Title:
The Sea NymphAuthor:
Rosie RosenSummary:
Margaret Turner is obsessed with pirates. She loves her Uncle George's stories about Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew of miscreants. But that was ten years ago. Now, she couldn't care less about the old sea dog and is more interested in being a lady of high society. What happens when she has to find her Uncle George to save her parents… and is sent in the direction of the pirate village of Tortuga?Chapter:
Chapter One; Uncle GeorgieRating:
PGDisclaimer:
Disney owns Pirates of the Caribbean and all its affiliates. I own Margaret Turner, the Sea Nymph, and the plot. Plagiarists, ye be warned.** * **
The women of the Sea Nymph maneuvered their ship up alongside the Black Pearl. The ocean stirred as cannons were loaded and insults flew back and forth between the majestic ship, whose bowsprit was carved with an ethereal fay-woman, and the morbid one, whose sails were black and tattered. The men of the Pearl became uneasy, however, at the prospect of fighting the fiercest women at sea. Swiftly, the Nymph's crew boarded the Pearl, speedily sending the able-bodied men into surrender.
The triumphant women parted their throng to allow their captain through. She was not what anyone expected. Young, no more than nine years old, and small. She had a sword at her side and a faded purple coat that dragged on the deck behind her. Her light brown hair was pulled back into jaunty plait and her brown eyes were narrowed at the Pearl's captain, held captive by two of her strongest crew members. The girl drew her sword and smirked at her foe.
"You see, Jack Sparrow, you may be the captain of the fastest ship in the Caribbean… but that is no match for Maggie Turner and the Sea Nymph." Maggie circled her flinching victim and her girls threw the man onto his knees. She paused, as if trying to decide just how to take care of him.
"Silent, hm? Too scared to stand up to a girl?" She brandished her sword expertly, until it would be ludicrous for the older man to make an escape attempt without being sliced. "You've met your end, Jack Sparrow!"
"First of all, it's Captain Jack Sparrow, and secondly, did you forget his pistol, lass?" Maggie, startled out of her daydream, whirled around to see a familiar man standing in the doorway.
"Uncle Georgie!" Maggie squealed and leapt into her uncle's arms. "Nobody told me you were coming to visit!" She gazed up at him, grinning at his well-groomed appearance. He wore the same thing he always wore; a finely tailored suit and a big hat with a giant feather. His style was strangely like her father's. But unlike her father, George was wild. His voice hardly matched the family's well-to-do background, being rough and slightly uncouth, most likely due to him being at sea most of the time in his merchant ship. And he made a much better storyteller; her father's tales were too… heroic.
Uncle George scoffed. "I never tell anyone when I'm coming, lass." He set her down and knelt by her, his eyes mischievous. "Otherwise your mum and dad would be all prepared for me, and that's no fun." Maggie laughed and pulled her uncle downstairs.
"What did you bring me, Uncle George?" Maggie greedily searched his pockets, looking for anything that could be hers.
George grinned and let her search him. "Maybe I didn' bring you anythin'." Maggie shook her head determinedly, knowing he never came without some kind of token. She was searching his boots when he produced a package out of nowhere. Maggie shrieked happily and tore apart the fine paper. She held up the silver brush and hand mirror set, admiring them.
"Oh, Uncle, they're beautiful! Tell me how you got them, please?" She gazed at her reflection in the mirror and smiled at herself.
"Well, lass, I was on my way back from Timbuktu--lovely place--when we was attacked by pirates. Hundreds of 'em. All me crew leapt overboard in fright and I had to fight all ten thousand by me onesies. When I finally chucked 'em all off me ship, I claimed their vessel for meself and plundered everythin' that they'd been collecting from unwillin' innocents like yerself." George finished his tale to see Maggie's bright eyes staring up into his in complete disbelief. "It's true, missy."
"Oh, Uncle George, you know you couldn't do that." Maggie paused, then said accusingly, "I remember you promised the last time you visited that you'd tell me the story of how Jack Sparrow commandeered a ship right out from under Commodore Norrington's nose… all by himself!"
George caught eyes with his brother, William Turner, who had just walked into the room. "Alright, I promise I will after I chat with your father." Maggie nodded and ran upstairs, clutching her new mirror and brush. Will Turner smiled after her, then turned to face the other man.
"'All by himself,' hm, Jack?" Will crossed his arms and tilted his head, calling "George" by his real name. "What happened to the key character in that story? You know… me."
"Now, now, Willy, you and Elizabeth were the ones who didn't want the little one knowin' about all that." Captain Jack Sparrow raised an eyebrow. "And you were hardly the key character." Will chuckled slightly.
"You'd best tell this story well… Margaret's getting older, and next time you come back, she may not be interested in pirate tales anymore." Will tugged wistfully at his hair. "I found a gray one the other day. Whereas you don't look a day older than the last time we saw you. The sea must agree with us pirates."
Jack hid a smile. "Which would explain why you look absolutely horrible, mate. When was the last time you sailed on my pretty ship, Will?" Will rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Come, Jack, see Elizabeth upstairs. She's carrying our second child now, you know." Will smiled mischievously. "If it's a boy, we'll name him George."
** * **
Author's Note:
Okay, it's not much now… but you just wait, my pretties.