Summer - 1794

Elizabeth sat on her bunk, her head resting in her hands. Her once sore muscles no longer ached. The years of hard work and blisters had toughened her body to the perfect picture of physical endurance. There wasn’t a single spot on her that was fat or flabby, except for the large round globes of breasts she was forced to hide.

With a sigh of exhaustion, she removed her shirt, followed by the moist gauze from her throbbing chest. She gently massaged the ache radiating from her nipples, across her breast, and under her arms, wondering once again, why she had to grow these things. She’d be a lot happier without them, especially as large and heavy as they were, and to her way of thinking, there was no reason to have them at all. They were always in the way, and she was constantly concerned with her true identity being found out. The wrappings were painful and hot and her back and neck ached with the weight of them.

She couldn’t help but wonder if other women’s breasts were this size, or if they always seemed to get in the way, as hers did. With a heavy sigh, she lay back in her hammock, closing her eyes as the warm breeze blew down the stairs to settle across her sweaty skin. What was it about breasts that seemed to drive men crazy? As she continued to mature, she found herself having to fight off the attentions of some of the younger, bolder crewmen. Successful as she was, she was tired of worrying about the others wanting to touch her. If she didn’t have these things, it wouldn’t be necessary to sleep with a knife under her pillow.

Elizabeth remained alone in the crews’ quarters, which suited her just fine. She was tired and didn’t much care to listen to the hormonal ranting of the men on deck. They had pulled into port earlier that evening and most of the crew had gone ashore for a well-earned rest. Three ships had fallen to the skill of The Pride’s crew over the past year, and they were all in need of a little relaxation and enjoyment.

Stormy visibly seemed to grow more concerned about Elizabeth with each passing day, which made her feel guilty for being born a female. She was no longer the small child they had pledged their loyalty and blood to. She had blossomed into a beautiful, well-developed young woman and it was becoming increasingly difficult to hide the fact. Several times over the past two months, Elizabeth was forced to knock an occasional man down for trying to grab her butt or making sexual innuendos toward her. Fortunately, she was just as strong as any of the men aboard and more skilled than most. Her lessons and determination had paid off, and now she could beat any man on the ship - with the exception of one.

She had sparred off against Blade only one other time since she was fifteen. On that occasion, she managed to hold him off a bit longer, and probably would have suffered a second scar from him if the lookout hadn’t seen an approaching vessel. Another conquest to take.

That was two years ago, and since then, even Blade didn’t seem anxious to repeat their encounter. She had matured not only physically, but emotionally as well. She no longer cringed in the captain’s presence and had, in fact, stopped stuttering completely whenever she was around him. She was secure and confident in her abilities. She had a keen instinct that managed to keep her out of trouble more than once. She could read a storm and knew what the ship was capable of. When Blade would hide in his cabin, Elizabeth was right there beside Stormy, steering them safely through. She could sense trouble with a perfection that surprised everyone, especially Stormy, who had taught her to listen to the wind itself. Yet never again did she allow herself to become overly confident. She knew if she was as good as she thought, there was bound to be someone who was better. She knew from a very painful experience, becoming arrogant was a deadly mistake she couldn’t allow herself to make again.

With a reluctant sigh, she moved to the barrel of water and was washing up when a noise echoed softly behind her. She quickly slipped her shirt back across her exposed torso, ignoring the bindings completely. She knew it couldn’t have been Blade. He had gone into town as soon as they docked and was undoubtedly in some whore’s bed by now. Besides, he never lowered himself to come into the crew’s quarters. That was beyond the captain’s dignity.

“Are you decent?” a husky voice sounded behind her, causing Elizabeth to smile. Only Stormy would ask before barging into the room.

“I’m dressed if that’s what you mean,” she answered, reaching up and unbraiding her hair.

She had spent so many years with her waist-length hair braided up under a cap, it was always a shock for her to see its dark tresses fall loose about her own shoulders. She was surprised every time she saw her reflection, and almost understood why the men found their trousers uncomfortable when she was around. If she had been a man, she would probably have found interest in her as well.

“The first group has returned,” he told her, stepping further into the room. “It’s our turn. Care to share a bottle of whiskey with me?” Elizabeth chuckled.

The one thing she had prided herself on since becoming a full member of this crew, was her ability to drink any man under the table. Although she could succeed at being the last one standing, she never really acquired a taste for the stuff or the headache that plagued her the following day.

“Naw,” she answered, brushing her hair with the brush she had been given on her seventh birthday. “I’m too tired. I think I’m just going to call it a day and turn in.”

