Lesbian Pirates In the Gorgon Isles

"Deals change. Now deal with that."

Lee looked like she was about to say something else...but the rest of the crew surrounded her, and when Achillia put one gigantic hand on her shoulder her voice faltered.

Everyone else fell in behind Belit, all of them armed but careful not to show it, all of them poised for a fight but careful not to give it away.

Royal ambassadors didn't normally set sail from rat hole towns like this, in ships like that, with only a few soldiers "incognito" as bodyguard. But if what Lee said was true, this was no ordinary ambassador, and no ordinary voyage. They had reasons for avoiding notice.

The waterfront's muddy streets were thick with women, locals and foreigners alike, all coming and going and stinking of too many weeks at sea and of the grey waters of deadly little seaside burghs like this one. Rotten place to die, Belit thought.

She quickened her pace, scanning the crowd for a white cloak. Where was she, where was—

"There," she whispered. Achillia nodded. Then she said, "Why's she alone? What happened to the bodyguards?"

"Who cares? If she screams, knock her one. If she fights, knock her two." Nobody in a town like this would much notice a strange woman getting slapped around, as long as they made no more ruckus than that.

As they approached, Belit laid eyes for the first time on the woman Lee said was Larissa—the Empresses' own ambassador to the Gorgon Isles. She didn't look like much: plain, modestly dressed. She looked like a housemaid. Maybe that's how it is for rich women, Belit thought; they don't have to care if they impress anyone all the time. They're rich, and that's enough.

She gripped the hilt of her sword tighter.

Belit's plan was to make eye contact when they passed and then whisper, very succinctly, that the woman should come with them if she didn't want to get hurt. Then it was a matter of trusting that this ambassador had sense enough to be scared of a woman Achillia's size and just cooperate.

If she was smart, this could all be over quietly. If she wasn't...well, there were still nine of them, and it looked as if the ambassador wasn't even armed.

And then, just as Belit was steeling her nerves for it and about to give the order...Larissa broke and ran.

She ran—straight at them.

And as Belit stared, disbelieving, she went right up to Achillia and, in a hushed voice, said:

"Oh, thank the goddesses. Whoever you are and wherever you're going, take me with you. I'm a royal diplomat and I swear you'll be rewarded, but we've got to get out of here right now, and no questions. Please!"

Belit's jaw dropped. She might even have laughed, but she was simply too surprised.

Seeing everyone's faces, Larissa added, "A woman as big as you must be a fighter. Do you see those women searching the crowd? They're pirates. They killed my bodyguards and kidnapped me. I only just managed to give them the slip, but if they catch me again I'm done for. I'll do whatever you want if you help me, but we have to get out of here. Now!"

Snapping out of it, Belit took the ambassador's hand off of Achillia and then, as discretely as possible, yanked the white cloak off of the woman.

"You're in luck," she said. "Our ship is nearby. Come with us and I swear you'll be safe."

She tossed the cloak into some rubbish and the crew formed up around Larissa, hiding her from view as best they could. They started walking as casually as they all could. The ambassador whispered, "I can't thank you enough."

"I's our duty, as loyal subjects of the Empress. We can't have you falling into the hands of filthy pirates," Belit said.

Meanwhile, her mind raced with a million thoughts. So someone else had this same job planned—and right here in the same town. Who else could have known? Did Lee sell the secret to someone else first and not tell Belit?

No, impossible; she was untrustworthy, but not stupid. Who else could have known then? But there'd be time enough for questions like that later. For now, the important thing was getting back to the ship with their prize.

For a moment, she honestly thought they were going to get away without a scuffle. The Queen of the Black Coast was in sight, gangplank down and waiting, so close that Belit imagined she could already hear the sound of wind filling the canvas and feel the reassuring back and forth motion of the planks beneath her feet, that steady rhythm that always meant all was right with the world...

But then Belit heard a squawk of outrage and the sound of running footsteps on the boards of the dock. In one motion she turned around, drew her sword, and pushed the ambassador toward the ship with her other hand.

"Take her," she said. "Get her onboard. Not you!"

She caught Lee by the shoulder as the ex-librarian tried to follow up onto the deck of the Queen and dragged her back.

