The Black Star by Allan Deya (books for 9th graders txt) 📖

darling, think of it as oversight.” The man said.

“Oversight my…“ she begun but was cut off in mid protest.

“Watch your language young lady, especially where the captain is concerned.”

“Sorry captain.” She said and in a more demure voice continued, “Uncle J, you know it's my 13th birthday real soon right? And you said I could have whatever I wanted.”

“Yeah, yes I did. But I meant we would go steal it together.”

“But I don’t want to steal, I want to kill!” her voice was pleading now.


chapter TEN

Marian was in shock. She knew, and had heard that pirates were cold heartless bastards; but she had always assumed that was after years of hard living and mistreatment, just as she had always assumed that all pirates were male.

That child definitely did not meet that criteria just as did a good number of the rest of the crew; she had counted at least 17 women so far.

The captain knelt in front of the pouting child, took her by the shoulder “You will get your chance darling.”

“When?”

“The day we meet the demons who did it, you will draw first blood.”

Marian watched him make a cut on his palm with the dagger he still held and hold the bleeding hand out. The little girl looked at it and though her expression was still wary, she made a nick in her own little hand and took his in a firm shake.

“You have my word baby.”

They were supposed to be evil; they were the demons she had been warned about all her life. They embodied all that was wrong with the civilized world; they stood against all that was good and holy, yet Marian’s heart melted anyway when the little sobbing form folded into the man’s arms.

“But I still want to kill somebody. I’ve been practicing and everything.” her small voice said moments later.

“You won’t give that up will you?”

“Nope!”


chapter ELEVEN

“Okay then, choose one for yourself.”

“I want that one.”

And to Marian’s horror she was pointing at Jon whose look was as bewildered as her own.

“Choose another one darling, he…”

“No no no no. I want that him.” Gesturing wildly she continued, “He is the only one who is still conscious uncle J; the only one that I will fight fair and square”

Jonti looked at his first mate and could find no reason in the other man’s eyes to not grant the child’s request.

“Baby.” He said turning back to the girl. “After this you know you will have to grow up; in more ways than one.”

“I know uncle J.”

“After this day, you will no longer be a sea apprentice, you become a Sundance pirate; you get to join the crew.”

Brechin stood ramrod straight and puffed her chest out, “I have waited for this day all my life captain and I will not embarrass the Sundance legend.”

“B. Are you sure you are ready for this? There will be no coming back from what you are about to do.”

Her mind screamt yes, but her heart just wasn’t ready. She knew that the day would come when she would come across the people who had stolen her first life and on that day she believed her heart would show no mercy.

The others, that she would harm before then were simply tools for practice. Like every other Sundance pirate she would be expected to perfect a skill and master a weapon. Not only that but she needed to come up with a signature move.

Unlike weapons where people were grouped in squads and skills which required teamwork, signature moves were individual efforts and had to be original. They could not be taught or aped.

The only way to create a style was to do real battle. She knew that; understood it but her heart would not be still. Uncle J- the captain had advised her time and again to take her time growing up.

The name of the Sundancers carried a lot of weight and responsibility. They were the hope of a growing nation, the justice of a murdered people. ‘Donning that name means you forget yourself and live for the people.’ Jonti always said.


chapter TWELVE

Standing there sword in hand, staring down a man whose name she did not know; whose life story she had never heard, she started to feel the weight. Could she like the rest of the proud warriors of the sea take a life without remorse?

“It takes time to develop the sense of who to kill in a fight; it takes time and patience. Your emotions are still immature, your conscience underdeveloped. Your judgment will be clouded if you attempt this now.” Jonti told her as he moved out of her way.

It was a hard decision, one that more people than should have had made. He had watched them struggle with the choice, watched them either crumble under the pressure or emerge above it.

He judged neither one. Those that joined the army were welcome and would be welcomed to the sons of the sea with the same love and commitment that had seen them into the commune. Those that could not were allowed to join the royal guard.

Either way, family was family. Most of the crew had raised concerns that Brechin was too young to be a pirate apprentice and he had told each the same thing. ‘None of us have been through what that little girl has been through.

