#9.1 My life, chasing my seadream.

Part 1, My dream starts today.

It is 1655 and i am a guy at the age of twenty. i live with my father as my mother passed away five years ago. we live on a small farm with two horses, rust and spike. Rust is a big brown horse and spike is an even bigger black horse.

I have a dream to become a ships captain, but i have never been on a boat. One day i told my father i want to go to the townshore to look for a job on a ship. But he din’t want to lose me too, he said. I told him this is what i wanted to do. I wanted to follow this dream before i’m too old and no one would accept me anymore. and not to worry for i would return home everytime i was going to be on this shore. My father looked down, and said alright son, go look for a job then. He looked up and gave me a tight hug. But don’t let anyone fool you or make a fool of you. I looked my father in the eyes and told him, i will become captain, father. His father nodded. I’m sure you will son. I walked trough the door opening towards the shore town while waving my father goodbye.

After walking for a fair amount of time i could smell the seashore coming closer every step. It made me feel energetic and i got exited. The guards of the town halted me at the gate and said, why do you want to enter the town. I want to look for a job on a ship, i told them. The guards lookt at each other with a grin on their face and one guard said, a lackey like you? Well try your luck on the Medusa. she just came ashore today and i tought i heard them talking about new recruits. She’s a beauty, she is, he said. I most certaintly will try, i said The guards opened the big doors. As i walked trough i thanked the guards. They nodded at me and said, good luck boy.

My face shifted to the shore and there were a couple of boats and ships. In the far distance was a big ship like non of the ships in front of them. There were just some sloops in the neaby bay. I looked around to see if anyone looked like a captain, but there were only normal people walking by  and people who were carrying big bags and sacks. I went to the local pub and looked around  there were a lot of people there drinking to their hearts content. In one of the chairs i saw a guy with a nicely trimmed beard and with a big black hat. I stepped towards him while other people started staring at me. When i stood in front of him i said. Are you a captain mister? Aye! He said with a loud voice. I be the captain of the mighty medusa son. What do you desire, he asked. I heard you were looking for new recruits, i said. Aye that we are, he awnsered. We lost a couple of lazy rats to the sharks he said chuckling. I am not lazy, i am a hard worker. And i would like to join your crew, i said with a selfasured voice. You? He said. You look fit and all but can you even handle a sword or any other weapon for that matter. My hart sunk as the whole pub started laughing. I had never even touched a weapon, i tought. But wait, i have used a massive whip all my life because i always trained my horses. I use a whip, i said. A whip? So you are a slave master then?  All the people in the pub were now quite and were all staring at me with big eyes. Before i could say anything the captain stood up and said, you don’t realy look like a slavemaster to me but we will put you to the test outside on the ship. He sofly grabbed me by my neck and lead me outside.

We walked to the towns bay and got in the boat with two other crew mates. They rowed the boat to the ship as the captain asked me. It is rare to find someone who is good with a whip. Have you used any other weapons boy, he asked. I told the captain i had not even touched an other weapon in my life. The captain smiled and looked at his ship as we arrived. Well then, welcome aboard the mighty medusa, he said. As we climb the ladder up to the ship, a crewmate came running to the captain. What’s the matter captain, he asked. The captain looked atound on his ship as his crew was looking back at him. It seems… lads… we have found a slavemaster. Get a whip, he yelled. And you there on the mast, come down. We will test if he truly is what he says he is, he said with a loud voice. A lump started to form in my throat, it was all wrong… i am a horse trainen, i tought. But was it wise to tell them that now? A crewmate came from below deck and had a big whip with him. I think it would have been twice my size maybe even three times my own length. They gave me the whip and the guy from the mast a club. The captain told me, if you can make him lose his club, i will let you fare with us as deckhand on this ship. As i unrolled the whip the other crewmembers started to cheer and yell. I walked away from the guy with the club to get a good distance between him and me. I tested the whip on the deck with two hard lashes to see how long it realy was. The guy with the club was looking alert as he heard the lashes. He went into a half squatting position and charged at me. With a smooth flick i lashed the whip in front of his feet wich made him lose his footing and make him tumble over he rolled over his back and on his feet again. The crewmates started laughing. And you could see the irritation grow in his eyes. Again he charged at me but this time he went to the side. This was tricky, as i had to lash him on one of his feet. So i lashed to his feet but it missed and hit he boards of the ship leaving a dent in the wood. The guy now ran the other side again and charged towards me. I managed to run a couple of steps back and lashed my whip around his left foot. With the speed he had build up the guy fell face first into the wood making the club fly overboard. He got up and saw his club was gone. Red streams of blood running over his mouth he backed up and started clapping his hands together. After a few seconds everyone on deck was clapping. I looked at the captain as he was looking at me and also clapping his hands together. The captain walked towards me and said, welcome to the crew boy. You have earned your position on my ship.