The cold and wet surrounded her small frame in the darkness. She placed a shaking hand on her head and winced as pain lanced through at her touch. Groaning, she lifted herself off the ground to be on her hands and knees, trying to get her bearings.
Water sloshed around her hands... dirty water... she noted. The last thing she could remember was the shuddering jolt of the ship she was on, and the feeling of being swallowed up by the cool yet comforting sea water. What was meant to be an end to her troubles, she thought grimly, seemed to only be the beginning of new ones.
Shouts could be heard above deck and she turned to face the only rays of light coming in through the trap door. Which ship she was on was the biggest question at the moment. Looking around, she took herself to be in the hold of the ship; barrels and crates surrounded her small jail on all sides. Nothing looked familiar and based on her poor memory before hitting the water, she could only conclude that the ship she had previously been on had sunk, but who caused it? Was she in their ship now? Or had someone else picked her up?
A man's scream pierced her thoughts, and she began to realize that wherever she was, it was not friendly to her, if the jail she was in and the scream above was any indication. Time to plan. Nothing was within her reach. Ugh. She stretched out to the barrels, but her finger tips could only brush up against the wood. Even if she could reach them, she thought, there was likely not much to use. She looked down at herself. Pity, she mused, she had actually liked the dress she had on, though now it was irreparably tattered and soiled. Nothing on her person would be helpful, and nothing was in her cell except mud and water sloshing around. Well...
**
The body of the crew member from The Hanover flopped over the railings of the deck. The crew cheered, glad to be rid of the screaming guppy. He certainly would not have made a formidable addition to the crew of The Black Rise.
As the crew laughed, the Captain looked over the horizon, considering the girl below deck and what he should do with her. He had taken girls to be sold, some to be ransomed, and some irritated him just enough to be left screeching in the bow waves.
"Jim, Toad, go get the girl an tie her to the foremast."
"Yes Captain!"
**
Kneeling in her small jail, she waited and watched as the trap door opened to let two men climb down. The first, was slight and short, but he had a distrustful gleam in his eyes that she took in immediately. The second man was a bit older, and looked slower. The first would have to be her target.
She tried not to shake as the men laughed whilst unlocking her cell.
"Come with us easily, girly, and we might persuade the Captain to let us keep ya!"
She glared at the small man as he laughed at her, but meekly put her head down to stoop through the door. Just as the small man's hand was about to come around her arm to grab her, she wheeled around with the largest mud pie she could keep in her hands and smashed it into his face.
She wasted no time with the man's shock giving her precious seconds to bolt towards and up the trap door, the larger man only taking the time to let out a booming laugh at his crew member's muddy face, dripping with stale dirt and water.
While the laughter shocked her, she didn't let it slow her down as she made her out of the hold, and up a second ladder to the deck; the trapdoor screaming of freedom as the sun shone through the thick latticework.
"Nnnmmphh!!!" She struggled as strong hands grabbed her from both sides, lifting her kicking form fully onto the deck. Her face reddened as she heard the laughter of the crew directed to her failed escape attempt. The men who grabbed hold of her simply lifted her to the foremast and began to tie her up as easily as if she were a rag doll.
