The Pirate's Family

Chapter 5

Although a couple of months went by Prince Warren, King Leonard's son still had his birthday party on time. Princess Raina was still aboard a pirate ship, that is what the royals and her guards hoped and trust.

In those couple of months princess Raina known as Ella to the pirates was still indeed on their ship and didn't gain much trust from cap'n Rudy's son, Ashton. Not much trust from Ashton but to the other pirates she was great accompany to be around with.

Those couple months Ella helped cook, clean dishes, swab the deck, and learn more pirate lingo as well as sword play. Although Ashton did put Ella in the crows nest with Spyer who taught her how to be a look out and what to say when they see land or another ship, Ashton still distrust the lady.

One day while in the crows nest Ella saw another ship, "Ashton sail ho!" Ashton took out his spyglass to look upon the sea and indeed saw another ship. "Hearties chase!" The crew worked like a well-oiled machine having the ship chase, and very close to the ship, all the buccaneers got the gangplanks. Before Ella knew it there were pirates everywhere on both ships.

The ship they attacked was another pirate ship, Ella didn't know the name of it, all she knew was that it was a pirate ship after attacking it. On Ella's post she always has her bow and arrows with her just in case. As Ella had her bow and arrows in hand, she watched the fighting from the crows nest, until she saw Ashton fighting a pirate and another sneaking up behind him. Ella took her pose in the nest, eyed the pirate behind Ashton and shot the arrow which met its target. The pirate fell and Ashton as well finished off the pirate he was fighting and looked around for the next challenger. From Ella's view it looked like The Dragon's Haul was winning. Cap'n Rudy looked like he was fighting another cap'n so Ella took an arrow and did a warning shot near cap'n Rudy to see whether he gives her a go but instead of nodding or yelling 'aye shoot ye genius' or whatever. Cap'n Rudy took the arrow out of the board near the helm and thrust it in the pirate's eye which he screamed in pain. "Tell yer hands avast and give me mateys anything we want." The pirate just looked at Rudy with his one good and said "Ye scurvy dog insane." "Say or else." Cap'n Rudy started pulling and pushing the arrow in and out when at last the sea dog said "Avast!" Cap'n Rudy stopped and brought the ol' pirate to the railing. "Arr! Heave to, mateys!" All the pirates looked and stopped in their steps and looked in their direction. "Mateys give em' what ere, no fighting." The pirates dropped their weapons to show their surrender; "quarter" asked, cap'n Rudy said "aye." Once The Dragon's Haul pirates got the booty, grog, and grub they took the gangplanks and haul wind.

The moment Captain Rudy and Ashton distanced themselves from that ship they called Ella down from the crows nest. "Aye?" "Ye have a good eye lassie." "Aye, I suppose cap'n." "Blimey lass ye shot from da crows nest" exclaimed Ashton. "What do ye want say?" The cap'n said "nothing, just me complimenting ye." Ashton on the other hand said "teach Spyer and me to use that." Ella had a somewhat surprised, questioning look; "I will teach ye if ye dance with me later." "Dance, just me?" "Aye. I danced with everyone but not ye." "Ye running a rig?" "No." "no..." "Guess ye will not learn. Savvy?" Ashton walked away leaving his father, cap'n Rudy there. "Ye think this good idea." "He do not talk to me, hornswaggle with swords and knives." "Aye, aye."

Spyer asked Brown Noser to be look out so he could learn to shoot arrows, which he did. At first the arrows landed at their feet but after a bit the landing got farther, pass the main mast a little. Ella took a barrel lid and nailed it to the main mast, "ye now have target." The lesson continued for amount of hours till Ashton came over, "help cook." "Bucko lass is teaching." Before Ashton could say a word, Ella said "aye... Ashton right." "Ye-" Whispering to Spyer about practicing and about Ashton's terms in order to learn arrows. "What lass say?" "Pointers whilst she helps cook. I might help da lass, to finish faster." "Teach me then." "Nay, I heard lassie's terms earlier if ye want learn." "Begad! Do whatever!"

Out of the blue Ashton asked Ella "why dance fer lessons?" "To get to know ye a little, become buckos. From what I can tell ye do not have much fun or know how to relax." "I been watching the lessons; I think I can do it." Ella handed him an arrow and the bow, "shoot for da main mast or that there lid." Ashton took his stance and did his best but fumbled and the arrow ended at his feet in the end. "Ye cursed it." "No, takes patience." "Still not accepting yer terms. Tell me why important to be buckos?" "Why not. Yer bucko with everyone on ship." "Aye." "Why not me, did I do something to ye?" Without answering Ashton walked off.

Later that day while everyone was dancing Ashton was drinking; a squiffy Ashton walked up to Ella and stared for a moment. "Ye wenches and yer terms for lessons, being buckos with ye-" Brown Noser then knocked him out and carried him with Spyer to his quarters. Back with the crew they continued where they left off before Ashton wakes back up. "Ye buckos not afraid of him when he is like this?" "Ashton like ta=hat in great while, we done that before" said Brown Noser. "Lass I teach him without terms, he may be grog blossom and squiffy tomorrow again." "What about ye?" "Me name Klutz fer a reason. I am good with swords fer a klutz, lets not add arrows." "Good night then." The rest of the night was uneventful and Ashton stayed asleep in his room till morning.

With a headache Ashton came out of his room that morning to find Ella waiting outside his door. "Go busy yer self." "Ye alright?" "Head hurting. Why?" "When ye better come find me, I am going teach ye arrows without terms." "Why change mind? A rig?" "No, I do not want see ye so squiffy like last night. Ye worried and made me mad too." "Me apologies miss." "Find me later, when better." Ella left to help Strummer swab some of the deck.

When Ashton came to find Ella, she was on a little of the bowsprit looking ahead, upon the sea. At that moment seeing Ella looking forward, hair whipping from the wind was when Ashton thought she was pretty. "Ahoy, Ella." Ella walked back from the bowsprit turned around, "ye better?" "Aye." "Let us begin yer lesson."

At times during the lesson Ashton wanted to loose his temper but instead kept it at bay. "Time I help cook." "I can get Strummer to help Cook so we can continue our lesson." "No, that not fair to others whom I teached. Help me clean dishes afterward, finish faster." Ashton didn't answer, he just stood there thinking. Ashton then joined Ella and Cook in the Kitchen to help, even after eating dinner Ashton helped Ella and Cook clean the dishes to get back to archery lessons faster. Like the other times Ella taught archery they stopped when they couldn't see the nailed barrel lid to the main mast.

Couple of days it was the same lessons, Ashton helping Ella and Cook prepare food and clean dishes to get to lessons faster. The last day of lessons Ashton still helped Ella and Cook, once they couldn't see like previously Ella put her weapon away, returning ready to dance like usual but surprisingly Ashton asked Ella to dance which she thought he was playing some sort of rig, a joke but it wasn't. Ella thought it be one dance but it turned into many dances, of course after some dancing Ella went to bed.