" I know that," Sindbad fastened the short blade to his belt. " 'Those who take the battlefield lightly are always the first to die', my teacher's words."
He marched on to the very back of the lower deck, where there was a small and high window designed to let some of the sunlight and fresh air into the enclosed space.
It was very small for an adult to attempt breaking through, but a child could squeeze through it quite easily.
Sindbad began to push one of the largest crates of rations beneath the window to use it as a leverage.
Nasser watched him curiously. " Just, who are you?"
Sindbad stopped and looked at the older man, a large smile beaming through his sweat streaked face. " I'm a sailor, what else could I be in this ship?"
The boy climbed atop the box and stuck his head out of the small window. Beneath him was the turbulent sea. Frothing waves which knew no mercy. If he mistook his aim or slipped, he would be swallowed and no one would be able to hear him cry for help.
Sindbad narrowed his eyes, his mind already set. He twisted, pulling his eyes away from the water and to what was above him.
The ledge was quite far from him and he could see nothing beyond it. He will have to depend on his luck.
He shifted so he was sitting on the windowsill with his upper body outside. He held tight to the top of the window with one hand, while the other whirled the hook for moment to gain momentum before throwing it overhead.
That was a dismal failure.
The hook plummeted back with such speed it might have hit him hard and dropped him to the sea.
But Sindbad didn't give up.
Pulling the rope again, he whirled the hook and hurled it.
Again, it fell down short before even clearing the ledge.
Time and again, Sindbad thrust the hook upward, sometimes narrowly escaping it falling back on his face, before it finally arched over the edge and caught into it.
Sindbad smiled as he tugged on the rope, testing it.
It was sturdy enough.
Making a point of not looking back at the intimidating frothing water beneath him, Sindbad squeezed out of the window and began his climb to the upper deck. He grabbed the rope tightly with both hands and leaned back so he could use his legs for support as well.
Wearing a deep scowl, he took one step after the other, one hand at a time pulling at the rope, upwards.
It was hard, not once did he feel his feet about to slip away or his hands burning to let go of their tight grip, but he persevered forward.
If he hid there and looked away from the fight, how would he even dream of continuing the journey?
He didn't want to be protected.
He wanted to face whatever the world threw at him.
He finally reached the ledge and peeked over it, but only for a moment. " Woah!" He ducked quickly, his feet slipped away as a man was hurled off in his direction. The boy held tightly to the rope, preventing himself from falling, while the other man dashed head-first into the sea.
He looked after where the man had disappeared for a couple of moments, waiting for his head to peek up again, but he didn't. He was probably dragged away by the currents.
Sindbad struggled to turn around and climbed over the ledge, then, he looked at the scene unfolding before him.
His eyes widened.
Left and right, wherever he looked, there were people fighting, blood splattering, and men screaming in pain as they were struck.
" Damnit! I told him we shouldn't go too close to these waters!" Salah groaned vexedly as he slashed at the two men who came at him with their swords held aloft.
Salah turned on them, dropping to one knee as he struck them from a low angle. " Dealing with those pirates is a pain!"
What he failed to see, however, was the man stealing from behind him through the mess of crates. When he finally took notice of the perpetrator, he was already too late. The man, larger than he was, pressed him hard against the floor with merely his foot while he drew his scimitar back, ready to behead him.
Salah's eyes squeezed in anticipation of pain.
Yet it never came.
He risked a peek to find the larger man over him frozen in his pose, with his sword held high. But his grasp loosened and the weapon fell down to the ground, right beside Salah. The man keeled over to the side and fell down, clutching at his left side tight where blood was gushing out profusely.
Salah blinked twice at the man as he climbed to his feet before looking over his shoulder. Sindbad was panting heavily, eyes wide as he grabbed the blood-stained blade tightly with his shaking hands.
That was the first time ever he stabbed someone. It was the first time ever he hurt someone.
The blood spattered on his hands came from a person, not an animal he was hunting.
His stomach lurched for a moment there and would have expelled everything within it hadn't been for the firm hand that fell on his shoulder. Sindbad looked up to see a sweating Salah peering down at him. " You saved my life, kid…"
Sindbad looked down at his bloodied hands and swallowed. " Yeah… I guess I did…"
He shook his head, if he got cold feeted now that he had climbed all the way up, his former teacher would laugh out at him.
Narrowing his eyes, Sindbad focused on the pirates left on their ship. " Where is Rashad?" He asked pressing his back against Salah's.
The smaller man held his sword between him and the perpetrators closing up on them. " On their main ship. He went to face their leader. Seems he was met with some hiccup seeing how he is taking this long to do so."
Sindbad grabbed the dagger in his hands tightly.