It is often when we least expect it that we make a chance encounter with a lifelong companion. The legends say that Saltbeard met Deadeye Hannigan while getting a shave at the barbers. And we all know how that tale ends.

-Excerpt from ‘Lesser known misadventures of Castell Saltbeard’ by Grolsh Wright

Rose woke with a start, jolting upright and smacking her head into a wooden beam, sending a flash of pain through her head and making her vision blurry for a few seconds.

When she had recovered, she realised that she was in a bed of straw, with a blanket woven from rough wool that scratched at her sunburnt skin. Despite the lack of luxury, it was the comfiest she had been since leaving home and for a while she lay back against the firm pillow, basking in the musky scents of the unfamiliar room she had found herself in.

When the young man burst in through the door, eyes filled with worry that melted away to reveal relief and excitement when he saw her awake, Rose had been tracing the knots in the wooden wall of her room.

She had guessed that she was in the ship that had passed by right before she passed out due to the steady rocking of the entire room and the faint smell of salt in the air. A giggle slipped out when she remembered pulling out the knife.

The tide must have been looking out for her– a fifteen year old girl trying to raid a merchant vessel on her lonesome, no matter how small a craft it was, would’ve been the height of folly.

“You’re awake,” said the youth, an expectant expression on his round face, cheeks still soft with puppy fat and blushing a faint scarlet.

“I am. Did you rescue me? Thank you.”

“No, it wasn’t me. Well, not just me. The crew all pitched in to bring you on board. You were in a bad way, but it seems like you’re much better now. I’m glad. I’m Felix, by the way. Felix Klupp. What’s your name? And why were you miles out to sea in a fishing boat without any gear?”

“That’s a lot at once, Felix.”

“Sorry, the captain says I can be a bit excitable sometimes.”

“Don’t worry about it. Even if it wasn’t you alone, thanks for helping me out. I think I would’ve been a goner if not for your timely arrival. I’m quite dehydrated, still. Some water would be amazing, if you have any to spare.”

“Here,” he said, taking a leather waterskin from his belt and passing it over.

Rose took a few deep gulps, draining half of the water. After that she paused, then took one more gulp for good measure. Perhaps it was overzealous, but she had gone almost two days without water and her body was in dire need of rehydration.

“And some food. Fruit would be perfect, but I’d settle for some fish.”

“I’ll talk to the chef and see what I can do. The captain’s a generous man, but you might need to come to an arrangement with him. This is a merchant corporation after all, we wouldn’t turn a profit if we fed every stray soul we rescued. Not that we rescue people that often. You’re the first, actually. Not sure why I said that. I’ll stop rambling now.”

“It’s endearing. You might want to take some time to put your thoughts in order before they leave your mouth, though. A pleasure to meet you Felix, my name is Rose,” she said while offering a hand in greeting and chuckling at the boy’s rambling. “As for what I was doing out here? I was embarking on an adventure– sailing the high seas is my dream. I might have missed a few steps on the way, though. Rookie mistake.”

She had intentionally twisted the truth, so as not to alarm Felix. This was a merchant vessel, after all. It wouldn’t be intelligent to introduce herself as an aspiring pirate– even without any notable misdeeds under her belt, that would be a surefire way to land herself in hot water.

“Beautiful.”

Rose felt her cheeks flushing at the remark. It wasn’t often she was complimented. Spending most of your time knee deep in fish and with dirty doori would do that.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Ah! Your name, I meant. It’s beautiful. Not you. Wait no, crap. You’re beautiful, too. Average. Not ugly.”

“Felix. Take a breath. It’s okay, I’m not offended,” she said, giggling at the babbling boy.

It was a little hurtful though– that he hadn’t intended the compliment for her. Her name was hers, but she hadn’t chosen it, so it didn’t feel the same.

“Sorry. Excitable. I’m working on it. Let’s backtrack. I can relate to that feeling. I left home for something of an adventure too, but found myself working for a merchant corporation ferrying goods between various nations in this part of the world. Not quite what I had in mind, but my boyhood dreams were always a little fanciful. I still get to travel and see plenty of interesting places. Can you stand? I’ll take you to the kitchen and we can see about getting you some food.”

