Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing related to Pirates of the Caribbean. That belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer, Disney, and a bunch of other people. Only original characters and plotlines are mine.

AN: Here's chapter 10! I know I'm updating early, but I'm on a major roll with writing this week, and might even post a new story in a new category, though I'm not sure yet (I'm still writing and tweaking, just to be sure it reads alright). Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and please don't forget to review!

Chapter 10: Different Kinds of Learning:

When it came time for my next lesson in weaponry, I was shocked to find Jack standing there, arguing with Anna-Maria and Mr. Gibbs while the other crewmembers pretended not to be overhearing their conversation. It would have been hilarious, had I not been so worried at what the argument was about.

As they couldn't hear me above their shouting, I had to pull out my little silver bell, which was pressed under my shirt and vest. Knowing that it would take a lot of noise to gain their attention, I grit my teeth and shook the bell with all my might.

I was able to get the crew's attention fairly quickly, but it took a little while for Anna, Gibbs, and Jack to notice that I was making the commotion. When they finally quieted down, I put the bell away and gestured to ask what in the world was going on.

Mr. Gibbs looked rather embarrassed, but Anna and Jack looked torn between annoyed, surprised, and amused. Well, Jack looked amused –Anna seemed mostly annoyed. All three of them looked at me, and it seemed to take them a little while to understand what I was trying to ask them.

"No worries, Rina," Anna said, glaring at Jack. "The Captain seems to think that he's a better teacher for you than I am. Gibbs was trying to make a case for the both of us, but apparently it isn't working."

I sighed, shaking my head at the whole thing. Looking towards Jack, I gave him a questioning glance, hoping that he would understand what I was trying to ask him. He must have, since he was quick to give me a reassuring glance.

"I just want to give you the best instruction possible, Marina," he said, glaring at his first and second mates. "You're the most disadvantaged of us, since you can't speak or protect yourself, and since I'm the best fighter aboard, it seems only right for me to teach you, rather than Anna-Maria."

Anna sniffed in distain. "Aye, but you were the one who wanted me to teach her in the first place," she retorted. "You put her in my care, and since instructing her in weaponry is part of being under my care, that means it's my job."

Jack's face grew so hard and fierce, it made even Anna gulp and step back. "I've changed my mind," he growled.

The sentence hung in the air, frozen as I stared between the three of them. Anna actually looked away, as did Gibbs and all the other men around us. It was astounding, seeing Jack take control like this –he was normally so kind and carefree. But why was he acting this way?

"Now, Rina," Jack said, his voice softening as he addressed me. "Have you finished making that soup for our lunch yet?" I nodded. "Good. Anna here will go fetch your sword, and then we'll get down to business. Meet me in five minutes by the helm."

With that, he turned and left me standing there, gaping.

Jack didn't know why he had acted that way in front of poor Marina, but his temper had gotten the better of him.

'I do not like being questioned by my crew,' he silently growled to himself, 'Particularly when it comes to my orders!'

He was, after all, the Captain, and everyone aboard his ship was under his command. Since he wasn't cruel or doled out beatings, the crew followed orders because he was a fair Captain who never asked the impossible or the improbable of them. So far as he was concerned, taking over Marina's fighting lessons was perfectly reasonable.

'I just wish I hadn't gotten so angry in front of her,' he thought sorrowfully. She was a sweet girl, and he very much hoped that he hadn't frightened her with his full display of authority.

Well, she was bound to be exposed to it, sooner or later. At least it wasn't when they were in the middle of a raid; otherwise she would have been frightened out of her wits by the orders he was giving!

Fingering the grip of his blade, Jack looked down towards the deck, and sighed. It was time to give a lesson in survival to one who needed it most.

In the cabin I shared with my friend, I was incredibly anxious as I held my sword in my hand. Anna had been keeping it for me, but now that Jack was my teacher, she decided it might be best to put it in my possession.

"That way, I won't have to fetch it for you whenever you need it," she explained. "Besides, one of these days, Jack will probably order you to carry that weapon wherever you go, to get used to wearing it and moving around with it. Like you wear your knife and don't even think about it being there."

