by Sarah West
“Do you surrender, you scurvy swine?” she asked as she placed her booted foot on his chest and pressed harder with her sword.
“Never!”
She shrugged. “Have it your way,” she told him as she removed the pressure of her blade and lifted her foot. Logan observed as she walked away from her wounded foe, and was amazed when she spun around and swiftly delivered a fatal blow to Pax, who had attempted to rise and reach for his sword. “Always be aware of my surroundings, right Logan?”
He laughed. “Right. Although, you should know that death rarely resembles that,” he said, pointing towards Pax’s theatrical display of twitching and gasping for breath. “Not only is it less melodramatic, but it tends to be over sooner.”
“When do I get to take on the legendary el Tigre?” she inquired as she twirled the blade around in her hands, dropping it in the process.
He smiled at her. “Just keep practicing for now, and when I think you’re ready, you’d be smart to watch your back,” he told her, walking towards his cabin.
“Would it be all right if I kept practicing tonight?”
He turned. “Of course. Just ask Ben to light a few lanterns so you can see. And Amber, you don’t have to ask my permission.”
As he left her, she was again struck with a strange sense of longing. His amiable nature was starting to drive her crazy with need, and she desperately wanted him to turn around and yell at her like he used to, or pull her into his arms and kiss her…
She shook her head and lifted her sword. This was what she wanted, she reminded herself as she worked on her footwork. Wasn’t it? Her life was so much easier without him breathing down the back of her neck every five minutes, always checking to make sure she wasn’t hurting herself or having any fun. And yet, it wasn’t as exciting without someone to argue with.
When the lamps had burned down and her arms ached from holding up the heavy sword, she decided it was time to go to sleep. She sent a mournful look towards Logan’s cabin, where she knew he would be finishing up with his bath and preparing for bed. She glanced down at her own body, covered with a thick layer of sweat and grime, and ardently wished that she could relax in the warm water and wash the tension from her muscles. Instead, she hung her hammock in the corner and fell into a fitful sleep.
No lack of sleep, however, could keep her from rushing through her duties each day so that she could spend more time practicing with her sword. As the weeks progressed she saw herself improving, and was soon able to beat Henry and Johnny with ease. The other men, too, began sparring with her after dinner, finding her a worthy opponent and a fast learner. Before long even Eli had to work to keep up with her endless energy and agile footing. After a particularly tiring fight with the quartermaster, in which Amber succeeded in driving a horizontal cut into Eli’s shoulder, knocking him to the ground and delivering a killing blow before he could recover his sword, Logan stepped forward.
“Well done, Amber,” he exclaimed, proud of her perseverance. “Eli, you had a chance to end the fight five minutes ago when she came at you with the straight thrust, by spinning her blade instead of just knocking it. And Amber, when you start fighting with real swords, you’re going to want to parry with the flat because parrying with the edge is the fastest way to dull your blade.”
Amber accepted the flagon of water that Pax held out to her, took a few sips and then dumped the rest of it over her head. Shaking the drops from her face, she grinned at Logan. “Think I’m ready, yet?”
“You want to spar with me? Right now?” he eyed her with suspicion. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather wait until tomorrow, when you’ve had a chance to rest?”
“Who needs rest?” she countered. “Unless you’re too scared, in which case I would understand your hesitation…” Logan sent her a menacing look as he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside, caught and spun the blade that Eli threw him, and took his stance.
“You asked for it, sweetheart.”
The last remaining pirates who had been working now abandoned their tasks and joined the crowd to watch the fight. Money exchanged hands as the men placed bets on who would win, until Eli shushed them, signaling that it was beginning.
They started by circling each other, looking for any weaknesses in the other’s defense. Then Amber lunged forward with a vertical cut, followed quickly by a downward thrust and a horizontal cut, all of which were blocked by Logan. He delivered a powerful strike towards her shoulder, but she ducked beneath his blade and raised hers to parry his vertical attacks, running under the last one. Logan turned to face her as she charged with a downward swinging cut, and by blocking it, sent her spinning. Taking advantage of her lost balance, he kicked the back of her knees hard enough to bring her to the deck, scrambling for her sword that was knocked from her hands upon impact.
As she reached for the blade, he kicked it aside and thrust at her outstretched arm, scratching it as she pulled it against her body and rolled over. Now on her back, she parried his blows with her foot, and managed to kick him with enough force to send him reeling. He lunged to deliver a forward thrust, but she rolled out of the way and managed to wrap her fingers around her sword, bringing it up in time to block another thrust and return with a horizontal cut. As Logan parried, she jumped to her feet and attacked with several hard blows to his shoulders and legs, all of which he managed to avoid.
Both of them were drenched in sweat at this point, panting in the warm, humid air. She flicked a strand of hair from her face and raised her sword above her head to block his vertical strike, and then brought it about to knock aside his forward thrust. Logan slid his blade along hers until the hilts were locked against each other, and using his height and weight to his advantage, he pushed her backwards until she stumbled over a pile of rope, lost her balance, and fell. As soon as she hit the deck, his blade was at her throat.
