposed to be here yet and we don?t want to attract attention to ourselves.?

Mr. Blade nodded and grinned, his gold tooth shining. ?Of course, Captain. We shall be very discrete.

A Report of Half Truths

Early that same morning, the two scouts were on the deck of the Sea Wolf.

?You s-shouldn?t be doing that, Mr. Blade. He n-n-never did anything to you, d-did he?? Rat was nervously wringing his fingers with his hands pulled close to his chest.

Mr. Blade smiled, his gold tooth obscenely obvious. ?You take it too personal, Rat.? Mr. Blade?s knife was suddenly in his hand and just as quickly it was no longer in his hand. His movement was faster than Rat could follow with his beady, black eyes. The knife quivered in a corner of the deck, nearly twenty-five feet away. Mr. Blade walked over to his knife and pulled it out by the hilt. A large gray water rat quivered, impaled on the blade, its mouth opening and closing as it released its final breaths.?

?H-he was just m-mindin? his own b-business,? Rat protested as he looked down at his feet so that he wouldn?t have to see what was to happen next.

?As I am just minding mine, Rat.? Mr. Blade held up the impaled rat and bit his head off with one, firm gold-toothed bite. He crunched down on the skull and swallowed. Rat winced and stuck his hands into the pockets of his ratty, gray pants.

?Mister Blade.? Captain Blade emphasizing each syllable in ?mister? as he came up behind them. ?I?ve been looking for you.?

?We?ve just been here, Captain Black. Waiting for the big day to begin.? Mr. Blade grinned an evil grin, his lips stained with rat blood.

Captain Black walked up to him, face-to-face, and snatched the knife out of his hand. ?How many times have I told you not to do that, Mr. Blade. You?re putting knife holes all over my deck.? Captain Black walked to the gunn?le and flipped the remainder of the rat into the water. He handed the knife back to Mr. Blade. ?Besides, it?s dirty and disgusting.? Rat nodded his head up and down in silent agreement.

There weren?t many living beings who would have had the nerve to do what Captain Black did. In fact, had it been anyone else, they would have been instantly impaled on the blade along with the rat. Captain Black was different. His little concern whether he lived or died made him dangerous. And being dangerous made him respected. Even by Mr. Blade.

Captain Black paced in front of Rat and Mr. Blade. He ran his thumb and finger down his mustache as if perplexed. Finally he spoke. ?I?ve heard the city hall warning bell ring. There seems to be some disturbance going on in town. Would either of you two have any idea what might be the cause of such a disturbance??

Rat looked down and raised his boney shoulders in a shrug; his hands still planted in his pants pockets. Mr. Blade put on his best innocent look, something that he just couldn?t convincingly manage. ?How would we possibly know what?s going on in the city? Perhaps they are observing a holiday.? Mr. Blade grinned.

?A holiday? I suppose that could be it, but somehow, I don?t think so.? Captain Black put his thumb and finger to his chin and looked Mr. Blade straight in the eye. ?No, Mr. Blade, I just don?t think that?s the answer. I get a very strange feeling that something ?unfortunate? happened in town last night.?

?Aye, sir. I?m sure that whatever it was, it was very unfortunately indeed.?

?Aye, v-very unf-fortunate, sir,? Rat nervously agreed.

Captain Black put his hands on his hips and waited. ?Okay, what?s the report??

Mr. Blade grinned. ?Good news, Captain. It seems that ol? Willie has not had a premature disembarkation after all. He?s scheduled to arrive in the harbor today or tomorrow.?

Captain Black gave them both a long, hard look to let them know they weren?t pulling anything over on him. ?Go get yourselves ready,? he finally said in disgust. ?I?ll inform the crew at breakfast.?

Captain Black headed back to his room to be with Wyh.

Wyheree laid coins on the bar to pay for her ale, leaving a little extra for the tender. "Thanks - I will look for him tomorrow." She then carefully made her way back to her seat.

The barkeep bit each of the coins to make sure they weren't fake and put them in the till. He mumbled something about crazy damn pirates will get themselves killed and went on to the next drunken sailor. A small group of entertainers off to the side began playing a fiddle and hand organ and singing.

James watched Wyh returning and tried to act disinterested when the "pirate" sat down beside him. He spoke from beneath the cowl of his cloak, "What did you learn?"

She casually leaned back in her chair, taking a deep sip of her refilled ale. Her eyes flickered to James as she heard him speak, "If the winds hold, tomorrow."

He rubbed his chin, feeling the soft black whiskers as he thought. "We'll be ready for 'im. The first thing he does when he harbors is go to the nearly inn, gets drunk, and get's 'im a whore. It'll be his last drink an' whore, that I can assure ye, Wyh." She chuckled a bit into her ale. "That sounds good to me." Wyh again leaned back in her chair, not only listening to the entertainers, but also trying to pick up snippets of conversation - seeing what else she might learn.

The night went on and James had one drink after another, and more than once a bar maid tried to get Wyh and James to dance, but each time they politely refused. The night was actually becoming fun. That is until James noticed Turmoil entering the inn and searching for him. James gave him a little signal of his hand and Turmoil began to approach. James leaned over to Wyh, "This doesn't look good. He was supposed t' be wi' th' row boat."

Wyheree's eyes flickered over to Turmoil, and she closed them to conceal their glittering depths as she nodded at her Captain's words. Seeing Turmoil here made her nervous. She drank deeply of her ale - which was growing slushier in the mug, and watched as he approached.

Turmoil sat next to Wyh and put one arm on the chair back behind her and leaned in, so that all three pirates where huddled. "Capt'n. We got trouble. Whiskey Jack got to wanderin'." James took a deep breath and looked at Wyh, then to Turmoil. "What did tha' asshole do?"

Turmoil looked worried, "He broke into the barber shop, put an ax to the barber's head and took th' old guy's daughter."

