Swashbuckling in the Dark

Chapter Two

"Zaina!"

I cringed at the sound of my name being spoken in such angry tones. I mentally prepared for the verbal lashing that was sure to ensue, or perhaps a physical one too if Sykes was in a bad mood.

I straightened and shaded my eyes from the sun with my hand. I was surprised to see Dark standing there instead, a frown on his face. The captain had nearly as bad a temper as Sykes, but it had rarely been directed my way.

"Aye, sir?" I asked tentatively.

"Redo it!" he barked, stalking off without a second glance at me.

Puzzled at his foul mood, I kneeled to undo the knots I had just finished tying. I groaned when they refused to loosen and my already calloused fingers fumbled. I swore mildly when the rough rope cut into my fingers, leaving shallow lacerations. Seeing this, Johnny emerged cautiously from behind the crate he'd darted to when the captain had stormed towards us.

"He scares me," he commented, pulling my bleeding fingers gently from the rough knots.

"He's usually in a better mood," I noted, cocking my eyebrow as I glanced at the captain's retreating back.

Johnny nudged me aside and started working the knots. He had small hands for a boy, and nimble ones at that. I looked at my own much abused ones and sighed again. I muttered a quick thanks and leaned with my back against the rail of the ship, sulking. My mood hadn't improved much over the last few days, either.

I didn't mind the physical trials of my new vocation, and I could deal with the sexist taunts from the other pirates. I knew how to take care of myself, and I certainly would rather be here than back home, if I could still call it that. Had my father been alive he probably wouldn't take me back even if I begged him for a place to sleep. My expression visibly darkened at the thought of him.

Johnny stopped after a few minutes. "All done," he said proudly, showing off the perfectly tied knots without a trace of the screw up they had been under my handling.

"You're a life saver, you know that, kid?" I grinned and clapped him on the back.

He turned pink and bowed his head. "Not at all," he murmured.

"Really!" I encouraged. "If your hard work doesn't put the captain in a better mood, I don't know what will."

"You're usually in a better mood yourself," he remarked, then blushed again as if he had said something offensive.

I regarded him from the corner of my eyes. "I have a lot on my mind," I explained.

He raised his pale eyes to mine. "Do you miss your family?" he asked, concern in  his voice.

Johnny seemed to have a way of reading my mind. Either that or he was unnaturally skilled at guesswork.

"I don't have any family," I replied, more sharply than I had intended.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "My sisters are all married with families of their own and my mother and father are dead now...So I know how you feel."

Finished with his task, he turned and started to walk away, shoulders hunched. I could almost see the hurt look on his face through the back of his head. I passed a hand through my hair regretfully and let out a heavy sigh.

"Johnny," I called. "I'm sorry...after all, you're an orphan, too."

Johnny looked over his shoulder at me. "Who on this ship isn't an orphan?" He laughed, his good humour returning as my annoyance with him dissolved. "Who doesn't have family problems?"