Buying Banner

There were now too many people on my boards, I had neither food nor water for this many. We were still far from any place we could provision, and here there was no protection. It was one of the young officers from the empire Ship who beseeched me as I prepared to overhaul my best friend's ship and kill his crew. The figure was a boy, but already an officer. He had stripped the dragon from his sleeve and his stripes from his shoulder, watching them fall into the murky water below before he turned to address me. His manner belied formal training. "Lord Captain, I have been told that you are a deep water man, and one not willing to kill your own, which is why I come to you. Your boards are overloaded, and I know you plan to overhaul this other set of boards and bring her down." He gestured to Marek's ship. "And that they are tied to you by friendship and by blood." He paused a moment to give me a chance to speak. "But why damn such boards to the deeps? Perhaps, and if this is not so, I will understand, not even being pledged to the Banner, but perhaps. Perhaps, you would deem it fit, if we should vote to hang bones, that we might raise banner over these boards and save you from having to kill your own men. Further, we would then follow you to where you must go." "You would hang banner with us?" What he said amounted to blood treason. The only thing he could expect from the Empire after that was the sharp edge of a blade, or the noose. "Those of us pulled from the waves have no love of dragon banners, nor do we have boards of our own, most of ours having been brought to blades in these very shallows, and we told that the same fate awaited us once you were brought to blades. But we ask that if it may not be, that you make our passings clean and swift and remember us as deep water men." "What manner of men are you that I should send you on?" I had to know why they had asked such a thing. "What have you done that I should treat you so?" He laughed, smiled and turned to face me with a little bit of a bow. "We are men sworn against our will to boards that planned to bring you and yours to ruin. And for that we expect deep water justice. But we hope that you would hear our plea that we might stand with those who pulled us from the waters and fight against those who killed our kin. Or, barring that, we might join them swiftly." "Deep water vengeance then?" "We would hang bones and hang as traitors than ever hail Empire as master again. We are men and mistic men, brought against our will from our own boards and lands, what is more, we can tell you what the plan of Empire is and why it is they hate your boards so, but our time runs short." "If you can take the boards you can keep them." I couldn't actually order it since they were not yet 'men of bones' they had not killed under that flag. They had not raised bones over any ship. They would raise bones, or die. That really was a good solution, one that would allow me to save face and not have to kill fellow pirates. And this one act of treason would buy them the black flag. "If you can convince them, they must strip dragon, and run with you. They may choose a captain later, but you spoke it, you must Lay to. I cannot order them, for they are sworn to other boards." The young man nodded. He walked over to the others he had been speaking with, and conversed in what I gathered to be a language they had created from Helatin, Thalgir and Illis, it sounded enough like them that it wouldn't raise the Empire's suspicion, but it was totally unintelligible. The night was warm and many of the men had already altered their Empire jackets, cutting off the sleeves to let them breathe better. Most had also stripped their heavy shirts the Empire made them wear. Two of the others, one a large Dark-skinned man, possibly a Mainlander, and a short, wiry kid with dark eyes faded off into the crew. It was shortly after that that it was made known to the boy that they would take the deal. A few complained, but would not go back to Empire. "Let our friends board, give them weapons and back them up, but if they choose to take the ship, it is theirs to keep. If they live they are our brothers, if they die, we remember them as Pirates." I turned to Coram. "Be mindful of the child." "Aye," He smiled grimly. "My eyes will be watching my blade will be ready." I nodded before I turned back to the young man who was going to try to take over Marek's ship. "Do you have a name boy?" "They call me Corin." "Then Corin, I pray that the winds are with you, and that the crew goes easy." "As do I." And then we closed on the other ship. I didn't bother to take note of its name. It would change soon enough. Corin and his men gathered on the fighting deck, Corin shouting orders in three different tongues, man, dragon and lycan. And the men gathered themselves. Spiked planks were loaded into position for boarding and Corin stood, rags torn from his empire cloak wrapped around the guard of his sword to keep the grip from becoming slippery. And as he held it, for a moment, I knew that Marek's words were true, for the weapon was almost identical to the one Marek had used to defend his life. Most of Corin's men wore only the modified jackets, he kept his cloak so that his men could pick him out among the melee. Corin smiled and whistled, chattering in Illis to some of the men, and with no warning, the battle was started. The first of the men boarded Marek's ship before we even had a chance to drop the planks. Instead the archers, who were skilled marksmen and good climbers, threw themselves into the rigging of the other ship and began to rain down arrows upon the crew. They knew what Marek's men soon found out, it is very difficult to concentrate on the frontal attack when you have archers above you raining down arrows. It surprised me how short the fight was, but in short order I saw the black flag descend, and a new flag of bones ascend in its place. The captain of the ship was wrapped lovingly in the black banner before we gave him to the deeps, it was the least we could do. That way he could command his crew on the roads to the Far-remembered lands. And with him, we commended Marek to the deeps under his shore-bound name. With our business concluded we set sail for Darkwater Cove, the only place safe for us to heal our hurts, and make repairs. For here, men-of bones were esteemed above all else. Finally, I was able to give the command I had been waiting for, the one that set me indelibly on this course. "Strike waves, Hoist Bones." We were committed now, there was no returning. "Strike up, Sing Hoist the Colors, let our enemies hear that we are unafraid, and we are alive." I stood in the bow rigging, singing loudly with the rest of my crew. And for the first time in a very long time, I actually smiled as I sang Hoist the colors. For I knew, this was where I was supposed to be. Whatever this war was, whatever they held against my blood. This was the place they could not touch me. I was here, with my men. And maybe Doma was right, maybe I WAS king of pirates.