Age 21
Log 10: A New First Mate
I left Tortuga shortly after Jack and the Pearl set sail (his crew mentioned something about the Isla de Muerta…), planning just to rape, pillage, and plunder. But on one of these little attacks, I found myself face to face with what I intended to be a prisoner, but turned out to be the younger of Rosy's two younger siblings, Marissa.
We'd been on our second week out to sea when Beth spotted a sloop named Lilly Flower and flying merchant flags. I gave the order to overtake the small vessel, hoping some small gain would come from it. We were flying our own fake flags, using the old technique of faking our innocence and hoisting our true colors at the last second, making our intentions clear all too late. My usual first mate not being present since she insisted she going on Rosy's ship, my girl and second mate Ellen took her place. She stalked the ship and gave commands, working the girls to achieve victory nearly every time, but she wasn't Sage and she was only a temporary replacement.
We overtook the Lilly in little time, planning only to ransack it and be on our way. Instead, they blasted a few cannons at us and I decided then I'd take a few prisoners and destroy the small vessel. We fired a few grape shots and cannons and watched the crew go into panic, rejoicing in the pandemonium it caused. I gave the order and my flag rose up to replace the merchant flags and I felt my heart swell with pride in my ship.
A great, grinning skull was set upon a black background, a red rose blooming in its left eye. Two more roses, much larger in size, were on its left behind it slightly, where two more were barely in front of the skull on its right. On top of the skull sat a beautiful white crown the shape of the ceremonial King of England's. Two sabers, one going through its right eye and the other crossing behind the skull bore the same ceremonial piece as if two other crowns were attached to their tops. To finish the picture, under the skull was a scroll that read "Lady Luck" across it, the only name any ship I ever owned and used as my flagship would ever bare. I couldn't resist the temptation to laugh, pride filling me as my flag waved and forewarned the crew of the Lilly their doom.
I held up my sword and slashed it down, giving the command to board the tiny ship, intending to scout it out before decimating it completely. A few women swung their grapples and flung them to bring the two ships closer together, where a few others prepared my own personal boardwalk. My cannons quickly ceased fire when the enemy crew flew the white flag.
A bright blonde woman stepped up and called out to us, "We yield to ya! Just take what ya want and let us pass!" I stepped up to the railing of my ship.
"Then let us aboard!" I yelled back with the mocking laugh of my crew in the background. The person crossed their arms, obviously angry. They turned and snapped something at someone as my girls slid the boardwalk across. I stepped up and kept a hand on sword, unsure of how they'd react to my presence and my crew's. As soon as I jumped off the walkway, I sized up my captives. "Where is your captain?" I demanded from the small crowd in front of me.
"That way, Miss," a boy said, pointing to the helm. A young woman lazily leaned against the railing in front, a tricorn sitting a top her mane of bright blonde hair and nearly gave me a heart attack. She was the same in hair color with straighter appearance; her nose the same petite size; this girl's neck was long an elegant just like hers; her eyes were the same in shape and almost exactly the same blue shade; even her size was almost exactly the same. From the tip of her tricorn to the heel of her boot, this young woman was a near perfect replica with only slightly rougher features and broader build as my best friend and Co-captain Rosalyn James, family origin of Turner.
"Well I'll be damned to hell thrice-over," I muttered. I glided over and up the stair to this girl, the obvious captain, with her ever watchful gaze piercing me just like Rosy's. It was really unnerving actually.
"Hey, you happen to have a family name of 'Turner'?" I asked abruptly instead of making any demands or ultimatums. Her hard gaze so like Rosy's and even almost identical to Will's twitched to one of shock then back to contempt.
"What's it to ya, hm?" she snapped. "So what if me last name be 'Turner', I don't see a reason you should care." She stood her full height, a few inches under my unnaturally towering height, and stared me square in the face. I crossed my arms and arched an eyebrow.
