The ship rocked hard against the breaking waves, the wind ripping at the sails violently, trying with all their might to tear them from their tethers. Elizabeth sat quietly in her hammock, praying the storm would blow itself out. She felt sick and her head spun from the rocking motion of the vessel. She sighed deeply as she pulled the small pillow over her face. It was exactly the sort of ending to the day she should have been expecting.

First thing this morning, she was awoken by the soft shaking motion of her net bed. The crew had gathered around her, each holding a small package, and wishing her a happy birthday. She had imagined months ago, that she would be celebrating this day in England with her mother and grandfather. Instead, she was on a moldy old ship, surrounded by pirates, as her mother suffered hostage by a madman. She tried to smile and thank them politely, the way her mother had taught her, but her heart wasn’t into it. She took the packages and opened each one, revealing something stolen from the many chests below.

Stormy gave her a beautiful jeweled hair comb to hold the long dark hair back from her face, while Laddie gave her a small diamond cross on a braided silver chain. It hung down nearly to her stomach, but he assured her as she grew, it would shorten on her in length. The rest of the pirates gave her a variety of hairpins, writing tablets, books, candles, and hairbrushes. The only thing missing was a cake. Every year since she could remember, her mother would bake a small cake, with tiny bits of colored sugar on top, and a hand-dipped candle for her to blow out. Stormy saw the pain in her eyes and smiled, hoping his last gift would brighten her day.

Retrieving the small box from under his bunk, he gently set it in her lap, waiting patiently for her to open it and then chuckled when she looked inside. There were dozens of small pieces of chocolate candies, enough for the whole crew to have two.

Forgetting about her sorrow and misery, Elizabeth found herself smiling as the men gathered around her and began to laugh at her expression. Stormy now felt certain, his decision to have the men get them for her before leaving New Guinea, was the right choice. There was a little Swiss bakery near the docks, and they had bought every last piece of chocolate in the store. He knew the little girl needed something unexpected to brighten her seventh birthday, and this was just the trick.

Elizabeth handed a piece of candy to each man present. Knowing there were others on deck who couldn’t come down, she promised to save each of them their fair share. She then took a piece for herself and slowly ate it, savoring each nibble with delight. Once they had eaten the sweets, she thanked them all politely, tucking the gifts back under Stormy’s bunk so the captain wouldn’t find them. She didn’t want him to get angry with the crew for being nice to her, and she didn’t want her mother to be unhappy that they had given her items, pillaged from captured vessels.

“When can I see my mama?” Elizabeth asked Stormy before he left with the rest of the crew, to begin their daily chores.

“I’ll see what I can do, Las,” he told her with a warm smile. “Your mama isn’t feeling very well today, so you won’t be able to visit long.”

“Mama hasn’t been feeling well for a long time, has she, Stormy?”

Stormy wasn’t sure how to answer the question. How do you tell a child, her mother is going to have the baby of their captor, and that she hated the idea to the very core of her soul?

“’ Tis only the sea,” he lied. “She still hasn’t much of a stomach for it.”

“She has a very big stomach,” the child replied. “I heard Swen and Ching talking about her. They said she had a bun in wrappings. What does that mean?”

Stormy looked at the girl silently for several long minutes. She would have to know sooner or later, but for now, he wanted to help her hold on to her innocence as long as possible.

“They just meant she was sick,” he lied again. “Some women get sick really easy, and sometimes it can last for a very long time.”

“Oh,” Elizabeth said, standing from his bunk. “When can I see her?”

“Soon,” Stormy promised, helping her pull her hair back into a tight braid.

He had turned into a great nanny since taking this child under his wing, protecting her and loving her as his own. In fact, all of the crew felt for Elizabeth in much the same way. She was kind and loving and very polite, and she accepted them for the person they were, rather than the profession they chose. A talent most adults had yet to learn.

