The one who was washing the deck is the youngest on board, only barely fully grown. He's what later ages might call a cabin boy, gets all the jobs none of the other experienced sailors want.

One of the other sailors, older, his energy darker, looms too close to the young man as he scrubs, deliberately invading his personal space. "Not what you were expecting when you signed on to pay off your old man's debts, eh? Better get used to blood, boy, there will be more of it before we're done with this trip, can feel it in my water."