"You are a very lucky boy to escape your punishment like that, make sure not to make your saviour regret this day!" A plump, dark-skinned woman separating herself from the crowd scolded the boy in fast-spoken arabic, her loud voice attracting more curious looks to the small group.

"Zehra, I'm thrilled to see you again, it's been a long time... but you did not change one bit!" Barbarossa smiled at her, as he let her pull him down to kiss him on both cheeks. "You are not here alone, are you?" He added, straightening up and pointing at the baskets hanging on her arms.

"No," she said, nodding towards several sailors pulling wooden boxes filled with food towards Restless Soul anchored nearby.

"Then let them take Jack's chests too... hey, you, take these on board as well, will you?" Barbarossa addressed the nearest one, his voice and manners leaving no place for questions or arguments.

After a quick glance at Zehra, the sailor departed with Annie's two sea-chests, even as Barbarossa handed a few coins to the man who had been in charge of her luggage until then, thus dismissing him.

"Oh, this must be our new sailing master, then. I'm Zehra, the cook." The woman said, smiling at Annie amicably.

Annie smiled back as she observed the curious, loud being standing in front of her. This Zehra spoke in fluent Arabic like any other Antalya's woman she knew, but her skin was too dark for someone who was born in this part of the word. Her clothes were confusing too-- instead of the long, flowing robes and a veil which all the other women wore here, she was dressed in a long, brown, european looking gown.

"Not just the cook, this beauty is your boatswain's wife. Jos Davey at your service." Said a man appearing behind Zehra suddenly, disturbing Annie's reverie.

"Jack Morgan. Nice to meet you both," she smiled at the couple.

"And I was just wondering where you were, you never leave your girl out of your sight for too long." Barbarossa laughed.

Annie listened to their friendly banter quietly, amused and impressed by how easily the three switched between English and Arabic, until the man who had been chasing after the boy whose hand she was now holding tight in hers, plucked up his courage to approach them again.

"Effendi, the thief..." he said, looking between Barbarossa and Jos.

But it was Zehra who replied, interrupting him mid-sentence, "...is just a small boy. We will take care of him, you may leave now."

The man, shocked by being spoken to in such a tone by a woman, looked back at the two sailors, but as they simply nodded without uttering a word to contradict Zehra's decision, he bowed deeply and vanished among the crowd.

"Do you have a family here, anyone who is waiting for you to come home?" Annie asked the boy.

"Are you mute?" Zehra prompted him as he just stared at all of them in silence. "What is your name?"

"Ahmet," he told Zehra, then added softly, looking at Annie. "I have no one."

"Would you like to come on a ship with me then, Ahmet?" She demanded, having to remind herself to use the deeper, fake-male voice. Her heart, like her voice, was breaking at the sight of this poor, scared, little creature, standing here bravely despite being surrounded by complete strangers.

"I would, effendi."

"All right. I'm sure that we will find something for you to do on board." Annie smiled.

"And I'm sure that you are hungry," Zehra added, passing Ahmet a large piece of flatbread.

He sank his teeth in it the moment he thanked her, but when she passed one of her baskets to Jos and offered Ahmet her hand, he shook his head, clinging closer to Annie.

Zehra shrugged as they started to walk towards the anchored vessels, followed by Barbarossa and Jos, lost in conversation about the galleon and its crew.

"How did you and Jos meet and how does a woman end up being a cook on a ship?" Annie asked, unable to contain her curiosity as she watched the ships bobbing on the restless waves as the wind blew loudly around their masts whistling through their riggings.

"By falling in love with a sailor, Jack." Zehra laughed heartily. "You seem too young to know anything about love but wait, sooner or later it will make you do the strangest things... I met Jos right here, in this very harbour, years ago..."

*I do not own the pictures.