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Salt and Blood - Chapter 7
🕑 Added 2024-09-24 00:39:31 +0000 UTC<< Chapter 6 | Table of Contents | Chapter 8 >>
1.07 - Learning the Ropes
Every kid these days wants to set sail in search of fortune. Most of them can’t even tie a bloody knot.
-Excerpt from an article in the ‘Minenblum Herald’ by Commodore Saff
Rose hadn’t realised how much learning was involved in piracy. The story books tended to leave the boring bits out.
To start with, there was the name of each part of the ship. Which was important to know, because if someone told you to tie a rope to the poop deck or the sail would tear apart, they needed to trust that you had a working knowledge of what a poop deck was and how to get there.
It was the deck at the back of the ship, the one outside the captain’s quarters and above the main deck. Not to be confused with the little cabin at the front of the ship where the crew went to poop.
Once she had memorised most of the important places on board Unrequited Love, Felix showed her how to tie a few of the commonly used knots and explained the purpose of each of the sails. It was even more complicated than learning the decks, because it involved an in depth crash course on wind and the weather.
“So, the storm jib can replace the headsail in rough weather. It stops the ship from capsizing by reducing the surface area exposed to the wind. It’s an absolute necessity. We even have two replacements aboard, in case it gets damaged,” said Felix, pointing to a sail on the front mast.
You have learned a new skill!
Sailing 0 > 1
The tide chimed in at a rather appropriate moment. Having earned the sailing skill, Rose felt that it was time to take a rest from her education until tomorrow. There wasn’t much space left in her short term memory for more sails or wind conditions.
She needed a hot meal and the comfort of her bed. At least, she hoped that her bunk would be comfortable. If it wasn’t, the next two weeks would be a pain in the ass– or neck, more likely.
That evening she ate with the crew in the mess, with the exception of Captain Bradshawe, and Derrick the quartermaster.
“I thought we’d be having curry again,” said Rose, when Leroy handed her a plate of plain fish and mashed potatoes.
Not that she was complaining about being fed. And even though it was what she had eaten for most of her life, the simple fare was delicious– it tasted like home. Her curiosity had been piqued by the introduction of bold new flavours and colours. She wanted nothing more than to dive into the world of culinary excitement that lay before her.
“Aren’t you demanding? Curry is time consuming, I can’t be making it for every meal, lass. Don’t judge this dish before you’ve tried it, though. I think you’ll find it’s hiding more secrets than you’d expect,” he replied with a wink.
Most of the crew was used to his cooking. The majority hailed from Derridas– a far more metropolitan nation than Emerlan Isle. They had grown up with a little more variety in their diet than Rose and they weren’t as thrilled to try Leroy’s delectable creations. He still enjoyed being their chef, but he couldn’t deny that taking a rookie on a tour of taste was bringing him a great deal of joy.
Rose speared a chunk of fish on her fork, discovering that it was much firmer than she expected. A few crystals of salt fell to the plate as she raised it to her mouth and took a hesitant bite.
The ocean exploded in her mouth, dissolving across her tongue. Salty. And a little spicy– a new sensation she had discovered in the curry. She’d asked Leroy about its unfamiliar heat and he’d explained that certain herbs and vegetables added it to a dish.
Unlike the grilled fish Rose was used to, this fillet was firm and tender– like doori steak but without the tough chewiness. Leroy must have seen her widening eyes, because he was beaming from ear to ear.
Obliging the eager chef, she stuffed a forkful of the mash into her gob and moaned loudly upon tasting the creamy puree. To her surprise– and delight– it wasn’t potatoes.
The flavour was similar, still a root vegetable, but sweeter and denser. Bellamy and Jade threw odd looks her way. Bellamy was the boy she had seen cleaning the deck earlier and Jade was the first mate.
She elected to ignore them. This type of meal was standard for the crew, but it was a novel experience for Rose and she intended to enjoy it to the fullest.
“I still think you’re a magician, Leroy. There’s no way you can make food this tasty with just ingredients, pots and pans. Thank you for the meal,” she said, once she’d licked the plate clean.
“I’d like to say there’s nothing at play other than a lifetime of hard work and honing my craft, but I’m sure the tide provides a little more than a helping hand,” he replied.
