Chapter 6: 1718 A rashly Departure
It was midday and the sun burned down on the cliffs mercilessly, but a fresh breeze from the sea brought some cooling and made this day a wonderful Summer's day. In addition did the little runnel and the overhanging leaves of the dense virgin forests also spend some much welcomed shadow to escape the summerly heat. It was silent all around the place and aside of the calming swoosh of the waves and the silent whisper of the wind, there was only one sound which did not seem to fit in with its peaceful surroundings: The sound of metal clashing against metal.
Jack Sparrow and Caithleen Stevens ran and jumped over and around the rocks and the mossy cliffs and he watched every move she made, attentively, but he would have lied if he'd have denied that he was much more interested in her than in the duel they fought out up here.
He smiled as he beheld her: She looked bewitching the way she stood up there on the cliff, captivating like a wild flower, adorable and tempting. The wind played with her black hair and its untamed curls and her smile found its equivalence within her shimmering grey eyes.
Caithleen was a fearnaught to the core, a pirate lass, witty and inventive, and she knew pretty well that his whole attention belonged to her within this moment. With an elegant move, she tossed her hat aside, then, she rolled up the sleeves of her shirt. Her hand held her sword in a firm grip and she buried her bare feet steadily into the ground. She was short of breath, but her broad grin and her reddened cheeks told a different story: She would not give in yet...
Jack wasn't able to turn his gaze away and Caithleen laughed when she got aware of his dreamy mien: "Jack! What's wrong? Don't tell me you hesitate to fight me because I'm a girl, eh?"
"Certainly not, love, and I bet you know perfectly well that this would not put me off doing it! But to be honest, my sweet, if I look at you standing here in front of me, scant of breath and all alluring with your reddened cheeks and sparkling eyes there are some things coming to my mind I would prefer to do instead of having to train sword fight at this hour."
She was used to his gaze, by now, but she still blushed up to her ears – pretty much to his personal zest – and he added: "I see! You're aware of what I'm talking about aren't you, love?" His grin widened again and his gaze wandered from her lips down to her chest: "Admit it, Caithleen, it would please you much more, too, to feel my lips on your skin right now."
"Wherefrom did you get this awareness?" Caithleen teased him.
"Oh! That's easy! I own this unique and, for sure, not erring awareness due to my inimitable sense for your deepest and most clandestine desiderata. Savvy?. It's in your eyes, love!"
"Is that so?" Caithleen passed him a challenging look and before he was able to give her a reply she lunged at him her sword ready to attack: "You want a prize? Try to earn it..."
Jack jumped back and warded her off, once, twice, until she slipped through underneath his next strike which brought her straight into reach of his back, but he made a rapid turn, pushed her sword aside, grasped her hand and dragged her towards him: "Don't declare it untrue, darling, you know that there is only one prize worth fighting for. Means, this makes you the prize. Tell me, what will I get if I win, Caith?"
"First of all you'll have to win..." She breathed a kiss upon his lips, pushed him out of her way and within just a split second the tip of her sword was pointing at Jack's chest: "And now you'll tell me what I'll earn if I should win..."
"Wait and see!"
Jack hesitated for a moment, then, he pushed her blade aside, dropped down to his knees and caught her ankle with a determined grasp. He pulled her from her feet, jumped up and the same moment she felt his blade at her throat.
"Jack!"
Caithleen's eyes widened in surprise and disbelief, but he just shrugged and said: "Pirate!"
He tossed his blade away and with a contented smile on his lips he placed himself upon her feet that she wasn't able to move.
Caithleen got up to her elbows and hissed: "You don't fight fair, Jack Sparrow!"
"I'm a pirate, love. There's no need for me to fight fair. You lost and I want my prize. Now..." He brushed the curls away from her face and the gentle gaze he beheld her with belied his words and his actions. He never had in mind to vanquish her, he just wanted to take her by storm...
"So what? Am I the defeated, then?"
"No, love, you're not." Jack helped her with sitting up and dragged her into his arms: "If I'd love to vanquish a girl, I would search for a different kind of girl." He cupped her cheeks with his hands and added: "As long as it is you, I'll always be both: The winner and the defeated. As long as it'll please you..."
"That's the truth?"
"Aye!"
"Then, you earned your prize..."
Jack closed his eyes when she started to caress him, when she loosened his belt and his sash with briskly fingers and when her hands slipped under his shirt. Their lips crashed into each other, wildly and impassioned, and they sank into a deep kiss full of ardent longing. Caithleen's voice sounded hoarse and rough when she whispered into his ear: "You'll always please me, Jack Sparrow. You know, I want you, do you...?"
