Page 9 of Hired by Pirates

He led me to a wooden bench that was tucked up against what seemed to be a small building on the deck.

“The men will be rushing about while we set sail, so please wait here for just a few moments.” He pointed to the wooden beams at the bottom of the sails. “Those swing about, and can knock you right out cold. Until you learn the calls, it’s best to stay low and keep your head down as we leave port.”

“Thank you.”

I sat down and observed as several men hauled on ropes that lifted the beams of the sails. Another man released the thick ropes that had the ship bound to the dock. Looking around, the Captain had vanished. I suppose on a ship he couldn’t have gone far.

Looking around, I couldn’t guess the age of the ship, since everything was neat and polished, and in perfect repair. There were some pieces of the railing, or floorboards that were lighter than others, but everything seemed well cared for.

Had I known in advance what was in my future, I would have studied the ways of ships. There must certainly be books about them. Going into a situation with no preparation was quite unlike me.

But a young man’s life was on the line, along with whatever the Captain had meant by vaguely mentioning many other people’s lives.

Once the flurry of activity had died down, it seemed safe for me to stand at the railing, watching my hometown drift away. Was it strange that I felt a sense of accomplishment for treating patients, but barely knew the people themselves?

I could feel the Captain’s presence behind me even before I turned around.

“I’m so sorry, Astor. I forgot to ask if there was anyone you needed to say goodbye to before we left. Anyone who should have waved you off.”

“No, there’s nobody.”

Shaking my head, I blinked quickly so that he wouldn’t see the few fat tears gathering at the corners of my eyes at the admission.

“Where are your parents?”

“They died in a fire when I was fourteen. It was the first and only time I had stayed over at a girlfriend’s house so that we could study for our lessons all night.”

“And what happened to that girlfriend?” he asked gently.

“She got married last year and moved to Parrinport.”

Turning toward Toburg again, I lifted my hand in a wave anyway, then quickly brushed away the tears again before the Captain could see.

His arms slipped around me as he held my face to his chest in a warm embrace. “My grandmother always said that a hug made things better. Was she right?”

My cheek brushed against his well-worn black shirt as I nodded. “Yes.”

Breathing him in, he smelled like the sea. Or maybe the ship. Wood and water, with a touch of smoke.

I knew that it was completely shameful for me to be so familiar with a man I had just met, but from the corner of my eye, I could see that the town of Toburg was now the size of my thumb.

I no longer had to worry about their judgmental glances, and what they said about a lady who was so full of herself that she had the ambition to be a doctor, instead of something more appropriate like a seamstress or a teacher.

I was out on the open sea now. I would only have the opinions of the crew, who so far had seemed quite pleasant and open minded, to worry about. Yet the only opinion I was really concerned with was the Captain’s.

The feelings that were quickly brewing inside me were surprising. I’d never thought about a woman craving a man in a raw, carnal way. Those were feelings I’d heard of, yet never experienced. It was so strange to think that this part of me may have been lying in wait for the right man to come along and unlock whatever had been holding me back for so long.

I had no idea how these things worked, and nobody to ask. But the human animal ran mainly on instinct, when society didn’t get in the way.

I listened to the Captain’s heartbeat under my ear.It sounded a bit quick. Hopefully, he felt the same way, and would guide me in every aspect of this brand new adventure.

~ Chapter 4 ~ The Captain ~

* How to woo? *

I suddenly found my hand stroking Astor's hair. The feeling of her soft, sweet young body against mine was making my heart beat strangely, and so loud I could feel it in my ears.

I’d never felt this sort of tenderness for a woman before. Sure, there had been ladies who caught my eye and raised my mast, so to speak. But nobody who instantly made me want to be the absolute best man I could be, to deserve such a glorious woman.

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