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.

Xyra sighed and lifted her gaze from the paper and took a visual stock of who was in front of her. It was the same girl she had saved the sun before. She knew Marcy probably told her about the ship and Xyra cursed her silently. "What can I help you with?"

"Uh, I would like-" she paused for a second. All of the words she had thought of before just left her head. She composed herself and cleared her throat, "I am seeking passage out of Elox to either The Twins or Dove Island."

"Which is it, The Twins or Dove Island," she prompted.

"Um, it doesn't really matter. Either? Whichever if you're going to one of them," Ava answered.

"Sorry. We aren't accepting any more passengers at this time." Xyra stated and went back to looking at her paper.

The girl let out a disgruntled noise and put her hand over her coin pouch, "I can pay. I have gold and it looks like you don't have enough crew or passengers to fill all the beds." The girl knew she was being testy but the frustration was starting to rise.

That caused Xyra to snap her eyes up from the papers and raise an eyebrow, "You can pay which means there will be passage for you on other ships that can better accommodate your needs. We reserve our spaces for those who need it, those who cannot pay."

Ava was taken aback, she felt an anger at the pit of her stomach that she hadn't felt since she had last argued with her father. "So, you're saying that you only take passengers who can't pay and reject someone offering you money to cover their expenses? You do realize how preposterous that sounds? If I threw my money into the ocean right now I would have no money to pay passage, would you accept me on your ship then? You would have me waste my coins by tossing them in the sea rather than accepting it and using the money as you please? Or would I throw my coin away and still not be granted passage?"

By the time she finished her small monologue, she was slightly out of breath. Ava stood there letting air back into her lungs and simply sitting in the silence that had created between them. Xyra crossed her hands over her chest, not amused with the rant. Just then, a girl with intimidating stride walked over and stood right next to Xyra. She had long wavy black hair, rich olive skin and donned a large hat on her head.

"Xyra, are we being nice?" the girl that had walked up asked with a teasing tone, "We don't make it a habit to turn a woman away that's looking for help," she said, facing Ava.

The new girl had black boots on, with black breeches to match. A loose flowing Killigrew shirt was worn under a long black buccaneer coat.

"No. And I have no intention of doing so," Xyra said.

The girl next to Xyra flashed Ava a polite smile, "I'm sorry about her. Xyra, would you mind waiting for me in my quarters so we can go over inventory there?"

Xyra turned on her heel, rolled up her paper into a scroll, and walked towards what looked like the captain's quarter. When she was out of earshot, the new girl turned and reached out a hand, "My name is Theo, I am the captain of this ship. Welcome aboard the Scorned Woman."

Theo took a step away from the entryway to the ship and offered entry onto her ship. Ava walked onto the wooden deck and Theo started to back away.

"I'm just going to pop on over to my quarters and talk with Xyra about port matters. I'll be right back but you should have some lunch right now. The mess room is right down the main stairs to the right. You'll hear the ruckus before you see it, should lead you straight there. I'll send someone to fetch you after I tend to some business. We'll meet to discuss a room on board and if this ship is right for you." She was walking backward as she spoke and soon after she sped through her instructions, she turned around and followed Xyra's footsteps.

Ava took a moment to survey her surroundings. The three masts lining the center of the boat were enormous and she wondered how anyone ever climbed to their tops. Slowly as she was still looking up, down, and all around the boat she made her way to what she assumed was the main stairs on the ship. She saw flights of stairs going both up and down but the commotion was coming from below. Nervously she made her way down the steps and paused at the bottom of them briefly, taking everything in.

Somehow in the two hours since she left the inn she had managed to find the boat she was looking for and possibly have secured passage. Xyra didn't seem too fond of her but the captain herself had said they would meet to discuss a room here. That could only mean that she would be allowed to travel on this ship. Theo, the captain, seemed nice and welcoming which was a stark contrast to Xyra.

This was it, she let herself breathe easily for the first time in countless suns, she just might have pulled it off. She walked into the mess hall and it was filled with about 40 women that all looked different and radiated delightful energy. Where she was from, all the girls were proper and had their hair perfectly styled by servants in the morning before squeezing into small corsets to impress men. They all looked, dressed, and talked the same but this was different. The women were different. Tall and short, all skin colors and body sizes, all types of different styles of clothing and hair.

Ava made quick work of blending in, she was sure some people noted her presence but if they did, they didn't comment on it. She got in line and got served a stew that looked a lot better than she would expect pirate food to look. Keeping her head down and her ears open, she walked over to an empty chair in the corner to eat her stew. The chair gave her a perfect view of everyone. She wasn't normally this quiet and reserved, back at home she had been quite a vocal know-it-all. Always causing mischief and commotion. But the past few weeks, being on the road had taught her many lessons, including the benefits of observation.

Women laughed and chattered and most everyone in the room branded bright smiles and boisterous voices. It was a happy chaos where an old woman with pale skin was sharing a drink and a joke with a young black woman. Nothing she had ever seen before, only read about. Free cities and ports, where those from all lands come together for no reason other than friendship and pleasure. She hadn't talked to Theo or really knew her place or status on the boat but somehow she already felt safe. She sensed a blanket of comfort settle over her. She lifted a spoonful of stew to her mouth and took a bite. It tasted almost as good as she felt.

---

Theo shut the door behind her and fixed her glare on the figure standing by her desk. She marched forward, scowl on her face, and stood straight up in front of Xyra. Xyra was laughably taller than Theo but the disbelief and anger on Theo's face was frightening.

"Do you remember when Isa came to us from that small city in Dove Island?" Theo asked, calmly but through gritted teeth. Xyra just nodded, she knew where this was going. "When Talia and Yaer and Yulie and Jessie came to us? Where had they just been?"

