Surviving
Mare tipped her head back until it rested on the soggy wooded boards of the deserted merchant store. She opened her mouth and let the little water droplets patter and wet the inside of her mouth. She closed her moth and let her chin drop to her chest. The muffled splashes of hoof beats caught her attention and she quickly snatched her bowel and staggered out into the muddy streets. The passers turned out to be a carriage of obvious good wealth. She jogged next to it and tapped on the window, and through the wood and cloth she heard a muffled commotion.
"Darling, what is that? Are they highway men?"
"No dear, we are in the mists of a town. No highway men would try to rob us here."
"Then, well then what is it?"
"Let me find out Love." Instantly a head appeared from the window of the carriage. He was a young man, in his late twenties or so. His powdered wig was slightly askew. The minute he saw her rag-tag self, struggling to keep up slogging in the mud, an ugly scowl spoiled his once handsome features.
"Oh, its nothing dear, just a beggar. George!" A burley footman peered around the edge of the carriage from behind. The man in the powdered wig pointed at her and disappeared into the carriage. The footman glared at her.
"Girl! Get off! Ya 'ear me? Get!" He roughly shoved her. Her weak grip was released and she felt herself falling backwards. Within seconds she was staring at the bleak rainy skies. With a small pitiful whimper, she pulled herself upright. She wiped her hand across her face leaving a thin trail of mud. She hoisted her self to her feet and tried to smear off the mud on her trousers and hair. She looked up and caught the carriage wheeling around a corner. She scowled and began to walk the other way, her hands thrust into her pockets. It was time to go home.
Captain Jack Sparrow
The next day was a rare sunny day, nature's apology, that is what Mare liked to think it as. She strolled through the busy town of Kingston, looking for someone dumb and unaware. She didn't like stealing, but there was no way else to work. Well there was...Mare looked slowly over to the red light district. Woman posed and whistled at men. One particularly large breasted woman managed to snag a man and they disappeared inside. Mare shuddered and quickened her steps. No, never that, never, never that. She tore her eyes from that scene and jogged through the over crowded streets. Then a curious man caught her eye. He was walking with his back towards her, and walked with a drunken swagger. Well, she thought, if he is drunk...She slipped and threaded her way until she was in his shadow. She tailed him for a few streets then her eye fell on a small leather pouch fastened to his swaggering hips. She slipped a small blade from underneath her shirt and extended her hand...and grasped it. Within the next moments she had her wrist clasped in the hand of the so-called drunken man she was about to make poor. She was looking into his face and was quite shocked at what she saw. He was not a tall man but neither a short one. The rims of his eyes were smeared with charcoal and when he opened his mouth to talk she was greeted by a verity of gold and sliver teeth. His hair was dark and matted, and braided in, were beads, shells and feathers. On the top of his head sat a worn leather hat, slightly cockeyed. A pirate if she ever saw one. He shook his finger at her.
"Now, that's not very nice. You think you can just rob a fellah eh? Mare struggled trying to free herself but the pirate held fast. He squinted at her.
"What's your name, lass?" He released her wrist but grabbed a hold of her shirt collar. Her eyes shifted slowly away. The pirate tipped his head to the side.
"Don't speak much do ya?" Mare shook her head. He raised his eyebrows.
"Can ye speak at all?" Mare shook her head again. The pirate heaved a great sigh, and squinted into the sun, as if in thought. Then he looked down at the girl.
"Well, I s'spect pickin pockets an't a hobby hmm? Right, I'm hungry and I s'pose you are too, am I right?" A loud gurgle erupted from Mare's stomach right then and the pirate looked at her skeptically.
"Right, where's the pub?"
Less then twenty minutes later the pirate, who called himself Captain Jack Sparrow, and Mare were seated in a smoky bar, the captain sipping a rum and Mare rapidly eating a fried fish. Jack watched with utter amazement as the girl ate the fish with a flying pace. He set down his rum.
"Look, we aren't in no hurry so...I don't know, slow down before you choke or something." Mare paused in mid chew and set down her fork and waited until she had finished chewing. Before she could get another bite Jack put his hand out.
"I don't mean to be a bother love, but I don't think I ever got your name." Mare held up a finger and pulled a worn book from her vest pocket. It was a small book, no bigger then Jacks hand. When she opened it he saw that it was a blank book. She pulled out a thin piece of charcoal and set out scribbling something down. When she had finished she pushed the book to Jack. He peered over the rim of his rum mug and looked at the paper.
"Ah, right. Um, right." He pulled that paper over to himself and stared hard at the letters. Then he picked it up and held it far away squinting. The he brought it right up to his nose, and opened up his eyes very wide. Mare simply looked at him, puzzled. Finally he sighed and set the book down. He peered anxiously over his shoulders and around the pub. Then he scratched his neck looking embarrassed.