We do not allow her a chance to feel like it is possible for her to avenge that and she will lose her soul. This is the best way, the only way.’ Was Jonti's answer.

But now he was not so sure of his own wisdom. He could see the struggle within her, could feel it. And he knew it was more turbulent than many he had seen in his time as a pirate and before that as a thug. He was not sure he could take seeing her go through that.

Brechin felt his worry for her, felt all their worry for her and wanted to break down and cry. She wanted to be back in his arms or back at the village getting up to mischief; anywhere really, but here.

“Fight!” Someone shouted and the rest of the crew, the ones who had been left playing gin rummy in the lounge or been asleep below deck hassled to get to the SS Marina.

There was no turning back now, Brechin knew. She expected these people to have her back, the same people who by donning the black insignia of the Sundance pirates she vowed to defend with her very life; she could show no signs of hesitancy, of indecision.

That was a show of weakness and nobody wanted a crew mate they could not undoubtedly trust their survival with.

She tightened her grip on the blade and raised it just as Kamal had taught her; she spaced her legs and bent her knees. The sword was held at chest level with the tip pointing skyward. She drew her breath in and charged forward eyes narrowed.


chapter THIRTEEN

‘Shit’ Jon thought scrambling for his saber. The child was hardly past crawling and yet he could feel her killing intent from so far a distance. The sword stance s he used told him she was no amateur either; it was a technique he had seen only once on his world travels- in the land of silk and spice.

It was said to never need a second strike. He had seen it used once by a man who had been charged with the safety of the trade delegation from Narnia. The caravan had been attacked by bandits, 7 of them; the same number as the people in the caravan.

But by the time Jon's team drew their weapons and stepped out of the wheeled conveyance, the bandits lay dead at the feet of their guide. His stance had been as hers, and his eyes focused just as intensely.
There was no way he would win this battle. The little girl was obviously a prodigy and her courage in the attack as well as how she knew to not maintain a straight path of attack told him that she was well versed in the art of sword fighting.

At that moment the murderous spirits had been turned off and he could move with ease; well as much ease as the leg he had stabbed would allow. The battle was already skewed in her favour.

He also knew as sure as the sky was blue that by some miracle should he come out on top of the skirmish, he would not live long enough to marvel at his good fortune. Any one of those gathered there would take his life before he could seriously harm the girl.

She swung her blade down; he swung his upwards to meet the attack just as the guide had taught him. The force of her swing surprised him; causing the sword to swing all the way around.

She changed the angle of the blade for an upward slash; he brought his down for a vertical stab through her crown. She slid fast out of the way, changing the arm that held the blade as she did, so that the arc and power though reduced would still slay him.

Choosing to forgo a suicide strike, Jon let his sword continue on its course and parried her attack. They looked at each other for what could have been days, each acknowledging the other. Then she stood up and walked back to the one they called captain.

She picked up her sheath and slid the sword inside reaching for the spear by his side.

“Aw Come on B. This is boring.” Somebody said as she expertly handled the long shaft.

“We came to watch a battle, not an execution.”

She huffed and being the child she was, stomped her foot. “This is my duel, you stay out of it.”

“Taka is right B,” The captain told her from his perch. “You asked for a fair fight, so fight fair.”

“But he is so much bigger than I am.”

“And his spirit is broken and his body wounded.”

“But captain…”

“No buts little one; look at him.”

And he purposefully kept his tongue until she turned to her adversary. When she realized that nothing would happen until she complied, she reluctantly faced the man.

“He already thinks that we will jump in the minute he gets the upper hand; that has caused his fighting spirit to desert him.”

“But he stopped the jigen unc…”

“He did not stop it, how could he have? Look at his leg. It’s bleeding so much he can barely move it without flinching. His concentration is not in the battle; his body is merely reacting to your charge- looking to stay alive.”


chapter FOURTEEN

She looked at her opponent, really looked at him for the first time since she chose this fight. He was broken, his eyes were dull and his leg was indeed injured. The fact that he had been able to stop an attack so powerful and further block the follow up was commendable in itself. To do that in his state was nothing short of a miracle.

Jon could barely believe what he was hearing. They were pirates, they had no honour, knew