On deck, Blade paced the bridge, staring at the approaching storm. The image of the portrait Sarah had painted returned to his mind, again and again. He should be braving out the storm with dignity, yet truth be told, he was very much afraid of it. He had once been thrown overboard during a storm when he was just a deckhand and nearly drowned. It had scared him so badly, he continued to cower from it to this day. He hid in his cabin until it passed, insisting he was plotting out a new course out of the storm.

Sarah had awoken earlier than normal, and like every other day, had run to the chamber pot and began expelling the contents of her empty stomach. He hated the sounds she made, which in turn made him want to vomit as well, so he dressed quickly and left. If she weren’t so damn good in bed, he would have disposed of her long ago when he first received the ransom package from her father.

Instead, he had ordered it be sent to the next port he expected to stop at and continued this cat and mouse chase until New Guinea. He had demanded such an ungodly amount of money for Sarah and her daughter, he honestly hadn’t expected it to be paid. Yet it had, and much too soon for his pleasure. Now, it sat in the small safe in his cabin, hidden out of sight until he tired of the woman and put her ashore.

Perhaps he should keep her around once the baby was born, he thought with a wicked grin. He had always enjoyed bedding new mothers, tasting the milk that drained from their breasts upon orgasm. Yes, he thought, reaching down and fondling his swollen manhood. That’s exactly what he would do.

Images of his first experience of a young mother’s body came when he was barely sixteen. He found his younger step-sister maturing quite nicely and had forced his way into her bed on her fifteenth birthday. He threatened her savagely if she told what he had done, and at one point even broke her arm when she threatened to call his bluff. He returned to her bed nightly, teaching her the tricks the whores he visited knew. This continued until she was sixteen when she informed him she was pregnant. Blade told their parents a ranch hand had raped and impregnated their young daughter, then helped in beating and castrating the man, before hanging him. His thirst for blood grew from that day forward, driving him into the arms of his first pirate crew.

The sounds of shuffling drifted through his perverse memories, bringing his eyes to the woman who made her way from his cabin. He had been thinking so hard and fondling himself so long, that he was in need of release. He called to her, ordering her to join him on the bridge. His voice was loud enough when he spoke her name, that those crew members near him turned their heads in his direction. He smiled grotesquely at his audience. He enjoyed taking this woman in the open, knowing his crew was watching him. He wanted them to envy what he had, and vowed perhaps in time, he would share her with them. So long as he was an active participant.

Sarah climbed the steps cautiously, trying to keep her feet on the wooden planks as the ship continued to rock. The moment her foot fell to the top deck, Blade wrapped his hand around her arm and pulled her against the railing, her back to the men below them. He lifted her skirts high around her swollen waist, exposing her backside to those who watched, then dropped his pants and entered her savagely, as he ripped the top of her dress completely off her shoulders and chest. His pounding was rhythmic and torturous, forcing her to withstand the full brute strength of his power, his mouth wrapping around the swollen globes of breasts, biting them hard enough that she cried out in pain.

He ignored the woman’s pleas to stop, thrusting harder against her, nearly knocking her completely over the railing. His actions forced her to reach out and hold on to his shoulders for support. She had awoken that morning with the sensation of pains, knowing she would deliver the child by the day’s end. It had dropped far enough in her womb, that the man’s attack caused severe pain, making her insides cramp with convulsions.

She cried out again, and again he thrust against her, enjoying the screams escaping her throat. At last, he finished with her, releasing her to crumple to the deck floor. He looked down at the woman as he pulled his pants back up, and then called to his men below.

“Take the wench back to my cabin,” he ordered in a disgusted tone, as two of the crew hurried up the stairs to where she lay sobbing. “Tell Stormy to tend to her.”

The two men looked at her then looked at their captain, who continued lacing his pants, before he turned away from them. The blood on his hands, matched the blood running down the inside of Sarah’s legs, her tears of pain grew, as did her screams of labor. They helped her to her feet but were forced to surrender to her feeble attempt of walking, leaving one of the men to lift her into his arms and carry her back down the stairs.