“Come on, you don’t want to be here alone. Besides, we’ll be in port for a day or so, might as well take advantage and live it up now. I’ll even spring for a hot bath for you. What do you say?”

“Do pirates bathe?” she teased, sitting back on her hammock. “You couldn’t prove it by the smells on this ship.”

“Come on,” he urged, smiling through a weather-beaten face.

Elizabeth sighed. She really didn’t mind the idea of leaving the ship for a while. It was just that land made her feel unsteady. She never quite knew how to walk on a city street.

“Let me get dressed,” she said, setting her brush aside.

“I’ll wait outside for you. Don’t take long. I’m as horny as an old badger in heat.”

Elizabeth laughed at the blush he displayed when he realized who he was talking to, then shook her head in amusement as he turned and hurried up the stairs.

She pulled her small trunk of belongings out from beneath her hammock and opened it. She moved the items around, catching sight of the dress her mother had given her on her last birthday they would ever share. She touched the soft folds of velvet as tears pierced her eyes then quickly pushed it aside. She promised her mother she would one day wear it, but she just couldn’t imagine the time would ever come. She’d been on board this ship for fifteen years, and it looked like she would be on it for another fifty. She had dreams of dying aboard this ship, the victim of a bloody massacre caused by Blade the Barbarian.

Retrieving the clean shirt, she kept for shore leave, Elizabeth hurried and wrapped her breasts again, then buttoned the soft red cotton fabric across her tanned arms and torso, before going back up on deck to meet Stormy. She had forgotten about her hair and was about to join her companion when the breeze caught hold of the long tresses, blowing it across her face.

Elizabeth gasped, grabbing it and quickly braided it as she hurried back down to retrieve her cap. She couldn’t believe she had allowed herself to leave the security of the crews’ quarters, with her hair undone. She had never done that, not once in fifteen years, so why did she slip up tonight?

Back up on deck, Stormy stood talking with Blade, they appeared to be in deep conversation as she joined them. Stormy looked at her through warning eyes but Blade merely turned away and staggered back to his cabin. Elizabeth watched the man until he closed his door, then turned back to Stormy who took her by the arm and led her down the gangplank.

“What was that all about?” she asked, once they were a fair distance from the ship.

“He saw you when you came up the first time,” Stormy said quietly, stopping and holding her arm tightly. “What the hell is the matter with you? Don’t you know better than to come up with your hair down? You may as well come up naked. It would serve the same purpose.”

“I’m sorry, I just forgot,” she frowned at the man’s angry grey eyes. “What did he say?”

“He thought you were your mother,” he answered in a hushed tone, seeing the obvious resemblance between mother and child as the years developed her into an adult. “Fortunately, he’s drunk, and I was able to convince him he was seeing things. Just don’t do it again. You could get us all killed.”

“I am so sorry, Stormy,” she said quietly. “I don’t know why I did that. I have never been that careless before.”

“I think you need a break worse than you want to admit.”

The two walked quietly to the tavern, joining Laddie, Swen, and Ching at a table near the back of the room. They ordered another round of drinks and began talking about unimportant subjects. Thoughts of what nearly happened faded from their minds.

The night grew on, drawing into the wee hours of the morning and Elizabeth grew more fatigued with each turn of the clock’s hand. She refused the bath Stormy had offered her, choosing instead to remain at the table, where she could sit unnoticed. They continued talking amongst themselves as most of the patrons kept their eyes diverted, unwilling to get their throats cut by the pirates. The topic of discussion centered on the new items the captain had ordered. A large king-size bed for himself, as well as a set of satin sheets he had heard so much about. He didn’t care much what the crew thought, or what was needed to repair the vessel - that was Stormy’s job - just so long as his own comfort was seen to first. Swen had just finished relaying the list of stores they had secured when Ching cleared his throat motioning his head toward the door.

Standing inside was Blade, his hair tousled from his romp with the whore he had taken aboard earlier, his shirt opened to the waist with one side untucked from his pants. Elizabeth cringed at the man’s arrogance. She couldn’t believe that he actually considered himself handsome. True, she didn’t know any men other than those aboard ship, or what she had seen in the many ports over the years, but she knew of at least a good dozen, more worthy of looking at, then he.

Blade staggered toward the bar and ordered a bottle of whiskey, sitting on a stool and looking around the smoky surroundings. Elizabeth assumed he was scoping out his next prey. He demanded at least three whores per night while they were in port. It kept him relieved until the next stop, he insisted. His eyes caught sight of the men sitting in the corner, his eyes falling deliberately on Elizabeth’s tanned face. It was obvious he didn’t believe Stormy’s excuse that his mind was playing tricks on him, through his fatigue and lack of feminine companionship. She tried to ignore his presence, but it was difficult when she could feel his eyes burning into her.

