Chapter Three

Captain Melanie Cash of the good ship Yellow Dart had received a rather urgent message. She had been woken from her sleep - which had been solitary - and given a scrawled message on a scrap of parchment. Professional though she was, she had unfortunately set the parchment alight with a candle in her impatience to read it and return to sleep. The only portion that she had been able to make out before it turned to crisp in her hand was a place to meet and a time.

An ungodly time, she thought with a yawn, and shifted from one foot to another on the abandoned road. Though the signature had been lost too soon to decipher, the remainder of the note had briefly made mention of a new opportunity for her to earn some coins by doing what she did best, and though she might have complained about her lack of sleep, she was secretly glad of the chance. Business had been slow of late and perhaps this was a sign of things to come. Her business was, of course, that of being something of a messenger-courier-errand runner. It was this business, naturally, that Melanie Cash was passionate enough about to rise in the wee hours. (But you were all thinking something else weren't you? You were immediately pointing fingers and catcalling and naming her a 'lady of the night', eh? Just goes to show you the power of the first impression and of the first chapter, doesn't it? But for shame! You're all still horrid for thinking it).

She swiped a hand over her face and willed her eyes to stay open: having been so recently roused, they did not agree with her decision to regularly peer up and down the road in the near darkness. Far off, Melanie could hear the howl of pirate laughter and muted pistol blast. The fact that the night was assuredly crowded with brigands did not bother her - a fair few of them had had the misfortune of encountering her in the night, she knew, and it had been the irate ends of her own guns.

And if this mysterious new business partner did not reveal themselves soon, it was entirely possible that she would suddenly experience a repeat attack of similar irate-ness.

But just as her thoughts were beginning to turn from longing for her bed to itching for her cutlass, there was movement on the road ahead. As Melanie strained to see in the dim, a figure slowly approached her. Though it was not easy to see in the dark, she saw that the individual's hat was perched at a jaunty angle and that their coat hung low. There was also, unmistakably, the gentle and occasional sound of jangling beads. Her eyes widened.

"No," she said, even before Jack Sparrow had come to stand before her. He was smiling widely.

"Excellent! You came - "

"No, I didn't. This is a mistake. I should be at home and in bed."

Jack's smile became larger and he straightened his jacket collar. "We can do that later, too, if there's time." Melanie glared at him, and Jack laughed quickly and held up his hands. "Only jokes, darling." The Captain of the Yellow Dart made an angry sound and crossed her arms, but Jack noticed with pleasure that she made no move to leave.

He pulled a coin from his pocket, and held it out to her. Melanie raised her eyebrows. "Whoever it is you want me to find for you, they've got to be worth a little more than that, Jack."

He smiled again. "This coin isn't what I'm paying you, fair captain. It's part of what I want you to do." She took it, reluctantly, and he saw that she started slightly at its weight.

"What is this?"

"It's an announcement. To scallywags." Melanie turned the coin over in the weak light, but did not yet appear properly impressed.

"An announcement for what?"

"For the QuatriPirate Tournament!" Jack exclaimed and snatched it back. He read her the poem off of both sides, and in the dark, he could finally see the same recognition emerging on her face that had on his own. "Now do you understand?"

Melanie seemed to be at a loss for words. "I thought that the tournament was only held every few decades!"

"It is. Apparently it's time for it to be held again."

She sounded awed. "The prizes for those who win are said to be legendary ... and the fame, Jack! Think of the fame someone would have after winning something like the QuatriPirate Tournament. It would change their lives!"

"I'm going to enter."

"What?!" Melanie stared at her old comrade. "As wonderful as it would be to win," she said, "it's supposed to be almost impossible. The QuatriPirate Tournament gathers together the best of the best!"

Jack seemed smug. "Exactly, love. Win there and no one would ever doubt your skill. Win there, and the little excursions on my Pearl and your Dart could be solely for pocket change."

"But - but you'd need a team!"

"Which is why I have come to you. I've got one."

Melanie was incredulous. "Who? Who would be good enough to enter something like this? They'd have to be - "

"Ridiculously good in their event. Ludicrously good. A veritable deity in their chosen element."

"Exactly!"

Jack leaned in close, and as he whispered names into her ear, Melanie's mouth hung open. She considered for a moment. "It ... it might work. You might have a chance."

"We will have a chance," he corrected her, and held out his hand. "What do you say? Partners?"

Melanie hesitated only briefly, then grasped Jack's ringed fingers with her own. "Teammates," she said instead, and Jack smiled. "I don't know how I let you talk me into these things, Sparrow."

"All that's left to do is hope that Dana Flint 'n Will Turner are as easy to convince," he replied, and Melanie shook her head.

"From what I remember, there shouldn't be a problem. Those gits are as mad as you are."

Special thanks to:

LinLin: Holy cow - if every review could be as colorful and wonderful as yours! Thanks for taking such an interest, and I very much appreciate the reviews on my other little tales. More is coming!

"I'd say...": Haha! I know who you are anyway! I'd better get my birthday present soon, Carine! Thanks, as always, for the great encouragement.

Sweetlilbee: I was wondering how long it would be until you reviewed ;). Yeah, I thought that poor young man's job would be a pretty hilarious thing, but pirates are pretty crazy. Who knows, he may turn up again!