Wyh kept her eyes closed - slow deep breaths to stay in control of her magic, but it did grow a little chilly at the table. "What can be done?"

"We gotta go and get Whiskey." He rose from his seat and set down a good amount of coinage. "We've got ta' hurry."

Wyh nodded, rising from her seat as well, keeping a tight rein on her ice as she prepared to follow.

He looked at her and gave a curt nod. "We've got to get out of here, fast!" They ran through the alleys, heading for the docks where their row boat was left tied up. Shouts could be heard down the street. It had been ages since she had run like this - the adrenalin surging through her system allowed her to keep pace with the men, the shouts urging her to run faster.

They made their way to the boat. Whiskey Jack and Turmoil went in and took the oars, James stepped in and held his arms out for Wyheree. "Come, love!" She reached for James, and made it into the boat with his help, out of breath from the run, and she leaned against him a little to steady herself.

He helped her down as Whiskey and Turmoil rowed. Soon there were out of the lights of the dock and in the darkness of the shadows of the night. They could still hear the commotion coming from the town. James looked to Wyh and gave her a twisted smile, "Welcome to life as a pirate."

Wyh looked up at James with a little grin of her own. "It seems I need to practice running as well as dancing."

He laughed and hugged her, but when she couldn't see, the smile ran away from his face. The girl had recognized him. He'd be associated with the murder. He just hoped that Willie Redbeard wouldn't hear the rumors before he had a chance to run him through and steal the treasure. They rowed in the darkness and made the turn around the point and into the creek. Soon they were back on deck. James looked at Wyh, "Did you see the constable's hands when we walked by the barber shop?"

"I did indeed ? the bandages seemed to be fresh." She thought for a moment. "Though, the injuries did not match an axe attack - he would not have his hands at all."

James nodded, "Very good. That's what I thought too. I'm going to have to have a talk to the crew. I've got this very sick feeling that in the time we've been in Barrett's Bay, the constable had been wounded and a man has been killed. It's not the way to be inconspicuous.."

"I have the same feeling - this kind of attention is not wanted. Am I to attend as well?"

He smiled and put his arm around her, "You bet, darlin?. You're an important part of the crew. And you got the info on Willie. Let's go to bed."

She cuddled close to him, her arm around his waist. "Bed sounds wonderful about now, dearest."

James walked her to their room and locked the door behind them. He looked at her and grinned. Danger was always a turn on for him, and now he wanted her - bad.

She gave him a wicked grin of her own - she could see the desire in his eyes, and she wanted him just as badly. They shed their clothes and climbed into bed and made love until they fell asleep. Tomorrow would be a very event-filled day.

To Relieve a Willie of His Jewells


The entire crew was on the main deck of the Sea Wolf, crouched down or sitting down, waiting with anticipation. Captain James Black and Wyheree were standing beside the main mast ready to give instructions.

Captain Black?s deep voice rang out, "Okay men, listen up! We received word that ol' Willie Redbeard entered Barrett's Bay this afternoon. Willie and half his crew are at the Dockside Inn. A few of us are going to pay ol' Willie a little visit. Do I have any volunteers?"

A knife appeared in Mr. Blade's hand and just as quickly it was stuck in the mast and vibrating. Captain Black looked at the blade, inches from his face. "Mr. Blade says he's in. Anyone else?"

No matter how often she witnessed his knife work, Wyheree never failed to be impressed by Mr. Blade's accuracy. She looked up at her Captain with a grin, "I would go as well."

He smiled at his love. "Anyone else?"

"M...m...me. I'll g..g..go", said Rat with his hand raised. Turmoil also raised his hand.

"That will be enough," James said. We don't want to be obvious. While we're gone, Governor's in charge." He turned to Governor, "When you see the flare, attack the ship and get the treasure."

Governor nodded.

"Let's go!" James turned to Wyh and whispered, "This will be dangerous, love."

"All the more reason for me to go. I meant it when I said I wished to face challenges at your side." She gave James a wicked little grin. "Besides - Willie has never seen me before, nor has his crew."

He smiled and gave her a sound kiss. She was right and he knew it. He had a feeling that before the night was over, she'd have a special role to play. The Sea Wolf pulled out of the creek and in the cover of darkness, while keeping all lights off, slowly sailing into Barrett's Bay using only the jib. They moved silently. When they were 500 yards from Willie's ship, they took down the sail and silently dropped anchor. Voices could just be heard from the deck of the other ship.

Mr, Blade, Turmoil and Rat readied the row boat in the water. James looked to Wyh, "You ready, lass?"

She took his hand in hers, giving it a little squeeze, then gave him a smile and a nod.

They entered the row boat, Rat and Turmoil rowed.

Mr. Blade never rowed.

They made there way the quarter mile to the docks, tied up the boat and climbed up the steps to the dock. Turmoil had the flare. Music, shouting and laughter could be heard from the Dockside Inn. James leaned over to Wyh. "I have a personal account to settle with Willie. I need your help to get him away from his men."

She leaned her head closer, glad to be near him, having a feeling what he might need. "What sort of distraction did you have in mind?"

James winked. "Tonight I need you to be a woman. All woman."

They walked into the inn. The place was so crowded and filled with noise and smoke that they would never be noticed.

Except for Mr. Blade.

He was noticed.

He's always noticed.

People moved away from him but no one seemed to recognize him.

Wyheree Works her Charms


The crowd was thick, and it took everything Wyheree had within her to keep walking toward that table, keeping a tight hold on her magic so that she would not attract any more attention than she was. She knew that lashing out with biting winds at the leerers and gropers would doom the mission, and she would not fail James in this. Finally, Willie was in sight, and Wyh took another breath - he reeked even above the smells in the Dockside. She flashed him a bright dazzling smile.