"But I can't!" said Lee. There were actually tears in her eyes as the sounds of pursuit closed in. "I don't want to fight anyone. I—"


That was as far as she got before the madness caught up, and the other crew, whoever they were, slammed right into the midst of everybody with swords drawn and already flying.

Belit's crew fell on them at once, and women in the crowd screamed and dived out of their way. For a few seconds the docks came alive the flashing of blades and the cries of a fight in every direction.

But it didn't last long. The enemy shortly realized they were outnumbered and, worse, that Achillia was nearly twice the size of any of them. Only one bothered to put up real resistance, a redhead with a scar across her neck, who cursed the others when they ran and waved her sword with such vigor that none of the Queen's crew wanted to get too close.

That was the problem with having the numbers in a fight; all of them together could easily overwhelm just one woman, and she'd have time for no more than to perhaps kill one of them in reprisal—but nobody wanted to risk being the one.

Wanting to sigh but careful not to, Belit raised her sword and stepped forward; being in charge carried certain obligations, after all.

Whoever the woman was, she fought twice as hard as her crew, and although Belit soon backed her into a corner she seemed to have no interest in giving up. For a second, Belit's sword locked with the other captain's, and they glared into each other's eyes. Belit's pulse quickened. This isn't how I die, she thought. I know how I'm going to die, and this isn't it. It can't be...it won't be!


She kicked the other woman's leg and, when her opponent started to slip, pulled her sword back and ran it into the her body down to the hilt.

The other captain expired with a gasp that never finished, a red stain on Belit's blade, and a look of dull surprise that faded almost immediately.

Belit stood panting over her downed foe. Then she looked around; one other woman from the enemy crew was dead, and the rest had run off. Nobody from the Queen was hurt, and nobody in the crowd either.

Now that the excitement was over, the waterfront was already returning to business as usual, a few women nearby commenting they were disappointed the fighting hadn't lasted longer.

Without letting the others see, Achillia helped wipe the blood from Belit's hands and sword. Belit hated having blood on her, even though it was a constant occupational hazard

"Anyone hurt?" she said, even though she already knew the answer. "No? All right, let's go, before they come back with more."

To her surprise, Le had not run off. The librarian was leaning against a post on the dock with a strange look on her face—shock, Belit saw, the look of a woman who had never seen death up close before.

Approaching, Belit pulled out a purse. "I guess even I can't say you didn't earn this," she said. "You're a filthy rat and this is blood money, but a deal's a deal. Spend it in health."

Belit held out the money. But Lee didn't take it. For a moment she stared. And when she tried to speak all that came out was :

"I...I..."

And she crumpled onto the dock.

Achillia tried to catch her but wasn't fast enough. One look was enough to tell that it didn't matter anyway; the wound was on Lee's leg, but it was deep, and it bled hard. She'd never had a chance.

Belit prodded the dead woman with her boot. When there was no response, she shrugged and put the purse back in her trouser pocket. Well, one less person who knew what they were up to. And one less expense.

Only Achillia looked doubtful. "Should we take her onboard?" she said. "Bury her at sea? She was one of us..."

"No she wasn't," said Belit. "Tough break for her, but she knew the risks. Let's go."

Belit was already walking away, but Achillia lingered still. It annoyed her, but rather than reprimand the big woman Belit stopped at the Queen's gangplank and turned back.

She trotted back to where Lee still lay, unblinking eyes staring at the pitch-black morning sky. Kneeling by her side, Belit reached out gently and....

Took her dagger back. Tucking it in her belt, she turned back to the ship again.

"Come on, ladies," she said. "This thing isn't going to sail itself."

***

II: The Hard Way

The seas were calm that night. Not much else was.

Naturally, it didn't take long for Larissa to figure out that she'd just traded one kidnapping for another. Belit tried to make her see the humor in the situation, but she proved an unreceptive audience.

After an unsuccessful attempt to secure a belaying pin as a weapon (Achillia nearly broke the other woman's wrist disarming her), Belit decided to send Larissa to the brig cell in the bilge, the one barely big enough to stand in, to give her time think about how she wanted the rest of her time on the Queen of the Black Coast to go.