"Ah, right, look Love," he lowered his voice and stooped his head so it nearly reached the table. Mare did the same.
"I, well, I never was real interested in that book keeping when I was a lad, so, well," He looked around on last time.
"I can't read." Mare nodded and waved the issue away with her hand. She glanced out the window, then pointed at a horse tethered just outside the window. Jack scratched his head.
"Your name is Horse?" She shook her head. Then she pointed to a group of girls, then back to the horse. Jack furrowed his brow and thought.
"Girls...horse...girl...horse...Oh! Your name's Mare. Huh, mother liked you a lot she did." Mare rolled her eyes. Jack took another swig of rum.
"Speakin of your mum, where is she? What about your dad eh?" Jack watched a shadow of sadness settle on Mare's face. She pointed at a couple who had just entered the pub. Then she tapped her chest. Jack rubbed his chin.
"We're...pretending that they are ye mum and pappy right?" Mare nodded. Just then a group of soldiers came jogging by right outside their window. Jack tipped his hat downward and covered his face with his rum jug. Soon their footsteps faded and when jack looked up, Mare was glaring harshly at their backs. She solemnly pointed to them and then back to the pretend parents, then slowly dragged her finger under her throat. Jack grimaced.
"So they army killed 'em eh? Don't be thinkin me nosey mate, but for rum's sake why?" Mare looked around the pub until her eyes rested on Jack. She reached over and took his hat and plopped it on her head, then mimicked his swaggering gate. Then she pointed to the man. Jack's eyes widened and he pushed himself against the back of his seat.
"I'm...I'm not your father...am I?" Mare smiled but shook her head. Jack exhaled and clutched his chest,
"Don't do that, lass you nearly stopped me heart." She put two fingers together and raised her thumb, mimicking a pistol with her hands, and shot at the air. Jack nodded.
"Ah, pop was a pirate. Retired though I wager." Mare nodded. Jack took another sip of rum.
"Stupid blighters. I'm sorry love." Jack peered into the bottom of his glass and then drained it. Mare studied him for a moment then pointed to him and raised her arms in question. Jack cocked his head to the side. "You want to know about me? Well." Her brushed his finger nails lightly across his chest then examined them. When he opened his mouth again out came his adventures of exotic lands and travels he had had. He reenacted his fights by jumping around waving a fire poker. He tied a scarf over his nose and pretended he was a bandit. Long into the afternoon and well into the evening he told his tales, and in spite of herself, Mare nodded off to sleep, and dreamt of her own adventures. Jack was in the middle of telling about his marvelous triumph on the shores of Gala when he noticed the girl hap fallen asleep She stood and ran after the cocky pirate. Once out of the pub she scanned the street and saw the familiar hat bob around a corner. She lunged after it and ran as fast as she could, and was halfway down the street when a thick arm sprung out of nowhere smashing her in the chest, knocking her to the ground taking her breath with it. An ugly pocked face filled her vision.
"Well, if it isn't little Miss Mare eh? Lads, where yer manners? Pick her up!" Two sniggering simpletons roughly dragged her to feet and pinned her arms to her sides. People had stopped to stare at the commotion. Pockmarks laughed.
"Not here twits!" The two boys holding Mare exchanged glances of stupidity between one another. Pockmarks sighed.
"The ally you twats!" And into the ally Mare was dragged. Once out of sight and sound, Mare was thrown to the ground and delivered a swift kick to the stomach. She grunted and rolled over.
"Where be our food whelp? We sent you out three day's past and you look empty handed. That no good is it boys?" Pockmarks dragged Mare to her feet then punched her down again. She tasted blood. Pockmarks observed her tightly closed fist. He nudged her hand.
"What's she got boys?" The two half-whit's stomped and scuffled her hand until she opened it revealing the coin. Pockmarks gave a chuckle of glee.
"Your ass be saved whelp." He snatched the coin and then he and his pals went sprinting off, cackling as they went. Mare groaned and pulled herself to her feet, then leaned against the brick wall for support. But her legs shook so much she fell t the ground again. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. She glanced up sharply, to see the overly dressed sympathetic eyes of Caption Jack Sparrow. He gave her a small smile.
"Cant turn me back on ye can I?" She smiled but her lip trembled and her eyes were like glossy marbles. Jack gave her a warning glance.
"None o that love, I don't sit well with that mess." She nodded and wiped her eyes. Jack put an arm around her shoulder, and helped her to her feet. He took off his hat and plopped it on her head.
"Right, shall we go home then?"
