Miya Black, Pirate Princess I: Adventure Dawns

by Ben White

  Miya cried out as she watched one of the Black Navy brigs catch a broadside, its front mast collapsing and the bow splitting. Sola gently took the spyglass from her hands before she could watch more.

  "That ship is lost. The crew will live. We need a way to get onto the island."

  Miya looked at her home, at the dozens of ships surrounding it. She swallowed, then smiled bravely.

  "Confidence," she said. "We sail right through. The Highland flag's been working so far, most of Pete's crews don't seem that smart. If we're lucky, they'll all be so preoccupied with the Black Navy we won't even be noticed."

  "But even to get near to the harbour, with the entrance choked with ships as it is—"

  "Then we'll go somewhere clearer—somewhere we can't be followed," said Miya. She smiled brightly up at Sola. "Sand bars!"

  *

  Despite Miya's earlier confidence, sailing past dozens of enemy ships with nothing but a rather ragged rectangle of yellow cloth all that stood between safe passage and sudden attack from any direction was a nerve-racking experience. Fortunately it seemed that Badger Pete's crews had not been picked for their intelligence or observational abilities, and it was not until they were nearing the island that trouble arose.

  It arose in the form of Grace Morgon, and the Boundaries None.

  "Grace," hissed Miya, as she saw the small frigate heading towards them from behind. She lowered the spyglass. "She must have recognised my ship. I think we're okay, though, she's not in cannon range."

  As if in response, the front cannons on Grace's ships flashed, and there was the CRACK of cannon fire. Miya's superior 'they'll never hit us' smirk turned into a look of horror as she watched the arc the cannonballs described.

  "IT'S GONNA—"

  The impact rocked the Black Swan forward, almost throwing Miya off her feet and sending Sola stomach-first into the wheel. He coughed and staggered, doubled-over.

  "Sola! You okay?" yelled Miya, recovering and running to the stern. The cannonballs had grazed the Swan, making two ugly furrows in the rear of the ship.

  "Ooo ... ooo ..." Sola managed, all the wind knocked out of him.

  "You'll live! And the damage isn't too bad!" called out Miya, leaning over the edge. The furrows meant that the ship was taking on water, but the Swan was well-designed; this would do little more than slow them down. Miya patted the railing reassuringly. "We'll fix you later," she whispered. "Just get us home."

  Miya looked up at the Boundaries None and narrowed her eyes.

  "That's two I owe you, Morgon." She turned to Sola, who had mostly recovered. "Keep us away from the land, there are underwater rocks near the cliffs. That point there is our goal, once we get around it and into the bay there'll be nothing she can do."

  Miya glanced back at Grace's ship once more, then ran to the mast and climbed into the rigging, her expression focused as she trimmed the sails.

  "Hard to starboard, Sola," she called down after a moment, her voice calm, remembering the dozens of times she'd accompanied her father in practice battles. "She'll have just about reloaded by now."

  Sola spun the wheel and the Black Swan turned sharply, just before another crack sounded from the Boundaries None. A few seconds later there was a double-splash from nearby; where they would have been if they hadn't changed their course.

  "Who's in your head, Grace?" Miya muttered, before leaning out to call down to Sola: "Back to port now, straighten us out."

  "Aye aye, Captain," Sola called back. Miya climbed higher, and gave the main sail a little more slack.

  "We're around two minutes from the point," she murmured to herself, as she adjusted a few of the smaller sails to help balance the Swan. Miya glanced up at the island as the main sail caught the wind, frowning at the black smoke billowing up from the burning jungle, then she looked back at the Boundaries None, estimating the amount of distance they'd gained.

  "Grace's front cannons should be out of range now," she muttered, "but I bet her broadside cannons are heavier ... Sola," Miya called, raising her voice, "be ready to turn on my command. We're not out of this yet."

  A few moments later Miya watched as the Boundaries None altered course, began heading off on an angle.

  "Trying to catch some extra wind, come in at us from below? I don't think so," she growled, before raising the spyglass to her eye, making sure none of Badger Pete's other ships were coming close—none were. Cocky little wench, thought Miya, climbing down the mast. In fact, I wonder ...

