Atreyu’s Beginnings
Atreyu was born in Port Royal,
by the name of Zakarie Facet. His parents were French and had moved to Port Royal before he was born, for reasons they’d never
told him. They were kind and loving, treating him well, but never spoiling him.
They’d believed that he needed to know that you didn’t get something for
nothing.
Zakarie’s childhood was a good one until he was six years old. His parents contracted an illness and after suffering for several months, they died. At first Zakarie had contracted the same illness, but after a week it had run its course and he was fine. He took care of his parents as best he could during their illness.
During that time Zakarie learned the quickest and easiest way to obtain food and money for his parents and their illness. A local man snapped up the little boy once he learned of his plight. Zak learned what he needed form the man in how to be a thief. Once his parents passed on, he excelled in his learning since he had nothing else to claim his attention and time.
Zak had one love growing up and that was the ships that came and went in the harbour. Whenever he had free time from thieving for Kas, he could be found on the docks pestering sailors and captains alike.
There was one Captain in particular that never seemed to mind Zak’s endless questions and curiosity. The man looked upon Zak with fondness, seeing himself at his age, and the boy reminded him of his back home. So, it came to pass that a fairly strong friendship came to pass between the two over the years.
It wasn’t until Zakarie was eleven that Captain Jonas Jackson learned that the boy was an orphan and badly used by another. Zak showed up at the Black Hawk severely beaten and extremely scared. Captain Jackson was appalled at the boy’s condition.
“By the Great Spirit, me boy, what has happened to ye?”
Sniffling, trying not to cry, and shaking all over Zak hesitantly answers, thinking now that coming to his friend wasn’t the right thing to do after all. “Kas is mad at me… He-he says he’s going to kill me… He’s been drinking and… and I refused to steal something he wanted… He-he… He beat me saying over and over… that he was going to kill me…”
Captain Jackson swore quite loudly and colourfully, causing Zak’s eyes to go huge and round in awe. “What’ve yer parents to say to all this?”
Zak blinked and looked down and mumbled a reply.
“What?! Speak up me boy.”
“Nothing, Sir.”
“Nothing!?! By Mother Earth, why ever not? And would ye please look at me when yer speaking.”
Zak finally looked up. Tears were streaming down his face, surprising Jonas and causing him to wonder at what kind of parents the boy had. If they had sold the boy… His thoughts are cut off as Zak speaks. “Because, Sir, they’ve been dead these past five years and some.”
Jonas stared at the boy as he announced this revelation. “I… see.” He stares at the boy a moment more. “Come along then.” He takes Zakarie up the gang plank and onto the ship proper. “Billings, Follett, finish setting sail.”
The crew scurries to do the Captain’s bidding and before long the Black Hawk has set sail, leaving the harbour and Port Royal. Zak miraculously doesn’t snap his own neck as he looks back and forth between the crew and the Captain. Jackson was aware of and amused by Zak’s rubber necking. At one point he looks at the boy as he looks back towards him. “I am in need of a cabin boy. Care to fill the position? I’ll pay you a silver a week. But there will be no stealing from the crew, save those skills for the merchant ships we take on.”
Zak’s jaw dropped in shock. A silver a week? His mouth snaps shut suddenly and he answers. “Yes, Sir… Sir?”
“Yes, Zakarie.”
“I don’t know how to be a cabin boy.”
Jackson looks at him in amusement. “Ye mean to tell me in yer endless quest to learn everything about ships, ye never learned of the cabin boy?”
Meekly Zak shakes his head. “No, Sir.”
“I see.” Jonas shakes his head with a laugh. “Well come along, let’s get ye settled and I’ll explain yer duties while we’re about it.”
“Aye, Sir.”
Captain Jackson leads his new cabin boy to his cabin, explaining as they go. Once he has shown Zakarie where his bed is in the cabin, he gets him settled and starts looking over his various wounds and bruises. Soon he has a tea brewed and hands the cup to Zak. “Here. Drink this; it’ll help with the pain. It’s willow bark tea.”
Zak blinks, he’s never heard of willow bark tea. He takes a sip and spits it right back out. “UGH! That’s awful.”
Chuckling, Jonas nods. “Aye. I know, but drink it anyway. It really works.”
Zak looks at the cup in distaste, takes a deep breath, and downs it. “GAH!”
Jonas chuckles some more. “Yep, that’s about my thoughts on it too. Now let’s see if we can’t get you cleaned and patched up.”
He tells Zakarie where to find the barrel of wash water and orders him to go get clean. While he’s gone Jackson mixes up poultices of herbs for the damaged boy, and slathers them on the bandages. When Zak returns he wraps the bandages on his hurts and orders him to bed.
Zakarie wrinkles his nose at the smell. “How? This stuff stinks.”
“Get used to it, me boy. This ship uses this stuff for all aches, pains, and ailments.”
