Pirate's Treasure

Chapter 4

I was carried for a long time before I heard the boots clamoring against wood, the smell of sand and salt, and the sound of waves crashing against the shore. It was some sort of boat, I knew for sure. I just hoped Henrik or Dinah or somebody I knew was on board with me so I wouldn’t be alone.

I was placed on the floor and the sack was taken from my head, and I saw all the men wearing different shades of red, blue, brown, gray, and white, some of them have triangle-shaped hats with thick rims. Most had scraggly beards and wrinkles, and looked genuinely older. A couple looked young like me, but I only saw men, which made me uncomfortable. Who were all these men?

The whole boat looked like wood, with a huge white sail over us and a thick pole holding it. There were doors leading off to who-knows-where, and different levels that were connected with stairs, a big pegged steering wheel at the back and most heightened floor of the boat. The last thing that I saw was odd was that the front had a huge spike that curved upward, but not sharply. It definitely wasn’t one of the trader ships, or a noble’s cruising boat. This was different. And I wasn’t okay with it.

"What is this place?" I asked as Captain came forward from the group.

"Welcome aboard on Poseidon’s Sword." He greeted, but I tried to back away, but someone held me still at the wrists.

"What is this boat? What are you people?" I asked quickly, my breath becoming spastic.

"Whoa there, calm down, wench." He ordered, and that was the second time he called me that.

"I’m not a wench!" I shrieked, but the other men laughed.

His arms crossed, and his ugly frown tilted into a smirk. "They think differently, girl. You need to think like them when you’re around them. Dirty minds, they have." He stated, and they all ducked their heads, but none denied. "And these men here, they’re called pirates. Call me Captain Valerian. Val for short."

"Pirates?" My eyes widened as my throat threw it out there. I never heard of them; I didn’t know what they did. I only knew of robbers like the Robin Hood group. "What are pirates?"

The men around gasped, and started talking loudly, contrasting from what the nobles did.

"You don’t know what a pirate is?" Val asked dumbfounded. "You never heard of the men of the sea, the men who hunt for treasure and steal from the ones who have it, and will do anything to obtain it?" He scoffed, and as he looked around, the men joined in with the laughter. "You really are a child."

"I’m not a child!" I screamed, standing up, slamming my foot down, watching them all step back from me. Val only stood there, stroking his beard calmly. He held his hand out for a couple men, bringing in his fingers at a straight corner angle sharply, waving at them for something. I heard stumbling of feet as they dropped Dinah down in front of them.

"Dinah!" I shrieked, falling to the floor and crawled towards her, but more swords stopped me before I could get to her.

"Elisa…" She muttered weakly before falling flat on the wood.

"No!" I was whimpering by this time, trying to reach her. "What did you do to her!?"

"Doesn’t matter. The lass'll be fine." Val stated as the men took her back and left the ground level of the ship, taking her behind a door. "But if you aren’t a child…" He started, drawing his sword from his belt. "You will need to prove it."

I shook my head violently. "I don’t know how to fight with a sword!" I choked out as one of the pirates handed me his sword, and I held it with both hands. "I can't do it!"