The Tale of Black Mary

The Tale of Black Mary

A beautiful day: no clouds, flat, calm waters, and the smell of the sea drifting in the air. A perfect day to be sitting outside, reading a book or having tea. But not all places were as calm as the day. Not all people had the luxury of sitting around and chatting. Not all places saw a clear blue sky and smelt the fresh air. Oh no.
BOOM “Men, get the canons reloaded! We need to fire again as soon as possible!” BOOM SMASH Pieces of wood flew into the air as the ship was bombarded with cannon balls. As the ships grew farther apart the fires from the enemy grew less and less as the ship tried to sale away unscathed.
“Captain!” A young man came running to his captain who stood aft. “Captain, they be retreatin’!” He exclaimed. “We won!”
“Crew!” Came the hearty cry of the captain after a long moment. “Bring a spring upon her cable!”
The man before his captain gave a surprised look. “What? But captain! We have ‘er on the run!”
“I realize that.” Said the captain. “But nobody makes a run for it after pulling a Yellow Jack over our heads!” With a fist raised, screaming, “Men! Blow the man down!” the captain smiled, long hair blowing in the sudden wind. “No one retreats from Captain Black Mary and lives to tell the tale.” The female smiled, her chestnut hair whirling around her face as she watched the sea beneath her spiral. “Alright men, burn that red ensign ‘till she can fly no more! And make sure the vessel sinks with’er!”
There was a loud “Aye!” throughout the ship as men began loading the canons, readying for the signal. After a few harsh seconds there was a scream and all canons were fired, all but few hitting their target. Within ten minutes the ship before them was immobile as it slowly began to sink.
“Alright crew! Raid her ‘til she’s dry! And kill anyone who proceeds to get in your way!” The Captain of the Bloody Mary smiled as she unsheathed her sword, swinging from her ship to the next. As soon as she landed she proceeded towards the stern of the ship. She held her sword at ready but didn’t expect anything to happen. Most the crew seemed as though they had jumped or had died in the cannon fire.
A few minutes later Mary was beneath the hull in the bilge. She looked around, walking through the murky quarters, seeing a hole to her left. “Hmm…seems to be bilged on her anchor.” She murmured to herself. Looking around for a little while longer she noticed nothing of value and decided to head back up to the top of the ship.
“Well, that was unpleasant.” She whispered as she looked around, hearing nothing. “The rest the crew must be gone.” She said to herself as a sudden movement caught her eye. Up ahead, to her right, a small movement came from a pile of boxes. Cocking an eyebrow and gripping the hilt of her sword the captain of the Blood Mary walked silently over to the pile of square wood.
Scanning it slowly as she stood still she saw nothing. “Aw well, must’ve been a rat.” She shrugged it off but, just as she was about to step away, the front of a box fell off, revealing a small boy curled in a ball inside. “Sink me!” She cried. “Ye be a knave, lad?”
The boy cowered into his safe haven as a cold blade softly met the captain’s neck. “You be a pirate?” Came a strong, calm, male voice.
Mary’s eyes slowly shifted to her right as she let out a long, slow “Aye.” The blade upon her neck slowly began to move, and as soon as it did she spun ‘round, parrying swords with her newest dueling partner. “Aye, I be a pirate, what be you?” She asked, eyes narrowed as she focused on the scallywag before her.
“What reason should I tell you who I am if you won’t live to remember?” He asked coolly, standing as ready as she did.
“Oh, ye thinks ye can beat me in a dual?” She laughed heartily, sliding her blade against his.
“As you filthy pirates would say, Aye.”
The cocky woman smiled, quickly sliding her sword from his and, before he knew what had happened, held it to his throat, his own blade held to the sky by the pirates. “Aye, ye say? Well, if I can be doin’ this, I don’t think ye has much of a chance.”
The man’s eyes narrowed as a few beads of sweat ran down his face. He didn’t bother to speak as he looked to the boy. “If I let you kill me, will you let him go?” He asked finally.
