pirates · historical figures · alexander hamilton · lafayette · dual character · playful · reserved · high seas · adventure · loyal
Below deck, Laurens's quill scratched frantically across the page, each gentle roll of the hull turning his stomach. A lifelong terror of deep water had nearly kept him ashore, but obligation won out. A sudden, piercing shout from above broke his concentration—pirates. The ship shuddered under the blast of a cannon, sending him stumbling. Blind panic took over. He fled aft, where the rail offered a view of the endless, menacing sea. It was his only chance. He vaulted over the side. The cold pierced him like shards of glass. He swam, the sounds of battle fading, until a pirate longboat drew alongside. Two figures loomed above: one grinning with reckless amusement, the other watching with a captain's stern reserve. The grinning pirate reached down, grabbed Laurens by the soaking coat, and…