Miya Black, Pirate Princess I: Adventure Dawns (33 page)

"The ... the jungle. Some ships."

"Whose ships?"

Miya sniffed.

"Badger Pete's," she said.

"What else do you see?"

"The Black Navy, some of it." Miya sniffed again, then adjusted the spyglass. "Five ships. Two brigs and three corvettes. That's ... I think those are the ships Dad didn't take with him. Dad—"

"Focus."

Miya nodded, then adjusted the spyglass. "They're keeping Badger Pete's ships away from the harbour. They can't even get close, so ... so they've attacked other parts of the island. But Clover Island is mostly surrounded by cliffs and shallow bays. The harbour's the only place any kind of warship can get close—Sola, they can't get close enough to land anywhere." Miya stopped sniffing as she talked, her voice getting stronger and more defiant with every word. "So they've fired at the jungle, used fireshot or something to set it alight, but there's a firebreak between the jungle and the town. It won't reach Blackport. Oh ... but the monkeys ..."

"Monkeys are clever enough to run from fire. Focus."

"Badger Pete's ships are ... they're crewed by idiots. They should be doing better than they are. There are dozens of them and only five Black Navy ships," Miya said, pride coming to her voice now. "We're fighting off dozens of enemy ships with just five of our own."

"The Black Navy's captains and crews are skilled and disciplined—"

"And all Badger Pete's crews are fighting for is money," Miya said. She frowned as she continued looking through the spyglass. "There's a huge ugly white frigate anchored a distance away from the battle, that's got to be Pete's flagship. He's sitting back and watching. He's not even—NO!"

Miya cried out as she watched one of the Black Navy brigs catch a broadside, its front mast collapsing and the bow splitting. Sola gently took the spyglass from her hands before she could watch more.

"That ship is lost. The crew will live. We need a way to get onto the island."

Miya looked at her home, at the dozens of ships surrounding it. She swallowed, then smiled bravely.

"Confidence," she said. "We sail right through. The Highland flag's been working so far, most of Pete's crews don't seem that smart. If we're lucky, they'll all be so preoccupied with the Black Navy we won't even be noticed."

"But even to get near to the harbour, with the entrance choked with ships as it is—"

"Then we'll go somewhere clearer—somewhere we can't be followed," said Miya. She smiled brightly up at Sola. "Sand bars!"

*

Despite Miya's earlier confidence, sailing past dozens of enemy ships with nothing but a rather ragged rectangle of yellow cloth all that stood between safe passage and sudden attack from any direction was a nerve-racking experience. Fortunately it seemed that Badger Pete's crews had not been picked for their intelligence or observational abilities, and it was not until they were nearing the island that trouble arose.

It arose in the form of Grace Morgon, and the Boundaries None.

"
Grace
," hissed Miya, as she saw the small frigate heading towards them from behind. She lowered the spyglass. "She must have recognised my ship. I think we're okay, though, she's not in cannon range."

As if in response, the front cannons on Grace's ships flashed, and there was the CRACK of cannon fire. Miya's superior 'they'll never hit us' smirk turned into a look of horror as she watched the arc the cannonballs described.

"IT'S GONNA—"

The impact rocked the Black Swan forward, almost throwing Miya off her feet and sending Sola stomach-first into the wheel. He coughed and staggered, doubled-over.

"Sola! You okay?" yelled Miya, recovering and running to the stern. The cannonballs had grazed the Swan, making two ugly furrows in the rear of the ship.

"Ooo ... ooo ..." Sola managed, all the wind knocked out of him.

"You'll live! And the damage isn't too bad!" called out Miya, leaning over the edge. The furrows meant that the ship was taking on water, but the Swan was well-designed; this would do little more than slow them down. Miya patted the railing reassuringly. "We'll fix you later," she whispered. "Just get us home."

Miya looked up at the Boundaries None and narrowed her eyes.

"That's two I owe you, Morgon." She turned to Sola, who had mostly recovered. "Keep us away from the land, there are underwater rocks near the cliffs. That point there is our goal, once we get around it and into the bay there'll be nothing she can do."

Miya glanced back at Grace's ship once more, then ran to the mast and climbed into the rigging, her expression focused as she trimmed the sails.

