A Pirate's Tale

I thank Kathryn Draconna for the co-authorship in parts of this tale and the general "Have you finished it yet?" *g*

The Captain strode across the smoke filled deck, sounds of pistol fire and sword battle ringing in his ears. The enemy would soon be subdued, finding the captains quarters, he searched for charts, logs, books and other valuables. A small noise drew his attention suddenly, pulling his cutlass, he approached the area where it came from. Pulling the door open he was surprised to see a young man cowering, bright green eyes staring with fear up at him from under a dark fringe. "Name boy?" he growled.
"Michael sir." The boy suited the name as he looked much like a angel, a fallen one.
"My Name is Captain Nathan more commonly known as Captain Hell by those who do not care for my brand of pirating. I claim you as mine." Michael shuddered, with fear or joy Nathan couldn't quite tell.

The ship was plundered for all it was worth and left to sink. What was left of the crew were taken aboard as captives. Nathan watched passively as they were stored in the hold, he expected half or more to die before they reached Port Royale.

Opening the door to his cabin he saw Michael looking at one of his books. "Boy, can you read?"
"Some sir, I was schooled a little before my mother was taken by the pox. My Uncle put me aboard his ship as a cabin boy. I was 13."
"Your father boy? What of him?"
"I know little sir, I was told he is a sailor and may well be dead." Nathan sat at his desk and watched the lad twiddle nervously with his sleeves. "How long have you been a cabin boy?"
"five years, near six. I turn 19 in a month if I have kept the month right."
"Well Lad, the month is May and it is the fifth day of it." Michael nodded and smiled sadly.
"Then it is a month to my birth date. No more, no less." Nathan wrote the lads name on the crew list, he would get him to make his mark upon the articles at dusk.

For a week they sailed. Sickness and disease soon began to run rife among the crew and prisoners. Nathan was worried, a crewman knocked on the open door. "Sir, three more prisoners have died." Nathan sighed, that made ten so far. "Very well Boson, wrap the bodies and bury them." The man started out of the door shouting orders as he went.

The service for the men was small, there wasn't time for anything more, there were too many more sick and dieing. The men dropped the bodies into the sea. Out of the corner of his eye Nathan spotted Michael watching, eyes full of sorrow, from the doorway to the cabins.

"Did you know any of them lad?" Nathan asked as he entered the cabin.
"Aye sir, one was my uncle, another the sailing master John." Michael showed little emotion over the deaths.
"You do not grieve for them lad?"
"Nay sir, I was ill kept by them." He pulled his loose shirt tight about him showing his lean figure. "I was whipped often, for nothing most of the time."
"Well Michael they'll be talking with the devil now." Nathan patted the lad on the shoulder. "There will be none of that aboard my ship. A whipping is for the Navy men." Michael smiled waveringly.
“I’m glad they are dead!” A bitterness entered Michaels voice. “I hated my uncle for bringing me aboard his ship, I wished to go to my aunt in York but he told me I must go to a career at sea. My mother had some means and my uncle used this to take them from me.”
“I say he richly deserves the punishment he shall get in hell.” Nathan grasped the lad to him. “I’ll do my best to protect you for as long as you’ll let me.” Michael nodded and Nathan felt the lads tears dampen his shirt. “Cry lad, weep for your lost years.” The glisten of unwept tears showing in his own.

Three days later land was in sight. Nathan hoped for a reprieve from the trouble that had plagued his ship since they had set sail two months ago. As much as he wanted to walk on land again the sight of his wife on the dock made him wish he was returning to sea again. Michael came to his side and Nathan made a decision. “Michael, I know you have no place to go in port, would you like to come to my home?” The lad nodded and smiled, at least someone would be happy ashore Nathan thought.

As they walked down the gangplank Nathan saw his wife come forward. “Greetings Husband.” She was a severe looking older woman with no looks to speak of. “Kate will look forward to seeing you.” The tone of voice make it sound as if she would rather wish death upon him. “Greetings Jane, I hope you are as well as ever.” Michael could tell there was no love lost between the couple. “Kate is well I trust and awaiting the arrival of her groom?”
“Indeed Husband. My young daughter is well and the groom should arrive within the month.” Michael noted that she said my daughter not ours . “Aye then, we had best return to our home and ask the servants to prepare a room for the lad here. He is my new cabin boy Michael and has no family or funds here.” Jane turned away to the waiting carriage muttering quietly under her breath.

