Last Time
"Careful Laddie someone might get the impression you were stealing."
NOW
"Whoever would get such an idea in their head?"
I turned and smiled mischievously and walked forward.
"Just lookin' for the maps the Cap'n was askin' for."
This time the man smiled and closed all distance between us. Anyone could see from this distance that I was no boy.
"Well I..."
A large smile broke across his face when he looked at me. I had been discovered. Without waiting for him to speak again I pulled my sword from it's scabbard and swung in front of me. The man leapt backward effortlessly and started to smile once again.
"Little miss I don't have time to teach you the finer point of sword play so just give the maps back and I'll take it upon myself to throw you overboard."
I let out a loud barking laugh and lunged toward the man he moved to the side and waited for me to strike again. When I did he sidestepped and hit my wrist. The sword fell from my hand and the man tackled me. I struggled for control but found myself lacking. This man was strong agile and quick. When the man then had me on the floor pinned my knee jutted up on instinct and slammed him in his privates. He cursed several times and fell almost on top of me, with one great push though he fell next to me. I stood slowly stumbling several times and made my way to the door. As I climbed the stairs I looked back to see him following far behind. A small smile played across my face as I emerged from below deck. This ship would not last the storm; not with it's tattered canvas and fallen main mast. Plus there was the small fact that I had to get back to the Pearl. With one last look at the man hobbling up the stairs I laughed and ran for the railing. Looking out I saw the Pearl looming just far enough off. Looking around I saw a lantern swinging nearby I snatched it quickly while the ship rocked dangerously in the waters. Several mighty walls of water crashed on the deck but none every reached the lantern. Without a look around I hurled the lantern at the Pearl and hoped that someone would see my signal. True enough the Pearl turned about and made for the ship I stood on.
A line landed a yard away and I dove for it but someone else also did the same as myself. I looked down to see my adversary reaching for a dagger to cut the line. I knocked it out of his hand and right then the line was yanked and the both of us went sailing overboard and crashing into the black waters of a Caribbean storm. I held tight to the rope and only looked to where the man was at when we were being hoisted onto the Pearl. Sure enough the man held on tight and was franticly looking back at his ship.
Once on the deck I looked up at my father who stood over the both of us with a scowl on his face the size of Port Royale.
"What in the name of all that's bad is this!"
"Cap'n this man attacked me in the Captain quarters and then followed and dove on the rope. I couldn't shake him."
The man stood and fell back to the deck. I myself was helped up and stood before my father and Captain, with my head bowed.
"Clean up and report to my quarters! Dry him off and put him there also! ALL HANDS ON DECK YA DOGS! WE'RE NOT OUT OF THIS YET!"
I cleaned up and went directly to the Captain's quarters and waited there. Slowly the storm died as I dried myself. I now stood in the middle of the room next to the large table. I glanced up as several of the crew brought the man in and sat him down in a chair. The pirates stood there and waited for the Captain.
"I'll watch the prisoner. Leave!"
The man looked up at me and seemed to notice I had on a dingy old tattered- edge skirt with a pistol on my waist and my sword on the other side. I leaned on the table in front of him and smiled broadly. I knelt down in front of him and pushed his chin up so that he had to meet my eye level.
"Looks like you should have just let me go."
"Yeah seems that way don't it?"
Just then the Captain sauntered in the room and stopped just behind the man. He knelt down to the man ear.
"Yer name?"
"Zachary. What's it to you Captain?"
"Well now I need to know who's in my brig. If I didn't have you name we'd all be lost wouldn't we?"
"I suppose. What would your names be then?"
"This here is my first mate. His'name is P an..."
"Her name. Her name is P."
"What makes you think it's a girl."
"Well sir the skirt gives it away somewhat. Oh and I fought her she's not that good."
"Yeah the skirt does doesn't it? But ya dare insult her fightin' and you kin walk the plank, savvy?"
"Yes."
"What's yer last name boy?"
"Turner."
My father and I exchanged looks and stared back at the man with wide eyes. I was the first to come to my wits and venture in asking the much known question.
"And who'd be your father and mother?"
"William and Elizabeth Turner of Port Royale. My father is a blacksmith and my mother the daughter of the governor. Anything else you'd like to know?"
