We had been sailing for a week now, and everything was going rather smoothly, all things considered. And when I mean all things, I mean the long list of grievances that your average pirate would have by now: a Scottish captain of an Irish ship, a female captain, a rather strict but highly effective punishment policy, and an unknown destination. But we were all getting along quite well. Mr. O'Conner introduced me in a bit more depth to the other crew members, and I had answered some of their questions about my history.
In this one week time, we had already raided a ship and split the spoils evenly; which shocked most of the crew. But who could blame them: apparently their past captain had been a quite corrupt, alcoholic, and perverted man. My father seemed quite benign compared to him.
But today was the day we spotted port, so today was the day that I would be getting my ship. We had been anchored outside of the harbor all day so that we could enter unnoticed at night. It was around six in the evening that Mr. O'Conner came to me a bit skittishly. "Captain," he asked cautiously. "The boys and I were wondering if you could tell us which sip we are going to be getting tonight." He swallowed nervously.
"Do not be so scared, Mr. O'Conner. We are going to get my ship, the Black Orchid." Think that this was the end of the conversation, I returned to looking out past the port of the ship and out at the sea.
"The Black Orchid?!" he gasped. "But that's a cursed a ship! Built by Davy Jones himself, they say." He started shaking his head in confusion and looking at me like I was crazy.
"And do you think that this will strike this much more fear into the hearts of our prey." I offered as I stood and crossed to him on the other side of the bridge.
"I suppose." He mumbled, apparently not having thought of that. I nodded in return as I left to go to my quarters. I was not about to tell him that the ship would not be cursed as long as I captained it.
Night fell soon enough, and we made our way into port. We had all agreed earlier that there would be no hard feelings if we just left the Emerald Winds in port. We had all also packed up our bags earlier so that the transfer to the new ship would be rather seamless. So, when the sun fell below the horizon, Mr. Brady steered the ship into port. We tied her off on the dock and we silently slipped off the ship and walked across the planks to my ship.
On the way there, we passed an old man, who seemed benign enough. "Which port is this?" I asked him, truly not knowing.
"Why, you are in Clifdan, in Ireland." He laughed.
"Thank you." I said and flipped him a gold doubloon from my belt sack. He stared, first at the coin and then at me, before he just shook his head and walked down the boardwalk in the opposite direction from us.
Soon we stood directly in front of my ship. As if I had sailed upon it for my whole life, I rounded the bend in the port that led straight to where the ship was tied on. Nimbly as ever, I climbed up the rope ladder; completely ignoring the decaying look of it and the debris hanging from it. The rest of the crew wasn't as happy to climb up the rope. "Mr. Bridge, Mr. O'Hare," I called to two of my gunmen. "Untie the ropes before you come aboard."
"Aye, Captain." They chorused.
As I stood on the old bridge, Mr. O'Connor came up beside me. "All we need to do is clean her up, and she will be a beauty." He nodded appreciatorily at the ship.
"Still afraid of that curse?" I joked with him. We both laughed slightly and he shook his head negatively. "Good. Because this ship will be the key to our success. But what brought on the change in heart?"
He shrugged and walked over to the wall of the ship, looking down at the dark waves a good four decks beneath us. "I do not really believe in Davy Jones, so why should I be afraid of a curse that he put on a ship?"
I laughed again as I walked to stand beside him. "That, my friend, is a legend you need to believe. It is completely true." I told him before walking down the stairs to help the rest of my crew. I could only imagine the look of shock on Mr. O'Conner's face.
After everyone had their belongings stowed away, Mr. O'Conner, Mr. Brady, and I walked up the stairs to the bridge to address the crew.
"Men," I began. A few chuckled at the fact I wasn't including myself in this speech. "Tonight is the night that we begin what each and every one of you have wanted since you decided to take up this profession. We will become the rapture of the seas, the hoarders of treasures from all countries, and to stare the unwritten laws of the sea that bind each of us to this life in the eye. Here we are, standing upon one of Davy Jones' ships! Calypso herself would aid us because of this ship! And just think how all those white collar naval men will turn tail and run as soon as we raise the colors! This, men, is what you have all waited for. And I only ask this one thing of you in return for your golden futures: trust. Trust me as your captain and I will never do ill upon it. I will be as much a gunman, navigator, or rigger when I am needed. So, what do you all say of it?!" I shouted to my crew.
"Aye, aye!" they all shouted back.
"Aye, Captain." Mr. O'Conner added with a smirk after the rest of his crewmates had finished their shouts.
"Thank you." I smirked back to him before turning back to the crew. "Then we sail! Man the riggings, all hands stern and bow!"
To anyone watching at port, I'm sure they would have seen an old and mysterious pull smoothly out of port and sail off into the large moon over the horizon of the sea. But I was not on the port; I was on my ship, beginning the start of the rest of my life, and searching for my father.
We're back! And we're very sorry that this took so long, but school and stuff got in the way.
And we're also very sorry that this was a short and uneventful chapter, but it wouldn't make sense if we mashed it together with the action of the next few chapters.
So, what do you think? As always, your reviews are cherished and always replied.
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C M + L W = idkaname