"Hard to starboard, Sola," she called down after a moment, her voice calm, remembering the dozens of times she'd accompanied her father in practice battles. "She'll have just about reloaded by now."

Sola spun the wheel and the Black Swan turned sharply, just before another crack sounded from the Boundaries None. A few seconds later there was a double-splash from nearby; where they would have been if they hadn't changed their course.

"Who's in your head, Grace?" Miya muttered, before leaning out to call down to Sola: "Back to port now, straighten us out."

"Aye aye, Captain," Sola called back. Miya climbed higher, and gave the main sail a little more slack.

"We're around two minutes from the point," she murmured to herself, as she adjusted a few of the smaller sails to help balance the Swan. Miya glanced up at the island as the main sail caught the wind, frowning at the black smoke billowing up from the burning jungle, then she looked back at the Boundaries None, estimating the amount of distance they'd gained.

"Grace's front cannons should be out of range now," she muttered, "but I bet her broadside cannons are heavier ... Sola," Miya called, raising her voice, "be ready to turn on my command. We're not out of this yet."

A few moments later Miya watched as the Boundaries None altered course, began heading off on an angle.

"Trying to catch some extra wind, come in at us from below? I don't think so," she growled, before raising the spyglass to her eye, making sure none of Badger Pete's other ships were coming close—none were. Cocky little wench, thought Miya, climbing down the mast. In fact, I wonder ...

"Give me the wheel," she said, and Sola stepped back. Miya gripped the wheel tightly, feeling her ship, listening to it.

"Time to take a little risk," she said, spinning the wheel hard, the Black Swan turning sharply, heading south—away from the island and closer to the Boundaries None.

"Trust me," said Miya, in response to Sola's questioning look. She kept on the southern course for around ten seconds, quietly counting, then spun the wheel again, turning the Swan towards the point once more.

"Grace gained some distance on us," said Sola.

"I know," said Miya. "Now let's just hope she—"

Miya was interrupted by the sound of cannons from the Boundaries None, and she smiled. In response to Sola's questioning look, she nodded towards a patch of ocean, into which a volley of cannonballs shortly splashed.

"Grace thinks herself superior to me," said Miya. "Which is why she just lost. She'll never be able to get her ship turned around fast enough to fire another volley at us."

"Are you sure?"

"With that big fat ship? No way."

"Are you really sure?"

Miya frowned at Sola, then looked back at Grace's ship.

"What?" she exclaimed. "What?"

Miya watched in something like shock as the Boundaries None turned in an impossibly tight circle.

"What?"

"It seems to be bringing its cannons to bear on us."

"I can see that! How on—oh, come on. No way. She's using her anchor! Of all the stupid, irresponsible, disrespectful tricks—she's hurting her ship to get us, that's so ... so damn GRACE! Hang on, I've got to ... not speak for a bit ..."

Miya spun the wheel, turning them towards the cliffs. The ship creaked loudly as she suddenly reversed the direction of the spin then held it firm, the Black Swan listing heavily to the side as they turned sharply, now travelling what seemed to Sola to be dangerously close to the cliffs and the hidden rocks beneath. Miya glanced back, scowled as she saw Grace's ship keeping pace with them, further out from the cliffs.

"She's waiting for us to turn out to get around the point," said Miya. "Then she's gonna blast us."

She glared at Grace's ship for a second, then left the wheel and leapt from the deck onto the mast, climbing as fast as she could, untying one rope after another, letting three of the smaller sails sag and flutter before jumping down and taking the wheel from Sola once more.

"Slowing us down a bit, messing with her calculations," said Miya, as they neared the place where they'd have to choose between turning into Grace's line of fire or being dashed upon the rocks. "She has to turn soon ..."

Miya watched Grace's ship as she gripped the wheel. It wasn't turning.

"Turn, damn you," she muttered. "Turn!"

The Boundaries None continued its straight course. Miya clucked her tongue, then left the wheel once more.

"I don't trust her!" she yelled, leaping into the rigging again, tightening and tying ropes as quickly as she could. "We're just gonna rely on speed!"

"Miya—"

"We can do it! Even if she fires, we can do it! MY SHIP WILL DO IT!"

