Naur
2: New Crew
Naur stood on the bow of her ship as they pulled into the dock. She glared at the people below. This was not her favorite of all ports and she had found out that Jack had been following her. She didn't like the idea of Jack following her.
Jack acted like she was a child to be watched, not a full grown woman capable of taking care of herself. She had been snapping at everyone and everything that she could. She was certain that some people would jump ship as soon as they could. That was all well and good for her though.
At the time she didn't seem to care about anything. She hated this. She didn't want to go through the hell that she was about to. She knew if she saw Jack she would fight him. She didn't like him too much. He always had a way of pushing her buttons.
She rubbed her head. She could feel another headache coming on. She growled. She hated having headaches. She looked around to see what other ships there were. None so far. She hoped it would stay that way. She wasn't sure if she could handle the stress that Jack put her in.
"Cap'n...Ye are needed on shore. Are ye all righ'? Or should I tell them tha' ye ain't goin' be able to make it?" James had come up behind her.
"I'll be fine James. What is it that I'm needed for?"
"Well...some of the men ain't too happy. They wan' talk to ye abou' i'."
Naur nodded. "Tell them I'll be down shortly."
James left to tell them. She praised James' loyalty. He would protect her if it came down to a fight. She hoped it wouldn't. She just wanted some men gone and some women in their places. She would have to pretend though that she didn't want this. So they wouldn't think that she had caused any trouble just to get rid of them.
After a few moments of thinking she turned and went down the gang plank. She turned to face the men that stood a little ways off. She went to them. She gently pushed on James' shoulder so that he would know to move. He obeyed.
"Now I hear some of you aren't happy with the way things have been going. What's the cause of this?" she barked.
"Ye are too mean. No one wants a cruel captain." one man shouted.
"Really? A pirate be mean? Impossible." she mocked them. "Pirates are mean. Deal with it. If you don't like the way I run ship then leave."
The men thought for a moment. "What about our payment?"
"See the bookkeeper for your share. Then leave. I don't want to see your asses round here again." she growled.
The men left to get their share of plunder. She sighed and shook her head. There had been ten men in that group. She grumbled to herself. She now had to get a doctor, replace the gunner, pilot, sea artist, cabin boy, and get six other sailors.
James put a hand on her shoulder. "I' be all righ' Cap'n. We will ge' the men to replace them. Perhaps some women too."
"I hope so James. We can't leave port until we have them. We also need a doctor.."
"I can help ye with tha' I know some people here." he said smiling his bright dazzling smile.
"Thank you James. I would like that very much."
"I don' get wha' they mean by ye being rude. Ye is the nices' person I know."
"Then you don't know many people. I am rude. I'm cruel and don't allow for failure."
"Ah. I know bu'...I don' know how to pu' i'."
She sighed. "It's all right James. Just let it go. We will replace the crew and then have no more of this squabbling."
James nodded and pat her shoulder gently. "I'll go see to me friend abou' replacin' the crew."
Naur nodded. "Yes. Go do that."
"Ye try to relax too Cap'n."
"I will." she said as she headed back up the gang plank.
She went in her cabin and took off her shirt. She threw it on the desk and then threw herself on the bed. She stayed awake thinking for a few minutes then quickly passed out after rolling over onto her side.
Her eyes popped open when there was a knock on her cabin door. "Who is it?!" she demanded.
"Cap'n...Sorry to wake ye bu' i's me. James." James said sounding sorry.
"What do you need James?"
"I have the new crew here. Do ye wan' to mee' them?"
She sighed and pulled herself from the bed and pulled on the shirt again. She fixed it so it looked right. She put on her hat that had fallen off during her sleep. She yanked the door open.
"Well where are they?"
"Ou' on deck Cap'n."
She nodded and pushed past him. She went up on the deck and looked at the new crew. James had them in line all ready and had obviously done well in giving them their introduction because none of them dared look her in the eye. James knew that she liked having people scared of her. It kept them from acting up and coming to a mutiny.