Stormy met them as they reached the bottom deck, taking her convulsing form in his strong embrace and continuing the course to the captain’s quarters. He ground his teeth tightly, laying her as gently as possible to the mattress, wet from her bag of waters breaking an hour before. He hated his captain more at this moment, than at any other, and vowed revenge for what he had done to this delicate little woman. He ordered the men to retrieve water and clean rags and then helped Sarah ease her torn clothing off.

“Please,” she begged after lying back against the pillows.

“Lay still, love,” he told her, trying to ease her pains.

“No,” she shook her head, ignoring the men who reentered the room as she lay naked and bleeding on the soiled bed. “Please, you must promise me...take care of my Elizabeth...keep her away from him...hide her...take her to my father.”

“This is not the time to talk about it,” Stormy scolded, wiping the blood from the tormented woman’s body.

“You must promise me,” she pleaded, reaching out and snatching his arm with a shaking hand. “She’s all I have.”

“You’re going to have another child soon,” he told her, watching the anger and hatred begin to creep into her cheeks.

“I don’t want it,” she growled, her fists clutching at the flesh on her stomach. “Kill it the minute it comes out. Kill it, or I will.”

“You don’t mean that,” Stormy insisted, trying desperately to ease the woman’s ranting. “You’re just in pain. It will pass once you have the baby in your arms.”

“Don’t bring it anywhere near me.”

Stormy looked away as the men exchanged knowing glances. It wasn’t hard to understand her feelings, and it wasn’t hard for them to sympathize.

The next four hours drug by slowly. Sarah was exhausted, her panting grew weaker, and the pains grew harder. Stormy didn’t know the first thing to do. He was only guessing at what bits and pieces of stories he had heard over the years and hoped for a miracle. The blood that started with Blade’s attack, continued to flow, soaking through the sheets and into the mattress beneath. Stormy was terrified. She was losing too much blood and he didn’t think she would have the strength to finish the birthing process.

Soon, the prayer he had been silently whispering was answered, as Sarah screamed violently, expelling the tiny, crying little boy from her exhausted body. She collapsed against the mattress, fainting under the strain and weakness as the blood continued to flow.

Stormy looked down at the baby and smiled, as he wrapped an old blanket around him. He looked so much like his mother that it was uncanny, then he looked to Sarah and frowned. His concern for her was mounting. She was pale and weak, and the bleeding had yet to cease, and yet that was only part of the problem. Was it possible for her to see herself in the child and forget the horror she had endured these past months? Would she be able to hold the baby and comfort him as she did Elizabeth?

“Tell the captain it’s a boy,” Stormy ordered the one man, and then carefully passed the infant to the second.

There was still a lot of work to do. Sarah needed his full attention, and his mind had to turn to her needs. He gathered together the remaining clean rags and tried to soak up the blood. He knew even before the bleeding stopped, Sarah would never again be capable of giving birth. Her body had been ravaged too severely by Blade’s continual attacks, and she would never again feel the joy of holding an infant to her breast.

The door to the cabin opened up again and the first man reappeared, looking angry and bitter. He glanced at the unconscious woman, before looking back to Stormy, his eyes saying the words that remained unspoken. No explanation was needed. They all knew their captain well enough to know his reaction. He didn’t care about the baby, probably denied its existence as he had in the past, and asked not a word about the mother. It was sickening how this man acted. His arrogance was intolerable, and his savage behavior was inhumane. He was the devil, purely evil and filled with hate. It was no wonder Sarah wanted her newborn son dead.

“Lass?” Stormy said, shaking Elizabeth’s tiny shoulder. “Wake up. Your mother wants to see you.”

Her eyes opened slowly, trying to focus on her surroundings. The storm had died down shortly after dawn and the odd actions of the crew had settled, allowing her to fall into a restless sleep. The heat had returned with the sun, making the air seem thicker than normal as Elizabeth sat up, rubbing her eyes, trying to focus on the man above her.