Zak sighs and lies down. Before long he is asleep despite the smell, so exhausted from the day’s events. Captain Jackson gives a soft chuckle and heads to the deck to finish overseeing the leaving behind of Port Royal.
Zakarie’s childhood was a good one until he was six years old. His parents contracted an illness and after suffering for several months, they died. At first Zakarie had contracted the same illness, but after a week it had run its course and he was fine. He took care of his parents as best he could during their illness.
During that time Zakarie learned the quickest and easiest way to obtain food and money for his parents and their illness. A local man snapped up the little boy once he learned of his plight. Zak learned what he needed form the man in how to be a thief. Once his parents passed on, he excelled in his learning since he had nothing else to claim his attention and time.
Zak had one love growing up and that was the ships that came and went in the harbour. Whenever he had free time from thieving for Kas, he could be found on the docks pestering sailors and captains alike.
There was one Captain in particular that never seemed to mind Zak’s endless questions and curiosity. The man looked upon Zak with fondness, seeing himself at his age, and the boy reminded him of his back home. So, it came to pass that a fairly strong friendship came to pass between the two over the years.
It wasn’t until Zakarie was eleven that Captain Jonas Jackson learned that the boy was an orphan and badly used by another. Zak showed up at the Black Hawk severely beaten and extremely scared. Captain Jackson was appalled at the boy’s condition.
“By the Great Spirit, me boy, what has happened to ye?”
Sniffling, trying not to cry, and shaking all over Zak hesitantly answers, thinking now that coming to his friend wasn’t the right thing to do after all. “Kas is mad at me… He-he says he’s going to kill me… He’s been drinking and… and I refused to steal something he wanted… He-he… He beat me saying over and over… that he was going to kill me…”
Captain Jackson swore quite loudly and colourfully, causing Zak’s eyes to go huge and round in awe. “What’ve yer parents to say to all this?”
Zak blinked and looked down and mumbled a reply.
“What?! Speak up me boy.”
“Nothing, Sir.”
“Nothing!?! By Mother Earth, why ever not? And would ye please look at me when yer speaking.”
Zak finally looked up. Tears were streaming down his face, surprising Jonas and causing him to wonder at what kind of parents the boy had. If they had sold the boy… His thoughts are cut off as Zak speaks. “Because, Sir, they’ve been dead these past five years and some.”
Jonas stared at the boy as he announced this revelation. “I… see.” He stares at the boy a moment more. “Come along then.” He takes Zakarie up the gang plank and onto the ship proper. “Billings, Follett, finish setting sail.”
The crew scurries to do the Captain’s bidding and before long the Black Hawk has set sail, leaving the harbour and Port Royal. Zak miraculously doesn’t snap his own neck as he looks back and forth between the crew and the Captain. Jackson was aware of and amused by Zak’s rubber necking. At one point he looks at the boy as he looks back towards him. “I am in need of a cabin boy. Care to fill the position? I’ll pay you a silver a week. But there will be no stealing from the crew, save those skills for the merchant ships we take on.”
Zak’s jaw dropped in shock. A silver a week? His mouth snaps shut suddenly and he answers. “Yes, Sir… Sir?”
“Yes, Zakarie.”
“I don’t know how to be a cabin boy.”
Jackson looks at him in amusement. “Ye mean to tell me in yer endless quest to learn everything about ships, ye never learned of the cabin boy?”
Meekly Zak shakes his head. “No, Sir.”
“I see.” Jonas shakes his head with a laugh. “Well come along, let’s get ye settled and I’ll explain yer duties while we’re about it.”
“Aye, Sir.”
Captain Jackson leads his new cabin boy to his cabin, explaining as they go. Once he has shown Zakarie where his bed is in the cabin, he gets him settled and starts looking over his various wounds and bruises. Soon he has a tea brewed and hands the cup to Zak. “Here. Drink this; it’ll help with the pain. It’s willow bark tea.”
Zak blinks, he’s never heard of willow bark tea. He takes a sip and spits it right back out. “UGH! That’s awful.”
Chuckling, Jonas nods. “Aye. I know, but drink it anyway. It really works.”
Zak looks at the cup in distaste, takes a deep breath, and downs it. “GAH!”
Jonas chuckles some more. “Yep, that’s about my thoughts on it too. Now let’s see if we can’t get you cleaned and patched up.”
He tells Zakarie where to find the barrel of wash water and orders him to go get clean. While he’s gone Jackson mixes up poultices of herbs for the damaged boy, and slathers them on the bandages. When Zak returns he wraps the bandages on his hurts and orders him to bed.
Zakarie wrinkles his nose at the smell. “How? This stuff stinks.”
“Get used to it, me boy. This ship uses this stuff for all aches, pains, and ailments.”
Zak sighs and lies down. Before long he is asleep despite the smell, so exhausted from the day’s events. Captain Jackson gives a soft chuckle and heads to the deck to finish overseeing the leaving behind of Port Royal.