  "Give me the wheel," she said, and Sola stepped back. Miya gripped the wheel tightly, feeling her ship, listening to it.

  "Time to take a little risk," she said, spinning the wheel hard, the Black Swan turning sharply, heading south—away from the island and closer to the Boundaries None.

  "Trust me," said Miya, in response to Sola's questioning look. She kept on the southern course for around ten seconds, quietly counting, then spun the wheel again, turning the Swan towards the point once more.

  "Grace gained some distance on us," said Sola.

  "I know," said Miya. "Now let's just hope she—"

  Miya was interrupted by the sound of cannons from the Boundaries None, and she smiled. In response to Sola's questioning look, she nodded towards a patch of ocean, into which a volley of cannonballs shortly splashed.

  "Grace thinks herself superior to me," said Miya. "Which is why she just lost. She'll never be able to get her ship turned around fast enough to fire another volley at us."

  "Are you sure?"

  "With that big fat ship? No way."

  "Are you really sure?"

  Miya frowned at Sola, then looked back at Grace's ship.

  "What?" she exclaimed. "What?"

  Miya watched in something like shock as the Boundaries None turned in an impossibly tight circle.

  "What?"

  "It seems to be bringing its cannons to bear on us."

  "I can see that! How on—oh, come on. No way. She's using her anchor! Of all the stupid, irresponsible, disrespectful tricks—she's hurting her ship to get us, that's so ... so damn GRACE! Hang on, I've got to ... not speak for a bit ..."

  Miya spun the wheel, turning them towards the cliffs. The ship creaked loudly as she suddenly reversed the direction of the spin then held it firm, the Black Swan listing heavily to the side as they turned sharply, now travelling what seemed to Sola to be dangerously close to the cliffs and the hidden rocks beneath. Miya glanced back, scowled as she saw Grace's ship keeping pace with them, further out from the cliffs.

  "She's waiting for us to turn out to get around the point," said Miya. "Then she's gonna blast us."

  She glared at Grace's ship for a second, then left the wheel and leapt from the deck onto the mast, climbing as fast as she could, untying one rope after another, letting three of the smaller sails sag and flutter before jumping down and taking the wheel from Sola once more.

  "Slowing us down a bit, messing with her calculations," said Miya, as they neared the place where they'd have to choose between turning into Grace's line of fire or being dashed upon the rocks. "She has to turn soon ..."

  Miya watched Grace's ship as she gripped the wheel. It wasn't turning.

  "Turn, damn you," she muttered. "Turn!"

  The Boundaries None continued its straight course. Miya clucked her tongue, then left the wheel once more.

  "I don't trust her!" she yelled, leaping into the rigging again, tightening and tying ropes as quickly as she could. "We're just gonna rely on speed!"

  "Miya—"

  "We can do it! Even if she fires, we can do it! MY SHIP WILL DO IT!"

  Miya jumped down from the mast, from a little too high—she landed heavily and came perilously close to twisting her ankle. Scowling, she ran to the wheel, taking it from Sola, turning it hard to correct the Swan's course, their speed picking up quickly now that Miya had adjusted the sails—as they shot around the point they heard the Boundaries None fire, could do nothing but watch as the volley arced towards them.
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  "NO!"

  Miya grabbed Sola and half-dragged, half-threw him to the port side of the deck, just before cannonballs tore through the starboard side of her ship. Miya slipped as the ship tilted, grabbed at Sola's hand as he reached out and caught her. For one horrible moment it felt like the ship was going to keep rolling and tip them into the water, but after hanging for a few terrible seconds it righted itself, crashing back into the ocean, its forward momentum lessened considerably from the near-scuppering.

  "WENCH! YOU LOUSE-RIDDEN BILGE RAT LOVING SCURVY WRECK OF A WENCH! I'LL HAVE YER NOSE FOR THAT!" Miya screamed as she stood.

  The starboard side of the ship had been ripped open, crates and barrels and other supplies from the hold already leaving a trail behind them.

  "We're taking on water!" Miya yelled, running to the wheel, turning it. "But the rudder's okay!"

  She turned to look for Grace's ship, saw that it was turning now, rounding on them.