"Have they signed?"
"No' ye' Cap'n. I was waitin' yer approval firs'."
She nodded and went to the left handed side of the line. Most of the crew were women. She nodded approvingly. James had done well. She looked the first one over.
"What is your position?"
"I be nothing more than a woman wanting to be a common sailor." the first woman said.
She nodded then stepped back. "Who else here is just a common sailor?"
Six people raised their hands. Four were women and two were men. Naur grinned and nodded. She waved her hand for the articles. She also had an inkwell with a quill.
"Those of you who are just normal sailors sign this now. After you do James here will lead you away to let you know what your duties are. Make sure you read the paper. They are the rules of the ship. You go against them the punishment is severe."
"How severe?" A man asked sounding uncertain now.
"Death." she said with a wicked smile. "Now sign. If you don't you will be gotten rid of."
The six people signed then went off with James to find out about their duties.
"Now each of you tell me one at a time what you do and why you have decided to go on the account."
She was showing the new pilot how to use the compass that she had created of her own will. It was different than other compasses but worked relatively the same way. When she was finished with that she met up with James.
"So? How are they doing? Any that need to be replaced?" she asked as she leaned on the railing at the port side of the ship.
"No. They are all doin' well Cap'n. What abou' the ones tha' ye saw to?"
"They are doing just fine. You did good James. Thank you. I'm glad you are around."
"I have no where else to go Cap'n. Plus no need. Everything I wan' and need is here."
She nodded. "I love this ship. It's my world."
"I know Cap'n." he nodded.
There was a slight pause in the conversation before James spoke again but it sounded as if he wasn't sure it was the right thing to do.
"Cap'n? Be there any chance tha'...there migh' be another thin' around tha' ye be considerin' par' of yer world?"
"What do you mean James?" she didn't look away from the waves. She had been confused by his question.
"Well...Wha' abou' love?"
"What about it?"
"Do ye have any fer anyone?"
"No, James, I don't. I love my ship. Why love anyone else?"
"So tha' ye aren' lonely."
"I'm not lonely. I have you around."
"Aye Cap'n. Ye have me." He nodded.
"Well we will sail tomorrow at the first sign of light. I'll let the men know." She walked off to tend to her duties.
He let her get out of earshot. "And ye will always have me Naur."
"DAMN YOU JACK! I TOLD YOU NOT TO FOLLOW ME!" Naur roared as she went down the gang plank towards Jack Sparrow.
"How was I to know you would be here?" he asked trying to sound innocent.
"I have half a mind to blow you down."
"You know you won't do that."
"Don't try me. What is it you want?"
"Just to spend the night with you again. I had such a fine time last time."
She snarled. "Jack Sparrow...I hate your guts." she spit at him then smacked him to get her point across.
"I didn't deserve that." he said. "I was wanting you to meet some of my crew. They are good friends of mine."
"Well where are they then?"
"On my ship."
"Well if you wanted me to meet them why didn't you bring them here?"
"I wanted you to come back with me. That way it would be more easily persuaded out of you to stay on my ship with me."
She smacked him again then walked off.
"I didn't deserve that one either." He sighed and walked back to his ship.
"Cap'n...Ye all righ' in there? Ye haven' come ou' since ye talked to Jack." James asked knocking softly on Naur's cabin door.
She opened the door and looked at James. "I'm fine James."
"Are ye sure? Do ye wan' us to leave a' a differen' time Cap'n? We can if ye wan' us to."
"Yes, James. Leave before the sun rises. Leave when all of Jack's crew are asleep. Start off by heading to the east. In three days time we will change course and head to the south and find some plunder there."
"Do ye think he will still follow us?"
"I hope not James." she sighed. She hated dealing with Jack.
He always seemed to piss her off easily. Not to mention he was a womanizer. James nodded and put a hand on her shoulder.
"I' will be all righ' Cap'n." He said softly.
