Chapter 23: More new crew members

24 August, 1686 Evening

It was evening by the time Isabel and Teresa had made there way back to the Maidens Revenge. After they had climbed aboard Claire greeted them, "Isabel, and this is Teresa I presume."

Isabel smiled, "Hi Claire, yes this is my sister."

"Welcome Teresa, I'm Claire," Claire greeted the girl extending her hand.

"Hi," Teresa responded softly very nervous about meeting all these new people, and also nervous about being in a place that was completely foreign to her.

Constance smiled and offered her hand to Teresa while saying, "Hello Teresa, welcome, I'm Constance."

"Hello Constance," Teresa smiled timidly taking Constance's hand.

"Ah yes, so at last, Teresa. Why, shame on you Isabel, she's even prettier than you led us to believe, Jack Scarlet at your service M'lady," Scarlet said as he took Teresa's hand and kissed the back of it lightly while noting that the newcomer was indeed a handsom-looking young woman with a brilliant smile and masses of soft, curly hair.

Teresa blushed red.

"Pay him no mind Teresa. Jack does that to all of us," Isabel told her sister humorously.

"Nice to meet you Teresa, Aba, gunners mate," Aba stepped forward greeting Teresa with his deep resonate voice while offering an unrestrained bow.

"Hello Aba," Teresa returned his greeting shyly.

Dancort came forward then extended his hand to Teresa and said, "Welcome, Ihon Dancort, ships carpenter."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Dancort," Teresa returned his greeting.

"Ihon," he offered smiling.

"Ihon," she smiled back.

"Captain," Isabel addressed Carmen calling her over, "I'd like to introduce my sister Teresa," her hand rested on the young girl's shoulder. Then to Teresa she said, "Teresa, this is Carmen O' Daire, Captain of the Maidens Revenge."

"Welcome aboard the Maidens Revenge Teresa," Carmen greeted the girl with extend hand.

"Oh... thank you for having me Captain," Teresa returned bashfully yet obviously very impressed by Carmen's title.

"You are more than welcome Teresa," Carmen responded smiling, "Isabel is like a sister to us, and in time I hope you come to feel likewise. As a matter of fact was it not for the daring and strength of your sister none of us would even be here right now. Your sister is a very courageous young woman."

Teresa turned her gaze toward Isabel and looked at her sister with open admiration and new found respect, "Really?"

"Indeed," Claire confirmed.

"To be sure, we owe that sister of yours a lot," Constance validated.

It was then Isabel's turn to blush.

Isabel quickly changed the subject seeking to conceal her discomfiture at being praised, "And where is Cog?" She asked, even though she had already speculated why Cog was not onboard.

"He went for supplies," Carmen answered rather weakly.

Isabel laughed, "Oh Carmen, how dim-witted do you judge me? I'm persuaded to believe you asked Cog to keep watch over me and Teresa did you not?"

"Guilty as charged," Carmen confessed openly laughing just as Cog came up over the rail.

Isabel ushered him over, "Cog, my sister Teresa, Teresa, Cog, ships master boatswain," she introduced the two.

Cog gave an enlightened and courteous smile and overtly patted his left breast.

"Cog is mute but talks to us in many other ways," Isabel explained.

Cog gave a low bow and Teresa curtsied politely.

"Thank you Cog," Isabel whispered with a voice only loud enough that Cog might hear, "it's comforting to know you were looking out for us."

Cog scratched his head looking dumbfounded wondering how she could have spotted him.

"No," Isabel alleged softly, "I did not spot you, I just surmised as much when I discovered you were not onboard."

Cog smiled, then swirling his arm outward he offered another low bow.

"So, Ihon why don't you show Isabel and Teresa their new sleeping quarters," Carmen suggested.

"Right this way Isabel, Teresa," Dancort invited the girls to follow him as he led them toward the forecastle.

What Ihon showed them was that the large double forecastle entrance doors had been replaced by three smaller ones each one leading into its own private cabin area. The door furthermost to port still held several three high crew bunks as before, but the center door opened into a dinning area with a long table and two equally long benches on either side. The table looked large enough to accommodate twenty or more people. The third door, closest to starboard opened up into a cabin fitted out with the same white and gold paint, decor and furnishing as the Captains cabin minus the chart table and only three rather than four bunks.

"This is for you and your sisters," Dancort told Isabel, "couldn't be hav'n nay young lady's bunking with the men crew now could we."

"Oh, Ihon, thank you so much, it's absolutely beautiful. Thank you," Isabel told him as she kissed him on the cheek.

"Mind, I couldn't a finished it without everyone else's help," Dancort responded blushing.

"Thank you everyone," she said looking at each of her shipmates. "But why three bunks? Which of you will be bunking with us?" Isabel asked looking from one to the other women.

"None of us," Claire told her shaking her head, "that bunk is for Maria if she cares to make use of it."

"Oh..." Isabel began to cry with Teresa not far behind her.

"While you were away," Carmen told Isabel, "the entire crew determined that the Maidens Revenge's next port of call shall be La Nouvelle Orleans... if that is agreeable with you of course."

Isabel could only nod, so taken aback was she by their generosity.

For Teresa it had been a whirlwind of meeting new people. All these people seemed to know about her or had heard about her, and she was just trying to remember names, but never in her life had she ever felt as welcome as she had by this crew of pirates. And then they offered to help find Maria... that was beyond anything she could even imagine anyone doing. She concluded that the Captain had not been exaggerating; they did indeed consider Isabel their sister.

That evening and the following day Teresa was shown around the Maidens Revenge, the various duties required for keeping the ship sea worthy and throughout the day she became more comfortable with each of the other crew members. She was surprised to discover that the male crew members were all kind, helpful, soft spoken... especially Cog, ha, ha, and not difficult to look upon... especially Jack Scarlet, ha, ha. She couldn't believe she was actually on a pirate ship, every other pirate she had seen during the yearly fairs were mostly ugly, unkempt, scary, mean and crude, and all had been men. Never before had she even imagined that women too could be pirates.

Isabel supplied Teresa with breeches, shirt, sword and pistol to wear and several minutes later Teresa was transformed from farm girl to pirate. Now correctly suited in her new clothing Teresa looked at herself in the cabin mirror and couldn't contain a smile that became so broad it seemed her face might split. Carmen issued her the duties of assisting Ihon in the galley and seeing to the armory under Aba's supervision and when time permitted to have Isabel, Constance or Claire offer instruction on swordsmanship and pistol training, all of which succeeded in making Teresa feel more like a true crew member and pirate of the Maidens Revenge.

The night before they were scheduled to depart for La Nouvelle Orleans Scarlet who had been on watch called out to the rest of the crew that a small rowboat was approaching. Readying their weapons Carmen, Constance and Claire joined Scarlet at the port rail.