She took a moment to absorb everything the youth was saying. He looked quite young, maybe between nineteen and twenty-one. Though depending on which nation he hailed from, that could’ve made him an adult for a few years already.

Six years, if he was from Emerlan Isle. Though he didn’t have the weathered hardiness of her countryfolk.

There were a few juicy hints. Pieces of his past that told a story Rose would love to discover more of.

It wasn’t an uncommon ambition to want to take to the seas and seek a fortune. Though the particular method that one wished to acquire that differed.

Some, like herself, aspired to be charismatic buccaneers. Others were staunch patriots who sought a star studded career in the navy of their homeland. Then there were the real money grubbers– entrepreneurial types who built merchant empires from scraps.

It took all kinds of fish to fill an ocean.

After a moment she stood up, taking his offered hand in support and leaning against a wooden post that ran from the ceiling to the floor of the cramped room. It felt like every muscle in her body ached, protesting against their use.

Getting moving again was important to her recovery. And the prospect of a meal, even if it was just a light one of fruit and fish, was a fabulous way to start moving.

Felix led the way, pulling her along. He had either forgotten he was holding her hand or was one of those confident social types. Rose didn’t mind.

As they walked, she marvelled at her surroundings. The brigantine was nothing special, as far as merchant ships went, but it was her first time on a boat bigger than the small fishing craft like the one she’d been adrift on and the craftsmanship sucked her in.

The quality of the wood wasn’t out of the ordinary, but every plank had been carved along the grain with perfect cuts, then joined together seamlessly.

The ship was weathered, but not dishevelled. A few years spent in action from her estimates– this was likely to be a nascent corporation, at the beginning of its conquest.

They passed another member of the crew, older than Felix by a year or two. It seemed like this was an ambitious and young merchant group.

Not a bad place for her journey to begin. Not the adventurous pirate crew she was hoping for, but Rose wouldn’t mind spending some time aboard the vessel and getting to grips with being at sea– and learning how to sail.

She had grown up around seafaring men and women, but her own knowledge of how to run a ship was lacking. Learning the ropes for a year or two under someone experienced would do her a world of good.

Felix pushed open a door, gripping a handle made from polished brass. A lesser ship would have used steel for the metalwork– the owner of this one had wealth behind them.

Sunlight flared as she passed into the open air, and Rose had to raise an arm to shield her eyes. After a week spent under the cover of grey clouds and around a day inside that cabin, they weren’t ready for the intense brightness.

After she had adjusted, Rose looked around at the magnificent ship. The deck was sparkling, and even as she watched, a boy around her own age was scrubbing it with a bucket and cloth. The masts were thick, towering things that made the fishing boat seem pitiful in comparison. The sails were cerulean blue, with golden stripes and larger than her house.

They had walked out onto a small deck near the top of the ship, and Felix led her down a small staircase to the main deck where he waved to the young boy cleaning the planks and a few other men and women milling about.

All of them were young, the eldest no more than thirty at a guess. A few sported tattoos that peeked out from under their tailored outfits. She wanted to meet the captain before making further guesses, but more pieces of the puzzle slotted into place the more she saw.

Felix led her back inside the bowels of the ship, leaving the light of day behind. She had wanted to bask in the sunlight after a week spent in the grey and the cold, but a growl from her stomach reminded her of her number one priority.

Down a few similar corridors they went. Soon, a rhythmic tapping echoed through the halls of the ship.

They drew closer to the source of the sound, which she discovered was the chef chopping onions with expert precision. Each cut was the same distance apart and there was zero hesitation in his movement. He didn’t look up from the task when he greeted them.

“Come to raid my pantry again, Felix? Have you got a bottomless void in that stomach of yours, or are you building a stockpile of snacks?” He asked, flicking a piece of onion at them with expert aim, still not looking up.