She swallowed heavily and looked up at the formidable pirate standing above her, having forgotten for a moment that the swords they used were made of wood, thankful that the only damage she would receive would be a few nasty bruises. Logan lowered his sword, and with a smile, helped her to her feet.
There were a few triumphant roars as men collected on their bets, and some good natured arguments about the fight, but Amber just stood there, staring at Logan. He reached up to brush a curl from her eyes. “Did I hurt you at all?” he asked with concern etched on his face, and she could only shake her head in response. “Are you sure? How are your knees, I didn’t knock you too hard?”
“No, I’m all right,” she managed to whisper.
“Good. Listen, I apologize for getting a bit carried away, but you fought incredibly well, especially for—”
“A woman?” she interjected, finding her voice at last.
“I was going to say for someone who hadn’t picked up a blade until three weeks ago,” he told her with a smile. “But you’re sure you aren’t hurt at all?”
She flushed. “Just my ego. I suppose it was foolish of me to challenge the great el Tigre, wasn’t it?” Before he could respond and tell her how wrong she was, she had turned and disappeared below deck. He watched her go, wishing he could take her into his arms and kiss away her embarrassment, make her forget about a stupid fight.
“Well done, mate,” exclaimed Eli as he approached Logan, counting his money. “It was a hard call there for a while, but you came through in the end, just like you always…what’s the matter?”
Logan shook his head. “I’m not sure.”
It was past midnight and everyone had long since gone to bed, when Logan set down the book he had been trying to read and left his cabin. He crossed the empty deck and descended the stairs into the orlop, his eyes adjusting to the darkness as he searched the swinging hammocks for Amber.
He found her sound asleep by the opposite doorway, in the same spot he had hung her hammock for her the first night. Tiptoeing past his snoring crew, he reached her side. Her hair was tangled around her face and she was sprawled out w
ith a leg hanging over the edge, dressed in a huge shirt that he recognized as belonging to Anton. Her own clothes were draped over another rafter and upon inspection, Logan found them to be damp. Having been supplied with only one outfit, she was apparently doing everything she could to keep it clean.
He made a mental note as he slid one arm beneath her back, and the other beneath her knees. Then he scooped her up, careful not to jostle her awake or make any noise, and headed towards the stairs. Once on deck, a cool breeze swept by them and Amber whimpered in his arms, before snuggling closer to the warmth of his chest. Logan was bewitched by the innocence of the sleeping girl in his arms, but made it back to his cabin without waking her, and with care, tucked her into his bed. At once, she curled up and her breathing evened out, calmed by the comfort of the large bed and the soft pillows.
He watched her sleep for a few minutes and then settled down on the floor with a blanket. Even on the hard wood, he slept more soundly than he had in the past three weeks, just from having her close to him again.
It took Amber a few moments to recognize where she was upon waking, the wide expanse of the bed beneath her a far cry from the hammock she had grown used to. Blinking sleep from her eyes, she caught Logan’s gaze as he sat at the table, reading.
“Good morning. How are you feeling?”
She attempted to pull herself into a seated position, an action that made her entire body seize with pain. She moaned. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so sore in my life.”
“Well, I can have breakfast brought up, or, if you’d prefer, you can go see what’s behind the screen over there.” Following the direction of his finger, Amber noticed the newest addition to the corner of the room: a large, gilded oriental folding screen. With a curious glance at Logan, she stood and walked towards it.
“Oh, it’s wonderful,” she cried as she took in the sight of the bathtub, filled with steaming water.
“Do you like it?”
“I’ve been dreaming about a bath for weeks! But how did you know?”
He laughed. “It’s not a secret that you are in desperate need of a bath, Amber. Anyone would after three weeks of doing what you’ve been doing.” He listened to the splash as she settled into the tub. “I’ve also located a new set of clothes for you, since I’ve noticed your one pair is already growing quite ragged. They should be on the stool, next to the bar of soap. Take what you want, I can put the rest back down below or you can keep them for later.”
“You seem to be on your best behavior today,” she remarked from behind the screen. “Does it have anything to do with abducting me in the middle of the night?”
“It might,” he replied with a smile. “I figured any woman that can beat me in a swordfight deserves a nice bed to sleep in.”
“But I didn’t beat you.”
“Ah, but you’ve only been practicing for a few weeks. I’ve seen lot of men, including me, struggle, to pick up techniques that come easily to you. Another month or two of working at it and I have no doubt that you could…” he trailed off as his gaze settled on the mirror across the room, and he forgot everything but the image reflected in it.
He had thought that the privacy screen would be seen as a gesture of respect and trust, but he hadn’t anticipated that the mirror above the dresser would be positioned at just the right angle to reflect behind it. The bathtub was in full view, and this included the very wet, and very naked girl currently using it.
His mouth went dry as he watched her lift the sponge, heavy with water, and wring it over her head. Dirt and sweat ran in rivulets down her glistening skin as she scrubbed herself clean. So mesmerized was he by the taunting display that he failed to notice she was speaking. He cleared his husky throat.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I asked you to finish your sentence,” she said with a shake of her head, unaware that every movement was on display for Logan’s pleasure. He struggled to formulate a reply.
