Ahoy there mateys! So today, I’m discoverin’, is rather a grand day for those of us who follow the sweet trade.
Tis the one day of the year when we can go around shouting our favorite nautical phrases at the tops of our lungs and no one thinks any the worse of us.
Well, at least, no one admits that they think any the worse of us.
So in honor of this fine day, I’d like to challenge you fine seadogs to test your piratical knowledge with the Shiver Me Timbers Quiz.
Do you have the knowledge it takes to be a true pirate? Or are ye naught but a landlubber pretending the sea flows in his veins …
Holding his dirk by the tip, Amos focused on
the pirate’s broad back—an easy target. He let fly, and a moment later, the
dirk sprouted between the pirate’s shoulder blades. He paused to retrieve his
dirk from the body and looked up to find himself standing in the midst of a
cluster of pirates.
Bilgewater.
Something slammed into him from behind,
shoving him down and grinding his face into the sand. He gasped for breath and
inhaled a mouthful of dust. He lashed out with his dirk and struggled to rise.
Thud. A boot crashed into his side, followed by a
kick to the chest, and then another and another. Blows poured down upon him.
Beneath the crushing weight of pain, Amos was conscious of only one thing.
He had failed Birdie.
Ronan
broke into a run. Harpoon in hand, bare feet punching the sand, he raced toward
the sea-demon. He didn’t know what he intended to do. Didn’t even know what he could do. But the sheer audacity of the
action sent his heart pumping with excitement.
At
least the beast would have a fighting chance.
The
scadtha’s jaws opened wider and wider till Ronan feared it would swallow the
sea-demon whole. Not that it need to. The rows of jagged teeth filling its
mouth were more than capable of handling the job.
A
battle cry ripped from Ronan’s lips. He flung himself onto the scadtha’s back, hands
slipping on the slimy scales, and pulled himself up into a crouch at the nape
of the towering neck. He drew both hands back and plunged the harpoon into a
gap between the scales.
Brynne Delerson says
That quiz was tough! I only got 6 out of 10. I guess I'm not destined to be a fearsome pirate queen.
Gillian Adams says
Forgive me an evil chuckle. I may have made the quiz harder than I intended to … I was afraid it would be too easy!
Mary Ruth Pursselley says
Tor crossed his arms—carefully, minding his splint-bound right arm. “What would it take to make her sail again?” he asked.
A stunned look crossed Drogan’s face; he looked out at the ship in the bay, then back at Tor. “The Raven?”
“Yes, the Raven. What would it take to make her seaworthy?”
Drogan shook his head, looking bewildered at the mere idea. “Well, for a start we’d have to have massive amounts of heavy equipment—heavy block and tackle, for one thing, much heavier than anything she’s got on her, I can tell you that. And then we’d need supplies and the proper tools… not to mention far more man power than we’ve got here! And even then it might not work!”
Tor kept staring at the ship, and thought for a few more seconds. “How long would it take?”
Drogan’s face was incredulous. “You mean with everything we need to do it properly, or with what we have here?”
Tor turned and looked at Drogan. “With what we have here.”
Drogan rolled his eyes to the heavens. “Tor, you’ve got to be joking!”
“How long?”
“Months! Maybe years, I don’t know! Tor, we’ve got none of the proper equipment, nowhere near enough man power—”
“But what can it hurt to try, Drogan?” Tor asked. “What do we have to lose? And for that matter, what else do we have to do with our time?”
Drogan stared out at the crippled ship, listing to one side and shot full of holes. “You’re crazy, you know that, don’t you?” he asked at last.
Tor said nothing, and Drogan was silent for a few moments more before looking at him and shaking his head.
“When do we start?”
***
That's from my 2010 NaNoWriMo project, The Pirate Shrine – a fantasy tale about an agnostic prince and his motley crew of demoralized sailors who find themselves stranded on a forgotten island with nothing but a wrecked ship, after their entire navy is obliterated by invaders. Fortunately, it seems Someone is looking out for them–the island is a long-abandoned pirate stronghold, riddled with stashes of weapons and equipment. Prince Tor and his men find themselves in possession of an armory… and the invaders find themselves the target of a vengeance-bent pirate king.
This was a fun post, Gillian. Happy Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day, me hearties!
Gillian Adams says
Ooh! This story sounds really cool!
And I love the name Tor. Short, sweet, and memorable.
Hannah says
Once upon a time, I was writing a pirate tale. No longer. But I enjoyed some of the sea adventures by Brian Jacques and the awesome ones by Wayne Thomas Batson! Anne Elisabeth is also going to be having her first sailing the sea adventure in 'Goddess Tithe' this November. :)
Gillian Adams says
I tried writing a pirate tale once (one solely focuses around pirates) … then I decided as much as I love reading them, writing them wasn't for me. But I still have elements of pirates in quite a few of my stories. And I still love dressing up as a pirate and exercising me pirate lingo every once in a while.
I'm looking forward to reading Goddess Tithe! I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but the cover of Goddess Tithe is so beautiful! You can't help but want to read it.