"Thank you James." she said weakly.
James nodded and gently touched her face. He knew she had been stressed out lately and wanted to help her. She was just too strong of a woman for him to help her. She always had to do things on her own. He knew that she loved the help that he gave her.
Naur sighed. "Has the crew eaten?"
"Yes Cap'n. Do ye need somethin' to ea'? I didn' see ye when we all ate."
"I would like something yes. Just a little something. I don't think I can handle much right now."
"Aye Cap'n. I'll bring ye somethin'."
"Thank you James."
James walked off to get her some food. She went and sat at the desk again. She had been pouring over her maps ever since she locked herself in here. For some reason the maps helped her calm down and relaxed her enough to where she wouldn't kill everyone who was on the ship.
After a few moment James was back with the food. She had been so absorbed in her maps that she didn't hear him. He put a gentle but firm hand on her shoulder and put the food in front of her.
"Oh. Thank you James. I didn't hear you come in." She looked up at him. She noticed that he had closed her door.
"Anythin' fer ye Cap'n."
She started to eat slowly. James watched her to make sure she was all right. When she finished she pushed the steel plate away and went back to looking at her maps. He touched her face gently.
"Ye are strong Cap'n." he said before picking up the plate and leaving.
"Thank you..." she said softly.
When he left she got up and locked the door pushing herself against it. She shook her head to clear the images in her head. James wasn't like Jack. James didn't want to sleep with her. Jack did but not James. James was just a friend.
James would only ever be a friend. James loved some other woman in Tortuga. James wouldn't want a hard pirate woman with no good intentions on most things. James wanted a soft woman that could raise his kids.
Naur sighed. She wanted a hard man that could treat her as an equal. She wanted a man who didn't womanize. She wanted everything that Jack was not. She wanted everything that was James. James was hard and firm yet soft and understanding. Jack was an ass. She shook her head again.
What in Davy Jones' Locker was she thinking? James had a love in Tortuga. She loved her ship. Jack was an ass. That's all there was to it. There was nothing more. She shouldn't go around thinking things that would never happen. If she did then she was no better than those women in their long clothes and their romance novels.
This was no romance novel. This was the harsh cold sea. This was her world and her world had no room in it for love. Love was a fools hope.
"When we are in love we often doubt that which we most believe"
-La Rochefoucauld-
That night Naur got very little sleep and it showed the next morning when she woke to find that they were already on their way. She went above deck and stood at the prow of the ship watching the water around the ship. She was deep in thought about the last few days.
"Cap'n. Are ye all righ'?" James asked coming up behind her.
"Yes. I've changed my mind. Let's go to Tortuga. As I understand it you've not see your lady for quite a while and I am sure you will wish to see her again."
"Cap'n...Me and Belle...well we broke i' off...She found a new love and wen' with him to New Orleans."
"Ah. I see. I'm sorry to hear that. Still head to Tortuga. I want some good rum. How far are we from there?"
"Four days by now."
She nodded. "Let's go to Tortuga then."
"Aye Cap'n." James walked off.
She hadn't turned around from water. She stayed watching the water. She seemed like she was brooding. She hadn't known that James' love was named Belle. She hadn't known they had broken it off either. How long ago did this happen?
She told herself she would ask later when there wasn't so many people around. She knew he would be hurt by it. She knew she would have to be careful. Men who are hurt by love often find themselves confused about who they love at the moment. She didn't want him to be led on into anything wrong or harmful.
She would spend the rest of the day completely distracted as she helped the new crew. They would often have to repeat themselves multiple times. When asked why she was acting funny she would snap at them and James would have to come over and explain that she hadn't slept well.
She told herself to thank him later on. She hated being this way. It just wasn't how she normally was. She would have a lot to talk about with James that night. A little alter she pulled him aside.
"James. I would like to see you tonight after we eat. I need to talk to you."
"Aye Cap'n. I'll be there." He nodded.
They then went on their own ways to do their own things until that night.