The Belladonna

Chapter 19 - Man-o-war

Dustin squared his jaw and gripped the wheel so tightly his hands turned white. Everyone was silent as they waited for his orders. Sky could practically see the gears grinding against one and other inside his head and she suddenly wished she knew him batter so that she wasn't scared he would send them all to the bottom of the ocean. She wished she knew him well enough to know he'd get them out of this. But she didn't.

Dustin landed his head against the wheel and shut his eyes. Thomas looked down at his hands. Sky watched in horror as the rest of the crew accepted their fate. The Belladonna was a small ship and though she could hold her own against a Frigate there was no way she would pull through an attack from a warship that had over a hundred guns. It would sink them in one blow.

So that's it? This is where I die. Sky looked at Dustin and clenched her fists.

"No." She said strongly. Dustin opened his eyes and looked at her.

"What?"

"I said no." She spoke loudly. "If I wanted to die afraid with my tail between my legs I would have stayed in Rendes. Would have saved me a blood lot of grief. " She pushed her hair out of her face and stared down the captain. "I have come too far to sit on my arse and let myself be gunned down!" She yelled. "You cannot give up like this. After everything you've done are you just going to let them blow you to hell?!" She stepped towards him, anger and adrenalin coursing through her veins. "I thought pirates never gave up. Not even when they knew it was over. How can you call yourself men if you refuse to fight? Refuse to try?!"

No one responded to her. In fact the pirates seemed almost confused by her words. Sky refused to take her eyes of Dustin as her chest rose and fell with passion. Passion to live. The captain slowly began to grin at her. It was a wicked smile that spread over his face and made his golden eyes look feral.

"You know what Sweetheart?" His voice was filled with wild excitement. "If we live through this I might just forgive you." Sky smiled back at him. "Listen up Lads!" Dustin called over the wheel. "Two years I've sailed with you and in those two years we have brought down more navy ships than any other pirate can claim."

His men nodded their eyes bright as their captain spoke.

"On the horizon two ships wait for us. They intend to sink us, but what they don't know is that we a not just any pirates," He paused and scanned the faces below him. "This is our ship; The Belladonna is our ship and we will not let them send us down without a fucking good fight!"

The men yelled in agreement and raised their hands. Dustin spoke slower his voice heavy and powerful. Each word that left his lips filled his crew with anticipation and Sky with awe.

"This is our battle! Our war! We started it and we will end it. King Patrick will not sink us, not until the day we strike him down and fill his seas with the blood of his men! Until that day, I say we fight! Until that glorious day, we will take everything he sends at us! We will never let him win!"

Yells rose up in triumph and crazed fury. Sky joined in, adding her voice to the battle cry.