Black Mary’s eyes trailed back to the boy for a second as she looked back to the man. “How ‘bout I take both ye back to my ship? I’ll give ye quarter ‘till we get to land and then ye can be on your way.”
The man continued to glare at the pirate. “You’re offering us shelter after I threatened to kill you?” He asked. “What kind of pirate does that?”
She smiled. “Oi, this kind of pirate does. Now you two get to movin’ before I decide to stick this sword in ye arse.”
The man looked to the boy, who was still cowering, and held out a hand, motioning him to come along. After a few seconds the boy did as he was told, running past the pirate and clinging to his hero. “Alright now, it’s ok.” He hushed as they were ushered back to the Bloody Mary.
Once there, the hands of the ship gathered around the three. “What ye got there, captain? A bunch of bilge rats?” Laughter strung throughout the crowd as the Captain slammed her heavy boot on the boards beneath her.
“Men! Tell me the rules that we pirates, on this ship be followin’!” She gave a stern look to the crowd before her.
“Aye! Never is we to kill a child or woman unless they is to stand in our way!”
“Aye!” She responded.
“But I am no women, nor a child, why not kill me?” Her guest asked.
Black Mary smiled to him. “Oh, trust me lad, ye fight like a starving wench.” There was another bustle of laughter as she led the two men to their quarters. “Aye, ye get to be stayin’ here tonight. And if anyone of these mates gets to botherin’ ye, just holler for me, Black Mary.”
The man’s eyes widened. “Black Mary.” He whispered. “Wait,” he called as he stood, “you mean to tell me—“
“You two have a good night now.” She told them, almost in a whisper, as she shut and locked the door.
“Wait!” The man called, banging his hands on the door that was slammed in his face. “Damn.” He cursed to himself as he slowly turned around, taking in what was to be his new home. There was one small bed, a desk, a light, some paper, a pen, two chairs, blankets, pillows, and what looked to be a garbage can.
“Brother, it smells in here.”
The man looked to the boy sitting on the bed, hugging his knees to his chest. “Yes, Jake, I know.” He smiled and walked over to the bed, sitting beside him. “But we are just going to have to bear with this for a while longer.”
“Are we going to return home? Or is that mean pirate lady going to keep us here forever?”
“Don’t worry Jake, I’ll protect you with my life. I promise.”
“But brother! She beat you in that sword fight didn’t she? How are you going to be able to beat her if—“
“Jake, please!” He screamed, taking a deep breath. “Listen, I know what happened. And now that I know who she is---“ He smiled lightly. “I know how to handle it.”
|---Tipsy Turvy, Jack and Scurvy. High and Heavy, Bloody Mary---|
“So cap’n, why didn’t ye just kill those two on bored that ship? Any good reason at’ll?” A man, only about five feet five inches tall, bald, and somewhat chubby sat next to his captain in her quarters, sipping a mug of rum.
“Aye.” Black Mary responded, already occupied with the map on her desk.
“And what might that be? Might I be askin’.”
“To stand by our code, that’s the reason.” She said bluntly, looking to the compass at the top right hand of her desk. “Which way do ye think we should sail, Master Giles? To the west or east?”
“The west, cap’n, we already be headin’ east.” He lifted his mug to his lips, taking a rather large chug of the alcohol. “But captain, ye sure there ain’t no other reason as to why you brought them ‘board?”
The once occupied woman looked up to her matie. “What ye be sayin’, Giles?”
“Nothin’ really, I just mean to say that wenches, just as men, tend to get that cravin’.”
“Wenches, maybe!” She yelled, angered. “But I, the captain of the Blood Mary, known about the land for her sword and her words? You best be watchin’ your tongue you bilge rat!”
Giles cowered slightly in his chair, making sure his rum was out of the way of his captain’s rage. “Aye cap’n, sorry ‘bout that. It’s just, I can’t seem to be findin’ a good reason for what ye be doin’ with them!”
“Dead men tell no tales, Master Giles.”
