7Summary: This story is about a female pirate captain and her feud with the pirate captain of another country. Why they are feuding or what their relationship is remains untold.
A/N: I hope you like it. It's quite a bit different, in my opinion, to my other story. Please Read & Review. I don't even mind the flames.
Levya Ivayel, a tall young woman with brunette hair and dark brown eyes, raised her blade to meet the one bearing down on her. There was a loud clash and sparks flew. Levya leaned forward slightly and taunted her opponent.
"Just surrender, Poretto. You'll never win."
"Don't call me that! I hate that name. Soon, my dear, you'll be bowing to Captain Saber."
"The only captain here is Captain Levya," she retorted. Levya ducked to the side and slid her blade down Poretto's to the hilt where she sliced into his fingers.
He pulled away quickly before too much damage was caused.
Both Levya Ivayel and Poretto Okymo were highly skilled in sword combat so the duel went on for some time while pirates battled around them. Eventually, when they were tiring, Levya saw an opening. Poretto reached up to wipe the sweat from his eyes causing his sight to be momentarily obstructed. In this opening Levya lunged at him with her sword aimed for his heart. At the last moment Poretto sensed his danger and quickly stumbled to the side out of the way of Levya's blade.
Levya, propelled by the momentum past Poretto, was unable to stop her forward motion until her blade sank into flesh. "Tenzi, no!" Levya screamed as the body of her younger brother collapsed onto the deck of the ship.
As he fell the sword, still in Levya's hand, slipped out from where it was embedded in his body. The moment her brother's head hit the deck Levya threw her sword to the side and, forgetting about Poretto, dropped to her knees next to Tenzi.
"I'm so sorry," she moaned as her tears fell. "Please don't die."
"Levya, my beautiful, intelligent, fearsome sister," Tenzi said weakly. "No one has a choice in such matters. You'll be fine without me; you've always been the strong one. Just take care of Esiara and Kinny for me. Bon voyage."
He closed his eyes and breathed his last. Levya buried her head in his chest and sobbed uncontrollably, oblivious to the blood that now stained her clothing, hands, arms and face.
Levya woke with a start. Her heart was pounding, she was breathing heavily, and her face was wet with tears. It was time to get back on the water.
She always had nightmares when on land for more than a week. But this was the worst one because it had actually happened. Usually, if she had this nightmare, she would take her crew out to sea immediately.
Unfortunately, at the moment she was stuck on land. Her first mate, Yelsh Piansto had gone to fetch the man he suggested she replace him with. Yelsh was retiring from pirating in two and a half months. Levya was going to miss him. He was a terrific sailor and an even better pirate. On top of that he was as loyal as a golden retriever.
But, he had met a woman and fallen in love. That had been his big mistake. Pirates and relationships didn't mix well together. The profession was too dangerous and the men spent too much time away from home. So, Yelsh had married his love and turned in his six month notice. Now, with a baby due in the future, he had only two and a half months left. And Levya had to face the difficult task of finding a new mate to replace the old one.
She would have liked to just appoint one of her current crew members as first mate but they all refused. They said that none of them had the ability to fulfill Yelsh's duties properly. Levya didn't believe them but she couldn't force one of them to be her first mate so she just had to find a new one.
Yelsh was attempting to help by bringing his sailor friend to her but, unfortunately, that meant Levya was unable to go out to sea and rid herself of her disturbing nightmares.
Levya was broken off from her musings when a knock sounded at the door.
"Levya?" came the soft musical voice from outside the door. "Are you awake?"
"I'm awake," Levya called out, sitting up in bed. "Come in, Esiara."
In walked Esiara Adepor, a six year old girl. She was skinny with short, wavy brown hair and golden brown eyes. "Ahoy matey!"
"Good morning, Esi. What's afloat?"
Her expression sobered and she held out what was in her hands. It was a small, gray squirrel whose left front paw was held at an awkward angle.