Well, that made sense, but handling it still made me uneasy. A knife was essential to my people, since it served not only as a weapon, but also as a tool so that we could eat shellfish and other things that fingers alone could not kill. A sword, however, was just a weapon, and a dangerous one at that.

"Alright then," Anna said, scowling. "Let's get you up to the Captain."

She must have seen the fear in my eyes, because she sighed and reached out to gently grip my shoulder. "Don't look so worried, Rina," she tried to sooth me. "Though I'd never admit it to his face, Jack is a skilled fighter, and it is somewhat of an honor to have him teach you."

That made me feel a little better, but when I realized that she said he was a skilled fighter, my fears returned. Would he have patience to train me, or would he lose his temper because I was a beginner and might shame him? I did not want Jack angry at me –he had always been so kind before. Would this training change all of that?

My mind was filled with fear and doubt as I climbed onto the deck. From here I could see Jack stood near the helm, waiting. Once he spotted me, he motioned for me to join him, which I slowly did. Up the steps I went, sweat prickling the back of my neck as I approached him. Part of me was terrified to find myself facing the image that had formed inside my head, that of a legendary pirate and fighter. But another part was cheering me on, telling me to try and make him proud.

To my relief, instead of a frown or a scowl, Jack merely gave me a cheerful grin and motioned for me to draw my sword. "Let's see what Anna has taught you so far, Rina," he said. "I know you were with her for only an hour, but I want to break you of any bad habits you might have before we go too far into it. Once I know what those are, we'll work from there, savvy?"

Forcing a smile onto my face, I nodded, displaying a confidence that I didn't feel. Jack seemed to not notice, for he told me to take a stance and show him how Anna had showed me to hold my blade. I did so, and waited for the critiquing to come.

To my surprise, Jack was rather gentle in correcting me. Perhaps I shouldn't have been as surprised as I was, since I knew him to be a good man, but it still came as a shock.

First, he corrected my stance by putting a firm but gentle hand on my waist, one of his feet tapping wherever my legs or feet were out of place. A soft tap pushed one foot a little further in front of the other, while a soft word in my ear told me to bend or straighten one of my knees.

"Right, there you are," he said after a few moments, smiling. "From now on, practice that stance whenever you're standing still. Try it when you're doing the cooking, or on deck, standing still. That way, it becomes a habit and a natural place to put your feet."

I nodded my understanding, and prepared for the next part of the lesson, which was how to hold a blade. Jack corrected me with his hands, again with a gentle touch and instructions.

"Whatever you do, keep your blade up," he said. "Don't lower it for anything, do you understand? If you do, your enemy won't hesitate to attack, because he'll think you're weak or exhausted. And if you are worn out, try not to look it, or else you're dead."

The gulp I swallowed was silent, but also very visible to Jack. He saw my fright and put one of his heavily ringed hands on my shoulder to calm me. "I'm not trying to scare you, Rina," he softly told me. "I just want you to be aware of the dangers we face on this ship as pirates."

He motioned for me to sit, which I did, choosing a nearby barrel as my seat. Jack took another, his face serious. "Marina, you must know that neither Anna nor Gibbs will be able to protect you during a battle, which is why you must learn to fight. Even if we were to lock you below, there's no guarantee that an enemy won't manage to find their way down to your cabin and break into it. You must be able to defend yourself against anyone who wishes you harm. Do you understand?"

I nodded, but he wasn't finished. "Besides, if we were to lock you in your cabin, and the ship were to catch fire – or, God forbid, begin to sink – then you wouldn't be able to escape easily."

A cold shiver went up my back as Jack reached out and squeezed my shoulder. "Now, let's see what else can be accomplished today, shall we?"

Gathering my courage, I rose from my seat and took a stance as Jack skillfully drew his own blade.

As their lesson drew to a close, Jack felt just a small smidge of guilt over having frightened Marina half to death, but it could be helped. She needed to be frightened, if only to make her understand the situation she'd found herself in.

During their lesson, however, she managed to not only get over her fears, but to also pick up a few things from him before she had to return to the galley for her chores. Her stance needed work, but her grip was a firm one, and even if she was a little unsteady on her feet, she was still able to dodge or block whenever Jack reached out to smack her (gently) with the side of his blade.