“Aye sir, that be the reason for killin’ ‘em.”
“Giles, the Bloody Mary is know for many things, one of them bein’ the fact that we aren’t just bloody thirsty things!” There was a small DING from somewhere in the room, stopping the conversation for only a second. “Listen Giles,” Mary continued as she stood, “I want that bit of our reputation to stay, so that’s why I be lettin’ these lads go. And mark my words,” she looked to him angrily, “you tell anyone on this ship that I kept them for pleasure, you’ll be gettin’ a taste of the cat!” Giles nodded fiercely as she exited the quarters, drinking what was left of his rum in a single swig.
“Pleasure? Please! I get enough pleasure from me treasure!” Mary scoffed, shaking her head as she walked up a few slim stairs to a man who stood at the wheel. “You rang, Beelz?” She asked the man, stopping as she looked over waters.
“Aye, sir. What way we be goin’?”
“West, Beelz, we already be headin’ east, or so I’ve been told.”
“Aye, captain. East be the way we headin’, but not for long.” Beelz slowly began to turn the wheel of the ship as Mary nodded, looking about. Suddenly the ship rocked, knocking the girl off her feet, causing her to run into someone behind her. “Oi. Sorry ‘bout that. Thanks for the catch though ma—“ She froze when she noticed the person holding her was the man she took in earlier. “Hey!” She screamed, turning around and backing away. “How did you get out of—“
“Some man named Giles let me out and told me that you wanted to see me. I see now that that was only a trick. Perhaps treason?” He asked, face dull.
“Aye, treason.” She muttered, obviously angered by her mate’s actions. “Well, might as well get ye back to your quarters then.” She told him, leading him down the stairs.
“Captain!”
“Yes Beelz?”
“Someone dropped the anchor.”
“What?” Mary turned around quickly, heading down to the deck of her ship where most her men were crowded into a circle. “Who here dropped the anchor?” She screamed.
“Brother! Help!” Came the small scream of a boy from within the crowd. The man behind Black Mary moved forward, stopped by the strong hand of the captain on his chest. “Move!” He shouted.
The woman’s eyes slowly drifted back to him. “This is my crew, so you will let me handle it.” She told him darkly, walking over and through her men, reaching the boy in the middle. “Men, what ye be doin’ here?” She asked, looking directly to the man who was dangling the boy over the edge of the boat by his shirt.
“Um, nothin’ Captain.” The man replied.
“Nothin’?” She shouted, raising a finger to the fish bait. “You call that nothin’ you scallywag? You be lettin’ ‘im go before I shot ya!”
“But Cap’n sir! We wasn’t gonna hurt ‘im! I swear! We was only—“ He stopped as a gun barrel kissed his forehead.
“You better let my brother go or I’ll send this bullet right though your skull.”
The pirate stared at the man in the eyes, slowly looking to his captain who stood there, eyes stern and unmoving. “You best do it.” She told him.
The man’s eyes narrowed as a small smirk came across his face. “Aye, captain.” He hissed, dropping the boy right over the side of the ship. “Oops, me bad.” He looked to the elder brother before him. “Ye can’t be shootin’ me…I let ‘im go.”
“Why you—“
“Aye mate, we be takin’ care of ‘im.” Master Giles stepped up, putting a hand on the man’s shoulder. “You just be getting’ to your,” there was a loud splash, “brother.” He paused, looking around. “Hold on! Where’s the cap’n?” He shouted. Quickly the entire crew ran to the railing, looking over to see their captain swimming across the waters towards a flailing boy.
“Jake!” The elder brother screamed, getting ready to jump off the ship himself only to be held back by Giles.
“No matie, ye have no need to be doin’ that now that the cap’n be in those waters. Ye can just simply sit back and wait for her to come ba—“
“Come back! Is that seriously how you think ‘bout it, Giles?” The man who had dropped Jake asked.
“Why of course it is Dan! What else I be thinkin’ ‘bout?” Giles asked, taking his hand from the man’s shoulder.