"Careful Laddie someone might get the impression you were stealing."
NOW
"Whoever would get such an idea in their head?"
I turned and smiled mischievously and walked forward.
"Just lookin' for the maps the Cap'n was askin' for."
This time the man smiled and closed all distance between us. Anyone could see from this distance that I was no boy.
"Well I..."
A large smile broke across his face when he looked at me. I had been discovered. Without waiting for him to speak again I pulled my sword from it's scabbard and swung in front of me. The man leapt backward effortlessly and started to smile once again.
"Little miss I don't have time to teach you the finer point of sword play so just give the maps back and I'll take it upon myself to throw you overboard."
I let out a loud barking laugh and lunged toward the man he moved to the side and waited for me to strike again. When I did he sidestepped and hit my wrist. The sword fell from my hand and the man tackled me. I struggled for control but found myself lacking. This man was strong agile and quick. When the man then had me on the floor pinned my knee jutted up on instinct and slammed him in his privates. He cursed several times and fell almost on top of me, with one great push though he fell next to me. I stood slowly stumbling several times and made my way to the door. As I climbed the stairs I looked back to see him following far behind. A small smile played across my face as I emerged from below deck. This ship would not last the storm; not with it's tattered canvas and fallen main mast. Plus there was the small fact that I had to get back to the Pearl. With one last look at the man hobbling up the stairs I laughed and ran for the railing. Looking out I saw the Pearl looming just far enough off. Looking around I saw a lantern swinging nearby I snatched it quickly while the ship rocked dangerously in the waters. Several mighty walls of water crashed on the deck but none every reached the lantern. Without a look around I hurled the lantern at the Pearl and hoped that someone would see my signal. True enough the Pearl turned about and made for the ship I stood on.
A line landed a yard away and I dove for it but someone else also did the same as myself. I looked down to see my adversary reaching for a dagger to cut the line. I knocked it out of his hand and right then the line was yanked and the both of us went sailing overboard and crashing into the black waters of a Caribbean storm. I held tight to the rope and only looked to where the man was at when we were being hoisted onto the Pearl. Sure enough the man held on tight and was franticly looking back at his ship.
Once on the deck I looked up at my father who stood over the both of us with a scowl on his face the size of Port Royale.
"What in the name of all that's bad is this!"
"Cap'n this man attacked me in the Captain quarters and then followed and dove on the rope. I couldn't shake him."
The man stood and fell back to the deck. I myself was helped up and stood before my father and Captain, with my head bowed.
"Clean up and report to my quarters! Dry him off and put him there also! ALL HANDS ON DECK YA DOGS! WE'RE NOT OUT OF THIS YET!"
I cleaned up and went directly to the Captain's quarters and waited there. Slowly the storm died as I dried myself. I now stood in the middle of the room next to the large table. I glanced up as several of the crew brought the man in and sat him down in a chair. The pirates stood there and waited for the Captain.
"I'll watch the prisoner. Leave!"
The man looked up at me and seemed to notice I had on a dingy old tattered- edge skirt with a pistol on my waist and my sword on the other side. I leaned on the table in front of him and smiled broadly. I knelt down in front of him and pushed his chin up so that he had to meet my eye level.
"Looks like you should have just let me go."
"Yeah seems that way don't it?"
Just then the Captain sauntered in the room and stopped just behind the man. He knelt down to the man ear.
"Yer name?"
"Zachary. What's it to you Captain?"
"Well now I need to know who's in my brig. If I didn't have you name we'd all be lost wouldn't we?"
"I suppose. What would your names be then?"
"This here is my first mate. His'name is P an..."
"Her name. Her name is P."
"What makes you think it's a girl."
"Well sir the skirt gives it away somewhat. Oh and I fought her she's not that good."
"Yeah the skirt does doesn't it? But ya dare insult her fightin' and you kin walk the plank, savvy?"
"Yes."
"What's yer last name boy?"
"Turner."
My father and I exchanged looks and stared back at the man with wide eyes. I was the first to come to my wits and venture in asking the much known question.
"And who'd be your father and mother?"
"William and Elizabeth Turner of Port Royale. My father is a blacksmith and my mother the daughter of the governor. Anything else you'd like to know?"