Chapter 14 Gathering Storm

" Ma, come quick."
Sally burst into the kitchen with a bang of the door that shook the floor boards and the table and set the dough bowls rattling. Her mother turned from her bread making with a worried frown,
"Sal, I've better things to do than run after your every whim, and you've better things to be doin' than takin' the door off its hinges."
She looked out side and nodded towards the sky where the sun was slowly losing its battle with the advancing cloud, grey clouds for the moment but she knew that much darker ones were already massing out at sea.
"'Nother storm is on its way, and I wants all the chores done with afore it arrives. All the fowl need bringing in and penning, goats too, stillrooms need to be secured as well and all the drin' herbs brought under cover. When you've done that help your brother with the shutters. Now get about your business girl and leave me to mine."

"But Ma ya must come, to the still room, now."
She saw her mother's chest rise as she drew a breath sufficient to express her displeasure and hurried on,
"She's here, that other captain that Mr Gibbs told us of. The one from that strange ship."
Still her mother stood and stared at her as if she were daft.
"The one with Captain Sparrow." She breathed excitedly, putting all the persuasiveness she possessed into her voice,.For some reason she didn't understand the woman captain's wishes mattered, just as his had done.
"She wants to talk to you but she won't come closer to the house until she has."

Polly felt her stomach twist and she turned away from her daughter's pleading eyes looking down down at her dough as she wondered what to do. Bad enough that Josh had not returned, worse still that Jack Sparrow had not, but now it seemed as if things had taken yet another turn for the bad. How was she to explain to this second visitor? A woman that even Josh found unnerving, and him a man used to Jack Sparrow and full of stories of the strange and macabre. She remembered, too ,what Captain Sparrow had said and her mouth fell dry, a woman that even he had felt some uncertainty about. Was it more bad news that had brought her here? Yet, as the first shock passed, her trepidation was largely replaced by curiosity, a feeling that increased as she looked back at her daughter's face. For though Sal looked excited there was a hesitancy that she had not shown when it had been Jack Sparrow's arrival that she was announcing.

Slowly Polly wiped her hands on her apron. What manner of woman would chose to sail with the pirate? What manner of woman would cause a pirate like Jack Sparrow to speak of her in such terms? There were many tales of female pirates but Polly had never met one nor heard of anyone else who had, other than that other woman who had sailed with Sparrow when he went after Barbossa, certainly she had never seen another one in Tortuga. There were women who had sailed with pirates through no choice of their own o'course and she had pitied them for it, though no one had ever suggested such black conduct of Jack Sparrow. Even that governor's daughter Josh spoke of so fondly had not truly been a pirate ,for she had not chosen the path that led to Jack Sparrow and his Pearl. Yet it had still led her to her death. Captain Sparrow was not a safe person to know, whatever else he might be. But it seemed that this woman had made her choices freely, no star crossed lover she be, but a woman with a ship and a mind of her own. A woman who was lending her ship to Captain Sparrow's interests for all the dangers; Polly suddenly found that she was eager to see her even knowing that the meeting might lead to tears.

As she crossed the yard she looked up at the clouds darkening above her and wondered whether they were a portent or not.

***

"A white ship ye say?"
Barbossa sounded more alive, more himself, than he had done in days and Marty cast Pintel a wondering look.
"Ay sir," Pintel was carefully respectful, "hard to judge how big, but not small, three masts she had and a fair head of canvas. Near on the Pearl's size seemed to me."
"Low though," Raggeti added, "sat low'rn the Pearl in the water."
Pintel frowned then nodded eagerly in Barbossa's direction,
"Aye that she did, and she was fast, not careful at all, she were movin' as if the ship herself knew the depth of water and what lay below the surface."
"That she were," Raggetti agreed.

