The Sailor's Inheritance

Unexpected Visitor

William stood at the helm of his Lady Rose and stared at the open sea before him. This morning had been unusually serene. The sky was as red as blood while the sun rose over the horizon and the ocean was calm. William listened to the wind brush against the sails as if it were a lover whispering sweet nothings. The Lady Rose creaked softly as she pushed through the water. At her bow dolphins could be seen in the early light playing in the wake. This is what William was in love with. There was no better place to find oneself than on a ship at sea. The freedom he had was unfathomable. He didn't deal with those miserable aristocrats or their taxes. He and his crew took to pirating after running merchant ships for those wealthy rats for years. His first mate John had joined him in his mutiny over the merchant's and since then they have been pirating and making a name for themselves. Most of his crew were wealthy enough to retire but out of the love they shared for William they wouldn't leave until he did.

"One more job and that should be enough to set us up on an island far away for the rest of our lives." William thought as he heard a deck hand coming up the stairs. It was his first mate John, he deducted from the long blonde hair tied back away from his face and the sleek silhouette that he could see climbing closer. John wasn't a small man by any means but he was thinner than Will. He also had a small hitch in his gait from a wound he had received during a scrap they had gotten into with some Spanish sailors.

"Will!" John shouted. Ripping William from his memories of the battle. "William you need to come quick! The men..The men.." he panted.

"John relax." William said as he clasped his hand on his back. John was doubled over from panting which is something William had very rarely seen as John was in great physical shape.

"Will the men..." John began again as be fumbled with his hands as if they could spill the story out faster. "the men found a....uh...a... well in the barrels..the gun powder barrels.. "

William was getting annoyed at this point considering John never stutters and very rarely does he get worked up like this. What in God's name could have him this anxious.

"Will just follow me down!" John shouted out as he whipped around and decided to skip the stairs and took a rope down to the deck like a wild monkey.

William followed without hesitation. Whatever could get his first mate worked up like this had to be something important. As John led the way below deck William just kept thinking about what it could be that is troubling him so much. A gun powder barrel? Perhaps they miscounted and John was concerned we had to go back to port to receive more or to murder those that had shorted them to begin with.

When William turned into the men's quarters he saw every single crew member standing around in a circle. John was ahead of him shoving everybody out of the way.

"Make way! Make way you filthy bilge rats!" John grumbled as he cut the crowd.

Finally William and John were in the inner circle and there in the middle was a powder barrel. It was one of the bigger ones for storing 100 pounds of powder. The lid had been off set and all the men stared at it and then at William as if the barrel contained a disease.

"Well what's all the commotion for?" Will asked loudly looking at each man as he did. These were some of the best men he knew why would they act this way over a barrel. All of them shifted on their feet in nervousness as William walked up slowly to the barrel and removed the lid.

"God save us." he heard John mutter as he finally saw the cause for the fear.

A beautiful dark haired and fair skinned woman had been stuffed inside the barrel, And from the material and style of her gown she was a woman of status there was no doubt.