He threw his head back, letting the ale run down his throat and down his filthy red beard. All his men were laughing, for they were celebrating in anticipation of the wealth they would have in their pockets by this time tomorrow.

Willie turned his head and saw Wyheree approaching. "Well, look a wh' we 'ave 'ere! A new wench t' serve us men!"

Wyh walked over to Willie's table - adding the extra sways and smiles the serving wenches all used when they plied her with drinks days earlier, paying special attention to Wille - trailing her fingers along the back of his chair. "What can I get for you?"

He reached for her hand and pulled her close. "'ow about we start wi' a little kiss fer ol' Willie."

He laughed and the entire table laughed with him. "Then she can kiss all of us!!" someone shouted out to the laughter of the rest of the table. The man sitting at the corner of the next to Willie, put his hand on Wyh's leg. "Ohhh...she's a fine one alright!"

She moved the groping hand off her leg, leaning more into Wille (which was most unpleasant - but necessary), with a light laugh. "One at a time boys - and he asked first!" She managed to keep the smile on her face as she looked Willie in the face.

Willie Redbeard placed a kiss against her soft cheek as his hand grasped her butt. "Ahhhhh....this be mine t'night boys! 'ow about ye showin' ol' Willie a little kindness t'night sweetheart? I can make ye a rich woman. 'ow would ye like that, my sweet?" He pulled her down on his lap.

Leaning against the far wall, Mr. Blade and Turmoil watched what was transpiring at Redbeard?s table. "Should we help her?" Turmoil asked.

Mr. Blade held out a hand of restraint. "No, Mr. Turmoil. She's doing just fine." He went back to manicuring his fingernails with a knife blade, always keeping Wyh in sight.

Wyh closed her eyes a moment as Willie pulled her into lap to hide the indignant sparks at being groped by this awful pirate. Hopefully, he would think she closed her eyes because she liked it, and she braved his foul breath to lean closer to him. "I would like to be rich - and I managed to secure a room. I could show you how kind I can be."

Willie's near toothless grin widened. "Ahhhh...yer 'ear tha' boys. She can't wait t' get Willie's willie in t' 'er!"

They all laughed and drank some more. There had to be at least fourteen of them at that table and perhaps more of his crew at other tables or upstairs with the inn whores. "Okay, lass! Ye just lead th' way! Din't I tell ya men! Ain't this th' best inn on all the seas!" The men cheered. Willie put down more ale. "Let's be goin' lass!"

Pirate To Pirate


Wyh's eyes flickered to the stairs - she swore she heard a snap of bone, and thumps as well. Not wanting Willie to turn and go back down to check out the noises, she took steps toward him and took his fat hand in hers, playfully tugging him to the room.

Willie was too drunk to hear anything but his own belches and Wyh's voice. "I'm coming lass!" He kicked the door closed behind them and began to paw over Wyh's body. ?C'mon, lass...let's see what ye 'ave t' offer ol' Willie! Ye jus' take off those clothes and lay on the bed, ol' Willie will do th' rest."

She managed to catch his pawing hands before they slid anywhere they did not belong, and she gently steered Willie towards the bed. "Why so rushed? We have time - and I wanted to show you how kind I could be. You undress and relax on the bed, and I will do all the work."

Willie grinned. That seemed like a great idea to him. He was so intent on Wyh and removing his clothes that he didn't see Captain Black come into the room and close the door behind him.

James? voice was deep and startling. "Well, if it isn't my old friend, Wille Redbeard. It's been a long time Willie."

Willie turned around, shocked. He tried to move back and stumbled over his feet, falling back into a chair.

James never took his eyes off him. "Good work, Wyh. We've got ten mintues to hear the pig talk."

She glared at Willie - her silver eyes glittering with annoyance. "Pigs have better manners, Captain." Wyh then moved away from Willie, keeping watch as James loomed over him.

"Now, if I recall correctly, Willie, the last time we were together, you had just stolen my treasure and left me with a ship that had been compromised by your crew."

"It was just a m..misunderstand, James. That's all it was. As a matter of fact, I've c..come all this way jus' t' give back to ye wha' I had mistakenly taken."

James looked to Wyh and smiled. "Do you believe him, Wyh?"

She returned James' smile. "He promised to make me a rich woman tonight, so no - I do not believe him at all."

James laughed, "Wyh, that's the only thing he said that's not a lie." He turned to Willie. "Where is my treasure? Is it on your ship?"

Willie laugh, "Ah no... not on me ship. I'm not as stupid as I think I am, James."

"Prove you're not stupid and tell me where my treasure is." James pulled out his pistol and pointed it at Willie's head. "You've got 5 seconds. Wyh, will you do the count down?"

"Gladly." She crossed her arms over her chest, eyes not leaving Willie, as she began counting. 5....4..... 3.....

2....

1...

A Flare for Escape

Mr. Rat was still guarding the rowboat, Mr. Turmoil was down in the common room with Mr. Blade, and Mr. Blade had begun killing people - Willie Redbeard's crew to be exact. James took Wyheree's hand, which she held tightly ? her nerves making her skin cooler than usual. "We get out of here th' way we came in, lass. Be careful when we reach th' common room, fights tend to spread spontaneously." He kept his sword in his hand and opened the door.

They walked quickly down the stairs until they reached the first floor. The place was in an uproar as pirate fought against pirate. James caught glimpses of Mr. Blade dispatching Redbeard's crewmembers as fast as they could come at him. Everything was going according to plan; at least it seemed that way at first. That's when he saw Mr. Turmoil leaning up against the far wall, unconscious. Mr. Turmoil was not supposed to be there. He was supposed to be setting off the flare outside to let the Sea Wolf know to attack Willie's ship. "Wyh! Turmoil's been hurt! We need to get to him. I need you to take the flare and get outside and set it off!"

