They had weighed anchor only this morning at dawn, with the tide. They had wanted it to happen yesterday, but the wind didn't co-operate. Today, it did. It was blowing nicely into their sails, pushing them farther and farther from Venice. They were already in the open seas by now. The skilled navigators had nothing to complain. What about their new apprentices, though?

Since Fernand would go on the afternoon watch in the rigging, now he had time to spend with Paolo and Faxio. Yesterday he had spent some time with them too, while in port, getting them accustomed with the names of things onboard, to recognize a further order. Jean-Pierre and Stephane was the one who familiarized them with a ship boy's tasks. But today was their first day at sea.

"How are you feeling?" he asked them. "Have you got accustomed with the rolling of the ship under your feet?"

He remembered when he had went to sea first. But it was not comparable, since he was already accustomed by then with the jobs aboard a fishing boat. For them it was different, as today was their baptism of the sea.

@Swashbuckler

The two boys seemed to have natural sea feet as they got acustomed to the moving ship quite easyly. For sure, both of the boys did threw up a few times at start but this pace passed easily. Faxio remained sick a bit longer than Paolo, but today he was feeling fine.

The ship seemed roomy enough, but especially Faxio had been a bit surprised as the ship looked so different from a distance than this close.

When the boys were asked how they felt about the rolling of the ship, Paolo spoke for both of them, "We have now! We feel great!" He looked at his little brother for confirmation and Faxio nodded accordingly.

Paolo asked then from Fernand, "What's next?" This was a general question that meant that the boys just wanted to get hold of the maritime routine.

Paolo glanced at the sails and ropes swinging gently in the wind. Even after all, he could barely believe that he was really here, at sea.

Fernand smiled kindly hearing that they declared they felt great.

"The sea is asking for a little tribute from the land people going sailing for the first time," he explained, taking Faxio in his arms with an uncle (or maybe a father's) love, giving the little one the opportunity to see the sea around the ship up to the horizon, as normally he wasn't tall enough to see much past the rails. "It just takes time for the stomachs to settle and get accustomed to the rolling. If you feel sick again, go to Margareta, to the galley, as she has a stock of candied ginger exactly meant to take nausea away."

It was usually ouzo doing this trick to those first time aboard a ship, and they had a smaller keg in the hold, loaded in Kefallonia, but these were children, so alternative remedies had to be taken into account. Candied ginger was the best, but licorice and anise candy were also things his wife had thought about. Fortunately, for her the adaptation to the life at sea had been smoother, since she had first to lay in bed for a few weeks, only later being allowed to be carried to the deck to take fresh air when the weather permitted. So the body had got accustomed to the rolling gradually, and when she was able to walk around, the broken bones mended, she didn't feel seasick.

Fernand let Faxio down after having shown him seagulls and a playful dolphin in the distance. Paolo, taller, could see them without being up in a sailor's arms.

"We'll see more dolphins and less seagulls as we are getting farther away from shore," he told them.

At Paolo's question what was next, he replied promptly:

"For a start... let's see if you remember how things are called here around? I am listening to Faxio first, to point to various things he is seeing and tell me their names. Paolo, if he gets any of them wrong and you know better, you are free to help him. Then I am also ready to reply to your further questions."

This was something they would need the most. Knots would also start being taught, but they had tasks in helping Margareta in the galley as well.

@Swashbuckler

Faxio was feeling a bit uncomfortable still, but he would not have needed any medicine. However, candied ginger sounded sweet and tasty. Both boys were feeling a bit hungry, they were growing kids after all. Faxio said to Fernand who kindly helped him to see the ocean better, “Candied ginger sounds good! Can we get them?.... but.... I don’t feel really sick anymore.” Paolo smirked for his brother's question. Anything sweet caught his or his brothers attention. They were kids who had rarely received many treats and were always eager to get some.

Paolo and Faxio liked seeing the dolphins and seagulls. Paolo asked, once Fernand put his brother down, “Why to dolphins follow ships?” He had not only witnessed this now, but he had heard of this from sailors ashore. The question was not meant to be any way philosophical, it was just kid’s curiosity.