"Kinny's hurt. I don't know how. She was like this when I woke up."
"Why didn't you take her to Fajo? I'm sure he could help her." Fajo Wesipa was the healer who worked aboard Levya's ship. He was not magically talented but he was still greatly skilled at patching people up using more mundane methods.
"I did," Esiara said as tears began to roll down her face. "But he said that he had no time to waste on a worthless animal. Then he closed the door in my face."
"Don't worry. I'll fix it. Kinny'll be just fine. Follow me." Levya grabbed her sword and started to walk out the door when Esi's giggle stopped her.
"What?" she asked.
"You should probably get dressed first," Esiara managed between giggles.
Levya smiled ruefully as she realized she was still in her nightclothes. She had Esiara wait outside her door as she dressed in her normal outfit of full sleeved shirt and billowy breeches.
She then buckled her sheath to her waist, picked up her sword, opened her door and strode purposely down the hall, followed by Esi. As she approached Fajo's room, Levya heard giggling and the voices of Fajo and at least two women. She paused in her stride and looked down at Esiara.
"Um, listen Esi," she said. "Can you go back to my room and wait while I take care of Fajo. It'll only take a couple of minutes. Then, I'll come and get you and Kinny so Fajo can fix him up. Okay?"
"Well, okay," Esiara turned around and reluctantly went back to Levya's room. She always loved seeing someone get in trouble by Levya but she wouldn't disobey her by staying to watch.
The moment Esiara disappeared from sight, Levya used her master key to unlock Fajo's door and barged in. Lying on the bed (the very big bed) were Fajo and three women, all in various stages of undress. Fajo himself was completely naked.
"Good morning, Fajo," Levya said with a deceptively sweet smile as she tapped her sword against her leg. "You might want to get some clothes on."
As Fajo proceeded to clothe himself Levya looked at the women and her eyes narrowed. "Hello, Iretta, Oretta and Uretta. How are your brothers Soretto and Poretto? Has Poretto died yet?"
"They're great. Of course Poretto's not dead, silly," said the youngest sister. Levya thought she was the one named Uretta but wasn't sure; she could never keep their names straight.
"Hmm…I'll have to rectify that matter soon, don't you think?" Levya, who had been staring at her sword blade, looked up sharply. "Now, what are you three doing here!?"
Fajo, fully dressed, stepped quickly between Levya and the trio on the bed. "They're my guests. They are none of your business. And I will not allow you to harass them!"
He saw the flash of steel and fury in her eyes and attempted to back away. He moved too slowly. With her left hand (her right was occupied by her sword) Levya took out her whip from where she always kept it tucked into the back of her belt and lashed Fajo across the face leaving a dark red welt.
"Sit down!" She gestured angrily towards a chair. "You were already in enough trouble before I even walked in here. Don't make it worse."
Levya turned back to the sisters cowering on the bed. "I'll ask you again. What are you doing here?"
"Right," said the oldest girl. "Tell her why we're here, Oretta."
The middle girl, who had been looking down at her hand attempting to be invisible, started and looked up at Levya. "Um, well, I, uh, we…you tell her Uretta."
"Sure, no problem. Poretto dumped us," the youngest girl said with a pout. "He said we were useless pieces of fluff and that we only got in the way."
"I'm sure he was right," Levya said impatiently. "But how did you wind up here?"
"Well, we were really bored and," Uretta paused to giggle. "We wanted to have some fun. Then we found Fajo. He was lots of fun."
"Okay, okay, okay. I don't want to hear anymore." Levya was quiet for a minute while she studied the girls and pondered what to do. Finally she shrugged, "Whatever. Even if you're lying and were trying to find out information Fajo doesn't know anything. I wouldn't trust an idiot like him with a shilling, let alone anything important."
Fajo tried to object but was silenced. "Keep your mouth shut, Fajo. And you girls get dressed and get outta here."
"But, I wanna stay!" whined Uretta before the others could shush her.
