The Pirate Lass

Author's Note: As promised, sword play will be had here. Hope you enjoy.


Chapter 6:


After another several minutes the lovers made their way back to the deck and began their next day at sea.

But again, the men had their ideas for them. They each felt their captain was growing weaker by the hour. Though they knew they weren't strong enough to overpower him, they knew who would be.

The island they were going to tonight had many reputations. One of which being of the overzealous navel officers who would hang a pirate as soon as look at him.

But they were also known for letting a crew off if they handed over their captain. With it being true that Oliver being one of the most infamous currently, they knew they would be safe by that reasoning.

The distractions weren't easy to fight for Oliver and Eriana, but somehow several hours later they made it to the port Oliver had promised his men in the beginning they would eventually end up.

It wasn't the end of their journey, but it was where the others had longed most to be. The taverns and brothels around these parts had quite the reputation that they crewmen were determined to enjoy in their in their discovery of each supposed legend being true.

Especially that of the navel officers.

"All right, maties," Oliver began, "Ruby's resting here tonight and I shall see you all in the morning when we return here."

There was a slight uproar among the men as each made their way off the large ship. Each on their way to the tavern or brothel of their choice in their exploration.

"So, what does the mighty captain have in mind tonight?" Eriana asked Oliver once they were alone on the ship, seemingly just seconds later.

"I believe there's a tavern with our names on it," he told her with a smile.

Only steps into the first tavern they came to they were soon being pushed to one another due to the expanding size of the crowd. From inside it seemed as though the entire small town and all those who had chosen to rest there for the night had converged on the wooden building.

Though soon as the lovers looked to one another, it hardly seemed as though anyone was even close to them. In each others' eyes they could both see all they had been feeling reflected and in that flash of a moment all was calm and quiet. Soon they began to lean into one another, Oliver slowly bringing his lips down to meet hers.

But before they could reach, they were brought back to reality as the crowd began to move, a large patron or two being sent into both of them.

"We should go," Oliver told her.

"Can we?" Eriana asked as she tried to move through the crowd, but found the people around her not allowing her to move.

"Take my hand, I'll pull you through," he told her as he began to make his way through the crowd.

Eriana did and within a minute they were back outside, relieved to be feeling the cold air on their sweat dampened skin once again after the intense heat of the tavern.

Though their relief was short lived as two large navel officers quickly appeared and grabbed hold of Oliver.

"What - ?" Eriana cried as she advanced towards him, another large navel officer taking hold of her.

"Let her go!" Oliver ordered as he struggled in the men's hold.

"You're under arrest, Morrison, don't make it worse for yourself," one of the men holding him said as he took his belt with his sword and dagger.

"No!" Eriana cried, fighting harder to break free from the iron grip.

"For piracy, robbery, murder, shall I continue?" the man to his left asked.

"Too bad," the one holding Eriana stated. "It seems you've found yourself quite the little infatuated morsel here, sad she'll now watch you hang."

"Never!" she cried, already planning how she would free him.

"Feel free to close your eyes, but on this island pirates hang," he told her.

"Love, don't fight," he told her as she increased her struggle to break free. "Don't give them a reason to hang ye, too."

"I can't watch you die," she told him.

"I can't watch them hurt ye," he replied.

The pleading in his dark eyes was what made her stop, but still her mind was going a mile a minute in her hope that she could free him.

"Oh, Morrison, we already have so much we could hang her on," the man to his right stated. "Personally, I'd love to see if you truly have a heart," he added with a nod to the man holding Eriana.

When he saw the nod, he brought his beefy hand to the petite brunette's throat and began to crush it slowly.

Oliver couldn't hide his fury, but he still could not break free, his pain of the sight and his lover's breathless sounds weakening him. "I'll do what you want, just don't hurt her," he finally managed as he ended his struggle.

With that they were taking Oliver with them and the one holding Eriana released her and shoved her hard to the ground as he joined his men.

Too stunned and pained by the sight, Eriana remained mostly seated on the ground, her right leg bent in front of her and left behind her with her hands at her sides as she fought her tears while she again tried to think of a way to free Oliver.

"The others," she breathed as she began to shakily stand. It was all she could think. She knew she would need help and they were her only hope.

Long minutes later she found Blake and Nash near a tavern.

"Lass?" they asked in unison.

"Where's Morrison?" Nash asked.

"The officers," was all she could say after having run for so long.

"They took him?!" Blake cried, somehow able to conceal a relieved smile.

She nodded as she fought to regain her breath.

"We should go, leave the island," Nash said as he looked to Blake.

"No!" Eriana cried. "What about Oliver?!"

"Forget him," Blake told her.

"Never," she replied. "We have to go after him. We have to save him. We can't - I can't -"

"Ye's gonna get yeself killed," Nash stated.

