Salt in the warm, humid noon air brought a bitter but delicious taste to everyone's lips. The sky was clear; not a cloud to be seen, allowing the heat of the sun to bake the roads. A cheerful aura filled the air, and chatter was constant. For the largest boat on the harbor had been finished a week ago, and it was almost ready to set sail. In an hour, the Black Rose would be seeking for gold across the ocean.

A young rat by the name of Rocco crawled carefully under the feet of merchants trying to convince the ship's crew to buy their merchandise. Of course, they often dropped food, or supplies, or trinkets and toys of every kind. Rocco scavenged on grain and bread, then onto more permanent belongings such as a leather bag for a doll and a silver earring. Rocco studied the ring quizzically, not sure how to put it on. He slipped it into his bag and promised himself to look at it later. He stuffed a few handfuls of grain into his pouch, then stealthily ran off to the boat. He was to be a stow away, running from home to become a pirate sailing the seven seas.

He ran along the harbor, muttering each of the ship names he had memorized. "Sweet Gloria, Scarlet Eliza, Ocean Blossom, Black Rose. Aha!"

Before anyone could stomp on him, Rocco ran up the long plank. The main deck of the boat was easily twenty feet above the water, and the towering mast must have been fifty or larger. A large red sail with a black rose on it whipped at the slightest breeze.

Once on deck, Rocco stopped to catch his breath behind a nearby barrel. He listened to each of the people boarding the Black Rose. Most were men, but a young boy or a woman would arrive occasionally. "¡Ah, ella es una belleza!" One woman cried in awe.

Rocco watched for nearly an hour as passengers and crew members come on. After a while he got bored of the repetitious sight of feet and scrambled onto a short crate. From there, he could see most of the deck. People were adjusting ropes, going up and down stairs, and checking things.

Rocco made a bold leap for a nearby barrel, scarcely missing it. He clawed his way up, then sat on the barrel. From there, He could see the ocean. Each wave moved softly across the field of blue, like thick bold brush strokes on a painting. The sun reflected on the water, glittering like a diamonds. "If they could see me now!" He muttered.

A tall man in a long black cloak and beard, a red hat, and a parrot on his shoulder came out of the cabin, followed by a young woman. He called out to the crew in a thick, deep voice. "¡Dibujar la tabla, muchachos! Es el momento de zarpar para la tierra de oro!"

It was time to set sail! The plank was drawn up, and the sails were unfurled. Cheers from all around roared, excited for the ship to leave for gold.

The sails blew up with a great gust of wind, and the boat was off. From where Rocco stood, the men and women on the shore looked like waving ants. In a few minutes, they were no bigger than a termite. Spain was behind them, and the new world was before them, ready to be explored.

As Rocco watched the shore become fainter and fainter, a pang of guilt stirred on his stomach. He had left his family without telling any of them. Were they worried about him? If not now, definitely in a few days. He often ran off, but always returned. This time, however, would they always wonder where he had gone?

He stated at the horizon till all he could see was blue in every direction. Sure, a fish would jump every now end then, but it was as empty as a ghost town. He had never before seen so much emptiness. In a large family and busy town, there was always something right next to him. But all there was now was endless blue.

After a while, he got bored and decided to explore a bit. The cabin looked promising. With a bold leap, he landed on one paw more than the others, but it was okay. He stayed close to the sides of the boat by the crates and piles of ropes, nets and odds and ends to stay away from stomping feet. The wood planks under paw were polished with a burgundy brown to perfection. The cabin's door had a gold handle and a steering wheel nailed to the door. Rocco snuck in right as someone walked out carrying a big bag of something.

The darkness was very different from the bright sunlight. Rocco blinked his eyes a few times to adjust them. A set of stairs led into the cabin, where he could hear laughter and chatter coming from some men. Lamps swinging in the current cast dancing lights across the floor.

Rocco slunk down the steps, admiring the sturdy polished wood. The floor of the cabin was a shade of gold instead of burgundy. Port windows lined the wall, but Rocco could only see a sliver of sky from where he stood. In the middle of the room was a long, delicate table with chairs around it. The chair at the head of the table was made from red velvet. A decorative Asian rug hugged the carpet. Men sat around the table, talking and laughing with a bottle of rum in their meaty hands. The back of the main chair was shown to Rocco, so he couldn't see who was sitting in it. From the arm draped in the black cloak and the bottle in his hand, Rocco guessed it was the captain.

