Chapter 4

The Captain walked up to you and examined the deck you'd been washing all morning. The deck someone had done much of for you, and you didn't know who or why.

"So you've been working all night?" he asked.

You didn't like lying, but right then you'd much less prefer to admit the truth and get someone in trouble. "Yes sir, Captain."

He nodded slowly. "Well then," he said. "And you seemed to have refilled the bucket yourself last night?"

"Yes sir, Captain."

"By yourself?"

You swallowed. "Yes sir, Captain." Can he tell I'm lying? Somehow he knows I am...

He stood there and watched you work for a little bit, wondering what to do with you, noticing you didn't look the least bit tired as you should be, and that some of the sailors sent you some concerned looks that you'd been forced to work in the cold by their usually-much-more-merciful Captain. Apparently you were the exception.

But then again, you were supposed to be his new toy.

He was testing you.

And you didn't change your pace of work just because he was there. You just kept working.

After a while, he said, "Alright. I'll need to call you something." He momentarily lowered his voice. "Because an announcement of your real name may not prove all that productive," he paused and raised his voice to its normal volume, "so I'll call you...Anika."

You stopped scrubbing and looked up at him with a loathsome look that said, I am not a pet, and you don't have the right to rename me.

"Don't give me that," he said flippantly, like you were being funny. You were his cute little entertainment. "I suppose you're hungry. We have a bit of food if you'd like some."

Well, at least there was an upside to a nickname. "Yes sir, Captain," finally your day was looking up. A little.

"You know, those are the only words I've ever heard you say. You may ask me questions if you would like. I'll always give you an answer."

You were allowed to ask him things? "Well..." you started. "What are you going to do with me?" I hope he's not mad...

"Ah, she speaks!" He chuckled. "And what I plan to do with you depends how you behave. If you're good, I'll let you go. If you're not, I'll do whatever I want."

Whatever he wants...? "And...am I doing alright...then? So far?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Well, effort wise, you appear to be doing alright, but the overall skill could...use some work. Your efficiency, judging by this well-cleaned deck, is good, but I'll have to teach you a few things to make you useful in other things."

You nodded. So you were doing...okay. "Why don't you keep me tied up?"

"Well, one, because being tied up is miserable, counterproductive, cruel, and only makes work harder." He said parts of that...quietly...as if he knew it from experience. "And two, there's nowhere for you to go. You're already at sea, there's no escape, no need to tie you up unless you're being tortured. The reason I had you stand still while we left the mainland as because by the time we were far enough from the land, you would never have been able to swim far enough to get back."

You nodded slowly. "And...what kind of food do you...have?"

He smiled. "I knew you'd come around. And to be honest, the food is going to be pretty good for a while, after a few days it takes some getting used to, but you'll eat when you get hungry enough. And I'm surprised you never got seasick. Most people do their first bit at sea."

"So you won't kill me if I feel sick...?"

He laughed. "Of course not. Why, not feeling very well?"

You shook your head. You felt a bit dizzy and sick to your stomach, but had not wished to admit it. You were hesitant to talk, as if it would make you get sick then and there on the newly cleaned deck.

"Well, since we've just started off, I'll have some green apples for you. If you really start feeling bad, just stand on the deck and focus on the horizon. You get sea sickness because your mind feels motion that you can't see."

Huh. You thought. He sounds pretty educated for a pirate. And he doesn't speak like the rest of them.

"Well, you'll get your sea legs in a few days, once you get used to it. But anyways, food? The best of it is in, it'll expire within the next few weeks. The first few weeks are always nice, the good food. After that, it starts to go bad. So then...we still eat it."

You looked a bit disgusted.

He smiled again, that crooked smile, as if your reaction to his daily life was amusing. "You'll get used to it." He shrugged.

I'll be here for that long? Long enough to get used to eating crap?

"Now come on. Do you want food or not?"

"Yes sir."

"I thought so. I'll show you where the 'kitchen' is." The Captain offered you his gloved hand, which had been bare yesterday.

For the first time, you made peaceful eye contact with him. You'd always kind of been, well, scared of him, too scared to make eye contact, but right then, at least, he was looking a bit nicer to you. He had deep brown eyes, so dark, they almost looked black. They looked sharp and hardened from the things he'd seen around the edges, but on the inside, they had a soft gleam to them.

Yesterday, you'd thought how you knew he had strong emotion reserved for you. You'd thought it was hate or contempt, or something like it. But now he was being nice to you. Was he bipolar or something?

A bit embarrassed, you took his hand, he hauled you to your feet, while you winced from your sore hands, but he started walking off towards a the open trapdoor that opened to the stairs to below deck.

His maroon, gold-lined trenchcoat-or-whatever-coat-it-was-called blew behind him as he walked, his brown boots banging on the wooden deck, his sword clinking at his side, his captain's hat getting its white feather bent in the sea breeze. His long, messy, brown fishtail braid fell halfway down his back like a rat's tail.

When you weren't following, he glanced over his shoulder. "Coming, beauty?"

"Well..." You were a bit reproachful. Beauty? True but.... Err...

Right then, there were three things you really wanted. One; food and water. Two; a nice clean shower. Three; something to relieve sea sickness. The thought of a nice shower sounded nice, but even if they did stop in a cove for everyone to wash off, you'd have to be supervised. And when all you wanted to do was get really truly clean, things got tricky. But the food, water, and seasickness could be fixed, at least. All you had to do was trust a pirate.

You followed the Captain into a large, low-ceilinged room with a long wooden table lined by benches. Several of the sailors sat eating and talking there, chatting like a friendly family. Of pirates.

The Captain got a green apple out of one of the crates against the wall and handed it to you. "Here. Otherwise, we have some meat, cheese, other fruits, eggs, you name it. Help yourself."

"Oh...okay. Thank you Captain," you said timidly. You'd never eaten an apple whole... It's always been cut for you. And where were the utensils...?

"Go on and join the crew for a bit, mingle and make some friends. Chat. Converse," he said. "It'll be good for you."

By the terrified look you gave him he must've known you didn't really want to dine with pirates.

"Go on," he urged.

You were very reluctant.

"I promise they don't bite."

For all you knew, maybe they really did.

"Hey guys, Anika is going to have a mid-day meal with you before she gets back to work," the Captain said to his crew. "Take care of her for me," he added fondly.

"Wait, where are you going?" you asked, alarmed.

"To get my lunch," he said simply.

You nodded slowly. Of course he wouldn't be eating with you...

"I'll be back in a minute or so, so make some friends before I get back," he said, and started to walk back up the stairs behind you. You bit your lip. "Hey, that's an order."

As soon as he was gone, you suddenly didn't feel so hungry. You wanted to ask him to come back. You wanted to just go with him instead of having to meet any more pirates. But you had to do as he said.

"Oh, you can be a'comin' over, Anika, was it? You be going to want more than that apple. There be some meat and cheese we got over here," one of the sailors said.

"I...uh...thanks?" You forced yourself to go sit at the end of the table. You had to drag your feet along, because right then, all they wanted to do was turn around and run back to the Captain.

"Green apples, you be feeling seasick," another observed. "They run quick, enjoy 'em now."

You gave him a scared nod and looked back to your apple.

"We not gonna be hurtin' you, you be actin' like we be cursed with scurvy. We bin recruited by the Captain himself; and he bin choosin' us. And you've already a'met him, he be the most respectful pirate I've ever met," the man closest to you said, a muscled man with a poorly shaven brown beard and the overall appearance of a lumberjack. "Me name's Knoll."