Chapter 2

There was little else for them to talk about. Dent stripped to his small clothes and laid down on his bunk willing sleep to come. He could hear Sosho softly sobbing and her mother's light murmuring as she comforted the young woman. Presently the sobbing ended and the cabin was quiet and still. He ran through the mental exercises designed to relax his body but still sleep wouldn't come.

Suddenly he felt the bunk give under added weight and the warmth of another body pressed against his back. A hand caressed his hair, his cheek and reached down to clutch his chest pulling him in tightly.

"Aunt Nesho, I feel so helpless," he whispered. "I don't know what to do; I don't know if there is anything I can do."

"You will do your best, my darling," she whispered in his ear. "Just remember no matter what happens that we love you, that I love you." She began to hum a soft lullaby, just loud enough for him to hear but not loud enough to keep him awake.

"Why aren't you sleeping with Sosho?" he whispered, then quickly added, "Not that I'm complaining!"

"You probably don't remember," she answered softy, "but after your mother died you used to cry yourself to sleep every night. I would come in and hold you just like this until you stopped. Sosho's asleep and I thought you might need a little comfort; I know I do." Nodding he reached up and pressed her hand even tighter to his body.

He could feel her breasts pressing against his back through her thin nightshirt and her hips and leg as she wrapped as much of herself around him as she could. He felt ashamed but there was no way he could stop the blood from flowing and prevent the hardening of his cock. He knew it was his own mother's sister but all he could feel was the beautiful woman pressed as close to him as a second skin. He cursed his weakness and the fates that allowed him to love her not only as kin but also as a man for a woman. He struggled and fought his feelings until finally he drifted off into a restless and troubled sleep.

The bell announcing the start of the dawn watch woke him and he opened is eyes. Nesho was still lying next to him although they had reversed their positions during the night. He was now pressed against her back, his groin against her rump and his arm draped around her holding her tightly to him. His hand was cupping one of her large soft breasts and suddenly he was not only wide awake but also fully erect. He had never been with a woman before but he knew exactly what he wanted to do. He wanted to pull up her nightshirt, tear aside his smallclothes and plunge his cock into what he knew would be a pit of pure pleasure.

Sweating and breathing hard, he released her breast and carefully pushed himself up off the bunk trying his best not to disturb her sleep. Since he was next to the bulkhead he had to cautiously lift his leg over her and set it down on the deck. His erection was making elegant movement difficult and halfway over he heard her stir and he froze. Hearing the rustle of her bedclothes he felt the caress of a soft hand on his cheek. The hand moved to the back of his neck and pulled him down. It was still very dark but somehow her lips found his and she gave him a short and, he thought, very un-aunt-like kiss.

"It's nice to know that such a handsome young man could still find this old woman attractive," she whispered.

His faced burned and he started to fumble for words.

"Don't be embarrassed or fret, my love," she chuckled softly and he could almost feel her smile. "It's natural and I am flattered. Now go! We will be up soon."

He couldn't think of anything to say so he finished climbing out of the bunk and donned his clothes and gear before slipping out the door, closing it softly behind him. His thoughts and feelings were a jumble of desire, love, confusion, lust and fear. Interestingly, none of it dealt with the upcoming battle and his own probable death. He wondered if that was a good thing or bad.

The sun was still down over the horizon but the sky was light and the pink reflection on the few clouds present indicated sunrise wasn't far off. From his position on the main deck he scanned the surrounding seas but saw nothing. Cautious relief flooded his chest as he made his way aft toward the piloting platform. Climbing the ladder he saw the captain and walked over to stand beside him.

"Morning, Captain. I don't see anything. Does that mean that all is well?"

"Nay," came the curt reply and the Captain jerked his thumb over his shoulder toward the stern of the ship. Following the pointing digit Dent saw another ship dead in their wake about a mile behind them. It was still dark enough that he couldn't make out every detail but it was obvious that it was a large vessel, larger than the one he was on. He was no naval expert but it looked sleeker, with more sail. Something about it made it look dangerous and deadly.

"Ah, I see. I take it that isn't just a pirate?"

"Nay, too big. She be a privateer, no doubt."

"We fight?" Dent asked already knowing the answer.

"Aye, we fight."

"What's your battle plan and where do want me?"

The captain thought for a moment. "Come the dawn winds she'll make her run on us, pull up alongside and grapple. If they can bring us in den the boarders will come over amidships. It be best, I think, if you be down there helping repel. If we keep dem off and break the grapples, maybe we have a chance. If they be onboard..." he shrugged.

"How long?" Mentally Dent was reviewing the best place to fight using the cover provided on the main deck. The problem was he really needed to fight at the rail, an exposed position if there ever was one.

"Canna tell fur sure," the captain replied stroking his beard. "An hour, maybe two. It take them awhile to come alongside once they start the approach. I be sounding the alarm when we see them getting near."

"I guess I'll go get some breakfast then. Wouldn't want to fight on an empty stomach."

Breakfast was a meager thing: hard biscuit with salt pork and a mug of watered beer. He took it off the mess deck into their cabin to eat with his family. He told them of the following ship and the upcoming battle. Little was said and although her eyes were red, Sosho didn't cry. Her act of bravery touched him almost as much as her tears had earlier.

The alarm sounded as they were finishing up. Standing, he checked his armor, the light set since the heavy armor was packed deep in the ship's hold, hammered steel plate breast and back over a heavy wool tunic, boiled leather leggings and shoulder guards, forearm guards and a light bronze skull cap, enough to deflect a near miss but not enough for a direct hit. Completing his battle gear was a short slashing sword about the length of his arm, sheathed left, and the fighting dirk with a thick blade, double edged like the sword and about half its length with a large solid cross hilt and tines used for trapping an opponent's sword.