A little ways up the dock, the figure of a young lady could be seen talking animatedly with a well-know widow. Beside the older woman's black garb of morning, the younger's bright colours looked greatly out of place. A cloak of dove grey with the hood pulled up, was open in the front enough to show off the pale green of the dress underneath. Her hands moved in conjunction with her words, showing great importance in whatever the two women were discussing and also catching the eyes of Michael to them. Nathan sighed at his wife’s impoliteness and looked to see what Michael was doing. Following the lads line of sight he noticed the animated pair talking and realised with shock that his daughter that he had been told so recently was at home was far from it indeed. The widow seemed to note being watched and met the captain's gaze. She gave him a small smile and brought the girl's attention to their audience. When she turned to look, any hope Nathan had that it was not his daughter disappeared. For it very clearly was Kate. The girl was hard to mistake, sharing so much of her mother's looks, but softened by youth, and Nathan’s good blood, if he did say so himself. Kate's face blushed only slightly, before it changed to a mask of cold indifference and a glare at Nathan He decided to make little of it in public but when he arrived home Kate would indeed be in for a few stern words. Kate's gaze went to Jane and her eyes widened in fear, before she turned away and preceded the widow into the nearby shop.

When they arrived home, Kate opened the door herself, smiling and hugging her mother as duty called for. She ignored Nathan though, "Mother, I trust town was well?” Jane ignored the girl's question and waved her off, "You are not a servant, Kate. Do not open the door like one." Kate backed away and frowned in anger at being treated thus. A glare at Nathan blamed him for Jane's actions "Kate, damn child, I may not act like your father but you are to respect me as such!" Kate pressed her lips together on a merry smirk, looking quite pleased with herself, "I have no father just as my mother has no husband. We have but a captain that stays in our house a few weeks of the year."
"Aye lass, I have not been a father or husband to thee and ye mother but there is no call for your tone." Michael noticed that Nathan accent broadened as he grew angry. "You display my faults in front of our guest no less, you are rude and ill mannered girl and although I do not agree fully soon to be married, behave like a grown woman or be treated as a mere child." Jane glared at her husband but stayed silent. "I have spend too long burying the dead and surviving the hunter to keep you in the manner you choose to keep, forgive me for not wanting to be confronted with this before I even get into my house." Nathan forced past Kate beckoning Michael to follow. "Lad, I shall show thee to ye room and make you at home as my wife has failed in her duties to do so."

Jane's face showed very little but her eyes gave away her anger. She spoke to Kate, trying to keep her voice from Nathan's hearing, but she forgot his hearing was better than her own, "Kate, you act just like him, and in front of a guest no less! This is unacceptable." Her tone grew colder as suited her words, "Your groom will not allow such behaviour. Unless you wish to receive a beating, I suggest you think very hard on carrying your father's faults."

"Would you rather I carry your faults, mother?" Kate frowned at the woman in front of her, "You would take out your anger at the captain on me? I but tried to bring to his attention his own faults he insulted your ability to be a proper hostess in your own home, and in front of a mere boy no less." She paused to give her mother time to think this over, "A mere boy whom seems to have more importance than either of us to the dear captain."

"A cabin boy no less, more importance, Kate? That is impossible!" Jane's ire started to shift from Kate to the husband that had just left them.

"Mayhap, but did you not note how he addressed the boy? The tone he used was quite fond." Kate drifted to silence at the look on her mother's face.

Jane could take no more, but she could not keep her anger on Kate either, "Off with you, child. Philip will arrive shortly. He wishes your attention... do find a more suitable colour dress. That green does not become you." Jane sent a glare in the direction Nathan had gone, and left. If Kate hadn't divided her mother's anger, the girl would have been in for a proper tongue lashing and maybe a few good slaps.

Sure that her mother's anger was safely redirected for the time being, Kate went to do as she was bid. "How I loath that Philip, old money monger." Spotting only Nathan in the hallway ahead of her, she sighed at her luck and placed a hand on his forearm to gain the captain’s attention, "Captain? I wished to apologise, sir. My behaviour toward you was unacceptable... for even if you were not father and husband to my mother and I, you are still a guest in our home for the time you are present." She hoped he would take the apology and hated herself for hoping that. Her mother taught her that Nathan was to be loathed and distained at best, but Jane had shown that same distain for Kate more often than not. Nathan had been a bit kinder when he was ever home. Usually giving the child a present and sending her off to play. It wasn't much, but it was something not soon forgotten by her heart, no matter the conditioning to the contrary from Jane. "Aye lass, I will but you will respect me even if your mother hates me and wishes you to do the same. I'm sorry I haven't seen you as much as I'd wish but even so you are very much my daughter." He watched her give a small smile and lifting her hand from his arm, she carried on to her room trying to look as if she hadn't heard his words.

Michael watched through a crack in the door, to him the Captain was a good person but his wife obviously didn't think much of him. Closing the door quietly he went to rest as Nathan had told him. Sleep would not come easily after the time on the sea it seems strange to rest in a bed and not upon a hammock. Dinner would come soon enough for him and it was a relief to have nothing to do for a change.