Chapter Five

The following days settled into an easy rhythm, everyone would wake up early and share a meal together before turning to their assigned tasks. The majority of people worked on cleaning the ship, perhaps the most tedious job but still one that needed done, while a handful of others would clean up from the meal. One person would head up to the crow's nest to keep watch on the horizons for anything of interest. Those of the crew who currently had no task would either fish, a useful task itself for providing fresh food, or they would play various dice or card games.

Typically Keilani or Diethelm would take the wheel and command the ship, while the other would wander the ship assisting with chores and doling out duties as necessary. The navy officers would often do the same thing, keeping their men on task and assisting where needed.

Most afternoons were used to practice sparring and shooting skills, after all the ocean was a dangerous place and one never knew when they might run into pirates or those from an enemy nation. Coming from a more misogynistic society the navy crew men took some time to get over their astonishment that Keilani, and several other women on the crew, not only fought but won a good number of their spars as well. After every match the crew would, including those who had been sparring, take the time to learn from it, pointing out what was done right and where mistakes were made. It did not take long for someone to invite the navy men into these matches as well, and they found it eye-opening to practice against so many different styles.

Interestingly it seemed common for the crew of the Rambler to hold various philosophical conversations as they worked. They would argue the merits of various new technologies, discuss the political climate in different countries and how that could affect the rest of the world, and discuss the various new intellectual theories. The crew would often meld theories together as well, ideas from India merged with those coming out of the colonies, technology from Asia and how it may affect Europe.

The navy men had to admit to being surprised by all those intellectual conversations, they had always believed that ocean gypsies were a relatively dull lot, focused on survival with little interest in the more cerebral pursuits. Instead the crew of the ship ended up teaching them quite a lot about the world.

Another surprise was how lax they seemed to be regarding any hierarchy. Although Keilani and Diethelm were obviously in charge, they were rarely called by their titles but by names, or even by nicknames. It also seemed that anyone had access to them to discuss any problems. On the rare instances that arguments did break out, they were handled swiftly and fairly. Sometimes the captain and first mate did not even need to be involved, as other members of the crew would mediate instead.

Evenings seemed to be a time for partying, as various alcohols were served with the meal. Bawdy jokes would be told, stories of past events rehashed, and fictional tales invented. Various instruments would be brought out and songs would be sung, or simple tunes played while everyone else danced.

Despite such entertainments, boredom could still set in during the long days and quiet moments. Some choose to simply sleep, others would search out some activity, and occasionally someone would pull a harmless prank. In the beginning the pranksters avoided the navy crew, but eventually grew bold enough to include them in their jokes. At first the navy men were offended by such behavior, but quickly realized that these pranks were harmless and even amusing.

Although the crew of the Rambler was slow to accept the rescued navy men among them, the close quarters prompted them to get over that quickly and soon friendships began to form. Despite the growing friendships, there still remained some level of separation between the two crews.

Over the following month the leaders of both groups, the captain and the first mate of the Rambler and the officers of the British navy, spent much time together. Like the rest of the crew they held philosophical conversation and shared stories of events in their lives. The officers would discuss various battles with pirates and enemy navies they had been a part of. In return Keilani and Diethelm shared stories of their lives growing up on the oceans. Both sides censored their stories to fit the audience.

It was in this manner that the month passed by, faster than anyone would have expected, and the schooner pulled into the fortified Port Royal. The navy men were eager to get back to their families and were quick to get to shore in their hurry to be home. After seeing their families and reassuring them of their safety, the men happily spent the night at their homes.

The officers first took on the daunting task of informing the families of those whose lives had been lost, quite possibly the hardest job to do but it was a necessary one of the office. Afterwards the two lieutenants were sent home to get some rest themselves, while Commodore Norrington went to the governor to give his report in person.

A small fraction of the crew of the Rambler remained on the ship, but the majority of the crew were able to take leave on shore, after being warned to behave. Keilani was one of many who took advantage of the time to explore the elegant city. She began at the market, located not far from the harbor and took note of what form of supplies could be gathered here, from various meats and foods to fabrics and medical supplies.

After wandering the market for a while she began to explore the rest of the city. She spent some time investigating the fort that stood proud near the harbor, although she was careful to remain only in the areas civilians were allowed. She gave a wide berth to the hangman's noose though, finding the sight somewhat disturbing.

Once she had satisfied her curiosity of the fort, she moved into the merchant part of town, where the various shops resided. Her unusual outfit garnered many looks and some suspicion from many of the shopkeepers, so she made sure to keep her hands visible and acted as normal as possible. Finally she made her way to the shop she had been searching for, the blacksmith.

It was a nice shop with situated between the butcher and a shoemaker. Like many of the shops in the district, the owners quarters were situated above the establishment. Unusually there was no display out front, most shops would display wares through the windows to entice customers but the blacksmith did not. The sign on the front was clearly new and not yet weathered by the elements, and read clearly Turner's Blacksmith.

Opening the door Keilani was greeted by the sight of a typical blacksmith shop, chunks of unworked metal lay in some piles, and broken pieces to be worked were laid out across a table. Swords and axes were arranged neatly around a machine powered by a donkey, and the heat of the forge kept the open room stiflingly warm.

A man was busy at the anvil hammering some hot metal into its proper shape. He was fairly tall, with dark brown hair, and was well built. He made a small gesture to indicate that he saw his customer, but continued to work on the metal while it was still hot. Eventually the metal had cooled too much to remain pliable and he returned it to the furnace to reheat before turning to his customer.

"Hello," he greeted in an open manner, "I'm Will Turner, owner of the smithy. How can I help you?"