The Depths of Despair

Pirate fun with a slight twist for a contest... A change of pace, something less long term with immediate gratification.

 

Strutting across the deck, I smiled under the forceful gusts of wind. This was life, this was. Yo ho, yo ho...this was the life for me. My grin broadened.

“Hoy!” I called to the woman at the wheel. Striding over to her, I brushed my fingers across her brown skin. It was darker than my own by a shade or two, and her hair was knottier; thick and dark. Attractive, she was. And she knew I thought so. Clever woman...it wouldn’t be long before she sought a promotion. Ah...honest labour. “You see that ship, there, see?” I whispered in her ear, my nose tickled by the gold rings lining her ear.

“Mm.” She nodded imperceptibly.

“That’s our heading.” Liza. I’m coming...

She whirled around, eyes narrowed. “You mus’ think me daft! Or be mad yerself to think o’ takin’ that.”

“Don’ be callin’ me daft, my beauty. I like you, but not if you do be insultin’ me intelligence. I have some business to do there, you’ll be steerin’ me there.” I leaned in again. “And you can see me in me cabin af’er dark.”

 

They giggled as they rolled around under the bedding. The sun was peeking in; it was earlier than they had thought. Or...later.

“Liza!” the darker girl hissed. “Stop!” The blonde woman’s fingers dug mercilessly into the tan woman’s sides. It was a change from where they had been previously, that’s for certain. But it still had the same result—“Liza!” she screamed again.

“Shh! The other maids might hear,” Liza laughed. “Abigail...how did you even get here? I still have no idea.”

“You know exactly how. I charmed my way into your services.”

“Cheeky little woman. A beggar girl, in my services? What would you do for me?” Liza curled up in the crook of Abigail’s shoulder and burrowed into her warmth. Abigail brushed her fingers against the pale shoulder and the blonde-brown hair.

“I would follow you about, my lady,” Abigail said, imitating briefly the upper-class lilt before sliding back into her common speech. “Right proper fing for a lady what’s waitin’ on you.”

“Mm. I love it when you talk with that foul mouth of yours.”

“Aye, I know’t. An’ you like when I do ovver fings wiv it as well.” Abigail pinched the pale shoulder as Liza squealed in disbelief at the beggar girl’s audacity. “Of course, them things is why you decided to keep me on...you found out I have ovver services to give.”

“Such talk belongs in a tavern, young lady. Or Tortuga.” She sat up and batted the other woman with a pillow before kissing her softly on the mouth.

 

“Liza,” I whispered as our lips separated.

The woman beneath me widened her eyes and stared in confusion for a moment before rolling me over.

“I’m not her, Captain Gale,” she said softly. Her dark skin shone by the moonbeam streaking through a porthole. It took me a moment before I realised what she was saying. And what I had said.

“Ah. Forgive me, Nami. I did not...” I could feel my face heating, and if it had been any brighter, she might have seen my blush.

Nami shook her dark head. “You cry for some ‘un.. That is good. Keep crying.” She brushed her fingers against my cheek and kissed my forehead before getting up. Wrapping herself in her clothes, she glided out like a shadow.

I rolled over onto my shoulder and stared at the wood around me. After a moment, I shifted to the porthole and peered out. The ship was still there. It must be have been waiting for us, or the distance wouldn’t have closed so quick. From my little hole in the boat, I could see their mainsails were folded tightly, only the smaller ones hanging slack in the still air.

Not a word, all this time.

I’d been following her for months, and now, finally....

 

“You know, Liza, I noticed somewhat. I ain’ the only one yeh gots followin’ yeh,” Abigail said, craning her neck back to look behind them. Arm in arm with Liza as if they were lady friends out on a lovely stroll—which they were, of course—they chatted of the important things in life. Lovers, money, gossip.

“Of course I don’t. There aren’t that many people here at Port Royal at all! Let alone more to pay heed to my passing.”

“Oh, such false modesty, your pa mus’ be righ’ proud of yeh. There’s plenty o’ lads af’er you. Stupid git in the navy what’s one. He been eyein’ you up for quite a bit. Prolly a right stretch longer ‘an I have.”

“Well, there is one I can think of...Wilhelm or some such. I think he’s a tradesman.”

“Will-helm? Who in blazes...? Oh! You don’t mean...tall and lanky lookin’ wiv big brown eyes what would melt yer soul into yer knickers?”

“I wouldn’t describe him exactly so, but—”

“Aye, tha’s him, then! Billy the Blacksmif is af’er you, Liza! An’ if I didn’t know better, I’d say you fancy ‘im right back!”

“Of course I don’t, Abigail. It’s all just in fun.”

“Oh, I like fun. Fun is good.” Abigail turned her head to catch Liza’s eye. Staring intimately, she asked, “Are we just in fun, Liza?”

Lips parted, gaze intense, Liza answered, “No, Abigail. I don’t think we are. I love you.”

Abigail nodded, content, and turned back to the road. “You know, I stole a sword from li’l Billy. Still gots it, I have, tucked away somewhere.”

