(Y/N POV)
Three years.
That's how long Thomas had been gone for. I still went down, to the docks twice a day, hoping he would return.
He never did, he never even sent a letter.
Three years.
I was now twenty-one years old and my parents have been trying to find me a suiter. I did not want to marry but my parents said that because Thomas hadn't come back that I would marry Richard Quince, a duke from the highlands further inland. I had met him only three times and was only going to see him two more before the wedding, but I held no love for him.
It was almost sunset, and I walked down to the docks to look for Thomas, still hoping he would come home. That maybe I could see him again, we could live our lives together on the sea. I didn't want this inland life with some man I barely knew, have kids and stay there for the rest of my life. I just missed Thomas so much. everyone was telling me to move on, that he wasn't coming back or that he was even dead. No, he couldn't be, Thomas knew the sea so well.
Did he not love me anymore? Did he forget me?
I just couldn't take it anymore, the marriage, the waiting, everything. This trip down to the docks was different, this time I didn't plan on coming back. I was wearing a loose white shirt and dark brown pants, a cloak to hide my face, and a small cloth bag filled with some food and things I would need.
A few hours earlier I had bound my chest tightly under the shirt to make them appear flat. I had also cut my H/C hair, so it came down just past my ears. I gave myself a once over and thought I could pass as a man once I was onboard.
There was a large trading ship leaving port tonight and I was going to stowaway on it, I didn't care where it was going, I just wanted to leave this place. I made to where the large galleon was docked and looked around to see if I had been spotted. There was no one around so I quickly made a mad dash up the plank and onto the ship's deck, that was luckily empty.
"Good," I said quietly to myself as I was trying to find a way below deck. "Almost there Y/N, once they leave port you are basically free. I can blend in with the crew once we are out to sea, thank goodness I know how to sail."
I found my way below deck and worked my way through the small halls of the ship, trying to find an out of the way place to hide until we left port. After a few minutes, I found a small room filled with bags and long coils of rope. This would work for a hiding spot, barely anyone would be below deck while setting sail, they would all be working the rigging.
After what was probably about two hours when I could hear footsteps above my head and then a little later, I felt the ship lurch slightly making that we were now moving. I waited just a bit longer before coming out from my hiding spot and walking into the hall. I rounded a bend and collided with someone.
"Sorry," I said in my normal voice, then remembered I was a boy, so I deepened it slightly. "I didn't mean to run into you."
"It's alright," The young man who was probably about twenty and had a very thick Scottish accent. "It happens, don't worry about it.
I was about to walk away when he gripped my arm cluing in that he wanted to talk more.
"I haven't seen you here before," He said looking at me with his dark green eyes that were just visible under his dirty blond hair. "You must be new then."
"Yes," I said trying to end the conversation. I wanted to make as little verbal contact with the crew as possible, and yet I couldn't even make it out of the hallway. "I joined the crew at the last port."
"You did, did you?" He asked raising an eyebrow. "Because I didn't hear the captain say a word about picking up any new crew members before we left."
"I..um..." I tried to think of something to say. "I'm not that important. Why bring me up to the crew? Surely the captain is busy with more important matters."
"What's his name?" The young man asked me. "The captain, what is his name?"
"Shit," I said quietly to myself. That was something I was going to find out before I got onboard but had forgotten.
"So," The man said letting go of my arm and leaning againts the wall of the hallway. "A stowaway then? Haven't had one of those in a while. What to do with you? Should I tell the captain?"
"No!" I said sharply. "Please, I am not here to steal anything. I am just here to get away. I also planned on working while I was on this ship. Please don't tell the captain."
"Work huh?" He said. "Alright, I won't tell the captain if you answer these questions, so I know you actually know how to work on a boat like this."
I gave him a grateful smile before he began asking questions, and they were all mostly standard. What knot do you use on different ropes, what do you do with the sails during a storm, what needs to be done in order to repair a mast.
"You seem to know your stuff," He said with a smile. "My name is Alexander, but everyone onboard calls me Alex. What would your name be? Seeing as you are going to be here for a while."
"Oh it's," I almost said Y/N but I caught myself. "Nicolas, but you can call me Nick."
"Well, Nick," Alex began. "One last question. What are you trying to get away from and why stowaway on this ship if you have such a great knowledge of sailing and the sea? It doesn't seem to add up in my mind."