To be quite honest, the silent girl had proved herself to be a good student, and more than capable of learning. When she'd first joined his ship, he had thought that Marina's muteness meant that she would be dull when it came to the area of wits, and that she would be a burden to him and his crew.

'How wrong I was about that!' he thought, smiling as he called their lesson to an end.

"Alright, Rina," he said, sliding his sword into its sheath. "You stretch out and walk a bit to make sure your muscles don't stiffen, and then you can go. I'll see you again later this afternoon, after you've got the evening's stew cooking on the stove and cleaned up afterwards, savvy?"

She nodded and headed down to the main deck, clearly intent on taking a short walk around it. Along the way, she paused to greet Anna-Maria, who smiled and proudly clapped a hand on her shoulder. Gibbs was next, and he seemed just as proud as Anna was.

Around the deck Marina went, some of the men waving or nodding to her as she passed by. When she reached the steps heading down into the ship, she paused long enough to smile at Marty the Dwarf, who said something that made her give one of her odd, wheezing laughs. When her amusement settled, she patted his bald head and went down into the galley, leaving Jack wondering after her.

'Well, she's certainly found a proper place aboard,' he marveled, stepping to take the helm from Cotton's hands. 'Never thought that would happen.'

Of course, a sweet girl like her was bound to make friends with just about anyone around her. She was a smart girl with a sense of humor, and though it pained him to even think it, Marina was also a good listener. No doubt, if she could talk, the conversations she could provide would make his mind spin!

'And she not only likes listening to the men talk about their adventures, but they like having her as an audience. There aren't many women in the world who would listen with more than one ear to what my men have to say about their experiences at sea.'

In Jack's opinion, there were two ways to a man's heart: through his stomach, and by listening to his chatter about the 'times' he'd had, both good and bad. Marina was swiftly learning to do both. Her cooking had the men happier than he'd seen them in a long time, since they no longer had to worry about spending hours tossing up poisoned meals over the side of the Pearl.

But it was probably her listening that got her their acceptance. Sailors loved to have someone pay attention to them while they reminisced about 'the old days,' or talked about recent battles or pillaging. And if that listener happened to be a pretty girl who seemed to be genuinely interested, so much the better! It was no wonder that Gibbs, Perkins, Marty and the lot of them were happy to have her, an eager audience, here onboard.

And her show of obedience to his rules was astounding. Most women by this time would be bored witless, or tired of the restrictions that Jack had bound them to. Being stuck aboard the Pearl while the men explored and enjoyed their shore leave would have infuriated any other woman, as it had Marina, but she had seen sense in his words and done as he'd asked. To reward her for not going against him, Jack had allowed Anna to take the girl ashore for walks whenever possible.

'After she learns to defend herself, I'll let her go ashore with Anna and a few of the more trustworthy men, so that she can have some fun.' A few parties on deck could hardly make up for time on land, exploring.

Sighing, Jack focused his gaze on the sea and on their next destination. It was time to see if there was a stray merchant ship making its way across the Atlantic, before the crew became restless.

Tossing and turning in my bed, I finally gave up on trying to sleep. After two exciting lessons from Jack, I'd thought that I would be far too exhausted to remain awake. Instead, I'd had too much excitement, and needed to rest my mind. Perhaps the deck and the fresh sea air would give me that.

Dressing myself quickly, I pulled on my boots and left Anna-Maria asleep as I slipped out the cabin, quietly shutting the door behind me.

To my relief, the deck was quiet and deserted, all except for Mr. Cotton, who was at the helm. I waved at him, then proceeded up to the bow of the ship, where the tall partition hid me from view. Alone with the peace and quiet of the sea, I closed my eyes and let my mind drift into the depths below.

Some of the great predators were out and about, hunting for a late meal. They would find something, no doubt about that –the sea was always busy, no matter what time of day it was. Some of the creatures would be resting, or even asleep, but mostly, the entire ocean teemed with ever-moving life.

'The dolphins and whales would be resting, though, or asleep,' I reminded myself.