Wyh took a deep breath - the fighting all around her was starting to trigger her magic, and she fought to keep calm amidst all the madness. Her heart nearly stopped as she caught sight of Turmoil slumped against the wall, and she hoped he was only hurt - and not worse. "All I need is a path, and I will make sure that flare is set off!"

James looked at her and winked, then blocked the attack of a saber and ran through the member of Willie's crew who was behind it. "I'll clear a path to Mr. Turmoil, but you'll have to get outside on your own. Can you do it?" She looked quickly to see how close Turmoil was to the exit. "Yes I can - just get me to him!"

"Let's go!!" This was the kind of excitement that Captain James Black lived for. With a loud yell that resembled "Arrrghh" he went into the fray and pushed those aside who could be pushed, and fought those who'd rather fight. Ale and mugs flew through the room along with the curses of those wounded by words, fists or swords. James continued the assault until they were on the far side of the room, next to the slumped Mr. Turmoil. The broken bottle on the floor and the bleeding bump on Turmoil's head made it clear that he had been decommissioned with a bottle to the head early in the uproar, before he could get outside. James took the flare out of his hand and handed it to Wyh. "Be careful, love!"

Wyh followed close behind as her Captain cleared a path - staying on his left side to keep clear of his sword, her eyes focused on getting to Turmoil. Seeing that he was indeed still living made her determined to complete the mission - and that meant getting out the door with the flare. She took the flare in her left hand, and gave James' hand a squeeze. "Always, dearest!" She then let go of his hand, and began making her way towards the door, keeping to the wall as best as she could.

James watched Wyh reach the door, then fought off the pirates who were coming at him just because he was standing and was a target. Unfortunately for them, he was a target skilled at fighting and they went down with wounds from his sword. It had been several minutes after Wyh departed when he finally had a chance to reach down for Mr. Turmoil. He lifted him over his shoulders in a fireman's carry. Mr. Blade had just thrown a knife, putting the blade into the back of the skull of the last member of Willie's crew who was trying to escape. James carried Turmoil to the door.

Fortunately for Wyh, the pirates who would have remembered her as the one who led Willie away were mostly dead, and the one unfortunate drunken pirate who tried to kiss and paw at her got ice spit in his face, and he fell back away from her, bleeding and screaming, and she ran for the door as quickly as she could. She wrenched it open and ran outside, stopping as soon as she found a clear spot, and launched the flare high into the air, where it exploded in a shower of red sparks.

Wyheree was hidden in the shadows across the street from the Inn, where she had remained after firing off the signal flare. She waited to be sure everyone made it out of the Inn, and when she saw James get caught and beaten by the Constable and his men, her heart leapt in her throat, and she started toward the Inn again, instead of going back to the boat.

A hand like a vice came down upon her shoulder. "Not now!" came the sinister voice of Mr. Blade. "We have to get to the ship."

Meanwhile, Rat was at the boat, his head turning like a wind vane in a storm from the ships in the harbor to what was happening at the Inn.

Wyheree pulled against the hand on her shoulder, glaring up at Mr. Blade, completely unwilling to leave James behind. "I cannot leave him."

"You go to him now and not only will you be taken with him, but you'll jeopardize the Captain's entire plan, and that would not make him happy at all. Besides, it's the rules. If you can't make it to the ship, you're left behind. It applies to everyone. Come!"

"The charge was murder - I heard it said! He will die if he is left!" She still pulled against the hand on her shoulder, her eyes now glittering with desperation - and unshed tears.

Mr. Blade had enough. He knew the Captain. James would want him to take Wyh to safety. In one quick movement he had Wyh over his shoulder and was walking amazingly fast to the rowboat. "When we get to the ship we'll devise a plan to rescue him. They're not going to hang him tonight. They'll want time to get the publicity out. It's not every day they happen to catch a pirate like James Black."

Wyh fought against being scooped over Mr. Blade's shoulder - but only for a moment. She knew deep down he was right - but it did nothing for the pain she felt leaving him to the mercies of the lawmen. Emotional upsets still proved difficult for her control, and she struggled with her magic, and the lowered temperature and cold swirling winds were telltale signs she was not winning the battle as her silvery tears fell.

They were soon at the boat and Mr. Blade went into the rowboat with Wyh over one shoulder and Turmoil over the other. Rat pushed off and Mr. Blade put them down. This time Mr. Blade did something he never did before - he rowed. He told Rat to take care of Turmoil and he picked up the oars and rowed the boat at amazing speed, leaving the light of the docks for the concealment of the night. He rowed toward the Sea Wolf which was now hooked to the other ship. There were yells and gunshots and the sound of steel against steel. Mr. Blade hurried. He didn't want to miss the fight.

Wyh checked over Turmoil's injuries, for cleaning the wounds to his head, clotting the blood, and reducing the swellings gave her something else to focus on besides what had just happened. After dressing the injuries and making Turmoil more comfortable, she looked to the battle between the two ships with anger sparking in her silver eyes. The rowboat pulled up on the side of the SeaWolf that was facing away from the battle. The rope ladder was hanging down. "Rat, you and Wyh go up first. I'll carry Turmoil."

Back in town James was relieved of his weapons and being carried to the jail. They brought him down the stairs to where the cells were. A door was opened and he was thrown in, unconscious. His body lay in the dirt of the cell floor.

Wyheree nimbly climbed up the rope ladder to the deck, for the moment keeping clear of any fighting, wanting to get her bearings - and wanting to see Willie's ship to the bottom of the harbor. There were still bullets flying, but most of Willie's crew had already been killed or rounded up. Governor stood over those captured with a pistol in each hand, giving orders for the men of the Sea Wolf to sack the ship.

Mr. Blade followed Wyh and Rat up the ladder and set Turmoil on the deck. He was starting to come to. Mr. Blade walked over to Governor and gave him the bad news about Captain Black. Nods and grimaces were seen.