The colorful parrot he had seen earlier peeked his head out from the side of the chair and turned around to get a good look at Rocco. "I may be no hawk, but I have the eyes of one." He squawked.

Rocco ignored the bird and scurried across the cabin to a less fancy door. Another man came through, and he snuck in. The next room wasn't nearly as lavish as the last. Hammocks hooked to the ceiling swayed slightly. A few men had decided to rest, or play cards during their free time. It was much quieter in there, but the loud snoring didn't help.

Rocco left the room as the man who had just left came back in. There was nothing else in the cabin, so he decided to leave. The rest of the ship was pretty much the same; burgundy wood and piles of stuff by the sides. He watched the water for a while as the sun went down slowly. Nothing interesting happened.

He had imagined being a stow away would be a lot more exciting. It was only the first day, and he was already bored. With nothing else to do, Rocco fell asleep behind a barrel in the shade.

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

It was night time when Rocco was awaken suddenly by a pain in his tail. He was lifted upside down and dangling, face to face with a scarred orange tom cat. The tom grinned, showing un-even long fangs. When the cat laughed, a smell of rotting fish overwhelmed him.

Rocco squeaked and jumped from the cat's claws. He ran off as soon as he landed on the deck, but he ran into a set of paws with claws outstretched. The claws clamped on his side, and they lifted him up. He squirmed uselessly, trying to get free. The paws belonged to a silver tabby she cat with striking green eyes. She had a diamond earring that glittered in the moonlight. "You can't fight a hungry cat; all you can do is hold still so they can kill you faster." She purred.

"So what are you waiting for Trinket? Kill it!" An older tom hissed.

"I just want to play with it for a little; there's no fun in just killing it. So, do you have a name?" She asked.

Rocco squealed like a pig as she dangled him by his tail. Her white fangs gleamed silver in the light.

"Well?" She asked again, "It's impolite to ignore someone if they asked you a question."

"R-Rocco," He quivered. "Please put me down, 'mam."

She laughed, then flung him to the middle of the three cats. He landed on his side with a thud. The third cat was an old, black and white tom with a scarred eye that wandered with confusion. The cat snarled, then lunged for Rocco's neck. Before he could even squeak, the she cat pulled him back.

"Ah ah ah," She clucked, picking him up by his neck, "if anyone's gonna kill 'em, it's gonna be me!"

She tossed him in the air, spinning like a top and screeching like a witch. The cats laughed as he hit a barrel. Pain flared in his ribs, then his rump as he hit the deck. A numb pain racked his side, which probably meant he was bleeding.

The orange cat jumped first, laughing with joy. He missed Rocco narrowly, and he skittered away as fast as possible. The other cats followed, calling out to him. "Come back! We're not done yet!"

He ran up a set of stairs, then crawled around the feet of a man who was steering the ship. The man jumped with alarm. Rocco could hear the cats clawing around him and the man cursing them. He jumped down the stairs, then ran for a hole in a plank of wood. The white cat had jumped from the railing, soaring for the little rat.

"I think this shall be my last feat of-"

She was cut off by a big white thing leaping from the ground for her. The white thing was a big, fluffy dog with shaggy fur.

The she cat was knocked away. She landed on the ground with a thud. Rocco stopped in his tracks and looked around. The dog barked. "This is the last time! First with Dondigo, then Rita, and now this filthy rat. Don't eat stowaways till I say you can!"

The she cat hissed. "He's just a filthy rat. Do you know how fast they multiply? Best to get rid of him as soon as possible."

"Give him a chance, or this is your last chance. Next time I'll throw you off the plank myself." The dog barked.

The cat hissed. "Come on, boys. Let's go find a cockroach to eat."

The other cats jumped from the railing, then they all left to the cabin with a sneer.

The dog huffed. "Sorry about that. They enjoy eating animals that shouldn't be here."

"I can explain!" Rocco squeaked, holding up his paws defensively.

The dog stepped closer to him. "There's nothing to explain. You have obviously stowed away to enjoy the sea, right? Maybe some adventure?"

Rocco nodded.

He smiled. "I like a good voyager. But I hate a terrible liar, and scoundrels. Luckily, I don't think you're either. I'll let you stay for now, but as soon as you do something drastic, or decide the life of a pirate isn't fun, I'll throw half of 'ya to the fish and the other half to the cats. Understand?"

Rocco nodded.

The dog started to walk away. "Good. And by the way, the name's Gunter. I'm the boss 'round here, even if Nestor doesn't agree with it."

He walked into the cabin, leaving Rocco alone in the moonlight.