Sounds filled the air when he awoke. The flapping of the sails as the ship made a course correction and the splashing of the waves over the bow as they plowed onward. Occasionally he could hear a faint low rumble and wandered if it was only thunder or could it be the sound of far off cannons. The sound of cannon would certainly signal a time to prepare for battle.
The last few days had been full of battle plans as well as the daily chores of sailing and maintaining the ship in battle-worthy condition. Each night he had fallen asleep, exhausted but full of anticipation for what the new day might bring. He still had a few minutes before duty, and so he replayed in his mind his experiences on the high seas.
The excitement had been high when they left port. This was his first voyage, and he hadn’t known what to expect. As a young deckhand, he was one of the sailors who climbed the mast to tend the sails. After overcoming his fear of being high above the deck, he found he began to enjoy his time in the rigging with the wind at his back. There was always plenty of work to be done repairing one thing or another. This was a man of war so in addition to all the sailing duties he had learned to load and care for a cannon, now he was one of the regular crew at a midship cannon station. The officers didn’t confide in the crew as to the purpose of the voyage but rumor had it that they were part of a flotilla sent out in search of pirates who had been attacking merchant ships in the tropical waters.
By the time they made the first landfall, he had been accepted as part of the crew and joined them to party and have a good time. After spending some time in a bar, he had stepped outside and immediately heard some women screaming. He ran to their aid only to find several men from another ship attempting to rape them. He jumped into the middle of the group with several of his mates close behind. The two groups fought until they were so tired that no one could stand but during the fight, the women escaped. For days afterward, the crew talked about the fight and how he had led them in the rescue of the women.
Over the last few days, he had seen ships on the horizon when he had been high in the rigging but could not tell if they were friend or foe. The battle drills were becoming more frequent and so he was sure the battle would be any day now.
A voice was calling him to breakfast, his mom. It was amazing how far you could travel in the comfort of your bed.