Mare tipped her head back until it rested on the soggy wooded boards of the deserted merchant store. She opened her mouth and let the little water droplets patter and wet the inside of her mouth. She closed her moth and let her chin drop to her chest. The muffled splashes of hoof beats caught her attention and she quickly snatched her bowel and staggered out into the muddy streets. The passers turned out to be a carriage of obvious good wealth. She jogged next to it and tapped on the window, and through the wood and cloth she heard a muffled commotion.
"Darling, what is that? Are they highway men?"
"No dear, we are in the mists of a town. No highway men would try to rob us here."
"Then, well then what is it?"
"Let me find out Love." Instantly a head appeared from the window of the carriage. He was a young man, in his late twenties or so. His powdered wig was slightly askew. The minute he saw her rag-tag self, struggling to keep up slogging in the mud, an ugly scowl spoiled his once handsome features.
"Oh, its nothing dear, just a beggar. George!" A burley footman peered around the edge of the carriage from behind. The man in the powdered wig pointed at her and disappeared into the carriage. The footman glared at her.
"Girl! Get off! Ya 'ear me? Get!" He roughly shoved her. Her weak grip was released and she felt herself falling backwards. Within seconds she was staring at the bleak rainy skies. With a small pitiful whimper, she pulled herself upright. She wiped her hand across her face leaving a thin trail of mud. She hoisted her self to her feet and tried to smear off the mud on her trousers and hair. She looked up and caught the carriage wheeling around a corner. She scowled and began to walk the other way, her hands thrust into her pockets. It was time to go home.
Captain Jack Sparrow
The next day was a rare sunny day, nature's apology, that is what Mare liked to think it as. She strolled through the busy town of Kingston, looking for someone dumb and unaware. She didn't like stealing, but there was no way else to work. Well there was...Mare looked slowly over to the red light district. Woman posed and whistled at men. One particularly large breasted woman managed to snag a man and they disappeared inside. Mare shuddered and quickened her steps. No, never that, never, never that. She tore her eyes from that scene and jogged through the over crowded streets. Then a curious man caught her eye. He was walking with his back towards her, and walked with a drunken swagger. Well, she thought, if he is drunk...She slipped and threaded her way until she was in his shadow. She tailed him for a few streets then her eye fell on a small leather pouch fastened to his swaggering hips. She slipped a small blade from underneath her shirt and extended her hand...and grasped it. Within the next moments she had her wrist clasped in the hand of the so-called drunken man she was about to make poor. She was looking into his face and was quite shocked at what she saw. He was not a tall man but neither a short one. The rims of his eyes were smeared with charcoal and when he opened his mouth to talk she was greeted by a verity of gold and sliver teeth. His hair was dark and matted, and braided in, were beads, shells and feathers. On the top of his head sat a worn leather hat, slightly cockeyed. A pirate if she ever saw one. He shook his finger at her.
"Now, that's not very nice. You think you can just rob a fellah eh? Mare struggled trying to free herself but the pirate held fast. He squinted at her.
"What's your name, lass?" He released her wrist but grabbed a hold of her shirt collar. Her eyes shifted slowly away. The pirate tipped his head to the side.
"Don't speak much do ya?" Mare shook her head. He raised his eyebrows.
"Can ye speak at all?" Mare shook her head again. The pirate heaved a great sigh, and squinted into the sun, as if in thought. Then he looked down at the girl.
"Well, I s'spect pickin pockets an't a hobby hmm? Right, I'm hungry and I s'pose you are too, am I right?" A loud gurgle erupted from Mare's stomach right then and the pirate looked at her skeptically.
"Right, where's the pub?"
Less then twenty minutes later the pirate, who called himself Captain Jack Sparrow, and Mare were seated in a smoky bar, the captain sipping a rum and Mare rapidly eating a fried fish. Jack watched with utter amazement as the girl ate the fish with a flying pace. He set down his rum.
"Look, we aren't in no hurry so...I don't know, slow down before you choke or something." Mare paused in mid chew and set down her fork and waited until she had finished chewing. Before she could get another bite Jack put his hand out.
"I don't mean to be a bother love, but I don't think I ever got your name." Mare held up a finger and pulled a worn book from her vest pocket. It was a small book, no bigger then Jacks hand. When she opened it he saw that it was a blank book. She pulled out a thin piece of charcoal and set out scribbling something down. When she had finished she pushed the book to Jack. He peered over the rim of his rum mug and looked at the paper.
"Ah, right. Um, right." He pulled that paper over to himself and stared hard at the letters. Then he picked it up and held it far away squinting. The he brought it right up to his nose, and opened up his eyes very wide. Mare simply looked at him, puzzled. Finally he sighed and set the book down. He peered anxiously over his shoulders and around the pub. Then he scratched his neck looking embarrassed.
