Adventures on the High Seas

by Jessica Quasi Scribe of the JPFEB

Disclaimer~Some of the characters may resemble Nicholas Oldman, Heenoc Xian, Earl Hastings, Pete Hutter and Ben Fisher, but was done for no profit and belong to those who created them.

Part I

A light breeze blew gently across the Atlantic. In the solitary calmness of the sea, the Black Zephyr loomed in the horizon. The Black Zephyr was a magnificent brigantine with two masts and a fully square-rigged foremast and fore-and-aft rigged mainmast with square sails on the main top mast.

It was also one of the more notorious pirate ships on the seas.

In the early morning, her decks were empty save for the lone figure standing beside the port railing, gazing out to sea. Captain Sean Tregin enjoyed his moments alone on the deck before the rest of the crew began their days. He was a very dashing man with striking features, standing taller than most men. The captain wore close-fitting black dueling pants that fastened at the knee, black dueling boots and a loose-fitting white shirt that barely secured at his neck. Reddish-blonde hair fell down his back, lightened by the sun, and his hazel eyes changed from green to brown to fit his mood. In his left ear, there was a small silver hoop--a momento of his first days on the water. He seemed to personify the picture of a pirate--a criminal.

Despite his appearance, Sean Tregin didn�t start life as a criminal. Far from it in fact. He had been born to nobility, inheriting the title of Lord Cabell from his father, the Marquise of Fenton. He gripped the rail tighter and his eyes drew into slits as he remembered the last time he�d seen his father--over three years ago....

********

"...Really, Sean. I don�t know where you come up with such foolish notions. You�re smarter than that, and raised better."

"Why is it foolish, father," answered Sean Tregin, Lord Cabell to his father, the Marquise of Fenton as they talked in the sitting room of Emerald Hollow, the Fenton estate. "I just want to see the world�see what�s out there and experience what life has to offer. Why is that so hard to understand?"

Fenton turned to face his son. "Because you have a duty to this family. And to me. There will be no further discussion of this matter," was his reply.

Always one to push the limits of his father�s position, Cabell continued. "And if I decide to go anyway?"

The Marquise�s face did not reveal any emotion as he answered. "Then you will never show your face at Emerald Hollow again." That was it. No pretense or wavering. Fenton put down his glass on the table and walked out of the room.

After a few moments, Sean exhaled, exasperated. He turned to the window. It was mid-afternoon�the sun was beginning to descend in the West, casting shadows over the front yard and garden.

Over the hill, one of the shadows moved and soon took the shape of Lord Cabell�s best friend, Angelus Oldman, who was approaching on horseback. Before his conversation with his father, Sean and Angel had made up their minds to leave their current surroundings and venture off together. Without a second thought, Sean Tregin left the sitting room and made his way out to the stables. He found his horse, Devil�s Eye, and his belongings secured. Lord Cabell mounted his mighty stallion and rode out to meet his friend. "I wasn�t sure if you�d really come," Angel told him as he drew closer. "Did the Marquise try and stop you from leaving?" "Yes, he tried, but it didn�t work. My mind�s been made up long before we had our talk. It only succeeded in confirming my belief to go even more," replied Sean. As they rode off, Sean Tregin, Lord Cabell took what would be his last look at his boyhood home for three years. "Come on," stated Angelus. "Let�s go before we miss our boat." The two men galloped away towards the harbour and their awaiting destinies....

********

The captain of the Black Zephyr was brought out of his revelry by a hand place firmly on his left shoulder. Sean reached for his cutlass until he saw that it was Angel.

"You really shouldn�t do that," the captain said, letting go of the cutlass. Angel just grinned at him. He had been Sean�s best friend for years and was now the Black Zephyr�s first mate. A notorious heartbreaker and romantic, who claimed to be able to look in to the souls of women and know what their deepest desires were, Angel was also a relentless fighter.

Captain Tregin trusted no one more than he did Angel. He�d lost his family as a teen and had learned to survive on his own. Both men had seen one another through many dire situations--coming out valiant, together.

"Good morning, Captain. Anything new on the horizon? Angel asked, now standing side by side with Sean. Although they were friends, Sean was the captain of the vessel and Angel showed him the respect that he�d earned.

"Nothing as of yet, but out here, that�s bound to change," replied Sean, flashing his devilish, but killer smile. He always looked forward to a new confrontation.

