Chapter 50
The ropes binding her arms were cut. Her legs, however remained tied to the mast. Jewel fell flat on her face to the amusement of the crew.
She pushed herself up and scanned the deck for Jocard, but he had gone. The ropes for her legs were finally cut. She got up to her feet and walked around the deck. She was continuously pushed and shoved by the crew, until she was pushed to a door. She turned to walk away from it, but all the men formed a wall.
No turning back. Jewel thought turning back to the door. She opened it and was pushed from behind to the ground. The door was closed behind her, the deep laughter of the men coming from behind it.
"Nice hospitality you have Jocard." Jewel grumbled
"I apologize for my men, we usually torture what captives we have." came Jocards voice. Jewel stood and saw the large round table she fell in front of. Jocard was across it, what looked like a small feast in front of him. He held his hand out.
"Please, Miss Sparrow, take a seat." he said. Jewel saw an overturned chair and picked it up. She placed it on the ground and sat at her end of the table. She remained quiet, unsure of what to say in front of the Pirate Lord of the Atlantic Ocean. From what she heard, he had a tendency to cut people's tongues off at random.
"What is your father doing without you?" Jocard asked
"You know him?" Jewel asked, instantly regretting asking the question.
Of course he knows him! Jewel thought, They're both pirate lords, they have to know each other. Stupid Jewel asking stupid questions like that!
"Of course!" Jocard said "Has he not told you about me? Wait..." he stood and went over to Jewel. She sat still as she watched him come to her. He put a hand under her chin to raise her head. He turned her head to the left, to the right, then down. He kept staring at her eyes mostly, but he seemed to examine her thoroughly. He laughed and pulled his hand back.
"You're her, aren't ye?" he asked. "That little baby Jack and Rose had!"
Huh? Jewel thought
"Huh?" she said out loud, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course you wouldn't remember." Jocard took a seat at his spot. "I used to sail on your fathers crew." He grabbed a plate and began piling food from his feast onto it. "He took you and Rose on board the Pearl for a day to introduce you to the crew, but you were still a young babe. Here." He slid the plate to Jewel. "I used to be the ships cook. I left to become captain of my own ship before the curse." The more he talked, the more Jewel remembered what her mother and father had told her about the pirate lords. At the moment though, she didn't want to talk politics and instead began eating the food in front of her.
"Thank you." Jewel said, pausing in her eating.
"Any child of Jack's is a friend of mine." Jocard said, eating his own food.
Of course! Jewel thought. Dad helped free him from slavery. The two are on good terms! Perfect!
"Thank you so much." Jewel said. "I'm hoping I may ask something of you."
"What is it?" Jocard asked, his demeanor turning serious.
"I was hoping you'd be able to make port in Tortuga." Jewel said
"Of course, but..." Jocard said, "daughter of a friend or not, you must prove your worth if you wish to sail on the Ranger, missy." Jewel's smiled dropped, not expecting that.
"How?" she asked
"Nothing terrible, just find what to do that may help my crew." Jocard said
"But..." Jewel started before letting her head fall to the table. She didn't want to work. But perhaps there is something she can do that doesn't involve too much work.
"Why don't I tell stories?" she asked
"What use would stories have on board a pirate ship?" Jocard asked
"It could increase morale, it would make them work harder knowing that a new part would be told that night if they do." Jewel said. "A story can be a powerful thing."
"Hm..." Jocard sat back and stroked his beard braids, "just what stories will you tell them?"
"My own adventures. Have they heard of the whole story with Barbossa and the curse of the Black Pearl?" Jewel asked
"Whispers and echos only. It might be enjoyable to hear everything that happened." Jocard said.
"So, I'll tell stories of my adventures and you'll take me to Tortuga?"
"... I will." He held his hand out. Jewel grasped it and shook, sealing the deal.
"Then Will said, 'We're going to steal that ship?' We were planning to take the Dauntless," Jewel said, telling her story, "the large ship Jack pointed at earlier when we were on the Interceptor, but Will thought we were going to take the Interceptor instead. But he didn't know what we were completely planning on doing in full with the Dauntless." The men sat around her with rapt attention. Even Jocard was interested in her tale.
"Then," Jewel continued, "we went under a longboat. All three of us walked under it, holding it up, right into the water. It was hard to do, considering the air under the boat was hard to keep under the water. We managed to walk with it to the Dauntless's stern." Jewel paused to yawn. "I'm sorry boys, but I think that'll have to be the end for the night."
"But how do you get on board the Dauntless?" One man asked
"Did you take the ship?" another asked
"What of Ms. Swann pretending to be a Turner?" a third asked
"I'll tell you more tomorrow, but first," Jewel yawned again, "I need to sleep."
"I'll arrange a bed of sorts in my room." Jocard said. True to his word a small cot was set up in a little corner of his quarters.
"Thank you so much." Jewel said
"My men may appreciate your tales, but they would not falter when a young woman is sleeping among them." Jocard said. Jewel gulped and took off her boots and vest. Although she trusted Jocard, in a way, she wasn't sure. Her sword and boot knife were close where she could reach them in case anything happened whilst she slept.
"Quite an interesting story." Jocard asked as Jewel laid down to sleep, "but do you, your father, and the Turner boy take the Dauntless?"
"Wait until tomorrow." Jewel mumbled before falling asleep.