Fernand then suggested a little test. The boys had only been taught a bit in the monastery, so they had not been tested often for “homework”. This was friendly fatherly testing, so it did not sound too dull. The boys had wanted to learn everything about ships, they would show this knowledge as well. Of course, sailing lingo had endless amount of terms, but not all of it had to learned at once. Paolo said to his brother who nodded, “Sounds fun. You first.”

Paolo was confident that his brother had learned quite a lot by now and Faxio started to list things around him, pointing at the various ship parts he could see and recall, "Well that is the fore mast and the sail in it is called... Foresail and the upper little sail is topsail. Behind us is the main mast. The side here is called rail and the little triangle sails is called jib.... And these are just cables."

Fernand smiled. He could understand their point of view. He had a father, but it didn't mean he had a happy, rich childhood.

"Yes, I am sure she'll give you each a piece. And I am glad that you don't feel sick anymore."

As Paolo asked about the dolphins, Fernand replied immediately:

"They are just having fun. They are like a bunch of children, not less playful than you. They jump up into the air, to see what's going on aboard the ships, because they are very curious animals. And friendly. Make some noise and you'll see them roll over and look up at you."

The dolphins were clearly playing at the bow, mock-fighting, biting, speeding. They would shoot out of the wave, fall back and sort of get in line to swim back up alongside and do it again, over and over.

"They are also very useful. In storms, they have saved many ships, or, if the ships sunk, the shipwrecked sailors. You must never hurt a dolphin, remember this for when you are older!"

The seamanship lesson went well. Both children helped each other, but they had already learnt a lot. He took two lines and he told them:

"Well done! Now, to learn something new… The first things a sailor should learn is how to handle the lines and how to tie the knots used aboard – or, before being able to replicate them, how to make the difference between secure knots, knots for movement, and knots used to tie lines together. If you are paying attention, you’ll notice that they don’t look the same, exactly how the lines used for controlling the sails, docking, mooring, and anchoring don’t look the same. Knots are needed to control all of the various lines, painters, halyards, and sheets on a ship. The mooring and anchor lines are laid, with the three strands twisted together, while the ones used for sheets and halyards are braided lines, with interwoven strands. You’ll learn how to mend lines together too, but now we are focusing on the knots, usually found at the end of a line. It can secure a line to another object, and then it might be called also a hitch, or two lines together, and then it might also be called a bend,” he explained with a smile.

He held the end of one of the lines in each hand, then he crossed the two lines one over the other, wrapping them into a classical knot for first, then he crossed them one over the other again, and once more to the left, while explaining:

“The reefing knot is the best known sailors' knot, and this is what you will start with. It is really just two overhand knots. It is useful for joining small lines together, tying sail covers, reefing, lashing, and for tying in battens. It is very easy to tie it, as long as you remember one rule: right over left, then left over right. If you don't do this correctly, you have a granny knot, which slips easily and we might lose the sails in a storm.”

Then he gave Paolo the lines, untied again, and told the boy:

“Now you try it!”

@Swashbuckler

The boys both were eager to get some sweets, but now the ship with all its little details and functions was more interesting. They listened to Fernand's every word, very carefully. The man was a nearest thing for a parent right now for them, and it seemed even that that the manly sailor wanted to be a proper father figure too. This was new to them, but also what was needed by them.

The boys, Faxio especially but Paolo as well, nodded attentively when they were told about dolphins. They did not see any sailor's superstitions in his words, but they accepted the man's every word as clear truth. After all, they boys had no reason to be critical towards their experienced mentor who knew what he spoke about. Besides, they were far too young to question any little funny beliefs that even grown ups had. Faxio laughed about the dolphins, "Then we are safe even if we sink!" Paolo smiled, knowing that the dolphin's real helping powers might be little less than his brother thought.

It was Paolo's turn to be tested of seamanship. The knots were many, this Paolo knew already, and they were a vital part of seamanship. This, however, did not make learning them any easier. Fernand was a good instructor, however, and Paolo tried to remember all he was said.

He began to tie his knot, saying to himself, "Right over left, then left over right...Right over left, then left over right..." One could see that he had not made awfully many knots before, but ultimately he could smile and show a rather good reeling knot with pride. Only flaw would be the fact that his little hands could not make it as tight as possible. He had not too much strength in him yet. In any case, he made the knot the correct way. Faxio commented, "Looks just like the one, Fernand did!"

