Ladies of the Jolly Roger

The Scarlet Curse-1

The Scarlet Curse

Rita Schulz

I sat proud and straight on the shoulder of Cap’n Toby King as he walked up the steep wooden gangway to my new home, the Black Arrow.

The first mate, Jangles, stood at the top of the gangway, leaning against the waist-high wooden railing of the sleek schooner, and glared at me as we walked past him. A bird-hater perhaps? I looked back at him briefly; his glare hadn’t been directed at me, but at the captain’s back. It wasn’t just a look, it was a really menacing glare, a look filled with hatred. I felt the small feathers at the nap of my neck stand up and shook myself to get them to settle. He might be trouble for the captain or me. I would have to keep my eye on him.

Jangles had been the first mate aboard Cap’n Randy Black’s ship, the Royal Hound, and when the Black Arrow had been captured there was some talk that he would be made captain, but Toby King was given the ship instead.

The Black Arrow was Cap’n Toby’s first ship, and with me being an experienced sea woman and pirate, he would need my help and advice. He just didn’t know it yet.

The captain and I crossed the wide wooden deck to the stern of the ship. He quivered slightly and his shoulder muscles were tense under my claws; he was nervous. The ship was at anchor at Port Royal in the British Caribbean, the tall main mast with its English ensign snapped in the breeze, and everything looked to be in top shape. As we reached the stern, we proceeded through the small wooden door into the captain’s quarters.

The captain’s quarters were a large room; one wall of small-paned windows in the stern of the ship let in streams of natural light. It had a large, built-in, double-sized bed with a fluffy blue quilt. Against the wall of windows sat a large, glossy, dark wooden desk, and in the center of the room was an antique oak dining table with high-backed chairs.

A small, rectangular chart table butted up next to the dining table and held at least a dozen charts in the holder on its side.

Cap’n Toby set me on a long, curved, wooden perch.

It was in a good spot next to the desk, close enough so that I could see what the captain would be working on.

He lit the four glass lanterns in their brass brackets on the wall and the glass oil lamp on the table, making the room warm and cozy.

I gave the thick wooden perch a test and walked back and forth for a bit and then pecked at the wood. I tasted it with my tongue. It was hard, smooth, and the flavor reminded me of walnut oil. It would do. Then I went over to my water and food bowls; they were both nice and shiny. Clean. I like that. I had always been a clean, tidy girl; it was a trait that came with me when I was turned into a parrot.

“Well, Asia, my girl. What do you think about your new quarters?” asked Cap’n Toby, as he pulled off his navy blue dress jacket and hung it off a hook by the foot of his bed.

I admit that I enjoyed looking at the way his shirt fit smoothly over his broad shoulders and muscled chest, and how his pants hugged his narrow hips. His dark grey eyes flashed in the soft light of the cabin.

He glanced at me and there seemed to be humor behind his gaze. His smile made me happy, and I felt warm and safe. Something I haven’t felt in a very long time.

There was something special about him. I didn’t know him well, but I could sense that he was a kind, fair man, and an honorable one.

He was the kind of man that I could fall in love with. But while I was in the form of a bird, having a life and love as a human was all just a hopeless dream.

A curse had been placed on me a century ago and I had been trying to break it ever since.

I had been a simple, fun-loving girl who had a pirate for a father, Cap’n Johnny Blood. I loved the open sea. I had learned about navigation, reading charts (something I loved to do), rigging a ship, and wielding a cutlass, like any pirate would. The same way a girl landlubber would learn to cook, clean, and sew. Then I grew into a teenager and I discovered boys, and when I got older, men.

One day when the crew and I were on shore leave, I spied a very handsome man at the Captain’s Parrot, a pub we used to frequent. We had been in port for a while longer than usual, and Handsome and I got to know each other very well—too well.

Unfortunately, I was just having some fun, and he took the relationship seriously. Perhaps I did say maybe, or even yes, when he asked if I’d like to spend my life with him. But I was preoccupied at the time—he had just given me a lovely gold bracelet and my mind was focused on the delightful way he was kissing me.

A week later, when it was time to pull up anchor, I heard someone yell my name. I looked down over the side of the ship, and there stood Handsome and his mother. My heart started beating hard against my chest and my stomach did a quick flip.

They demanded to see me. Cap’n Blood, or dear Dad, said I had to talk to them. I took my time and strolled down the gangway to meet them. It turned out that Handsome’s mother was a witch, and because I had dishonored their family—apparently everyone showed up at the church except me; I had kind of laughed at them and refused to marry him—she put a curse on me.

The air shimmered around me and a strange mist enveloped me.

My skin disappeared replaced by feathers. My arms and fingers dissolved into wings, my legs shortened and my toes became talons. My clothes disappeared beneath a carpet of bright red plumage. I had become the color of flame, a bird—a scarlet Macaw.

The curse was that I would stay in this form until someone loved me so much that he would be willing to face death for me.

After she cursed me she turned my father into a stone statue. I looked around for help but there wasn’t any—my ship was already sailing away without me. Icy fingers gripped my heart and squeezed it hard as I watched the statue tumble over and shatter. Then the witch picked me up, snickering as she walked away with me tucked under her arm.

