The song of the sails

Chapter 2

«What does a woman do here»

Karol raised his head and accelerated his heart.

First a dark blue uniform, then a tanned skin, and finally a severe and slightly stuffed face appeared to her. A thick brown eyebrow line emphasizing a deep look. Karol's pulse accelerated further when she recognized the captain. And by his side was probably his lieutenant, a young man who looked arrogant. He was the one who asked the question. They both stared at her with caution.

"I look forward to being part of your crew, sir."

She had answered humbly, in a voice pinched by anguish, taking care to address only the captain. The lieutenant's dismissive tone rebuffed her and she feared losing her temper if she looked him in the face. She was stressed enough as it is. For once we deigned to speak to her, she did not want to do anything because she could not bear to be laughed at again. She was stronger than that, she could control herself.

Karol forced herself to turn her attention to the lapping of the waves against the docks, trying to hold her breath on them, as she did so often. She did not succeed. Her feverishness seemed not to want to leave, and even when the young man let go a haughty sneer.

Don't get mad at me.

Do not tremble.

Don't talk until we invite her.

Do not let anything appear, even if she felt that the tremors of her heart made the ground vibrate. She looked into the eyes of the captain. As impressive as it was, she was not to be disassembled. His steel gaze, in which an indefinable spark shone, ended up destabilizing it when he spoke.

«And why would you want to join my crew, young lady»

Here we are, she thought while biting her lip. The fateful moment when she should, in the space of a few seconds, impose herself in front of the crowd ready to laugh at the slightest false step and convince the most important man of the ship she hoped to integrate, while remaining honest, After all, this was one of his main qualities.

« I would like to discover the world. Make a job that allows me to live on my own while exploring new horizons. But for that, I need to learn, and I need to be given the chance, sir."

The lieutenant esclaffa, taking a few people with him. Karol glared at him.

Now that she had expressed her desire to embark, she had to wait for the master to continue the exchange. She could not say more without passing for someone turbulent and, even if she was dying to expose her most intimate motives, her desire to flee from misery, her desperate need to emancipate herself, her ambition to become a captain in her turn, his silence would convince the man of his docility.

After an interminable time, he finally opened his mouth.

"Did you...begin by scratching your beard. Did you become aware of the work required on board? You are still..."

«A woman» she added in spite of herself.

So much for docility. Karol threw a challenging look at the crowd. For so long she had been subjected to their gaze and their slander, so long that she waited for this opportunity to be able to spit in their faces what she knew to be an injustice. This time, she would not be ridiculed. She was ready. She cast back her long brown braid and spoke with her most confident voice:

Sir, I've been working since I knew how to walk. I was a pig sitter, apprentice blacksmith, and today I'm a waitress at the harbour tavern. I have strength, I know how to be respected and I can perform any task. I may be younger than you're looking for, but my qualities can make up for that."

Her voice had become more vibrant as she advanced in her justifications, and she completed her tirade at the end of her breath. She must have looked like a madwoman. Her head turned a little, in a dizziness that must have been caused by the terrible stress holding her nerves hostage. Never before had he been paid so much attention.

On the quay, those who had begun to laugh changed their minds when they saw the captain's grave silence. The latter stares at the young woman, but nothing in her expression suggested her intentions. To his left, his lieutenant gradually lost his contemptuous smile. Was that a good sign.

"Any task, you say?"

"Yes, sir."

"Are you sure?"

Karol nodded, quivering with excitement. Captain Balsano did not let her out of his sight for a moment, as if he were trying to detect a flaw, an ounce of hesitation. He would not find one. Karol had never felt so determined, nor so ready.

"How old are you," said the captain.

"Eighteen years, sir."

"What is your name?"

"Karol, sir."

"Do you have family?"

"No, sir."

"Are you afraid of heights?"

"I... don't think so, sir."

"You don't think, or you don't know?"

"I'm not afraid of heights. Sir."

"Very good."

Okay? That was it? Nothing else? "Okay"? Karol held his breath. The captain's beard seemed to come alive with a life of its own when an appreciative smile stretched out his + lips. He extended his right hand.

"Welcome aboard the "freedom," Karol Moss. I have no doubt that you will be of great use to us where we are going."