Miya jumped down from the mast, from a little too high—she landed heavily and came perilously close to twisting her ankle. Scowling, she ran to the wheel, taking it from Sola, turning it hard to correct the Swan's course, their speed picking up quickly now that Miya had adjusted the sails—as they shot around the point they heard the Boundaries None fire, could do nothing but watch as the volley arced towards them.

"NO!"

Miya grabbed Sola and half-dragged, half-threw him to the port side of the deck, just before cannonballs tore through the starboard side of her ship. Miya slipped as the ship tilted, grabbed at Sola's hand as he reached out and caught her. For one horrible moment it felt like the ship was going to keep rolling and tip them into the water, but after hanging for a few terrible seconds it righted itself, crashing back into the ocean, its forward momentum lessened considerably from the near-scuppering.

"WENCH! YOU LOUSE-RIDDEN BILGE RAT LOVING SCURVY WRECK OF A WENCH! I'LL HAVE YER NOSE FOR THAT!" Miya screamed as she stood.

The starboard side of the ship had been ripped open, crates and barrels and other supplies from the hold already leaving a trail behind them.

"We're taking on water!" Miya yelled, running to the wheel, turning it. "But the rudder's okay!"

She turned to look for Grace's ship, saw that it was turning now, rounding on them.

"Front cannons," she growled. For a moment she glared at Grace's ship, breathing hard through gritted teeth, then she snarled her frustration as she turned back to the wheel, spinning it violently to take them around the point. She held her ship steady as they headed into Miya Bay, trying to ignore the tortured creaking of wood and iron as the Swan struggled to stay together.

"Miya, the hold's filling with water," said Sola.

"It's okay."

He looked at Miya. She smiled weakly.

"It's okay," she repeated. Behind, Grace's ship had almost come around to bring its front cannons to bear.

"Miya—"

"It's okay."

Miya guided the wounded Swan around Miya Rock, corrected the course to avoid a sand bar, set them headed straight for Miya Beach, then locked the wheel. She patted it gently.

"It's okay," she whispered. For a moment her expression tightened and she squeezed her eyes shut, then she turned to Sola.

"Come on," she said. "We'd better get low. She's about to fire."

Sola followed Miya down into the hold, which was already half-full of water. She shook her head as she looked out the jagged, ugly hole in the side, then sat down on the step.

"Sit," she said, patting the space beside herself. "You're not going to have any choice in a few seconds."

Sola sat next to his sister, as the crack of cannon fire sounded in the distance.

"Three, two, one," said Miya. "Bang."

There was a hideous roaring from above, accompanied by splintering, crashing, and a heavy impact that rocked the ship.

"Chain shot," said Miya, with a heavy, shuddering sigh. "There goes my mast. Grace, you are SO predictable." She looked at Sola. "We probably have enough momentum to get to the beach. Even if we don't, we can swim the remaining distance, or take your—oh."

Miya followed Sola's gaze.

"I'm sorry, Sola," she said, as they watched the remains of his canoe float away. "It must have been caught by that first broadside."

Sola shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

Miya looked at her brother a moment, then sighed.

"Yeah," she said.

*

The Black Swan just barely made it to Miya Beach, grinding to a halt in the shallows. After destroying the mast Grace's ship hadn't been able to get close enough to fire again, and by the time Miya and Sola dragged themselves up onto the beach, carrying a small chest between them, the Boundaries None couldn't be seen.

"She'll have gone to report back to 'daddy'," said Miya, as she dropped her end of the chest and flopped down on the sand. "Good riddance."

Sola remained standing, looking at the jungle, at the smoke that hung above it. "The fire doesn't seem to have spread this far. Perhaps it's not as bad as it looked."

"They'll have tried to get it burning as close to the town as possible, I guess," said Miya. "Not that it'll do them any good, the firebreak will stop it."

"I hope so."

Miya sighed, then stood, brushing off her trousers. "Let's get out of here," she said, turning her back on her poor, wounded ship. "We can come back and ... and rescue the Swan after we deal with everything else."

They stowed the chest in a little hidden cave to the left of the beach, then made their way through the jungle. It was eerily quiet, the usual chatter of animals, birds and insects absent, save for the occasional panicked shriek. Avoiding the parts that were on fire, it took them less than an hour to break free of the jungle, emerging in the fields near the stables.