Authors note: sorry it took me so long to update. i do not have a reliable internet acess so most of my updates happen when i have time at school. enjoy chapter 3, i will be quicker with chapter 4 update.
Chapter Three: Captain Jones
Arthur awoke early in the morning, before the sun was even up, and he had changed back into his pirate clothes. He was in white baggy pants, black mid-shin high boots, another half undone white button up, and his red over coat with the gold on it, and his hat. He went to Alfred's room and shook him awake.
"Time to leave little one." he said, Alfred groaned and clinged onto Arthur's neck. Arthur went to the kitchen where one of the maids handed them each an apple and a muffin. They ate their breakfast as they walked down to the dock. Arthur's crew was already there loading food, supplies, and barrels of rum onto the ship.
"Stay here for a moment." Arthur said as he sat Alfred down on the dock. He walked onto his ship and stood in the middle, "Crew Line Up!" As told the seven men formed a line in front of Arthur. "As you all know I have been in search of a co-captain for my ship," Arthur paced back and forth, "I believe I have found who I want it to be. You will treat this young man I have chosen with all respect and you will be patient with him."
"Well Capin' can we meet him?" the first man in line asked.
Arthur gave a sly smile and yelled over his shoulder, "Alfred!" The boy came stumbling up the ramp to his brother's side.
"Wait are new capins' your brotha?" the same man asked.
Arthur walked over and stood nose distance in front of the man, "Yes, Gibbs, that is correct, and I suggest you treat him well, he is your superior."
"But Kirk he's just a kid, he don't know anything bout' running a ship." Gibbs said angrily.
"Well you see, I shall teach him," Arthur placed his hands behind his back, "and I suggest you help."
"Yea you dirty mutt, anything brother can do I can to." Alfred crossed his arms over his chest.
Arthur smiled, "See he has been on board less than a few minuets and he already has my attitude…and knows you nickname."
"You 'ave lost your mind," Gibbs laughed, "but that is why you're my capin'"
Arthur smiled, "Now Alfie this is Gibbs," he moves down the line, "William, Izzy, HawkEye, Tobias, John, and Benjamin…crew I would like you to meet Captain Jones."
"Welcome aboard Captain Jones." Hawk Eye said, he was a tall skinny man with jet black hair, green eyes, and he wore all black and an eye patch over his left eye.
"Alfie, go to my office I will be in there in a moment." Arthur ordered, Alfred turned and ran off to his big brothers office, "now," he said "All of you know of the fact that I am Britain…I have always trusted you men so I will let you know that the little boy is also known as my American colonies," he eyed Gibbs, "So as you can imagine he is every thing to me…so you will treat him as you do me."
"Yes Sir." The crew said In unison.
"Now get back to work, we set sail with the sun rise…." He waited for the crew to disperse, "Gibbs go and get me an extra rope hammock and bring it to my office."
"Yes Capin'" he went down below.
Arthur went to his cabin where Alfred was sitting in his chair, "Hey little one."
Alfred smiled and hopped up on his desk, "Hi."
Arthur sat down in his chair and played with the boys' hair, "We will stop at the pirate's port to get you some clothes." Gibbs came in and set the rope net on his desk. "Thank you Gibbs," Arthur said, "now I have a request for you."
"Yes sir?" Gibbs raised an eyebrow
"I want you to be responsible for Alfred when I am busy; I want you to teach him about the ship and the crew." He said.
"Yes capin', when do I start teachin' him?" he asked
"Right now." He replied
"Very well sir." He responded loyally
Arthur kissed Alfred's forehead, "Is that okay with you Alfie?"
He nodded and hugged his brother's neck, "I love you brother."
Arthur looked up at Gibbs, "I love you to Alfie."
Alfred jumped down and crossed over to Gibbs who led him out of the cabin and up to the upper deck.
"Tell me what you know about a ship boy." He demanded
"Nothing…and my name is not boy." Alfred replied bitterly
Gibbs chuckled, "You are just like your brotha. Well the first thing you need to know is there are five levels on this ship. The bottom is the storage level where we keep the weapons, prisoners, and rum. The second level holds the cannons, the third is the lower deck where the crew sleeps and eats. The fourth is the upper deck, which is everything you see now. Last but not least is the crow's nest, and that's Hawk eyes territory."
"Five levels, got it." Alfred said absently
"You are not really interested in me lecturing you are ya?" he asked
"Not really." The boy giggled
"Then you will just learn from experience, what would you like to do?" he asked
"I am a tiny bit thirsty; do you have anything to drink?" Alfred asked.
