A Tale That Never Was [Book 1 of Selvina's Tale series]

Chapter 6: Jack, Slayer of Giants

The night was bright with thousands of stars glimmering above and a full moon reflecting off the calm waters. Jolly Roger bobbed up and down slightly but not uncomfortably so. A skeleton crew of men were up on the main deck, chatting, sitting about and occasionally checking the knots and lines as the rest of them slept belowdecks. The wind was steady and the ocean was kind so their workload was small and they mostly waited for orders from the helmsman, who was Captain Hook once again.

He stared out at the dark waters with a content grin on his face. This was his life. This was where he called home. He loved Tortug and truly enjoyed being with Wendy but his greatest lover was the sea. He loved everything about sailing his fine ship. He loved the misty spray that would hit him in the face when Jolly Roger cut through a large wave. He even enjoyed the heavy splashing he received when it cut through a massive one. He loved the silence and openness of the wide ocean. He loved the mystery of it and the way he could lose himself in its vastness. He loved it all and closed his eyes for a few moments, listening to the creaking of the ship, the flapping of the wind through the sails, the voices of his men talking and laughing in low voices, the splashing of water against the keel, and unexpected footsteps coming up from below. Opening his eyes and looking down, he spotted Selvina climbing up from belowdecks looking weary.

"Trouble sleeping?" he asked her as she walked up to the quarterdeck and leaned against the bulwark looking out the starboard side.

She yawned loudly. "Yeah...I'm not used to the cramped beds and constant bobbing around. I know it's nothing you can change. I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually. I just wanted fresh air."

"Aye, fresh air will clean your mind and put you at ease, lass. You'll be yearning for a bed soon enough."

"Probably..." She glanced back at the captain and raised a sleepy eyebrow. "Don't you ever sleep?"

"I do but I've always liked sailing at night so I take the first shift and Sinbad sails until I wake up. It's a fine, working system."

"Don't you let anyone else guide the ship?"

"Aye, I do when I need to but I only trust it in his hands when I'm not present. I've spent many hours on this ship and she's been more of a home to me than any building on the shore. She is my life."

"You speak of this boat as if it was a woman..." Selvina remarked with a chuckle.

Captain Hook looked at her as if he had been insulted and it caught her by surprise. "Jolly Roger may just seem like a boat to you but she is far more than that. She is my kingdom and her men are my people. I've spent most of my life on her decks and I've bled, wept, laughed, and gotten ill on her more times than I can remember. She is much more than just a boat, Selvina."

Selvina raised her hands in deference. "Ok, ok, I meant no disrespect."

"None taken. Just don't you ever call her a boat again."

"Aye, aye captain." She gave him a salute and he looked at her with an expression of confusion. "It's a salute...but probably a bad one..."

Captain Hook just smiled and chuckled as she turned and walked down the steps to the main deck. He noticed a certain young lad approach her and could already tell what was going to happen. "To be young again..." he said to himself.

Selvina sat on a crate near the middle of the main deck, swinging her legs off its sides and leaning against her hands which she had propped behind her back. A lantern on the mizzen mast just behind her surrounded her in a circle of light as she looked down at her dirty dress and shook her head sadly. It had been so beautiful and enchanting and now it was hardly more than a rag. She smelt horrible and probably looked even worse but she would have to deal with it as she was quite certain Captain Hook had no showers on his boat.