When Caithleen lay within his arms, later that day, her eyes closed in sweet exhaustion, her lips reddened from his kisses, her cheeks and chest blushed in sensual enjoyment, Jack beheld her for a while. He enjoyed this keeping taps on her until she opened her eyes. With a smile he asked: "What's this, love? That exhausted? Seems as if I'm really in the know about what to do, eh...?"
She returned the smile still caught within the suavely drowsing of doze she drifted into and replied: "What else will wait for me, then, Captain Sparrow...?"
"Honest answer, love? I've not the slightest idea, but I'm hell-bent on finding it out..."
"Me too and we have a whole lifetime to do so..."
"Yes, love, you're right. We have a whole lifetime..." His lips grazed her ear and he went on: "I love you, Caithleen Stevens. I'd sail to the end of the world for you, if I'd have to, and over the edge, if necessary..."
The dull rumble came from the other side of the island and it found its way to their conscience only by slow pace.
Jack and Caithleen had fallen asleep upon the mossy cliffs, still keeping each other within a tight embrace and obviously way more exhausted due to the fact that they couldn't get enough of each other than due to their simulated sword fight. That was why Jack's fluttering eyelids opened only reluctantly when the annoying sound recurred. He blinked several times to get his eyes accustomed to the sun and then frowned. This sound was not the sound of a summerly tempest like they used to happen once a day within this season. Therefor, it was too permanent and, therefor, it recurred too constantly. In addition, there were no clouds to spot at all at the moment. He sat up, both worried and alarmed: "Caithleen! Wake up! It seems, something's going on at the other side."
She got immediately what he was trying to tell her and they hurried to gather their clothes together. As soon as hats, shoes and swords were back in place, they climbed up some rocks to get a better overview. The port lay out of sight and for the moment both weren't quite sure what was going on over there. Then, they saw a sail vanish behind the coastline and they knew the flag! They exchanged a look and Jack expressed what both of them thought: "The Spanish! They attack the port! You know what this means. If they surround the isle they might also find the passage and the bay. Hurry, Caith! We have to warn Patrick and Rosalind. They have to ready the ships!"
"Don't you think we'll stay unchallenged?"
"I don't know, love, but I think that's a rather small hope. Better, they find us on the open ocean. At sea, we'll be able to outrun them and, to be honest, it's much easier to get us a new ship than another unique place like this. Come", he grasped her hand and helped her up: "let's go."
Without looking for their way they hastened down the path leading towards their little cottage. Jack grasped Caithleen with her shoulders and said: "Go and inform Pat and Rose. I'll search for Jacobsen and Bill. And, Caith, don't waste any time on searching for our belongings. Aboard, we'll find everything we'll need and if it's over we'll return here, anyway."
She nodded and while she stumbled into the cottage, Jack ran down the path until he reached Bill Turner's house. He didn't waste time on knocking but tore the door open and went in. The same moment he stood rooted to the ground when a pistol got aimed at him.
"Oi!" He raised his hands in a pacifying gesture while shying away from the gun: "No need for this, mate! It's me, Jack!"
Bill lowered the pistol and beheld the boy in a mix of surprise and affright: "Jack! What the hell! It was by a hair's breadth that you ended up with a bullet midst your brow!"
"Never mind!" Jack caught himself quickly: "There's no time to think about such trifle!"
"You should catch your breath first, lad, and then I suggest you start telling me what happened from the beginning. Will you?"
"Everything's fine with me, Bill! It's just that the Spanish started cannonading the port and the settlements on the other side of the isle. We heard it and we saw at least one ship before it vanished behind the coastline. If we won't do anything there won't be anything left of the town and the harbour but smouldering debris..."
"The Spanish you say? And just a single ship?" Bill shook his head: "No, son, they never come with just one ship. And there is only one man who's on the hunt for pirates and all those who dare to help them within these waters. They are not 'the Spanish', Jack, it's Don Esteban de Vargas, authorized representative of his majesty, the King of Spain. Accredited to kill every pirate he will come across. He captured Caithleen's father and his crew and..."
"...he's the one who burned them all alive." Jack finished the sentence: "I know about it. Caith told me."
"Are Patrick and Rosalind in the know?"
"Caith is with them."
"Well done, lad. Then, we'll ready the ships. I'm convinced, we won't take the risk to lure Vargas here." He hesitated for a while, then added: "This means we've to leave the bay for a while, as it seems." Turner's face reflected his feelings and his discomfort within this moment and Jack had a slight idea what or better who it was he worried about. Bill turned round and shouted towards the chamber at the upper floor: "Elianor! Hurry! We have to leave and you have to accompany us aboard. I would explain it to you if we'd have time, but we don't have any..."