Gibbs pulled out a small leather pouch, "Small sip."
Alfred took a sip and coughed it back up, "Bleh, what is that?"
"Rum of course." Gibbs gave a deep bellied laugh
"Do you have anything else?" Alfred asked with a sour face as he wiped his mouth off on his sleeve.
"I can make you some of kirks tea, would you like that?" he picked the boy up.
Alfred shook his head vigorously as he wrapped his arms around the man's stubbly neck.
"Very well," he headed for the lower deck and ran into Hawkeye, "'ere you take 'im as I make 'im some tea."
Hawk eye didn't have a chance to respond before he was left holding Alfred out at arm's length trying to figure out what to do, "ummmm, hello, look I was about to head up into my nest, you should probably.."
"Oh can I go with you?!" Alfred cut him off.
"Uh, it's kind of high up so you might get scared." Hawk eye said awkwardly.
"I'm not afraid of heights!" he bounced excitedly.
"Very well," Hawkeye squat down next to him, "climb on my back and don't let go, I don't want to explain to Captain Kirkland why your splattered on the deck."
Alfred climbed onto him and clamped his arms around his neck, "Ready!"
Hawk eye nodded and began to climb up the net of ropes until they reached the platform of the crow's nest. He sat Alfred down and then propped himself up against the mast and closed his eyes."
"Wow! It's so cool up here!" Alfred jumped around.
"If you don't mind I like it quite up here in the morning." Hawkeye said
"Oh sure, sorry." Alfred sat down for a moment but couldn't remain quite, "so why are you called Hawkeye."
Hawkeye sighed realizing he wasn't going to get his silence, "because I can see farther than anyone else."
"Oh, why do you wear an eye patch then?" he asked
"I'm not going to get my quite morning am I?" Hawkeye crossed his eyes.
"Sorry…" Alfred began but was cut off
"Alfie?" Arthur's voice barely reached up to the nest but Hawkeye heard him clearly.
"HE IS UP HERE SIR!" He yelled down the mast. A few moments later the captain's eyes peeped up over the ledge followed by the rest of his body.
"Ah there you are little one, what are you doing up here?" he asked
"Hawkeye brought me up." Alfred responded with a grin from ear to ear.
"Well thank you but I need to take him back now." Arthur smiled
"No bother to me, I will have my quite again." Hawkeye waved. Arthur nodded understandingly as he curled Alfred up into his chest and began down the ropes. Alfred clinged to his shirt as the deck got closer under him.
"Where did Gibbs go off to?" Arthur asked as soon as his feet hit the deck.
"To get me something to drink." Alfred mumbled into his shirt.
"I see," he headed for the lower deck, "Hawkeye is not a very talkative man he likes his privacy and quite." Arthur ran into Gibbs carrying a hot cup of tea.
"Ah, ello sir just getting the kid sumpthin to drink." Gibbs handed over the cup.
"Yes I know, please get the ship ready to sail, we set sail in ten minutes, I shall be in my cabin." Arthur turned and began to head to his cabin.
"Aye sir." He moved past and began barking orders to the crew. Arthur carried Alfred back to his cabin and sat him on the desk.
"I put you a hammock up next to mine." Arthur said as he pulled out a map and began drawing out a course.
"Where are we going big brother?" Alfred asked as he drank his tea.
Arthur followed the course with his finger, "First we will cut across the Atlantic to the Barbary coast of Africa, also known as pirates port, then we will cut across the Mediterranean sea to Spain and you can meet some of the countries; Spain, France, Prussia and his little one, Austria, Poland and Lithuania, and the soviet union. We will ride on horseback to meet the countries, Hawkeye will go with us."
"What about the other crew members?" Alfred asked.
"They will remain in Spain to watch over the ship, gather supplies, and try and find places for us to explore." Arthur explained as he looked at his compass.
"I'm confused, aren't Spain and France enemy pirates?" Alfred asked
"Not all fleets are out enemies Alfie," he said as he stood, "come now we must get this old gal into the wind."
The two walked out together while a bunch of unknown men climbed aboard the ship.
"Who are they?" Alfred asked
"Oarsmen, they are not a permanent part of the crew, they just come when they need money and we put them on the oars." Arthur said, "I pay them five shillings each for a months worth of work."