  "Front cannons," she growled. For a moment she glared at Grace's ship, breathing hard through gritted teeth, then she snarled her frustration as she turned back to the wheel, spinning it violently to take them around the point. She held her ship steady as they headed into Miya Bay, trying to ignore the tortured creaking of wood and iron as the Swan struggled to stay together.

  "Miya, the hold's filling with water," said Sola.

  "It's okay."

  He looked at Miya. She smiled weakly.

  "It's okay," she repeated. Behind, Grace's ship had almost come around to bring its front cannons to bear.

  "Miya—"

  "It's okay."

  Miya guided the wounded Swan around Miya Rock, corrected the course to avoid a sand bar, set them headed straight for Miya Beach, then locked the wheel. She patted it gently.

  "It's okay," she whispered. For a moment her expression tightened and she squeezed her eyes shut, then she turned to Sola.

  "Come on," she said. "We'd better get low. She's about to fire."

  Sola followed Miya down into the hold, which was already half-full of water. She shook her head as she looked out the jagged, ugly hole in the side, then sat down on the step.

  "Sit," she said, patting the space beside herself. "You're not going to have any choice in a few seconds."

  Sola sat next to his sister, as the crack of cannon fire sounded in the distance.

  "Three, two, one," said Miya. "Bang."

  There was a hideous roaring from above, accompanied by splintering, crashing, and a heavy impact that rocked the ship.

  "Chain shot," said Miya, with a heavy, shuddering sigh. "There goes my mast. Grace, you are SO predictable." She looked at Sola. "We probably have enough momentum to get to the beach. Even if we don't, we can swim the remaining distance, or take your—oh."

  Miya followed Sola's gaze.

  "I'm sorry, Sola," she said, as they watched the remains of his canoe float away. "It must have been caught by that first broadside."

  Sola shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

  Miya looked at her brother a moment, then sighed.

  "Yeah," she said.

  *

  The Black Swan just barely made it to Miya Beach, grinding to a halt in the shallows. After destroying the mast Grace's ship hadn't been able to get close enough to fire again, and by the time Miya and Sola dragged themselves up onto the beach, carrying a small chest between them, the Boundaries None couldn't be seen.

  "She'll have gone to report back to 'daddy'," said Miya, as she dropped her end of the chest and flopped down on the sand. "Good riddance."

  Sola remained standing, looking at the jungle, at the smoke that hung above it. "The fire doesn't seem to have spread this far. Perhaps it's not as bad as it looked."

  "They'll have tried to get it burning as close to the town as possible, I guess," said Miya. "Not that it'll do them any good, the firebreak will stop it."

  "I hope so."

  Miya sighed, then stood, brushing off her trousers. "Let's get out of here," she said, turning her back on her poor, wounded ship. "We can come back and ... and rescue the Swan after we deal with everything else."

  They stowed the chest in a little hidden cave to the left of the beach, then made their way through the jungle. It was eerily quiet, the usual chatter of animals, birds and insects absent, save for the occasional panicked shriek. Avoiding the parts that were on fire, it took them less than an hour to break free of the jungle, emerging in the fields near the stables.

  "Come on, it's not far from here. We'll head for the town, if—oh no."

  Blackport was burning. Even from here they could see the smoke rising from the eastern side of town.

  "But the firebreak ... what happened? Sola, come on, we have to—oops!"

  Miya almost barged into a man carrying armfuls of buckets as she burst past the stables.

  "Princess!" he cried, upon turning to see her. Miya recognised him as Guy Brushwood, a carpenter.

  "Mr Brushwood, what's going on? How'd the fire reach the town?"

  "We don't know, the firebreak must've failed. How did you escape?"

  "Escape?"

  "Your mother—the queen, sorry—she's been worried sick, you should go tell her you're here, she's in the town square organising. I've got to get these buckets to the chain." Guy started off down a street, calling out as he went—"I'm happy to see you're safe, Princess!"

