He stood leaning against the rail up in the crow's nest scanning the horizon. The oppressive heat and stale, non-moving air caused the distance to be blurry and his imagination to run wild. With nothing but sun and waves to watch for the time it also had him reminiscing...
...he remembered well the look of relief on his mother's face as she clutched the handful of silver and the rough looking men lead him away. She didnt even look back as he protested with wails of how much he loved her. He had always know that being sired by a sailor and born to a whore; his future didnt look too bright. But Riven was an optimist with an ever present smile and held out hope that things would turn around for him. Although he had doubts when just a few weeks later he was chained to an oar bank on a large galley...
He snapped out of it as a huge whale broke the sea in an impressive display of strength and grace. With nothing else in view he slipped back into the past...
...the storm was the kind that seers spoke of weeks ahead of time and if they'd had a seer on board they mightve sought shelter in port or at least anchored up on the lee side of the island they'd passed three days afore. As it was they'd had no warning and the gales, waves and lightning had the Captain scared and making poor decisions. 'The Whip' lashed out at the oar bank slaves but no amount of rowing would save this ship and its crew. He could still feel the air burning in his lungs and the gurgle of the sea in his ears when they went under and he thought he was dead...sure as thar be salt in water and sun in yur eyes, it is... Waking up on a beach still chained to the others and with no Bosses in sight was a welcome thing indeed and Riven smiled all the wider...
...Two Knuckles was bellowing at the fellas below to get back to swabbing and Riven was thankfull he had pulled the long straw and gotten the Nest duty. Again...hohoho, they never be guessing that I be holding me own straw every time... Still it reminded him he had a job to do so he put the fancy looking glass to his eye and swept the horizon again. There it was! Off the port side, a dark spire almost hidden in mist and the illusions that heat caused. Land Ho! Land Ho! Port side half past da Greco! Land Ho!...his excitement grew as they had all heard the Capt'n tell the stories of treasure hidden somewhere on the Isle of Moreau. He started calling out the distance to Two Knuckles who kept the bellowing going with orders to trim sails and start counting the depth...
There were a few years that were a blur after being 'rescued' by a pirate capt'n named Long Toof...I still swear that it shouldve been Long Tooth but when the Capt'n is missing the two front ones beside it and says it like 'Toof' no one dares correct him, you heard?... Rescued that is if you consider being taken on board still in chains with the scurvy and dysentary prevalent. A week later Long Toof and most of the crew was dead and tossed over the side. Riven and the others were freed from the chains to help sail the ship back to port. Another week later and they were part of the new crew under Capt'n Drexin Bishby and life was good...
...10 fathoms! came the cry from the bow even as Riven yelled One league to dry land! and right behind him Two Knuckles was easily heard Landing crews to da wherrys and ready to strike dem you worthless dogs! Look sharp up dar Jolly!...
and that was three months ago this half moon coming. He'd never know what happened to those that went ashore or why half of the crew that didnt went mad and had to be put to the knife and fed to the fishes. Good thing they'd been able to pluck the bounty from that silk laden ship and sell off in Drenchport afore coming here to Port Peril...now all I be needing is some dark rum and to pinch a plump wench whar she be da most plump, it is...