Fresh blood was drawn from the dockside youths. They lacked the experience of more seasoned seamen but were cheap hires. It was hoped that old hands would soon rub off on them, thus making up for any deficit in quality. Wulfric was more interested in strong backs for low shares. He already had veteran lancers and harpooners. Rowers to man his oars and firm grips to haul the kills were the only supplements hired.

The weeks before departure flew quickly. The Captain and Oskar saw to their respective vessels and crew while I finished the paperwork with Stan. The cook made me uncomfortable. I was too young to know what he was doing. But I disliked it when he talked into my ear or put a hand on my thigh. It scared me but I said nothing. Ah I seem to have made you all uncomfortable. Not quite the turn in the story you expected. I am afraid that the Briar Thorn too was once a child. How do you speak of such things when you do not know how to? I was afraid and alone and did not know how to deal with it.

It was a strange time for me. All at once it was exciting, terrifying, and confusing. I had been a sheltered child and now I was going to get a taste of life outside my cage. And it was a cage back then, I couldn’t see the reality that my father shielded me from. Death and struggle were but words and carried a hint of exotic danger. Little did I know that there were things worse than dying. I learnt in time; we all do.

The new hires were boys a few years older than Winston. At fifteen years of age, most children were apprenticed to a trade. Sailors exist outside the usual convention. There was no guild or college to quantify their mastery of their trade. Credibility came from reputation and years of service under respected Captains. To young men starting their career, Wulfric offered an education alongside a potentially generous payout. On a good run even the lowest share of the season’s profits could match a working journeyman’s yearly earnings. Should fortune smile and ambergris be found, fortunes could be made overnight.

I was excited to meet the new faces. My childhood so far had been spent alone without anybody near my age. Winston was all that I had. It was the loneliness of a child who had only lived a shadow of childhood. It is easy to dismiss such things as an adult; we grow to understand that everybody is alone. I had yet to develop such calluses. I am rambling. It is hard not to. There is so much to say, and I have little love for what comes next.

I was a precocious child, the prodigal son even. I was ahead of my years in education and faculties. No, I was no prodigy. If I were truly wise, I would have had the humility and patience to understand how limited I was. If I was anything, I was proud and difficult. My father concerned of my wellbeing never let me run wild with the other children my age. Anyway, I was rather insular and bookish by nature. I wonder if the first influenced the other. It is meaningless now.

In short, I did not endear myself to others. Shyness had kept me from approaching the other youths. I covered my nervousness with haughtiness. Wulfric’s favour had also planted a sliver of resentment between me and them. In truth I was underqualified and only here because the insistence of their Captain. But what did that matter to a twelve-year-old? I was self-absorbed and pig headed, every encounter only exacerbated the antipathy.

We had stored our supplies in warehouses by the dockside. There was work to be done on the ship hulls before getting them on water. Thick tar was applied to the bottoms, it made the ships last longer at sea. We stripped down to our britches as we tarred the boats. Despite the usual inclement weather, it was hot work. I caught a few burns while applying the pitch, still the task was oddly satisfying. After the tar cooled and set, we went about loading the supplies. Wulfric had me write down everything. He wanted to know what went where and how much of it. I guess he wanted to know how much he expended by the end of this trip. I had managed to impress upon him the importance of record keeping, but the man was a natural profiteer. He had avoided paperwork out of a mistrust for anything new. It was by chance I had taken on, and now he used my services to its utmost.

Eric Hart was the unofficial leader amongst the new younger hands. He was of average height, long armed, and quick with his hands. I had never met him before, but he was something of a known man in sporting circles. We Isle folk are avid boxers; we don’t wrestle or swagger swords as you do in the south. He was a dockside welter who was good with his fists and knew it. Eric acted like a barnyard cock bestriding his dung pile. There is a vanity in men, we never truly loose the quality. We just that we learn to do it in better taste as we grow older. Eric did not have taste, but he was well liked, nevertheless. Loud, brash, and quick to fire, he was the centre of attention. And he didn’t like me.

I didn’t like him either. I was prickly and proud, and he was arrogant and moody. We were a match made by the gods. I suppose I was an oddity at first, something not worth bothering about. But we were children, and what is more stubborn than a child? If there was a moment things passed from mild dislike to open animosity was back in the warehouse. After a few hours overseen by Wulfric’s veterans, the new hands were left alone to their work. So, they did what all everybody does when not directly overseen, they got busy doing nothing.

“What are you doing, we’ve got work to do.”

I was sitting at a table with my books open. We still had a lot of supplies that needed to be moved. Some looked my way, but most ignored me. I grew furious at the implied slight. I was petty.

“I said-!”

“Shut the fuck up, nobody cares.”

I smarted and turned to find the voice. It wasn’t hard; Hass was the usual suspect. He was the fire starter to Eric’s ego. I hated Eric but I had a special loathing for Hass.

“Well I don’t care about you. Get this stuff moving.”

“Get this stuff moving guys.”

Hass had repeated what I said cross eyed whilst clapping the back of his hands together. Everybody was smiling at his antics.

“Look just get this shit out of here.”

“Angry. Calm down.”

“I am calm.” I was most certainly not.

“I am calm.” Howls of laughter. Good joke.

“If you don’t fucking-.”

Smack. Shock and confusion cut me off as Eric backhanded my face.

“Nobody talks to my friend like that.” Eric growled.

Pain and fear followed the shock. He had split my lip and I could taste a coppery tang. I looked at his face and saw that he deadly serious. I felt the devil in me stir in outrage at his hypocrisy. I drew as much blood and saliva I could and spat in his face. That was a mistake. He hauled me by my scruff, and I saw his palm screw into a fist. Fear warred with anger as jeers and laughter poured from the crowd.

“What’s so funny guys? Did I miss something?”

It was Winston. Eric let me down and walked away. Relief and shame replaced the former rapidly ebbing emotions. Everybody shifted awkwardly as Winston walked further into the warehouse. Oblivious as always, he looked around in good humored confusion.

“Yeah you did, what do you want?”

Winston frowned at Hass’s tone, he shrugged then picked up a crate.

“Me nothing. Oskar said he will be dropping by with a few hands to check the new harpoons. Apparently, some had a few defects. I guess he wants to see if the rest are fine. Where’s Ed?”

“Here.”

“Good where do these need to go?”

Winston hoisted a box filled with something. I cannot remember quite what. I mumbled my reply. My lips stung and the aborted beating left me shaky. Winston immediately caught on to my lip.

“How did you get that?”

“He fell. He shouldn’t be here.”

Eric growled his words as he locked eyes with me. It was a game and I was learning the rules fast.

“It was nothing. Eric just screwed up.”

Learning but not very well. Winston took it at face value and carried on with his work. With Oskar’s arrival pending, everybody else jumped to.

Nothing else happened as we made the final touches before our departure. Something of a standoff had developed between Eric and I. Hass fanned the flames whenever he could, I think it amused him. I had met many men like him since. They were charming when they wanted to be and utterly two faced. Pleasant one moment, utterly callous the next.

We finished preparations and put to sea.