A Pirate's Tale [COMPLETED]

Chapter 34 - "How did you find us?"

Slowly, Isla looked down the blade to the one holding it. Jakks stared back at her, his face calm as ever as if their paths were crossing at a tavern. But in his eyes, she could see sparks of emotion.

Anger exploded in Isla's chest but she reigned it in, knowing it was a useless emotion. She glanced at the front of the carriage and saw Loch and Brockton pinned in their seats, kept there by two swords each pointed at their chests.

Without looking to the back, Isla knew she would find the same thing with Hawk and Orin. They were armed with daggers but that would be ineffective against swords. She darted a gaze to the ship and saw the crew rounded up and held still by more swords and sailors. Clenching her fists, she focused on Jakks, her mind racing to find a way out, to make sense of it all.

"How did you find us?" Isla asked, her voice more even than she expected it to be.

"The storm passed us," Jakks said, matching her tone. "We spotted you as you were sailing away from the coast of Gadolphie."

That left one question answered, but what he was here for was unknown. Whether it was Raif, the emerald, or the secrets in Isla's head she wasn't sure. At the thought of Raif, she realized he was still in the carriage and she hadn't heard anything that would prove he had been spotted.

Jakks held out his hand to Isla, the blade in his other unwavering. "I believe you have an emerald for me."

Isla narrowed her eyes at him. "Were you always after it?"

Something darkened in Jakks' eyes but disappeared before Isla could understand it. "It's only business."

"Not to me," Isla growled at him.

Behind her, Isla heard the thunk of a door banging open, a startled grunt, and the clatter of a sword on stone. Jakks jerked his head around at the sound and Isla reacted. Grabbing the wrist of his sword hand, she kicked him in the side then spun around and punched the closest sailor. All hell broke loose from there.

Hawk jumped from the back of the carriage and tackled the startled sailor and swept the legs out from another. Orin kicked the head of a sailor holding a sword to him as Loch grappled with his attacker and Brockton aided Raif in disarming the other three opponents.

On deck, Sparrow let out a howl of war, ducked under a blade and charged. Bin slapped one of the sailor's swords away and slammed his fist into the man's face. With the chaos, the rest of the crew entered the fray. Shouts ripped the night air and metal clashed with metal. Despite Jakks' men having the advantage of youth, the crew had the advantage of experience and held their own.

Isla snatched up a discarded sword and swung towards Jakks, but his blade shot through the air, stopping hers. The metal collided with sparks.

"Was this what you had planned all along?" Isla said, jabbing him.

Jakks parried the hit but didn't counterattack.

"This was never what I wanted!" Jakks said, frustration coiled in his voice.

As Isla lunged forward, Jakks raised his sword to stop her and Isla knocked his blade away, spun and hit him in the jaw with her fist. Grunting, he backed away before she could utilize the opening. Around her, Isla was aware that men were dropping to the ground but wasn't sure whether they were the crew or Jakks' men.

"How did you know we would have the emerald?" she asked, as they circled each other.

"Lord Sutherland sent a messenger earlier warning us that you might have it."

Rage tore through Isla and she attacked with a vengeance, slicing and stabbing at any part of him she could, wanting to cut him pieces. Jakks deflected every blow, matching her for skill.