2/12/19 The current view outside my window looks like one of my black and with drawings. Der Ausblick aus meinem Fester sieht momentan aus wie eine meiner schwarz-weissen Zeichnungen. #hihi #ferden #snow #taldertäler #lötschental #nofilter (hier: Ferden, Switzerland) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5kNjB0lqgg/?igshid=1ceu7402c53zs
Monroe had been a part of Renwick’s crew longer than he would have liked. Had he known back then what he knows now he would have told the man to sod off. The only reason why he stayed was because everyone knew the captain was slowly going bat shit insane. Monroe stayed because he was one of the only remaining crew members of the previous crew and knew how to deal with Renwick. He earned his way to being named first mate and had some pull giving orders, he could contradict what Renwick tells them. Having been there longer than most of them, some of the other crew members would look to Monroe after Renwick gave them an absurd order. Monroe would just shake his head no, letting them know they didn’t really need to do half the things that the captain told them. Most of what Renwick said was nonsense anyway. Monroe remembered when there was a time when Renwick was still moderately sane, as hard as it was to believe but there was a time when Renwick had most of his marbles.
Monroe recalled the day when Renwick docked in his little town in Scotland. The weather was fairly sunny for the most part, Monroe was looking for work to help his struggling family. Renwick’s ship docked just a little before noon that day, they were making a supply stop while Renwick decided to use the time to recruit new members for his crew. Renwick stood in the middle of the small town and made his announcement, talking up the life of pirate hunting. Not very many people seemed interested and as far as he knew Monroe was the only one who took Renwick up on his offer.
“Perfect.” Renwick had said with a pleased smile. “What’s your name son?”
“Monroe, Caiden Monroe sir.”
“A pleasure to meet you Monroe, I’m Captain Duke Renwick. How old are you Monroe?’
“Seventeen.” Monroe answers him honestly. “I turn eighteen at the end of spring.”
“That shouldn’t be too much trouble.” Renwick says. “Welcome aboard the crew Monroe.”
And that was that, Monroe packed what he needed, said goodbye to his family promising to send them more than half of what he made and left all in the same day. That was nearly twenty years ago now. He watched so many sailors come and go throughout the years, all falling for how Renwick talked about the life they got to live, even going so far as to pulling Monroe into it using him as an example. It was fun at first, but as the years went on Monroe started forcing on a smile and doing his best to keep any negative comments about working for Renwick to himself.
New recruits figured out for themselves eventually that there was something off about the captain, whether it was an unusual order or the way some of the veteran crew talked about him. As soon as the opportunity presented itself, crew members would leave the ship and never come back. Some stayed and stuck it out until they couldn’t take it anymore. Some of them couldn’t believe Renwick was having them go after a teenager of a pirate, a child that could be reasoned with and change the mind of living the pirate life. At least that’s how old Eliza was when Monroe met her, and Monroe himself was no older than her.
Canons from both ships were firing at one another, Renwick’s men were boarding the Bella Luna, swords drawn and guns raised as the opposing sides fought one another. When Monroe met her he thought she was just part of the crew, he had no idea this was who Renwick was talking about when referring to her. He only ever said Captain Carter, he never said anything about the captain being a little girl. Monroe was surprised when she told him she was the captain.
“I am captain of this ship, I will not abandon my crew!”
“Wait, you’re the captain?” Monroe looked at her confused. “You’re Captain Carter that Renwick is determined to see executed?”
“I am, have you never met a woman in charge before?”
“How old are you?” He blocks one of her strikes.
“Sixteen, how about you? Since we seem to be getting to know each other.”
“Nineteen, not that much older.”
“So then you still have a chance to get off his ship.”
“What do you mean? There’s nothing wrong with Captain Renwick or the crew.”
Lizzy laughs at his attempt to defend the captain. “That man is sick in the head, he’s been chasing this crew ever since I was a small lass. He is obsessed with stopping the Bella Luna and my crew. You need to leave his ship while you still have a chance and before he slips further into madness.
