Things had been….oddly normal since I had been discovered aboard the ship I now knew as The Siren’s Call.

Sure, the events that lead me here were anything but, escaping my marriage, uprooting my entire life, cutting my hair and leaving for the sea never to return had been nothing if not a change of pace.

And sure, the captain herself discovering me hiding in the hull had made my heart stop in its tracks, which of course had nothing to do with that flowing auburn hair, rough hands and voice, or the way she laughed.

Nothing at all.

The other pirate who found me, who had been suspicious since I came onboard, nearly discovering me many times, was called Mateo. Despite him being only the ship’s cook, I could tell that Captain Rose had a great amount of trust and respect for him. Which may be why it was him out of all the nearly all male crew who was assigned as my bunkmate. “Watch over her.” the captain had said. We were suspicious of one another at first, but then we bonded over late night talks. I told him about my husband and about my escape.

“And then a cannonball crashed through my window.”

“Directly into his head, I hope.” he had said.

We became fast friends after that.

Since then, things had gone on not unlike clockwork. I’d spend the day swabbing the decks or polishing swords and pistols and definitely not gazing at the captain.

The work was hard but fulfilling. More fulfilling than anything I’d ever experienced before. And I was…happy

During that time, she began teaching me swordplay. I had never fought before but I proved to be a quick study, even managing to pin some of the men I trained against. Typically, my partner was the surgeon, of all people, a man from Shanghai named Wén, who was surprisingly adept at swords, but also knew the safest ways to use them. I had never met someone from that part of the world and he very patiently walked me through pronouncing the tone in his name.

I hoped it would be long before I’d need to use my new skills. However it wasn’t long before we encountered another ship, a rich trade ship, laden with expensive goods.

“Well lads,” the captain said “I think it’s time we resupplied.”

Captain Rose turned back to me. “Stick by Mateo.” the captain instructed. “I want you onboard but try to stay away from the action.”

“You want me on the boarding party? What if I’m not ready?”

“There’s no better teacher than experience and you’ve picked things up better than I expected.” she reassured.

I nodded, swallowing hard.

The whole ship shook with the impact of a cannonball. The traders must have spotted us in our advance.

“Hit her back, but don’t sink her.” the captain called.

My hands flew over my ears as one of our cannons fired into the side of the other ship.

The wind was with us and by this time, we were close enough to the other ship to board.

Captain Rose grabbed me, holding me close to her chest in one arm and grabbing a rope with the other hand. “Hang on tight.” She said

We swung onto the deck with the rest and I was almost too busy thinking about being so close to her chest to think about the several foot drop into water below the gap between ships.

The captain released me as our boots hit the ground.

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Immediately a musket ball whizzed towards the captain, which she dodged with a tilt of her head.

All at once, the crew of the Call charged at the traders, swords and guns raised.

I ran from the captain’s side as much of the fighting began to coagulate around her and found Mateo not far off.

“Get in front of me, I’ll cover you.” he said.

“I have to be in front?!”

“I’m not good with melee like you and Rose are.” he said drawing a pistol.

I nodded in understanding as I positioned myself in front of him.

A large armed man charged towards us and went down with a shot to the broad chest before I could even move.

I had never seen a man die before. I froze up for a moment. Before Mateo nudged me onward. “Come on, this is no time for a crisis, we have to move.”

We pushed onwards, bobbing and weaving through the carnage before us. Every once in a while, I’d hear a bang from behind me and I’d see someone drop as Mateo covered our crewmates.

A built looking swordsman charged in front of us and before I could think about running, a blade was careening towards me. Without thinking, I parried, blocking the blade.

With our swords locked, I was now in my first real dual.

I felt Mateo’s back against mine and heard a few more bangs, but I had to focus on the man in front of me. Newly honed instinct came over me.

On guard.

Dodge.

Footwork.

Slash

Parry.

Thrust.

I snapped out of my trancelike state when I felt my blade pierce his stomach.

Again I froze as he slumped on my blade, not even moving to shove him off.

“Abigail, look out!”

A sword was swinging towards my head.

I quickly leaned back, but it wasn’t enough to stop the intended headshot from slashing a deep gash from my shoulder to my chest.

There was a spray of blood from my attacker’s skull and he too fell.

I looked back to see Mateo lowering a smoking gun.

“Thanks I really owe you.” I said

“What matters is your alive to make it up to me later. Can you move your sword arm?”

“I can but it hurts.” I said.

“Shit.” said Mateo, “We may need to”

Rose’s voice rose over the chaos “Louder, so everyone can hear you!”

We turned to see her standing over a well dressed man who was pinned to the ground with her sword against his throat.

“I…we surrender! Take what you want, just please leave in peace!”

A cheer rose up through the crew of the Call and Mateo and I sighed with relief.

Within minutes, most of the crew were bound or disarmed.

We came away with all the treasure and resources our battered and lacerated bodies could carry.

Back on the ship, bottles were being opened and liquor was flowing.

Wén patched me up and told me to rest, until my injury had healed.

When I walked back onto the deck, Captain Rose threw an arm around me, startling me.

“Lots of firsts today, huh, kid? First fight, first kill, looks like you’ve got your first scar in the making.”

I nodded, still a bit rattled by today’s events. But at the same time, there was a thrill. I had come away alive where others had not. I had won.

The captain led me towards the celebration “‘M proud a you kid. You’ve taken a big step today. One that takes real guts. You’re a real part a the crew”

I felt myself flooded with pride at her praise.

She sat down, patting the space beside her and handed me a bottle once I had joined her.

We drank together, her going through more liquor than me, and before long she was drunk.

“Y’know, men are fuckin useless.” the captain had slurred to me, wrapping an arm tightly around me “Ya can’t trust ‘em. We women, we gotta rely on each other. Stick together. ’M happy to have ya here, kid.”

I looked up at her and couldn’t help but blush.