“Is my mama sick again?” she asked, crawling out of her small hammock.

Stormy looked at her with knowing eyes yet held the emotion out of the grey depths.

“She’s very ill,” he assured her, helping her on with her shoes.

“Will she be alright?”

“I’m sure all she needs is some rest.”

Elizabeth didn’t really believe him, but she was too anxious to see her mother to question him. She hadn’t been allowed to see her the day before and her birthday had passed without a single word from her mother.

In the captain’s cabin, lay her mother. Her eyes shut to the sounds of the day, her delicate features pale and the stench of sweat and blood hung in the air. Elizabeth looked to Stormy with fearful eyes, but he edged her forward, nodding his head gently.

“It’s okay,” he assured her, and then stepped outside closing the door and leaving the two alone.

Elizabeth walked cautiously to her mother’s side, sitting carefully on the edge of the bed. Sarah opened her eyes and smiled weakly, focusing on the worried look of her precious little girl.

“I’m sorry I missed your birthday, my love,” she whispered and then pointed a shaky hand to a package lying on the round table in the center of the room. “There’s a present for you. Will you get it and bring it here?”

Elizabeth did as she was instructed, handing her mother the brown wrapped package. Sarah helped her unwrap it and smiled as her daughter lifted the outfit out and held it up to inspect it.

“It’s too big,” Elizabeth exclaimed, fingering the soft blue velvet folds and beaded collar.

“It’s for when you grow up,” she told her daughter, with a smile. “It was the dress I wore when your father and I were married.”

“I thought you were supposed to wear white, like in my stories?”

“You do sometimes, but you see, your grandfather didn’t really like your daddy very much, so we ran away to Scotland and got married, and soon after we left for America.”

“It’s very pretty mama, should I save it for when I get married?”

“You may wear it whenever you wish my love, so long as you can fit into it.”

Elizabeth leaned over and hugged her mother’s neck, kissing her cool cheek as she did. Sarah watched the girl struggle to fold the dress again then took her hand and held it securely.

“I want you to promise to listen to Stormy and do whatever he tells you to do,” she told the child.

“Why Mama, where are you going?”

“I’m very sick, sweetheart, and I won’t be able to visit with you again, for a long time. You’ll have to stay with Stormy and do exactly as he tells you. He’ll keep you safe. Your grandfather will send the money soon, I promise. I want you to know all of your letters and numbers, and I want you to be polite and kind to your grandfather when you return to England.”

“Grandfather hates us, doesn’t he? That’s why he didn’t send for us, isn’t it?”

“Your grandfather is a good man; he’s old and alone, but he’s a very kind man and he loves us very much. Never forget that, my angel. Promise me.”

“Alright Mama, I’ll try.”

“You have to promise me you’ll do what I ask and stay with Stormy. He promised to protect you until your grandfather sends help. It’s very important Elizabeth. You must do as I say.”

“I will Mama, I promise.”

Elizabeth leaned next to her mother and hugged her tightly. She felt suddenly empty and very much afraid. She loved her mother and wanted to help her feel better, but she knew that the captain wouldn’t let her.

“You have to go now, darling,” Sarah said, forcing the tears out of her voice.

“I’ll come back later Mama, I promise, and look,” she slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out the warm soft chocolate she had tucked away since yesterday. “It’s my birthday present from Stormy and the others. Take it,” she handed it to her mother smiling. “It’s very good.”

“I’m sure it is,” her mother said, slipping it in her mouth.

“See?” Elizabeth said, smiling at the look on her mother’s face. “Does it make you feel better?”

“Very much. Now, you have to go, before the captain comes in and finds you here.”

“I hate that bloody pirate,” Elizabeth said with a clenched jaw.

“No, darling, you mustn’t hate anyone, especially our enemies. It’s not the Christian thing to do.”

“But you hate him, don’t you? Just like the Indians back home.”

