Sea Salt 1 & Butter Rum 6
Author: Casey
Story: Shifts: Index - Post-Shift
Challenge: Sea Salt 1 (ocean/sea) & Butter Rum 6 (crow's nest)
Toppings & Extras: Chopped Nuts (Pirates Ahoy!), Caramel, Malt (Christmas picture from ichthusfish!), Cherry (first person), Gummy Bunnies (Three Word Wednesday: Grace, Jitter, Thin)
Word Count: 825
Rating: PG
Summary: Our intrepid explorers (aka pirates) find a specific spit of land.
Notes: I was thinking about all the new small flavors, then reminded myself I still had to finish Butter Rum, but was in the mood to write Shifts people. Thus, well, my own little pirate AU was born! This is fourish years after Shifts would be - similar events happened to have everyone end up here. Also, last Sea Salt! There should be more of this - it's rapidly heading into the realm of Muppet Treasure Island :P
“Land ho! Over there, there, see it!” Mariah yelled, practically bouncing in the crow’s nest as she pointed to the northwest.
“Mariah, that’s enough,” I called up to her, glancing towards where Rand pulled out his spyglass and was peering in the direction she indicated.
The irrepressible eight-year-old grinned down at me. “Just wanted to make sure you heard me, First Mate Henson.”
I rolled my eyes at my sister-in-law and then turned and headed over to where Rand was still staring intently through the spyglass. I paused, though, when Grayson got there first, bounding to Rand’s side. “Rand!”
“That’s Captain Rand to you,” Rand reminded him for the millionth time. I was not sure why Rand still bothered.
“Whatcha looking at?”
Rand did not answer as I cautiously approached.
“Drewkins,” Grayson said, “did Mariah see something?”
“Land,” I said.
“The treasure map land?”
“How in the blazes do you know about that, Mr. Marsh?”
Grayson, as usual, grinned, patting Rand on the head. “I know these things,” he said, winking at me.
“Don’t you have things to cook?” Rand asked him, swatting his hand away.
“Nope, don’t need to start on supper for another hour or so,” he said and I wondered, yet again, how Grayson managed to consistently make decent food yet spend so little time on it. I guessed it had something to do with the fact he had shanghaied Josh to be his assistant at the beginning of the voyage. “We going ashore?”
I glanced at Rand, curious as well. “Yes,” he said grudgingly. “Take the wheel, please, Drew.”
Ellen relinquished it without protest, smiling tremulously at me. Even four years since we had rescued her from our father, she still had moments where I worried about how meek she was. I still insisted we keep her out of fights and so far, at least, Rand agreed; as long as I taught her how to use the weapons on board. I returned the smile and placed my hands on the wheel, directing the ship into the small natural cove. At Rand’s direction, the crew dropped anchor.
“I wish I was as good at that as you.”
“Ellen, you’re barely fifteen. You’re allowed to still be learning.”
“But then I’d be useful,” she muttered.
I squeezed her shoulder. “Buck up, kid, let’s go see where this map has brought us, hm?”
Mariah had already scurried down from the crow’s nest - her favorite location for some ungodly reason - and bounced in place as she waited for the rest of the crew to gather. “Who gets to go ashore?” she asked me. “Can I? Please?”
“I’m not sure that’s a very good idea.”
“But Ellen gets to go.”
“Ellen’s also many years your senior, Mariah,” Lynne said easily as she strolled over to join us, kissing me on the cheek.
I grinned. “Hi, Lynne. Ellen’s got the best sense of direction of any of us, land or water.”
“Screw that,” Mariah muttered to which Lynne gently whacked her across the back of the head.
“Watch your language, scalawag,” I told her. “You’re staying here with the rest of the crew.”
“Fine,” she said, flouncing off towards the hatch and presumably her brother.
“I’m sorry,” Ellen said.
I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t apologize for Mariah being a little know-it-all.”
She nodded and I shooed her off towards the boats, which the crew was readying for departure.
Within an hour, we were rowing ashore. The tube containing the map was tucked in Rand’s belt beside his sword.
“Looks like a pretty desolate stretch of land,” Grayson said and I wondered, yet again, how he had managed to talk his way onto the dinghy when he should have been on board making supper.
“It’s supposed to be,” Rand said, pulling out his spyglass to peer at it. “Bring us ashore, we look clear.”
With a light bump, we hit the small beach on the southern side of the bay. Some of the other crew members hopped out and pulled us up higher. I clambered out, giving Lynne a hand and ignoring Grayson as he reached out for it. As a result, Grayson tipped out of the dingy and fell face first into the shallow water and sand. Lynne covered a snicker and I grinned. “Oops, sorry, my mistake, Grayson,” I said, now dragging him up by the collar. “It’s a nice day, you’ll dry easily.”
He shot me a baleful glare and promptly shook himself off all over Rand, who was stepping neatly out of the boat. “Grayson!” he sputtered, forgetting himself for a moment and his usual formality, at least around the crew.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you standing there, Captain,” he said in mock apology, shaking his hair out again and splattering Rand more, now turning a smirk on him.
Rand muttered something particular foul and minced past him, heading for drier shore. Lynne and I exchanged grins and followed.