"Ya got two siblings? A brother and a sister?" I asked, ignoring her attitude. "The latter the eldest of you three?" She narrowed her eyes at me in wary curiosity.
"What's it t'ya?" she nosed. She leaned back on her left foot and if I didn't know any better, I could've sworn I was staring at my best friend in the face.
"I just so happen, Miss Captain," I presumed gracefully by sweeping off my beautiful black-laced and gold-trimmed French-style hat and bowing graciously, "to be Captain Abigail Williams, friends and associate to both Captain Rosalyn James and William Turner." The effect on her was astonishing at the mention of them. I replaced my hat and stared at her agape mouth.
"My sister and brother are in dealin's with you?!" she demanded, sailor talk disappearing. "Bloody hell! When I finally meet the two of them, they're going to have to give me one hell of an explanation for never looking for me when Mother died and for this!" I laughed hard at that. She definitely was their sister, especially by the way her language cleared up.
"Anyway, Miss," I said, interrupting her fuming, "I'd like to know your name." I glanced down to see the crews of both ships watching us intently after hearing the nice little bit about Rosy and Will. "You all get back to work!" I yelled, point at half the group. "The rest of you get these kind folk from the Lilly over to the Lady Luck on the double!" My crew scattered to do what they were ordered when I heard a sharp intake of breath from the girl in front of me. I turned back and smiled sweetly, the same smile Rosy loathed with a passion.
S her voice strained to keep control, she said, "I'd appreciate it you didn't order my crew around, Abigail." My left eye twitched at being addressed so informally by my full name, but I kept my temper in check. She was sister to my best friend after all.
"Captain Aby will do for now," I said, emphasizing. "I'd appreciate a name any time now." From the way her chest puffed out, I sensed a retort, but the way I tilted my head as if daring her to say it, she let out a rush of air and turned to face away from me.
"Marissa. Marissa Turner." I leaned onto the railing next to her and watched as her ship was ransacked. I smiled as a few of my girls glanced up and had to do a double take at the tomboyish girl next to myself and me; we must have looked just like Rosy and Aby, together on another raiding adventure. I smiled to myself and thought it to be a wonder indeed. I'd managed to run into the three of them in my lifetime in the most unlikely of circumstances, making me wonder if fate was playing a little game with us. I straightened up and crossed my arms.
"Well, Marissa," said, "seeing as you and your crew will now be my prisoners, you have this option: fight me kicking and screaming and getting dragged to your family or," I grinned at her, "you and your crew join me and become pirates. Either way, I will be destroying this vessel in which you attacked me with." Her face fell dramatically as she looked at her boat longingly as I raised my sword to give the command.
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It took her a long time to forgive me for destroying it. Her crew told only a little bit about her, but they knew for a fact that was the first vessel that she owned and one of the few things that was hers. Most of her crew quickly signed on with me, not wanting to be stuck in the brig like she was. They worked fairly hard and most of the men that were on the Lily were surprised to see my girls working so hard and doing better than they did.
It wasn't until about two week of sailing did the girl I posted to guard Marissa come running up the lower deck stair that lead to the upper deck. I'd been talking to Ellen about the sail maker's job on mending the mainsail when she ran up to me, slightly out of breath.
"Marissa, she," the girl panted, "wants to talk to you." I looked from her to Ellen who nodded curtly.
"I'll take care of the sail Cap'n," she said. I nodded and ordered the messenger to go about her normal duties and that I'd handle the prisoner. I briskly walked down the steps and over to the ladder that led to the brig. Climbing down, I saw Marissa stand up and try to fix herself up.
She was as stone-faced as her brother when she looked at me. Her eyes were stone-gray, but if I knew Rosy as I did, I'd bet they'd change to blue in a heartbeat. She crossed her arms and looked me up and down more visibly than I did her; she wore a pair of man's breeches, decently, but not the best made, a cream loose fitting shirt with sleeves in the popular bell-shaped style with the tight cuffs at the wrist for men, and beautiful leather boots. On the pallet with a blanket and thin excuse for a pillow sat a faded brown tricorn. I smiled at the thought of her being very much like her sister, but still had her unique flare already.