"Any sign of her Capt'n."
Barbossa was sitting back in his chair and stroking his beard in a gesture they hadn't seen for a while.
"No sign of anyone." Raggetti put in before Pintel could speak.
Barbossa looked towards them with narrowed eyes,
"None at all?"
Pintel sent a glare in Raggetti's direction, he had hoped not to have to speak of that yet, but now it couldn't be avoided,
"None we could see from the shore Capt'n. No one in the riggin' that is, couldn't see the decks, too far away."
"Eerie she were," Raggetti cut in again. "All white and shining, like she were from another world."
That stilled Barbossa's hand,
"A ghost ship do ye think?" he seemed a little disturbed by the idea, but then which of them wouldn't be after recent experience,
"Can't say Cpt'n" Pintel hurried on "but it weren't the Dutchman. nor Navy either, nor any pirate I've ever seen."
The monkey jumped up from the table and onto Barbossa's shoulder turning his head to grin malevolently at Pintel as if he understood the words.

Barbossa stretched a forefinger to scratch the little head; his smile was a humourless baring of teeth but the most familiar expression they had seen on his face in a while,
"Strange co-incidence would ye not say gentlemen? Jack goes missing with me chart and this strange ship appears. Maybe Jack's help is a little more otherworldly than expected eh?"
"Aye" they all agreed.
He went on stroking the monkey's head as if it were the most important thing in his world,
"No reason for such a vessel to be here, matey's. Beckett be dead and gone, Calypso be free and the Dutchman back on the eternal sea." He nodded to himself, and gave a half laugh laced with bitterness "If there be another eldritch presence in these waters then its been brought here by Jack Sparrow, mark my words."

"Sa we go looking for it?" Marty asked elaborately casual.

Barbossa was quiet for a moment, concentrating on the feel of the monkey's fur beneath his fingers, trying to ignore the voices still screaming around him and the faces hovering on the edges of his vision. But the rage the news of the ship had stirred in him was holding them at bay, for the moment at least. Calypso was behind this, he was sure of it. She had sent whatever this demon ship was to aid Jack Sparrow and help him steal the fountain from them. Her hatred of the Pirate Lords remained and she would damn them all for Jones treachery had merely sealed their fates. Only Jack would be spared, for it had been his hand that had despatched the traitor to her judgement. For that if nothing else she would take his part, he knew it to be so for she had told him. But he could say nothing of that to the crew, for their loyalty was already stretched thinner than his sanity. He must get to Jack before his enemy found the fountain and he must do it while he could still retain enough of himself to command the men around him. There was no choice.
"Aye. That we do."

His eyes strayed to the chart upon the table and desperation took him in its grip again. Where was this white ship headed? What was it that Pintel had said?
"You say she were headed towards Tortuga ?"
"Aye she were that, at least in the general direction," Raggetti replied.
Barbossa nodded with a certainty he didn't feel and got to his feet, his hands wrapped around his pistol butt as little Jack shrieked his apparent agreement
"Then gentlemen that be our direction too, I doubt she be as fast as the Pearl in open sea, we'll catch up with her soon enough. To ya stations now and get us underway, there be no more time to lose if she's not ta get away from us."

***

The woman was sat on the same barrel as the last uninvited visitor had chosen and Polly was not surprised when she saw the pistol that was being levelled at her in the same way, though some part of her was taken aback that the hand that gripped it was as steady as Jack Sparrow's had been. This visitor was sat in shadow, just as he had been, and rose as Polly closed the door just as he had done, and in the dim light she looked to be little more than a shaving or two off his height. Polly could feel her presence even at this distance and in the poor light and her unease increased.

