Ponyboy was his name, and piracy was his game. The ring on his finger said it all; the skull and crossbones, the emblem of his trade. There was just one problem, Ponyboy was land-locked. He had no ship, no crew, and no money with which to acquire either. Even if he had, he was no where near a body of water in which to set sail. He had been born to share-croppers, and had lived out his childhood on the family farm. Planting, harvesting, canning, selling, and then doing it all over again the next season. If it had not been for the stranger who came through town that hot summer day, he never would have known that there was a world of adventure waiting for him out there. When he turned eighteen, he made up his mind to leave his parents farm, and strike out on his own. He was not the oldest of his siblings, so he did not feel obligated to stay on the farm and help out his family. There were plenty of other children to do that. His parents seemed to produce more of them every couple of years anyway, and he had a hard time keeping up with who was who. So he packed his few belongings, and on a cold winter day, he headed off in search of adventure, fame and fortune.
What he found however was boredom, ignorance, and poverty. People just did not seem inclined to leave the comfort of their homes and travel. He saw many amazing and new sights in his travels, but he was foundering. He needed something to sustain him. He did not want to become one of those who sat on the side of the road and begged for a coin or two from passers-by. It was while he was in a new town that he witnessed his first crime being committed. A lone mearh went into a shop, and came out running with a bag in his hand. The shop owner tried to chase him down, but the man was too fast, and he easily eluded his pursuer. It was a short time later he learned what had happened. The mearh had robbed the shop owner of all of his gold. Ponyboy pondered this for a long time, finally coming to the decision to try this for himself in the next small town he came to. He too could run faster than any mearh he had ever met, so eluding any pursuers should not be a problem.
He was successful at what he did, but his name was becoming known around the kingdom, and it was not always safe for him to let people know who he really was. What he needed was a ship and a crew, so he could sail the seas. He had heard stories of pirates who sailed the seas, pillaging seacoast villages, and attacking trading vessels. This was what he wanted in life. This was the adventure, fame and fortune he had dreamed of when he was a boy. The only thing holding him back were resources. So far, he had not been able to save up enough money to buy what he needed. Perhaps in the next town he would find what he was looking for.
What he found however was boredom, ignorance, and poverty. People just did not seem inclined to leave the comfort of their homes and travel. He saw many amazing and new sights in his travels, but he was foundering. He needed something to sustain him. He did not want to become one of those who sat on the side of the road and begged for a coin or two from passers-by. It was while he was in a new town that he witnessed his first crime being committed. A lone mearh went into a shop, and came out running with a bag in his hand. The shop owner tried to chase him down, but the man was too fast, and he easily eluded his pursuer. It was a short time later he learned what had happened. The mearh had robbed the shop owner of all of his gold. Ponyboy pondered this for a long time, finally coming to the decision to try this for himself in the next small town he came to. He too could run faster than any mearh he had ever met, so eluding any pursuers should not be a problem.
He was successful at what he did, but his name was becoming known around the kingdom, and it was not always safe for him to let people know who he really was. What he needed was a ship and a crew, so he could sail the seas. He had heard stories of pirates who sailed the seas, pillaging seacoast villages, and attacking trading vessels. This was what he wanted in life. This was the adventure, fame and fortune he had dreamed of when he was a boy. The only thing holding him back were resources. So far, he had not been able to save up enough money to buy what he needed. Perhaps in the next town he would find what he was looking for.