Chapter Four
I woke up to find myself still in the kitchen with the last bowl I cleaned in my lap. Straightening up and stretching, I felt something slide off my shoulders and I looked down at the floor, surprised to see Silver's coat. I picked it up and held it, wondering why he would be so nice to me? Could it be he was changing and didn't want to kill me after all?
Leaving the kitchen, I went and located the Captain.
"Thank you, for lending me your jacket," I said handing it back to him.
With a grunt, he put it back on and growled, "Come with me, I have a job for you."
I followed him to a part of the ship that held the rowboats and helped him lower it into the ocean. He then jumped over the railing into the boat, and rowed off. I stood there, feeling slight disappointment. Is that all he wanted me for? To lower the rowboat?
With a huff, I leaned against the rail and rested my chin in the palm of my hand. For weeks, possibly even an entire month, Silver has kept me so busy, I never gave much thought to the predicament I was in, or how I was going to get out of it. Now I had a chance to think of an escape plan, and to my surprise, I didn't want to! Honestly, I felt a bit bad about admitting this, but I was having fun on this ship! Silver sort of became a second father to me, as strange as that sounded.
"Lynnie!"
I blinked and gazed down to see Silver had returned and was waving for me to join him. With a grin, I leaped over the rail and landed in the boat beside him.
"Where to, Boss?" I asked grabbing the oars.
"A bit that way, Lynnie," he said pointing to his left. I began rowing in that direction and after a half hour of silence, he said, "Stop."
We were sitting out in the middle of the ocean and I didn't see anything special about it.
"What are we doing here?"
"Look," he said gesturing to the water.
I peered over the edge and saw something swimming just below the surface. Suddenly a dolphin jumped out of the water over our boat, and splashed us when it landed back into the ocean. I laughed as a couple more jumped around us, chattering.
One of them winked at me and whispered, "Hi, Aralyne."
The dolphins played around us for a while, and eventually left. Silver and I were soaked from their splashing and we were both laughing. He shook the water off his hat, and pushed back my sopping hair, grabbing the oars once more.
I took us back to the ship, and after climbing back on board, we hauled the longboat up.
"You having a little trouble there?" I said nudging his gut with my elbow.
"Oh, get away from me," he chuckled, "Oh, Lynnie. lf l could maneuver a skiff like that when l was your age... they'd be bowing in the streets when l walked by today." We finished our job and he slumped against the ship's rail.
"Bowing in the streets," Morph repeated mimicking Silver.
"l don't know," I said sitting beside the cyborg, "Everyone in Nesidy either sees me as a hero, or something to be feared. But l'm gonna change all that."
"Are you now? How so?" asked Silver petting Morph.
"Uh, l got some plans. Gonna make people see me a little different," I replied lounging back and staring up at the sky.
"Ooh. Sometimes, plans go astray," said the Captain wisely.
"Not this time," I said with confidence.
Hearing him groan, I looked back down to see him trying to turn a bolt on his cyborg leg. When he couldn't, Morph turned into a wrench. "Oh, thank you, Morphy."
"So, uh, how'd that happen anyway?" I inquired nodding to his robotic parts.
Glancing down at mechanical hand, he said, "You give up a few things chasing a dream."
"Was it worth it?" I asked.
"l'm hoping it is, Lynnie," he said wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pushing his hat low over his eyes, "l most surely am." The boat suddenly rocked, and I banged my head against the side of the ship. "What the devil?"
"A storm a-coming!" someone shouted.
I stood up, rubbing the back of my head, and Silver jumped to his feet, shouting out orders.
"Evasive action, Mr. Turnbuckle!"
"Aye-aye, Captain."
"All hands, fasten your lifelines!"
Everyone ran around the ship doing there jobs. I stared out over the horizon to see storm clouds quickly heading our way, and waves were rocking the ship. Swearing, I ran and grabbed a lifeline, tying it around my waist. Silver was by my side doing the same thing, while still shouting out orders.
"Mr. Scroop, secure those sails!"
The rain began to pour down in sheets, and the wind threw the ship around. My hair flew all over the place, stinging my eyes. Curse the shortness of my curls!
"Secure all sails!"
"Reef them down, men!"
"Yeah, baby! Ba-boom! Ha ha ha ha!"
I ran across the ship, helping the pirates with the sails. When the ship tipped, the Captain slipped and fell over the edge.
