Aye

The pirate captain threw open the door to her captain’s quarters.      

“Where’s that island?”

The crew scrambled to get together, knocking into each other, name-calling, insulting each other and glaring at each other. The pirate captain called for the scroll. The pirate quartermaster ran up the stairs leading up to the deck right in front of the captain’s quarters and spun around, smiling with dimples.

“Yer going to turn that smile upside down!”

The smile faded into a frown.

“The island!” The captain roared, looking superiorly down at her crewmates. She headed back to her quarters. She fell into her chair, as if exhausted. “We better be getting somewhere.”  

The door opened.

“You know rules, don’t ye!”

“Yes—”

“Then apply them!”

“Aye, captain!”

The door slammed shut, and the captain sighed, looking up. A map glared at her, but she quickly ripped it down. Redrawing it, she headed outside, calling her crew to her. “Anyone recognize this?”

The crew scrambled together. “Aye!”

“No, fools, this is new! We’re headed to an island—”

The ship threw everyone, even the captain, forward. Wood splintered, the ship slid a few feet until it stopped dead and the captain’s face tightened with quiet anger. The crew knew.

Knew they were dead.  

“Who—crashed us!”

The captain quartermaster scurried up to starboard, and looked out.

“No—look down!”

“It was Swamps.”

The captain jerked her eyes over to Swamps. Swamps jumped into action, letting the plank down so every crewmember could scurry around finding the treasure. The captain looked outward. “Is this the island?”

“Aye, captain!”

“Good.”

The captain walked assertively across her ship, off the plank and onto the sand of the island. “Quartermaster, what’d they supposed to be doin’ with me treasure!”

“Supposed to be giving to you!”     

The quartermaster grabbed a stick, laced it with some barbed wire randomly lying on the sand and ordered her captain’s crew to hurry it up. By nightfall, they still hadn’t found it.

“Captain—so sorry—no treasure.”

“I’m wondering whether to throw all of you or meself into this here fire. Who should I put?”

“Put them!” The quartermaster jabbed a sandy, smelly, nail-chipped finger at the rest of the crew. “They the ones who don’t understand what treasure is.”

“All of ye slow.” The captain’s voice was icy. Everyone waited. The captain looked up. “How the Davy Jones are you all going to find it if you’re standing there looking at me?!”

Everyone dashed about, bumping into each other, the captain’s rising anger ringing in their ears. The captain hiked up the plank after swiping a rotting plank of wood and putting it in the fire and then carrying it with her so she could see where she was going. Shutting herself in her quarters, she grabbed some glass and other pieces from a broken glass jar and formed a circle. Looking into it, she started singing a song. Taking her captain’s hat off, she tossed it onto a hook nearby and walked through the room, singing about her desire for more than just a crew.

Especially one that got wrecked.

“…and I’ll be…” She walked over to her hammock, and rolled into it, curling up, using her arms for a pillow. Actually, she dropped out of it, grabbed her hat and scrunched it up. “…Just a girl voyaging out to sea. Just someone simple to be.”

She went to sleep, thinking of rocking herself to sleep. And the hammock started swinging.

The pirate captain awoke to the seagulls crying outside, but also her crewmates yelling orders to each other to find the treasure. She rocked herself and then impatience, tight in her chest, was released as she marched out her door. “Quarter, are they done? Do I have my treasure?”

“Uh…”

“Git on with it. Yer my second in command. ‘urry up!”

“Aye!”

As the quartermaster abused her crewmates, the captain master closed her door that night and leaned against it. She sang a song about longing, and loneliness. Sliding down to the wooden planks that was the floor, she looked over at the map. “And that’ll get me there. The map that I have designed. If only my crew could bring me there.”

When she finished singing, she surveyed the crew. Two were in the middle of pulling up a huge treasure chest, and some of them ran to aid the two grunting, struggling crewmates. The quartermaster boarded the ship. “Look! All the jewels in the world.”

“All the jewels for me.”

“Aye!”

