The Pirate and the Soldier Boy

Epilogue

The wooden sign over the door creaked in the wind. Rain splattered the dirt road, turning the ground hard packed by years of feet, animals, and cart wheels into a muddy slush.

It was a dreary day, to be sure, but the little shop here in the corner of town minded little. Dreary weather brought anxious customers to the inn. The Gun Barrel always had good business, as was evident by the raucous noise that floated out every time the door was opened.

Inside was a roaring fire, surrounded by worn wooden tables. A slender young woman with her hair tied up by a tattered ribbon walked between tables, serving food and talking to patrons. Anyone who cared to look closely would see the simple gold band on the fourth finger of her left hand. When she passed by, if you happened to turn around you may see the small branded letter P behind her ear, worn now proudly and without shame, or perhaps the hints of long white scars barely showing at the back of her shirt under her collar.

Returning to the counter, the young woman gave the man standing there a kiss as he filled her tray with more pints of beer to serve.

As she left, he watched after her with a smile. He twisted the matching ring on his finger, and ran a hand through his dark brown hair. Strange enough for an inn keeper, he was clean shaven, and only appeared to be in his twenties.

He turned to leave through the back door, and as he left, he removed a jacket from a peg. It hung next to a gift (an old familiar tricorn hat with frayed edges and a long coat with salt staining the seams) from a consoling friend and former crew mate , and a coat that matched Sam's, both blue with white trim, one fairly new, one worn beyond belief, with frayed collar and sleeves, and darker stripes crisscrossing the back, as if something of a different color had soaked through.

As the business wound down for the night, the two lovers sat by the fire, fingers entwined, Carmen's head resting on Sam's shoulder. "I love you, Carma."

She smiled and responded without opening her eyes or lifting her head. "I love you too, soldier boy."