"Listen, you irritating sisters of scum!" Levya yelled no longer able to speak calmly. "Either get dressed and leave or I throw you out half naked as you are now!"
The three girls quickly leapt up to put their clothes on. While they dressed Levya turned to Fajo. "You, treat Kinny. His foot is sprained or broken or something."
"But-"
"No buts. Do it or walk the plank, imbecile!"
Levya stormed out the door leaving the others to follow. She stopped in front of her door and opened it. Esiara came to Levya holding the injured Kinny.
"I took care of everything, Esi. Go with Fajo to the infirmary."
"Okay," she agreed cheerfully. "See ya, later Levya!"
Levya continued down the hall with the three girls following after. They descended the stairs into the common room. Levya walked straight to the front door and yanked it open, motioning for the girls to leave.
Iretta and Oretta scurried out at once but Uretta paused to stick her tongue out at Levya before following her older sisters out the door.
Levya slammed the door and turned around rubbing her throbbing temples. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a man Levya had never seen before appeared and, wrapping his arms around her, kissed her thoroughly on the lips.
Levya could have pulled away (or so she told herself). Instead, she savored the moment. She had not been kissed often, only two or three times in her twenty seven years, and the man holding her in his arms was a very skillful kisser.
It was not long before the stranger pulled away and looked into Levya's eyes. Levya almost stuttered, unnerved by the depth of the stranger's stormy gray eyes. She got her tongue under control by instead concentrating on the man's hand that lay insolently close to her butt.
"Excuse me," she said with a mischievous smile. "Do I know you?"
"No, but I'd be willing to let you get to know me."
Levya smiled wider thinking how enjoyable it was going to be to wipe that arrogant smirk off his face.
"Mmm, how nice of you." Levya lowered her voice to a seductive whisper. "Would you mind going somewhere private for a little chat?"
"Not at all."
Levya led the stranger to a small storage room behind the bar and motioned him inside. She followed and closed the door behind her.
Within moments she had him pressed up against the wall and a knife at his back.
"You made a mistake," she told him in a soft dangerous voice. "I'm not a bed-warmer and I'm not a weak-hearted innocent maid looking for love or a role in the hay. You picked the wrong woman to try to seduce."
"I'm sorry, my lady. It's not my fault. It was a bet. They put me up to it."
Levya laughed. "Of course it was a bet. I was smart enough to figure that out myself. But you did it, not them. Don't try to fork your crimes onto someone else."
"Yes, my lady."
"Stop calling me, my lady! I'm not some snub nosed, uppity noblewoman."
"I apologize," said the stranger as he tried a smile in an attempt to soften Levya's mood. "I would call you by your name if you told me it."
"That's not such a bad idea," Levya said thoughtfully. "A fitting punishment for a lecher."
She turned him around and held her knife to his forehead. "I wouldn't move," she warned. "I might slip and kill you or, even worse, scar that lovely skin of yours. But don't worry, what I'm doing won't be deep enough to scar."
While the stranger did his best to stay perfectly still and not scream Levya carefully used her knife to cut into his forehead. She carved, not deep enough to scar, as she had promised, but deep enough to be easily seen, the letter L-E-V-Y-A.
"There. Find a mirror and you'll see my name." Levya walked to the door and opened it. She turned back to the stranger and added, "That is if you know how to read."
"Of course I know how to read you crazy psycho woman demon!"
Levya laughed. "Just be thankful I didn't use my whip. It's usually my favorite tool for punishment."
She left the room and walked over to a table of laughing men.
"Thank you, boys. You certainly know how to cheer a girl up."
"Girl? Ha!" The stranger approached the table cautiously holding a rag to his bleeding forehead. "If you guys are done having your fun with me would you please tell me who the captain is? I need to speak with him."
A/N: Thank you very much for reading. I really hope you enjoyed. Whether or not you did I would appreciate you telling me what you thought. Thank you!