The battle broke out immediately once they'd landed on the deck of the Devil's Orifice. Lashing out with their weapons against their adversaries, Gráinne and her crew hoped to strike whomever they could, and the only sound to be heard was the metallic colliding of swords.
Donal had charged with such haste and such force that he'd caught Bellingham's leg with his sword, slightly south of where he'd intended to strike him, but the pain was enough to cause Bellingham to fall backward from the wheel. He maintained his grip on Cathleen however, as he clutched tightly onto her arm.
"Leave her alone!" Donal shouted.
"Or you'll do what?" Bellingham mocked.
"Or you'll answer to me!"
"Miss Gráinne!" Cathleen called.
Grace arrived with her sword brandished in one hand, her other hand poised to steady herself. She knew Bellingham was not going to back down. Grace lunged at her foe. Bellingham forgot that he was holding onto Cathleen and brought his own sword forward as they began their volley. Donal wasted no time in pulling his sister away. As Grace and Bellingham began to battle, he moved her to a safer place.
Then he shifted his attention back to what was happening on the deck. Donal knew where he was heading. He had no time to waste.
Thunder rumbled in the distance as he sliced his sword through the rain, aiming for Bellingham's side. But he misjudged the distance, missing Bellingham entirely. However, he did hit Bellingham's sword, the weapon flying out of his hand and across the deck. Without it, he was unarmed and unable to fight.
This was Grace's chance. Her heart raced as she stared into Bellingham's eyes.
"Why don't you just step aside?" Bellingham offered Grace, as if it were kind of him to call an end to the fight. There was an obvious panic in his voice that he was unable to hide.
"Not a chance, Captain." She wasn't prepared to let him go.
"Then perhaps you will at least allow me to get down on my hands and knees to say one last prayer..." He moved slowly toward the deck, his eyes fixed on his sword.
Donal leaned forward and grabbed his collar, pulling him back to his feet as Cathleen grabbed Bellingham's sword and pointed it at him.
Grace knew that this was her chance. The sword felt weightless and natural in her hand. She lunged forward, as if a force previously unknown to her was directing her every movement.
And then she stopped.
Bellingham was panting now, his eyes full of the unknown. With their captain kneeling on the ground, his crew stared in disbelief. Grace held firmly onto her sword, then lowered it and turned away from the fallen pirate. She made her way to the edge, ready to cross back over to the Pirate Queen. "We shall not be defeated!" she shouted, and a cheer was raised by her crew.
Once all were accounted for and back on board the Pirate Queen, Grace made for the helm. A few of her own men were bleeding, and one had taken a nasty gash to the face, which he was currently trying to clean with rain water. Most important though, was that they were all still able to continue with the journey.
Donal joined her on the bridge as the sound of Cearney's flageolet eased the tension of the bygone battle. The melody this time was not gay but mournful, and there was no chatter or merry singing; everyone was weakened and weary. After a time, Cathleen joined the captain and her brother in the wheelhouse. "Miss Gráinne ," she asked, "why did you spare Captain Bellingham? Certainly, he did not deserve your mercy!" Grace stared out to sea, both hands resting on the wheel. "Courage does not reside in the sword, Cathleen, but in the knowledge of knowing when to use it."
They had triumphed over the Devil's Orifice, but there was a force much more powerful that they still had to reach before they would be able to save Tibbott.
They still had to face Queen Elizabeth.