Story: Shifts: Index - Post-Shift
Challenge: Sea Salt 1 (ocean/sea) & Butter Rum 6 (crow's nest)
Toppings & Extras: Chopped Nuts (Pirates Ahoy!), Caramel, Malt (Christmas picture from ichthusfish!), Cherry (first person), Gummy Bunnies (Three Word Wednesday: Grace, Jitter, Thin)
Word Count: 825
Rating: PG
Summary: Our intrepid explorers (aka pirates) find a specific spit of land.
Notes: I was thinking about all the new small flavors, then reminded myself I still had to finish Butter Rum, but was in the mood to write Shifts people. Thus, well, my own little pirate AU was born! This is fourish years after Shifts would be - similar events happened to have everyone end up here. Also, last Sea Salt! There should be more of this - it's rapidly heading into the realm of Muppet Treasure Island :P
“Land ho! Over there, there, see it!” Mariah yelled, practically bouncing in the crow’s nest as she pointed to the northwest.
“Mariah, that’s enough,” I called up to her, glancing towards where Rand pulled out his spyglass and was peering in the direction she indicated.
The irrepressible eight-year-old grinned down at me. “Just wanted to make sure you heard me, First Mate Henson.”
I rolled my eyes at my sister-in-law and then turned and headed over to where Rand was still staring intently through the spyglass. I paused, though, when Grayson got there first, bounding to Rand’s side. “Rand!”
“That’s Captain Rand to you,” Rand reminded him for the millionth time. I was not sure why Rand still bothered.
“Whatcha looking at?”
Rand did not answer as I cautiously approached.
“Drewkins,” Grayson said, “did Mariah see something?”
“Land,” I said.
“The treasure map land?”
“How in the blazes do you know about that, Mr. Marsh?”
Grayson, as usual, grinned, patting Rand on the head. “I know these things,” he said, winking at me.
“Don’t you have things to cook?” Rand asked him, swatting his hand away.
“Nope, don’t need to start on supper for another hour or so,” he said and I wondered, yet again, how Grayson managed to consistently make decent food yet spend so little time on it. I guessed it had something to do with the fact he had shanghaied Josh to be his assistant at the beginning of the voyage. “We going ashore?”
I glanced at Rand, curious as well. “Yes,” he said grudgingly. “Take the wheel, please, Drew.”
Ellen relinquished it without protest, smiling tremulously at me. Even four years since we had rescued her from our father, she still had moments where I worried about how meek she was. I still insisted we keep her out of fights and so far, at least, Rand agreed; as long as I taught her how to use the weapons on board. I returned the smile and placed my hands on the wheel, directing the ship into the small natural cove. At Rand’s direction, the crew dropped anchor.
“I wish I was as good at that as you.”
“Ellen, you’re barely fifteen. You’re allowed to still be learning.”
“But then I’d be useful,” she muttered.
I squeezed her shoulder. “Buck up, kid, let’s go see where this map has brought us, hm?”
Mariah had already scurried down from the crow’s nest - her favorite location for some ungodly reason - and bounced in place as she waited for the rest of the crew to gather. “Who gets to go ashore?” she asked me. “Can I? Please?”
“I’m not sure that’s a very good idea.”
“But Ellen gets to go.”
“Ellen’s also many years your senior, Mariah,” Lynne said easily as she strolled over to join us, kissing me on the cheek.
I grinned. “Hi, Lynne. Ellen’s got the best sense of direction of any of us, land or water.”
“Screw that,” Mariah muttered to which Lynne gently whacked her across the back of the head.
“Watch your language, scalawag,” I told her. “You’re staying here with the rest of the crew.”
“Fine,” she said, flouncing off towards the hatch and presumably her brother.
“I’m sorry,” Ellen said.
I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t apologize for Mariah being a little know-it-all.”
She nodded and I shooed her off towards the boats, which the crew was readying for departure.
Within an hour, we were rowing ashore. The tube containing the map was tucked in Rand’s belt beside his sword.
“Looks like a pretty desolate stretch of land,” Grayson said and I wondered, yet again, how he had managed to talk his way onto the dinghy when he should have been on board making supper.
“It’s supposed to be,” Rand said, pulling out his spyglass to peer at it. “Bring us ashore, we look clear.”
With a light bump, we hit the small beach on the southern side of the bay. Some of the other crew members hopped out and pulled us up higher. I clambered out, giving Lynne a hand and ignoring Grayson as he reached out for it. As a result, Grayson tipped out of the dingy and fell face first into the shallow water and sand. Lynne covered a snicker and I grinned. “Oops, sorry, my mistake, Grayson,” I said, now dragging him up by the collar. “It’s a nice day, you’ll dry easily.”
He shot me a baleful glare and promptly shook himself off all over Rand, who was stepping neatly out of the boat. “Grayson!” he sputtered, forgetting himself for a moment and his usual formality, at least around the crew.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you standing there, Captain,” he said in mock apology, shaking his hair out again and splattering Rand more, now turning a smirk on him.
Rand muttered something particular foul and minced past him, heading for drier shore. Lynne and I exchanged grins and followed.