Chapter 6

            As it turned out, Dad decided to take my advice. He cut back a little on Jim’s work, allowing him more time to hang out with me. Over the next month, Jim had gotten much closer to my father and me. He didn’t act out as much when told to do a job and he often helped me with my work if he had free time.

 

One day, I was walking around the ship and noticed a loose solar sail. One corner of it was flapping wildly and my eyes widened. The sails were fragile and couldn’t be allowed to tear. I ran down to the galley, where I found Jim wiping down the counters.

 

“Jim, come with me,” I called, kicking off my boots and running back upstairs.

 

“What’s going on,” he asked, running after me.

 

“I need you to help me fix the sails.”

 

I hoisted myself up into the shrouds and began climbing up the ropes. The reason I had removed my boots before was so I could climb better. Jim followed behind me, barely keeping up. We climbed up to the topmast trestle tree and I could see the waving sail was the main-topgallant sail.

 

“Ember, how do you plan to fix it,” Jim asked.

 

“It’s not difficult. I just need you to keep me steady while I tie it back down,” I answered.

 

“What? You mean you don’t’ have the balance to do this?”

 

“I’ve never had to do it alone. Didn’t want to try now. I just need you to stand on the yard and hold onto the mast or something. I’m going to start out and I’ll just need you to hold onto me while I reach out for the sail. Simple as that.”

 

Jim nodded after a second and grabbed onto the mast with one arm while holding my arm at the elbow. I started across, walking along the yard. I slowly slid further through his grasp as I went along, until only our hands were touching. It was at that point I wished I had brought some rope. I was just out of reach of the sail that continued to snap at me.

 

“Jim,” I called, “I’m going to let get and grab the sail.”

 

I didn’t turn to see his expression. It would have made me nervous, something I couldn’t risk at the time. I slipped my fingers out of Jim’s hand and reached for the sail. Just as I was about to grab it, it snapped at me and I lost my balance.

 

“Ember,” Jim yelled as I started to fall backwards.

I screamed as loud as my lungs could bear to. I was sure I was going to die at that moment, and when I was so close to finding Flint’s trove with my father. I then felt an iron vice on my wrist, keeping me from falling to my demise. I looked up to see Jim with a fearful look in his eyes. He was sprawled across the yard, on arm wrapped around it and the other holding onto me.

 

“Ember,” I heard my dad call from below.

 

I looked down to see him staring up at me. I then noticed someone staring up the shrouds very quickly. I figured it was Mr. Scroop, as he was the fastest. Jim grunted as he struggled to pull me up. Once he had me high enough, I hoisted myself up, straddling the yard. Jim put his hands on my shoulders, as if to make sure I wouldn’t fall again. At that moment, Mr. Scroop came onto the yard.

 

“Out of the way, cabin boy,” he ordered.

 

I shook my head, keeping him from moving Jim by force.

 

“I’m fine. I’ve got a job to do, though. Jim, hold me steady,” I answered.

 

He gave me an incredulous look, but I stood before he could protest. Jim put his hands on my waist as I grabbed the solar sail. I pulled it back with all my strength and straddled the yard again, working to tie the sail down. Mr. Scroop reached across Jim, giving me extra rope to use. Once the sail was secured, I turned to the two of them.

 

“Mr. Scroop, you can go back down. Tell Dad I’m fine and that the sail’s been taken care of. I’ll go down with Jim and make sure he makes it down safely.”

 

Mr. Scroop nodded before heading back down to the deck. Jim and I slowly moved back to the topmast trestle tree and I grabbed onto the shrouds. Jim didn’t move at first.

 

“Jim, I want you to go down before me. Please, be careful,” I told him.

 

He nodded a bit shakily before starting down the ropes. Once at the bottom, he helped me off the shrouds and onto the deck. I didn’t let go of his shoulders once my feet were firmly on the ground, though.

 

“And now the debilitating fear sets in,” I mumbled.

 

“What,” Jim started to ask, but my knees gave out and he had to hold me up so that I wouldn’t fall.

 

He slowly lowered to the floor while I clutched his shirt with white knuckles.

 

“Ember, what’s wrong,” Jim asked in a panicked tone, but I couldn’t answer.