But as the captain sank into her hammock under a sky littered with stars, she sung about a family to call her own. “I ran away from home, I wasn’t happy with myself. My family didn’t understand. I wish they did. Now I’m stuck with lousy crew, and a slightly strange quartermaster. But I’m captain. But that doesn’t fix things. I’m just stuck.”

The captain went to stand at the rim of one of the ship’s sides. It was quiet all except the crashing of waves against the ship’s sides. The captain studied the stars. Brightly shining down, the stars seemed to twinkle all for her. But even the captain knew the stars weren’t just hers. They didn’t glow upon just her.

She looked at her sleeping crew.

The wind blew. She looked at the quartermaster, her song sung softly and lightly. “You’ll be captain one day, Buckles. You’ll make it. I swear. Yer just young, but that’s okay.” She went over to the shivering quartermaster, grabbed a blanket stowed somewhere and put it on her. Sneezing, the quartermaster huddled up. The captain returned to her quarters. Sitting in her chair and propping her raggedy, holed boots up on the wooden table, she pushed her chair back, looking up at the wooden ceiling. “…And you’ll follow in my footsteps. You’ll be the best. The best captain under me. After me. So do your best—to captain this ship!”         

The captain, that night, smiled brightly. Not as brightly as the stars, but she had smiled.

As she imagined the hammock swinging her to sleep, the captain drifted off to sleep.   

She sung to herself about her crewmates, her quartermaster and her beloved ship. When Swamps apologized for causing the shipwreck (and the uneven rebuilding of the ship), the captain put her to work, rebuilding it so it looked like it was before. The pirate captain turned to Swamps, she nodding vigorously, eyes wide. Whenever they headed towards an island—

No, they were just traveling the seven seas. The pirate captain rallied her crew. “Alright, everyone, we be heading fer land.”

“But we already did—”

A jab to the ribs, a squeal of pain and the captain pirate continued.

“Quartermaster!”

She was by her captain’s side instantly. “Aye!”

“Show my crew whether they should even be on this ship.”

As she headed back into her quarters, assuming her navigator would be directing the ship to somewhere, the quartermaster ordered everyone around, them scrambling under her orders. They feared her, and hated her. They didn’t like their captain. At all.

The captain swung in her hammock, humming to herself. As she looked up over the map, she blinked. “I designed that map, but it ain’t getting us nowhere. It only crashed us into an island.” The pirate captain blinked. “I just don’t get it. A map has failed me, besides my crew. A quartermaster is the only one with whom to eat dinner.”     

The pirate captain let out the plank in an open area on the side of the ship. “Hold on—I’ll make it all comfy and safe fer ye!” Sniggering, the pirate captain ordered two crewmates to head over to the plank, hold lanterns up and stand watching as all her crewmates walked the plank. Splashing sounded from below.

“We have an audience from above—the stars—and we have an audience from below.” She twisted her neck over to the quartermaster. “Ain’t I right, quartermaster?”

“Aye!”

The crew was shivering, their lanterns wobbling as their freezing cold hands shook, soon being put down. But the quartermaster threatened to shove all of them off the plank if they didn’t pick up the lanterns and give her captain the ability to see them all become the sharks’ dinners below. Or breakfasts, depending upon which part of the day it was.

The captain ordered her quartermaster to shove them all off. The thrashing of sharks and screams of the crewmates as they all became the sharks’ dinners—or breakfasts—were heard but not responded to. The quartermaster, after putting the plank back somewhere, hurried to the captain’s quarters. “They be gone, captain.”

“Quartermaster.”

“Aye.”

“Come in.”

Slowly, the door creaked open. “Aye, captain. I be the only one left.”

The captain leaned back on her chair. “Why is the map up there?”

“Because the map wasn’t used by us, captain.”  

“Why not?”

“Because—”

“You’re not the captain, quartermaster. Yer the second-in-command. Do you want to be thrown overboard?”

“No, captain!”