Wyh made her way over to Governor and Mr. Blade, still fighting to keep a rein on her magic, which was now beginning to leak, showing itself as icy crystals trailing in her wake as she moved. "When the ship is emptied of its cargo - I wish to sink it."

Governor and Mr. Blade both looked at her and laughed. "You want t' sink Willie's ship? That's a big ship, Wyheree. You can shoot a cannon if you want, I suppose," said Governor, smiling and liking her tenacity.

A shudder ran through her body. If she did not release the pent-up magical energy soon, it would find a way to release itself ? and that would be detrimental to the SeaWolf and her crew. "I AM a cannon. Just be sure nothing of value is aboard, and his ship will be little more than kindling.? She closed her eyes as her icy winds began to swirl all around her. ?Just make it soon."

Wyheree Works Her Magic

The sacking of Willie's ship progressed for the next twenty minutes as crate after crate of goods were unloaded from Willie's ship and brought aboard the Sea Wolf. Gold, silver, silks, jewels, and other goods were all brought over. The men who were not killed were tied up and secured to the deck. Finally the last of the treasure, that from Willie's own room, came aboard the Sea Wolf. The amount was enough to make them all quite wealthy for a while.

Wyheree watched as all the goods were brought over, having moved away from Governor and Mr. Blade - she was still battling to keep some hold over her ice, her winds cutting and swirling all around her. As the last of it was brought on board the Sea Wolf, she looked over to Governor. "Could you unhook the Sea Wolf from Willie's ship before I sink it?"

Governor gave the command and the Sea Wolf was cut loose from the ship they had totally looted. A sail was raised and they began to turn to the mouth of the harbor. Mr. Blade looked at her, "And just what is it you're going to do?"

"Watch." Wyh's eyes glowed like silver lit from within, and her hands started glowing with a shimmering white light, and she brought her hands together, unleashing a blast of cold, white, raw, elemental ice directly into the side of Willie's ship. The force of the blast blew a large jagged hole clean through the entire ship. She then leveled another bolt of elemental ice into the side of the ship just above the water line, making it list to one side. Next, she called the air and the water all around the ship, and ice formed from the tops of the masts, down to the decks, and soon what was left of Willie's ship was totally encased in a thick layer of ice.

Totally focused on the ice she formed, she concentrated on the masts, forcing the ice deep within the wood - and with a loud bang, the main mast exploded as the ice expanded into the grain, sending small fragments everywhere. The other smaller masts soon suffered the same fate, the noise of the explosions quite loud. Her hands still glowed as she directed more ice across the remains of the deck, and down the keel, and deep within the bowels of the ship. And as she stared at the ice - all she saw was James' beaten form being hauled away, and her rage was unleashed on Willie's ship. She made all of her ice expand - and Willie's entire ship broke apart into pieces no bigger than matchsticks, raining down into the bay.

Finally, her eyes and hands stopped glowing, and she looked back over to Mr. Blade and Governor, winded and spent from the effort.

"Get me to that jail, and I will get him back alive."

The eyes of every Sea Wolf crew member were glued on what Wyh was doing. Governor and Mr. Blade looked at each other, eyes wide. "Holy shit!" Governor said. "I've never seen anything like that in all my days!" Mr. Blade looked at Wyh. "Very impressive." He looked back into the blackness where the ship had once been. "Quite resourceful," he added. Governor approached her, "We'll get you to that jail, lass. Have no fear about that. But for now we go back into hiding and regroup. That's the plan."

She bit her lip as she gazed out towards Barrett's Bay. "How much time does he have?"

?At least to midday tomorrow. It'll take that long to get the word out and build the gallows.?

"I'm Captain Black and You're Not"


?You?ll be very happy to know, pirate Black, that . . .?

?That?s Captain Black,? the captain of the Sea Wolf interrupted the constable to set him straight on just who he was speaking to.

The constable eyed the captain through the door?s barred window, sighed, and continued, ?As I was saying, Captain Black, you?ll be very happy to know that we?ve finally finished burying the last of the fine visitors and citizens of this town who met their untimely demise at the hands of you and your filthy pirates. Do you know what that means??

?Let me guess. The fine citizens of Barrett?s Bay are holding an election for a new constable who can actually protect them??

?No!? the constable glowered at him. ?It means that now we can get to the business of hanging you three miserable curs! Unfortunately, we have but one gallows built, so you?ll all have to hang one at a time. The celebration will begin at the third hour after noon.? The constable smiled and looked at his pocket timepiece. ?Goodness me, that?s only an hour away!?

That was not happy news for Captain Black, but he didn?t let on that it concerned him. ?That?s hardly time to prepare for a good celebration. Don?t you have invitations you need to write??

?Don?t you worry about it, Black.?

?Captain Black.?

?You?ll be pleased to know that we?re saving you for last. You?ll be our grand finale, Captain Black.? The constable couldn?t contain his laughter as he turned and signaled to his guards to get the pirate in the cell across from James ready for his brief trial and the gallows.

Captain Black swallowed and looked down at his black boots. He figured that with the trial, the ceremony, the hanging and preparations for the next victim, he had about four hours to live. He consoled himself by the fact that this would not give Wyheree the time to do anything foolish that might have her also end up in trouble with the law. He was sure that the constable would not look with favor upon anyone aiding a prisoner.

His only regret was that he did not have the time to get to marry her.

The Hangin' of Rolf

The day had turned much colder for those in the seaside town, and although the bars on his small window have thus far done a fine job of keeping him in, they offered no help at all in keeping the cold out. The day was gray as slate and dark clouds hung low in the sky, the kind of clouds that promised snow was coming.

