Hell Hath No Fury - Book One

A Room on Board

Ava had rushed out of her room, returned her key, and skipped breakfast. She decided that she would skip the offer of a new outfit. She wanted to make it to the docks as early as she could. She had made a decision, the pirate ship was worth a shot. Marcy had given her all the directions needed to get to the docks and find the ship Xyra was on. It was only the 8th hour of the morning and the sun was already burning Ava as she walked to the docks. Her worn green dress was heavy and hot compared to what most of the people of the port city were wearing. Around her, people were wearing flowing gowns and loose shirts with pants that flared with the wind coming from the sea. Her leather boots were making sweat start to pool inside them.

She took alleyways that offered shade and stuck close to where she felt the breeze coming in.

After about a mile of walking along the coast and darting in and out of alleyways, she began to see the massive masts of merchant vessels and trading ships. Her ears flooded with the sound of people talking, bartering, arguing, and laughing. Even this early in the morning, the town was awake. In the distance, she could see the marketplace bustling with people selling to the incoming crews. For a second, the nerves she had been feeling since she woke up had slipped away and a smile took her face as she let herself get swept up in the commotion and the beautiful sight of the ocean.

She walked until the buildings made way and transformed into a giant clearing with tents by the hundreds. All the people in the tents were selling different things: silks, seafood, sweets, boots, swords, beautiful dresses, jewelry, wine. Suddenly the coin pouch attached to her hip felt light and pathetic and she wished it was filled with gold so she could purchase anything she desired. Taking a deep breath, she pushed those thoughts out of her head. Material objects are not all there is to this world, prosperity will come with freedom, she thought to herself, one step at a time.

And she did just that. One foot in front of the other she made her way down the dock. She had to crane her head up to see some of the ships. Some were beautifully crafted masterpieces that showed impeccable practice and professionalism. Others were rundown merchant vessels that looked dangerously unreliable. She kept her eye out for anything that looked like what Marcy had described. Nothing so far, she had made it about halfway down the pier and all she had seen were ships with scary-looking men on them.

Then she spotted it, three ships away from her stood a large black galleon with blood-red sails. It was larger than the merchant ships lined up next to it and Ava estimated it was at least 150 feet long. The front of the ship sported a woman holding a large broadsword. There was anger carved into her features sure to strike fear when it approached enemy ships. It was bold and sure to catch the attention of any ship sailing the seas. As she approached, the figures working atop the boat became clearer. At the ramp leading up to the boat stood a tall woman. Her dark brown hair was long and slicked back, her skin looked tanned from the hours out in the sun. She had an unrolled scroll of paper in her hands as she examined it. Her eyes moved quickly from the paper to the men carrying boxes up the ramp back to the paper. It was Xyra.

Ava, however, made no move to approach the ship. She stayed back observing. As she stood there, watching the crew move amongst the deck, she recognized that all of the people aboard the ship were women. The only men aboard were those carrying boxes onto the ship. Marcy was telling the truth, after all, an all-girl pirate ship is what it seemed to be. It took her close to a half-hour to muster up the courage to walk up to the ship. Xyra hadn't been so fond of her the sun before. Doubt and nerves were consuming her and she had never felt more stuck. Her feet acted like cement blocks bolting her to the floor. She willed herself to calm down, she worked through her plan.

She rehearsed her story and her request for passage in her head a few times before taking a step forward. By the time Ava had made it to the boat, the men loading and unloading cargo had left and moved on to the next job. Xyra still lingered at the top of the ramp, seemingly entranced in her papers. Ava took a deep breath, inflated her chest and marched up the ramp to stand right in front of the other woman. She stood there silent, awkwardly, for ten seconds. She didn't expect to have to speak first and now the pressure of the silence was rendering her speechless.