I sincerely thank everyone who has read and reviewed this. Roughly two or three more chapters left in the story.
Jack was busy trying to get something out of his boot when he heard two voices clearing their throats, practically scaring him out of his skin before he turned around to find Bill and Cutler standing behind him. He smiled, "Well, wot a surprise. What are you guys up to?" Bill and Cutler smiled virtually identical grins before Cutler handed Jack a small wrapped package. Jack raised an eyebrow as he turned it over in his hands, "What is it?"
"Open it, it's a gift," Cutler urged him.
Jack hesitantly pulled of the paper to reveal a beautiful hand-crafted dagger with a wooden handle. He then noticed, engraved on the handle, the image of a sparrow flying across a sun setting on the horizon. Jack smiled, "Wow, thanks...but, why exactly did you give me this?"
"Every man needs a weapon to protect himself," Cutler said before shyly adding, "...and it's a thank you present…for what you and your mum have done for me during the hardest time of my life…and because Bill told me it was your birthday."
Jack grinned, "You're my friend, Beck, I was glad to help you…and truthfully, I don't know when my birthday exactly is."
"How could ya not know yer bloody birthday?!" Bill asked overdramatically.
"Apparently it's hard ta keep track of time on a ship…that's what my mum said," Jack explained.
"You were born on a ship?" Cutler asked.
"During a typhoon ta be exact," Jack noticed the disbelieving looks on their faces, "…wot?"
"I'm just wondering if that story is true," Cutler said.
"My mum told me an' she's th' one tha' gave birth ta me…so it's got to be true!" Jack said determinedly, "By the way, is there any other reason Bill came along besides seein' the look on yer face when I tell ya it's not exactly ma birthday?"
"Bill helped a little with the dagger, emphasis on little," Cutler explained throwing a look a Bill.
"Oy, helped more than a little! I was the one tha' thought of puttin' tha' sparrow on th' handle, I also drew th' basic picture fer it," Bill beamed.
Jack smiled "Well, I should keep this in a special place, but where is the problem. My mum would have my throat stuffed before I can explain where I got this from."
Bill laughed before handing Jack a roll of striped cloth, "I thought I should give ya somethin' to…my mum had some extra lying around that she let me have ta give to ya."
Jack stared at the cloth a moment before unraveling it and tying it around his waist like a belt, "Thanks a lot mates." Bill gave a toothy grin and Cutler gave a small one as well.
"I almost fergot! Here ya go, mate," Jack said taking something out of his pocket and handing it to Bill, "It's not as fancy as wot th' two of ya gave me, but I bought it with me own money."
Bill quickly unwrapped the small bundle to uncover a small dagger with a black blade, "Wicked, thanks Jack!"
Jack gave a slight smirk before he noticed someone, "Hector? Wot are you doin' here, I thought you were on a ship?"
"I jus' got back…wot with th' knife?"
"It's a gift," Bill responded.
"Do ya know how ta use it?" Hector asked.
"Sure; pointy end goes in th' other person," Jack smacked Bill in the back of the head, "Wot did I do?"
"An idiot with a weapon is more dangerous than an expert," Cutler sighed.
"You need ta be taught how ta use that or else you're gonna end up hurtin' yerself," Hector explained.
"Are you gonna be teachin' us?" Jack asked sarcastically.
"Well of course I am! Who else do ya think is gonna train ya, yer parents? They'll be hangin' ya before yer could say why ya got the bloody knives!" Hector said, crossing his arms across his arms; acting superior against the three younger lads, "Now...who's gonna be me first student?"
The three boys looked at each other nervously and they all had the same thought in their heads, "What the hell have we gotten into?"