Seascape

The Capture

'Oh... no. No!' Horatio said as the pirates swung their ropes. They heaved him up on to the deck (even though he wasn't at all heavy) and cheered. 'A party tonight lads, we've caught the admiral's measly crew!' This was the first time he had been captured... but he'd been trained for situations like this. He was perplexed why they'd want a slave worker, alongside all the other men that were captured upon the sinking of the ship.

'You could have at least searched my ship before you sank it.' His Admiral argued, watching Victor sink beneath the waves.

'It's you who we want. Not your stupid maps.' A pirate retaliated, as he carried a sword in his hand, although it seemed to be a tad bit too small to do any damage.

The pirates were intimidating, tall and covered with strange tattoos. Not to mention their scars and piercings. The bigger one with tattoos came up to the captain, he was bald and wore a head scarf to protect his head from the sun. He must have been up on deck all the time.

He snatched the captain's arm and drew his sword out of his belt. Sneering as he pressed the blade against his throat.

Horatio squeezed his eyes shut. 'What kind of pirates are you?' He heard one of the crew members ask.

A woman's voice retaliated 'The best kind!' she swung down from the mast and landed with the clinking of her oversized boots. Horatio looked down at the girl, she was like him, skinny, delicate... She had braids hiding under the hat.

The captain followed, he had a captain's hat with bent edges, and showed his face to the captured sailors. 'That's right Mya, we rrr'!' The crew followed and cheered again; they must have thought they were the best pirates to sail the sea.

'Me daughter came up with this plan, and it was the best thing that happened to us lads!' The captain shouted, and Mya was the one to start the cheer this time. 'Sometimes treasure can mean more than gold.' Horatio thought that this plan was indeed cleverly thought out. Horatio didn't say anything, just as he had been trained. Yet, he couldn't stop looking at Mya, such a pretty pirate.

She laughed, catching his glimpse, 'sailor thinks you're going to let him go! Well, I say this is the last capture they all face!'

Horatio became captivated, he didn't know what to think. 'Where is your treasure?' The captain of the pirates asked, and Horatio was frozen. He couldn't move, why would he ever have any treasure?

'If we had treasure, surely it would be on my boat... that you sunk.' The Admiral said, he lifted the edge of his mouth ever so slightly but was soon struck across the face by another pirate. Horatio looked down, as they started arguing amongst themselves.

'If he has no treasure, why did we steal him?'

'I say toss him overboard'.

'Why is he so smart?'

'Say- captain, what's next?'

They continued to talk over themselves, but there was a sharp whistle that echoed into the water and bounced back to Horatio's ears. He knew how to keep his crew quiet, as the pirate held onto a rope and swung the mast against the breeze.

'If you don't have treasure, where can we find some?' He asked, and the Admiral shrugged.

'THROW THEM OVERBOARD!!!' Mya called, as the big, bald man took him over his head, and began to toss him overboard.

'Wait, wait!' Horatio begged, 'I can get you treasure; I- I'm going to meet the queen!' he was stopped and put down onto the deck.

'The queen you say. Your telling' lies!' The captain asked,

'Porky pies!' His daughter corrected. As Horatio noticed for the first time her small dagger in her coat. It sparkled in the sun.

'I want to be a sailor, sail right to England, and get your treasure. I can do it!'

'We know the queen; how come she knows you?'

'I-I... I'm training as an Admiral, we all are.' He spilled the dream, but never would it be reality.

Mya stepped in, 'Can't you see he's telling the truth? A fleet of Admirals are worth a fortune to us!' Her farther grinned, and he laughed, then he bellowed.

'Looks like we captured the right short man after all.' He spoke. 'TERRY, JEFF, get the men in the cell. We set sail for England. We are coming home to pay a visit to queenie.' The captain said, as two young but rather strong boys took Nelson into the prison on the boat.

Horatio looked back, making eye contact with Mya, she had just saved his life...