Chapter 4: Lost Family.

After a while, the Black Pearl did not seem so bad, thought I as I stroked the beautiful falcon, Cian. The falcon turned it's amber eye on me and then promptly turned and started to preen. I heard someone coming down the steps and she quickly put the bird's hood back on his head.

Charlotte looked around cautiously as she entered into the room, a giant orange snake encircling her neck. "I really hate the sea," she told me wearily as she sat down on one of the barrels.

"I know," I agreed readily, "and we don't even know where we are going."

"Yes, we do," Lottie said confused, "The Isle of the Sprites."

"Yes, but where, in God's name, is that?"

"Uh,"

"Exactly,"

"Hey, uh, guys," Genny said as she walked down the stairs. She flipped her hand at her hair, as if to run through it, before realizing it was not there. She glanced around the cabin before complaining, "Could this 'adventure' be anymore boring? I mean, all there is to do around here is work. I think all of my fingers are going to fall off if I have to 'swab the deck' one more time." She sighed a rather dramatic sigh, before sitting down on the hammock. "And honestly, Lottie, do you have to wear that thing as a necklace?"

"Hey, I like Pierre." Lottie started to stroke the snake as it flicked a tongue out at us. Genny and I shivered. We froze as we heard footsteps come down the stairs. Our eyes flashed to the doorway, as we scrambled to look like we were doing something.

Jack Sparrow stuck his head in the room and looked surprised to see the three of us polishing the other's shoe.

"I just wanna let ye know, we are coming up on some land pretty soon, pr'bly an hour or so," he looked us up and down, "What are ye doin'?"

"Uh, polishing?" Lottie offered, looking hesitant, glancing at Genny then at me for reassurance. We nodded rapidly.

"Oh, good…carry on then." he turned and left us still looking rather confused.

The three of us collapsed into giggles, hysterically grabbing onto one another. Suddenly we stopped, incredibly sober.

"Three weeks," I murmured as Cian hopped on to my arm, "It's been three weeks, and he still doesn't know it is me."

"He's been distracted that's all," Lottie offered, putting her arm around me.

"Of course, Gem, and you hardly see him anyways, let alone talk to him. How is he suppose to know?" Genny said patting my arm. Her idiotic cat walked up to me and jumped in to me lap, scaring Cian who screeched at him.

"I think we should just leave as soon as we get on land," Genny said as we were preparing to go onto the shore.

"How do you suppose we explain the hair and the outfits, Gen?" Lottie commented dryly.

"Well, we can just say we were kidnapped by them, they are pirates after all." We all grimaced and looked at the men who were lowering the boat. It had not taken many conversations to realize what these men were (mostly thanks to Pintel and Ragetti), and ever since we tried to keep our distance.

"All right," Father said as he walked up to the boat, "I want you, Mr. Gibbs to watch over my ship."

"Aye Cap'n."

"You, you, you and uh, you three, come with me." He pointed to Pintel, Ragetti, Marty and the three of us. Shocked we walked over with him and hopped into the boat.

"So, he said as we landed in the water, "I see you brought the animals,"

"We, uh, thought it was our responsibility," I said as I looked at Cian, who was trying to stay balanced.

"Yes, of course," Jack seemed to study me carefully, "You look might familiar, do I know you?"

"Oh, um, well," I stuttered, as I looked to Genny for help.

"You see…" she started think hard, her forehead getting wrinkled. At that moment, Pierre the snake decided that he wanted to go take a bath, and slipped into the water, taking Lottie and the rest of the boat with him.

The three of us screamed and swam to shore as fast as possible. Pierre slithered up after us, seeming pleased with himself. Cian tried to get all of the water out of his wings, snapping his beak very indignantly. Jack soon followed us, seeming slightly amused, while Pintel and Ragetti seemed slightly angry at the reptile, Marty just seemed waterlogged.

"Okay," Jack said, "I want you three to stay here and guard the animals and the boat." the rickety old thing washed up on the shore, looking rather pathetic. "The rest of you, come with me." Pintel and Ragetti seemed shocked to have been selected to go somewhere.

"Aye aye cap'n," Pintel said as he walked toward the forest that surrounded the shallow beach.

The four of them stomped off into the forest of the Isle of the Sprites, in rather good spirits.

"I am sure they will be right back," Lottie said as we sat down in the boat.

"I am positive," I replied.

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"They have to be coming back soon," Genny said as she threw a stick in the air. We all looked into the forest. Not a creature stirred, not a breath was breathed. We had been sitting in the boat for six hours, and it was beginning to become dark and cold.

I heard something scurry and sent Cian after it. He returned with a tiny forest mouse. Considering the fact that that wouldn't even feed someone half my size, let alone three starving girls, I let him eat it.

"I am starving!" complained Lottie, lying down on the pale sand, the water just reaching her knees.

"Why couldn't we have landed somewhere that people inhabited?" Genny asked throwing her hands in the air. She paced up and down the strip of land in front of us. At the four hour mark, she had returned from a particularly long bathroom break, claiming that she had gone halfway around the isle and that she had not seen any signs of civilization.

"Are you hungry?" a voice called, a weak warble.

"Of course I'm hungry, Genny," I replied for the umpteenth time. She looked at me oddly, then at Lottie.

"It wasn't me, Charlotte asked," she told me. Lottie looked up at her and shook her head, symbolizing that it wasn't her who asked the question.

We turned our heads in unison. At the bend of the beach, there stood an old lady , with eyes the color of molten amber and a smile as cold as ice.