“Don’t look embarrassed,” Laddie ordered her, just as a whore came and sat down on her slender knee.

Elizabeth nearly choked on her drink, trying hard not to appear shocked.

“Your captain said you were lonely,” she said to Elizabeth, wrapping her arm around her neck.

Elizabeth knew instantly what Blade was doing. If she refused the woman’s affections, he would demand answers, and right now she didn’t have any that wouldn’t prove fatal to herself or the crew.

“I could use with a little diversion,” Elizabeth said, keeping her voice low. She glanced at the others at the table, silently pleading for help.

“I have a room upstairs,” the woman purred, wiggling her behind on Elizabeth’s leg.

Slowly, Elizabeth rose, her arm wrapping around the woman’s waist as she had seen the men do many times before. She drank her cup empty, staring at the others over the rim of her glass. She wasn’t quite sure how she was going to get out of this, but she had to think quickly.

“I’ll get us a bottle,” the whore suggested, walking back to the bar.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Swen leaned forward, nearly gasping out his words.

“How you gonna do this?” he asked her, his face slightly pale with shock.

“I think she’s gonna notice a couple of things that shouldn’t be there and at least one thing that should, once you get undressed,” Ching added, leaning closer to her, his eyes resting on her hidden breasts.

“I’m well aware of that, but look at Blade,” Elizabeth snapped in a hushed tone as all eyes turned back to the man resting against the bar.

His eyes were dark and held a great deal of suspicion, as he examined his crewmen. The whore leaned closer whispering in his ear, her words bringing a small pouch of coins out of his pocket. He paid the woman to tell him everything that happened, which meant there was no escape for Elizabeth now.

“Go upstairs with her,” Laddie ordered, drinking the whiskey down from his cup. “I’ll be along in a minute. Just keep her occupied until I arrive.”

“How exactly do you suggest I do that?” Elizabeth asked in exasperation.

“Offer her a drink and keep her busy,” he chuckled softly.

“What are you going to do?” Stormy asked, his eyes diverting from their captain to the red-haired man sitting at the table.

“Just do what I say, and we may all get out of this alive.”

Elizabeth stood straight, joining the woman at the bottom of the stairs who signaled for her to come along. She tried to keep her features steady, yet her heart was jumping wildly within her strapped breasts. There was no way she could go through with this. She didn’t have the necessary equipment. She glanced back to the captain, who turned away from the eyes of his men, taking his drink in his hand and swallowing it before ordering another. He had no intention of leaving the tavern until his suspicions had been confirmed. For a moment, Elizabeth considered offering a larger amount of money to leave with her secret intact but knew the majority of her stolen booty was hidden back in her trunk, and the wench wasn’t the sort of person to accept an I.O.U.

Laddie stood up, coughing violently as he stumbled over the chair Elizabeth had just abandoned. The crowd laughed as he staggered toward the door, appearing completely wasted. He ran into the wall on his way out of the swinging doors, hooting and hollering as he disappeared into the night’s dark surroundings. Blade glanced at him but chose to place his attention to the couple ascending the stairs.

“Now what?” Ching asked quietly.

“Now, we wait,” Stormy said, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

If it came down to it, he knew the men would surrender their lives for Elizabeth, he just hoped it wouldn’t come to that point, at least not just yet. Upstairs, the woman’s giggles could be heard as she staggered down the hall, and into the room, she rented from the barkeeper. Elizabeth could smell the whiskey on her breath, as well as the nauseating aroma of sweat and cheap perfume, that lingered among the walls and bedding. Her heart was pounding violently. There was no possible way she could go through with this, yet she knew she couldn’t go back downstairs, without either revealing her hidden goodies or satisfying the whore. Elizabeth began to pace the room, wondering where Laddie was and what exactly he had in mind.

Just then she heard a noise on the roof outside the window. The woman continued to pour the whiskey into two dirty glasses, her back turned to Elizabeth. A soft rapping noise brought Elizabeth’s eyes to the window, as she quietly made her way toward it. Outside on the roof was crouched a very sweaty Laddie, his hair moist with perspiration, sticking to his forehead in red curls. It was an unusually humid night, which only added to Elizabeth’s frustration. She turned and tried to open the window but was interrupted by the whore Blade had hired for her.

“A drink before we start?” suggested the woman, handing the glass to Elizabeth, who drank it down in one swallow.

