I was only a member of the Fallen Lamb for a few nights at the time, but never had I seen the sea as beautiful as it was then. She glistened a deep blue, and clashed against the hard wood of the ship, waves rising until it hit the hull then falling back into the sea. Getting used to the constant rocking of the ship was incredibly difficult at first, but I managed to retain my balance after a week or so. Anyways, I made my way to the main deck, passing through the kitchen first so I could grab a bite to eat. All we had left for breakfast were apples that were once fresh, but old and bruised now.
“Oy! Cabin Boy,” a deckhand called out to me. “Cap’n says the ship’ll be approachin’ the prize soon. ‘e says to git to the arms master’an ‘elp wiv the preparations. ” Everyone on this ship has a duty, and mine was to do the work that nobody else wanted to do. Nevertheless, I was quite content with my position on the ship. The crew may have passed their duties on to me, but they never treated me badly. In fact, the quartermaster taught me how to read, and sailing master taught me the intricacies of navigation. However, sometimes I felt that I should have been assigned more responsibility, and not just menial grunt work.
I gave the deckhand a nod and made my way to the arms storage. “Mister Blazes,” I called “The Capitan requested I assist you in preparation for the upcoming battle. ” “Aye, is that so lad, then why don’t you get your ass o’er’ere ‘an ‘elp sharpen these goddamned swords. ” I took a seat at next to the arms master, and with whetstone in hand, began to sharpen blades. I couldn’t help but notice that the blades seemed worn, most likely from the battles they’ve seen.
We had to restock once we reached the harbour. “Are you afraid, boy? ” the arms master asked, as he made sure hat the gun powder was ready for the pistols and cannons. “Afraid of What? ” “Afraid of the coming battle, that’s what. It’ll be yer first. It may be yer last. I sure as hell thought it would be my last when | boarded a ship for the first time. ” It was true that I’ve never boarded another ship before. The crew usually left me at a harbour before going out to hunt a prize. They’ll come back after a few days, with barrels of cargo to sell to the merchantry. There was this certain air about the crew after they took down a prize, something that I could never understand.
I’ve asked countless times if I could tag along the next time, but every answer was always the same, ‘you’re not ready yet’ or ‘maybe when you get settled into a sailor’s life’. “Slightly afraid, yes. ” I said to the arms master. In my mind, all | could think about was how I could make myself useful. The Fallen Lamb was my home, and I wanted to prove it. I thought that by proving myself in battle, I would to become a real member of the crew, and not just be a simple cabin boy for the rest of my life. “You know boy, I was once like you.
I wanted to prove myself to my crew as well. But lemme tell you something boy. When you board that ship, everything’ll slow down. You will hear nothing save for cannon fire and the sounds of men screaming as their throats are slit. Are you sure you’re ready for this? ” I wait a moment before I respond, taking a moment to let the arms master’s words sink in. “yes. ” I tell the arm’s master. “Atta boy. Now, lemme giv you a word of advice before you board. Once you land on the other ship, make sure you shoot first. ” He says with a hefty guffaw.
We prepared the rest of the weapons in silence, only breaking it to relay the news from the captain regarding the current situation with the prize. I noticed that the arms storage was falling apart, the boards croaked when they were stepped on, and rats ran from one end of the room to the other. Mold had covered most of the wood beams, something that had to be brought to the carpenter’s attention. When the last of the blades were sharpened, and the guns all accounted for, we loaded them onto the crates and brought them to the main deck.
“Grab your weapons men! ” the captain ordered the crew. For tonight, we plunder, and tomorrow, we enter the harbour as rich men! ” The crew let out a deafening yell, in agreement with the captain, and stormed to the crates too pick up their weapons. I look to the arms master, and he gives me a nod “Go on, boy,” he says, “wouldn’t want to be stuck with a shoddy cutlass now wouldya. ” “How far? ” the captain asked the lookout. “About 500 yards, sir. ” “What’s our speed? ” “Four knots, sir. ” “Raise the sails, we need to go faster, if we’re ever going to catch up to her. ” The riggers unfurled the sails, and it was as if the sea herself pushed us forward.
The Fallen Lamb propelled herself towards the prize, and with every yard, my excitement grew. “Speed! ” the captain called once again. “Seven knots” “To your stations men! ” It wasn’t a long time looking back, but the wait for the captain’s order felt like a lifetime. There was a moment of silence, that when broken would ignite the very air itself. Then the captain gave the order. “Raise the black! ” I watched as the Fallen Lamb’s Jolly Roger flew into the air. I watched as the prize froze, taking a moment to come to terms with the situation.
She was trapped, a merchant ship stood no chance when faced against a ship the size of ours. The captain truly was amazing, each order he gave was calculated to yield the greatest result. “Cannons at the ready! ” the captain orders the firing squad. “Fire! ” The thundering sound of the cannon could only be matched by the sound of the impact on the enemy hull. With a single volley of cannon fire, the prize was now unable to flee. All that was left now was to board the ship and loot the cargo. The captain gave the order to go over, and the crew gave a yell as they charged towards the prize.
I was taken over by pure adrenaline, and managed to get myself over to the other ship. I could hear the screams of our men as they fell into the ocean. I turned away and ran into the fray with pistol in hand and cutlass at my side. A gun goes off in the distance, and my shirt is now covered in another man’s blood. I look around for a target, and spot a thin man with his back turned to me. Taking aim, I bring back the hammer and pull the trigger. The man fell to the floor as soon as I heard the shot. Before I could celebrate, another man managed to get his hands around my throat.
My pistol hit the floor and when I tried to reach for my cutlass, the man threw me to the ground. I was getting lightheaded, unable to see what was happening. Black spots started to appear in my vision. I thought for sure that I was going to die, but by some miraculous act of God, a bullet went through his side. I managed to get myself free from his grasp, and catch my breath. I looked down and saw the man clutching at his sides, trying to do anything he could to stop the bleeding. Our eyes met for a split second, his eyes begging for mercy. I draw my sword, and slit his throat.
The enemy captain finally surrendered, and gave us access to his logs. As it turns out, the ship was carrying sugar, which meant that we would be eating well that night. The captain was busy recruiting new members for the crew, in order to replace the men lost today. After the cargo was loaded onto the Fallen Lamb, the other ship was set ablaze along with the enemy captain and men who decided not to join us. I looked over the side, and watched as the burning ship disappeared into the evening horizon. *** *** *** “And what happens after that? ” The young man sitting across the table from me asks.
Everyone in the tavern knows how the story ends, but this boy just got here. He says he’s the cabin boy of an up and coming crew. “Well, nothing really. The crew was disbanded after the captain’s death. That was a little over ten years ago. Most found new crews and continued to be pirates, but I’ve had enough of that life. I’m a farmer now. ” “I don’t know how you could just give up your freedom like that. Don’t you miss it? The sea, the adventure, the rush? ” He says, with a disappointed look on his face, but before I could answer, he is already on his feet. He walks through the tavern doors, and out into the cold night.