Well, they would be half asleep. Unless they had a safe hiding place, it was dangerous for any creature in the sea to fully sleep, and as far as I knew, only the merfolk could rest without the risk of getting eaten. However, we only slept when we were someplace safe –whenever we were in the open ocean, the most we could do was keep ourselves half conscious, in case of danger.

But these thoughts were clouding my mind, and I needed to relax if I was to get any rest tonight.

Once more, I let my mind gently drift, like the slow currents beneath me. It took me to a small gathering of dolphins hovering in the water a short ways away. They were quite fortunate that the Pearl was a good enough distance away, so that they were in no danger of getting hurt as we sailed past. A few of the older females sensed my mind's presence, but since I was no danger to them, they ignored it in favor of a good night's rest.

Further away from the dolphins, and in the opposite direction, was a small gathering of sharks, though none of the larger killer ones. These were creatures my size, or a little smaller, and they were feasting on a swarm of fish that could not escape the mass of circling predators.

A brush against the cool, calm, calculating minds of the feasting sharks was enough for my own to settle, and allowed me to think about what had kept me awake so late.

It was Jack.

The handsome pirate had stirred feelings that I had never experienced before. They were warm, lifting emotions that I had heard about from those who were mated, and though they felt good, I did not know if these were good things for me to feel.

I tried to crush them, push them aside so that I wouldn't feel them anymore. I could not feel anything more than friendship for Jack –it would be foolish to do otherwise. He was a worldly man, and I was a mermaid-turned-human, shakily making her way through this new world and searching for acceptance. He would never feel anything more than kindness and a friend-like fondness for me.

'But his hands were so gentle as they held me,' whispered a small part of my heart. 'He was careful with me, and didn't yell or curse even once during our whole lesson.'

He hadn't even gotten frustrated or angry when I couldn't do things correctly. Anna had gotten a little flustered, but Jack had been patience itself as he adjusted my stance and used his hands to bend an elbow or turn my shoulders a bit.

I flushed. No merman had ever made such an impression on me, not in my three centuries of life. None had even approached me to declare their attraction, not like they had with others I knew or were related to. Perhaps Jack's touch had brought out a longing that I had buried deep in my heart, one that had been dormant until now.

A memory came to me, one that quelled the hope I had begun to cling to. 'I remember hearing the thoughts of someone onboard thinking about how popular Jack is with women. Apparently human females find him irresistible, myself included. It might be a type of magic that he has, like the Faery Folk of legend do with their glamour.'

But no, that wasn't it. If Jack had possessed any sort of magic, I would know –after all, we merfolk were magical, and magic called to magic. No, Jack was human, utterly human, so his ability to attract women must be a natural skill of his.

'And since he is so fond of women in general, there is no chance that he would feel anything for me.'

I sighed. Calypso had said that, once I found someone to love me as I am, my voice would return. If Jack was not meant for me, then perhaps I ought to focus my energies on finding a mate who could love me in spite of my muteness. Surely with all of the sailing we were doing, I would find at least one man who would find me appealing?

'Hope is the best thing for me,' I reasoned, somehow managing to cheer myself.

Opening my eyes, I turned and headed back to my cabin, ready to rest.

Standing in the shadows, Jack watched Marina head below deck, his eyes focused on where she had been long after she'd vanished. The girl was a constant puzzle for him, one that he very much enjoyed trying to understand. He did so love a challenge, particularly when life got a little too mundane for him.

Part of him protested, reminding him that the girl was mute, after all, and innocent. However, that was part of her appeal –that gentle innocence which tempted the rogue pirate he was.

'Not that I'd take advantage of the poor girl,' he hastily thought, scowling at the ladder leading downwards.

But he had liked holding her, just that little bit during their lessons. He'd liked how her hip and waist fit his palm, and how soft her hand had been under his as he corrected her hold on the sword's hilt.

"Bah, I'm woolgathering," he grumbled, shaking his head as he turned towards his quarters.

An hour later, as he fell into deep slumber, Jack dreamed of eyes as blue as the Caribbean on a clear morning, and just as deep.

AN: Review?