Despite the size of the ship, the Black Zephyr had a relatively light crew number. The men were at work on the decks, preparing for any inevitable situation they might find themselves. Captain Tregin looked to his left and called out to his boatswain, Andrew Fisher.

"Drew, make sure everything is secure. We don�t want anything to come loose if that storm in the south hits us."

"Yes, Sir," answered Drew. As boatswain, he was in charge of the sails, rigging, anchors and all the related gear. He took a lot of pride in what he did and knew that if any part of his equipment went bad, that it could put the whole ship in danger.

If there was anyone who least personified the image of a pirate, it was Drew Fisher. A mild-mannered and often quiet young man, he had been a teacher from a very prominent family before giving it all up to explore another side to himself. He was fiercely loyal and a brilliant strategist, always managing to keep his cool in battle.

Captain Tregin looked up to the crow�s nest, where Benjamin Hastings had taken his accustomed position. "Ben, hoist the colors. Let�s get on our way."

"Aye, aye," Ben replied. He reached out for the rope as men on the quarter-deck readied the colors of the Black Zephyr--a black background with gold crossed cutlasses. As Ben hoisted the flag to the top of the main mast, a gentle breeze took hold and rippled it out above the ship. After securing the ropes in place, Ben Hastings resumed his position to look for approaching ships or land.

He was the oldest of the crew, although not by many years. He had become disillusioned with life after losing his heart to a woman, only to lose her to a brigand. For a while, his whole life revolved around seeking out her killer and getting justice, but even with that justice his life was unfulfilled. Ben had taken to gambling and it had been Angel who�d rescued him from the recesses of his despair. When he�d met Captain Tregin, who�d offered him a chance to start a new life, he took it and never regretted his decision.

Ben Hastings looked down and smiled at his best friend, ship�s doctor Chase Hutterson, as he made his way across the deck to join Captain Tregin and 1st mate Oldman. As always, Chase had his prized ivory handled knife in his hands. He was always juggling with it or flipping in around. It had the most unnerving effect on enemies.

"Good morning," said Chase, always cheerful. "How are we both this fine day."

"Morning, doc," replied Angel. "Hey, can I see the knife today?" Angel was always asking the same question and would have been surprised if the answer had been any different.

Chase stopped the exhibition show and sheathed the knife. "I told you, nobody messes with my knife." Then he laughed.

"What�s got you in such a good mood?" asked Sean.

"Oh, he�s been reading one of those fancy stories from the paper," answered Angel. "You know, the ones filled with fancy ladies who roam the streets of Paris."

"Ah, well that�s explains it," said Sean knowingly.

"So what?" retorted Chase. "I think I�m allowed a little entertainment. I take it as I can get it. It is a free society after all." Both men laughed at the doc�s expense and Chase found it hard not to join them. There had been few injuries lately, so he had to find something to do with his free time.

"Doc, how are Brian and John doing?" asked the captain. Both men had been hurt recently, but neither one was seriously hurt.

"John is doing fine. He should be up and back in ship-shape condition soon enough."

"And Brian?"

"The laceration to his arm is healing fine and the fever is gone. I hope he�s a quick healer because he�s the saddest patient I�ve ever encountered," Chase said, his eyes laughing. "The sooner he�s out of my infirmary, the better."

"Knowing Brian, it won�t be too long. He can�t go too long without a fight," replied Angel.

Just then, Drew came up to the trio. "Everything is set and ready to go, Captain."

"Good. Let�s see what we can find out there today. Weigh anchor and prepare to set off."

As a finely tuned machine, the crew of the Black Zephyr drew up the anchor and set the sails. Captain Tregin moved to the helm on the quarter-deck as the sails filled with the sea breeze.

"I wonder what kinds of trouble we�ll find ourselves in today," pondered Chase. It couldn�t ever be said that life on board the Black Zephyr was dull or boring.

"Who can tell?" answered Sean. He continued albeit sarcasm in his voice, "Maybe we�ll find the Amazon ship."

"Wouldn�t that be a nice change of pace," questioned Angel.

"Oh, who are you trying to kid?" asked Chase. "You honestly believe there really is a ship out here, entirely crewed by women, and who are as dangerous as anyone on the water."