“Oh, I uh, simply was saying that…” he forced himself to drop his eyes from the mirror. “Ah yes, I was saying that with a little more practice, you’d be able to beat me with ease.”
“You really think so?” she said, a smile spreading across her face.
He found himself staring again. “I do.”
“Good, because I plan to win someday, el Tigre, so you better watch out or you’ll find yourself looking down the length of my blade!” She lifted her arm from the water as if she were holding a sword and cut the air with a swift movement, one that caused her dripping breasts to bounce. Logan started coughing. “Are you all right? Logan, do you need help?” Without waiting for an answer, she began to stand.
The last thing he needed was to see her standing in front of him, close enough to touch. “I’m fine, I’m fine. I just need some air.” He stood and all but ran from the room, slamming the door behind him with a bang that made Eli turn around.
“What’s wrong now, she didn’t like the tub?”
“The problem isn’t that she didn’t like it,” he replied with a scowl. “It’s that I like it too much.” He stormed off, leaving his friend standing alone and very confused.
Amber emerged clean and re-energized sometime later, wearing a new pair of black breeches and a white shirt, with her hair in a messy plait down her back. She had chosen to ignore the boots that had been lying next to the clothes, opting instead to go barefoot. She found Logan on the main deck speaking with Anton.
“Good afternoon, Anton, Logan.”
“Ah Amber, are you dressed?”
“Excuse me?”
“Refreshed. Are you refreshed?”
She shot him a puzzled look. “Yes, thank you. I feel much better.”
Anton cleared his throat. “That was some fight yesterday, Miss Amber, and I was thinking that maybe I could show you some wrestling moves? If you’re interested of course. It would help you be quicker on your feet, and would come in handy if you get your sword knocked out of your hands again.”
“That would be wonderful! When can we start?”
“Amber, I don’t think he meant today—”
But Anton cut him off. “After supper, maybe? I mean if that’s all right with you, Cap’n,” he added, noticing Logan’s less than pleased expression.
Logan looked back and forth between Amber and Anton, and sighed. “Of course its fine with me, just be careful.”
She smiled at him. “Don’t worry, Cap’n, I’m indestructible!”
True to form, a week later Amber was proficient in wrestling techniques and had even picked up a few boxing pointers from Pax. Logan found himself wishing that she would be so passionate about a less dangerous hobby, especially after she came into the cabin one night nursing a split lip. He had looked up from the book he was reading when she entered, and demanded to know why she was holding a cloth to her face.
“Relax Logan, it’s nothing serious,” she reassured him, showing him the cut. He raced to her side and inspected her for further injuries.
“Who the hell did this to you?”
“I told you it’s—”
“Answer me!”
She shook her head. “Fine, if you have to know, it was Pax. Logan, what are you…come back!” He didn’t listen. He ran to the door, threw it open and shouted for the young pirate. Amber rolled her eyes and leaned against the table to watch.
“You wanted to see me, Cap’n?” Pax said nervously as he entered the cabin.
“I want to know what in god’s name you think you were…hold on,” he stopped, looking at Pax for the first time. “Take off your hat.” Ignoring Amber’s snickers, Pax removed his hat and stared at the floor, revealing a swollen eye and a bloody nose.
Logan started laughing. “You’re dismissed, but have Piers check you out to make sure she didn’t break anything.”
Pax made a shamed retreat as Logan turned to Amber. “How many more of my men have you injured? Do I have to warn everyone about you now?” She shrugged and made to smile, cringing as
the action split open her lip again and fresh blood seeped from the cut. Ignoring her gestures for him to stand back, he hurried over to her and lifted her onto the table.
“I’ve told you it isn’t a big deal,” she tried to explain again as he ripped a piece of cloth from his shirt. “And it certainly isn’t worth ruining a shirt.”
“Better my shirt than your lips,” he muttered as he dabbed the cut. He worked in silence for a minute and then lifted his eyes to meet her cautious gaze. “What?”
“Nothing, you’re just handsome when you concentrate on something.”
“Amber, I—” And then she was kissing him, her hand around his neck, pulling him against her. He tensed beneath her touch, but upon her persistence he finally gave in. With a growl he crushed his mouth closer against hers, but stopped when he felt her wince under the sudden pressure. He pulled away and saw her rubbing her swollen lip. His eyes clouded over with shame.
“Logan, it’s fine,” she promised as she reached for him, but he kept backing towards the door. “Stop!”
And then he was gone. She slid from the table with a frown and wondered why she was so fragile to him, and why it bothered her so much.
“Come with me.”
Amber looked up from the fishing nets she had been repairing. “Where are we going?”
“I can’t tell you. It will ruin the surprise,” Logan said. She tried to read his expression, but finding nothing in his smile, she stood and took his outstretched hand. “Don’t worry, I’m fairly certain you’ll enjoy this one,” he told her as he led her below deck and down again into the hold. He struck a match and barrels and crates became visible in the small fire’s glow. As he lit the wicks in two lanterns, Amber was struck by the size of the storage deck and the sheer amount of stuff inside it. He began weaving his way through the mountains of wooden containers purposefully.