Author Note: A bit of explanation first…. This is a collaboration of multiple authors on a Sean Bean forum. all of them as characters in the story. This is definitely alternate universe as we have ship Captains from various sources and I'm pretty sure the time periods don't coincide.
In addition to characters from the Sharpe Series and POTC. We also have Captain Deigo From the film Alatriste, and Horatio Hornblower from that source.
Addtionally all the female characters in this story are MODERN women. (It will help explain a lot things as the story progresses , for instance what constiutes modesty). Suffice it to say that impropriety runs rampant in this high sea adventure. To be blunt Lemons abound.
To keep things legit I am going to post the contributing authors by their names at that message board with their story name in parentheses. There are also non authors in the story. I am going to recognize them as well. That way everyone gets their credit.
Contributing authors:
amandalynwood aka Viggomama (Victoria) Janice1492 (Janice) ScrarletB (Scarlet) Samala1 (Sam) Knellis (Nancy) Footlight (Felicia) Purplekizzi (Kizzi) Sharpe's Havoc (Charlotte) Silverbuttons (Silver) Swingingsannah (Sannah) Solithelf (Solith) Mrs J (Juliette)
Other Passengers…..
Albena (Albena) Megz (Meg) Pudge (Paulina) Norksmom (Nadia ) Leggy (lena) Kathy2006 (Kathy)
NeilByrneFan (Brynne) Sister Kitty (Kitty) WendyAnd (Wendy)
DISCLAIMER;And for the record I do not own POTC Characters(Jack Sparrow, Barabossa, Will Turner) Horatio Hornblower, Diego Alatriste or Richard Sharpe and his Chosen Men.
Pirates of the North Atlantic
or
(One Ship With Far Too Many Captains)
Three days voyage out of London…
Ruffling a hand through his golden blonde hair Richard Sharpe cast a glance across the map-strewn table at his friend Patrick Harper.
As requested by his commanding officer, General Wellington, the rifle captain and his Chosen Men were escorting a load of husband-hungry women to Destiny's Paradise Outpost, located on a recently settled island in the southernmost waters of the Caribbean.
And to top it all off they were being guided by Pirates, in particular a strange fellow calling himself Captain Jack Sparrow. A blighter who smelled more often than not of rum; which he seemed as fond of as Patrick loved his Best's brandy. What on earth had they gotten themselves into?
Actually, the captaining duties were to be equally shared by Captain Diego Alatriste who sought to discover whether it would be in Spain's interest to pursue endeavors in the Caribbean. Of course, that would only be after coming to a trade agreement of sorts with the English. Richard had also had a conversation or two with Diego who being from Spain had of course heard stories of Richard's lover Theresa.
There was also another English captain, this Horatio Hornblower fellow, with whom Sharpe had only recently had dealings. He had found Hornblower competent enough that he'd requested Horatio's presence on this journey.
Meanwhile, just a few yards away Captain Sparrow kept arguing with Captain Barbossa. Something about the older pirate leaving him stranded on a deserted island somewhere, and something else about apples, and the word 'mutiny' was distinctly overheard more than once.
Sparrow had also demanded that a stop must be made in Tortuga for some reason or another, he said it was only fair since he'd generously loaned out his ship for the journey. None of this discussion set well with Sharpe. Not at all, so it was no real surprise when Captain Sharpe whispered the command back over his shoulder for the Chosen Men to keep an eye on the two captains of questionable motive.
There was also a young man going by the name of William Turner, who kept asking everyone if they knew anything about his lost father, some gent called Bootstrap Bill. He seemed a nice enough chap, English and all that, and the thought crossed Sharpe's mind after watching the lad in sword play with Jack that he might do well as a chosen man.
Sharpe turned to Harper. "How're the ladies farin' this mornin', Pat?"
"Just a wee bit of th' seasick, sir, they're no' accustomed ta th' motion of th' ship, ye know? More'n a few are still a little green around th' gills, as the sayin' goes. They should fare better in a day or so. overall they're adoin' alright, so they are, sir".
"Talk ta Hagman, Pat, see if he as any ideas on how to make 'em feel better.
"Aye Captain, so I shall."
And Pat, later this afternoon we'll bring 'em all up on deck a few at time fer fresh air and exercise. Jus' make sure they all understand they're no to come up here wi'out ya, or one of the chosen men with 'em and maybe even that Will Turner, he seems harmless enough, don't he Pat?'
"Aye sir, so he does."
Sharpe glanced at the dark clouds on the distant horizon. "I just hope the weather holds and we d'na have ta deal wi' that, the ladies will be seasick for sure."
"Aye Captain, from your mouth ta God's ears, sir."
"Yea, Pat, I hear ya, now get on it."
Below the deck, Miss Victoria did not care for the prevailing attitude of most of the men on board, that the women were no better than children who needed guidance.
More than once she had expressed the desire to Lady Scarlet that she'd like to give Captain Sharpe—despite his gorgeous face and body—a swift kick in the derriere.
They were going to run out of slop buckets soon; and Victoria and Scarlet had their hands full keeping the other ladies settled and trying to help calm the ones who were suffering from sea-sickness the most. So it was no help whatsoever that Captain Sharpe had made it vividly clear when they sailed from London that they were not allowed above deck without escorts
As the Black Pearl rocked its way across the waves Jack Sparrow continued to endear himself (not) to Captain Sharpe and the crew. So much so, in fact, that Sharpe began to seriously entertain the thought of making a stop, not in Tortuga, but considerably sooner.
Sharpe thought he could use the excuse that the ill women on board needed some stable ground under their feet for day or so, and if both Jack and Barbossa happened to be left behind well at least one of them had previous experience and survived, right?
Sharpe leaned over his maps again. There was a small dot marking a island, just two days sail away. "Pat, do ya know anything about this place, 'ere?" Sharpe stabbed at the map again with his finger.
"No, Captain. Doesna appear ta have anything on it, does it?"
"It migh' have, day after tomorrow," said Sharpe.
Pat raised his eyebrows. "Are ya thinkin of a certain Captain?" he asked.
"God knows, there's enough o' them on this trip tha' we willna miss one-or two." said Sharpe.
"Aye, but there's a small matter of this ship we're on. It belongs ta Captain Jack, does it not?"
"Not if he ain't here," smiled Sharpe.
"And wha' about 'em being our guides, sir?"
"We've got th' maps," said Sharpe noncha-lantly. Then he relented with a put upon sigh. "Oh, alright, maybe, I wouldn't put them off the ship. But a good scare jus' might improve their behaviour!"
This last comment was accompanied by the sound of roars coming from Captain Jack and Captain Barbossa standing some twenty feet apart, continuing their argument at full blast.
"What's more, a stop at a deserted island will be easier ta manage wi' all these women. They can stretch their legs where we can watch over 'em proper. God only knows wha' would hap-pen if we did stop in a hell-hole like Tortuga!" said Sharpe.
