Pirate's Life For Me....

Newbie

  "So yer the new cook, eh?" Someone said from behind me as I was walking towards the water on the beach. The sand was bright and loose beneath my feet, and I turned to see a large, filthy man. He was missing a few teeth and had scars all over his face and arms.

  "If you're a part of the Ranger's crew, yes." I replied. Upon answering, the man eyed me closely before grinning.

  "Why don't ya show us what ya got? It's just about dinner time." He reached out a hand to grab me, and I stepped back to avoid his hand.

  "Lead the way, but don't touch me." My voice was low as I narrowed my eyes at him. He slightly raised a brow but retracted his arm before walking away. Following him, he walked on the beach towards the bundle of tents and wooden sheds put together further away from the water's edge.

  "Oi! Bring out the food! We're testing the cook!" He called while waving his arm. Men gathered around a fire rose to their feet, glancing at me with amusement as they smirked and chuckled. A few went off only to come back with pots and boxes of different foods. Crossing my arms as they set them down in front of me, I eyed them cautiously.

  These weren't the people from the Petrel, so none of them knew my boundaries or what I was capable of. Because of that, they weren't afraid or intimidated by me- I was going to have to change that.

  "Who all wants to eat?" I questioned, my voice not wavering. Everyone around the fire rose their hands while shouting 'Aye!', and I held out my hand. "I'm gonna need some knives." A buff, bald man threw one at me, impaling the blade into the sand. Clenching my jaw, I bent over to pick it up and grabbed one of the pots.

  Silently going back to the water, I scooped up some of the salty ocean and returned while placing the pot over the fire. Wiping off the knife with my pant leg, I mentally counted how many of them were watching before glancing over the ingredients they'd provided me. Going about six feet away from the fire, I dug my heel into the sand and drug it in a circle around the pit.

  "Don't cross this line." I stated. "Your safety may not be guaranteed if you do." They all burst into laughter, and I ignored them while dragging the boxes around to form a make-shift kitchen.

  Grabbing an onion, I chopped up the green parts and tossed them into the pot while saving the rest for later. Peeling a few potatoes, I felt uneasy from all of the eyes on me as I worked. I missed my galley, and their stares were irritating the Hell out of me.

  Using the side of a crate as a cutting board, I began to chop vegetables and toss them into the pot as the saltwater slowly began to boil. Finding bits of dried meat, I cut them into small cubes and minced the onion I had set to the side. Rubbing the onions into the meat, I set them into a bowl before stirring the contents currently in the boiling pot.

  The smell of food was thick in the air, and I tossed some logs into the fire to make it burn hotter, sending embers flying into the sky. Digging the knife into the side of the crate, I picked up the bowl of onions and meat before going back to the pit. Carefully scooping them into the pot, I tossed the bowl to the side to stir everything together. Wiping my hands on my pants, I glanced around, making sure none of them had stepped past my drawn boundary.

  Sure enough, they were all seated around the fire just beyond the line in the sand. They watched with varied expressions, and I heard a few stomachs growling. Good. They were distracted enough to not get closer. However, when we boarded the Ranger, I'd have to teach them to stay out of the galley like my circle on the beach. I'd have more access to knives then, but pirates were different from normal people and would more than likely take longer to get the hint to leave me alone.