“Well what I be suggestin’ is that we all start to getting’ and leave that lousy half-witted cap’n behind.” He smiled, pointing with his thumb to the captain in the water. “Then we could take the ship for ourselves, throw these two lubbers over board an’—“
BANG
Dan’s eyes opened wide as his body fell forward, dead. There was a hole in his head and one in his back, where his heart was. “Sorry mate,” spoke Giles, “but I can’t be havin’ ya maroonin’ me captain.”
“And I can’t let you shove me and my brother away.”
Giles looked up to the man, sticking out a hand. “Me names Giles.” He introduced.
“Walker. Roy Walker.” The man replied, shaking the pirate’s hand with a bit of hesitation.
“Aye, Roy Walker. Welcome to the Bloody Mary.”
|--All For One and One For All, The More Ye Get the more Ye Fall--|
“Thank you Miss.” Came the innocent voice of Jake, the ten-year-old Mary saved only two hours ago. Now, two hours later after the killing of a treasonous crewmate and the saving of the boy, Black Mary and her guests, Jake and Roy Walker sat in her quarters. Jake was wrapped in a warm blanket, holding a warm glass of water, Roy not letting him drink any form of rum, while Captain Black Mary and Roy Walker sat facing each other, talking.
“Aye lad, you’re welcome. Now if ye could stop interrupting that would be most pleasant. Aye?” She asked, giving him a warm smile.
The ten-year-old jumped slightly, smiling as big he could. “Aye, captain!” He screamed happily.
Mary smiled, laughing lightly as Roy put his hands on his brother’s shoulders, pushing him back down. “Jake, quiet! And don’t be saying that!” He told him in a hushed whisper. “I don’t want you to turn into a pirate.”
“But brother! You’r—“ Roy quickly clapped his hands over his brother’s mouth, silencing him even though the boy struggled.
“Sorry about that.” He told the Captain, showing his first sign of a smile, even thought it was a nervous one at best.
“He has quite the--imagination.” She told him, smile fading.
“Yes, unfortunately.” He spoke softly, letting go of his brother’s mouth. “Now be quiet while me and Black Mary here talk, alright Jake?” He asked. The boy nodded, holding the mug of warm water close to his chest.
“Alright, so then we get back to our conversation.”
“Aye, and you don’t have to be talkin’ like no pirate any longer now that it’s just me.”
Black Mary smiled. “Guess you’re right, Roy Rogers.” She smiled. “It’s been a while.”
“Aye, it has. ‘Bout five years.” He corrected, leaning against the back of his chair. “So, how long ye be knowin’ who I was?” He asked.
“Well,” the captain started, “since we first picked you up I knew something was familiar about you. And then, when you said your name was Roy Walker I pretty much figured it was you. But then, when Jake here slipped the word,” Rogers glared at his brother, who cowered, “I knew I was right.”
“Aye, good job Ms. Black. It is a wonder to see how ye beat me to that red ensign though, I was for sure we was the one to sink her.”
“Oh, no, Mr. Rogers! You didn’t actually think that, did ye? You know I’ve always been a better captain and pirate than you, right?” She asked with a laugh. She cocked an eyebrow in confusion as she watched the man stand, walking towards her. “What ye be doin’, Roy Rogers?” She asked as he put both arms on the table strait behind her, surrounding her, faces close.
“I be doin’ somethin’ that be long over due.” He explained, leaning in toward her.
“Aye, Rogers, but,” she put a hand to his lips, stopping what was to be a kiss, “you lost that privilege a long while ago, and you know that.”
He pulled away, smiling down to her. “Aye, I was just seeing if I got a second chance.”
“Pirates never get a second chance, Rogers. “
The man nodded. “Aye, I understa—“ He jerked suddenly, losing his balance and falling over Jake, who yelled in fright. “What was that?” He screamed.
Black Mary stood up quickly, gaining her balance as she ran to the door, shouting, “Gun fire! To your stations! Now!”
