A Rival Captain

Blackwater, that was his name as it stood amongst other pirates. It didn't matter his first name, or whence he came, all that mattered was his title. Standing at the helm of his ship the Crimson Mist he looked over his hardened crew as they sharpened cutlasses and loaded flintlocks. He'd planned on this day for some time. His steel grey eyes stared off at the ship in the distance that was only noticeable by its lights. His own ship as dark as the sea about them was hidden on this moonless night in the distance.

He'd take her by surprise, and then he'd take her in other ways. His hardened grimace didn't soften at the thought, with his soft features, full lips and deep black hair he could have been handsome if not for the cold dead stare that dawned his face before he went to battle. His men pondered on how to share up the treasure but he had only one thing in mind.

Urania looked over the bow of her ship. The had a place she'd heard about for over a months time. She heard that the largest bounty of this corner of the world could be found at Mermaids Crest. She was intent on finding it. Her crew was hard at work trying to get them there as fast as they could so that they could stop hearing of this and move on to the next town. They all wanted some down time that involved at least sharing a bed with someone other than their mates. "Land ho! Full speed ahead! Drive her home lads!" This could be heard from the crows nest and Urania's smile broadened. "Keep this ship moving ladies! There will be no resting till we arrive!"

His men aimed carefully before slowly lowering the cannon and lighting it. The shot rang out and an instant later the chainshot hit her mast wrapping about it before snapping it like kindling. Another shot rang out and blew a hold in the bottom of her hull as his men roared triumphantly and his ship advanced. "So boys, you know what I want, everything else is your's ." He said loudly before his men cheered in response while preparing grapnels and ladders.

"Captian we're under attack!" Urania heard just as the mast of The Golden Rose was struck. "Prepare the canons! They aren't boarding my ship unless we're takin them aboard!" She was met with a chorus of 'Aye's as her crew started to load the canons.

A few seconds later another loud shot could be heard and another crunch as her ship was being torn apart. "Shyte!" She cursed under her breath. Two shots hit the enemy ship but the amount of damage wasn't nearly as bad. "Get ready ye harp-pluckers! They're commin aboard. Show your captain what your good for!" She yelled over the mass. She quickly grabbed her cutlass and readied herself. 'Who in the gods sea is this bastard?', she thought to herself.

His ship pulled up near hers quickly, but didn't stop, rather it drifted at a distance flanking the slowing ship and occasionally firing off another shot towards her hull. He made sure he fired at unoccupied areas, he'd not kill crew senselessly.

His flag could now be seen clearly, a red skull with a cutlass through it on a white field with a black sea beneath it. He laughed as her cannon balls barely damaged his ship. "See, and you boys said I was a fool for getting iron oak for the new ship. Who's the fool now!" He yelled before he moved over towards the railing waving a white flag of peace, he had every intention of negotiating if she'd hear him out.

His muscular lithe body came into view as he shrugged off his captain's coat, wearing just loose trousers, boots, a cutlass on each hip and a sword behind him he climbed onto the railing waving. "Evening ladies." He began loudly. "I just want to talk, now that I have your attention. I'm known as Blackwater, if you know of my reputation, I've never raped a woman in my life...but I have set entire crews on fire with their ships. So...would you care to talk..or care to die? I assure you, none of you is fast enough to shoot me before I can move back, and my men will quickly blast your ship to splinters, and we will patrol the waters till not a single one of you remains to tell the tale." His voice was steady and unflinching, though he smiled throughout it was rather cold and predatory. "I'd like for you to think this through...I just want your captain, I'll let the rest of you go."

Urania stayed still and quiet for a moment. When Blackwater, as he called himself, finished she slowly walked forward. "Aye?! And what is it that ya want with me ya devil?" She said glaring. She'd heard rumors of him but not enough to account for much. She new that he was new and had taken down alot of ships though.

He looked to her and snickered. "I see, well I want to take you aboard my ship as a guest, wine, dine and woo you." He said with a laugh before he nodded to her. "As it were, I think you'd benefit from having me as an ally and I wish to expedite the process, I was testing your strength of course, and sadly its lacking." He continued. "However, I find you to be rather attractive, and brave, a number of people would have cowered amongst their crew or offered up another in place of themself. I can respect that, that being said, I still want what I want,and if you haven't noticed, while I was talking several of my men swam around to the other side of your ship, and by now have likely subdued your canoneers. So, we can blow your ship to pieces, leave you for the sharks, and look the remains...or...you can come over..and we can talk."