“Never mind all of that,” Sarah said with a deep sigh. How could she scold her child for saying what she herself felt in her heart? “Now, you must go and remember your promise.”

“I’m coming back Mama,” she swore, kissing her mother’s cheek again. “He can’t keep us apart forever, you’ll see. You go to sleep and dream sweet dreams. I love you.”

“I love you, my darling,” her mother said, hiding the sobs that threatened her composure. “I will always be with you, I promise. Now go, and don’t forget your promise. Stormy will take good care of you, he promised me.”

Elizabeth took her dress and reluctantly left her mother alone. She didn’t like the feeling her mother gave her when she shut the door; she knew there was something wrong. It was as though they were saying goodbye for the last time.

A strange sound met Elizabeth outside the captain’s cabin, and she turned cautiously toward it, walking to the room next door. It was used as a washroom, even though there was a bed in it. She knew that because she hid there once when Blade returned to his cabin earlier than expected and nearly caught her with her mother.

Quietly, she opened the door and peeked around the wooden barrier. The room was empty, except for the rarely used tub and a small wooden crate sitting on the end of the bed. The sounds coming from the box were soft, like the mews of a newborn kitten. Carefully, she walked over to it and peeked over the edge. Inside wasn’t a kitten, but a baby. But where had it come from?

Elizabeth sat down and stared at it for a long time. It had blonde hair and pink cheeks and looked up at her with grey eyes as it tried to suck on its fist. She thought back on her younger brother, the only one she could remember. His name had been William and he looked a lot like this baby. She didn’t remember much about him, other than his crying. He became very ill just a few days after he had come to them and then one night he went to sleep and never woke up again. It wasn’t long afterward her daddy took her aside, tears in his eyes as he told her William had gone to heaven to be with her other brothers.

For several long minutes, the two just stared at each other, until the door opened softly, bringing Elizabeth to her feet. Stormy stepped inside and walked forward. He glanced across the edge of the box then reached in to touch the tiny baby’s cheek with a calloused finger. For a moment, there was no noise as Stormy just stared at the baby. Elizabeth blinked several times, certain she had seen tears in his eyes as he tucked the worn blanket a little tighter around the baby’s tiny body.

“What are you doing in here Lass?” he asked softly.

“I heard a noise. Where did that baby come from, Stormy? Did you find it in the storm?” She looked in the box again as the man sat on the edge of the bed.

“It arrived very late last night,” he told her, glancing down at the child. “Come on now, you mustn’t be here. If the captain catches you, he’ll be very angry.”

Elizabeth left the baby and the room, promising herself silently to visit again.

Nightfall came earlier than normal, or so it seemed. The skies became cloudy again, covering the setting sun with a thick black shroud of despair. Elizabeth didn’t much care for another night of rocking in her hammock, hiding under the heavy blanket for protection. The rains were bad enough, but it was the lightning that scared her most. She was always afraid the ship would catch on fire and she’d be caught down below, unable to get out. She wanted to be with her mother, she always felt safe in her mother’s arms. She also wondered about the baby. Whose was it and where was its mother? If it didn’t have one, then her mama could care for it. She had a wonderful Mama, and Elizabeth didn’t feel ashamed of sharing her with the baby.

The anxious shouts of men and the angry voice of the captain sounded an alarm through the night, forcing Elizabeth to run up on deck. She was scared and wanted her mama to tell her she would be fine, she wanted her fears to be soothed as only her mother could do, and she didn’t care what that horrible captain had to say about it.

Once her feet touched the deck above, however, she froze. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her mother was standing on the railing, soaked from the rain. Her arms wrapped around a tiny bundle of blankets. Her nightgown clung to her body as blood ran down her legs and on to the deck, mixing with the rain that flowed freely from the skies. Sarah’s long dark hair whipped in the winds around her as she hung on to a rope near the mast. She looked angry and her eyes filled with hatred as she stared at the captain in defiance.

