Antonio sighs, as he scans the vast ocean. It was calm, and the sounds that are audible are the chattering of his crew, and the sounds of boots stomping on the wooden floor of the ship's deck. "It's quiet. A bit too quiet," he mutters.
"Indeed it is." Magellan stands beside him. "Calming to your mind, and helps you think."
"Si, but what is currently on my mind is whether we'll reach any land soon, or not," Antonio replies.
"Please, do not lose hope. We will see an island or two, very soon." Magellan pats Antonio's shoulder.
"I hope you are not wrong, Ferdinand."
Suddenly, the crew starts to hustle and bustle, seemingly excited of whatever they saw in the distance. "Una isla! Land over there!" one of the crew members shouts. Antonio and Magellan look over the ship's railings, and shore is what they saw, indeed. "See, Senhor Antonio?" Magellan says with a smile. Antonio returns the smile, and commands to lower the boats. Magellan, him, and a few soldiers and crew members hops in, and begins to row towards this newfound land.
x-x
Antonio steps into the shore of the island. The natives greet them, who looked at them suspiciously, and some hiding behind the bushes. But one native stood out.
Her beauty mesmerized Antonio and the men. She was decorated with fabrics, necklace shells, flowers and tattoos on her face, yet she is only a child. A couple of men stand close to her, as they speak in their language. She, then, replies in a voice so small, but beautiful, and so calming. Antonio looks at her in awe, as the child walks closer. She speaks in her own language, but in a tone as if she's asking.
The Spanish didn't know what to say, whether he should speak English or his language. The lady figured he couldn't understand, so she spoke again, slower, this time. He turns to Magellan and whispers, "I don't know what she's talking about."
"Me neither, nor the rest of the men," he whispers back. Then, one of Magellan's men says, "Perhaps I will help!"
Antonio Pigafetta is his name, the assistant of Ferdinand Magellan. He scrambles to his feet and approaches the two. "Maybe I can interpret what she says, for you to understand," says he. The trio look over to the child who is gazing at them with curiosity. Pigafetta kneels before the girl, and talks to her like how an adult speaks to his child. He turns to the country and Magellan, and says, "She says she wants to know who you are. I told her, though she does not understand."
"Well, of course she doesn't," says Antonio.
"Perhaps, I'll try to learn their language and communicate with them," replies Pigafetta.
"We don't have the time."
"We have all the time in the world, my country. Just be patient!" Pigafetta smiles at Antonio. The little child looks at one of the men beside her. The man had tattoos all over his body, and an animal skin was wrapped around his waist. He had a grumpy look on his face, suggesting that he is quite cautious of the newcomers. He spoke in the unknown language, and points to one of the men clad in armour, and the swords that he has in hand.
"I think he's asking what those are…?" Pigafetta speaks.
"It's called a breastplate," Magellan says in a slow manner, and pats on the breastplate on one of the men. "It is to protect us from being injured."
"Buuurest… Plet?" the child slowly repeats.
"Very good!" Antonio exclaims. He kneels to the level of the child, and says, "My name is Antonio Fernandez Carriedo!" He tries to teach the child to say his name.
"Ann… to… nyo?" the child repeats again.
"Si! Si, hija! You get it!" Pigafetta giggles at the sight of Antonio being excited. Suddenly, another native came, shouting in their language. He was different. He was dressed in red fabrics, and like the others, he had tattoos.
He opens his arms wide, and continues to speak about something, as he points to the sky and bows down to the Spaniards. "I suppose they think of us as people sent from the heavens. Like the giant men we once visited," says Pigafetta.
"Why does every native think of us that way?" one exclaims.
"Hey, you never know when someone will go against us," says another.
"All right, men. That's enough," Juan Serrano, the captain-general of Santiago, steps into the field. "So, do wake make trading with these people or what?"
"Perhaps so, but first, we must introduce them to Christianity!" says Antonio. The man with the red fabrics, assuming to be the tribe leader, stands and approaches them, still speaking in the unknown language. He holds the hand of Magellan, and leads them to their tribe. However, the grumpy native from earlier stops the tribe leader, and talks to him about something. The tribe leader calms him down, and reassures him. He turns to Magellan, and speaks slowly, pointing to the swords, and making gestures.
"I think he wants us to show what we're capable of," translates Pigafetta.
"All right then, let's have a bit of a duel!" Juan commands his men to do so. After that, two men volunteered, and start fighting. The sounds of the clanging of the swords attracted more natives, witnessing something new to their eyes.
x-x
After the duel, the natives cheer at the amazing fight. The two soldiers bowed, and returned to the group. The tribe leader, once again, welcomes the foreigners and commands everyone to have a grand celebration for the 'superior ones'. However, Antonio was more interested in the child. He felt the need to be with her, and protect her.
"Perhaps she's a nation. Like you, signore, which quite explains your attraction to her," says Pigafetta when he told him about it. "Go on, go to her."
Antonio looks at the child who was playing with small animals. He taps her tiny shoulder, and the girl to him. She smiles and begs to be lifted up while saying, "Antonio! Antonio!" And then, he couldn't help but squeal a bit in the cuteness of this little child.
He picks her up, and she touches his face. He lets her explore his tan face, and then she stares at his bright green eyes. "Matahum nga…" she says in a tone as if she's in awe. It was the first time she saw green eyes, for the natives only have deep brown or black eyes.
That was it.
Antonio Fernandez Carriedo had fallen in love with the child.