Captain walked back and forth in his cell trying to keep warm. He noticed where someone had etched into one of the stone bricks of his prison cell: JUST DIE, in two-inch letters. As if it was that simple. It?s easy to get eschatological when the hours of your life can be measured on the fingers of your one hand. It?s not easy to ?just die.? You could wish for it, but it doesn?t happen that way. Each of the three pirates will have their opportunity to publicly demonstrate that dying takes time.

Captain Black could hear the crowd gathering at the gallows that had been erected within twenty-five feet of his cell window. He guessed that was totally for the convenience of the constable and for the intimidation of the pirates. He was amazed at how fast sixty minutes could pass by. For the last fifteen of those sixty minutes, individuals took turns standing upon the scaffolding and pontificating regarding the evils of pirates and their pirate ways. Some told of their own personal sufferings and losses with such emotion that they had the crowd weeping and shouting for blood. More than once he had heard someone yell, ?Skin the bloody pirates.? Captain Black sincerely wished someone would silence that person.

Every few minutes Captain Black would grab the cold, steel window bars, and hoist himself up so that his face was close to the opening, and yell, ?Free the pirates! Free the pirates!? hoping that the sentiment would catch on with the crowd. Not surprisingly, it never did. But he felt it was worth the try.

All too soon they had one of the other two pirates that had been captured at the inn, standing up on the gallows with his hands tied behind his back. The crowd, unperturbed by the cold, roared their curses and boos. A festivity of revenge was in the air, and all were having a grand time. Strangely enough, Captain Black could see that even the pirate seemed to be enjoying it. He was the center of attention for about fifteen minutes, and he seemed to flow rather well with that dubious honor, smiling brightly and acknowledging the crowd?s torments with grateful nods. The Captain could only attribute the pirate?s lack of awareness that the motivation of the crowd?s cheers were not really in his best interest, to the likelihood that he had been hit a little too hard upon his head during his capture.

The constable looked very official as he read the charges against the pirate, his breath vaporizing within the cold afternoon air. ?Standing before is one pirate by the name of Rolf. He raped a woman on Seagrass Street and was caught drunk in the Dockside Inn.?

?It was more like two women!? Captain Black shouted from his cell, knowing full well that the verdict was already determined.

The pirate nodded like an idiot and shouted back, ?It was three, Captain Black!? All the pirates had come to know each other during the night. There is a unique comradery amongst those about to share the hanging gallows.

The constable continued. ?He hit Frederick the town printer over the head with an ash tray, and the poor man is still in bed nursing his wound.? The crowd booed and hissed.

?It was an ash tray stand,? the pirate corrected him. ?A very nice brass one.? Rolf had a silly, smiley look upon his face as though he was actually enjoying the added jeers his statement had stirred up. Captain Black had to admit that he never realized that a pirate could be quite so entertaining. All it took was a pretty hard hit to his head.

?Finally,? the constable continued, ?Pirate Rolf was caught red-handed, trying to return to his ship with a case of Molly Beam whiskey, stolen from our fine Dockside Tavern.? More boos rose up from the crowd, including one, ?Skin the bloody pirate.?

?How do you plead, Rolf?? asked the constable.

Rolf looked down and shrugged. ?I?I was jus? borrowin? it. And the other things I did. I?I think it was just an accident.?

?By his own words, he stands?GUILTY!? the constable shouted to the appreciative crowd. He turned to Rolf and uttered the customary, ?Are there any last words you desire to say??

Rolf looked up into the sky as the first of the large, wet, kissy snowflakes descended from the dark clouds and stuck to the pirate?s hair and eyelashes. ?I think it?s starting to snow.?

Then Rolf started to cry. He was no longer enjoying the attention. ?Captain Black!? he shouted out with a voice that was more pleading than questioning. ?Is it going to hurt??

Captain Black didn?t know what to say. He finally responded with a voice that was truly sad and despondent, ?No more than that club to the head.?

Rolf nodded. ?That hurt a lot,? he whimpered as the constable gave the nod.

A black hood was quickly drawn over his head, and the noose was slipped over the hood and the knot tightened under the ear. There was a brief drum roll and the trap door opened beneath the pirate. He dropped about a foot and hung there. Soon a dark spot appeared and spread on his trousers. His legs began to involuntarily dance ? wildly at first, then their spasms were more sporadic. After three minutes there was no more movement. A physician pronounced the pirate: DEAD. The crowd cheered and the body was lowered.

Captain Black leaned against the wall, his head down. He prayed that Wyheree would not be in crowd to watch him die. The thought of her renewed his strength.

Suddenly there was a commotion in the cell across the hall.

THE TRIAL OF CAPTAIN BLACK

It was a day that the city of Barrett?s Bay would never forget.

It started off just as any other late fall day might start. It awoke to a dusting of snow that had fallen during the night ? the first snow of the year. The dark snow clouds remained and deposited their cold, white flakes in random intervals. A sizeable crowd had already gathered for the hanging of the first two pirates, but it was really the next ?event? that had them braving the cold. Every citizen of Barrett?s Bay was striving to get the location that would afford not only the best view, but a place to hear everything that would be spoken, just in case the pirate would reveal where there?s buried treasure.

By mid morning the rumors of the now ?Great Captain Black? had spread through the town like wildfire. It was said that he could escape through the bars of any jail the hands of men could make. It was said that he could appear and disappear at will. Some said he was not human, others that was a devil, and still others that he was a god.

While all this was going on, Captain Black sat upon the cold, dirt floor and hummed an old tune he had learned long ago. His thoughts were totally upon Wyheree, so he sat there with a smile upon his face that the constable thought was unnerving, uncalled for, and completely inappropriate for anyone who was about to have his neck stretched.

?You won?t be smiling an hour from now,? the constable said impatiently.

?Then I should be pleased to do all my smiling while I can,? Captain Black replied, ?And I shall continue to smile, because I?m in love with the most beautiful woman in all the known lands. You can?t hang me for smiling.?