"Cap'n Aby?" she said. I looked her square in the eye and smiled my wide and doll smile, able to be read in any way you wish.
"Yes, Marissa?" I replied, walking up to the bars and crossing my arms in front. "I heard ya wanted to talk about somethin'?" She nodded and leaned against the bars.
"Look… I know I'm probably gonna regret this, but," she shifted uncomfortably. "I'll… I'll join your crew as long as ya take me to me sister, got it?" She pointed a finger at me and again looked me square in the eye. "I don't want anymore dealings in piracy after that." I nodded and walked over to the doorway where the keys hung on a nail next to it. I would have to speak with Ellen later on how poorly managed these were. I looked up to see a few of my girls peaking through the glass and then dart away. I chuckled at their nosiness.
Turning back, I walked over and said, "You know Marissa, once you're a pirate… You won't turn back." With that said, I unlocked the doorway and opened it for her. "I want you to swear your loyalty to me as your captain until I release you of your duties in front of," I stated loudly, pointing with my thumb behind me to the eavesdroppers, "all of these here witnesses." She stood for a moment, a look of uncertainty. She closed her eyes, then snapped them back open and placed her fist over her heart.
"Ya have me word as a Turner, Cap'n," she grinned, eyes flashing. I grinned back and walked over to the door.
"Good, you can start your duties by reporting to First Mate Ellen and then telling her I said swab the deck."
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Never in my life had anyone else I'd met move up in ranks faster than Marissa. In no time at all, she went from swabbing decks to crow's nest to second mate in only another month. The girl took to the pirate life just as I told her she would and enjoyed more than anything raiding other ships.
"Cap'n, I see another sloop comin' in fast to the port side!" she shouted from the helm. I pulled out my spyglass in the direction she'd shouted and sure enough, a small vessel flying Dutch flags was heading straight for us. I grinned my insane grin, only made more frightening by the bright red lipstick I'd put on by a whim. I stepped up the stairs and shouted down to my crew.
"Alright, ladies! How about we get us some more loot, eh?!" My girls pulled out their swords or raised their fists with an uproar of noise. I laughed proudly at them and turned to Marissa. "Ya seem to be apart of the family now, Miss Turner," I said, teasing her with formalities. She wrinkled her face at that.
"Just Marissa, Cap'n," she said, turning the ship more into the direction of the oncoming vessel. "Miss Turner's for me sister, ya know?" I nodded my head and crossed my arms.
"Marissa, how well do ya know a ship and how to sail one?" I asked out of the blue. She glanced at me a bit and raised a blonde eyebrow.
"Decently compared to you, Cap'n, but I know that's not all ya want to know." She looked back at the ocean and sloop heading for us. "I don't know if ya be thinkin' of givin' me another promotion or not, seein' as all there is first mate…" She let the rest of the sentence drift off. I crossed my arms and looked down to see Ellen scolding a couple of girls for not working hard enough.
'Well, if Ellen fails her duties again as she did last time…" I muttered, "you may well get her job…" Marissa pretended not to hear me, but I knew she did by the twitch at the corner of her mouth.
The sloop came up into view and once they saw my stylized version of the Jolly Roger, instantly flew the white flag. My girls let out a cheer and some even began doing a little dance. They did enjoy their times of just ransacking a poor defenseless ship. But this one made me uneasy. As I started toward the deck, a few of the crew whispered and pointed at the cannons and then my ship. I stopped in mid-stride.
"Marissa, tell Ellen when she comes up to be sure and watch those men…" I said, then walked down to the main deck. Ellen ordered the crew to bring over a gang plank and lay it down. Nothing from the other side but eerie silence…
Ellen stepped behind me and grabbed my shoulder, whispering, "Cap'n I smell trickery. May I go first?" I turned and nodded my head to her. She nodded curtly back and yelled, "I'm comin' over to negotiate with your captain!" I snapped my fingers and a girl set down a box for her to step up on.
