Her Adventures on the Red Lion

The Attack

 "Adam." she mulled over the name with a smile across her face. "Quite the difference from Seananners."

 They laughed lightly, "Yeah. Bit of a drastic difference."

 Before they could talk more, there was a large sound from outside the ship and the whole ship jostled. Voices and many feet could be heard rushing to and about the top deck.

 "What the hell was that?!" Signe questioned, struggling to stay on her seat.

 Adam launched to his feet just as someone else that Signe had come to know as Ritz, ran over to him, "Nanners! We're under attack. Captain wants you up top." He hardly finished his sentence before Adam rushed passed him and up the stairs.

 Before Ritz could also walk back, Signe stood and grabbed his arm. "What's going on? Who's attacking?" she asked.

 "It's the same people from the brigade at Cobos. Looks like the Swedes." he answered her.

 "How did they know where to find us? We got out of the port before them, didn't we?" she asked.

 "They had to be tracking us the second we left." Just then, another sound from outside and another jostle bounced the ship. "I have to go back on deck. Just stay here for now." Ritz quickly turned and rushed up the stairs.

 Signe sat again, holding her grip tighter to Anthony's hand. She could only assume the noises could be cannon fire that was seemingly missing them. She felt the ship begin to pull to the right, shuffling could be heard in the bottom deck that was separated from the haul. It didn't take long to hear what was going on in the bottom deck and the sounds of deafening cannon fire was heard through the wall. Now it was a battle.

 As one of their returning shots went off, Signe felt Anthony stir awake. As another shot was fired off, his eyes flew open and he sat bolt upright. "What's going on?" he asked.

 Signe stood, moving her hands on his shoulders to keep him sitting, "The brigade from the port found us."

 "They're attacking us?!" he asked in shock. He swung his legs over the hammock and placed his feet on the floor.

 "No! No! Anthony stay!" she did her best to stand in his way, pushing him back.

 "Chilled, stay there." a voice said from the other side of the room. The two looked over to see Adam standing on the stairs. He stretched out his arm, "Signe, the Captain wants you." Signe hesitated for a moment when Adam called Jack 'the Captain'. For the majority of the time she had been aboard, he had referred to him as Jack, so the sudden change was unnerving to say the least.

 "Who will stay with Anthony?" she asked.

 "Don't worry about me." Anthony smiled up at her. "I'll stay."

 "You better." she smiled back. She turned and walked quickly to Adam, taking his hand and walking up the steps.

 When they went through the door, it was obvious the chaos that was ensuing. The sun shone brightly across the deck as many pirates went about, firing off the cannons along the side. To their right, another ship was relatively close, so close you could see the people aboard it also running about in their own panic. Signe could see now that minimal damage had been done to both ships, but damage was bad in any amount.

 Signe was quickly pulled up to the balcony. She looked up, finding Captain Jack at the wheel. He looked pissed and the ship didn't like the choppy waves from the missed shots and sailing so close to another ship, so he was forced to struggle with controlling the wheel.

 "Captain!" Adam yelled up, getting Jack's attention.

 When Jack saw them, he nodded, before he threw the wheel of the ship further to the right, careening the Red Lion directly at it's opponent. When they had gotten so close to the other ship that you could now see the faces of the other crew men with ease, Jack straightened the ship, now sailing directly along side of them.

 "HOLD YOUR FIRE!" Jack yelled over his crew, and they all held their cannons at the ready. The other ship didn't fire either, waiting to see what would happen next. Jack and Adam switched places now, with Jack standing next to Signe.

 "What are you going to do now?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

 "Signe." Jack said in a hushed voice. Now that there was a cease fire over both ships, they were all waiting for any pin drop, meaning all that was heard was the ocean they sailed on. He stepped closer to her, becoming inches apart. With the way he cast glances at her lips, she swore he was going to kiss her again, and she wanted him to. As mad as she had been at him for his outburst, and as much as she tried to tell herself she didn't care anymore, she had wanted nothing more than his lips back on hers. She craved for more. She needed to feel the man again to give her hope to put up with the pirate.

 But he didn't kiss her. Instead to muttered out two words, "I'm sorry."

 Before she could ask what for, Jack drew out one of his pistols from his vest. He grabbed one of her shoulders and spun her on her feet, forcing her to face outwards from him before he pulled her back against him. Signe felt the cold metal press to the side of her head as she looked out at the opposing ship across from her.

 "Skjut inte! Skjut inte!" was the call out across the other ship as everyone backed away from their cannons. There was a brief moment as everyone stood still, before one of the higher ups walked to the side of the ship and yelled out, "Dodlage!"

 "Impasse." Signe whispered out the translation to Jack. She felt him nod his head in response. Even though she still felt the cold of the gun that was against her head, she shocked herself by not feeling anger. She was confident that nothing would make Jack shoot. Even his grip across her shoulders was not tight or forceful, nor was the gun pushed hard against her head. If anything she felt sadness, cause she knew that there would be no getting away from the brigade now.