"Stranger things have been known to occur. All those stories had to have come from somewhere," was Angel�s answer. The three men laughed at the thought as the Black Zephyr got on its way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part II

Disclaimer~See Part I


Adventure on the High Seas
Part II

"Raise the flag of piracy, sing the song of victory
Glorious in battle are we
We've never known defeat, we never will retreat.
We live to hear the cannon roar,
And terror is our sempahore
Victoriously loathsome are we,
We rob the rich, the poor; then steal a little more."


In the calm morning air, Neptune�s Revenge sat anchored in the water.
There was no movement on her decks and all was quiet. Neptune�s
Revenge was a small brigantine. Its hull was the dark blue color of a
stormy sea and had black railings.

The calm water was disrupted as the surface bubbled. Suddenly five
women burst through the water all at once. They formed a circle while
treading water. They laughed happily and splashed one another.

One of the women pulled away from the others and headed towards the
ladder hanging down the side. She, like the others, was a strikingly
beautiful person. She had hair the color of the setting sun, and eyes
the color of emeralds.

As she reached the top railing, the red headed woman turned and called
down to the others. �Come on girls. Fun time is over. We�ve got
work to do.�

�Just a few more minutes, Mac. Please?� pleaded Nic Robertson, the
others joining in.

�No,� replied Mac, a smile in her eyes. She climbed over on to the
deck, turned and looked down the other four. �We�ve spent long enough
in the water. You don�t want me to make it an order, do you?�

The girls in the water got huge grins on their faces and delivered
heart-felt salutes to their leader. �No, ma�am,� they said in unison,
then made their way towards the ship.

Jensen MacTaggert, or Mac, grinned as the crew of Neptune�s Revenge
climbed onto the deck. Had proper, genteel society been a witness to
this scene, it would have caused an uproar the likes of which no one
had seen.

The women were dressing, not in prim and proper dresses and corsets,
but in men�s pants and shirts, knee-hi boots and strapping swords to
their sides. Jensen herself wore black boots, brown pants, and a
fitted white shirt and topped it with a black waistcoat and green
captain�s coat, trimmed in silver.

Neptune�s Revenge was entirely manned by women. Jensen had inherited
the ship that had become Neptune�s Revenge and two other ships when
her parents were killed. Rather than give the helm to someone else,
she took charge herself. She was fiercely independent and took lip
from no one.

A chance encounter with Black Jack the Pirate had fueled rumors that
she�d been lost across the Atlantic. Only Colin Westwood, her friend
and lawyer in England, knew she was alive. He kept her inheritance
protected and made sure the shipping line ran smoothly.

Jensen and her best friend, Alexandra �Xander� Rawley, had met Black
Jack while they were making their escape from Alexandra�s abusive
stepfather. Never one to back down from a conflict or speak her mind,
Jensen impressed Jack enough to convince him to teach the two girls
how to survive in the world.

They joined Black Jack on his ship and for six months learned from him
and his crew onboard the Sea Fury. Jack demanded respect for them
from his crew, but they had earned it. Towards the end of the six
months and just before the two were preparing to go off on their own,
the Sea Fury encountered a slave ship and rescued the women onboard.
All but two chose to return to their former lives.

When Mac had taken the helm of Neptune�s Revenge, Xander had become
the 1st mate. She appreciated Mac�s faith in her and strove to do her
best. She was still shy around others and could be skittish at times,
but she would do anything for Jensen and knew they�d be friends for
life.

Nicole �Nic� Robertson had been on a family outing to the coast when
she�d been taken away. Although not physically harmed during her
ordeal, Nic had become wary of men in general. She never knew women
could live like Jensen and Alexandra were doing and stayed to
experience life to it�s fullest.

Nic was a gifted artist whose art was inspired and marred by what
she�d been through. Although she as wary around men, in a fight she
had a fearlessness to her that went against her normally shy demeanor.

The other woman to join Nic was Julie �Jules� Gregson. She fell prey
to a con man named Leo DeCapo who�d used her romantic and na�ve nature
to deceive her into believing she was in love. When she thought she�d
found the one man she could be happy with for the rest of her life,
he�d handed her over to the captain of the slave ship. She�d taken an
instant liking to Nic and the girls had bonded quickly while onboard
the ship. Jules always looked for the good in everything and that
tended to lead her down unsavory paths. Few things made her truly
angry, but those that did released a ferocity in her that was unmatched.

