The Widowmaker

              An hour had passed since Abigail and a dozen other women and children had been herded onto the Widowmaker, a fitting name for the group now comprised of widows and orphans. The ship carried the marks of repaired cannon damage and a hundred names of former crew members carved into the mast, wrapping around it unevenly as a snake coils around a man’s body. They had been locked in a cold, damp hold somewhere in the belly of the ship before ushering out one at a time.

              She had never been a particularly wealthy women before the hordes came from the south to ransack her country, but a life of slavery seemed a less savory option. Had she been able to flee there would have been a chance to start again, now her mind reeled at the thought of being delivered to a brothel or some nobles quarters.  Abigail had already made up her mind if she was ever given the chance to throw her body off the ship she would, to plunge into the ice waters of the sea was preferred over the life ahead of her.

              The heavy door that separated them from the rest of the ship clunked as it was unlocked with an old, heavy, brass key for the eighth time since she had been there. The man with the short beard and dark clothe clothing appeared, the same massive man looming a head taller behind him. Her heart began to pound as her hands grew clammy under his dark, piercing gaze.

“You” the man spoke in a gravely voice as he met her eyes, “It is time to go”.

              Abigail let out a whimper as she got to her feet and approached him, his hand slowly meeting her arm as she met him. The grasp he applied was not rough, nor overbearing, it was that of a husband or father grasping the arm of a loved one. They made their way slowly into the dim hallway they had used to enter the hold, walking it slowly further into the ship.  As they did, the lights grew brighter and the smell of mold and sweat were replaced with the scent of incense burning and meat being roasted.

“What’s your name dear” the man questioned softly.

“Abigail” She responded quietly.

“Welcome to the Widowmaker Abigail” He said, “Our apologies for the delay, we were not able to cast off before those barbarians made it to the docks”.

              They were silent for a few moments before they arrived at another heavy door, unlocked this time they made their way into a small room, the large man that had been escorting them disappearing back down the hallway. Piles of bandages and medical equipment she could not identify laying across a long table that made up one side of the room.  A tall, lanky man in a long red coat making his way onto his feet off an old stool on the opposite side took several long strides forward to meet them.

“Lieutenant” He stated in a deep, pronounced voice, “Who do we have here?”

“Abigail” She responded once again.

“Splendid, Abigail, wont you take a seat for me” He said.

              The lieutenant made his way back the way they had come, shutting the door softly behind him. Abigail met the man’s eyes for a moment before looking down nervously, this stole a chuckle from him as he began to write on a piece of parchment she had not noticed him pick up.

“Are you injured dear?” He questioned softly, “Any lacerations, bruises, legions, or plagues?”

“No sir” She responded with a touch of confidence now, “What is to become of me?”

              The doctor eyed her carefully, staring into her eyes, then examining her arms and throat, ending with any exposed skin that may carry the signs of disease. He wrote several more lines on the piece of parchment before striding over to a door on the opposite end of the room and knocking on it several times.

              A moment later a large man with a dark, heavy coat and a captains hat appeared and smiled at her, a handful of yellow teeth revealing themselves behind a large gray beard.

“Welcome dear, would you walk with me?” He asked as his hand reached out to meet her.

              She accepted the hand reluctantly and the two made their way out of the doctors room into another short hallway that took them into a large room filled with tables and chairs, plates of food and drink, and the braziers that held the sweet smelling incense. Her sisters and neighbors that had already been taken out of the hold sat together on one side, talking slowly and giggling before seeing her.

“Abigail!” One shouted before nearly tripping over a dress that she had not had on before they had come aboard, “Isn’t it great, they’re taking us away, to the church across the sea”.

“I do not understand” she questioned the man, “We aren’t slaves?”

“No dear, I gave that life up a long time ago” The captain said solemnly, “My life has always been forfeit to these waters, I no longer wanted to be one of the monsters that lurks in them”.

He smiled down at her before turning to take his leave.

“Thankyou sir” Abigail said.

“Aye, darling” he responded softly before shutting the door behind him.