“I can’t leave that’s desertion, they’ll have my head for that.”
“So then join me, at least that way you’ll have a better chance of staying alive. Renwick kills and murders just like I do, but I am merciful he is not. He kills those brave enough to question his sanity, and when you start to do the same I can promise you won’t live long enough to see the day you become thirty.”
“You do that too, what makes Renwick no better?”
“Because he is a man who obsessed, obsession consumes and takes over. I’m just a pirate, that’s what we do, we are violent by nature.”
“Monroe!” Renwick somehow makes himself loud enough to be heard through the madness and chaos. “Stop talking to Captain Carter and finish it already!”
Monroe went to follow through with orders but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Now that he knew who Lizzy was and that she was the captain, he couldn’t find it in himself to do anything. Lizzy was the same age as his youngest sister, she was just a kid who became captain at such a young age, he couldn’t take out a little girl.
Lizzy noticed Monroe’s hesitation and saw it as an opportunity, kicking him in the stomach she sends him back a few feet and Monroe found himself on the ground with the wind knocked out of him. Monroe laid there on the ground for a little while to get his breath back, for a sixteen year old Lizzy had quite the fight in her. After that most things moved quickly, Monroe found himself being hefted to his feet as someone calls a retreat and the pirate hunters are running back for their ship.
“Leave while you can or you’ll live to regret it Monroe!” Lizzy calls as he’s taken back to his ship.
Years later those last few words haunt Monroe, you’ll live to regret it. Monroe did regret not taking her up on her offer, not heeding what she said about his captain going mad with obsession. But he couldn’t leave now, he stayed because Renwick wouldn’t have a crew. Everyone questioned his sanity and stability, but they didn’t voice their concerns when Renwick was around they watched a man get shoved over board for doing that. Now most of them knew better and instead voiced their concerns below deck while Renwick stayed in his own quarters at night.
“The captain is insane.” One of them voices.
“I know.” Monroe says. “But there’s not much we can do about it except do our best to go along with him.”
“He’s going to get us all killed.” Another puts in.
“Don’t think like that.” Monroe looks at him disapprovingly. “With a mindset like that you won’t get out of anything alive.”
“Monroe you’ve worked for him the longest, why do you stay? Why don’t you just leave?” Someone asks, they were all wondering why Monroe stuck around while someone left every other month.
“Because I knew him before he started losing it, I know how to deal with Renwick and if I didn’t who’s to say you all wouldn’t be dead already? I’m still here because though Renwick is slowly going insane in a way I know how to keep him at least a little bit connected with reality.”
“You all have Monroe to thank for that.” Ferden says, he was standing off to the side of the room, leaning up against the wall of the ship.
“If I remember correctly I warned you about the captain after signing your name away to the crew.” Monroe muses, meeting Ferden was an interesting day.
“È la vita.” Ferden shrugs. “I don’t regret it, it was a little too boring back home.”
Monroe smiles and laughs a little at that, he may have regretted not heeding Lizzy’s warning about getting off as soon as he could, but despite the crazy captain Monroe did find it an interesting job to have. There really never was a boring day while out at sea, he had at least something interesting to write home about.
Diese Meisterwerk eines Videos muss einfach geteilt werden. Die Ferdner mit den grossen Hüten hatten mal wieder eine tolle Idee: Unser Jugendverein organisiert am 15. Sept. das Quiiitschkommoden-Festival. Ausserdem ist Tag der offene Tür im Schulhaus Ferden inklusive Miniausstellung von mir (aber leider ohne mich in persona). Wer dachte, das Schulhaus stehe leer, wird sich wundern, wie vielfältig die Räume genutzt werden. Schaut vorbei! Grüsse aus Berlin! #ferden #dieferdnermitdengrossenhüten #malwasanderes #kommvorbei #seidabei #schweizermusik #quiiitschkommodenfestival #jugendverein #diejugendvonheute #geileidee #ihrverrückten (hier: Ferden / Lötschental) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnsuTSynU7a/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=10dt3nnsq0wkt