 

I fingered the sword at my belt. It was nice still, had survived the years. A beautiful sabre. Quality enough for a member of the King’s Own. There was a real beauty what actually had gone to some chap in the navy...now she was a beauty. But mine had served me well in more than a few campaigns. It would serve me well again.

The sun was shining again, but this time, I wasn’t smiling. Neither was my crew. I could hear them whispering. “Pirate King” they said. “Crazy” they said. That was fine. As long as mutiny wasn’t whispered, I was fine.

“Hoy!” I yelled. “Hold! Leave the bloody sails where they are! We won’t move in until I say!” The women all stared at me quizzically, but obeyed. The other ship was close enough. If things went well, there would be no reason to get closer. If they went poorly...maybe it would be better to be farther away.

Nami was staring at me, she alone not whispering. I beckoned her over with a nod.

“I need to go o’er there. If I don’t come back, you have the charge. If I do come back...be prepared to leave or to attack. Can you do this for me?”

She narrowed her eyes. “This do be folly, Captain. You can’ well expect us to survive a fight against the Pirate King.”

I turned away from her and looked over the railing and across the sea. “If it comes to fighting, I mayn’t want to survive,” I murmured.

I went back to my cabin and poured myself a wooden cup of rum to brace myself. I stared at the liquid before tossing it down my throat. I could see a tiny version of myself in its contents, swirling about. My cheeks were harder than they had been. Life was hard on the sea, about as hard as it was on the streets. At least this way, I knew where my next meal was coming from—whatever ship I felt like taking it from. Taking a deep breath, I swallowed it down, enjoying the sweet taste as it burned down my throat and sat warmly in my stomach.

I marched back on deck. I nodded to Nami once and she nodded back. The other women of the crew stared after me, but that was fine. I grabbed a loose line tied up above. Simple enough, I had done it plenty of times before. Shimmying up the rigging, I got high enough so that I would have the momentum to reach the other boat and not end up as food for the fishes.

I kicked off, and swung. When I was over the other ships deck, I let go and relaxed my body for the fall.

It would have hurt even more if I didn’t land on the men in my way, but, as it was, the brunt of my fall was absorbed. Grunting, they shoved me off onto the deck even as the other sailors—if you could call them that—clamoured to point swords at me.

Not unexpected. They leered at me as if I was somewhat unnatural, this beggar pirate. No hat, my tangled hair blew in the wind, short and brown at my shoulders, my tan skin dirty and leathered as theirs from a life on the sea. But I was certainly better dressed than they were. Leastwise, I had boots.

I held my hands up slowly and whispered the magic word.

“Parlay.”

“What is it? What’s going on on my ship?”

My stomach clenched. I hadn’t heard that voice in ages. I turned around and saw her as her crew parted. Every bit as beautiful as she was years before. Even more so, with the sea’s beauty bestowed on her: her sun-bleached hair braided under an eastern style hat, her cheeks ruddy and wind-smoothed. She wore breeches and a blouse with a blue vest and looked every inch like she belonged on this boat.

She stared at me, frowning. “Who are you? You were following us. What do you want?”

“Liza,” I whispered, my mouth suddenly dry.

Her eyebrows rose and her jaw went slack as she slowly began to recognise me. “Abigail?” she said incredulously.

My jaw hardened. “Just Gale now.” As if to emphasise my point, a mighty burst of the wind for which I had renamed myself swept across the deck. The smaller sails billowed like thunder above us.

Narrowing her eyes, she said, “Come with me.”

Her crew grumbled but let me go unmolested. I followed her into what I presumed was her cabin. It was cosy, about the size of mine, in fact. It was reassuring to know that I was doing about as well as the Pirate King.

She closed the door behind her. I could see her take a big breath in and let it out through her nose as her thin mouth tightened even more.

“You’re Gale?” she rounded on me. “You’re the bloody pirate who’s been terrorising this area with a crew of women as bloody and ruthless as the men they mock?” She had started pacing around me, stopping to touch something or other and then starting off again.

“Ah. That’s rather harsh, Liza. You seem to have found some profit in pirating. And you started out even better off than I was.” I glared at her. “I’m just a beggar girl turned pirate. You...oh you were something or other, certainly with a lot more bloody money than I ever had.”

She stopped and stared at me, mouth agape. “Abigail...you can....” But I didn’t let her finish. It had been too long and I had wanted to say these words for years. The eloquence to say them well was just extra loot to be had.

“You just bloody left me out, Liza! Not a bloody word and I even wrote to you!” I couldn’t help that my voice had risen or that it sounded more like I was begging her.

“You don’t know how to write!” she countered. She didn’t look happy; I could see her bottom lip quiver slightly as she shook her head. Even her eyes shone, as if she truly felt some shred of remorse for what had happened.

“I learned, Liza! I bloody learned! I wanted to find you...you just disappeared. I might even have let you go, but you told me...” To my chagrin, I faltered here. I could feel the burn in my nose and in the corner of my eyes. She had stopped pacing and stood next to a small table in front of me. “You told me you loved me, Liza.”

She flinched away as if I had raised a hand at her, but my fists stayed clinched at my sides, the nails digging in my palms as tears leaked from the corners of my eyes.

“You don’t know what it was like. My father—”

“Your father! Of course. Your father.”