 

Now that I wasn’t focusing solely on the job I had, my body was reacting to the near-death experience. I rested my head on Jim’s chest and squeezed my eyes shut. I could hear the air pump on my father’s mechanical leg as he hurried over to where we were.

 

“Silver, I don’t know what’s wrong,” Jim called, his voice still shaky.

 

“She’s in shock, lad. Used to happen all the time when she worked in the rigging,” my dad answered.

 

“Is she alright?”

 

“She’ll be fine. Just calm her down.”

 

I could hear murmuring from all around and assumed the rest of the crew was surrounding Jim and me.

 

“What’s going on here,” Arrow’s loud voice boomed over everyone else, causing me to clutch Jim’s shirt tighter.

 

“Ember went up to fix the sails and nearly fell off,” Jim answered.

 

There was then a long conversation between Arrow, my dad and Jim. Slowly, my heart returned to its normal pace and my breathing calmed. I opened my eyes at that point. I pulled away from Jim to find him looking down at me. My fingers ached as I let go of his shirt. I’d had them locked in that position for far too long.

 

“You alright,” he asked.

 

I nodded and stood up, using the side of the ship to support myself. I vaguely heard Arrow say something about telling Captain Amelia about my ‘brave feat.’ I nodded numbly and he left soon after. Jim stood up and reached out to touch my shoulder. I simply shook my head, taking a small step back.

 

“I’m fine,” I mumbled. “To your stations.”

 

The crew disbanded, but for Jim and my father.

 

“I’m fine,” I repeated.

 

“Ah, Jimbo, why don’t ya get to work on cleanin’ the galley,” Dad suggested.

 

Jim just stared at me, a concerned look still on his face.

 

“I’ll be down in a few minutes. I just want to talk with Dad for a bit,” I added.

 

Jim nodded hesitantly before running down to the galley. My dad wrapped one arm around me and pulled me close.

 

“What were ya thinkin’, Em,” he asked.

 

“That the sail needed to be fixed before it tore,” I answered, staring ahead to the other side of the ship.

 

“Ya nearly killed yourself up there. If it hadn’t been for Jimbo-”

 

“That’s why I brought him along. I wasn’t sure if I could do it alone and I needed his help,” I interrupted.

 

I walked out of my dad’s grasp and started down to the galley to help Jim. I stood tall as I walked; erasing all that remained of my fear from my face.

 

That night, after I finished the dishes, I found Jim on the bowsprit, his hair blowing around his face. He seemed completely lost in thought and didn’t hear me as I removed my boots and climbed on as well. I sat behind him, whereas he was kneeling, and snaked my arms around his waist, pulling him into a close. He jumped in surprise and whipped his head around to see me.

 

“What are you,” he started.

 

“Thank you,” I whispered, cutting him off. “You saved my life.”

 

“What else was I supposed to do?”

 

“You risked your own life for me. Not many people have done that, or would. You, my dad and Mr. Scroop are the only ones who have ever saved me but you, Jim, are the only one who did so without having any experience in the rigging. You could have died right along with me. That’s why I’m thanking you.”

 

Jim didn’t say anything in response, which was fine with me. I enjoyed the calm silence between us, broken only by the sounds of our breathing.  Jim sat down with his back still to me, straddling the bowsprit and I rested my chin on his shoulder. Jim took my hand in his and looked down, examining it. I could feel his thumb brushing over my palm.

 

“Your hands are so calloused,” he mumbled.

 

“That’s what happens when you work on a ship all your life. You become calloused… mind, body, heart and soul,” I answered, my voice barely above a whisper.

 

“You don’t seem that way all the time.”

 

“Even the toughest leather can turn to velvet. It all depends on the one being touched.

 

Jim was silent for another minute.

 

“You know, I would never have thought Silver was your dad. You look nothing like him,” he finally said.

 

“He says I take after my mother. The only thing I got from him, appearance wise, was my hair color. He says my personality is a mix between his and my mother’s though.”

 

Again, Jim didn’t have a response. About a minute later, I pulled away and made my way back onto the deck.

 

“Goodnight, Jim,” I said.

 

“See you tomorrow,” he answered with a crooked smile.