[i]“To be a child again…”[/i] the captain’s words rang in her ear and soured her stomach. To be a child, to be a silly thing full of dreams and no substance. To be foolish and coddled and stupid. To be weak. No thank you. Better to be as she was now, a woman who was making herself, protecting herself and controlling her reality. Scarred and battered but aware and realistic. Better that than the innocence of childhood that kept one unprepared for when it was over. Unless one was very lucky. She flicked her eyes towards where the smiling helmsman and his big-eyed companion had gone and shivered, hoping as she always did when dealing with children that his transition would be a gentle one. 

The Captain didn’t linger on the subject and for that she was grateful. This evening had been long and full of unpleasantness and even the unexpected fun of the game had been tainted by her Captain’s displeasure. Displeasure that made her want to shift in her chair and flee though she remained still and faced him like she wasn’t quavering inside. 

She had been trained among traditionally trained naval vessels and though the different nations had different tactics it was hard to say which was more effective in the long run. She suspected that in this case the Spanish sailors who were part of the convoy with the treasure would be some of the best the Spanish crown had to offer. But what did that mean in this case? They might be well trained but even the best trained man would be off his game if he was starving or parched for lack of water. If their crew had been shrunk by loss in the storm even better. Holes in the ranks could be to their favor. Sometimes such regimented training as the Navies tended to favor made for soldiers who did not think on their feet and their formations would suffer if their officers did not fill them. Officers drawn from the same ranks as those obedient soldiers. It was too hard to say. 

But one thing she did know was that the crew of the Skate was skilled to a man. Each on worth having at one’s side even if they were often not disciplined. They were getting there with her best efforts in that regard. But also, almost to a man they were good at innovating, at reacting to the situation as it was, not as they had been trained. That meant a significant advantage in the right situation and this captain was very good at getting them into the right situation. 

Also worth considering was the Helmsman’s assertion that the Skate was fast and could be there and back before anyone was the wiser. This was true and maneuverability was also key for the Skate’s success. They sailed light, not over gunned and that allowed them to avoid cannon fire and get into place to deliver effective shots rather than a barrage of them. Which meant that more goods survived the sally, which meant more profit. 

But there was always something to be gained from discipline, from training, she believed this with everything in her. It is why she worked herself so hard, why she read and trained her mind. There was always something to learn, always some way to improve. 

“The men could always be sharper at their work, Sir.” She replied, her honeyed voice cast low and tight with unease at the Captain’s attention though she stubbornly kept her chin up as she answered honestly but succinctly. “But that does not mean they have been slacking. They do their work, they listen well enough and I think they are up to this task. They have more at stake than any paid crew. Their livelihoods depend on it after all, which seems to always motivate a man more fervently than even their lives being at stake.”