Like him she spoke first,
"Are you Polly?"
The voice was not what she had been expecting, not raucous or harsh at all, but low pitched and beautiful, a voice that invited you to come closer and trust its owner. The words were each clearly marked without a hint of drawl or laziness, the woman was obviously educated and some long forgotten part of Polly's brain whispered 'lady' to her, though she had never met a high born lady in her life. Even so the voice was casting its spell and she found herself regarding the shadow of its owner with respect,
"Aye, I'm Polly ma'am," she heard herself say.
The woman nodded and might have smiled, she couldn't be sure.
"Captain Cavendish will do. Miss, if that is too much of a mouthful."
Polly nodded,
"Whatever you says Captain." She moved slowly a little further away from the door, "Captain Sparrow said you might call, but I not be sure what help I can give ye."
Once again she thought the woman might have smiled but her beautiful voice was dry when she replied,
"Did he now? Why does that not surprise me?"
Polly thought she heard a faint sigh,
"What exactly did he say?"
"Just tha' ye might come, not that he was sure. If ye did I was to tell ye all that had happened and ye would decide what was best to do."
Polly shot the shadow a sly look,
"I got a feelin' that he hoped ye'd come, but was afreared to be certain of it. Makes me wonda what kind of woman that ye be that Jack Sparrow should be so uncertain."
Now she was sure the woman smiled,
"A careful one Polly, a careful one, and one that has a ship of her own."
Polly smiled back and nodded sagely,
"Aye that would put ye in a singular position right enough."

The shadow seemed to tilt her head as if in thought about that,
"It does indeed." the smile was now clear in her voice.
Polly inclined her head towards the pistol, still level and steady,
"No need for that Captain, as I told Jack Sparrow, none here wishes ye any harm."
"Yet he hasn't come back."
The smile was still there in the voice but so was a hint of a threat, and Polly reminded herself that the woman opposite her was no farm girl or portside whore, but one of a much more dangerous persuasion,
"None of our doin' Captain." She strove to sound calm when in truth her heart was racing, "he left for the town with my son to find Josh, I expected them back yesterday but so far there has been no sign. I hope it's the storm that's delayed them, but my Ben tells me that other things may have gone wrong."
The woman sighed,
"I thought that they might have done." For a moment she seemed to turn in on herself as if reviewing some internal argument, the pistol still visible and steady, then the pistol disappeared and she sighed again,
"You had better tell me all about it."

***

The Intrepid wasn't the fastest ship on the seas nor was she the most formidable, but she was one of the most reliable of the Fleet's workhorses and so unlikely to attract excessive attention, which was why she had been assigned. Even the Admiralty was uncertain about the degree to which they wanted be openly associated with the current venture, though few would deny the importance of the mission in private. Groves understood this but it didn't make him any easier with his part in it. Not for the first time he wondered if he were being tricked again and what he could do to be sure. As always the answer seemed to be that he couldn't.

For the hundredth time he wished that James Norrington had survived.

As he stared out towards the horizon, feeling the stiffness of the parchment sheets in his shirt crackle as he extended his arm along the rail, he wondered yet again what the Commodore would have made of it. He closed his eyes, recalling his last discussions with the man himself, remembering the look in his eyes as he spoke of Beckett, the suspicion and something close to hatred in his voice, the hesitant fingers stroking the hilt of the sword he had seemed almost afraid of. Groves wondered if he might not have agreed with it after all.

Groves knew that he personally had been more fortunate than he had any right to expect, many of the crew of the Endeavour had perished in that final broadside and he was on of the few who had survived the dive into the sea. One of the very few who had been picked up his own side too, most of the others had been pulled aboard the pirates, some to their deaths, others to be held at Shipwreck as hostages against future attack. More than one of the fleeing fleet, running scared before the sight of the Flying Dutchman and the death of their commander, had been taken for that purpose too. Even more than this good fortune was his masters willingness to excuse his part in Beckett's actions , written off as inexperience; maybe his defence of his fallen commander had played some part in that, though it had not been his reason for doing so, for their Lordships liked their officers loyal. But he wished he could be sure that was their reason.