"I'm staring down the possibility of never seeing Oliver again, do you truly believe death frightens me?" she asked, not caring about their secret as the men already knew.

"They will hang ye," Blake said. "They won't care ye's a woman."

"I may be a woman, but at least I'm not willing to throw a man's life away to save my own," she shot back as she turned quickly from them and headed towards the jail.

She knew then she was Oliver's only hope and she wasted no time in reaching him.

It wasn't because he had given her what she had been longing for in taking her aboard Ruby. Or because he was by far her greatest lover. But because she knew in that instant that she truly loved him.

"If you're here for Morrison, don't waste your time," one of the large men said to her as she walked into the concrete building.

"I'm not here for him," she partially lied. "I've come to repay an earlier favor."

"What might that favor be?" another large man asked as he stood.

There were at least ten in the room. All well over six feet tall and at least twice her size. Physically she knew she was outmatched, but her fury had a tendency to make her stronger and tonight she was ready to prove it.

"I don't appreciate being strangled or shoved," she stated as she unsheathed her sword and walked towards the men. She didn't care about being locked away herself, she was convinced it wouldn't happen. Tonight she was freeing Oliver and she would let nothing stop her.

"Princess, go home," another told her.

"After ye," she replied as she ran him through without a second thought, another being run through as he advanced behind him. Truthfully she had killed before, always in self-defense. Tonight would be no different.

"You wanna play, little girl?" the one who had held onto her asked.

Eriana only laughed at the question. Every time she was called a little girl, she felt stronger and this time her sword slashed his side as she sent her heeled boot into the chest of one of the men advancing on her from behind.

All now had their swords drawn and all were quickly advancing. But Eriana had learned many skills, fighting, fencing and a little more from her years on the sea. It had been some time, but it seemed now she remembered it all and was putting it all into practice.

They swung, she ducked and kicked their feet out from under them. She swung and connected. They fired their guns, she moved behind one of the others. Soon the men were killing their own in their blind fury she had given them and having picked up the keys from the floor where they had fallen, Eriana was off to find Oliver's cell.

"Eriana!" he cried in a whisper when she reached him. "Why are you here?" He was thankful to see her, but he couldn't help but be fearful this was goodbye. In quite possibly the most final of ways. "What was it I heard?"

"I'm here to free ye," she answered as she brought the keys to the lock, trying them one by one until she found the right one.

"Where are the men?"

"They'd leave you here to rot, to die. I can't, I never could," she told him as she pulled open his cell door.

"They'll kill you if they see you here like this," he told her, his concern for her now completely outweighing what fear he had felt for himself.

"I need you too much to care and the officers I saw are dead."

"You didn't save any for me?" he asked a little sadly.

"I'm sure you'll find some outside," she answered with a partial smile, too thankful she had succeeded. "Come along," she added. She wanted to launch into his arms, wanting to hug him, wanting to kiss him, but now wasn't the time and she knew it.

"My sword?"

"Follow me," she said as they walked back out to the room littered with the dead and dying officers.

It was only a minute more before his sword was back at his hip and they were making their way back outside.

Straight into a wall of navel officers, each with a sword drawn.

Almost suddenly the weather changed, colder, windier, almost ghostly as the fog began to roll in. But they were ready for the fight.

"Are you with me?" Oliver asked her as he unsheathed his sword.

"You have to ask?" Eriana asked in reply.

They were two against twenty but somehow within minutes they were winning. None of the crew were emerging, but at that moment neither was even thinking of them.

Their swords clanged loudly against their opponent's and Oliver was soon displaying his own fighting skills. Eriana seeing that he was quite possibly an even better fighter than fencer.

Neither was fond of killing, but when they felt it needed to be done, neither hesitated. Eriana still remembered her promise to Oliver that should he need her, she would be there for him and while she hadn't heard it, he had made her the same promise, both now proving their sincerity.

Long, grueling minutes passed as their battle continued to rage, but still neither was giving up. The swords were growing heavier in their hands and they were growing tired, but their fight had yet to end and until they were the last ones remaining, they wouldn't let it end.

But its ending finally came another matter of long minutes later with the final swing of both swords to their last remaining opponent.

"Are you all right?" Oliver asked as he sheathed his sword and made his way back to the petite brunette who was visibly shaking in her shock.

"If you are," she answered, sheathing her own weapon. But it wasn't entirely her shock that had her shaking. It was also her relief and somehow, his appearance. While his clothes were torn, blood spattered and dripping with his sweat, she only found him to be deliciously disheveled.

In seconds she realized he was looking to her in the vary same way as her clothes had met the same fate. "Care to join me back aboard your ship, Captain Morrison?" she asked breathlessly, against fighting the urge to kiss him.