***
Rose was delighted to discover that her bunk was comfortable enough to let her sink into it for a full night of uninterrupted sleep. The blankets were a little scratchy and the pillows a tad too hard, but compared to the cold and wet planks of the fishing boat which had been her bed for the past week, it was the embrace of luxury.
Over the next few days, she continued to follow Felix as he went about his daily duties and helped to keep the ship sailing smooth. Before she was allowed to touch the rigging or step foot near the wheel, Rose had to pass Jade’s test.
Luckily, Felix was a far better teacher than she’d given him credit for. Rose found herself repeating word for word the functions of every single sail, mast and obscure part of the ship, despite lacking a complete understanding of it all.
Jade promised that would come with time and experience, but she was satisfied with Rose’s current level of knowledge.
Jade’s approval wasn’t the only concrete measure of progress Rose had. The tide concurred, and on the fourth day onboard Unrequited Love, another blue box appeared to update her on her success.
Skill up!
Sailing 4 > 5
This was the fastest she had ever raised one of her skills. Even fishing, which she had spent half her childhood practising alone– or in the company of her father and his friends– had taken all of fourteen years to raise to level twelve.
She’d asked Felix if he knew why, but he'd just shrugged his shoulders and shaken his head. Jordan, the tallest member of the crew, overheard their conversation and offered a possible answer.
“Take this with a pinch of salt, because no one except those stuffy bookworms at Tidespire Keep know much about the inner workings of the tide. I’ve heard that hands-on experience grows skills at a faster rate than idle effort,” he’d said while wrestling with the mainsail– a job that required two people, but could be done by him alone thanks to his huge frame and rippling muscles.
It made a lot of sense. Rose had yet to begin sailing alongside the crew, but the past day had been spent actively practising how to tie certain knots in the rigging, when to adjust each sail based on the weather and wind speed, and various other tasks that were essential to keep the ship on course.
Though it did raise the question of how one could fish in a more hands-on way. She vowed to find a rod on board and spend some time experimenting once she was a proficient sailor.
On the fifth day, she had to spend hours on her hands and knees, scrubbing every single deck on board the ship until the planks sparkled and her reflection was visible. Bellamy had kept her company for most of the time. As the two newest members of the crew cleaning often fell under their purview.
Though everyone pitched in when it came to shared spaces like the toilets and the crew’s living quarters– it would’ve been unfair otherwise.
Rose actually enjoyed her time spent cleaning. It helped her to relax and take a breather from the intensive learning she’d been doing with Felix, Jade, and the rest of the crew. There was undeniable satisfaction in making real steps towards her long held ambition of being a charismatic and infamous buccaneer, but the pace of life onboard a ship was often too fast for her to keep up.
Skill up!
Cleaning 6 > 7
***
Fairwater Bay was a lethargic place, even by the standards of Emerlan Isle. There was little to do except hone one’s profession or wander through the fields and along the cliffs during the warmer seasons, and the harsh cold kept everyone indoors for the months of winter.
Rose had read in one of her story books that distant places could have strange, magical, and turbulent seasons– unlike the four temperate and meandering ones that held sway in the Bluestone Sea.
Perhaps her own journey would take her to such places. She hoped to capture the many mysteries and marvels of the world in her sketchbook. A smaller ambition of hers was to publish a book of her drawings. An ambition so quiet that she had never even shared it with the other children in the village– not even Daniel when they had been best friends.
As the sun fell below the horizon that evening Rose sat on the poop deck, her legs swinging over the edge of the ship between the wooden railings that trailed along the side of Unrequited Love.
For the first time since leaving home she’d found a moment of peace to spend with her charcoal pencil and sketchbook. It was difficult to capture the majesty of a setting sun in black and white. Her shading was improving, but representing such a myriad display of colours in grayscale was a tricky task.
Much easier to capture was the one blemish on an otherwise perfect vista– the growing mass of dark storm clouds that lay ahead. Rose put the final stroke to paper, not quite satisfied with the results. Despite her frustration at her own lack of ability, there was one last whorl in the tide waiting for her that day.
Skill up!
Drawing 9 > 10
You have earned a new trait!
Deft Hand: You are able to apply a much more precise level of fine motor control, most notably when wielding a pen or pencil.
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