“Then why is my crew overboard, where maybe you’ll be?”

“Because they didn’t listen, captain. But you know I do. I’m the best.” The quartermaster didn’t dare say she heard the captain singing how she’d be the next captain on this ship. She blinked back tears of fear and then hung her head. “Whatever you want me to do, do it. I’m just a simple—”

“Get yer booty over there!”      

“Captain, we be here on this island!”

“What island?”

The voice sounded icily scary.

“We be…” She looked for something by which to call it. “We be—“

“Send out the harpoons. I be needing some grub before searching for the treasure.”

“Aye, captain.”

She fished for hours, bringing in octopus, squid, fish and other sea animals. She knew how to draw out the venom. Soon, the quartermaster was called into the captain’s quarters. “Aye, captain!” This time, she stood in full view of the captain. “Got all the sea animals under us, Captain. Just need to fry them. Give me one minute.”

As soon as they landed, the fish and other sea animals were fried, cut up and served to the captain.

“What yer got?”

“Octopus, fish and other sea animals.” Eating by herself off of the ship, she warmed herself by the fire. Then she returned to the captain. “A fire’s ready, captain.”  

A fork exited the captain’s mouth. She didn’t answer.

“Good, eh? Salted and toasted by the fire. Only the best for the best captain. I wish I could have some. All I have was some fish. The octopus wasn’t the best, but I hope the octopus is good for you. I wonder…” She returned to the fire and then returned to the captain. “More fish?” She set it on the captain’s table. “Here be more fish. Good, eh?” She laughed. “Go ahead—don’t be shy!”

The captain didn’t answer.

That night, the quartermaster shivered and huddled under her blanket. The captain kicked at her. “Make a fire fer us. We’ll be roasting by the fire tonight!”

“Aye!”

“Will you ever have a new crew, captain?”

The captain blinked. “What yer askin’ fer? A whipping?”

“No, captain!” The quartermaster blinked. “No.” She returned to warming herself.

The captain returned to her quarters late that night (or was it early morning?). Anyway, the captain and her quartermaster—at least the captain—slept while the quartermaster guided the ship, steering to one island and the next.

The quartermaster continued steering, but internally, she felt her life’s mission was to take the captain from one place to the next, giving her jewels everywhere. She looked out and above. The stars guided her, she knew that. And she navigated, using them. But she couldn’t help wanting to throw herself overboard. At least those crewmates don’t have to deal with a cold-blooded captain. The quartermaster brought her more treasure, and built a fire, which the captain rejected by staying in her quarters.

“Me be making an escape somewhere.” The quartermaster looked around for some kind of weapon. If she ended the captain’s life, she’d be free! But if she drowned herself, she’d be free, too.

The quartermaster saluted her captain the next day. Instead, the captain was looking ahead of her towards something. She looked over. Clouds started to roll in, and thunder and lightning followed.

“Steer us towards land. A place for shelter. We be pillaging the next town over yonder, would ye?”

“Yes, captain.”

The captain slowly turned around. The quartermaster wilted before her. “I’m the captain of this ship, ain’t I?”

“Yes, captain. I’ll go—”

“Yer never to say ‘yes’. That’s Swamp’s word. ‘Aye’, is it?” Her eyes drove into the quartermaster’s face, the quartermaster nodding vigorously. The captain returned to her quarters. “Get me that silver and gold!”

As the quartermaster pillaged every village, giving the captain her undeserved money, the quartermaster didn’t dare go near the captain. She was deadly as the jellyfish she had assumedly eaten. The quartermaster started feeling she wasn’t really a human being—more like something else—

“No, my captain is true. She be none other than the mistress of the seas. That is, my captain, the captain.”

“Who ye be talkin’ to?”

The quartermaster jumped. “Meself. My thoughts betrayed me. I corrected them.”

“Good.”

“This fire be warm. Have any fish to fry?”

“Aye, captain. Loads!”

