CHAPTER TWO
A/N: I do have certain misspellings like ‘Cuz’, and ‘Gurl’ and others through out the story because that’s how I want it pronounced, I also have less common misspellings but a majority are on purpose...
Consider it a odd form of Ebonics, I’m just letting you all know now so people don’t send me emails like ‘Use spell check...’ an all that.
Just to recap, it’s around the 1650’s and some words and old time slang are used. I did my homework on this lol.
and if you read it, please review, if you like the story or not I don’t care, just let me know people are reading at least, it only takes a few seconds...honest...I mean come-on 78 people have read this story and only one review...that don’t make a lick of since now does it...
Besides if you review my story, I’ll return the courtesy and review one of yours. sound’s like a fair trade to me
Ok I’m done now, Enjoy the story..
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Xander wasn’t sure what possessed him to choose Temperance out of the elude of choices that met him at the harbor that day, she just seemed to have this particular allure about her that he couldn’t explain.
She wasn’t unloading cargo like most of the other ships, and men were on the outside, hanging from ropes scrubbing her sides. Not a site you saw often, for most captains didn’t care about the outer planks or flanks of the gurl they were commanding.
She didn’t have a mermaid on the front, or anything but a protruding mast, which let him know that it wasn’t a older ship, but it wasn’t a navy ship either. She flew the British flag at the time, so he assumed that she was safe.
And he wanted to learn to be a real sailor, any captain that wanted the outside of his ship scrubbed cleaned had to be a good captain right? Well Lindsey was a hell of a captain, but he was defiantly harder then most, and when Xander found out exactly what trade Lindsey captained, he completely understood; and tacked on for a more permanent ride.
He had been on the ship for close to nine months, just a tad longer then the girl who had come on. He was undoubtedly the youngest of the “permanent” crew, at the young boyish age of sixteen, but he had eyes like a hawk.
He had been trained in his home village, that you kept a look out for the patrol, or the royalty at all times and at all costs. If you didn’t bow when they passed before they saw you, and you would have twenty lashes easy.
His father was the leader of there small shadow society, and he believed firmly that he had inherited his fathers twenty twenty vision. He could spot a platoon in a hurricane, proven fact - and Lindsey wanted him on ever since.
Of course he didn’t do much as a scout cept’ sit in the crows nest looking for the navy flags, and currently the navy port uniforms. Navy was gettin’ smart, and not all the ships were flying there flags now, posing as merchant ships hoping to lure in a unsuspecting and naive pirates vessel.
‘Can’t count on the ships stripes, count on the mans’ Lindsey had told him sternly, right after his threat of tossing him sea side if he so much as blinked on the job, captain seemed to stress that he had the most vital job on the Temperance, if she went down , the crew and there lives sunk into Davey John’s Locker along with her.
So even as a pimply sixteen year old, he took his job more seriously then men twice his age.
Him n’ Angel got along good enough, as much as colleagues needed to, other then the everyday instruction and ship jobs that needed cooperation, they didn’t talk much. He had a distinct feeling that Angel didn’t particularly care for his presence, but he never handed out disrespect to him, so Xander just stayed out of his way and visa versa and they were just fine ship mates.
Xander had little doubt though that if he ever got to go aboard a “salvaging” - the term the crew used for going aboard a merchant vessel and taking whatever they pleased - that if his life were in danger that Angel would protect it to the best of his ability. And that’s all Xander really needed to know about his crew mates.
Now the girl was a different story, he was raised to believe women were less then him and were for nothing but pleasure and to look pretty. He was shocked when the entire crew found out she was actually a woman and not a butch as she had posed, yet kept her along for the ride anyway.
He remembered her sitting on the main mast, legs swinging like it was nothing to be nearly forty feet in the air above the main deck, sewing up a wind rip in one of the smaller sails. Of course, at the time he was under the impression she was a guy.
It wasn’t until she had started to make her way down, that she snagged her shirt on one of the metal clamps that caused a rip right over her left breast. When she made it down to the deck, one of the common deck hands noticed the tape wrapping around her upper chest, keeping them flat.
The deck hand, naturally, informed another deck hand, and word got around back to the first mate, who demanded to see the wound in case ‘he‘ needed to see a doctor. Xander wasn’t sure what happened after that, but she marched her pretty little head right out on deck and declared herself a woman, made a case why she should stay on, and won over the crew. So the vote standed that she stayed.
