The Pirate and the Soldier Boy

Chapter 5

Exempt from scrubbing the deck for the day so Jenna could teach her how to "make useful contributions instead of sitting around waiting for the wheat to grow", Carmen sat on a bench at the side of the ship, waiting slightly nervously. When Jenna had made this earlier comment, Carmen had said something about how there were no wheat fields in the middle of the ocean, and she doubted Jenna would be in a very good mood.

She was surprised by the sudden swish of a cloak and a tall figure dropping from above her to the deck. Jenna let go of a rope, which was caught by a figure Carmen didn't recognise balanced on the lowest yardarm. Seemingly pleased with her dramatic entrance, and obviously in a better mood than Carmen thought she would be, Jenna waved a brief thank you to her assistant and adjusted her hat. "The difference between simple raiders and pirates is a distinction you must soon learn, Carmen. How we are presented! That was a pirate entrance."

It was only then that Carmen noticed the two wooden batons held in Jenna's hand. One was tossed in her direction and she fumbled, dropping it to the deck. Jenna raised her eyebrows. "Well that's something we'll have to work on."

"What happened to learning the rigging?"

"To hell with the rigging. You're going to learn to fight."

She held up her baton and spoke as if to a child. "Now this is a practice sword. It doesn't kill people. Unless you try very hard."

She unsheathed her saber and held it up in turn. "This is a real sword. It will kill people very easily. No touching."

Without warning she lashed out with the wooden baton and caught Carmen solidly in the ribs with the tip. Carmen rubbed the spot. "Ow!"

Jenna flicked the mock weapon back and forth, rapping both her sides and her neck before Carmen finally untangled her limbs and managed to swipe one hit out of the way. "That's cheating!"

"Oh ho! That's cheating Captain. If you're fighting for your life your opponent won't wait until you are ready for-"

She cut off in the middle of her sentence to attack again. A startled cry from Carmen proved once again she was not ready.

Jenna finally put down the baton ten minutes later. "You know, normally this works, but you are as slow moving with that stick as a sea lion on a tuesday. We'll have to figure out a new system."

***

Regardless of the still chill morning air Carmen stood near the edge of the ship in just her shift and trousers, soaking wet. Apparently her reflexes were sub par and needed work. So, according to Jenna, the most reasonable solution was to see how much water she could dodge.

When she had first suggested this, in the same vague language, Carmen had been thoroughly confused, but nonetheless anxious. As a dozen crew members were called with buckets of water and mugs, Carmen was instructed to remove her bandana, corset, and blouse, and the fun began. The crew who wasn't working had joined in cheering for friends, or in the rare occasion, Carmen herself. Jenna was having the most fun of all, seeing how close she could get to certain marks from different distances, such as a dry spot on her trousers, three meters back, or the top of her head, two meters. Carmen had gotten better as the hour progressed, however, and a stiff wind arose, giving her more cause to dodge the water.

Finally Jenna signaled the others to stop. "Good work, kid. No more today. Besides the sun has come out, so it would be more a pleasure to be dunked with water than a detriment. We'll start with swords again tomorrow. Always stay light on your feet."

Carmen relaxed slightly, but was still able to dodge the last mug of water that was thrown at her face. Jenna shrugged. "It was worth a try. Now mop up this mess you've made on the deck!"