Chapter I: James and Cap’n Toby

The salty wind blew roughly through his brown hair as he stood on the deck of the boat. The Black Rose sailed quickly through the cold choppy water that day. The dirty, once white, sails sliced through the warm air like knives, moving the ship across the sea at a very fast pace.

“Cap’n, yer needed below deck,” A younger boy of somewhere around eighteen had come up the creaky wooden stairs and was now standing sheepishly five feet behind the captain. His brown breeches were fraying badly and his previously white shirt was stained a light tanish gray. His light brown hair straggled about his face making his almost black eyes look as if they were pieces of charcoal shining out from behind a mask of sun-darkened skin and shaggy brown hair.

The captain turned around quickly, but completely calmly and replied, “Aye, what be the trouble there, Jacob, me boy?”

“Oh, uhm, I can’t say thet I know relly. I was only told ta come get ye, Cap’n,” The boy said nervously, fearing that this might have been the wrong answer and he was now going to be punished. He stood cowering before the captain awaiting his mighty reply.

“Aye then, I’ll be down in a moment, lad,” the captain replied smoothly.

The boy relaxed some and said, “Aye, aye, then, Cap’n. I shall tell the crew that ye’ll be down in a minute,” he said as he turned, retreating down the stairs quickly, down into the hull of the massive boat.

The captain looked up at the warm, clouded, gray sky longingly. He sighed and walked towards the small wooden stairs. He heard, immediately, the problem and was saddened. From down in the hull he heard a small boy crying.

“Crew, what seems to be the trouble ‘ere?” The captain asked as he walked calmly down half the stairs and stopped, looking into the open dining hall. There were what seemed to be about fifty men standing in a large circle around one man and a young boy.

“Ah, Cap’n, it seems that little James ‘ere, be rel upset bout something an we cant seem to calm 'im down atall,” Replied the man standing next to the boy with his arm on his little shoulder in best attempts to comfort him. The man was in his mid-twenties, like the captain, and was wearing a three cornered hat with a long black feather in it. He was tall, with red hair and bright blue eyes, and had a smile that would make many a young girl’s knee’s tremble.

“Well, Thomas, it seems ye need to tell this ‘ere sorry excuse fur a crew to step aside for their Cap’n , so he might see aboot ‘is ‘ere sad child,” The captain said sarcastically but with a tone of seriousness somewhere in it. The whole crew immediately turned around, their faces turned towards the ground, very ashamed they hadn’t recognized their captain’s voice the first time he had spoken.

“Ah, thank ye’, men. ‘Ats much better,” He said appreciatively, “Now, les see what we cen do ‘ere, shall we, men?”

“Sounds like a plan to me ‘ere, Cap’n,” Thomas said heartily, looking at the captain with an admirable grin on his face.

The burly captain bent down to one knee to be at eye level with the little boy. His head was his in hand and he was sobbing, making him tremble uncontrollably. The captain’s face softened as his eyes met the boy’s. His little face was red and wet with salty tears as he uncovered his eyes to see the captain sitting in front of him. His face lit up immediately. The little boy wiped away his tears and sprung up to hug the captain tightly.

“Captain Toby, sir, I’m so glad that you are here, I was so scared and I didn’t know what to do, and I’m sorry that I was crying but I was scared then all the men showed up and they’re all so frightening and I know you told me not to be afraid of them but I..” The boy rambled quickly but was cut off.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, there, James. Slow it down some boy. I can’t understand a word ye be sayin, if ye be talking thet fast. Now, try again. Start at the beginin' why don’t ye?” The captain said soothingly, putting his arms around the little boy as he began to talk into the pirate’s ear again.

“I’m sorry that I was crying Mr. Toby, sir, but I was scared, I know you tol…” The boy started.

“Hold on a minute there, James. Now why was ye scared, dear?” The captain asked the little one softly.

“I had a bad dream,” He said almost ashamed to admit it.

“Ah, I see now. Well, would ye like to tell me aboot it, an maybe I cen help?” The captain replied with a small grin, not visible to the boy for he was still grasping the captains next like he was going to be taken away if he let go.

“Not with all the men around, Mr. Toby. They do frighten me a little,” he confessed slowly pulling away from the captain and standing in front of him so the captain’s big hands were still grasping his arms firmly.

“Ah well then, Men, back ta work ye scurvy dogs!” The captain shouted forcefully. They all started walking away quickly when he spoke up again. This time he wasn’t near as loud or forceful, “Oh, not ye Thomas. Ye’ll be stayin' ‘ere with the boy and meself.”

“Aye Cap’n,” Thomas said loyally. He paused then questioned lowly, “If I may ask, why em I stayin’ ‘ere with ye, rather then up workin’?”

“Ye be me first mate, Thomas. I trust ye most an’ I be puttin’ ye in charge o’ the boy ‘ere. Ye take good care o’ ‘im. I’ve grown quite fond o’ ‘im ‘ese last few weeks,” The captain said looking into the boys eyes as if he were his own son whom he loved dearly.

“Aye, aye, then, Cap’n. Watch after the boy I will.”

“That’s me first mate, talkin’ ‘ere,” Replied the captain. Then looking into the boys bright green eyes again he said sweetly, “Now, Jacob, I want ye to listen to anythin’ Mr. Thomas ‘ere says, ok?”

“Yes, Mr. Captain Sir,” The boy replied meekly.

“Dear boy, ye needn’t call me all thet. Toby, or Cap’n ul work jus fine. Understan'?”

“Yes,” he paused, “Captain.”

“Ye, see thet’s much better. Is it not?” The captain replied with a large grin on his face. He gave the boy a big loving embrace and said, “Well, off with ye then. Go ‘ave fun.”

With that the boy and Thomas ran off up the stairs to find a good place to play together. The captain stayed crouched on the ground for some time thinking about how much he loved that little boy. He had always wanted children and though he was plenty young to still have them he first needed a wife and that was something he simply couldn’t have while sailing around on a ship, pilfering, and pillaging. He sighed and looked up at the wooden planked ceiling of the boat before pushing off the floor with his hands to stand up.

He looked around the large dining room. There were six or seven long wooden tabled faced parallel to the sides of the boat where the pirates, captain, and little boy ate all together. He looked back past the table to a large doorway. He walked through the lines of tables toward the door and saw a short fat man pass in front of the lighted opening in the wall.

“Ah, Cap’n, breakfast’ll be done soon,” The fat cook said with a toothless smile. His face was dirty, his hair greasy, but shorter than most others on the boat. He was wearing a long gray apron behind which were a pair of tan breeches and a dirty white shirt. His sleeves were rolled up to somewhere around his elbows and his hand were covered in what looked to be a mixture of eggs and some kind of meat.

“Ah, Mr. Turny, ye’re doin’ wonderflee in yer new position. I’m gled thet I made ye cook,” The Captain said with a hearty smile. Extending his hand to the short dirty man he said, “It’s good ta 'ave ye aboard, Mr. Turny.”

Wiping his hands ferociously on his apron he also extended his hand and grasp the captain’s firmly, “Aye, Sir. Thank ye. An ye cen call me Jones, sir. No need fer formalities ‘ere.”

“As you wish, Jones,” The captain said, releasing his hand and placing it in his breeches pocket with the other. With a large smile he said back to the cook, “Aye, back ta work then ye lazy scallywag.”

“Aye, aye, Cap’n,” Jones said happily with a large grin upon his face as well.

The Captain gave Mr. Turny a final toothy grin before he turned on his heel and walked away from the short, dirty cook and headed toward the stairs again.