But Oliver couldn't fight his urge or his need. Quickly he coiled his arms tightly around his petite lover and hungrily locked his hot mouth onto hers, his tongue wasting no time in meeting and circling hers once again.

Despite her pleasant surprise, Eriana laced her arms around the muscular, dark haired buccaneer and let her tongue duel with his as he gently crushed her to him.

Another minute passed before they parted, Oliver answering, "Of course."

"C- Captain?" the man stammered as he and Eriana returned aboard Ruby together, each feeling they were staring at ghosts.

"Men," he stated coldly.

"You're help was much appreciated," Eriana added sarcastically in a low tone as she looked to each of them, all having returned to the ship.

"Will, take the wheel and set sail, I'm far too tired," Oliver stated.

There was much they both wanted to tell the men, Oliver especially. But they were tired and didn't feel they were worth the waste of breath. Instead the walked down to the galley, both feeling in need of rum to settle them.

"How did you learn to fight in such a way?" Oliver asked as they sat down together, each with their own bottle.

"You asked if I was a pirate lass," she replied. "There was a time. You say you've heard the legends, I'm not the only thing real about them."

"So you have killed before tonight?"

She only nodded slowly, hating that it was true even if she would be dead herself had she not killed them.

"Captains as well?"

"Only those who tried to ravage me," she answered honestly. "Why have you killed crew members in the past?" she asked, remembering a few of his own legends.

"I've only killed those who tried to kill me and or tried to steal Ruby," he answered.

"Is it true you have never had a crew member try to save you before?"

"Yes," he answered, but at the same time that fact disappointed him, he was thankful Eriana had not been like the others and he could only hope she was seeing that in his soft expression to her. "Have any men tried to save you before? From an attack of any kind?"

"What crewman would stand up to his captain when that captain is about to ravage his lone female crew member? Not one I've known. As far as the men of the islands, they're worse. The night I met you I'd gone into that tavern to escape another man's attempt."

Oliver sighed angrily at himself with those words. Feeling he had been no different as just an hour into knowing her he was already dreaming of taking her. "Was I the first man you rescued?" he asked a minute later.

"As well as the first I've ever wanted to," she answered with a nod. "Was I the first woman you rescued?"

"As well as the first who ever wanted my help in such a way," he answered. "Why did you go into that jail to save me? Especially when you knew you'd be outnumbered?"

"Because I can't stand the thought of losing you," she answered, the alcohol once again taking her reserve. "Not just because of the incredible opportunities I've been given by you but because I care for you and I'm not ready for this to end."

"The journey or what we seem to have?"

"The latter," she answered, still unable to bring herself to say it and judging from the soft smile gracing his cupid bow lips and the glittering of his dark eyes, she knew he felt the same, even if he couldn't voice it yet himself.

"Why don't we head to my chambers and change out of these clothes?" he asked a minute later.

"And into what?"

"I'm sure something of mine will fit ye," he answered with a slight smile.

Whether it was because of that smile, how he had said those words or the affects of the alcohol, she could only laugh softly as she could only think of one thing of his that fit her absolutely perfectly.

"Come along," he told her as he stood slowly.

Eriana could only smile at that though she was currently despising those guards more now than ever as the battle had taken all her strength. She didn't even know how she was managing to stand now to go to his cabin.

"Tell me none of this is yours," Oliver stated once they made it to his chambers, looking to the dried blood stains on her flowing white shirt.

"It's not," she answered, mostly certain it was the truth.

Lifting it slowly from her form, Oliver sighed in relief at it having been the truth. If it hadn't been for their fight earlier, he would have been moving to kiss her again before beginning to grasp her breasts that were currently mashed to her body once again, but now he himself was finding it difficult to keep his eyes open.

"You're shivering," he commented as he saw her shaking again.

"It's cold," she answered as she brought her bare arms around herself.

Oliver turned and lifted his own shirt, soon tossing it aside as he moved to get another for them both.

Wordlessly, Eriana tugged one of his flowing white shirts on, reveling in his sweet, intoxicating scent. She could only smile as it fell over her almost like a dress as it reached her toned thighs. With that in mind and how she hated the idea of spending another minute in her sweat-drenched breeches, she took them off and snuggled beneath Oliver's covers.

Oliver left his breeches on and changed into a flowing black shirt before moving to her side, thankful to be there at that moment.

"I'm truly glad you're here," Eriana said softly as she nuzzled into Oliver's firm, silken chest.

"As am I," he replied with a soft smile as he watched her, his left arm curling around her.

They both knew there was nowhere else they wanted to be right then. Especially not when just a little more than an hour ago they were looking a very bleak alternative.

But as it was now they were sailing as quickly away from the island, relaxing and quickly falling asleep together.