"What now?" the quiet, calm, voice of Captain Hathaway came from close behind him.
"We try somewhere else sir. My orders are quite clear I must find Jack Sparrow whatever effort that may require."
"Our orders Lieutenant, our orders." The voice was mildly rebuking.
"Yes sir, of course."
Groves reminded himself once more that it was unlikely that he had been turned loose without some watch upon him, whatever the exigencies of the need.
"You are quite sure that he wasn't there?"
Hathaway kept his voice low, as if to ensure they were not overheard, and Groves willingly followed his lead,
"Not in the town sir, at least I could find no trace of him. His man Gibbs would have been of some help, we thought we had located him but our questions must have alerted other parties to the possible profit and they went looking for him too. Whatever the cause he dropped out of sight, perhaps at Sparrow's instructions. Gibbs was once in the navy but what loyalties he has now seem to be reserved for Jack Sparrow."
The other man seemed a little surprised,
"Which may tell us something about the man we seek," he said thoughtfully.
Groves nodded,
"Indeed, Sparrow is not the usual run of Caribbean pirates it's true."

Hathaway pursed his lips,
"Might he not have been hiding away from the port? Was there no sign of him on your journey to and from the town?"
"No, but then we were careful not to attract attention to a our presence, in the town we could hide amongst those who come and go but elsewhere we would be noticed simply by being strangers."
"So he may have a hide out somewhere else on the island?"
Groves shook his head,
"It seems unlikely from what we know of him, but then Jack Sparrow is .. Jack Sparrow, so who can say with certainty?" he smiled slightly, "but he is not the most inconspicuous of characters."
The captain nodded,
"So I have heard. Except when he wants to be that is. I've been told all of the stories too Lieutenant. "
Groves nodded and smiled at a sudden memory,
"Commodore Norrington said he was the best pirate he'd ever seen."
Hathaway's eyebrows rose,
"Indeed, and he would have seen a few. Certainly more than I have and so I will defer to his judgement. But while this Sparrow carries the highest bounty he is not the most fearsome of pirates by all account, even though his charge sheet is lengthy. Not one I'd put all this effort into hanging. However I assume it is not his hanging that their Lordships want from the matter?"
Groves felt the weight of the documents in his shirt,
"No sir, they do not. We must seek to prevent his death if at all possible. For the moment at least."
The other man nodded as if not surprised,
"Hmmm, and I must not ask what it is that they do want from this best of pirates." He raised a placatory hand, "that was not a question Groves for I have already been well schooled in the answer."

Hathaway stared out to the growing mass of cloud,
"You were chosen for this business because you know most about him? Or because of your service with James Norrington?"
Groves shuffled, suddenly uncomfortable, wondering what the rest of the crew made of this strange order and his part in it, and how much this man knew of Norrington' and his fate.
"I have seen him sir, Sparrow that is, and seen something of what he is capable of, I claim no more than that."
The captain nodded silently his eyes still fixed on the signs of the growing storm,
"We are sure that his ship left him behind?" he said eventually.
"Yes sir."
Captain Hathaway nodded again,
"The stories say that he waited ten years to reclaim the Black Pearl. If we could capture her, would it be enough to draw him out of hiding do you think?"
Groves looked towards his companion with a sudden smile,
"It might sir, indeed it might."
Hathaway drummed thoughtful fingers on the rail, apparently lost in his own thoughts again,
"There is another storm on the way," he said with no apparent consequence, "there seems to be more of them than is usual of late."
Groves recalled the maelstrom and suppressed a shudder, that such a storm to break with no warning still baffled him,
"So it would seem sir."
Hathaway watched the sky for a little longer, his fingers still beating a tattoo on the rail; finally he turned around,
"Then I suggest to you Mr Groves, that as we can't find the man we invest a little time in finding the ship. It is after all a somewhat bigger target."

For a moment the shade of James Norrington rose up before Grove's eyes, and he was suddenly convinced that the Commodore would have approved of this captain.
"Ay sir," was all he said.
For a moment there was silence then Hathaway nodded to Groves, his brow thoughtful and his eyes hooded, and then he strode away.

***

The morning brought the lull before the second storm and no chance of slipping away unseen. Jack had fretted at the lack of progress but resigned himself and reflected that Elanor may well have been prevented from returning by the storm, if so she might be on her way back only now. With any luck the approaching bad weather would persuade her it was safe to remain in the bay and await his return. If she did not? Well there was nothing that he could do to change it, all he could do was return with Gibbs to Polly's farmstead and hope that she returned. If she didn't then he would have to think again. Though thought was a little painful for the moment for his sleep had been disturbed both by the pain in his head and dreams of the locker.

