Open Wardrobes

Red ordered Jat to send the signal. It would alert their enemies that they needed reinforcements, but nothing else cold be done. In the meantime the pirates sought out a more fortified location. They found one just up the beach where some rocks rose up from the surrounding sand. They reached it just as the Ruined folk took their first few shots, but fortunately they did not have Red or Jat's aim. The pirates set up a defense as quickly as they could and it would be enough to do some damage to their enemies as they made their approach. Wherever they landed they would have to make their way across a good stretch of sand to reach the pirates. All of the pirate pistols had been reloaded and Red and Jat were prepared to demonstrate their skills again. But for the moment the Ruined folk made landfall further down the beach and remained there, deep in discussion. Red was more than happy to give them all the time they needed, for the longer they delayed the sooner they would have to deal with a fresh wave of pirates as well. Far from shore Red could see through her spyglass as her fleet began preparing another landing party, but it would take them many long minutes yet to arrive. And now the Ruined folk began their march towards the pirate stronghold.
Howl sat next to Red and Jat, ready to hand them the pistols again one by one. The others stood ready to help reload and to take on their enemies with their sabers. Red kept half an eye on Blackfoot, wondering if he would use this as an opportunity to strike her down, but reminded herself he would not act until doing so put the kingdom into his hands. For the moment at least he remained her ally.
When the Ruined folk came within range Red and Jat began firing again with deadly accuracy. Their enemies had nowhere to hide themselves and many cast themselves down into the sand, but that proved only to make Red and Jat's job all the easier. But they had only so many pistols among them, and once the barrage ceased, those of their enemies that remained began to charge. Howl, Jat and a few of the others hurried to reload. Red had saved one lat bullet and so picked off the man who dared run ahead of the others. That bought them a few moments as the rest tried to take cover again, but when no more bullets came they kept up their race. They attempted some shots of their own, but the pirates had the advantage of some real cover and simply ducked back behind the rocks.
Red and Jat only managed to let off a few more bullets before the enemy landing party reached them, then it became a battle mostly of swords. Red soon stabbed two who had saved their bullets and thought to fire at close range. The pirate king proved herself the faster. The better position gave the pirates advantage in the fight to start, but it still did not fully make up for their lack in numbers. Captain Longboot soon fell, as did one of Blackfoot's cronies, but each had first take out several of their enemies. Red and Jat fought back to back upon a rock with half a dozen men surrounding them. In the distance Red saw a few more boats make landing, and hoped they were indeed her own.
Soon the pirate force had been whittled down to a small but determined company. Red and Jat stood fast, though perhaps with a few new scars in the making, as did Howl and Captain Blackfoot (Red had secretly hoped this fight would at least rid her of that problem). The rest lay piled up with their fallen enemies, though still a good dozen or so of the latter remained. The situation had become more than desperate and Red decided it time to use her most secret of weapons.
The four pirates stood on the rocks as their enemies regrouped below and Red motioned for Jat to fall behind the other three. She did so and Red saw Blackfoot frown.
"Is there something you wish to say?" Red asked him quietly as they held their sabers towards the men below.
"Ye do as ye will," Blackfoot said simply and he kept his eyes either on her or his enemies ahead. That was all Red had wanted anyway.
As the Ruined men prepared to launch their next strike one suddenly fell dead, and though the spreading blood could clearly be seen from the wound, none of them could see from where the blow had come. It put the rest of his comrades in some confusion and Red led the two captains beside her down from the rocks and into their enemies midst. They slew several in the confusion and another fell strangely dead besides. The pirates now stood face to face with what remained of the enemy force, three to their nine, for Jat now was nowhere to be seen.
Red's eyes blazed with fury as she faced the leader of their foes. She had hoped to find Lemuel Drake among their number, but she did recognize any of those who had attacked her. The Ruined men before them look less certain than before in their numbers now, but did not back down. They paused to size up the pirates who remained and so lost another to their mysterious attacker. Their leader however had his wits about him enough to make a strike in his fallen friend's direction. They all heard a cry and saw fresh blood on the sand, but it still seemed to have no source. The lead man guessed now what was up and made to strike again near the bloody sand, but Red Foxx engaged him. Still outnumbered nearly three to one Howl and Blackfoot again joined the fray and before long the last handful of men had started running back to their ships. There they met the pirate reinforcements.
Their leader remained, now kneeling before Red Foxx at her mercy.
"From whom did you gain your intelligence?" she demanded of him, but he made no answer. She ran him through after a short time of such questioning, seeing little purpose in him as a prisoner. Jat then made her reappearance.
"Why Mate Jat!" Howl exclaimed as he helped her up. "Ye be but full of surprises!"
"Aye," Blackfoot growled and guessed more than he said.
Jat bore a heavy wound upon her sword arm which Red and Howl helped to bind. She had lost much blood already and would not fight anytime soon, but she would live. When the other pirates arrived Red ordered their fallen to be buried with appropriate markers. The bodies of their enemies they burned. Out to sea the Ruined fleet fell back, now that their surprise attack had failed, but they did not depart completely and remained on the edge of fire.
Red had lost five captains in the assault, plus some other men, and cursed her own foolishness for landing with such a small party.