Beppin was ready to cast the log again. He went to the deck, hourglass in hand, approaching the two boys and their mentor. He was quiet for a while, listening to the last names Paolo had used, and to the knot demonstration. He liked what he was hearing. Fernand seemed to be a better teacher than his father was - at least, a calmer one...

"You are good for a beginner, Paolo," Beppin praised him too. "Leave Faxio with Fernand, to practice the knots, and you come with me, to hold the hourglass while I cast the log. And you will have the opportunity to learn how we measure the ship's speed and how we know where we are in the middle of the sea."

The hourglass for measuring 28 seconds couldn't be too heavy for a ten years old boy.

@Swashbuckler

Fernand liked teaching these children. The unloved child he once had been, the one accused for having killed his mother with his birth, had found lots of love in his heart, to give to other children who needed it as much as they needed a father figure (or more, here aboard) in their lives. Fortunately Margareta, the captain and even Fantin and Rino were caring for them too.

He smiled hearing Faxio's conclusion, and he didn't contradict the youngest boy. Better think this than being afraid of the sea.

"You are good," Fernand smiled at Paolo's knot. "Yes, it looks just like the one I did. It isn't as tight as it should, but I think this is a matter of gaining strength and getting accustomed to do it. That you'll learn in time. Now let's see Faxio!"

Right then the captain came, praising also the boy, then asking him to help with the hourglass. Fernand told him simply:

"Take care not to drop that thing from your hands! It's fragile!"

Then he focused on Faxio trying the knot. If the boy needed help or wasn't sure, he showed him, but it meant that he would have to try once again, till he succeeded to do it properly. He didn't care right now how tight it was, just how correctly done. Tightness would come in time. They were just small boys. They had plenty of time to practice and perfect their skills.

@Swashbuckler

Paolo smiled proudly as his work was complimented. Beppin's words encouraged him, and Fernand's little constructive criticism was correct, Paolo knew, and did not ruin any of his good feelings. Faxio looked curiously at the ropes, eager to try them himself, even while felt unsure about his talents with knots.

Paolo might have liked to continue with the ropes, but when he was asked to use the sandglass, he took the job offer eagerly. At first he held it with one hand, but when Fernand reminded him not to drop it, he began holding the glass with both of his hands, "I will be carefull..."

Faxio eagerly took his brother's place with the knots. He asked once he realised that he could not picture the knot in hims mind properly, "So, do I start with this?" He was correctly trying to put the right rope over the left, like instructed previously, but he was just not sure.

In the meanwhile, Paolo asked from Beppin about the logline and his hourglass, "Captain, how can we determine speed with this? This glass measures time?" The question would have been somewhat stupid for any adult with some understanding of mathematics, but to Paolo even these simple things were not fully clear. He was clever enough to understand, of course, he just had not thought of these things before.

Beppin liked the boy's questions. It meant that he was thinking clearly and, once learning, he had potential to become a navigator, and maybe further a ship captain. Not everybody did. Of course, he had still to prove himself in time. Jean-Pierre was proving himself, and it would be nice if both younger boys would follow in his footsteps.

"Yes, the hourglass is measuring time. More exactly, about half a minute. We throw the log over the ship's stern, and it remains roughly in place while the ship moves away. When we throw the log, you turn the hourglass, so the time starts counting, and you say stop when all the sand has passed on the other side. During this time, I am counting the knots on this rope."

It didn't answer fully the boy's question, so he continued with highlighting the role of the knots:

"The length of log-line passing, as showed by the number of knots passed during this half minute, measures the speed of the ship. How many knots we have counted, means as many miles in an hour. Afterwards, I can go to my cabin and look at the map and calculate where we are in the sea. This part you'll understand later, when you'll know how to read and calculate more than the value of a piece of bread."

In the meanwhile, Fernand focused all his attention on Faxio.

"Yes, you start this way. You are doing good. Go on, if something isn't well done, I'll tell you and show you again."

The log reading went well. Paolo was able to follow the captain's instructions. Both kids were promising to become good sailors, in the right time. For now, they had just got the baptism of the sea.
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