"Ben may come to town today," Gibbs had said as he pushed a mug of small ale into Jack's hand, "He'll want to be back home before the weather worsens again so he'll come early I'm thinking. Abel will keep a watch for him at the quay and send him here when he arrives."
Jack shook his head then grimaced as it protested, he hurriedly swallowed a fortifying swig of ale,
"There's not likely to be anyone putting to sea with more heavy weather on the way, so why would he come?" he said, "No reason for him to do so, not when he was only here a two days ago."
The weariness in his voice betrayed that he had not slept well and Gibbs shot him a guilty look as he sighed,
"Aye, that be true I suppose. Unless Pol sends him looking for us."
"Ah but will she?"
"Women be powerfully curious creatures, Jack, you know that. She'll want to be knowin' what's agoin' on I'm thinkin'"
"Though true enough in the general I'm not sure about the particular of that, at least not this particular particular." Jack warily shook his head again as that sentence made it past the fug swirling around his brain, "But I hope you are right in this particular.....particular because I've no taste for a four hour walk in a storm."

Gibbs goggled at him in consternation,
"Nay Jack, that's not to be thought of. Third parties may be gone but are you sure of that? Then there are those whose curiosity has been aroused, so to speak, not a good time to be out in the open."
"Mebbe, but we need to collect those grapples and get back to the bay. Elanor may not wait forever. But best not in daylight, as you say, too many people around who might be interested in our doings. We'll wait till nightfall then review our options."
He waved his mug in Gibbs direction,
"We need those grapples though before we leave."
Gibbs nodded and finsihed his own ale at a gulp,
"Aye, I've arranged with Sampson that the potman will collect them when he fetches the new barrels. Can't borrow the cart though so we'll need to acquire one from somewhere. Sampson may have some ideas about where there may be one lyin' around for the borrowin'.
Jack emptied his mug and flapped a hand,
"I'll leave it in your capable hands shall I?"
Then he stretched himself out on a bale in the shadows, pulled his hat over his eyes and prepared to catch up on his sleep,
"Aye, I'll be about it then," Gibbs replied with a smile.
"Uh huh," Jack settled himself more comfortably, "wake me at sun down."

***

Ben had protested to no avail, Captain Cavendish had listened to Polly's story, thought for a moment, sighed and announced her intention to go to town herself. Which involved Ben in taking the cart there, a prospect he found nearly as unwelcome as taking the pirate had been. Two hours with this unsettling woman was not to his taste, with a storm coming too, but she seemed determined to do it though he was unclear as to why,
"God only knows what the pair of them have got themselves into. I'd rather go and find out now than hang around waiting to be told," was her only explanation.

Polly looked at her with disquiet, for there was no way she could see that this woman could enter the town without causing a riot. She cast her a doubtful look,
"How do ye plan to hide yerself ma'am?"
"Hide myself? " the woman seemed not to have considered that, "do I need to?"
Polly swallowed hard and wondered how to say it without causing an offence she was most concerned to avoid. Jack Sparrow had spoken no less than the truth about her and even with his warning Polly had found her first sight of the woman in the light something she was unlikely to ever forget. Others might try to do more than just gawp.
"Well you are like to attract a degree of unwelcome attention," she said carefully, "female pirates not being that plentiful you see, and female captains even less so."

