Secrets of a Pirate's Heart

Chapter Ten

Chaos could describe the battle that ensued. As time went on, and Scarlett immersed herself in the scene, she could sense an excitement from the crowd - as if they enjoyed what they were doing. Though it was harsh, she could tell some pirates enjoyed fighting their enemy. All the same, they had one goal in mind - to drag her to their ship. One by one, Blackbeard's crew came after Scarlett, but she refused to make it easy for them. Though unsure if she would actually use it to kill, she fought with her cutlass like any pirate would - and held tight onto the candle holder, just in case she'd need it.

Eventually, she worked her way up the stairs to the stern deck, and took a moment to glance around for the Captain. She saw the flash of his red velvet vest beneath his black coat, as he dodged another pirate's blade on the main deck. Stepping back down the stairs and maneuvering through the crowd, she patted him on his shoulder when she reached him. He spun around quickly, and swung his sword at Scarlett, allowing her little time to block it with her own.

"You! What are you doing out here? What are you doing with my sword?" he exclaimed. "And my candle holder!"

"I had to defend myself when a pirate came in. I ended up knocking him unconscious," she shouted back through the commotion. "Why aren't you fighting Blackbeard?"

"I don't know, maybe because I've got other pirates on my hands right now!"

Before she could reply, they were attacked, forcing them to almost simultaneously stand back to back as defense. The excitement pumped through Scarlett's veins with every beat of her heart. Now she knew how it felt to be immersed in a pirate battle. The scene was something she'd often imagined as a child while her father told his stories of pirate adventure; she only wished she could share her story with Liam.

Scarlett swung her candle holder to the head of the pirate she was fighting, and pushed him over the bulwark. After hearing his body splash in the ocean, she turned back to the Captain. "Well, where is he?"

Again, the Captain shouted, "I don't know!"

She scanned the crowd in a frantic search for the jet black beard. Finally, she spotted him jumping over the bulwarks back to his ship. Was he running away from his own battle? Not wanting to let him escape, she turned to the Captain only to find him gone. A moment of uncertainty swept over Scarlett as she searched through the crowd, only to find him on the forecastle deck giving orders to his men.

She turned back towards her potential captor to see him enter into his cabin. Scarlett couldn't let him escape from the battle, no matter what he was doing. He brought on the mess, and he needed to finish it.

But then something came over her, and she hesitated. The logical choice would be to tell the Captain where Blackbeard was, and allow him to follow after the devious pirate. After all, wasn't Captain supposed to battle Captain? But because he had brushed her off before, she knew that wasn't going to work. Plus, she didn't need the Captain to protect her. His cabin had felt like a hiding place when Blackbeard arrived, but hadn't he abused her as well? Scarlett decided it was time she showed the Captain she could fight her own battles.

As she reached the bulwark, she ran across the plank and jumped onto Blackbeard's ship. Most of the fighting continued on the Captain's ship, leaving Scarlett and Blackbeard alone. The moment reminded her of stepping on the Captain's ship for the first time; however, this was different. She knew her reason for confronting him, and she was prepared.

Sword ready in hand, Scarlett walked towards the area where she saw Blackbeard disappear. The light from the lanterns flickered and danced with the shadows. Aside from the chaos on the Captain's ship, Blackbeard's was silent, and she felt her heartbeat quicken from the eeriness.