The crew spent that first night and the next morning on high watch; that scuffle on the docks hadn't drawn too much attention, but it was possible someone could have tried following them anyway. The women of the enemy crew, whoever they'd been, might also rally and give chase in hopes of re-kidnapping the kidnapped ambassador, even without their captain.

But there was no sign of anyone. The rest of the next passed peaceably—fair wind, and clear skies. The only problem on board was that little Aurora was struck seasick again, and Belit had to assign two women in the crew to look after her. The pair—Rusila and Stikla, two sisters, one of them short and dark, the other tall and red-haired, but both with faces like foxes—were surly about it, but Belit warned them that if the girl was left alone for even a minute that they'd both be drawing lots to see which of them faced the plank that night.

Aurora was supposed to have free range of the ship, but Belit couldn't risk her falling over the side because she didn't have sea legs, especially as hungover as she was. Morgan, who was not ordered to look after the girl but spent time with her voluntarily anyway, tried to distract her from her sickness by teaching her knots. The things the debutante did with the rope would have gotten her keelhauled on some ships, but at least she was occupied.

The next day Belit ordered Larissa brought to her own cabin, and there they both were, alone for the time being, Belit lying on the bed and carving an apple with the same knife she'd given Lee two days before, eating it in sections. For a long time there was no noise except for the waves against the hull and her chewing.

"Want one?" she said after a while.

Larissa looked wet, wan, and bedraggled, but her stance was the same it had been back on shore: back straight, legs planted, resolute.

"This isn't necessary," she said. "You'd get as much as a reward for my rescue as you would for ransoming me. And no one will hang you for a rescue."

"No one's apt to hang me anyway," said Belit. "But since you've got something I want I can't be letting you go yet in either case. In fact, you've got a few things I want, from the look of you."

She hopped up from the bed and got close to Larissa, taking another apple from the table and putting it in the other woman's hand. Belit's cabin wasn't elaborate—she liked to be comfortable, but she wasn't some soft shorewoman who needed to be swaddled like a baby—but she always kept lots of food around.

Their faces weren't far apart. The diplomat looked at Belit with a combination of disgust and intrigue. "What are you trying to do?" she said.

"Show you that there's more than one way things can go on my ship," Belit said. "The last couple of days you got to know the hard way. Now here's the easy one: Kiss me."

"I'd sooner die."

"All right then," Belit said, and made as if to draw her sword. When she saw Larissa's eyes go wide she burst into laughter. "Tell me, what's the point acting the stuck-up bitch here? Nobody on the ship is going to be impressed, and nobody ashore is ever going to know."

While she talked she edged Larissa closer and closer to the bed, Belit pushing her playfully with both hands. The other woman backed up one step at a time but swiftly ran out of room. "This isn't going to work," she said.

"So that's your starting position. Let's negotiate," said Belit. "Meet me halfway and I'll make things easier for you. That's a fair offer, right?"

Larissa had bumped into the bed by now and had no choice but to either fall onto the mattress or stand her ground and let Belit encroach more and more on her space. The captain pressed against the other woman as hard as she could, grinding their bodies hip to hip.

"You've kidnapped me and now you think I'm going to bed with you?"

"Are you not? Then what are you doing here?"

"You ordered me brought here."

"Leave if you want, I won't stop you."

"What do you want?" Larissa said.

"Isn't that obvious?"

"What ELSE do you want?"

"Just to learn," Belit said.

She slid her hands around the other woman's waist, cupping her rear through the seat of her trousers. Now that she was close, Belit somewhat regretted her hasty judgment the previous night about the diplomat's looks. Underneath her unassuming clothing she appeared to possess quite a dynamic set of curves.

Belit expected her to smell stupidly perfumed, as rich women did, but instead Larissa's scent was the same as any woman who spent a lot of time on the road and at sea. She pressed her lips to her neck. Larissa stuttered. 

"I...I...learn what?"

"A little trivia. Tell me what you know about the Gorgon Isles?"

Belit gave the ambassador credit, her face didn't give anything away. Without batting an eye she just said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Kissing Larissa's neck again, Belit's lips parted and her tongue danced on bare skin. Larissa breathed in deep.

"Even if I did, you certainly couldn't convince me to talk by doing this..." she continued.

