Land

"Does anyone have a ribbon to tie my hair back with?" Sarah asked. The women went from being exhausted and depressed to frantic and excited at the mention of land ahead. They were almost there! Even Sophie tried to tame her red mane. Sophie had beautiful long dark red hair, when she tended it that is. Right now it was more of a frizzled mop. She tried to smooth it down and push it away from her sweaty face.

Sophie pulled Sarah's hair back, smoothing it the best she could and tied it in a small ribbon. She did the same for Kathryn. Kathryn's head was hot and wet with sweat. Her fever was still burning on. Sophie was worried about her, she was so glad this horrible journey was nearly over and prayed that her new husband would be kind and take care of her. Despite the fever, Kathryn's mood was a massive improvement. They were all rejuvenated with the news of land.

The crew let them come above deck to see the land on the horizon. Sophia's hair blew about her face in the wind but it felt incredible. One of the deck hands pointed to the dark line on the horizon.

"There!" he said excitedly. "There is where we will make port." He had to yell so they could hear him against the rushing wind. Sophie could barely make out the spot of land he was pointing at but when she recognized it her heart leapt with excitement.

"Oh my! I see it I see it!" she called to her friends. "Look!" She pointed in the direction.

"Where?" Sarah squinted. "Oh that. Is that it? Wow it seems an awful way off."

"Aye, it tis," One of the deck hands said. "We will be there before nightfall.

"Nightfall," Sarah said disappointedly. "That is still hours away." There was a tremor in her voice like she was near tears.

"Gives us all the more time to make ourselves presentable," Sophie offered cheerfully. "Come on girls, let's get below and change out of these rags."

They followed Sophie as she weaved through the storage and luggage in the back of the ship looking for her trunk.

"Ahh, here is mine. Has anyone else found there's?"

"I've only got but what I am wearing," Sarah said quietly.

Kathryn pulled out a very small bag near Sophie's trunk claiming it as hers. As it turns out, Kathryn and Joane only had one change of clothing and as Sarah said, she had none. Sophie lent one of her dresses to Sarah. Sarah tried to refuse.

"Absolutely not, a new bride must have a clean dress. You can't possibly meet your husband in the state you are in." She gestured to Sarah's filthy blue dress and shoved her blush pink dress into her arms. Sophie didn't like her pink dress anyway, so while she was being generous, she felt a little guilty giving Sarah her unwanted clothing.

Sophie was pleasantly surprised that the pink dress looked beautiful on Sarah. It complimented her skin tone and blond hair perfectly. Where her own wild red hair always clashed with the color.

"Well you clean up nice!" Joane said when she saw Sarah. "You're new husband is going to want to rip it right off you."

"Oh Joane stop!" Sarah's face flushed bright red with embarrassment. "You don't look so bad yourself," she said after she recovered.

"You all look devine," Sophie declared. "Here someone lace me up," Sophie said, turning her back to Joane who gladly obliged.

"This is really fine fabric Sophie," she said rubbing the fabric between her fingers.

"Oh thank you," she said with a half smile.

Joane hesitated, wanting to ask Sophie more questions. She had assumed that they were all from similar backgrounds but it was becoming increasingly apparent that Sophie had a more affluent family. Sophie hadn't told them much about her past.

"Sophie," Sarah said. "What made you decide to come to the New World anyway?"

Sophie shrugged, "Oh you know, same reason you all chose this."

"Hmm, I think maybe you had a few other reasons," Joane said, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Fine," Sophie's hands dropped to her side. "My father died, my cousin inherited our fortune, we lost all our money and this was my mother's solution." Sophie looked down at the floor and chewed on the inside of her cheeks. Her lip quivered as she thought about that last day in her home. She had never really gotten along with her mother but that was the ultimate betrayal. Her mother exchanged her happiness and future for her own security.

"Oh Soph," Joane said. "I'm so sorry. That must be very difficult."

"It is," she said shortly. "But crying doesn't do anything for me. And I have all of you." She took their hands in her's. "Here we are together. Let's go meet our new future," she said with an encouraging smile.

"Yes, we have each other." Kathryn echoed.

Sophie pulled her favorite yellow dress over her head and shimmied into it.

"That is gorgeous." Sarah gaucked.

"Do you think it is too much?" She brushed the front of her dress and adjusted the skirts.

"Not at all, you look stunning," Joane assured.

They stood on the deck for hours watching the land grow in front of them on the horizon. Sophie could hardly believe that they couldn't see it earlier, now it sprawled out in front of them, vast and daunting. It looked beautiful, to be sure, they could see miles of trees and mountains in the distance, but it was so mysterious and foreboding. Sophie swallowed hard and linked arms with Sarah for support.

"I know I talk a big game," Sophie whispered. "But I am completely terrified."

Sarah patted her hand reassuringly. "I know love, we all are."

The ship everso painfully and slowly made its way towards the dock. The women looked on at the small city before them as it grew bigger. They saw someone run from the dock back into the walls of town and shortly thereafter people slowly making their way to the dock. At first they all looked like ants scurrying around on shore but the people gradually started taking shape.

As the lines were thrown to the people awaiting on the dock Sophie was able to see individual faces. They were hard dirty bearded faces with a few disheveled women scattered among them. Sophie swallowed hard again. Sarah grabbed onto her hand, gripping it tightly.

"Soph, they look terrifying."

They were a stark contrast to the buttoned up English men Sophie was used to.

"Well, they don't call it colonization because it is a walk in the park," Sophie tried to say encouragingly. "Don't judge a book by its cover and all that."

"Right," Joane scoffed. "Good Lord which one of these wildebeests am I to be shackled with?"