The Different Ship
3

It wasn’t long before she awoke, the room was still dark and shook with the snores of the crew members, and she stretched before sitting up.

“Curse this damn not sleeping long…” Rune growled out quietly before slipping off the bed. As she slipped off she noticed Arab asleep on the one below her, she tipped her head looking at him wondering when he even came in and went to bed. She looked around the room and wondered the same for the others before shrugging.

“So I’m up before ye old man?” she said quietly giggling to herself and walked down the small walk way between the bunks before she left the quarters. She wandered around below deck for a bit before replaceing a secluded place and began to do pushup getting her work out in a way since she was no longer on land she couldn’t go for a jog. When she finished that she began to work on sit ups, in the middle of them when someone walked up behind her and scared her. Without a second thought she shot up and tackled them, it was still dark so she couldn’t make out who it was while she pulled a concealed knife from her boot. She held it at his throat in a threatening way, the cool blade pressed against his skin when she realized it was Arab who she had pinned.

“Oh I’m sorry Arab… well no not really, don’t sneak up on me unless you want killed.” She said to him standing up and placing her knife back in the side of her boot.

“Ya really would huh? Sorry for sneakin up on ya, I just didn’t replace ya in tha barracks so I came a lookin’ fer ya.” He said standing up to his feet; she shrugged before crossing her arms and looking at him.

“Now where would I be? Not like I can just walk off the ship now can I? the better question is when we are going to get started” she asked him, he let out a low chuckle before he shook his head.

“Ya know they say sarcasm mean ya have a witty mind? But we are now, so why don’tcha follow me Ayo?” he said and began to head up deck without another word, she followed close behind him.

“What are you going to teach me first Arab?” she asked him, he smiled and walked out more on the deck, the sun faintly peeking over the horizon. She looked around noticing the place was pretty much empty, she couldn’t help but wonder why. Where there different shifts or was everyone just hung over from the gathering last night.

“Well I can show ya how ta do tha sails since we need ta do a change of course.” He said to her as she followed him over to the main mast. It was a cooler morning as the sun slowly began to get more prominent but the sky was still darker as it mixed its navy blue with swirls of red, orange and pinks.

“Good morning Arab, I see you have Ayo with you this morning?” Azhar asked as he walked up behind them and had a pirate hat on this time that matched his boots and trench coat. His eyes went straight over to Rune and looked her over slightly before looking back at Arab.

“Oh ye and tha shock was he was up and well also workin’ out before me.” he chuckled. Azhar’s eyebrow rose and smirked slightly.

“Oh was he? My we may have our hands full now don’t we, but I must say Ayo. I am quite worried about your size you look almost fragile… like a doll if you will? But I am sure you can handle your own no?” Azhar said with a slight smirk.

“Well if you shut your trap and let me show you what I can do Captain. I am sure you will be highly amazed in what I am capable of.” She retorted with a smirk of her own. He chuckled at them again and tipped his hat more down on his face.

“Arab will be sure to keep an eye on you and bring me the reports today, but heed my warning Ayo. This isn’t a normal ship.” He said and walked off to the captain’s cabin in the wheelhouse disappearing in the shadow of the door way and shut the door, not even bothering to look back.

“Well of course it’s a damn pirate ship it’s not a normal one…” she said Arab laughed and watched him disappear before she turned to him raising her eyebrow.

“What are you laughing at, am I missing something?” she asked him, confusion lacing her voice. He looked down at her and patted her head as he shook his own.

“Nothin, just Azhar wants ta watch ya. He seems to be interested in ya. He said walking up to the mast more and undoing the rope that held it in place before yanking them and moving the sail.

“they need ta be like this so that tha wind can catch it.” he said to her then ties it up on two metal rusted hooks fashioned on the side of the mast. As he finished he walked over to the other deck to do that one and she followed him watching him closely. He finished that one and looked back at her as the boat shifted slightly as it changed course.

“Now we just have that one on the others side of the deck, ya think ya can do it?” he asked her as they walked over to it she looked at it and nodded before untying it and trying to pull it. I was extremely heavy to her and Arab let out a loud guffaw before gripping it and helping her tug on it shifting the sail.

“Well ya learn fast mate, but ya may need a little help with them.” he said smiling at her and she scowled snatching it from him and tied it to the mast quickly and shaking her head. How did he even do that with only on pull? There was no way, unless he built up the muscle. He was a pirate and the first mate for a reason.

“I guess I am but I don’t need help you know.” She snapped out and shook her head; he gave her a warm smile.

“Hey Ayo ya still need ta learn ya ropes and the sails they are heavy bastards, still are ta me ya know?” he said before he took his hands and pressed in her cheeks.

“Ya need ta smile little one, it makes life not so hard ya know?” he said to her with another one of his goofy smiles. She tried to stop herself but she couldn’t and she gave him one back. He looked over her and chuckled again.

“Not ya be strange but ya have a nice smile it brightens up my day for sure, how about ya do it more for me?” he asked her, her cheeks began to burn slightly as it dropped into a scowl trying to hide it.

“Tch… thanks Arab… that’s actually nice to hear.” She said turning her head from him so he would be able to see it and trying to act normal about the whole ordeal.

“Did ya think all pirates was assholes son?” he asked her again, she stopped and thought for a minute before shrugging and shaking her head.

“No, not just pirates, all people in general.” She replied. He shook his head as his smile disappeared and turned into a small frown formed over his thin lips.

“Now I don’ know what happened ta ya ta make ya think that, but I can tell ya I don’t like it and will do my damnest to fix it ta tha best of my abilities.” He told her, one again her shoulders gave him a small shrug as she looked out at the sea.

“It doesn’t matter honestly, the damage has already been done.” She said to him but he shook his head. He placed his hand on her shoulder and looking at her with a determined look on his face.

“Well listen hear young’un, the damage may be done but that shouldn’t stop anything else. Ya can’t be a crew if ya don’t work well tagether. Without a crew, tha ships don’ function and will fail. Trust is important son, I hope ya learn ta trust in someone again.” He told her in an earnest tone.

“I’m not saying I don’t play well with others… or I am you can figure that out on your own their old man. It will take a long while for me to gain trust for others, or even if I ever do.” She told him, he smirked slightly.

“Well tell me this, if ya didn’t trust me would ya be standin here talkin to me?” he asked her, she stopped in her tracks and thought. Arab was right, but he was so easy to trust for some reason.

“Well I guess you are right there… but others I assume then.” She said turning away slightly and crossing her arms. He walked up and placed his hands on her shoulders gently, now noticing it, but his hands were oddly warmer than most males.

“Aye lad don’t be so down, we will fix this, I know it just give us a lil time.” he said smiling at her again, she sighed but nodded slightly.

“Alright you can try is all I’m saying, but off this shit and on to what are you going to teach me next.

“I can’t tell ya, I can tell ya, ya gon be a good time though. And whatever needs fixin’ when it does that’s how we do it, but we will do our rounds and check everything now an’ then” he said leading her off onto something else.