"Aboard?" A voice asked from above. "Why?"
"Trust me! It's necessary! Take only what you're in need of!"
"Bill, what is all of this about? No one will ever come to this bay because no one knows how to find it."
Elianor came down the stairs. She kind of resembled Caithleen and Rosalind: Wearing pants and boots, shirt and jerkin; her honey coloured hair hidden under a bandana, a hat and a belt within her hand. She placed the hat upon her head and just wanted to wrap the belt round her waist when she stopped short and let her hand sink. Instead, she grasped for sword and pistol without putting them to the belt. She was a pretty lass and there was no doubt why Bill Turner fell for her the moment he met her. Her narrow face got dominated by big blue eyes and full and fine carved lips. She was somewhat older than Jack and Caithleen, but not much and when she stood in front of him Jack understood why she went without the belt: Elianor Turner was with child.
Scepticism got mirrored within her eyes, but she trusted enough in her husband for not to search for refutation for too long. This did change when Bill turned towards Jack and said: "Listen to me, lad, I want you to take Elianor aboard the 'Wing'. I want you to take her to London no matter what might happen to us. Got me?"
"What does this mean, Bill Turner? First, you want me to accompany you, but now it's the 'Wing' for me and not the 'Stream'? Pat and Rose will set sail together, won't they?"
Bill ignored her and grasped Jack with his shoulders: "Did you get me, Jack? I want your promise, son. Take her to London, even if she'll protest during the whole crossing. I don't want her to get harmed and she must not get caught by Vargas and the Spanish! By no means! Do you understand...?"
Jack nodded: "Aye! I promise, but Bill, it's time to leave..."
"One moment, gents!" Elianor glared at Jack and Bill by turns: "Why London?"
"Is this really of relevance, dear?" Elianor did not answer and Bill added with a sigh: "Why don't you want to get me? Is it so difficult to understand that I would not be able to bear it if something would occur to you? To both of you?" He gently touched her slightly swelled belly. Elianor swallowed hard and it was not to miss that she was close to tearing up. Bill beheld her and caressed her cheek: "Return to London, sweet. This life is not a life for a child. I promise, I'll follow as soon as we'll get through this."
"Don't tell me, you're willing to give this life up, Bill Turner!" A bitter smile appeared upon her lips as if she was in the know about much more than she was willing to say: "Is there another life for you at all? And what do you think will happen if they'll find out who the father of this child is?"
The alarm bell got rung and any further discussion got interrupted. It was time to leave and none of them knew if and when they would return to the hidden bay.
The gangplank got pulled in when Rosalind and Caithleen came aboard and Jacobsen drove the crew of the "Eagle's Wing" on to hurry: "Set sail and weigh anchor, you rotten landlubbers! Make haste! You're not here for your pleasure!"
"That will do, Mister Jacobsen." Rosalind grinned then she shouted: "Fasten the gangplank to the ship's side and cast off! We're going to have a rendezvous with the Spanish!"
"Aye!" Jacobsen turned round towards the men: "You heard the captain, gents! You all know what such a rendezvous means: A proper prey and share for all of you!"
Jack watched when Rosalind and Caith came aboard. His hands flew over the wheel as soon as they got loose and he veered the "Wing" straight into the bay.
He wanted to render the helm to Rosalind when they came up to join him, but she shook her head: "Stay where you are! You proved to me more than once that you're good captain. So, I trust in you that you'll not run my ship aground today out of all days!"
Since the attack on the "Wing" which almost sent her down to the deep depths of the open ocean and which cost dozens of good men their lives, nearly a year passed by. Due to these circumstances they had dragged the "Wing" ashore to mend her and Rosalind had used this chance to fix her ship not only rough-and-readily like usual but from her keel up to her masts.
Jack had loved the ship ever since he first stepped on its planks, and ever since he had been allowed to take its helm for the first time, it felt as if he and the "Wing" got bound together by something special. She followed him willingly when he sailed her through the narrow passage and, meanwhile, he knew its perils blindfolded and in his sleep and he was very well aware of how to avoid the hidden reefs and shallows. What he started asking himself, though, was if this rashly departure, which actually resembled a flight, was really wise...
Maybe, Caith had been right and he'd be wrong: No one knew about the passage and the hidden bay except of those who were living there and even if the Spanish would succeed in finding the passage it still did not mean that they would succeed in sailing through. He was convinced they'd rather run aground than getting to see the hidden bay at all. But it was idle to think about it any longer. The decision got made and they would face the Spanish at sea...