"Then there's no harm in letting me try, is there?" Belit said. And with only a little effort she sent Larissa toppling onto the bed.

Too easy, the captain thought, as she climbed on top and held Larissa down. The diplomat squirmed but didn't really struggle, and she made sure that Belit felt all the right curves as she put up what little resistance she did.

Rich women were predictable. They always said "How dare you?" but then give them the chance to just say no and walk away and they never do it.

Larissa's manicured nails pressed into Belit's forearms, her white fingers contrasting sharply with the captain's hard, tanned skin. Belit pulled at Larissa's clothes, tugging it down and off, sending a few buttons rolling for good measure. Underneath, the ambassador was all buxom breasts, plump white thighs and calves, and peaches and cream skin. She looked like one of those nude paintings that hang in noblewomen's houses.

She was already panting, looking up at Belit through long hair that spilled down over half of her face. Belit licked her lips and—

The door to the cabin opened. "Captain, I—oh!"

It was Aurora. Nobody else would have barged right in—and if anybody else had, Belit would have ordered her tied to the yardarm.

In this case the captain did nothing—which meant she didn't stop anything that was going on in the bed either. She heard the debutante's strained, squirming silence for a few seconds before the girl finally blurted, "Excuse me!" and slammed the door.

That was lucky. For a second Belit had been afraid she wanted to stay and watch.

Larissa had round, pink nipples that proved extremely sensitive to even the smallest touch. Belit took to pinching them until the tips were hard and pebbled, then finally twisting as hard as she could once a fine flush had spread over the other woman's breasts. It sent Larissa into twisted, helpless spasms that the captain found incredibly amusing.

Eventually the ambassador's luscious breasts ended up crushed against her own as they rolled over each other, kisses growing hotter and more furious. The sweat of their bodies dappled the sheets and the mattress. Some sailors said you should never fuck in a cabin at sea because you won't be able to get the smell out for the entire voyage. Belit didn't care. She liked it.

Larissa ended up bent over with her hands against the headboard and her knees parted while Belit slid underneath her from behind, gripping her beautiful ass in strong hands while she arched her neck and lapped at the other woman's pink pussy.

That's right, Belit thought, let's give you everything you want. I'll be getting everything out of you once we're finished so fair's fair. She stuck her tongue in and swirled the tip around until she could taste it in every part of her mouth.

Larissa was biting her lip as hard as she could to keep quiet. It didn't' work, and eventually she broke out with a long "Ohhhh, goddess." The look on her face clearly indicated that she wasn't happy at not being able to hold it in. She leaned back, sitting upright on Belit's face, her thick thighs bouncing up and down a little as she raked her fingers through the long, dark curls of her own hair.

"It's positively indecent the way you do that..." she said.

"What's wrong?" Belit said, slipping out and sitting up. "Do the whores in the Empresses' palaces not do it right?"

Larissa sat up a little straighter. "There are no—whores—in any of the palaces."

"There ought to be. If I were as rich as the Empress I'd fill room after room with them. Someday I will."

The other woman blushed and bristled at the same time. "You...commoner."

She tried to stand but Belit held her down again. This time she did thrash a little bit more, but all she managed to do was make herself sweatier and more blushing. She reminded Belit of a ripe apple.

Larissa stuck her chin out. "If that's how you are, you're welcome to them. Pay every woman in every port."

"I could pay you," said Belit. "How much do you think you're worth?"

"Get off me."

"It might be a lot."

"I'd think cheap ones are your type."

"You'd be right. I was a cheap whore once. That's how I got the Queen of the Black Coast; her old captain was so fond of me that she brought me on as part of the crew so that she could have me around between ports. I learned everything about this ship, and now she's mine. And if I said the word any woman onboard would hang you from the main mast. So if a cheap whore has all the power and you don't have anything, then what does that make you?"

Larissa said nothing, freezing in place and tensing up like a cornered animal. Belit grinned, then let go of her.

"But of course, I won't do that. Like I said, I wanted to show you how good things can be when you and I get along. Now that you've seen, I don't suppose you feel like just doing things the easy way and telling me what I want?"

Larissa rolled over. "Turn this ship around and take me to Themiscyra and I'll promise you gold. But that's all you're getting."