Ahoy fellow POTC fans! Sorry, I've always wanted to say that! XD So here I am PrarieRose1017, joining the ranks of the POTC authors! I'm so excited! I really hope that everyone enjoys this fanfic, because I've put a lot of thought into this, and I hope you're not too judgemental of my antics. So Please enjoy, and R-E-V-I-E-W! lol I love reviews so much (as I'm sure most of you do) so please don't leave me hangin'! Ok, I'll stop rambling now and let you read the good stuff! ;)
Crossed Tides
Chapter 1
Too Good To Be True
Two birds made their way over the waves, which were stained bright orange and red by the rising sun. One was a silver winged falcon who carried a sea-worn scroll in her long deadly talons; the other was a swift and silent barred owl. Both had a thin gold chain around their necks and on the end dangled a charm; solid gold molded into the shape of a diamond with a flintlock pistol crossed with a cutlass.
"You sure we're on course?" The owl, Marlow, and the younger, yet larger of the two, asked.
"Of course! I know how to find those two low-down-good-for-nothing pirates, better than they know how to find themselves." Sylvia, the smaller falcon, replied haughtily.
"I just wanted to check. I'm not sure about my sense of direction." He replied. "The ocean all looks the same."
"You've got Ben's sense of direction; I can tell. You'll be fine." The falcon flashed her wings as she drifted a little closer.
"I guess you'd know. You're a Silverwing." He tucked his black and white striped head and stared at the waves.
"That has nothing to do with it. It's a bird's intuition. He was your father, you look exactly like him, and you act just like him too." She comforted. "Plus the Queen Anne's Revenge isn't hard to spot. You can see the wake from miles away."
"Thanks." Marlow smiled. "I'm really going to have to tuck my talons though. That man makes my blood boil! All the stories dad, and Mistress told me about him; The Betrayal, The Marooning, everything. It makes me want to claw his face off!"
"That's why she sent you to spy on the devil man, not me. I would fly high above the ship, tuck into a steep dive, sink my talons into the back of his neck, and end his black life. I wouldn't even give it a second thought. You on the other hand would follow the instructions perfectly." Sylvia growled flexing her talons, and imagining her words coming true.
"I suppose you're right. I do have the slower temper." Marlow laughed.
"I feel no shame in admitting you're right." She replied cheerily. "On this one point, mind you."
"Now that's a first!" Both laughed and flew almost a mile more in comfortable silence. Then Sylvia turned back to her trainee. "See you back in Tortuga. Good Luck!" She split their course and set her mind for the Black Pearl, and its rightful captain.
"You too!" The owl called over his wing. Then Marlow turned towards where his senses were telling him to go; west and towardsthe Queen Anne's Revenge, who had recently received a new captain.
Captain Hector Barbossa was standing at the helm of his newly acquired ship which he had taken from the recently deceased Edward Teach, alias Blackbeard, after killing him at the Fountain of Youth. He lost his leg to a midnight attack by the same man, and had sworn revenge. With a bit of luck, a lot of plotting, and help from the damned Crown of England, Hector got his wish. This along with a glorious new sword, a new ship that was woven into black magic; the Queen Anne's Revenge.
All of this had happened so recently. Heck, it had to be nearly fifteen years ago now that he had joined Jack's crew on the Black Pearl, marooned the fool on Rumrunner's Island, and taken his ship to South America and acquired Cortez' treasure. Course that plan had turned out to be a rather bad one, and gotten him killed, then resurrected by Calypso herself to bring Jack back from Davy Jones' locker. The fool. All his ethical decisions had led him into the belly of the Kraken, and Hector had had to save the day.
Then of course there were the Turners who were now living a tragic fairytale as young William had to take Davy Jones place as captain of the Flying Dutchman. Elizabeth lived a life as Pirate King circling the globe searching for treasure, like any good pirate should. He smiled a rotting smile at the memory of that sparky little woman.
Then there was an agitated shriek from a little simian, dressed in a little white shirt and red vest, perched on the railing in front of the dread captain. "Who's a good monkey? Who's daddy's little boy?" Barbossa snapped out of his reverie and crooned to his monkey, Jack, while lounging on the Bridge of his ship. His ship. Hector liked the sound of that. He finally had a ship that no other human being dared want or try to attack. He ruled the seas!
Besides risking the wrath of young William Turner,he could do whatever he pleased. Attack any ship he came across, take on whole fleets, and maybe even take over Shipwreck Cove! He smiled at the thought of ruling the strong hold for the Pirate Lords. 'Course he'd have to get through ol' Captain Teague, which could end up being more trouble than it'd would be worth.
Suddenly the ship took on a large wave and the whole, enormous contraption pitched and dove sending the rest of Jack's apple overboard. "What was that?" Barbossa bellowed to the first mate. The man, a tall African with tribal markings all across his flesh, climbed the two flights of stairs from the deck to the Bridge taking the steps three at a time.
"Misplaced wave cap'n. Nothin' to fear."
"Good. We need to stay on course for Tortuga. Runnin' low on water." After sharing a nod, Barbossa turned and placed his hands on the huge oak wheel of his ship. After recovering from the surge of power he always felt after touching the wheel, he scanned the deck to see his crew hard at work. With the bosu'n and quartermaster weaving in and out between them making sure everything was done with the utmost perfection.
"Cap'n. The crews mumblin' about this strange devil bird that's been following the ship since sunrise. I ain't seen 'im, but I feel like he's watchin' us." The first mate explained.
"A bird?" The captain stroked his scraggly beard. "Any man say what the beast looked like?"
"Scrum! Cap'n wants ya!" Anad called to a bedraggled man with greasy brown hair and rotten teeth. He scrambled up the stairs and stood erect before Barbossa. "Tell 'im about the devil bird."
"Oh yes cap'n." The man smiled, "It was white with little back stripes and deep brown, almost black, eyes that 'bout stare through a man's soul. He was an owl to be sure, with a bright yellow beak and nasty lookin' talons." Scrum explained. Hector thought for a moment.
"Did he have any marking on him or a collar of some sort?"
"Come to think of it, yea 'e did. Solid gold chain with a molded gold, diamond shaped charm." Scrum paused and made the shape with his hands while he thought through the details. "Then on the diamond there was a pistol and a cutlass crossed like the bones on the Jolly Rodger."
"I knew it was too good to be true." Barbossa mumbled. "Anad, my good man, we need to make arrangements to meet the Black Pearl." Barbossa jerked the wheel to the right and turned their course ninety degrees. As the captain moved the garnets on the hilt of his sword sent blood red dots of light flashing around the ship. The Queen Anne's Revenge was now parallel to the port.
"Why Cap'n?" The two men chorused.
"Because I need to talk to Jack, before he gets there." Came the reply, with an underlying sense of hatred, and the most minute touch of fear. "I need to remind the fool that sirens are not to be trusted."
"Aye cap'n." Anad then turned to the crew. "Full sail! We've got no time to spare!" But before any man could move, Barbossa drew his gigantic sword, and thrust it forward. Instantly the sails filled with a joyous wind and the red-sailed ship skipped across the waves. The Revenge was on the hunt. But what the entire crew missed was the very creature they had been talking about spread his wings and fly off the Hull and make a fast course for Tortuga, and relay everything he had seen to his mistress.