“Abigail, I had no choice!” She strode over to me, and whispered fiercely, “I couldn’t keep—I just couldn’t!”

I shook my head, glaring at her as the hatred from the first years without her returned. “Your father never liked me. Thought you should have better classed servants. Well am I bloody better now? Do you think I can speak well enough to help you bloody dress and make your damned bed?”

“Abigail, don’t—”

I kissed her. I crushed her against me and pressed my lips against hers. She struggled, though. I held on for a moment before letting her go. She still felt so warm...but there had been no indecision. I felt the rum in my stomach rebel, and this time it was I who turned away.

Then there was a knock on the cabin door and a high pitched voice from without.

“Come in,” Liza said. I turned away from the door so that I could hide my face as I wiped the tears away.

“Mummy! Mum, what’s that other boat for, mummy?”

I fought to keep my jaw tight but I could feel my chest tightening. Breathing was suddenly too difficult and I fought to keep from wheezing it out. I ended up coughing instead, coughing so hard it brought even more tears to my eyes as I doubled over.

“Love, why don’t you go back out and have one of the men take you up to the crow’s nest. Maybe he’ll let you look at the other ship from there.”

I turned and saw him before he walked out. Beautiful boy who looked about ten or so.

“Oh, God,” I whispered, bracing myself, leaning with my hands against the wall of the cabin. “Elizabeth.”

“Abigail...”

I couldn’t stand the pity in her voice. I rounded at her, teeth bared and glaring.

“Who is his father?”

She remained silent, shaking her head. “Who. Is. His. Father!” I said through gritted teeth. She didn’t say anything again, but I caught the glance she gave to my swordbelt.

“No!” I cried. “Please tell me it—No!” I turned away again, grabbing fistfuls of my hair, and hit my head against the wall. I did it again and again, and would keep doing it until all of this made sense.

“Abigail, stop it!” Her hand was on my shoulder, yanking me around. There was a strength in her hands now, as if she had been working. A pirate’s life could do that to a person.

I glared at her with baleful eyes. “The bloody blacksmith?  Billy the bloody blacksmith?” I shook my head. “You said he was just in fun,” I whispered plaintively. Suddenly, the wind was torn from my sails. There was no longer a point to argue.

I stood up straight and brushed her hands off of my shoulders. I walked past her and headed toward the door of the cabin.

“Will Turner is a good man, Abigail. I love him.”

I snorted and turned my head slowly back to her. “Well I hope that, for his sake, you don’t love him as much as you loved me.” And I left her.

No one stopped me as I walked listlessly to the railing. I whistled to Nami. She would bring my ship closer and I would jump aboard. I stared at the water around the ships as I waited. A gray mass of churning water. I couldn’t feel the chill from the wind anymore. I didn’t even feel nauseous. I just felt...empty. By the time my ship had pulled close enough, there were deep crescent shaped gouges in the railing’s wood.

Without another look behind me, I stood on the rail and jumped over. I wasn’t sure if I was happy or disappointed when I felt my own deck beneath me.

“Nami.” She came over. In my black mood, she knew not to tarry. “Attack them. Take their ship. I want everyone on our ship on that one. Do you understand?”

Her eyes widened. “That is—”

“Do it or I’ll kill you myself as you stand here.” I inched my sabre out of its sheath. She swallowed and nodded. Perhaps a temper was a good ally. I was glad she called my bluff, because I couldn’t stand touching the disgusting thing at my hip that he had made. Just the thought of it had me wanting to heave over the railing.

I walked quickly back to my cabin while Nami readied the crew. I had rum left. A few bottles, in fact. Wonderful. I took one and threw it against a wall. I threw another at the other wall. The last one was opened. I took a swig first and let it burn down. Then I began to shake it out over all of my things, the bed, the small table, the papers, the maps....

I grabbed a lamp and some of the spare oil and went back above deck. Clever Nami. She had sailed the ship slightly farther away. But all hands had been committed to the effort. I hoped Nami would be clever enough to stop when they saw it was hopeless.

I put the lamp down and walked across the deck, emptying the oilskins. When they were completely deflated, I tossed them down and went back to the lamp. I lifted it up and took a deep breath. There were pounding feet on my ship. I looked up and saw men from Elizabeth’s crew. They stared in confusion, wondering if I had truly been idiotic enough to leave no one to defend my ship. And then they saw me.

I tried to light the lamp. Maybe they wouldn’t be stupid and would get back to their own ship. The wick flickered as a spark jumped near it. Again—

“Argh!” was all the man could get out as I carelessly aimed a kick at his midsection.

There. The flame.

Taking the lamp to the railing facing the boat of the Pirate King, I took off my swordbelt. I took the sword by the hilt and flung it as hard as I could to the other boat. I wanted nothing to do with it anymore.

Nami saw me and looked at me with a horror in her eyes that almost halted me.

Almost. I turned and threw the lamp. The blaze was almost instantaneous.

All there was for me to do now was decide...by fire or by the depths?

 

 

Author's Note

Konstruktive kriticism welcome. This is definitely more of an exercise in writing than a serious project, so please tell me what you think.