Stowaway Scrap

     Still, might as well enjoy the peace and tranquility while he could, he supposed.

     “Captain!”

     The moment of peace out in the open sea was broken and the blond turned to scowl slightly at his first mate, dragging something that was struggling against him. “We found a stowaway!” he yelled. Garin noted the many bruises complementing his face and several forming on his legs. A leg shot up from the stairway and kicked Jacques in the knee, explaining the many bruises.

     “Let go! Let go of me!” the “thing” shouted as he was brought up the stairs by the feet. It was a young Gnorbu of white fur with a worn cap and red suspenders tied from his pants over his shoulders. His crystal blue eyes glared daggers up at Garin, who stared down at him with a curious look.

     “Who may you be, son?” Garin asked with a quirk to his eyebrow.

     This comment caused a twitch to the Gnorbu’s eye and he swiftly stood up to his one foot while the other was still held by Jacques. It made the captain’s eyes widen just a bit to see the boy so balanced on his one foot.

     “I ain’t no one’s son! I’m thirteen!” the boy shouted in a strong accent. “And the name’s Scrap! I came onboard all on me own, and that’s skill, might I add. And just who do you think you’re callin' son?! You’re no older than me, YOU THIEVIN’ PIRATE!”

     Garin’s eyes grew bored at the shouts and turned back to the ocean waves. “Really?” he said, not looking at the boy. “Tell me then, Scrap. Why did you come on MY ship? You DO know what ship this is... don't ya?” Garin asked, his icy blue eyes bearing a sort of flame.

     Scrap didn’t seem to back down and stepped (or hopped) up to the captain. Jacques still held the captive's foot, and stood quite lost in the conversation the two held. “I know just too darn well who you thievin’ pirates are! This is the great Black Pawkeet! And you are Garin! Most famous pirate of them all!”

     The words brought a smug grin to Garin’s face.

     “And the most disgusting, scummiest, wicked, thing to have ever set sail!” Scrap shouted out.

     The smug grin left as soon as it came, replaced by a scowl. Garin forced it into another grin. “Is that so?” he said through gritted teeth. What was this kid trying to prove? He’d be facing the plank soon if he didn’t shut his mouth.

     Scrap simply glared back haltingly at him. “And you’re the scum who stole my precious item!”

     At this Garin had to blink. He leaned back to the wooden rail, scratching his head in thought. “Now... what island were we just at...” he mumbled.

      “It was Krawk Island!!” the Gnorbu yelled, losing his patience with the tricky pirate. Despite the shout, Garin continued to look thoughtful.

     “You said I stole something...” Garin said, lost in thought still.

     The blood rushed to Scrap’s face as he stepped/hopped up to Garin, nearly nose-to-nose. “YES, YOU NINNY!! YOU STOLE MY PRECIOUS ITEM!!” Scrap shouted in his face.

     Garin stared down at Scrap questionably. “Just... what did I steal?” he said with a small smirk. Scrap’s face grew in rage and he let out a growl.

     “My... KNIFE!” Scrap yelled. Suddenly the captive foot was shot free from Jacques's grip and sent flying to Garin. The Usul ducked the blow and tumbled away from the boy. He didn’t have time to react and the boy charged at him, leaping up at the captain with his leg ready to swing down at him. Garin again tumbled away, barely missing the blow that managed to crack the wood just a bit. As he rolled, something fell from his pocket, skidding away on the wood, falling down the stairs and came to a stop on the deck. Some pirates saw the thing and immediately noted the gold trimmings running along the handle. Greed overtook them all and they began to inch towards the fallen item.

     “MY KNIFE!!” Scrap shrieked. The boy ran to the rail, hopping on it with a single leap, and did the oddest thing Garin thought he could do.

     The boy leaped nearly three feet away from the rail, spun almost three times in the air, and landed perfectly above the knife in full balance. At first the pirates surrounding him were stunned at the agility the boy held. But the moment passed as soon as Scrap grabbed his precious item and tucked it away in his pocket. They drew out their swords and made a mad charge at him.

     The boy grew odder to Garin as he saw a smirk grow on his furry features. He reached up to his head and tipped his hat over his eyes with the same smirk still plastered on his face. Garin felt his own eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets while the crew made a jump on the poor, helpless lad who was now blindfolded! What fool of a kid would do such a thing-

     The legs slid down to the floor in a split, making the first two pirates clonk noggins. The next moment the boy had tumbled away from a sword swung at him, then twisted around someone to let them take a blow from someone else. Scrap’s face held an ear-to-ear grin as he dodged attacks from the pirates, making a show by grabbing a pirate by the shoulders and jumping clear over his head. The act wasn’t over yet, though, as the boy jumped from head to head, going from his hand to his foot on random heads until he blindly snatched a loose rope from above.

     “Ha! You rotters don’t know how to beat a little boy like me?!” Scrap laughed. His acts continued to amaze the crew as he lifted himself up with one hand until he hung upside down on the rope, waving his cap in the air with his other hand. “It was a lovely evening, gents! But I best be off now!” he shouted.

     The boy released his grip on the rope and fell overboard into the ocean.

     Garin stared after the boy’s retreating form on the ocean, seeing a ship going nearly the same way they were going not too far away. His guess was the boy asked for them to wait for him until he returned with his “precious item”.

     “Captain...” Jacques asked, still in awe of the show.

     “Set sail, Jacques. We have to hit the horizon before sunset,” Garin said ducking away from the confused crew, lying in a heap from their own beatings. “I meet the weirdest people...” Garin muttered tiredly.

The End