The woman smiled ruefully.
"Yes of course, stupid of me. Do you have any clothes that I might borrow?" She frowned, "How would a woman wishing to pass unnoticed normally disguise herself?"
Polly drew a deep breath, and let her glance flick quickly over the tall figure with its long and elegant neck and sweeping curves, she sighed again,
"Well, she might dress as a lad, but it be hard to see how you would manage that, no disrespect meant ma'am." She added hurriedly.
Captain Cavendish looked down at herself for a moment and then smiled a slightly wicked smile.
"Point taken. Not a boy then. So what manner of woman would I need to be to pass unnoticed? A whore maybe?"
Polly was shocked by the casualness with which she said it but that was fast replaced by concern, she could not be certain what effect this woman would have on the occupants of a tavern tap room dressed as such, but she was sure it would involve bloodshed somewhere along the line. Ben laughed from the corner and said what was in his mother's mind,
"I think not ma'am. You'd cause many a fight and certainly not pass unnoticed."
The captains brows rose, but she shrugged,
"I will be guided by you on that, though I'm not sure I understand why. What then do you suggest?"

Polly looked at her doubtfully, and with some despair. Nothing they could do would hide this woman, even if they had posses suitable garments she would still draw every eye in Tortuga towards her simply by breathing. Jack Sparrow had called her a polished angel and he had spoken no less than the truth. Beautiful did not describe her and yet it was the only word there was, but it was a beauty that was terrifying and not meant for living flesh. A beauty that might inspire fear or hatred or worship no less often than it awakened lust. Her face seemed not only to be too perfect to be real but to be designed to inspire awe, as if an artist had sought for the most perfect form that he could imagine then made it more so. Everything about her spoke of the same inhuman perfection, the flawless skin had the sheen of silk, the wide blue green eyes with their almond shape and upward slant were large and clear, her mouth so wonderfully formed with lips the colour of early berries below a nose as straight and chiselled as ever she had seen on a female face. The planes of that face were strong but agreeably balanced, shaped so that no flaw could be seen however long and hard you looked.

Nor did the wonder stop with her face, for the rest of her was no less impressive. Though her curves were strongly female there was a hint of strength and hardness about her body that warned you to tread warily around her, hinted that her strength might be as formidable as her beauty. She was taller than most with long legs and shoulders wide enough to balance that swan neck and the swell of her breast. When she moved the play of skin spoke of muscle below the velvet covering and of power contained with grace. The silver gilt hair was thick as a thorn thicket, she wor it braided around her head and it looked to be as long as Sparrow's own. Polly had never seen her like, and Captain Sparrow had been right she might indeed be taken for an angel; when she smiled showing white and even teeth there was a hint of something that suggested a fallen angel might well be possible.

As she had every other minute since she had first set eyes on her Polly wondered what Jack Sparrow made of her and she of him. For there was no denying that Captain Sparrow had more than his fair share of something close to beauty and if ever a woman matched him then this was she. Which gave Polly an idea, though the temerity of it shook her,
"Don't hide." She said quickly ignoring the stares of her children and the raised brows of the captain, "You can't, so don't try."
The woman tilted her head and regarded with curiosity,
"Oh? What are you suggesting then?"
She seemed unconcerned enough, which gave Polly the courage to go on,
"We can give you a shirt and a hat, let down and tie back your hair, and that will have to do. Don't mention your ship or your name but look for Jack Sparrow openly. There are many stories about Captain Sparrow, legends ye might say. Seems to me that a lady such as yourself would make a fitting addition to them. Folks will draw their own conclusions and they will persuade themselves more surely than anything you try to do."

Captain Cavendish seemed to think about that for a moment, then that wicked edged smile returned,
"Never explain and never excuse," she said softly. "Appear from no where and disappear again, another mystery to add to the lists."
"Aye."
The smile widened,
"I like it." She cast Polly an approving look, "Does Mr Gibbs know the devious side of you Polly, I wonder?"
Polly found herself grinning back,
"I wouldn't know ma'am, but I'd think not."
The woman threw back her head and laughed, an infectious and attractive sound.
"Wise woman." The smile became cat like, "I wonder what Jack will make of my addition to his legend."
Polly cast her a sly glance,
" I've no doubt he'll not object, and no more doubt that he will help the good folks of the town towards the most suitable explanation of your lookin' for him."

The captain looked her inscrutably for a moment, something flickering through her eyes that set Polly's nerves on end, then the look faded, laughter flamed in her eyes and she grinned,
"I'll have to see what I can do help him with that."