Stormy ran to the railing, reaching out for the woman’s hand, trying to talk her into coming back from the ledge. Blade was standing behind him, his sword in his hand, his angry stare directed at the woman as he cursed at her in his native tongue. Elizabeth tried to move, she wanted to be with her mother, but Laddie was next to her in a flash, holding her back.

“Get your ass back down here, wench, or I’ll have you put in irons,” demanded the captain, his sword swinging toward her.

Sarah never said a word. She looked up briefly locking her gaze with Elizabeth’s, then let go of the rope, allowing the wind to take her over the edge and into the ocean’s unforgiving embrace.

“Mama!” Elizabeth screamed, struggling to free herself from Laddie’s arms, but his grip tightened on her, pulling her closer to his side.

The crew froze. Stormy looked over the edge of the ship, anguish, and misery tearing at his heart. Blade cursed violently, slipping the sword back into its sheath on his side as he turned around and looked across the deck to where Elizabeth stood screaming.

“Throw the brat over with the bitch,” he demanded.

Stormy looked at Elizabeth, his face void of emotion. He watched as Blade disappeared from the deck before walking toward her, hearing the child’s fearful screams grow louder. She knew exactly what the captain meant and watched in horror as the man she had grown to love, slowly approached her.

Laddie held the little girl at his side, as the rest of the men stepped forward, prepared to fight to protect the child if necessary. Stormy stopped in front of her, looking down into her fearful eyes and smiled a half-grin. Without a word, he picked up a barrel of drinking water anchored nearby and took it to the edge of the ship. He glanced across his shoulder and nodded to Laddie who quickly understood his meaning.

“I need you to scream very loudly, Lass,” Laddie said softly. “Scream as loud as you can. Will you do that for me?”

Elizabeth brushed away the tears and looked back to Stormy. In her young mind, she understood what was happening and quickly drew a deep breath, screaming as loud as she could. Stormy lifted the barrel over his head and threw it into the raging sea. Quickly, Laddie placed his sweaty hand over her mouth, silencing her cries.

“Take her below and keep her quiet,” Stormy demanded when he returned to where she was standing. “Stay with her.”

Laddie nodded his head, then lifted Elizabeth into his strong embrace and carried her below. He sat her on his bunk and knelt in front of her.

“I know you’re scared, Lass,” he told her quietly, wiping her tears from her face. “But you must be strong. Remember this day and remember the man who caused your pain. One day, you will be old enough to understand. Until then, we have to keep you hidden. If Blade finds you, he’ll kill you and all of us.”

“Why did my mama do that?” she sobbed quietly.

“Because the captain made her do it.”

“I hate him,” she growled softly.

“Keep that hatred hidden, Lass, or it will be your undoing. One day you’ll understand everything that happened here today, and you’ll be old enough to face him. When that day comes you’ll be strong enough to fight him.”

“I’ll never be able to fight him,” she sobbed again, her heart heavy with grief. “He’s too big, and he scares me.”

“You will stand against him, Lass,” Stormy said, entering the room a few moments later, followed by a large group of men. “We’ll teach you everything we know, and we’ll keep you from that bloody bastard until the day comes when you’re ready to face him down.”

The men entered the room, each one taking his knife from his side and slicing his hand, exposing his blood to the air. They reached forward and together placed their hands on top of her head, allowing their blood to soak into her hair.

“We vow to you here and now,” Stormy said in pledge to the girl, “With our blood, we promise you our loyalty, our trust, and all of our faith. You are one of us, Lass, and to you, we give our lives in protection. When the time comes, we will support you and follow you as you order.”

Elizabeth sniffed her tears away, as the men removed their hands from her blood moistened hair, each one kissing her on the cheek.

“I promise you Lass,” Stormy said once the others had left. “One day you will have your revenge. One day, you will bring your mother’s death, honor. When that day comes, you will know what you need to. When that day comes, you will know how to kill him.”