The men went down below the deck to the second level with the cannons, they continued back to the stern of the ship where porthole like places where cut into the ship for the oars to stick out of and propel the ship. Arthur put Alfred on his shoulders as he climbed up next to the wheel of the ship. Alfred wrapped his fingers in his brother's hair to steady himself in the air.
"Are we ready for take off?" Arthur looked to Gibbs.
"Aye sit, we raise the anchor on your mark Kirk." Gibbs puffed out his chest
"Very well, prepare to order the oars men." He ordered
"Come on Alfred you get to yell at a bunch of bum-rags today." Gibbs transferred the boy from Arthur's shoulders to his own arms. He opened up a hatch that leads down to the oarsmen area. He tucked Alfred in close and descended down into the center of the men then sat Alfred onto the floor before climbing about midway back up the ladder again.
"Can you hear me Gibbs?" Arthur called as he pulled his black pirates' hat back on.
"Aye sit, Young master can you hear me?" Gibbs passed the message down to Alfred.
"Aye Gibbs!" Alfred called up.
"All set Cap, give the orders!" Gibbs called up.
"Raise the anchors!" Arthur barked at the crew who all raced to a column about chest high with bars protruding out of it. Each took hold of a bar and turned the column counter clockwise wrapping a chain around the base of it causing the anchors on either side of the ship to rise gradually.
"HAWKEYE!" Arthur yelled at the top of his lungs. The black figure peered over the edge of his nest to see the captain standing with his arms stretched out like a cross to signal the question which way is clear. He scanned the surrounding docks and then made and X out of his arms to single the starboard side was clear.
Arthur turned his head over his shoulder and yelled, "Tell the men half speed in reverse!"
"Half speed, reverse!" Gibbs passed it on.
Alfred stood in front of the men and echoed the order in his high pitch voice.
Once the ship cleared the dock Arthur turned the wheel all the way to the right and yelled, "Port side hold! Starboard full speed!" The orders echoed through Gibbs's low growl voice into Alfred's. The left side oarsmen stopped and the right side went into full speed. "More power!" Arthur yelled.
"These men need motivation young master." Gibbs suggested.
The men not working tried to keep a straight face as little Alfred began yelling at the working men, "You bum-rags are weak!" he screeched, "I've seen old ladies do better than you! Put your back into it." With each push of the oar the men put their full weight into it with a grunt.
Once the ship swung back enough Arthur ordered, "Starboard hold, port side full speed forward." He turned the wheel all the way to the left as the men switched. "All men half speed forward!" Arthur straightened up the wheel once the ship came around and was headed for the opening in the port bay. "Drop the sails!" he ordered once they cleared the bay. The crew scampered to either side of the ship and to the mast to tug ropes around dropping the sails. After twenty minuets the wind caught the sails and the shipped lurched forward on its own. "All men stop, sails have caught!" Arthur yelled. The oarsmen stopped with a sigh of relief, they rubbed their sore arms as they caught their breath. Alfred came up the ladder on Gibbs's shoulders and they moved next to Arthur.
"Did I do well brother?" he asked.
"Most excellent." He answered as he looked at his compass and then set their direction, "Go and get those men a barrel of rum, they deserve it."
"Aye sir." Gibbs carried Alfred down to the storage level where he sat him down, "Do you know which the rum is."
"Nope." Alfred shook his head.
"Take a guess." Gibbs said.
Alfred inspected all of the barrels before patting his hand on one with a questioning look.
"Not quite, that would be a barrel of gun powder young master." Gibbs said.
"How do you tell the difference?" he asked
"The insignias," Gibbs ran his finger over a red insignia, "This is the seal of Britain, where we get the gun powder from," he moved to another barrel, "This has the seal of pirates, we get our rum from the Barbary Coast."
Gibbs handed him a box with rope handles about the weight of seven kilos, "Can you handle the cups, I can get the rum."
The box was to wide for Alfred to carry it by both handles so he just dragged it by one handle while Gibbs carried the rum which weighed about twenty kilos. They went across the ship and left the oarsmen to their rum.
"So do you know the difference between port and starboard side?" Gibbs asked as they ascended back up.
"I think so." Alfred hesitated
"Portside is the left side of the ship and starboard is the right side." He explained
"Then wouldn't that be different depending which way you are facing?" He asked
"Aye, but you always go off the sides according to if you were facing the bow of the ship." He said
"And the bow is the front right?" Alfred asked
"Aye and the stern is her rear." Gibbs nodded
They squinted their eyes as they rose into the open and watched as the ships flag rise with the sun.