Cutlass Anne

Cutlass Anne - Chapter Six

Chapter Six

I quickly pulled my shoes on and stood when I saw a tall, swarthy man leaving town, coming toward the ship with an equally tall man with a light complexion at his side. The man I assumed to be the leader wore a blue waistcoat tied at the waist by a black sash. He had a sword at his side and a stylish brown hat on his head. His face was a lovely tan, and his beard was well-groomed. He paused near the barrel and talked to the young man, who pointed toward me. I brushed off my shirt and pants, hoping to make a good impression. The man leading the group, who must have been Captain Henry, the tall, bald man to his right, and the handsome young man walked toward me.

"Boy, you were asking about joining my crew?" Captain Henry asked.

"Aye, sir," I said.

"Have you got any experience on ships?"

I bit my lip and sighed. "No, sir."

"Being a sailor ain't an easy job, son," the tall, burly man said.

"I understand that."

"Why would you want to join a merchant crew?" the young man asked.

"I have nothing left here. My parents are dead, and nobody is left to look after me."

"So you're forced to grow up now, is it?" the captain asked.

"Aye, sir."

"I am in need of a cabin boy, and until you grow to be a man, I could put you to use. Welcome aboard, son," he said, patting me on the shoulder. "Flynn, you will look after the pup."

"Aye, sir," the young man said. "What is your name?"

"Thomas."

"Well, Thomas, welcome to the crew."

"Thank you."

"You can help with supplies. At the moment, we're loading them into carts to row back to the ship. Our cargo will be along later this evening."

"This evening? We load up at night?" I asked.

"There is less to interrupt us at night than during the day. If you look around, you'll notice people who are curious and tend to ask a lot of questions. Night makes things go by quicker." He led me to the long rowboat. "We'll head back to the ship, and I'll help you get accustomed to your duties."

I nodded and hopped into the boat. I had never been on a ship before. I had never made it further than the end of the dock. Now I was going out to sea. I was setting out on my first real adventure. This meant I was one step closer to finding Jane. I could only imagine the terror she was experiencing. If she were still alive.

"Are you all right, Thomas?" Flynn asked.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? It seems like there's a lot on your mind," he said.

"Just thinking about my sister," I mumbled.

"I thought your family was dead?"

"My parents. My sister was taken. I don't know if she is alive or not."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

I nodded, afraid that if I tried to talk I would begin crying again.

"I lost my little brother, so I understand what it's like."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. It happened a long time ago. The sea can be a cruel mistress."

"Yes, she can," I responded despondently.

"Who took your sister?" he asked.

"A pirate. He and his crew raided our town. My parents were killed, and Jane was taken."

"Why didn't they kill you?"

"I wasn't home," I muttered.

"Oh?" he pushed.

I cringed and tried to think of something quickly. "I was visiting family out of town. Jane was supposed to be with me, but she was sick."

I looked away from his intense gaze and noticed we were right below the ship. It was even larger than it appeared from shore. I looked up at the massive sides and wondered how we were supposed to get from the rowboat to the deck. Before I had much time to think, a ladder came hurtling toward us. It stopped a few inches from us and led to the deck. Flynn began climbing. Halfway up, he looked down and saw my mouth agape. I was an adventurous sort, but I had never climbed the side of a ship. He laughed and continued his climb.

"I suggest ye' get your arse movin', boy," the old sailor said from his seat.

"Oh, yeah. Of course." I grabbed a rung and started up.

I was not used to people speaking to me like the old sailor did. Nobody had ever had the nerve to be so disrespectful to me in my entire life. I didn't know how to react. I couldn't react. Everyone had always been so appropriate and treated me with respect throughout my entire life. Perhaps it was because of who my father was, at least who they thought he was. To me, now, he was nothing but a land pirate. He may not have been John Jacks or murdered people, but he abandoned his own daughter to who knows what fate. He swindled people, lied, and cheated.

It disgusted me that he had done such a thing. And for what? Money and power.

As I climbed over the railing I stumbled. I was not expecting the ship to be swaying so much. From the shore, it looked like it was sitting still.

"You all right, Thomas?" Flynn laughed.

"Fine. I was not expecting it to sway so much," I said, grabbing the railing to help steady myself.

"You've never been on a ship before?" he asked, sounding surprised.

"No. I was born and raised here."

"You're in for quite a surprise when we set sail tomorrow."

"Where are we heading?" I asked.

"The Caribbean. There are a few stops we have to make before setting off for England."

"Oh." I could not hide the disappointment in my voice.

"You don't want to go to England?"

"I do. I just assumed we would be traveling somewhere more exciting."

Flynn erupted into laughter again. "We're not pirates. The most exciting thing we do is storms."

I nodded and tried to walk a few steps.

"It will take some getting used to. Let me show you where your bunk is. You'll be next to Captain Henry's quarters."

I followed closely behind Flynn as we maneuvered around the men, barrels, crates, and masts. I was completely absorbed in watching everything that the men were doing. It was remarkably different than everything I was used to in town. Everyone knew what to do and where their place was.