"Ah, right, look Love," he lowered his voice and stooped his head so it nearly reached the table. Mare did the same.
"I, well, I never was real interested in that book keeping when I was a lad, so, well," He looked around on last time.
"I can't read." Mare nodded and waved the issue away with her hand. She glanced out the window, then pointed at a horse tethered just outside the window. Jack scratched his head.
"Your name is Horse?" She shook her head. Then she pointed to a group of girls, then back to the horse. Jack furrowed his brow and thought.
"Girls...horse...girl...horse...Oh! Your name's Mare. Huh, mother liked you a lot she did." Mare rolled her eyes. Jack took another swig of rum.
"Speakin of your mum, where is she? What about your dad eh?" Jack watched a shadow of sadness settle on Mare's face. She pointed at a couple who had just entered the pub. Then she tapped her chest. Jack rubbed his chin.
"We're...pretending that they are ye mum and pappy right?" Mare nodded. Just then a group of soldiers came jogging by right outside their window. Jack tipped his hat downward and covered his face with his rum jug. Soon their footsteps faded and when jack looked up, Mare was glaring harshly at their backs. She solemnly pointed to them and then back to the pretend parents, then slowly dragged her finger under her throat. Jack grimaced.
"So they army killed 'em eh? Don't be thinkin me nosey mate, but for rum's sake why?" Mare looked around the pub until her eyes rested on Jack. She reached over and took his hat and plopped it on her head, then mimicked his swaggering gate. Then she pointed to the man. Jack's eyes widened and he pushed himself against the back of his seat.
"I'm...I'm not your father...am I?" Mare smiled but shook her head. Jack exhaled and clutched his chest,
"Don't do that, lass you nearly stopped me heart." She put two fingers together and raised her thumb, mimicking a pistol with her hands, and shot at the air. Jack nodded.
"Ah, pop was a pirate. Retired though I wager." Mare nodded. Jack took another sip of rum.
"Stupid blighters. I'm sorry love." Jack peered into the bottom of his glass and then drained it. Mare studied him for a moment then pointed to him and raised her arms in question. Jack cocked his head to the side. "You want to know about me? Well." Her brushed his finger nails lightly across his chest then examined them. When he opened his mouth again out came his adventures of exotic lands and travels he had had. He reenacted his fights by jumping around waving a fire poker. He tied a scarf over his nose and pretended he was a bandit. Long into the afternoon and well into the evening he told his tales, and in spite of herself, Mare nodded off to sleep, and dreamt of her own adventures. Jack was in the middle of telling about his marvelous triumph on the shores of Gala when he noticed the girl hap fallen asleep She stood and ran after the cocky pirate. Once out of the pub she scanned the street and saw the familiar hat bob around a corner. She lunged after it and ran as fast as she could, and was halfway down the street when a thick arm sprung out of nowhere smashing her in the chest, knocking her to the ground taking her breath with it. An ugly pocked face filled her vision.
"Well, if it isn't little Miss Mare eh? Lads, where yer manners? Pick her up!" Two sniggering simpletons roughly dragged her to feet and pinned her arms to her sides. People had stopped to stare at the commotion. Pockmarks laughed.
"Not here twits!" The two boys holding Mare exchanged glances of stupidity between one another. Pockmarks sighed.
"The ally you twats!" And into the ally Mare was dragged. Once out of sight and sound, Mare was thrown to the ground and delivered a swift kick to the stomach. She grunted and rolled over.
"Where be our food whelp? We sent you out three day's past and you look empty handed. That no good is it boys?" Pockmarks dragged Mare to her feet then punched her down again. She tasted blood. Pockmarks observed her tightly closed fist. He nudged her hand.
"What's she got boys?" The two half-whit's stomped and scuffled her hand until she opened it revealing the coin. Pockmarks gave a chuckle of glee.
"Your ass be saved whelp." He snatched the coin and then he and his pals went sprinting off, cackling as they went. Mare groaned and pulled herself to her feet, then leaned against the brick wall for support. But her legs shook so much she fell t the ground again. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. She glanced up sharply, to see the overly dressed sympathetic eyes of Caption Jack Sparrow. He gave her a small smile.
"Cant turn me back on ye can I?" She smiled but her lip trembled and her eyes were like glossy marbles. Jack gave her a warning glance.
"None o that love, I don't sit well with that mess." She nodded and wiped her eyes. Jack put an arm around her shoulder, and helped her to her feet. He took off his hat and plopped it on her head.
"Right, shall we go home then?"