Xander's view of women, or at least one particular woman changed that day.
She went three months before her name was found out to be Faith Wilkins, instead of John Quipps. He still on occasion called her John, but she overlooked it.
“What you doin’ boy, You should be cleaning your nest.” Lindsey was leaning in the doorway of the main sleeping quarters, watchin’ the young black haired boy swingin’ in his hammock and pickin’ at his nails.
“Already clean cap’n.” Xander replied, not even movin’ so much as to look at him.
“That so?” Lindsey asked with a hint of a smile, boy always seemed to have his chores done on time, without so much as one detention to guide him to do it.
“Yep, Just passin’ the time till supper.” he stated simply pulling up a rough wool blanket up to his chin.
“Could re-rope it, maybe even swab her down, replace the rice sacks you got up there as pillows before they go rotten, hell got a few day’s of sunshine left for’ we set sail tonight, could have the carpenter make you a few new planks and nail them in.” He supplied as possible projects.
“That so?” Xander said through a yawn.
“That’s an order, boy.” Lindsey said a bit more sternly, getting Xander's attention, forcing him to sit up and look over his shoulder at the older man. “You wanted to sleep you should have gone into town and rented a room or shacked up with a wench, you got time on my ship you do something productive, I’ve told you that plenty a time.” Lindsey gave one last meaningful look and turned on his boot strapped heel and marched out like he damned near owned the place, which of course he did.
“Folly flunker!” Xander shot back under his breath, pullin’ on some britches, a dirty off-white shirt and his workers boots.
Xander marched on deck, heated with a attitude, it was always one thing or another with that fluky of a captain controlling the wheel. But if Xander were captain, he’d do the same things, let your workers get lazy, next they get drunk, then they can’t load or handle chores cuz there either to sloshed or the hangover has all there focus.
“What’s got your knickers in a twist boyo?” Joanie asked, one of the many miscellaneous deck hands.
“Got me some work to do.” Xander replied sharply, he didn’t much care for new deck hands, specially ones that made it there business to come and talk to him like they knew him.
“We all’s got us some work to do.” Joanie replied puzzled.
“Should be gettin’ to it then huh, don’t let me keep you from singing your merry song while you sponge down the cabin walls!” Xander was sarcastic with the blond haired boy, as he usually was with everyone else, Faith told him it was an endearing trait that would most likely get him shot with a musket on land, but was suitable for the land of the bergs.
“Sorry fer boterin’ you.” the young boy mumbled and headed on his way, he couldn’t have been older then thirteen, fourteen at the most. Give the boy a few months and he’d have a sea heart like the rest of them, well maybe cept Angel and Faith, they always seemed to carry that pesky bit o’ sunshine.
“Thanks for Leaven’.” Xander replied off-handedly, coiling up some rope and startin’ his way up to his personal quarters. He guessed he could re-rope it up. Made no lick of sense to him though, the way she was she could withstand a few good sea storms.
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Lorne liked to whistle when he cooked, drove the captain up the wall’s of the cabins. Loren's voice could carry through all the decks of the ship, and though many complemented him on his voice, Lindsey didn’t much like the sound.
Whenever captain heard him singin his merry tune, he would barge in the kitchen and demand it to stop. Sayin something about not being able to concentrate with all the ruckus, but when Lorne pointed out that there was more noise on deck then below it, Lindsey would shake his head and turn on his way out, a small smile on his face that he didn’t think Lorne saw.
Deep down Lorne felt the captain liked his singin’, wouldn’t do much for a pirates ship reputation but kept the men in a cheery mood, and cheery men meant more work done.
Lorne was one of the only original member’s of Temperance, that is, before she was a pirates vessel. He was the cook under Captain Broom when she was still considered a honest merchant vessel, and he was the cook on Temperance even before that, under Captain Shanks when she was a slave trade vessel.
Now he was the cook on the same ship only under a new captain. Captain Lindsey, as a not so honest Pirates Vessel. He had seen his gurl go through many transformations, and he had to say he liked this one the most.
Temperance of course had many names through her many changes, but Lorne found it easier just to refer to her as one name Temperance, it fit the gurl more then her old names Yulan and Star had.
