23. The Fury

Fiona and her crew cashed in the smuggler ship – the Sea Dog – once they were back in Cagliano. £300 I believe they got out of their troubles. They picked up a job of escorting 3 merchants to Longpointe, which was on their way to Cousin Phoebe, who had yet not been told of her widowhood before marriage, and to Port Fender, where the remainder of the crew waited for the Ienne. They loaded weapons and loads of rum on board, knowing that such a cargo would be welcomed in Port Fender. On the way Ernest began to feel right at home by the cannons and was made Master of the cannons. Dominique and Michael trained the crew in weapon skills; Dominique in firearms, and Michael in swords and cutlasses.

Fiona has later reported how bored she was escorting merchants. They were mind bogglingly slow and as the weather crew ever hotter, her temper did too. She was calmed some by the dolphins that had selected to ride the waves by the Ienne, though. Dolphins are great big fishes (which some scientists believe are related to land mammals – I don’t see why, as they have no legs), quite friendly and fun loving creatures. They are believed to bring luck. On the 6th day in the evening, when the anchors were dropped, some of the crew (including Fiona, though she claims to be no lover of sea bathing) swam with the dolphins and had great fun.

On the 7th day sails were spotted in the horizon; several naval ships with Islander-flags, one of them the later so renowned Undaunted. They exchanged news and gossip and went on their way. On the 9th day one of the merchants let drop their sail; a sign to Fiona that they were in need of help. They had spotted a burned out ship; the Abigail, a small coastal-going merchant. On the nearby beach they found bodies – gutted and later eaten by seagulls… Three days had passed since their painful and cruel demise. It was an old custom of the particularly mean-streaked pirates to leave their victims alive but severely wounded on beaches, where the seagulls would eat them alive. Nasty that!

Once in Longpointe they heard the rumour that Goldmouthe was in the area wrecking havoc. They now knew who had left the crew of the Abigail to such a sorry death. If Fiona was scared of that news she didn’t show it. But she must have been rattled. Goldmouthe was her fiercest enemy – even more so than the Harrow Brothers – and as she had beaten him once, he was not likely to forgive and forget her. Compared to that news the rumour of the Governor Lord Cavendish’s troubles with the new king was small and insignificant.

In one of the taverns Fiona was offered a small cargo of smuggled rum to be picked up on a beach half a day’s journey from Longpointe. Knowing that rum always had takers in Port Fender she agreed and Hawke changed a few figures on the legal papers of the rum they had already bought in Caglioano so that this new cargo would seem legitimate. But little did she know… Once at the designated beach Michael and Jean Luc went ashore to bargain, and at the same time sail was seen in the distance. As it got closer a shudder ran down Fiona’s spine (she has told me this herself), and as Dominique approached her and announced that a strange darkness alike the one they had encountered on the deserted island, where they had met, was gathering in the cargo, Fiona knew what ship was approaching; The Fury! Goldmouthe’s cursed ship.

Ienne was preparing for battle, while a battle started on the beach. Fiona had no time to waste trying to save Jean Luc and Michael; she had enough to do with the oncoming Fury. A fierce fight commenced. Though the Fury was larger and had a lot more crew on board, the Ienne fought valiantly. Ernest had Lady Luck on his side while firing cannon after cannon at the Fury. After a long and tiring fight the Fury was disabled; her rudder shot to pieces and her sails in threads. As a final action they attempted to board the Ienne, but luckily were repelled. Fiona well knew that if they had managed to board the Ienne her crew would soon be either dead or lying on a beach about to die miserably, while she herself would face an even worse death, as promised by Goldmouthe himself. They must be repelled at all cost! After that Goldmouthe seemed to give up and limped away. The Ienne might have followed and finish the job, but she had been hit once beneath the waterline, and was taking in a lot of water. 6 men were wounded including Jean Luc who had a nasty head wound. Fiona decided to hurry as fast as she could to Port Fender, and pick up the remains of the crew. If she was to be up against enemies like Goldmouthe, she needed more men, particularly men who could fight, and as soon as possible. She wanted to be able to take out Goldmouthe next time they met!