My Treasure

My Treasure: Chapter 3

Arthur and Mari wake up before dawn. The Red Sprite had set out to sea the night earlier, and now had about one and a half months to go until it reached the approximate area of the final destination. Mari stretches and dresses quickly. She has dispensed with the most of her hidden weapons and now only keeps the weapons in her boots, in her vest, and on her belt. Mari was out on deck before Arthur was out of his hammock.

Arthur soon joined Mari out on deck, with sleep still in his eyes. "Ready to set to work?" He asked. Mari continued to stare out to see over the railing just outside of the captain's quarter's door. "I'll take that as a yes." Arthur begins to shout out the daily orders to the crew appearing on th deck. "Mari, I'd like you to stay up in the crow's nest and be our spotter. You're the lightest member of the crew, and you have the sharpest eyes. So up to the crow's nest with you!" Arthur directs. Mari gives a mock salute, and Arthur regains his usual scowl. 

Mari scrambles up into the crow's nest and scans the surrounding sea. Mari could just make out a lump of gray on the Easter horizon. "Goodbye for now England..." Mari whispers to the sea. Mari sits up in the crow's nest, discerning everything in the sea. A few hours after Mari has climbed into the crow's nest, she can hear shouting from below. "Man overboard! Man overboard!" Mari doesn't hesitate to slide down the rigging and onto the deck. She unclasps her belt and jumps out of her boots and vest. Mari leaps into the sea after the drowning man. She didn't resurface for a while, and the crew feared she had met the man's fate. Arthur slowly made his way to the railing. Bubbles appear on the surface, and are soon followed by Mari's head. She has the previously drowning man across her shoulders. "Well get me a rope!" She shouts up. Mari hauls herself and the man on deck. Then pushes the man forward against his knees. She gives the man a solid thump on the back and he promptly spews up water.

The man is instantly grateful for Mari's brave actions. Although the crew regarded her with bewilderment, and a little fear. "Mari, how can you swim?" Arthur asks aprehensively. Mari shrugs her strong shoulders. "I had to get money somehow. I ended up doing a few odd jobs that I neeed to swim for. I also got food from the sea. Can you all not swim?" The whole crew shakes their heads no. "Well let's not try to fall overboard again." Mari declares.

The loose hair from Mari's braid is plastered to her head and her clothes are sopping wet. Arthur finally takes notice of her state. "Oh Mari, here let's go back to the cabin and get ou dry." He leads Mari by the arm back into his office. There Mari peels of her wet clothes, lights a fire, and drys herself off. When her body is dry, Mari slips into her spare set of clothes. Arthur lets her rest for the remainder of the day, considering she only had an our of work left before her shift was over. 

Author: Sorry it's so short. I have more chapters coming though. And things get interesting soon...