Urania looked at her options. He had been correct. Her crew that was minding the cannons had been restrained and the only other option she would have is taking over his ship. Given the current state of her crew though she didn't think that it would be wise. "If you want to talk you're doing it on my ship. I don't give up easily. If you'd heard anything about me you'd know that." She said spitting to show her disgust.

He took a leap over the distance between their ship and landed on her deck with a thump as he bent his knees. Standing he looked to her with out so much as a blink while he stood surrounded by her crew. "Sure, we can talk here. I could probably cut down most of your crew by myself if it came down to it." He quipped without a bit of hesitation or thought to the matter. Walking across toward her he bowed. "Blackwater, at your service." He smiled warmly toward her, his youthful exuberance showing in his eyes before he stretched. "Also don't spit, its not lady like."

Her lips tightened and her crew growled slightly wanting to help their captain but knowing this wasn't the time to get involved. "Does it look as if I'd care whether it's lady like? I'm not some up tight castle wench meant for nothing but breeding. Scum, like you, that think so belong on the bottom of my ship." She growled. "Now state your business."

He moved with a preternatural quickness and was within inches of her in a few slight movements. His eyes glared into heres as he smirked. "If I'm scum, what is someone like you who's beneath me. You've already been beaten, and you have nothing to save you." He said slowly before he turned from her suddenly, confident enough to expose his back to the woman. "I'll return to my ship." Splashes accompanied his walk. "Your cannons just got tossed overboard" He added. "I'll let you and your crew think over my offer, I've told you what I want." He said slowly his hands now resting on the hilts of his cutlasses.

To Urania's misfortune a slight blush confronted her cheeks but she stayed silent. The only part that's worse when you know that you've lost you're match is when you know that you're enemy is right. She didn't want her crew harmed but also needed to know more. "You have yet to tell me why. I will neither confirm or deny your offer until you answer me. I deserve that much." She knew that this was a point that he couldn't deny since she had yet to meet him up until this moment. So it was impossible for this to be about revenge.

"When I was young I was told to find a woman who was strong and beautiful. Do what it took to make her mine and I'd live my life as a man who wanted for nothing. I'm tired of wanting." He said before he continued to walk toward his ship. His steps were slow and easy as if he were just as comfortable on her ship surrounded by her crew as on his own. He looked people in the eye as he passed, his gaze didn't waver or break off prematurely, he simply proceeded, strutting some might have called it. "I'm not one for games, or pursuits, I told you I wanted you, I leveled the playing field to my advantage." He said simply. "Think of it as an arranged marriage, except I'm doing the arranging."

Urania looked over her crew for a long moment. She didn't want them stranded here in the middle of no where. They needed to get back to a safe place and with out at least some repairs being done to her ship she couldn't see them getting anywhere safe. "What about my crew? I won't leave them stranded out here." She said walking towards him. She was still armed but given the circumstances it was a safe guess that she wouldn't use it.

Her crew continued to watch them. Some looking as if they were ready to fight at a moments notice, a few stood looking somewhat dumbfounded. Urania thought that at best she maybe able to reclaim a ship and her crew when and if Blackwater let them dock at shore and 'drop her crew'.

"Your crew will be given life boats, shore is only three miles away." He said pointing off in the distance at an island that was almost imperceptible in the darkness. "I mean, you could try to take my ship, my men are better armed, better trained, and frankly would blow up the ship before surrendering it, but who knows.
He walked to the edge of the ship and leaped back over to his ship without much effort showing the sheer power of his legs. He sat on the railing and waved cheekily before he turned to speak with his crew.

"So...if any of you boys wants to try and get a girlfriend..well you have a captive audience, but you know our reputation, no raping. We don't rape, we woo, we seduce, sometimes we murder, but that's part of piracy."

Urania watching him, highly pissed at this point. "Alright lasses! Get below decks. We have things to discuss. I truck that Blackwater won't try anything else since he's already left us defenseless." She said as a warning. After all a true captain will go down with their ship.

She lead her crew down below deck and waited for everyone to 'get comfortable'. She cleared her throat. "Blackwater isn't giving us much of a option here wenches." She started. "However you all know that I will surrender myself before I let anything happen to any of you. I will do my best to escape him. Meet me at the port of Loki's Isle. Get yourselfs some food and keep eachother safe. We'll have to take over a ship. Take everything we will need to do so."

He stretched and strutted about his deck briefly before sighing. Soon he had his cutlasses out and was sparring with his men. He took on several of them at once men jumping in and out at random, he fought with the flats of the blades but still walloped several men, his pirouettes and feints graceful yet extremely brief so as to make them as efficient as possible. His footwork was random, staggered so as to mislead his positioning, he didn't have a particular rhythm as he was always shifting tempos but always at high speed.