There was a silence after Theo's questions. Xyra was expected to answer.

"On voyages with men," Xyra answered slowly.

"All of them. Those animals just felt like they had the right to the girls just because they were aboard their ships. We don't just try and run an all girl's pirate vessel for the gold. The purpose of this ship was to rescue girls like you and me from harm. To help girls like Talia, so they never have to deal with anything like that, ever again. Safe voyages for those who can't pay and those who can." Theo finished and Xyra nodded. A woman of little words, Theo knew that Xyra understood.

Theo felt the frustration leave her body and she took a few steps back then moved around Xyra and sat at her desk, "Now, I know you have your reasons for things. I need to know why my first mate was actively curving rules that we helped create together."

Xyra moved and stood in front of the desk, "She has a last name."

"You have a last name. That's not a reason to turn someone away"

"Had a last name. And she is not from a lesser house, she is from money. What can we do with a girl from a greater family? She's probably a runaway and her lord father has sent a hundred of his cavalrymen off looking for her. I do not trust her and advise against bringing her on. I think she will bring trouble. She probably has the money to pay for a safe voyage on a different ship and leave us out of her whole situation," Xyra justified, her arms came up to cross over her chest and she looked down at Theo.

"You haven't even given her a chance to explain herself. You judged her solely on her appearance and her manners. If she has money let her pay us for the voyage then. Plus if her father does send one hundred cavalrymen after her, then aren't we lucky that horses can't swim." Theo cracked a smile up at her First Mate, "Now, let's get some of this paperwork over with."

Theo handed Xyra a stack of papers, closing the matter at hand. After a short while, Xyra and Theo had tied up all matters on land and were ready to set sail whenever they pleased. Theo motioned Xyra towards the door, "Go get her. I know you do not trust her and your sage council has been taken into consideration but I would like to speak with her before making any decisions."

Xyra nodded and made her way out of the quarters. She knew Theo and she recognized a battle lost when she saw one. The captain had already made up her mind about transporting the girl. Xyra knew that Theo liked to approach things as the charismatic leader and would meet with the girl before anything to appease Xyra. Xyra smiled to herself, she didn't get her way but causing the girl a minor inconvenience before being offered a room for passage was a small win.

----

A while had passed since Ava had finished her stew. Some of the people in the space had moved away from the room and resumed whatever their duties were. Many others, however, also stayed in the space. The clamor of everyone's utensils and cups and voices banging around made it seem as if no one had left the room. Ava's eyes looked up at the doorway as Xyra walked in.

All of a sudden all the talking and clamoring in the room halted and everyone turned to look at Xyra. No one that had walked through the door had commanded a fraction of that attention so far. The power she seemed to hold over the women left Aval as intimidated as she had felt when she first approached Xyra.

Xyra extended a hand and pointed straight at Ava, "You. Captain wants you," she jerked her head in the direction of the door, bidding Ava to follow. Quickly, she left her stew on the table in front of her and maneuvered over chairs and plates on the floor to catch up to Xyra. She followed silently as they ascended the stairs. The sound of Xyra's heavy metal toed boots boomed every time she stepped, and this was the sound that guided them to a large black door. It was the only door on the entire deck and she presumed that the captain's quarters were larger than ten regular rooms put together.

Xyra opened the door and walked inside and, after Ava walked in, the door was closed behind her. Theo was seated behind her desk with her legs propped up against it. There was a map that was spread out with different letters and tools littered around it. As Theo heard the door open, she removed her legs from the desk and sat upright, her hand coming down to her stomach and straightening her shirt.

"Welcome, thanks for being patient. Just had some last-minute port matters to discuss with Xyra," Theo said, smiling.

"When is the ship leaving?" the girl asked.

"We set sail as soon as the sunsets. We prefer to leave in the cover of darkness," Theo replied, "I want to apologize for earlier. Would you mind if I asked a few questions?"

Aval shook her head.

"Great. Where are you from?"

"North Elox. The city of Pious," she replied with ease, many people along her travels had asked her that.

"Where are you trying to go? You're a long way from home," Theo said.

"I'm just trying to get Dove Island or The Twins. I'm sorry for bothering you if you are not going there. I really didn't mean to make this much commotion"

Theo waved her hand and cut off the girl, "No apologies necessary, we are heading to the south of Dove Island but stopping along the narrow sea in The Twins first. So whenever we get to the city you want, you may disembark."

Xyra rolled her eyes at the promise of passage given Ava. Theo had asked her two questions and deemed that enough to appease Xyra and her objections. Ava, on the other hand, beamed at the news.

Knowing the Captain was through with questioning, Xyra spoke up, "You must pay for your passage. Seven gold to take you to The Twins and eleven for Dove Island."

The girl's face fell, "I, uh, I have only ten coins. I-I can pay for the voyage to the Twins and find a way to get the rest if I need to go further." Her hands went straight to her coin pouch and she began to take out what she had.

"No," Theo glared at Xyra. Ava was flustered and the heartbreak was clear on her face, "We don't need the money. Keep it for yourself. You may need it in the future and we have enough. Ten gold coins won't make a difference to us."

The girl looked between the both of them and broke out in a huge grin, "So I can come? I can sail with you?"

Theo nodded and returned the grin, "Welcome aboard the Scorned Woman, I'll send someone to make up your quarters and fetch you when it's ready. Just stick around the deck area. Don't leave the ship because we'll leave without you."

Ava got out of her chair and reached out to shake Theo's hand, "I will stay on the deck," her smile was still plastered onto her face as Theo shook the outstretched hand.

"Wait," Theo laughed, standing up from her chair. She waited for the girl to turn around before asking, "I never got your name."

"My name is Ava. Ava Ableworth."