?No. But there are plenty of other reasons, and when you are hanging in the breeze and doing your dance, then I?ll be smiling.?

They were both quiet from that point until it came time to deliver Captain Black to the gallows. The captain had asked for permission to wash up, and the constable granted it since there was only one door in and out of the windowless washroom. In a few minutes Captain Black came out. He looked refreshed, his clothes were put in order, and he wore his hat just right. ?I?m ready,? he said.

Captain Black squinted when he came out into the afternoon light. The crowd, now even larger than it had been for the previous hangings, saw the constable lead the pirate out and they cheered. Captain Black, dressed completely in black, stood out against white snowy background in a way that was almost inhuman. It made him look taller and more formidable, almost as if he could defy light itself. They paraded him up the scaffolding steps and out onto the gallows platform. He stood there, hands tied behind his back, his eyes searching and evaluating the crowd.

?Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the pirate known as Captain Black,? the constable proudly announced. A roar of ?hang him? rang out through the crowd. Captain Black wasn?t listening. He was looking for Wyheree or the men of the Sea Wolf.

?Captain Black. . .,? the constable continued, looking as puffed up and important as he could make himself look, ?. . .you are charged with pirating, killing, stealing, and otherwise doing great harm to the citizens of this fair city. Since you were caught red-handed in all these deeds, I pronounce you guilty. Do you have any last words you desire to say before you are hung??

Captain Black took a step closer to the edge of the platform to be as close to the crowd as possible. ?Since your constable has declared that I?ve been caught red-handed doing these awful deeds to you good citizens of Barrett?s Bay, I would ask that those to whom I have done these deeds, please step forward so that I might apologize to those I?ve harmed.? The crowd was silent as heads turned in expectance of seeing the harmed individuals step forward.

?Who is here who has seen me steal from them?? No one spoke.

?Who is here who has been harmed by me??

A young girl spoke up, ?You killed my uncle!?

Unanticipated and Mysterious Good Deeds

Captain Black nodded to silence the chant that had risen up. ?Good citizens! I can swear to you before all heaven, that while these outrageous and indefensible crimes were being committed within your fine city, I was risking my life actually fighting against those wretched men such as ol? Willie Redbeard, and his crew.? He didn?t really do any such thing, but he doubted any could refute the statement. What came next was totally unanticipated.

A woman?s voice coming from the crowd, ?HE SAVED ME!? Captain Black was probably the most surprised person in the town square that day. He blinked and looked toward where the voice came from. ?Aye! I ?ad three pirates all over me t? ?ave their way with me. An? the lovely Captain Black. . .? she battered her eyes at him, ?. . .he kicked those pirates from ?ere t? kingdom come! He was so brave an? forceful.?

Captain Black swallowed and tried to get his voice back. ?Er?thank you ma?am. I do appreciate your?er, your coming forward and. . .?

?He saved me too!? a woman from the other side of the crowd shouted out. ?I was in the Rusty Saber Lounge, just minding my business when a pirate grabbed me from behind, right on my bosom!? Some in the crowd gasped. Others laughed. ?Captain Black, he came in and yanked that pirate off of me and sent him flying right out of the window. You can come back and see me any time Captain Black!? The crowd began to laugh and cheer.

Captain Black looked at crowd and just shrugged his shoulders the best he could with his hands tied behind him. ?I was just doing my best to keep the pirates from harming you, lass."

A third woman spoke up, ?An ?e got rid of all th? pirates! Look in th? ?arbor. There be nay a single pirate ship out there!?

Captain Black would have wished that at least one pirate ship was in the harbor (his), but at least they weren't chanting 'hang the pirate' anymore. Instead they were starting to murmur among themselves and the murmur was not against Captain Black.

"What pirate captain would send his own ship away if he really was as bad as the men aboard it?" He didn't know where the question came from but it had indeed sprouted from the lips of yet another woman. She turned questioning eyes on the Constable. "If you were an evil pirate, wouldn't you want your ship nearby to escape on?"

"I did only what was best for this beautiful city," Captain Black added to keep the momentum going, while wondering how that girl had known that he sent the pirates away. His line of defense was even beginning to surprise him. It was picking up momentum like hail in a hurricane, and he was not about to let it stop.

"You have heard the testimony of those who have witnessed how I helped rid your city of pirates. Even if you should condemn me to die this day, I would not regret my decision to help your lovely town in her time of need. The one thing that I would regret is that I would not be around to help you the next time they come to drop cannon fire into your homes, rape your women, and steal your hard-earned goods. But, the decision is yours whether I am guilty or innocent.?

?Innocent!? shouted a woman in the crowd. ?Innocent!? shouted several others. ?INNOCENT!? The word rang out over and over by more and more of town?s citizens. The chanting experienced a quick metamorphosis to ?FREE HIM?.FREE HIM.?

Captain Black gave the constable a look, a look that said, ?What are you waiting for?? The constable in turn gave a disgusted look.

"ENOUGH!" the constable shouted to the crowd. He had his deputy shoot off several rounds into the air to quiet the crowd. "Captain Black has already been pronounced GUILTY and he shall be hung!" He turned to the executioner. "No mask for him. I want to see him try to smile while he hangs. Proceed!"

He executioner pulled Captain James Black over the trap door and put the noose around his neck.

The Ice Queen Revealed

A half hour later they were all at the rowboat. Whiskey Jack, Turmoil and Rat rowed the boat. Mr. Blade never rowed - except for last night and that was only because he wanted to get to the ship in a hurry to kill people. Governor had two flares in the large pockets inside his overcoat, just in case one did not ignite.