Lorne often commended the newest captain on her looks, Temperance looked newer today, then the day she was christened into the ocean’s waters. And he should be the one to know seeing as he was there.
Going on nearly fifteen years aboard this particular vessel, and he wouldn’t trade that time for the world, or a worthy woman. He loved the ocean, he had a sailors heart the day he was born his father would always say with a laugh.
He’d seen more storms then most men his age, and he’d seen plenty o’ men die up in the rafters of the sails. Whisked away by the wind, or taken overboard by a wave.
He knew first hand the dangers and the breathtaking beauty of life at sea, and he felt safer most times on Temperance then he did on land. The likes of him wasn’t accepted to often on land.
None of the crew, cept maybe Lindsay, Wes, and when needing to Angel, had the proper education of talking and manners for shore life. They could swoon any lady or make any patrol believe they was an honest ship and honorable men.
Everyone else had ‘sea talk’, even the lady Faith. It was full of curses and a dialect that was considered far from proper. And they didn’t bother dressin’ in suits and broaches, only people who even had a pair aboard were the Captain and the first mate.
Other then that it was dirty white shirts, brown or black cotton pants cut mid shin or just above the knee, and bare feet or heavy work boots. And a few of the boys had the red sash around there waist merely because they liked the manly look of it, but drawstring pants was what the veterans wore.
Faith had one maids dress, for going on shore as a woman when she needed to get into the lady’s shops that men were stricken from, but other then that, ocean life had no dress code accept what was comfortable and cool.
Lorne absolutely loved this life, you made your own rules, and lived by your own standards, not a society's, and you were accepted for it. If the gurl Faith had lived on land, she would never be allowed any were near what she is now, much less be allowed to perform like a man, as they say.
Lorne was fond of the younger woman, she was down to earth and real with herself and everyone else, and she wasn’t the damnedest shy at all. He admired her, but only as a little sister or trusted friend, nothing more.
She was also the only one that would sing along with him while he cooked, sometimes picking up a spoon herself to stir the soup or noodles. They would chat up about the life's they had had before Temperance.
He told her things about himself he ain’t ever told anyone else. How he was raised in a upscale manor with his family as the head stable boy, of course his family never set foot in the Chamberlins Manor, but there little cottage out back was perfectly suitable, it was far better then a majority of peasants homes in the area.
They lived half a mile from the coast and he would walk the horses in two’s out to the shore for some exercise and back, and everyday he would see English merchant ships working there way into port.
“Dad,” little Lorne asked “One day I’m ganna be on one of the Queen’s ships, I won’t be working this stable forever.”
Loren's dad would just laugh and smile, ruffle his son’s hair and continue to keep the lands cut and prim.
“Really dad, when I’m old enough to sail, I’m ganna do it!” Little Lorne would persist excitedly with young determination and heart.
And sure enough, when he reached the age of twelve, he headed down to the dock’s and found himself Temperance and stayed on her ever since. Never told his family good-bye or nothin’, he figured after a good seven years tellin’ his dad that he was ganna do it was all they needed. Sides’ it was best for his family, now all they needed to feed was his little sister Kathy, and his little brother Charles.
He also showed Faith a shell necklace that he always kept around his neck made up of the shells from all the shores he had visited around the world. Each very small but intricately different. Faith would joke with him about how one day he would run out of room for shell’s, but he’d been carryin’ the same necklace for nearly fifteen years. It wasn’t often that he hit a new shore now a’ days.
“I started this Necklace when I was Sixteen.” He would tell her, and encouraged her to start her own, but Faith had other ways of remembrance, she had a chest full of different currency's from all the villages, countries and towns they visited.
Each had a unique coin, and rare large city’s actually had paper money, but it was scarce and solely to the rich upper classes. Didn’t stop Faith from gettin hold of some though.
Lorne was happy with his life, in fact he was always the optimistic one on the ship, even during a hurricane he had something to smile about when everyone was in a rut or panic.
Lorne liked it best that way, he had more blessin’s that came from the sea then regrets, and he was dammed sure going to keep it that way.
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Lindsey sat at his desk, sipping some red wine, looking over the maps Wesley had insisted on.
His first mate wanted them to travel in the direction of Spain, saying it was safer that way and there was bound to be more booty to be had, then in the direction Lindsey actually wanted to travel in.