"Captain, why didn't you just kill her crew and take her by force?" Asked a rather young crew mate. "Well..." He began pausing briefly as he sheathed his cutlasses. "If you give someone the choice between death or loving you I figure, if they don't choose death, things are off to a better start than not knowing them. Pirates don't really court one another, we do what seems to benefit us, however in forcing her hand and staying my own when it comes to certain matters I put her in a position where I can court her at my leisure. I will woo this woman, and wed this woman, and once she is mine I will bed her. But I can wait." He said with a soft laugh. "Also she doesn't know three members of her loving crew are spies. Odds are any plan she hatches will be sabotaged by them." The young man sighed and shook his head while his Captain cackled softly. "Yeah...but Cap'n..why not just break her spirit and make her yours?" He asked. Looking to the young man, Blackwater shook his head before placing an arm around him. "A man can do many things without being evil, he can kill, he can main, he can rob, but there are reasons for this, rape...no, there is no reason for it. No purpose in subjecting someone to that...."

A few of the woman on her ship looked to one another. "Why don't we just take them on head on?" One suggested. Urania couldn't lie. She had thought about it. But they had numbers to their advantage. Her crew, while they had fought others, weren't as qualified to fighting face to face as his. She had taken note that his crew seemed to be well rounded.

"Look at yourselves." The read headed captain stated. "Only a few of you are even close to being strong enough to go up against those brutes. If you all are willing to give your lives for me...I appreciate it but I will not allow it. It would be a dyer mistake. Anyone that thinks otherwise can jump ship and swim to shore. I don't care. You will not die for me." She said watching them all. "So do we all have an agreement?" She asked and was met with a chorus of 'Aye's and 'Aye Captain's.

With this Urania made her way back up to the deck. "Blackwater!" She hollered. "The decision has been made." She said with distaste.

He was now stripped of his blades and dodging with a pair of studded gauntlets as his men took swings at him with their blades. IT was good practice for both parties involved. Occasionally he'd block or counter by thumping someone gently in the sternum and commenting on their form. This happened every day, leading to his men becoming much better swordsmen and fighters while he himself kept up a vigorous routine.

He smirked as he looked over across to her ship as his men lowered their weapons. "Oh? Did you flip a coin? Really you had two choices." He said flatly before be sat on the railing facing her his feet dangling above the sea. "So, what did you decide?" He asked as he gestured with a hand to show an eagerness for her answer.

Urania let out a low growl at Blackwater's performance. He seemed like an arse and only doing what pleased him. Then again he was a pirate just as much a she. Still, his way of going about things was really pissing her off. With a sigh she walked forward. "I'll go with you." She growled. 'Although I'd rather walk off the plank and eaten than do it.' She finished in thought.

"We could arrange that." He said with a sigh. "Fine a condition, live with me for one month, if at the end, you wish to go back, I will let you go." He said with a gracious bow. "One month, not a lot of your time, enough time for your crew to find a new ship, refresh provisions and gather strength. Maybe you could even seek some revenge." He said with a soft laugh and a wink.

Urania left her crew with out another word and walked onto his ship. She stood infront of him. Waiting for him to analyze her make his commentary. She watched him carefully, unsure of what to expect from him. Her crew still watched unable to take their eyes off of them and curious as to what would happen next.

"Sink the ship, no survivors." He said casually before walking away. A few seconds later he spun around. "Wait, belay that." and cackled loudly as his men stopped leveling cannons at the already broken boat. "Tiny joke." He said with a smirk before he gestured aft of the ship. "Shall I show you to our cabin?" He asked her.

Urania grasped her sword and started to draw when he told his men to level The Golden Rose. After she was sure that he was kidding she took her hand off of her blade. Her eyes still narrowed. "Don't you mean your cabin." She said bluntly, her voice sounding like she had a bad taste in her mouth and she desperately wanted it out.

She followed him though. Now that she was on his ship she had little other choices other than of course, jumping ship. However she wasn't about to do that and give him the gratification. If he wanted her then she'd make his life hell.

He laughed softly before shaking his head when she reached for her blade. "Oh that's cute, yes give me a reason to spank you." He said narrowing his eyes as he looked to her before he slipped towards the back. "I mean its as much your cabin as mine for the next little while."

He walked her inward and opened the door to a fairly large room. It took up a section of the ship larger than most captain's quarters. With an en-suite bath made of tin in one room and a massive bed in another room the main room seemed even larger. It was occupied by two couches and a desk with a large cage containing a raven next to it. Across the desk were several letters while maps lined each of the walls several of them sporting prominent x's.