The waves lapped merrily at the side of the ship as the breeze pushed us through the sea, "Alright Finn time to introduce the rest of the crew" Cato said smugly pushing me across the ship. "Okay here is the rundown. I am first mate while Clove is quartermaster, you mess with her and a knife will find a spot in your head got it." I nodded and gulped a little when she glared at me then turned away. "Chaff over there uses a broad sword he is one of the toughest guys on the crew especially since he got that hook" Cato grinned pointing out a massive tanned guy with a shining gold hook for a hand. "Oy! Cato are you giving Finn the gibberish tour!" I glanced at Cato who was rubbing his neck and grinning sheepishly, "aw I was just having some fun" Haymitch laughed and led me to the front of the ship and turned me around, "Peeta! Why don't you join us!" Peeta scampered over to us and came to a stop next to me. "Okay, crew line up!" Haymitch barked, the crew which looked bigger then I remembered in the pub scrambled around the deck and formed into a perfect line. "Okay I will name them in seniority. Chaff my second in command also known as first mate." Chaff waved with his hook and I grinned I could tell he would be a nice guy. I think he was at the table when Cato brought me over, but I didn't speak to him since I was talking to the people my age. "Then there is Seeder an able seawoman who can do pretty much anything with an axe." Haymitch gestured to a woman that had the same look as Chaff but just a little less built, she was also shorter. Next there is Johanna Haymitch says "she is fierce and has some temper issues don't bother her" into my ear and I can't help grinning. There is also Rue the girl in the crow nest I thought she is a little young to be a pirate but then she shot me with her slingshot and I shut up. I already knew about Cato and Clove who showed up around the time Rue came and they were combat teachers. I said something about Clove being a little small and got a knife an inch from my head. I gulped and turned away to Cato who was chuckling silently next to Clove who just rolled her eyes. Then Glimmer who was tall green eyed and blonde, she smiled and waved then went back to a table to chart something. Apparently she is co-navigator with a girl nicknamed Foxface and another girl named Katniss. I caught Peeta staring at Katniss and I grinned slightly, then he frowned when she walked up to the cannon master Gale Hawthorne. Then there was Madge who helped with cannons, and some other people who I already forgot their names. I was then introduced to the rest of the crew and sent with Cato and Clove to choose my weapon. "Clove what do you think of the new recruits?" Cato chuckled. Clove rolled her eyes and responded with, "it doesn't matter what I think as long as they get their work done, hey by the way we need a cook and your friend doesn't look like he can stomach cutting someone so..." she trailed off and I turned to Peeta who was behind me. He nodded and agreed to being a cook, Cato directed him to the kitchens and Peeta left.
We arrived in a room with the brown haired grey-eyed boy whose name apparently was Marvel. "Ok, you can either use a sword, axe, spear/trident, or knives" Clove exclaimed strolling casually over to the knife rack. I noticed there was someone at each area of weaponry except at the axes. "Uh where is Johanna?" Cato hissed, Clove shrugged. "Can I try each one out to see which one would be better?" Clove nodded ascent and I picked up a knife I tried twirling it in my hands but it seemed a little small for me so I just put it back on the rack. I went to the sword section and tried to slash and lunge but I couldn’t hold it right and it was to awkward in my hands, so I moved on to trying a trident which I felt fit perfectly in my opinion. So I plucked it from the rack and beckoned for Cato to try and hit me with his sword, he shrugged and lunged at me. I ducked under his outstretched arm and tripped him with the back of the trident. I stood up holding the shining tips of the trident near his throat. He chuckled and pushed it away from him grinning wickedly, “I think we found your weapon” they all nodded and I put it back on the shelf.
A bell started ringing and I followed Marvel, Cato, and Clove down another flight of stairs and into a large dining room deck where Peeta was making some kind of stew. I slopped some of it onto my plate and waved at Peeta who saluted me with a glop-covered spoon. I sat down with the others and tried some of the slime; I grimaced and pushed my plate away. Cato laughed and pushed it back to me. “You want to eat that, you need strength for the long days at sea” I groaned and started to eat the slop that is supposed to be dinner. “Why are you eating that junk? There are steaks over there.” Clove exclaimed pointing out a buffet table with chicken and steak. I glared at Cato who just guffawed at my irritation. “He pulls stuff all the time apparently so says Mags” Peeta grunts as he takes a seat next to me. Clove smirked as Peeta jumped up rubbing his butt, “what was that?” Cato snickered and held up a little plastic ball with spikes “doesn’t break skin but sure surprises people!” Peeta frowned and sat down slowly, I laughed and returned to eating the slop I decided I should get used to it before moving on to richer food. Glimmer came over and sat down at our table, “Okay so you know our names but you should know about us” she giggled, Clove rolled her eyes and looked away. “Okay here is the pirate crew gossip. I am dating Marvel; Johanna has her eyes on Gale who has his eyes on Katniss. Foxface is a complete mystery she appeared out of nowhere drifting on a log raft we think she was stranded on a nearby island. Thresh is insanely protective of Rue and super strong, while …”
“Wait, who is Thresh?”
“He is the really massive African guy over there” Glimmer pointed him out. He was sitting at a table with Rue, Katniss, Gale, and Foxface. “Anyway so Rue appeared with Thresh in a jungle on an island they spoke English so we knew they weren’t natives so they decided to join the crew. Rue likes to climb the ropes and stuff on the ship you can usually find her in the crows nest which is where she is 24/7. Her and Prim are best friends.” Glimmer points out a small blonde girl who was just sitting down next to Rue. “Prim is Katniss’s sister and Katniss is fiercely protective of Prim so watch out, and Prim is also the ships doctor.” I nod trying to remember all of this. Glimmer leans in next to my ear and whispers, “Also Cato has been trying to get Clove’s attention for about a year now and she just rolls her eyes and looks away.” I notice Cato frowning, which probably means Glimmer isn’t the best at whispering. “Johanna has anger issues, Chaff gets drunk a lot while Seeder is really nice but has a mean swing when it comes to an axe. Mags is excellent with fishing which means we never go hungry on this ship our usual problem is fresh water but we usually get enough of that when we pillage ships.”
By the time Glimmer’s gossip rundown has finished we are supposed to get to our posts. “Haymitch gave us combat training, are you ready?” Cato grins I smile back and we head to the weaponry deck.
When we have our weapons we make our way to the top deck and begin our fight. Cato lunges and I block with my trident, I swing the front trying to trip him but he jumps. What he doesn’t expect though is the back end, his legs are knocked out from under him and he falls on his face. He grabs my leg and I fall too, he rolls away and holds his sword at the ready. A crowd as formed and is cheering us on, Cato grins and does a complicated movement with his sword that ends up at my throat. I drop my trident to my side and concede defeat.
I hear a whistling as we set up to begin again, Cato’s head snaps up and Rue is saying something that is sending the crew into a scurrying frenzy. “What’s going on?” I hiss, Cato points out a ship in the distance causing me to gulp. A royal navy ship is tailing us; I rush around to help prepare for the oncoming attack.