Sosho tried to look brave as he prepared, while Nesho examined his plate bindings retying two when she found them deficient in some manner. She stood up on her toes and kissed his cheek and then his lips whispering, "Come back to us." Even Sosho had to run up and throw her arms around him jumping up to kiss his lips before flinging herself back on her bunk face tight against the wall.

Turning to Nesho he said softly, "Remember, you must live. Nothing else matters; just live." Before she could answer he turned and hurried toward the main deck.

The main deck wasn't quite chaos but close enough. The ship's Bo'sun was screaming at the turned-out crew, getting them in line, making sure each had a weapon. Looking out over the side of the ship, Dent was surprised to see how close the privateer had come. About a hundred yards out and a hundred back, the privateer ship was making visible headway coming up on their beam and closing in. Hung on their railing were large bunches of braided line obviously meant to cushion the force of the two ships colliding. Behind those cushions he saw the faces of fighting men, hard faces, and at least double the number on their ship.

Stepping over to the Bo'sun, Dent asked where the petty officer wanted him.

"Just look and decide where ye be most useful. Watch for the grapples, you whoresons!" Even as he shouted catapults on the pursuing ship fired flinging huge four-clawed hooks toward the little merchantman. One fell short and one failed to catch but two found purchase, one on the railing and the other inside one of the deck's main cargo hatches. These two lines were immediately pulled taut by the men on the other ship. Pinya's sailors rushed to the grapples with pry-bars and cutters, but the pressure exerted by the other ship kept them from being released and chain attaching the grapple to the line prevented them from reaching and cutting the thick hawsers.

Soon two more grapples were thrown and secured to the prey ship, the large marauder closing in yard by yard. There was a large jolt and the sound of cracking timber as the two ships locked side by side. Immediately the pirate ship seemed to boil over with men as they poured over the side onto the smaller vessel. The defenders moved forward and tried to push back the invaders but were quickly overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

Directly in from of Dent the line of crew seemed to give way and the invaders were rushing toward him. Something snapped in his head and his body began the move without conscience effort. Suddenly he was back at the academy on the hot sands of the practice grounds. One against many was the drill, hard to master but not so bad as once it had been. The many, especially in confined spaces, almost always got in each other's way preventing them from using their numerical superiority to any great advantage. Almost always it broke down to a series of one-on-one matches where the biggest and best didn't always have the advantage.

Pick the lead. Parry out, slash back across the throat, one down. Slide left, catch sword on dirk, sword pommel to chin, dirk slash down into stomach, two down. Slide right, feint left, slash right, dirk into groin, not dead yet so avoid but out, three down.

It became impossible to tell what happened in what order; slash, feint, stab, cut, slide. The mind saw, processed, and evaluated but the body took that information and used it without conscience decisions or orders on his part.

Suddenly there was nothing in front of him, nothing to the side. In a crouch he scanned the area and saw ten to fifteen of the invaders standing in a loose line about ten feet away from him. The space between them was littered with some eight to ten bodies, some obviously dead and others not, but all definitely out of the fight.

The invaders didn't seem like they were planning to rush him any time soon so he slowly stood up from his crouch and brought his weapons down to rest position. The pirates' line parted and a big man strode to the front. A really big man. He must have been a head taller than Dent and half again his weight. A fiery red beard flowing down onto an immense barrel chest, and with thumbs tucked into his belt he surveyed the carnage in front of him.

Looking at Dent he bellowed, "You do this, little man?" The answer seemed somewhat obvious so Dent decided to conserve his breath.

"First to me!" the big man bellowed again without turning or letting his eyes leave Dent.

As if appearing by magic, a smaller rat-faced man appeared next to the giant.

"Captain?"

"How many did we lose this time?" The giant's voice was pitched loud enough for all to hear but it wasn't the shout it had been.

"Six dead, nine wounded, two may die." Rat face turned to look at the bodies at his feet. "That's not counting these of course. Here's, well... hmm..." He started flipping over bodies walking to within six feet of Dent without even acknowledging his presence.

"We got seven dead right up and I'd say the other two be dead before nightfall."

"I'd say we got a warrior here, First," grumbled the giant. "Very well, warrior, do you yield?"

"Why would I do that?" Dent said casually, "I have no desire to make it easier for you to kill me."

"Now why would we kill you?" said the giant.

"I suppose for the same reason you are killing those men over there," Dent answered pointing with his dirk toward the forward platform where a number of the invaders were taking captured men-at-arms and sailors, cutting their throats and throwing them over the side.

Looking at the scene the giant turned back and waved his hand. "Bah, wounded and second-rate fighters. Those that are useful to me I keep. Sailors for the ship, women as slaves, and the loot of course. Now true warriors I don't see much of out at sea. Just what are you doing here?"

Dent didn't see much point in lying. "I'm headed to Malshall. Heard the Putram there was hiring." Casually he stuck his sword into the deck letting his right hand swing free at his side.

"You're not contracted now?" the giant sounded surprised.

"No. I am unbound at this time."

"Well that sheds a bit of a different light on things. No contract, huh? Fine. Then how about you contract to me?"

"I'm not in much of a position to decline, now am I?" Dent caught movement out of the corner of his eye. A line of women were being herded up on deck, and he could see that Nesho and Sosho were among them.