Wyh sat huddled in the oversized cloak Governor had given her, thinking up creative new ways to use her ice magic. Her heart ached thinking of James awaiting death, and she was beyond angry, and she decided that Barrett's Bay would see exactly why she was known as the Ice Queen. A glance to the sky saw the beginnings of snow clouds, and she smiled a little, taking a small comfort in her element.

They rowed up to the dock and Rat climbed out first with the rope and tied the boat to the dock. They all climbed up the ladder and stood on the dock. "Let's mingle. Remember, we're ordinary citizens," Governor said. He turned to Mr. Blade who was in no sense ordinary. "Mr. Blade, you better keep to the back alleys." They arrived in plenty of time. It would still be several hours before the first pirate would be brought out.

With a nod and a little smile to Governor, she carefully drew the hood of the cloak over her head to conceal her pale hair and shroud her silver eyes, making sure she looked as ordinary as possible. The plan was fresh in her mind, and although she longed to go and blast the jail apart herself, she knew that would only cause more difficulties, so she did as Governor said, and mingled as best as she could, feeling the snow in the air before it was ready to fall, allowing it to calm and restore her strength - James needed her now more than ever before, and she would not fail him.

The time passed slowly in some ways and all too rapidly in others. Each of them wanted to go to the jail window and speak with James, but they couldn't risk giving themselves away. The first pirate came out and they watched as the poor fool appeared not to understand the significance of the stage. The second pirate was led out and hung with little or no pity being shown by anyone. Then the crowd really began to build.

When Captain Black was led out, Governor went to an alley where he could watch the gallows and still set off the flare. Mr. Blade stood at the corner of a building, cleaning his nails with a knife. Turmoil worked his way closer to the gallows, hiding his face from James. Rat stayed by the rowboat.

The sight of James being led out to the jeers of the crowd made her blood run cold with rage, and she glared at the constable as she worked her way closer to the gallows, using subtle pushes of her icy winds to move the townsfolk out of her way. She finally stopped at the edge of the platform, her eyes fixed on the gallows, making sure nothing blocked her view.

The trial went on and Mr. Blade listened as if he was completely disinterested, however he did leave the corner of the building and started to make his way closer to the gallows. Turmoil was in the crowd helping to shout for the release of the great Captain Black. When it became clear that the constable was going to overrule the vote of the town, looks were passed from Mr. Blade to Turmoil to Wyh. They looked around but did not see Whiskey Jack. It was too late to wonder where he had gone. The noose went about their captain's head.

Wyh's keen eyes caught the glance from Turmoil, and the moment the noose went around their Captain's neck, she focused on the rope. Her eyes, which were softly glowing from the depths of her cloak, moved up and down the length of the hated rope from the top of the noose to where it was tied to the gallows, and soon the whole length was coated in a thick layer of clear ice, barely noticeable in the snowfall.

Captain Black stood on the scaffolding, and he smiled and bowed to the crowd. "I bid you all a good day," he shouted out. Then closed his eyes and pictured Wyheree in front of him. The drums began to make the "death roll". A flare went off somewhere in the distance. The constable nodded to the executioner. Captain Black opened his eyes and thought he really did see Wyh....in the crowd. The lever was pulled before full realization sunk in.

All of Wyh's attention was on the ice she had formed on the rope, and when she heard the lever was pulled, she expanded the ice into the spaces and gaps of the rope, and it broke under the weight of her gaze, sending bits of rope and ice flying everywhere.

No one was more surprised than James to find himself sitting on the road beneath the scaffolding. He didn't know what happened to him, but the rope about his neck felt very cold. All at once he heard the rumbles of cannon fire and felt something lift him effortlessly to his feet. "Good afternoon, Captain," Mr. Blade said calmly as he cut the ropes on James' hands and arms with more accuracy than any surgeon. "Where's Wyh?" James asked. The town center was becoming a maze of confusion. A pirate was supposed to be hanging in the air and cannons were not supposed to be blasting apart ships and docks in the harbor.

Wyh nimbly climbed the platform, then lowered the hood of her cloak so that her pale skin and hair were exposed, with no attempt to hide her otherworldly looks. The superstitious Executioner gibbered about ?the white lady? and fainted dead away. She stepped around the body and walked slowly towards the constable, the falling snow responding to her call, spinning and swirling about her. With her hair blowing, and her silver eyes glowing from within, and her regal air as she stalked the constable, it was very easy to see why she was the Ice Queen. She raised her hands - which were shining with a pale light - and launched two bolts of ice at the cowardly so-called lawman, pinning him to the scaffolding of the gallows. His hands and arms were frozen to the wood ? shackled in thick cuffs of ice, and he struggled against the bonds, unable to pull himself free. Wyheree glared at him with cold glittering eyes, then waved her hand, and smacked him across the face with the full force of her icy winds - the blow like being in a blizzard. When she spoke, her words cut like her winds. ?How dare you imprison my Captain? I should freeze you solid where you stand.?

The constable was shocked. He stared at Wyh, wide-eyed, and begged for his life, "Please....please don't kill me!"

Wyheree gave the constable a look of utter contempt, and dealt him another raking blow of icy shards, cutting him across his cheeks and mouth. "Give me one reason I should spare your miserable cowardly life, and perhaps I shall."

He cried out in pain. "Please. I was only doing my duty. I didn't know....I'm sorry!"

She stepped very close to him as he pleaded with her, her rage plain in the sharp cutting winds swirling about her. "Your duty includes striking a man from behind as he is held by two others? It gives you the right to hang a man declared innocent by the crowd? You are not fit to serve these people." She then stepped back, and drew her hands together, and launched a bolt of elemental ice at the gallows, making it explode and rain pieces of wood upon the constable's head. ?If I hear of you abusing your position again, you will suffer the same fate as your gallows.? She turned away from the constable, leaving him frozen to what was left of the gallows ? he would thaw out eventually, and leapt into the gaping hole in the platform and set off in search of James and the others.