Snippet #1250924

“What in God’s name was that?” Maggie looked up from the journal she’d been writing in at the noise above that sounded like an explosion. Oddly enough, it wasn’t fear that trickled down her spine, it was excitement. Perhaps it would be different if she’d known that explosion had been aimed at them, and that they were being pursued by pirates and enemy ships, but at the moment she was simply glad that her boredom was momentarily relieved. A woman not pron to idleness, the last eight days had been hellish for Maggie, whom had little else to do but read and write in her cabin once she’d finished examining the ship.

Once the initial shock of the noise wore off, Maggie stuffed her journal in her shoulder bag before pulling out her spy glass, and her pistol; both of which had been procured at the market in Vors. Her brother-in-law had been wary of letting Maggie travel alone, insisting it was not safe for a woman to travel unaccompanied, but with another baby expected due within the month, he could hardly go himself. Maggie had initially resented his comment that more than suggested weakness, but had decided that it did perhaps hold some merit. Her solution however, was to purchase a means of defending herself. And so she had a pistol, along with some extra rounds and powder in her bag, though she’d never expected to need to use them.

Once on deck, Maggie saw chaos. Men running around to arm themselves, following orders from the captain, and most concerning, the ships on the horizon coming their way, with at least one frying the loathsome Tri-color of the Tordarian Navy.

“Blasted interfering baphoons!” Maggie swore under her breath. Perhaps it was her original nationality, but Maggie had not liked the Tordarians before the war, and she was much less fond of them now. Dashing to the rail, Maggie opened her spyglass first to look upon the Tri-color ship, then to the three on the horizon. No colors usually meant pirates, that much she knew, which didn’t bode well for their ship, as it was a merchant vessel carrying valuable goods. Not to mention being captured by pirates was a bloody and often unpredictable business. Depending on the type, they could all find themselves with slit throats, ransomed, or sold into slavery. None of which sounded particularly appealing. Suddenly, Maggie was quite glad she’d bought the gun.