"Silver!" I screamed, grabbing his lifeline and hauling him back up onto the ship.
"Thanks, lass," he said in mild surprise patting my shoulder.
We looked out at the storm and saw a whirlpool forming in the water nearby.
"We're being pulled in!" yelled Mr. Turnbuckle, manning the wheel. He lost his grip and slid away.
"No, you don't, you -" shouted Silver racing to the wheel and catching it in time.
While he was doing that, waves began producing from the whirlpool. I studied them, noticing a pattern.
1... 2... 3... 4...
I counted up to 47 before another wave hit.
1... 2... 3... 4...
Again, 47.
1... 2... 3... 4...
47.
"Blast these waves! They're so deucedly erratic!" shouted Silver.
"No, Captain. They're not erratic at all," I said brushing my hair out of my face, "There'll be one more in precisely 40 seconds. Followed by the biggest wave of them all!"
"Of course! Brilliant, Lynnie! We'll ride that last wave out of here," Silver declared.
"All sails secured, Captain!"
"Good man! Now release them immediately!" ordered the cyborg.
Scroop scowled and replied, "Aye, Captain. You heard him, men. Unfurl those sails!"
The crew began to protest, but did it anyways.
"What?!"
"But we just finished..."
"Tying them down!"
"Make up your blooming minds!"
"Lynnie, make sure all lifelines are secured good and tight!" said Silver.
"Aye-aye, Captain," I said running across the ship, checking the lifelines. "Lifelines secured, Captain!"
"Very good!"
I watched the waters sloshing by and finally, the time came. "Captain, the last wave! Here it comes!"
"Hold on to your lifelines, gents! lt's gonna be a bumpy ride!" Silver shouted.
I braced myself against a mast, and shut my eyes, waiting. The wave came out of nowhere and lifted the ship onto its back. With the help of the wind, we managed to race away from the whirlpool and into the safety of a regular rainstorm.
When everyone cheered, I opened my eyes and sighed in relief, then laughed. "Captain!" I said running towards him, "That-oh, my goodness. That was- that was absolutely- that was the most-"
"Actually, Lynnie, your advice was most helpful," he said releasing the wheel, and patting me on the shoulder.
"Well, uh, uh-thank you. Thank you very much," I said grinning.
The dolphins that had been playing around Aralyne were now swimming throughout Atlantica, chattering eagerly.
"I can't believe we saw her again!"
"I know! The last time she was here, wasn't the greatest, but I'm sure she had fun!"
"If only Aralyne could come back and play with us!"
King Triton had been nearby and heard that last statement, staring after the dolphins. Anger welled up inside him. Aralyne? Here? She was the one to blame for Ariel's death and Melody's disappearance!
"Sebastian," he said turning to the crab at his side, "I need you to write Aralyne -" he said the name with contempt " - a little message."
We had escaped the rain hours ago and were now enjoying the sunset, when I saw a familiar crab scuttle up on deck.
"Sebastian!" I exclaimed in delight kneeling down to talk to him.
"I'm sorry, Aralyne, I can't talk. I only came to deliver this." He held out a wet scroll. Curious, I took it from him and read it.
It was a message from King Triton saying if I came anywhere near Atlantica, he would kill me because he knew I was the one that killed Ariel (sort of, it was actually Siren that did it), and he believed I was behind Melody's disappearance. Disappearance? I didn't even know she was missing! Jim had told me that Mel had gone back to Atlantica!
I looked up to speak to the crab, but found he had left. More friends lost to me all because of that bitch! My throat tightened, and I steeled myself so as not to cry in front of the crew. With a scowl, I crumpled up the note and tossed it aside. Straightening up, I stormed past John Silver.
"What's the matter?" he inquired, but I ignored him and went to sit in the shrouds.
I don't know how long I was there, but eventually the stars glinted above me as I stared down at the ocean waves, twisting a piece of rope in my hands. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Silver lean against the rail below me, smoking a pipe.
"lt weren't your fault, you know?" he said breaking the silence. He had read the note, then.
With an irritated sigh, I threw the rope into the water, and jumped down onto the rail. "Look, don't you get it?!" I snapped at him, "Because of Siren, I will always be seen as a monster! For two seconds, l thought that maybe l could do something right, but- Aagh!" I dropped down onto the deck and walked away. "l just... Just forget it. Forget it." I stopped at one of the masts and leaned against it, fighting the tears that were pooling in my eyes.
