Amore

Chapter 10

When I woke up, Andrew was gone. I jumped out of the cot and made my way to the captain's room. I knocked, but no answer came. I stood there for a moment, then went looking for him. I followed the noise and ended up on the deck, where most of the men were working. Some were high in the masts, letting the sails out to catch the wind. Others were swabbing the deck. Some of them were doing other things I didn't know about. I scurried aside as a giant pirate walked by carrying a large board.

"Move it, shrimp," he growled. I hurried across the deck, running around groups of men.

I finally found the captain at the wheel. He was leisurely turning it to the left, then the right. I stood behind him for a moment, then cleared my throat.

"Good morning, captain. You weren't in your room, so I came looking for you," I said, trying to make my voice deeper.

"Ah, good Cas. I don't like it when people go into my room without my permission. You're learning well for one so young. I've taken a liking to you. You amuse me. We'll keep you around for a bit. I think the cook was looking for you. Needs your help preparing the afternoon meal, what with all of these new people. Now go!"

"Yes, captain," I said, running across the deck. I got a quick glimpse of Andrew and Robbie cleaning some cannons before I ran down the stairs. Robbie pointed me out to Andrew and he turned around, searching for me. His gaze pierced me. I wanted to go and throw my arms around him, which shocked me. When had I begun to feel this way? I twirled the ring around on my finger, then turned and hurried down the stairs.

I found my way to the kitchen after getting lost several times. I finally had to ask a foreboding looking pirate. He chuckled, ruffled my hair, and pointed me in the right direction. Shaken by this encounter, I walked into the kitchen.

Where everyone was busy. Very busy.

I guess it would be busy if you were trying to prepare a semi-adequate meal for a hundred or so men. Cook immediately grabbed me in a hug.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're okay! I was scared for ya'. Right I was. You can come help me, some of these cooks are wackos, if ya' know what I mean."

I nodded as he led me to a couple of pots over a hot fire.

"I'm in charge of these, just need to stir what's inside of them, but it's hard with just me."

"I'll help you," I said, taking a wooden spoon and stirring the contents inside. Men came over and dumped some stuff into it and yelled at me to stir faster. I did. After a while, the stuff reeked. I started coughing, then gagging. Cook steered me away from that pot and to another one. I stirred this one, it thankfully, turned out a whole lot better than the first one. It seemed that these people didn't actually cook, they just threw stuff into a pot and cooked it. I innocently moved to a pot of broiling water. I looked around, then began putting potatoes into it, and a little spice. I mashed the potatoes up after draining some of the water. One of the men saw me and yelled at me to stop messing around. He brandished a whip and lashed my hands with it. My skin broke and bled, warm liquid running down my dirty hands.

"Get out of here, you worthless git," the man snarled, picking me up by the back of my shirt and throwing me out of the kitchen. I huddled in a ball, nursing my burning, stinging hands. Tears ran down my face as I gritted my teeth and stood up. I was drenched in sweat and blood smeared my clothes and face. I stumbled to the captain's room and slumped down in front of the door. I heard the clunking of boots a moment later, and I huddled in a ball.

"What are you doing on the floor, young Cas?" the captain's voice rang. I lifted my bloody, sweaty face to his. "What the bloody hell happened to you!"