  Miya headed down the path to the town square, Sola close behind. They heard Queen Lilith before they saw her, loud, clear commands sounding out over the other voices in the town, as well as the cannon fire from the harbour and the crackling of flames from the fires nearby:

  "Terence, you and your group head up Parrot Street, around Old Graham's house. Join the chains on Three Leaf Road or Craft Street, use your judgement. Peggles, what did I tell you? I want you at the beginning of the bucket chain, near the harbour, I don't want you and those wooden legs anywhere NEAR fire, I don't care how long you soaked them in water."

  Miya rounded the corner to see her mother standing on the raised platform on the north side of the square, her clothes and face a little blackened but looking as strong and commanding as she ever had.

  "MUM!" Miya called. Queen Lilith turned at the shout, annoyed at being interrupted in the middle of giving orders, then she gasped, relief showing clear on her face as her daughter launched herself into her arms.

  "Mum, I was so worried about you, I'm so glad you're safe!" Miya said, hugging her mother close.

  "YOU were worried about ME? I wasn't the one that was kidnapped, young lady!" Lily held her daughter tight for a moment, then looked at her. "Where'd that cut come from?" she asked, touching the scar on Miya's cheek.

  "What do you mean, kidnapped?"

  "By Badger Pete! Hello, Sola, I'm glad you're safe, too."

  "What? I wasn't kidnapped! I didn't come CLOSE to being kidnapped!"

  "Well," began Sola, before a scathing glance from Miya made him shut his mouth.

  "Of course you did," said Lily. "You went after your father and you were—"

  "No, I didn't! I went looking for ... for my grandparents, to get them to help us. I didn't ... I mean, give me some credit, Mother! I wouldn't get—you thought that I sailed out on my own and just INSTANTLY got KIDNAPPED?"

  "I ... Lars said—"

  "This is EXACTLY what I—" Miya stopped herself, took a deep breath. "This isn't the time," she said. "We've got to stop this fire. Where's it worst?"

  "Glebe Street, near the Cherry Bakery. But—Miya!"

  Miya was already running, towards the bakery, following the line of people forming a bucket chain until she found the fire, saw the buildings of her town blazing.

  "Not while I'm here," she muttered. "Come on, people! Look alive! We're not gonna beat this fire by standing around scratching our arses! Give me that bucket, I'll show you how it's done!"

  Miya worked tirelessly, at the front of the chain, throwing bucket after bucket of water onto the flames, pushing hard into the hottest are
as, ignoring the burns and discomfort and fatigue. She called out to others as she worked, pushing them, encouraging them, even bullying them into fighting harder. Time slowed or quickened or blurred into a constant, eternal pattern of take full bucket, throw onto fire, give back empty bucket, take another full bucket, repeated and repeated and repeated until finally, arms and back aching, face blackened with soot, burnt in a dozen places, Miya looked around, bucket in hand, and couldn't find any fire to dowse. She became aware of shouts and saw people hugging, received more than a few overjoyed, relieved hugs herself, but the faces of the people that gave them were nothing more than blackened shadows. Miya staggered away and found a wall and put her back to it, let herself slide down, let her eyes close.

  "Really, Miya. You have no consideration at all sometimes."

  Miya opened her eyes. Her mother was smiling down at her.

  "Hey Mum," she said.

  "Are you all right?"

  "Oh a bit burnt."

  Lilith looked at Miya a moment, then sat beside her daughter, put her arm around her. For a few minutes mother and daughter just sat, leaning against one another, silent and exhausted. Then Lily spoke:

  "Where on earth have you been, Miya?"

  "Fighting fires."

  "You know what I mean."

  Miya sighed.

  "I told you," she said. "I went looking for my grandparents."

  "Your father's parents," said Lilith, her voice flat. Miya smiled.

  "Yes," she replied. "My father's parents."

  "And did you find them?"

  "Kind of."

  "And?"

  "I don't want to talk about it."

  Lilith shook her head. "I keep wanting to scold you but honestly I'm just so relieved that you're okay."

  Miya smiled for a moment, then her expression became serious. "Where's Dad?" she asked. Lilith frowned.

  "That man ... as soon as he heard you'd been kidnapped he set out, crippled quite a few of Badger Pete's ships, as the reports go," she said, just the hint of a smile on her face. "Rescued a lot of islanders but found no sign of you."