She handed the glass back and asked for more. The whore looked amazed but took the cup and walked back to the dresser.

“Mind if I open the window?” Elizabeth asked, her tone still held deep and soft.

“Not at all,” the woman answered.

Elizabeth quickly pulled the wooden frame up and tried to help Laddie quietly through, but her actions were hindered when his pant leg got caught on an exposed nail on the window sill, causing him to fall to the floor, his arm wrapping around Elizabeth’s shoulder and pulling her down with him. The wench turned quickly at the sound, frowning as Elizabeth struggled to her feet.

“Too much whiskey?” the whore asked, stepping toward her.

Elizabeth quickly jumped on the bed, to avoid revealing Laddie lying hidden on the floor. She took the drink and again swallowed its contents quickly. The woman joined her on the bed, sprawling her bony frame across the soiled covers.

“I’ve been watching you for some time now,” she cooed seductively, running a long finger across Elizabeth’s shirt buttons. “You don’t seem old enough to be a pirate.”

“How old do you have to be to kill a man?” Elizabeth asked, keeping her voice steady, as she had practiced for so many years.

“That’s a good question.”

The woman’s callous laughter nearly made Elizabeth’s mounting nausea unbearable. The smell alone was enough to make her expel her supper, but lying on the same bed with her, caused her heart to pound against her temples. How in God’s name did men do this, she thought, forcing the bile back down her throat.

“Are you religious?” the woman asked, slipping her finger through the silver chain of her necklace, and revealing the diamond cross she had hidden inside her shirt.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes on the woman, seeing the greed shining in her bloodshot eyes. She knew an object such as this would fetch a fine price, but she wasn’t about to give it up so easily.

“No,” she answered honestly, snatching the cross back from the greedy fingers that wrapped around it.

Elizabeth no longer felt the need for religion. She had felt abandoned by God, as well as her grandfather, and didn’t have any intention of trying to acquaint herself with either one.

“It was a gift,” she concluded.

“She must have been a very thankful lady,” the whore said softly. “Will I be as thankful, do you think?”

Elizabeth watched as she reached up and unfastened her top, slipping it off her shoulders. She was amazed, the woman’s breasts weren’t anywhere near the size of her own, which made her curious. How was it she was so large, when this woman, she suspected was close to thirty years, was more like a child? A tug on her sleeve brought Elizabeth out of her trance, just as the woman stood and dropped the remainder of her clothes from her scrawny body.

“Catch the light, will you love,” she ordered, watching as the whore turned toward the lamp.

Elizabeth swiftly rolled off the bed, exchanging places with Laddie in an act that was both quick and silent. With the lights out, Elizabeth was able to edge cautiously out the window, thankful for the moonless night. She sat silently on the roof, allowing her friend the chance to do what he needed, to prove to the whore she was indeed having sex with a man.

Ten minutes passed by before Laddie’s loud grunting echoed through the window’s opening, alerting Elizabeth to the fact that he had finished his task. Minutes later he stood facing the window. He lit a cigarette and handed it to the woman, before lighting another for himself. He slipped his shirt back on, his back to the woman then turned and sat on the window sill, watching until she began searching the dark for her discarded clothing, before rolling out the window, exchanging places once again with Elizabeth.

“I’d say your lady friend was right,” the whore stated as she walked toward the door, the room still bathed in dark shadows. “It was a thankful experience and one I wouldn’t mind repeating the next time you’re in port.”

Elizabeth grunted as the door closed, leaving her to catch her breath in silence. It was a hectic hassle, but one that had done its purpose. The whore went downstairs, informing Blade that the man in her bed had indeed been a man, releasing Elizabeth once again from the hook she was dangling on. She walked back down the stairs, tucking her shirt into her pants as she rejoined her companions, pouring herself a drink from the bottle in front of Swen to steady her nerves. She watched as Blade left the tavern, obviously content with his report.

“So, how was she?” Ching asked with a snort as the other chimed in, laughing at Elizabeth’s expense, as she lowered her head to hide her blush.

Back on board the ship, Swen, Ching, Stormy, and Laddie all laughed at the effort it took to rescue their female companion. Elizabeth wasn’t at all amused, but she was relieved it was over. At least the captain wouldn’t question her gender again for a while. She just had to make certain she was extremely cautious from now on. One more mistake like this one and she would be forced into an act she wasn’t sure she was ready for. Were her skills sharp enough to compete against Blade again, or would she be forced to join her mother in the afterlife?

It was a question she had asked herself for many long years. A question she still did not have an answer to.