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“And then I made a steak from it and ATE it!”
There was a hum of disbelief.
“First,” Black Pete said, “even if you did kill that wolf, it wouldn’t have enough meat for a steak. And second, wolf killing stories don’t count as pirate stories.”
At least half the crew nodded.
“Okay then, tell us a real pirate story,” Roach grunted. “And not another of your I’m-Blackbeard’s-best-friend bullshit!”
Black Pete took a deep breath and began.
“This story isn’t about me,” he said. “This story is about the bravest pirate I know. Well, except for Blackbeard, obviously.
“Once, this pirate was to accompany his captain to the Republic of Pirates. Just a couple of days before it, though, a mysterious crewmate of his threatened him with death and things much, much worse, and this pirate – let’s call him… erm… Robin – was sure it would be the last day of his life.
“Yet, Robin got off to the island with his captain, terrified both of his crewmate and the mob of pirates there, because he wasn’t really used to violence, blood and all this cool stuff. Some might have called him yellow-bellied. Most of the time there he was shaking with fear.
“His captain was a kinda weird guy, very reckless, even for a pirate. He got himself in trouble right away, which wasn’t good for Robin.”
“Doesn’t sound like a brave pirate,” Frenchie narrowed his eyes. “I have a much better story. It starts with…”
“Let him finish,” Oluwande waved his hand at him.
“Alright,” Black Pete continued. “Robin’s captain almost died twice in their first hour on the land, but Robin was more careful. Careful and perceptive. When the notorious Spanish Jackie held his dagger right next to his captain’s nose, Robin noticed that this dagger, in fact, belonged to that mysterious crewmate. He thought that if he brought it back to their ship, it might save his life.
“So, when Spanish Jackie – and I’m sure every one of you knows how sharp-sighted she is – got distracted just a little bit, Robin sneaked up on her and snapped the dagger off her belt. He moved like lightning, like an albatross when it sees his prey. And it went completely unnoticed, though this dagger was important for Spanish Jackie.
“He returned to the ship with his captain and handed the dagger to J… his crewmate, and it indeed ensured his safety.”
Black Pete made an awkward pause and added, “Well, that’s kinda it.”
“I’ve only heard about Spanish Jackie, but everyone says she’s scary,” the Swede said.
“Yeah, it is brave,” Frenchie reluctantly agreed, and the rest of the crew nodded. “Anyway, I’ll tell my story now. Or, better, sing it!”
He started picking on the strings, and the pirates lost all the interest in Black Pete.
He shrugged and leaned on the mast. The day’s weariness overtook him.
“Do you really think,” he heard a quiet voice. “Do you really think I’m brave?”
Black Pete looked at the owner of the voice – of course, it was Lucius – and simply said, “Yeah.”
It was a dark night, but Lucius’s face was quite visibly red.
“Why Robin, though? Robin as in a bird robin?” he asked in a moment.
“Yup. They are pretty, plump, clever and… I don’t actually know if they are brave or…”
“There’s no one in the crow’s net right now,” Lucius shot out, “and I’ve heard stars look very beautiful from there.”