Captain's Quarters (Sequel to The Piper Boy)

Chapter 2

Working on a ship was a lot different to working in a camp. There was a lot more to be done and Amily was struggling to keep track of all the things she had to do. It seemed pirates never stopped working. Her first full day on the ship she was able to scrape by on just scrubbing decks and washing dishes. But the next day she found a piece of yellowed paper nailed to her door with a message written in elegant, cursive hand-writing. It read:

 Talk to Byron about getting you a knife and start slicing rope for the nets.

Once you've cut ten, pile them near the barrel port side.

Then start again. Talk to Byron for more instructions.

KJ

The note raised more questions than it answered and Amily didn't bother thinking about them all. Pan had exhausted her by visiting once more in her dreams. She was grateful for anything to keep her busy.

 "Byron" she said the name aloud to herself. It was a pirate's name and it didn't sound cruel. But she hadn't heard of any Byron whilst she had been on the ship. What could this strange, reclusive pirate be like?

Amily dressed quickly and once again tied her hair back into its usual loose pony-tail. She was beginning to like the look and the feel of it tied up. It made her feel like she was ready for action.

It was always busy on deck and Amily rehearsed the usual act of getting through each and every one of the hard-working sailors without disturbing them. It was like walking through a mine-field. She noticed that their captain hadn't emerged from his quarters yet and desperately looked for a familiar face. One stood out among the rest.

"Jed! Hey!" she called out to the easily-recognisable thin bent back that was the Jolly Roger's oldest crew member.

 Amily had only known him for the whole day she had been on the ship but she already considered him a dear friend.  Jed could easily be at least forty years older than his captain but he was as loyal as any crew member should be. Years at sea had done him little favours. Amily liked to think that it was endless battle between the sea and its oldest sailor. Neither had won but both would keep fighting.

 There was little that Jed could do on the ship anymore. He was too frail to climb rigging and too blind to get his nimble fingers to do anything useful. So mostly he stuck to scrubbing everything in sight and on deck. Jed was the reason the Jolly Roger was always at its tidiest.

 Nobody ever mouthed off to Jed though. Though his age had beaten him down to such mundane tasks he was also probably one of the most respected sailors on the ship. But that could have something to do with the fact that he had the sharpest mouth on board. Jed told Amily that his mam always said that he had a mouth like a pistol. She completely agreed.

 "Ah Amily! Good to see ya up and on ya feet, missy" he said in a voice like sandpaper. His head was bent over something but Amily couldn't see what it was.

 "Jed, you saw me yesterday!" she was laughing already.

 "Aye, that is true. But many a sailor have decided that instead of working, they'll run away with the fishes! To see ya still with us brings a sweet tear to me eye!" he gave a throaty laugh and Amily joined in. She couldn't help it.

 "What are you up to Jed?" He was constantly fiddling with whatever it was that was in his hands and Amily quickly grew tired of not knowing what it was.

 "Oh this?" Jed waved the object around loosely and Amily struggled to see clearly what it was.

 "This is me oldest trade, this is.’Ere, tell me what ya think" he handed her the small item and Amily turned it over in her hands.