"Now, you listen to me, Aralyne Chanson," said the cyborg grasping my shoulder and turning me around to face him, "You got the makings of greatness in ya, but you gotta take the helm and chart your own course. Stick to it, no matter the squalls, and when the time comes you get the chance to really test the cut of your sails, and show what you're made of. Well, l hope l'm there catching some of the light coming off ya that day."
I sniffled and leaned against him, letting the tears fall.
He patted my back and whispered, "There, there. Lass, it's all right, Lynnie. lt's all right." For a brief moment he hugged me, but then cleared his throat and gently pushed me away. "Now, Lyne, l, um... l best be getting about my watch... and you best be getting some shut-eye." I began walking below decks towards the small room I had, but I paused for a moment to smile at him, wiping the tears from my eyes.
When Aralyne had left, Silver said to his pet, "Getting in too deep here, Morphy. Next thing ya know, they'll be saying l've gone soft." He walked down the ship, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.
Up above him, Mr. Scroop was perched on a rigging, and he had witnessed the entire scene. His eyes narrowed dangerously.
A farting sound woke me up, and I groaned, rolling over. Unfortunately, I ended up rolling right out of my hammock, and onto the floor. Opening my eyes, I didn't see anything and put on one of my shoes. When I reached for the other, it hopped away behind a trunk.
"Morph?" I said rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I followed him to the trunk and tiredly slumped over it, but he hopped away again. "Morph, knock it off. lt's too early for this." The little bugger suddenly kicked my behind, causing me to slip off the trunk and fall flat on my face. "Ow! Hey, Morph!" I shouted turning around in time to see my "shoe" blow a raspberry at me before transforming into a laughing Morph. He grabbed my real shoe and flew around the room with it. "Hey, come back here!" I said laughing, chasing him around.
"Come back here!" he repeated.
I followed him through the hall and up on deck. Jumping, I grasped my shoe, but the little blob turned into a blowfish and spat water in my face.
"That's it, you little squid," I said trying to grab him, but he kept dodging, turning into a dozen mini me's, repeating what I said.
"You little squid. You little squid. Squid. Squid. Squid. Squid."
He zoomed off and I followed him into the kitchen where he disappeared. After putting on my shoe, I did a quick scan of the room, slowly moving about, keeping a careful eye out for any movement. When I peeked into a barrel of plums, I saw one of them had eyes.
"Ha! Busted!" I exclaimed diving into the barrel, finally grabbing the shapeshifter and tickling him.
That's when I heard voices entering the room.
"Look, what we're saying is we're sick of all this waiting."
"It's only one little girl."
"We are wanting to move."
"We don't move till we got the map in hand." That was Silver! I peered out through a hole in the barrel watching the conversation.
"I say we kill her now!" Scroop declared, and my heart got lodged in my throat. Of course I had forgotten I was on a ship with murderous pirates!
Silver grabbed Scroop's face and shook him in his fist, shouting, "l say what's to say! Disobey my orders and so help me, you'll be swimming from the sharks!" He tossed Scroop and and scorpion bumped into the barrel I was in.
"Strong talk, but l know otherwise," said Scroop getting up and reaching into my hiding place. My heart hammered. Just one move, and he'll be pinching me! I quickly grabbed a plum and stuck it between his pincers. Thankfully it worked, and his claw retracted.
"You got something to say, Scroop?" Silver snarled.
"lt's that girl. Methinks you have a soft spot for her," said Scroop pinching the plum, juice squirting out of the fruit.
The crew began to mutter amongst themselves.
Silver snarled out at the pirates, "Now, mark me, the lot of ya. l care about one thing, and one thing only! Flint's trove. You think l'd risk it all for the sake of some nose-wiping little whelp?"
That comment pierced my heart, much like Eric's betrayal had, except this time Danny and Flynn weren't around to save me.
"What was it now? Oh, you got the makings of greatness in ya," Scroop mocked, repeating what Silver had told me the previous night.
"Shut your yap!" the cyborg snapped, "l cozied up to that kid to keep her trust. But l ain't gone soft."
"Land ho!" a voice shouted from up on deck.
The pirates cheered and left the room. I sat in the barrel for a moment, blinking back tears. I was a fool! I should have known better than to trust John Silver!