For the next three days, you scrubbed that deck, with no help from whoever had mysteriously done it the first night.
For those three nights, the Captain offered to let you sleep in the barracks with the sailors but you didn't feel comfortable with that, so you slept on the cold deck with two blankets and a coat borrowed from the Captain.
You didn't miss the looks the Captain gave you. They were too far away to read, and too often to ignore. Jealousy? Suspicion? Pity? How were you supposed to know?
And also for those days, you were a bit wary to ask questions, though the Captain seemed to encourage it. On the first of the three days, the Captain gave you a break with a tour of the ship, and then gave you free reign of it.
On the second of the days, the Captain let you have a good, two-hour-long break during lunch to do whatever you wanted. You ended up eating a big lunch and taking a nap while it was still warm out.
In the end, you were pretty sure you slept for more than two hours, but the Captain didn't seem to have the heart to wake you up while you were sleeping so hard. And when you finally did get back to work, he thankfully gave you his gloves to use on your sore hands. On the third day, you were done with the deck by lunch.
Yeah, three days of work to finish it, plus that mysterious night-scrubber. That seems so long ago now... I mean, it was a really big deck. Or at least, to you it was.
The Captain was at the bow, standing in the spray of the sea in the breeze. You walked up behind him tentatively. "Um...Captain, sir, I think I'm finished with the deck now," you said quietly, almost afraid of his reply. If he was in a bad mood, he may as well say, 'Finished? Wonderful. Now scrub it again.'
He walked over, past you, looking into you as he passed, and went to see the deck you'd just scrubbed.
"Well, you did a great job," he said admirably. "Glad to see you're doing such great work."
So far so good... "Thank you Captain." Why did it feel so nice to finally impress him?
"But finished? I don't know about that."
You held your breath. Would you have to do it all over again?
"There are still the raised levels at the bow and stern, plus every floor level that this ship has. So you're maybe...a fifteenth of the way done with the deck?"
Your eyes widened. It had never occurred to you that you had to scrub more than the main deck, nor that a pirate could do math. But then again, this Captain seemed pretty smart.
"But that's alright. You've had enough deck-scrubbing to last you a good while."
You sighed with relief. No more scrubbing decks.
"I've got a new job for you. Meet me in my cabin," he said, spun on his heel, and walked off towards his cabin, simply expecting you to follow. Again.
I think I'll take the deck instead.
.
~ ~ ~
.
Even though you didn't think he meant it in the way it sounded, you were still a bit reluctant to step into the Captain's cabin. You didn't exactly need a new outfit. So why had he called you in?
You sighed with relief. It was nothing...intimate. He was once again searching his wardrobe.
Clothes and fabric scraps were flying everywhere. He finally turned around, scooped up all the stuff on the floor and handed the armload to you. They were all women's clothes.
"There. Always finding more women's clothes in those treasure chests than a sailor's, but they're easy to repurpose. Mind you, some of them are so...skimpy...I find no use for them. You know how to sew, right?"
"Y-Yes." Luckily, you had once taken it up as a mere hobby.
He sighed with relief to find out you actually had a skill. "Good. Now please go use what you don't want of this scrap stuff and help patch up for make new clothes for some of the crew."
"Well, a-alright. I guess so. Yeah. Yes sir, Captain."
"What?"
"It's just...my hands," you said quietly, looking down at the couple blisters on them. "They're kind of...sore. From scrubbing." You were afraid of his reaction, and spoke slowly and timidly.
"Oh, that's alright," he said flippantly. "Take your time. You can have a break until your hands feel better. Just don't wait more than a few days."
"A few...days?"
"And if you get bored, you can either learn to cook, learn to read or chart maps, or learn to swordfight. Your pick. Just try to be productive, and as long as you're pulling your weight, you're fine."
"Oh. Thanks." That was really relieving.
"You're welcome." He gave you a nod and pointed to a box on his desk. "There's a needle in there. Take it with you. Where do you want to keep your things? You're allowed to keep any of the clothing that fits, if you want."
"Well...is there anywhere other than the barracks?"
"Yeah. Empty out that chest right there, just put the stuff in it in the other chests, and you can use it."
"Well...where do I put it? The chest?"
"Wherever you'd like. Barracks, kitchen, cabin, crow's nest, wherever. I don't care. Just leave it somewhere secure, so if there's a storm it won't go directly overboard."
"Oh...thanks. Yes sir."
"And hop to it. Oh! I also...have something for you."
You were suddenly a little nervous. He walked over to his dresser and pulled something out of the top drawer.
It was a big ruby necklace.
Stunned, you were petrified as he put it around your neck. It fit perfectly, and felt comfy to wear.
"Wow...thank you."
"Of course, I never wear it, and of course my crew wouldn't...so I was really just clearing my drawer out."
"Just clearing your drawer out?" You gave him a suspicious smile.
"In a manner of speaking." He returned with a slight simper. "Do you know how to make Sauerkraut?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Well, you've had it before, here on the ship. It's pretty common, keeps you from getting scurvy with all the ingredients."
"Scurvy?"
"Really, Anika? It's scurvy. The ship is named after it."
You couldn't help giving him a look; it felt like you were talking to a friend, not a pirate Captain who could make you do anything he pleased. He looked only a little over your age, and when he wasn't barking orders, he talked like it too.
"It's a disease that you get when you don't eat enough fruits and vegetables, and it makes your teeth fall out," he explained.
"Oh." That didn't sound very fun. Well then, thank the lord for Sauerkraut. "So how do you make...Sauerkraut?"
"Knoll can show you, and if he can't, I'll show you." He carelessly grabbed a chest, flipped it over, slipping its contents of fancy silks all over his dusty floor, and set the chest back down. "There you go. Use this." You reached down to awkwardly pick up the spilled clothing while there was even more in your arms. "Oh no, I'll clean this up myself, no need."
Surprised, you nodded slowly, standing back up, and set the armload of scrap clothes in the chest.
"And to the kitchen," he said, held the door open for you as you passed, and walked by your side down below deck to the not-very-kitchen-like-kitchen-but-still-a-room-dedicated-to-preparing-food.
And the Captain himself, grinning his beaming smile, moving your hands for you in some situations, kindly and ever-so-patiently taught you how to make Sauerkraut.
And that crooked smile was almost contagious.