The quartermaster prepared the food, but she couldn’t help shivering. Though the fire warmed her, every time she looked over at the captain, a shiver of fear overwhelmed her a little. She didn’t want to serve the captain, but she didn’t dare refuse. The captain would feed her to the sharks, she knew.

“Ye be different.”

“Aye!”

“No—ye be different from me. Me knows me hammock rocks because I order it to—I can read minds. Did ye know that, or is yer service blinding ye to the truth?”

“Me service never blinds me to the truth, captain!”

Everyone was inferior to the captain. Was the captain lying to the quartermaster? Why was she singing to herself?

“We be going. Set sail for the next place. We be going for more gold!”

One night, the captain’s eyes flickered with fear. The quartermaster smiled, feeling a little powerful. The captain and the quartermaster pillaged one place after the next, terrifying everyone and swiping the sword into the neck of those refusing. The quartermaster swiped right from under the people’s noses, the captain gaining more and more. Soon, the ship creaked.

“Captain.” The quartermaster chose her words carefully. “Please—the ship won’t move.”

“Stop this nonsense!” The captain round on the quartermaster, glowering down at her. Then she calmed down, and shut herself in her quarters. The captain ordered the window to be boarded up. The quartermaster obeyed without gladness or reverence.

“Now, we be at sea. Head towards the land over thar.”

“No.”

The captain turned towards the quartermaster, and a smile slithered up her face. “Denying my orders, quartermaster?”

“Yes!” The quartermaster stood her ground, not saluting or anything. She glared at the captain. She walked away, feeling the captain’s cold eyes on her. Her poisonous words echoed in the quartermaster’s ears that night, and she huddled up. She dared to sneak a peek, with a lantern, into the captain’s quarters. There, she saw the captain huddled up. She kicked the captain’s door open.

“You know, we not be that different.”

The captain shot up, grabbed the quartermaster by her hair and dragged her to the ship’s part anchored to the shore. “Ye be interesting, quartermaster!” Sniggering, the captain asked the quartermaster if she could turn saltwater into fresh water. “Or do you want to sleep with the fishes tonight?”

“Neither!” The quartermaster shoved away from the rim. The captain scoffed and then retreated into her stupid quarters. Emerging with a sword, the captain dared her quartermaster to face her. Or get thrown overboard.

“I’d rather die!”

The captain swished the sword, but the quartermaster dodged every swipe. The captain stopped and smiled. “Ye be good.”

The quartermaster shivered. Maybe she hadn’t cleaned all that venom out of the captain’s jellyfish.

“Coward.”

The captain stopped dead in her tracks. Then she said softly, “Ye be different, quartermaster. Ye have a family.”

The quartermaster was left by herself that night, shivering in the cold wind as she navigated the ship. After reaching land, the quartermaster snuck up to the captain’ quarters with a lantern, and shone it on the door, seeing the captain through the peephole. She heard the captain’s soft singing.

Me thinks she needs someone to sing to!

“Then get in here!”

 The door opened. The captain was sitting, her chair leaned back, her boots on the table. “I was eating dirt in my food. Get me new, fresh food.”  

“Captain, we be on shore.”

The village pillaged. But the quartermaster then ran off, escaping her life. The captain, she knew, was watching her. Me knows we picked her for her respect, not for her fear. Also, me knows she has absolute control only in battle. Yea, she be the captain. But I be her second-in-command. We be living and dying pirates. That be us!

The last time the quartermaster saw her captain, she saw her talking with someone. Holding the hand of some lover.

The next day, the quartermaster stayed in her former captain’s quarters. She had ordered everyone to do their duties. As they did, she blinked back tears. Me be missing the captain. Then she walked to the edge, ordered the ship to be anchored, and abandoned it, giving orders for the ship to elect another captain.

“Me be—”

“Needing a captain?” The captain stood before her, a half-smile on her face.

The two boarded the captain’s former ship, knocking the captain to cook again.

The captain and her quartermaster.

The quartermaster and her captain.

She had found her treasure. In an unexpected place.