As she and her son strode down the docks, she quickly handed me to the captain of a cargo ship that was shoving off and leaving port. “Keep the bird close to you—she’s very special and good luck.” Those were the last words I heard from her. But the witch and her son, and their laughter, still haunt my mind when I think of that day.

I discovered that the witch was right about one thing: I am good luck to the ship I’m on.

Another thing: I can speak quite a number of words, but I can’t tell anyone about my curse. When I try, my throat closes up and the words won’t come out.

And now I was here on board the Black Arrow with a new captain, Cap’n Toby King, the latest in a long line of captains I’ve belonged to.

Cap’n Toby looked at me and started to gently scratch the side of my neck. “Yes, I am very pleased you’re coming with me on this voyage. I have a little secret to tell you. This is a pirate ship.”

My head bobbed up and down in agreement. I knew this was a pirate ship, but sometimes in a new relationship, captains state the obvious. I was happy to be on a pirate ship again. Over the years, I have spent time on shore, on large wooden cargo ships, and once on a posh passenger ship.

I took a liking to Toby; he was the stereotypical tall, dark, and handsome pirate.

He was confident, a good head taller than the average man, and stood with his back straight, his head held high. His dark hair was wavy and he wore it long, pulled back from a broad forehead and tied at the nape of his neck. He had a patrician nose over a generous mouth.

He was a fine physical specimen of a man and I knew that he would father fine-looking children.

As a Macaw parrot I have a very long expected lifespan—Macaws usually live about one hundred years—but it seemed the curse had even extended that. I hadn’t aged. I didn’t even have any grey in my plumage (that I could see), and I still had strong nesting instincts.

“I knew you and I would get along famously. I heard about the Scarlet Curse, but what I was interested in was that you always brought ships good luck. So when I saw you, I made sure I would have you,” he said as he walked to the desk. He laughed and pulled an ace of hearts from under the long, dark-red sleeve of his shirt and flipped it onto his desk.

I took a good look around the room. I was starting to get hungry and a little thirsty. Maybe now was a good time to start Toby’s training? We would need to learn to communicate with each other, and he would need to find out how to properly care for a Macaw, namely me. I walked up to my water cup and tapped on it, then did the same with the food cup.

I looked at him and waited. This would be the real test to see if he could pick up on my non-verbal cues. If he could, it would mean that we were in sync and it would be easier to work together.

“Oh, Asia, my beautiful pet, you must be hungry and thirsty. Wait a moment,” he said and opened the door.

“Holt. Holt! Jangles, do you see Holt? Good, get him here now.” He came back and closed the door. He then walked to the chart table, pulled out a chart, laid it on the table, and stood studying it.

A few moments later there was a soft knock on the door. Toby strode across the wooden floor and opened it. A young boy about eight or nine years old stood outside.

He was a cutie, with round cheeks, bright blue eyes, and a mop of curly blond hair that needed to be cut or tied back.

“Mr. Holt, is it?” Toby asked in a commanding voice. He stood ramrod straight, towering over the youngster.

The young boy must be nervous; he kept nodding then, clenching and unclenching his fists. The ruddy color on his cheeks got brighter until even his nose glowed.

“Yes-s-s, sir. That’s me, s-s-sir.”

“Good, good. You came quickly. I like that in my men.” Toby’s posture relaxed; he suddenly didn’t look quite as forbidding as he had a few seconds ago.

“You can address me as Cap’n Toby. I have a question for you." He nodded at me. "What do you think of Asia, here?”

Holt looked at me for the first time. His eye grew wide and he smiled.

“Cap’n, she shore is a beauty.” He slowly approached me.

Holt lifted a dirty little forefinger and pointed it at me.

“Why don’t you get washed up and bring some fresh water for her?” The captain walked over and picked up the water dish, handing it to Holt.

“Oh, yes sir, of course. I’ll be right back.” He ran for the door, flung it open, and was gone.

He was back in less than a minute. “Sorry sir, I forgot to close the door. We can’t have her fly away. It won’t happen again.”

“Holt, her wings are clipped so she can’t fly, but I’m not sure if it’s permanent or not, so it’s a good habit to close the door.”

Holt nodded and turned to leave, this time closing the door softly after himself. Cap’n Toby walked back to the charts and continued studying them.

A short time later there was a heavy thumping on the door.

“Yes?”

Jangles, a tall, bald man entered. He had heavy gold hoop earrings, broad shoulders, and tattoos covering his bare arms and chest. “Cap’n, its high tide. We’re ready to sail on your orders, sir.”

Jangles walked to the chart table and stood next to the captain as he looked at the chart on it. Holt quickly entered the room.

“Oh, there you are, Holt. Cookie is looking for you. He has a whole barrel of potatoes for you to peel,” Jangles said as he looked at Holt and then at the captain.

The captain turned, closed the door. He watched Holt and Jangles, then turned toward me as Holt came up to me, carefully looking me over. I wondered if Holt was going to be able to care for me, or would he end up peeling potatoes?

“Hello, pretty bird. My name is Holt. You're Asia, yes?”