The moment Ellen's foot touched the gangplank, the Dutch opened fire at us. Instantly, without my needing to command, the sound of my cannons firing greeted my ears as I fell back from the force of the enemy cannons. I quickly scrambled to my feet and shouted orders to take cover or fire back at your stations. Explosions rocked the boats from the close range attacks, but I trusted my ship to outweigh anything they threw at us.
"Ladies! Prepare to board and pillage!!" I shouted, raising my sword up high once I saw the opportunity. Ellen was no where to be found, but there Marissa stood, running around shouting orders for the girls to get their grapples ready for my signal. They seamlessly fell into place under the chain of command. It didn't hurt that Marissa was Rosy's sister, but she did have a commanding presence about her. I turned towards the Dutch ship to see them trying to reinstate the white flag and I looked around at them. Their ship was burning and falling apart around them; there was going to be nothing worth stealing from a burning ship.
I raised my hand and yelled, "Hold back! We're sinkin' her here and now!" A few of the girls shouted complaints quickly squashed by Marissa.
"Ya listen to yer Cap'n and do as your told! Get to the cannons!!" she yelled. My crew sprung into action as we were serenaded by the sound of canon fire and the screams of the dying.
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My ship was damaged, but nothing that couldn't be fixed. After taking a head count, we lost only five, but plenty were wounded. Marissa had done more than prove herself worthy of the place of First Mate; all that was left to deal with was Ellen.
She had fallen back from the first cannon blast and knocked her head silly for a few moments, then regained complete consciousness only to go below and hide amongst the barrels. When I asked several of the girls what they saw, they either said they couldn't see her in the smoke or they saw her heading below deck, yelling to listen to my orders. I cracked my knuckles when I heard this the sixth time and the poor girl I was talking to jumped a bit. I summoned her to my cabin along with Marissa.
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"I'm being WHAT?!" she yelled. I sat at my table, a map strewn out across it of the Caribbean. My long, glorious hair was down, the famous symbol for my temper or strength of will being at its peak. Marissa had been cleaned up by John, my physician who only ever stayed below deck until needed, reading or playing the cello. I'd given her the choice in getting new clothes but she declined.
"Ellen," I said sternly, "First off, you were only temporary First Mate and originally Second." I looked up at her and quietly told her, "Do well to obey me or be punished. That's an order." I grabbed my compass off the table and studied the direction we were pointing and had a brief flashback of staring at Jack's and seeing it point to him. I shook my head and set it down. Looking up, Ellen still stood there next to calm Marissa, fuming angry. "You are dismissed, Ellen." She gritted her teeth, stood straight, then spun and shoved pass Marissa and out my cabin door.
"Pleasant…" Marissa muttered and I grinned. "Ya mean to say though, I really am first mate now, Cap'n…?" she asked. I nodded to her and leaned back, folding my arms across my chest.
"Aye Marissa, and I think I'll benefit from it." She smiled brightly and puffed out her chest.
"Ya won't be disappointed Cap'n I promise!" she said placing her hand firmly on her table, making her pistol hanging from her hip sway a bit. "I'll be the best damn First Mate ya ever had!" I chuckled.
"Aye, I doubt that. Sage is the best First Mate I've had so far, but I'm sure as a Turner, you'll giver 'er a run for her money," I told her. "Just don't get big headed and be sre to watch out for Ellen now; she's not happy with this new arrangement." Marissa shrugged.
"Woulda," she muttered sarcastically, "never guess…" We both looked at each other and giggled at the thought.
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LLD: That's right folks! I posted! Ta da! Please enjoy this little adventure and get used to it! Jack'll be back soon, but how're supposed to keep it fresh if he's in every chapter right? Keep sailing and hold your head high! We're pirates!