"My life," I said with a serious tone. "I am running away from my old life and hope to start anew out here. My family wanted me to marry someone I didn't love, and I would have had to move inland, away from the sea, which I would never do. As for not sailing away myself, can't take a one-man boat out into the open ocean and hope to get very far, now can you?"
"No," Alex said with a small laugh. "I suppose you can't. I do partly understand where you are coming from, the sea is a great way to start a new life. That's why most sailors are our here I suppose, looking for something new."
"Yeah," I said agreeing with his statement. "Thank you for helping me. I deeply appreciate it."
"It's not a big problem," Alex said to me with a smile. "But I must ask. Where will you be staying while you are onboard, or did you not think that far ahead?"
"I found a small room a few doors down," I said looking down the way I came. "That's where my bag is, I was thinking I could stay there."
"That won't do," Alex said looking as if he was thinking. "If someone finds you sleeping there, they will ask questions. You need to blend in, and sometimes that means being in plain sight. The man whose bed was next to mine just left us, and there is an empty bed in the sleeping quarters. That should do just fine. Get your things and follow me."
I didn't ask questions, just did as I was told.
*Time Skip*
(Y/N POV)
I have been on board the "Sea Dog" as I was told by Alex, for about two weeks now, and so far, no one asked any big questions about what I was doing there. Along with Alex I also got to know another young man named John who was from France and was about twenty-four. He had dark black hair and green eyes and knew how to navigate the stars better than anyone I had ever met before, well anyone besides Thomas. I grew sad at the thought of him, I remembered the many nights we would sneak out onto our small sailboat and watch the starts and see how many we could name.
"What's wrong Nicky?" Alex asked me when he saw the grim look on my face. "Why do you look like someone took away your ration of rum and hardtack?"
"Yeah," John joined in. "We were just having a good time moment ago."
"Sorry," I said shaking my head pushing those memories aside. "Just think about something. I'm good now. How about we go up top and see who can climb the rigging the fastest."
The captain didn't mind the crew doing things like that if they weren't slacking off on their duties, and when it came to climbing the rigging we were asked to keep watch once we reached the top.
"You're on," John said in his heavy French accent. "You will both get a good view of my ass."
"I wouldn't count on it," Alex said already standing up. "And besides the only one who would be happy to see that would be your mother, and even that is a stretch."
"While you boys are arguing," I said loudly from halfway across the room looking back at them. "I will be halfway up and beating both of you."
I made a break for the hatch the led to the deck of the ship and ran to the port side's rigging and began to climb. I could feel the wind moving through my short H/C hair as I climbed higher. I stopped just for a second to look down below me and see my two friends climbing up after me.
"That was cheating!" Alex yelled up to me.
"No!" I yelled back down. "I was just using the situation to my advantage!"
Then I continued to climb until I got to the top and proceeded to get onto the mast and sat down, looking out over the vast ocean in from of me. Not long after my two friends joined me on the large wooden mast.
"Nice try guys," I said with a smirk. "But you will need to be better if you want to beat me."
"If I didn't like you so much," Alex said playfully. "I would push you off into the sea."
"Aww," I said. "But then you would be stuck with John."
"Hey!" He said faking hurt. "I am not that bad!"
We all laughed, and it felt good to have friends like them, it made me feel bad about lying to them about who I was. We sat up there for about an hour before the two men decided to head back down to the deck.
"See you later," I said as they began their climb down. "I will keep watch a bit longer."
I looked back out onto the seemingly endless sea, and I felt free. Free of all the things I was running away from when I first came aboard this ship. There was no land in sight, just water and that made me feel good for some reason.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I almost didn't notice the small dark shape on the horizon behind me. Once I saw it, I took out the small spyglass that I always had at my side and brought it up to my eye. I looked through it trying to see what the dark object was, once I found it in my spyglass I froze. It was another ship, and it looked like it would catch up with us before the day was over. The thing that was worrying me was its flag. Most ships had the flag of their origin country on the rear end of the ship, like how the "Sea Dog" had an English flag. This one didn't, instead it was all black with white and red markings in the middle I couldn't make out because of how far off the ship was, but I got the message.
Pirates.
I immediately worked my way back down the rigging down to the deck of the ship, looking for Captain Stevens. I saw him standing head of the ship talking to the first mate.
"Sir," I said after giving a rushed salute. "I have news."
"Alright then," Captain Stevens said. "What is it."
"While I was watching from the mast," I said quickly. "I saw a ship that had no origin country but a black flag in its place. I am almost positive it's pirates, and by my guess, they will be upon us by nightfall."