Pirate Princess

Chapter 11

We had finally stopped by a breathtakingly beautiful waterfall. Surprisingly, it is not covered in ice. It’s less than half a day’s ride to the Temple of the Fates. “So you befriended the Winter Wolves” asks Dyce?

“Yes, all animals love me because I protect them and treat them as equals.” I didn’t want him to know I talked to them. That is my special little secret. Nobody knows this about me, not even First Mate Bryan.

And with that, Mysteri jumps off of her horse, which I have discovered goes by the name of Magic. She runs with her dog to the tallest rock ledge of the water fall. What is she thinking? Oh my, she’s going to dive… As she is running towards the ledge, she lets out a soft whistle and all of a sudden I am thrown from the horse's back and land with a loud thump on my butt. Ow that hurts. What was all that about? She seems to have an uncanny ability to communicate with these beasts and them with her. Surely, though, that’s impossible. She catapulted off of the ledge and soon after, her dog did too. Magic is already splashing around in the water. Mysteri spears into the water perfectly without so much as a splash. The ring of water around where she entered had turned a dark murky brown. What’s that from, I wonder. I get my answer when Mysteri resurfaces and climbs on the back of her now wet horse. She is completely naked! Along the spine of her back is yet another tattoo. This one is a mixture of swirls that runs from the base of her skull all the way down to her tail bone. It is in the exact center of her back along her spine. The brown stuff that once covered her now naked body must have been some sort of mud that she used to blend in with the night. Wow, how very clever this woman is.

She turns the horse to shore and I get caught staring open-mouthed at her naked physique. Crap how embarrassing… She laughs. “Enjoying the view sir?” she asks with a twinkle in her eye. “Umm…what was the brown stuff you were covered in?” is all I think to say. “Animal dung” she says shyly.

“Here join me. In order to get granted an audience with the Fates, one must be cleansed in the waterfall foam.” And with that she reaches her hand down to pull me up onto the back of the horse. I take it. We head back into the water and under the pounding of the falls. I’m sitting behind her when all of a sudden she turns around and is facing me. Her hands grab the hem of my shirt and yank it over my head. Before I can stop her, they are untying my trousers. I grab her wrists and shake my head. She stops.

“Never been naked in front of a naked girl before?” she asks me with a knowing smile. She begins to run the sharp nail of her index finger up my torso, with only a light feather touch. It makes me shiver. I didn’t respond though to her question because I didn’t know what to say. I stare at the purple scar now forming across and between her breasts. It is healing nicely and I try my best to not stare at her firm round breasts that seem to be calling to my inner man.

“It’s from a whip. And this one on my knee is from a sword slicing through my ligament.” She continues to point out all of her scars and tells me the story behind each one. Eventually, I forget that she is totally naked and I am shirtless. Even with all of her scars, she is beautiful. I think the scars make her even more so. “You’re beautiful,” I told her. My voice is barely heard above the roaring of the waterfall. For a brief moment, I could feel her stiffen at my words, but it happened so quickly I can’t be sure if it truly happened or if I imagined it. She has quite a fascinating life as a Pirate. I need to find out more about her though in order to figure this whole prophecy mess out. “Come sir, it’s time for us to meet the Fates.” We got dressed and rode towards the Temple. Her uncharacteristic show of formality at calling me sir makes me wonder if she is indeed a little embarrassed by the thrilling stories she just willing shared with me about her life. Or if it is my fault for telling her she is beautiful.

The Temple is huge and totally covered in ice. Huge teeth like icicles surround the entrance. A giant Winter Wolf greets us at the door. “Hello, Mysteri and Dyce. The Fates are expecting you. Follow me please” says the giant wolf in a frigid voice. We follow him in and see the Fates standing at a spinning wheel. The Middle Fate is tall and thin and is very attractive. In her hands she holds a long string that is being spun along the spinning wheel. The Fate closest to the wheel is old and bent with age. She holds in her hands a pair of scissors that hovers a hair width away from the string spinning into the wheel. The Third Fate is childlike in appearance and is holding an orb. The orb has pictures that are flashing by so fast I can’t tell what they are about. “Mysteri…” says the child Fate. “You have come to hear of the prophecy…” uttered the Middle Fate. “That is surrounding your name…”said the old Fate.

They continue to speak in this fashion as they recite the prophecy to us. “She rides upon the dark and the light...” A misfit runs at her side as well…” It will take two to run this kingdom; one will balance out the other…” The sea and land must learn to rule as one…” Both fates balance on the edge of an arrows tip, if one falls, so shall the kingdom and the other…” The sea must help the land find her dark, while the land must teach the sea her light…” Dark forces monitor seas’ fate, she can feel their interference but she does not know it is them…” Her eye must see and her heart must be unlocked from where it remains chained…” She is of royal blood but also of a thief’s make, trained to be the most ruthless…” The other is also of royal line but lacks her rightful airs.”

“What does all this mean?” asks Mysteri. “I am master of my own fate. Nobody controls my destiny! I won’t stand for it.”

“Mysteri, you are destined for greatness…”

“Good or bad is to be determined by the path you choose to take…”

“The Gods are very much interested in your future…”

“Choose wise and choose true…”

“Unchain your heart…”

“To know what to do…”

It’s confusing listening to the Fates speak in this manner. And with that, the temple begins to rumble and shake. “Run!” Mysteri shouts. As we exit the Temple, we are confronted by an army of warlords. Their leader is a huge muscular man with jet black hair and dressed in black leather. “Ares!” says Mysteri with a sneer.

“Just who I was looking for,” said Ares God of War. “I don’t need this guy though.” With the snap of Ares fingers, Dyce disappears. “Where did you send him?” Mysteri asks.

“I sent him to Mount Olympus to be guarded over by Hades' three-headed dog. If you want him back, you must agree to be my War Queen. “

“And if I say no…”

Ares' face darkens as he says his reply, “Then you will have to rescue him on your own and fight off all of the Gods. We all know how your relationship with most of them is, so I would highly recommend against that.”

“Well, Ares, I am master of my fate and Captain of my soul. I am going to do things my way.” Magic and Cinder come charging from behind the Temple and, with one swift backflip, Mysteri is on Magic’s back and charging towards the sea. As I ride away, I turn and wink at Ares and say, “Your answer is no.” Then he disappears in a furry.