But Lindsey, despite his usual disposition, trusted his first mate with more then his life and ship. And with subtle arrogance, would admit defeat and head up the coast to Europe.
Lindsey wasn’t much for the slave trade anyway, he felt that himself as a pirate was more honorable a man then a man who sold another man for profit. Lindsey had nothing against the colored folk, he would take a few on board once in awhile that were beggin’ to get away from the constable or a evil master, they proved just as competent if not more so then some of his white sailors.
One African tribal man, Heriuk, showed Lindsey and Angel how to weed rope the lines and knot them different from standard ship knots. The ropes lasted longer with weed twine, and the knots practically impossible to break.
Angel adopted the new method with ease, thanking the darker colored man, and taught it to all the boys, making sure only ropes that could afford permanent knot-tation got the new knots.
But Lindsey was hard on his crew, harder then most captains. He wanted his boat to be the envy of the seas, clean spick and span and sparkling all over, he wanted the sails white washed frequently, and the stitching on the flag to be fresh.
He wanted new planks put in, were the slightest dark spots were starting to show. And he wanted the decks polished at least once a month, and new ropes put up when the older ones started to turn moldy from the sea spray.
Everyone thought him crazy for wanting a ship so perfect, but with the upkeep so up to date and ahead of the game, Temperance never failed them. The Cannons were always greased, and the cannon balls keyed with swords to make them even more deadly. And all the Brass, Silver and Copper polished weekly.
He would come up with the most mundane of projects just to keep his crew busy, and he would often have himself or Wesley teach the boys sword fighting and how to fire a pistol when there was absolute nothing else he could think to be done.
He prided himself in having what he felt was the best ship in the waters, and few disagreed, and having the most prepared hard working crew. He only allowed liquor on his ship during port stops, and he fed his boys in the morning and at night, when most crews only got one meal a day.
He put into his ship, and got out what was deserved. And the more he put into Temperance The more she would provide to him as a captain.
He remembered the first day he laid eyes on her, she was a banged up beauty, and the crew was easy to overthrow. She was a common merchant ship, captained by a older man that didn’t know a lick about real sea life, thinking’ pirates a myth.
It was just him and Wesley that took her over, holding the captain gun point, they made all the men exit the boat per captains orders, and kept the ones willing to take orders and shine the new flag.
He kept three of the original crew, Angel, who proved himself and said repeatedly a pirates life was better then any other type of sea life. Giles the carpenter who had been on Temperance for nearly ten years and knew her well, he didn’t complain a lick either when Lindsey declared himself captain, and of course Lorne, who saw Lindsey entered sword drawn, and said.
“You the new captain?”
“Yes!” Lindsey stated boldly, sticking his chest out and raising his sword.
“It’s beans and rice tonight” Lorne replied calmly, and continued to whistle.
Ever since he took her over three years ago, his gurl had been good to him and his crew had come to trust him as a permanent and competent captain. Rarely arguing his judgments and decisions.
Lindsey was a good captain, honest and fair to his crew, and would lash out punishments only when necessary or to put a rookie into there proper place. He once hung a boy named Fraun off the side of the ship by ropes for two hours strait because he would lounge around be lazy all day, ignore Angel’s orders, and give lip to him.
Boy learnt’ his lesson good after that.
But overall, Lindsey was a quite man and very secretive, he liked to stay to himself. Locking himself away in his quarters for most of the day, going over maps and possible targets, stargazing new ways to avoid Royal Navy ships, figuring there finances, what they could afford to do and not.
He had his secrets that he would never tell, and the only man he really let in on his life was his first mate Wesley, They had known each other for years before there pirate escapade years ago, and he was the only person Lindsey would let get even remotely close emotionally.
He liked it that way.
Lindsey was on top of the world. They were the most notorious pirates ship in the seas, he had a good ship to sail, and a hard working, loyal, honest crew at his hands.
Really couldn’t get much better Lindsey thought to himself. Taking another sip of the last of the red wine before they set sail.
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So there it is hoped you guys enjoyed it...More dialogue to come in the next chapter promis...
oh and thanks so much to scaredy cat for your review last chapter, your’s was the first review so this update is dedicated to you!
Not sure what I have planned next chapter, but there will be more crew interaction, then there was in the last one and this one, and you might see more new deck hands…
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