A Pirate's Life 4: The Sparrow's Nest

Chapter 7: The Celebration


"'S this for?" Jack asked his father as the man handed him an unopened bottle of rum. He was still glancing round warily at the men and women in the room who still hadn't made a move to throw pointy objects at him or try and shoot him.

...Something strange was definitely happening.

"Few hours till new year," the man said and glanced at an old clock on the dusty mantle.

Jack tilted his head wondering how he'd spent so much time asleep on the beach but it seemed to have helped him feel better after the storm. It had also been lucky that he'd made it just in time for the new year by arriving yesterday. He suspected that he'd had a little help from a certain sea godess, perhaps the storm hadn't set them of course after all...

He also remembered something from his childhood, as an old tradition where they'd have a celebration with rum, good food and women, lots and lots of women from the town, but he'd only ever been to the party once before he'd left. "Oh..." he muttered, "Why this year?" but the man only shrugged in reply.

He lead them down to the ships and told Jack to ready the 'Pearl' and to make for open sea. Teague ignored his son's questioning and eventually Jack relented and did as the man said.

"Weigh anchor, yer dogs!" Jack shouted with a grin. He loved shouting orders at his crew on his ship. They made for open waters through the waterfall and then dropped anchor on Teague's orders away from the shore.

Young Will and Elizabeth watched on the deck of the 'Pearl' as four other huge ships joined them in the sea. The 'Doubloon' for captain Valerie with Barbossa's 'Neptune' not far behind, then grandmama's old ship the 'Harlot', with the ships of 'Quick Draw' and 'Ace' as well. It was an inspiring display of the grandure of a dying age of piracy.

The colossal ships came from behind the cove and soon all the ships were moored close together, close enough to shout across to people on the nearby ship.

It was getting increasingly darker and each ship began lighting lanterns as Jack and his crew waited in the gathering shadows. Soon they felt their ships jostle in the water as it rippled violently, and they ran across to the starboard rails to see a flag emerge from the water.

Everyone watched in awe as the main mast of the 'Flying Dutchman' quickly emerged from the depths and soon the grand ship was floating with gushing fountains of water streaming off her deck.

"Father!" Young Will shouted and smiled across at the ship. Jack glanced across at his own fathers' ship and saluted the man at the helm with a grin.

"Lower the plank!" Jack shouted and a gangplank was readied as the 'Dutchman' came to rest beside the 'Pearl'. The small boy ran cross to his fathers' open arms as Elizabeth followed him happily.

For a while the crews swung across to the other ships and drank, gambled and drunk some more. Stories were told and sea chanties were sung loudly and very off key, but fun was had by all.

Jack swung across to the 'Dutchman' and smiled at Bootstrap, "Yer look better without all the..." Jack said and motioned to the clear face of his friend that had once been covered with barnacles. He shook hands with his old friend and they talked of old times. Old adventures before the mutiny, of mermaids and magic swords and of heathen gods.

Jack was as warmly greeted by Will who thanked him for -occasionally- looking out for his son and told him of his adventures between the worlds.

"When I got the message from your father I thought he was pulling my leg," Will the second, captain of the 'Dutchman' laughed. "He had it delivered to me by a crab!"

"A white one?" Jack asked seriously and Will nodded curiously, "I knew it!" Jack muttered but waved a dismissive hand at the other captain. They talked well into the night but they heard a shot fired from Teague's ship and they all whipped their heads over to his ship.

The flamboyant captain was pointing his pistol into the sky and stared across at his son on the 'Dutchman'. Jack smiled as he began to hear the man's crew begin counting down from 10. Young Will joined in and smiled as he saw everyone smiling and drinking.

"Nine...eight...seven...six...five...four...three...two...one..." they shouted and then every ship let of a volley of bullets and people tossed their hats into the air. Bottles were tossed as well and alcohol was sprayed onto the decks.

Jack made his way onto his father's ship and saw the man sitting against the steps and playing his guitar. He recognised the slow tune as one from his childhood, it had been one of his mother's favourites, his father had written it for her...or he used to say he had. Jack had believed Sam as a child, but perhaps the man had plagiarised...they were pirates after all.

He sat beside his father and the two knocked their rum bottles together in a toast to the new year. Now words were exchanged but none were needed. Instead they watched in comfortable silence as the crew of the 'Troubadour' and beside her, the 'Pearl'l continued laughing and drinking well into the morning.

Perhaps the golden age of piracy was over, and their way of life was dying out, but every one of them that night vowed to keep it alive however they could.