There was scrambling as all hands were running around the deck, setting sails and yanking ropes. The captain of the Blood Mary walked around the ship, screaming orders while Roy Rogers followed behind her. “Men! Who be shootin’ at us?” She screamed. A man from the crows nest above shouted down the answer.
“It’s a black ship, cap’n! With black sails as black as night and a torch—“
“—Shining to the heavens.” The woman barred her teeth angrily. “The Godsend.” There was a quick parry of sword as the captain of The Godsend came down upon her.
“Aye, Black Mary, I’ve come for ye ship.”
Her eye’s narrowed. “It was all a set up, from the very beginning.” She muttered. “There really is no treason among pirates, is there?” She screamed, shoving the man off her, sword to his throat. “The Bloody Mary sails under my command, Rogers! No one else may take her and no man can handle her!”
The pirate laughed, pushing her sword away with one finger, only to have it come back, this time before his heart. “Ye thinks ye can stop me, Ms. Mary?” He asked, bringing his own sword to tap the bottom of her chin. “Ye know Roy Rogers can not be stopped, right?”
“Wrong.” In a quick flash of swords and feet the two captains parried swords yet again, this time in a dual. “Ye will see how wrong ye are, Rogers, and you will have that fate brought upon ye by a woman.”
“Really? We then, show me how well ye can fight. It has been a while since we last loved—“
“I never loved ye Rogers, and never will I! Not even if I have a sword as me heart and death as me bed.”
“Strong words from such a passionate young lady.” He spat, quickly swinging his sword, his enemy blocking every attempt at injury. “And a strong blade. Something I should be expectin’ from you.”
“Aye, somethin’ ye should be.” After a minute of sparing there was another shot fired at the Blood Mary, shaking the entire boat, causing Black Mary to stumble backwards.
“Aye, I got ye now, wench!” Rogers screamed, driving his sword down towards the captain of the Blood Mary as she landed against a railing.
SHING
Blood dripped on the wet wooden floor. “Aye, should have never doubted ye.” Came the cold, quiet, rough voice of Rogers.
“Aye, ye never should have.” Mary pulled the bloodied sword from her body, holding in a gasp as blood spilled on the ground. “Almost, ye scallywag, almost.”
“Aye, almost.” Roy Roger’s eyes suddenly turned dull as he fell back, sliding from the sword that stuck through his throat, rolling with the rocking of the ship, gone forever to Davy Jone’s Locker.
The woman stumbled as they were bombarded with cannon fire. “Men!” She yelled, grasping the hole in her stomach. “Keep her steady and get her away from that ship!”
“Cap’n! Cap’n! You’re hurt, Cap’n!” Giles came running up to his Captain, catching her as she fell with the rock of the ship.
“Aye, Giles. I don’t believe I’ll be makin’ it through this.” She told him, coughing up a bit of blood.
“But sir!”
“Giles! Listen to me!” She coughed in between her words, the blood being washed away quickly. “If I don’t pull through, I want you to take her over. I want you to take the Blood Mary.”
There was some silence between the two before the man nodded. “Aye, sir.”
“Good man, Giles, Now here, take this.” She handed him the sword with witch she killed a once great man. “This is yours now.”
“And what about that one, cap’n?” He asked, pointing to the sword that was once The Godsend’s captains.
“Send it to the bottom of the sea with me. When I meet Rogers in Davy Jone’s Locker at the bottom of these waters, we’ll be havin’ a fight over it.” She smiled. “I want to kill that scallywag one more time Giles, just one more—“
“Cap’n? Cap’n!” After a few seconds Giles hung his head. “Aye Cap’n, good luck.” He whispered. “Crew!” He shouted. “Get the Bloody Mary away from that Godsend and get us some good shelter!” He looked to his deceased captain. “We are going to be needing some time to ourselves.”
| --“Aye,” said the matie to the parrot so true, “a sea so rived, so flat, and so blue.
“Caw” said the parrot to the matie so stern, “the lessons you live are the lessons you learn.”--|