Jules served as the ship�s medic and luckily her services hadn�t been
needed recently. Presently she stood on the quarterdeck dressed in
black pants, boots and shirt with a dark blue vest. Her gauntlets her
securely tucked into her sword belt which fit snugly to her waist.

Nic finished dressing and quickly scrambled up into the crow�s nest.
She preferred to wear shortened skirts, instead of men�s pants, as
part of her daily wardrobe. And as she climbed up the ladder, the
skirt and petticoats swirled around her calves.

She wore knee-high boots like everyone else�black ones. Her skirt was
a vibrant green, which contrasted well with the white petticoat she
wore underneath as well as the white blouse she wore. Nic didn�t wear
a coat, only a deep brown paisley vest.

The last girl to climb aboard was also the most carefree and
energetic. Megan �Meg� O�Brien was the youngest of the crew. She
rebelled against her upper crust family and convinced Mac to let her
come along with the rest of the crew. Her family opposed her plan to
become a writer, wanting her to only find a suitable husband.

Meg was a formidable fighter, but admittedly liked writing better than
fighting. She wrote down the adventures of Neptune�s Revenge and its
crew. Meg was often a handful for Mac, who called her the �wild
child�, but none could stay angry with her for long. Meg ran her
hands through her straight dark hair as she finished dressing in her
clothes: brown boots and pants, a green shirt and beige vest.

The rising sun bathed the deck in golden sunlight as the women
prepared to set sail for the day. Mac took her spot behind the wheel.
�Nic let�s hoist the colors and get underway.�

Nic looked down to Mac. �Aye, aye, Captain,� she said grinning from
her place above the others. The colors of Neptune�s Revenge were
quickly hoisted up into place atop the center mast. It was a white
field with a midnight blue picture of Neptune�s staff in the middle.

Meg tore herself away from her writing to do her part in making sure
the ship go underway smoothly. She strolled up beside Mac.
�Everything is ready to go, Mac. Where are we off to today?� she asked.

�I think we�ll just stay on course from yesterday,� she replied.
�Barring any troubles or run-ins, we should reach the islands in two
days.�

Xander came up next to Meg. �Do you really believe what Black Jack
said about this place? I mean, I trust Jack, but do you really think
he�s found an island that actually welcomes and helps out pirates?�
she questioned.

�That�s what he says. I guess we�ll just find out when we get there.�

�I�ll just be glad for the change of pace and scenery,� added Jules
from the quarterdeck. �I think we could all use a break.�

Mac smiled. �Well, we�d better be off then. Let�s get the sails up!�
she shouted to the crew. As clockwork, the crew worked fluidly and
the sails soon tumbled down their guy wires. The ocean breeze soon
filled them and Neptune�s Revenge was on its way.

Meg grabbed her notebook and continued her chronicles. �I hope we
find something soon,� she told Mac and Xander. �I mean, how can I
write down our adventures and about the interesting people we meet if
we don�t have or meet any?� she pouted.

�So, what did you have in mind?� Xander smiled.

�Oh I don�t know. Maybe we could have a completely different kind of
adventure and meet someone new and exciting.� Her eyes suddenly got
big as an idea popped into her head.

�What?� Xander asked, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.

�Wouldn�t it be marvelous if we could find the Black Zephyr?�

Mac looked over at her, a surprised look on her face. �Why on earth
would you want to run into that bunch of heathens?� Mac had to love
loss for the crew of the Black Zephyr, especially for its captain,
Sean Thoreston.

It was funny since they�d never actually met, but she�d heard the
stories about his famed charm as well as his opinion about her and her
crew, which he believed to be the conjuring of frightened people who�d
been attacked at sea.

The Black Zephyr and Neptune�s Revenge were two of the most successful
ships on the sea and it was inevitable that they�d meet someday.
**Hopefully it�s much, much later.** thought Mac. She knew about the
stories that were being told about her and her girls, and was amused
that no one believed the people who�d met her and the crew.

�They may be heathens,� Jules replied, �but you have to admit that it
would fun and interesting to finally match our crew to that one.�

�And gee,� smirked Mac towards Meg, �what a wonderful addition that
would make to your chronicle book.�

Meg grinned like a Cheshire. �Well, yes. There is that.�

The three women laughed as Mac steered the ship towards its fabled
destination. She smiled and hoped that the future of Neptune�s
Revenge only brought more good things to those onboard.

~End of Chapter 2~