"What's wrong with her?" Jack pointed at Rosalind, who leaned against the rail, obviously deep in thoughts while she watched the "Silver Stream" how she sailed through the bay to take course at the passage.
"Don't know." Caithleen replied with a shrug: "She and Pat had a rather violent discussion about how to go on when we'll reach the Spanish and as it seems, Patrick won."
"Was it because he wants her to sail the 'Wing' to England?"
"Wherefrom do you...?"
"Elianor is aboard the 'Wing' and Bill charged me more than once with taking her to London by all means."
"To London?" Caithleen frowned.
As it turned out, Patrick's plan provided that he would face the Spanish on his own while he wanted Rosalind to take flight...
"It seems you've nothing better in mind but hanging around here together, eh?" Rosalind suddenly snarled at them harshly: "You're not my helmsman because it provides you another chance to whisper sweet nothings with my daughter! You", she glared at Caithleen: "will join Jacobsen with preparing the guns! And you", her attention turned back towards Jack: "will take care that we'll get through the passage unharmed!"
"Aye, ma'am!"
Caithleen and Jack exchanged a worried look before she went to the deck to search for Jacobsen.
"Which course, captain?" Jack tried to keep on acting the naive boy. Maybe he would get some answers concerning her bad temper that way.
"To the open ocean!" Rosalind answered her gazed still fixed on the "Silver Stream".
"You won't attack the Spanish together?"
"No! Patrick wants me to cruise out of harm's way."
"Did you make up a concourse?"
"If it should become necessary, we'll meet at Tortuga. Let's hope it won't become necessary."
"Don't worry. Pat's a good sailor. He's in the know about what to do."
"Stop that idle talk, Jack! Patrick and Bill are egregious fools, even if they are some of the best sailors all around the seven seas. Vargas shows up here for only one reason: He's searching for us ever since the day Patrick freed us from his vessel. To him, being a pirate means having lost every right to live. Mark my words, Jack, and mark his name. You'll come across him again, one day, no matter what will happen to us today."
Within this moment Rosalind seemed to age. A shadow darkened her face and for a split second it looked tired and grey. She blinked and the moment was over: "Bring us to the open ocean, Jack. It's not yet time for us to mourn..."
Jack, Caithleen and Jacobsen succeeded in convincing Rosalind to surround the isle opposite to the "Stream" and even if this was against Patrick's order, she did not withdraw this order and the longer they sailed close to the coastline the feeling increased that something was not like it was supposed to be.
Since Rosalind went below to her quarters, Jack was in charge and he tried to act the captain as properly as possible. He and Caithleen agreed about the idea that something worse but just a hot tempered argument must have occurred between Patrick and Rosalind. It happened more often than not that they did not agree about their new forays or the next prey, but this was something different, and one reason was that this Spanish commander got that close to the passage and their hideout, the other that this Spanish commander was exactly the one who killed Captain Stevens, many years ago. True or not, neither Jack nor Caithleen had a better idea...
Following his inner voice and his guts that something must have been definitely wrong, Jack finally ordered: "Mister Jacobsen, strike the skull and crossbones and hoist the Spanish flag. They won't count on that there could be a Spanish merchant sailor all around within these waters. If this manoeuvrer will work, they will think we belong to them. This will provide us time."
"Aye! I'm already on my way, lad!"
"Do you really think we can outsmart them?" Caithleen sounded sceptical.
"If I'm wrong, it will turn out soon, but it's worth the try. If we'd be able to take them under crossfire, it would grant us a great vantage."
The wind swelled the canvas and the "Wing" was able to surround the isle much faster than Jack would have guessed. Due to this they reached the cliffs offshore the port and its bay shortly before sunset. The same moment a cry came from the crow's nest: "Sail ho! Straight ahead!"
"Why here? This does not make sense! Take the helm, Caith!" Jack grasped for his spy glass and had a look through: "What the hell...!" He lowered it just to have another look through a second after: "That's impossible."
"What's the matter?"
"Have a look on your own, love."
He passed the spy glass over to her.
"What does this mean?"
"This?" Jack gave her a bitter smile: "This, sweet Caith, means that we're straight on our way to end up within a trap! They never attacked the port and the town. They're just firing off their guns! We let them dupe us! Bugger!"
"What can we do?"
"We've no choice, love, but to follow Patrick's order and leave. And all we can do is hope that he'll find it out as well. For now, we'll heave to make our exit."
Jack closed his eyes for a moment. He did not want to make a decision like that, but he knew they would not have the slightest chance against those heavily armed Spanish warships.
Therefore he ordered: "Mister Jacobsen set full canvas! Every sail we have. This is no raid! It's a trap..."