Chapter Three (Kateri's Pirate Story)

Here's the next chapter!!!! Can you recognize some of the names you gave me? The other ones that you guys came up with will be used later on in the story.

Chapter 3: Getting to Work

Sarah had fallen asleep on the deck, sheltered by some old wooden packing cases. Yawning, she got up and looked about the deck. She walked briskly across it, and looked over board. There was nothing to be seen but water and sky.

Sighing, and suddenly feeling very homesick, she turned around, not liking to look at all the water without a trace of land in sight.

Sarah stepped carefully about the ship, looking at everything. Nobody else was on deck, except for a few sleeping pirates. Sarah wondered where they were going. Leaning over the starboard side of the ship, she realized how foolish she had been.

Who in their right mind would trust such a sailor? To go off alone with him in the dark! How foolish!

Tears fell from her eyes, mixing with the sea below. Her life as she had always known it was gone forever.

Then a strong hand fell on her shoulder, wrenching her away from the side of the boat. It was Jamison Dread.

"It's time for you to get to work!"

Sarah's eyes blazed with anger and fear. "But what can I do?" she asked

"There's plenty of work around. You can start by scrubbing the decks." He forced a pail of water into her hands and marched away.

Sarah cleaned for hours as the ship moved on, taking her further and further away from her home. Sarah may have been young, and had never left the town of Albandale all her life till now, but she was not going to give herself up for lost. Sarah was smart and stubborn. Often too stubborn her Mother had said.

With fury she scrubbed the old wooden decks. Her wrath seemed to strengthen her, for never had she scrubbed so hard in all her life.

After hours, she was done. Jamison returned and looked at her work.

"Well done. You'll work in the galley now."

Sarah tried to remember what the galley was.

"Go on!" yelled Jamison pointing to the back of the ship.

Sarah flicked her golden hair, threw Jamison a terrible glare, and marched away.

Sarah found the galley was the ship's kitchen. Slowly she entered the dark room.

"Who's there?" growled a voice

"It's me, Sarah."

"Sarah? Who in tarnation is that?"

"Uhhh, I'm the girl that was kidnapped by Jamison Dread..."

"Oh! Oh! That, Sarah, ok, what do you want?"

"Ummm... I'm supposed to help you..."

"Alright! Alright! Come on in, then!"

Sarah walked into the dim room, being careful not to hit anything. Somebody lit a candle and soon light poured into the darkness.

A short fat man was sitting at a grubby table peeling potatoes and carrots. He had tattoos all along his arms and a patch over one eye.

"Well come on! Sit down and help!" he thundered "Dinner can't be late, makes the whole crew mad if it is."

Sarah reached for a knife. She began careful slipping the blade along under the skin. The cook on the other hand seemed to attack the vegetables, stabbing and slicing, as if he was trying to kill something.

Once they had finished, Sarah went to put the knife away. "What next, Mr...? What's your name?"

"I'm Skinner. Just plain old Skinner."

"Alright, Mr. Skinner. What do we do next?"

"We'll fix the meat next, and just call me Skinner, no mister needed."

As they worked together, Sarah found Skinner almost very nice. Sure, he was a little rough, but weren't all sailors, especially pirates? As they finished the cooking the meal, Skinner told Sarah about the crew.

"The Captain, now he's a fine pirate. Never a better caption then he. Captain Frite he's called. Well known from shore to shore. Ain't no ship he can't bring down. Aye, Captain is a real good pirate."

"Daniel Plank, now he's a story. Got his name by walking the plank years ago, and living! Or so he says... We can't be sure."

"Cardshark is a darn tricky fellow. Don't ever play cards against him, that's for sure. He's too smart for his own good."

"Johnny Terror, ah, he's a devil of a boy. The youngest on board right now, being only eighteen. He's an orphan, Jamison sort of adopted him. He found him sleeping on the docks when he was just a young lad. Johnny can be a right good boy sometimes, but acts like a devil the next."

"Old Buck, now there's a real wild feller'. Must be nearly a hundred years old by now, but he acts and moves like a young man. I don't how he does it."

"David Rock, he's not one for messing with ever. No way, don't bother him. He's a barrel o' trouble. A bomb waiting to explode. You get the point. He's a real true criminal."

"Mitch Snarle, ah, he's a monster, but only on the outside. Don't tell him I said this, but I think he's a real sweet lad on the inside."

"And then there's Arnold Beer. To fond of ale, and whiskey, and wine, and of course, beer, for his own good. He's a good pirate. Did you know he lets the caption pay him in beer instead of gold?"

Skinner laughed. "And of course you met our fine First Mate, Jamison Dread, last night. This is the main lot of us. And now you're here too!"

"I wish I wasn't." said Sarah sighing

"You don't like sailing?"

"I don't like being a slave! And I don't like being tricked! And I don't like pirates! And most of all, I don't like Jamison!"