Two days later, the Bluefang sailed majestically into the harbor at
Port Royal. Jess tossed an ironic salute to the skeletons on display at
the mouth of the harbor. The crew dropped the anchor over the side, and
Jess took a rowboat ashore, the Bluefang having much too deep a keel to
sail all the way in to the docks as some of the smaller ships could. There
were several smaller merchantish-looking vessels at the docks, one of which
piqued her interest. It was a flat-bottomed coastal raider with faded red
sails. The prow bore the legend 'Reef Shark' in gold letters.
Jess paid her docking fee and bribe with no complaint, then filched the man's whole purse as soon as his back was turned. The small black boy who was helping him giggled and tugged her sleeve. "I seen another man who always did that," he told her. "Say 'ello to Mista Sparrow for me, please."
Jess pulled a tarnished silver coin out of the purse and held it up. "This is for you, lad, if you can tell me where to find a man called William Turner."
The boy took the coin. "In the blacksmith's shop, Mistress. He be the bestest blacksmith in town, is Mista Turner."
Jess thanked him and went on her way, finding the blacksmith's shop with little difficulty. She could hear a hammer and the roar of flames, so she banged loudly on the door. A huge crash echoed from inside, and the hammering stopped. Not waiting for an invitation, Jess yanked the door open and charged inside, fearing she had caused some kind of accident. She got a moment's confused impression of the dimly lit room before something heavy hit her on the side of her skull. She screeched and hit the floor, hard. She was dimly aware of someone holding the tip of a very sharp sword to her throat. A youthful voice (likely the owner of the sword) demanded, "Who are you? Why are you here?"
Jess groaned, still on the floor, holding her head in both hands. "I'm Captain Saberjess of the Bluefang, hired by Jack Sparrow to bring you to Isla de Muerta by way of the Black Pearl, assuming you're William Turner, but getting hit in the head was NOT in the job description."
"Will? Will, what's happened?" A woman had entered the room by way of the still-open door. She was (from what Jess could tell, cross-eyed, lying on the floor) extremely pretty. Jess knew she must be Elizabeth, Will's... girlfriend? Wife? She saw Jess sprawled on the floor with Will holding a sword to her throat and, instead of screeching and carrying on as Jess would have expected, she seized a sword from a nearby rack and advanced, keeping the tip between herself and Jess. "A friend of yours?" she asked Will, her voice fairly dripping with sarcasm. She eyed Jess coldly, as one might regard a cockroach before squashing it.
"Not to my knowledge," he replied dryly. "But she claims Jack sent her."
"Aye, that she does!" Jess spat, her head pounding. "And she can speak for herself, thank you!"
"Sit up!" Will snarled, backing up a pace. "And keep your hands where I can see them! Now, tell us the truth- who sent you?"
Jess didn't answer. She had had quite enough, between being brained with what she now saw was a forge hammer, and Will's suspicion and rudeness. She shook her head to cover the tensing of her muscles, then lunged at Elizabeth, kicking the sword out of her hand and flinging the woman away from her.
Will's gaze became cold as ice as he growled, "That's the last mistake you'll ever make, pirate."
"That may be, but would you at least listen to what I'm trying to tell you before you kill me? Here, you can have this. God knows I don't want to kill you." She handed him the sword. "Happy now? Then listen." She told them about Liam Connolley, and the Bane, and Jack's plan, adding, "Jack thought you might like to join him aboard the Pearl. He figured you might have somewhat of a, ah, personal interest in coming events."
Will nodded slowly. "He's right... We'll go with you... if you can pass a little test. Tell me, besides his sparrow tattoo, what other distinguishing mark does Jack have on his arm?"
Jess grinned. "He has the East India 'P' brand, for pirate!"
"Just checking. One can never be too careful"
"Lovely. Now, just for the sake of curiosity, why the devil did you hit me over the head when I came in earlier?"
Will sighed. "Ever since people heard about my adventures-"
"And misadventures-" Elizabeth interjected.
"-on Isla de Muerta," Will continued, smiling briefly at Elizabeth, "A lot more people have been interested in owning one of the swords I make. I guess the thought is that it'll be a better blade if the craftsman can use it as well as make it."
"What has that to do with bashing me over the head?" Jess asked.
Elizabeth took up the thread of the story, idly twirling her rapier in lazy circles. "Some people seem to think that stealing is the best way to go about acquiring one of Will's swords. And anyone who makes an entrance like yours, just charging in without announcing themselves, well..." She trailed off significantly.
"I see," said Jess. "Well, if you're coming with me we may as well leave now. I'll meet you on the docks in about ten minutes, alright? Unless of course," she added slyly, "You'd like to introduce me to the good Commodore before we leave? After all that Jack's told me, I'm sure our meeting would be... interesting."
"I rather think not," Elizabeth said delicately.
Jess grinned lopsidedly, looking, for a moment, very much like Jack. "Well then. Ten minutes, alright? We haven't got all day after all."
************************************************************************
Fifteen minutes later they were rowing out to the Bluefang. The crew had lined up on the deck to inspect the new arrivals. Thankfully, Jess thought they were up to scratch, herself. Elizabeth was wearing breeches and one of Will's shirts. She carried a long rapier with an air of one who knew what to do with it (Will had been teaching her). Will carried a heavy saber he had made himself, and a pair of pistols.
Jess sprang lightly onto the deck of the Fang, filled her lungs, and bellowed, "What be ye doin' a-standin' about gawping like greenies when there's work to be done?! Weigh anchor! Hoist the sails! Tom, show Will and the lady their quarters- you know the drill. Oh, and hearken to me now, ye scum of the sea, cuz I'll only warn ye once. If I hear any of ye have so much as looked at Elizabeth in a way she finds offensive, ye'll have me to answer to, if Will doesn't get ye first!"
The crew's laughter rang out from high above the deck. They knew better than to try anything when Jess was within a ten mile radius.
The wind caught the sails, and the Bluefang leapt forward, racing for open water and her rendezvous with the Pearl. No one noticed the small ship with red sails that slipped out of port behind them, and vanished.
Jess paid her docking fee and bribe with no complaint, then filched the man's whole purse as soon as his back was turned. The small black boy who was helping him giggled and tugged her sleeve. "I seen another man who always did that," he told her. "Say 'ello to Mista Sparrow for me, please."
Jess pulled a tarnished silver coin out of the purse and held it up. "This is for you, lad, if you can tell me where to find a man called William Turner."
The boy took the coin. "In the blacksmith's shop, Mistress. He be the bestest blacksmith in town, is Mista Turner."
Jess thanked him and went on her way, finding the blacksmith's shop with little difficulty. She could hear a hammer and the roar of flames, so she banged loudly on the door. A huge crash echoed from inside, and the hammering stopped. Not waiting for an invitation, Jess yanked the door open and charged inside, fearing she had caused some kind of accident. She got a moment's confused impression of the dimly lit room before something heavy hit her on the side of her skull. She screeched and hit the floor, hard. She was dimly aware of someone holding the tip of a very sharp sword to her throat. A youthful voice (likely the owner of the sword) demanded, "Who are you? Why are you here?"
Jess groaned, still on the floor, holding her head in both hands. "I'm Captain Saberjess of the Bluefang, hired by Jack Sparrow to bring you to Isla de Muerta by way of the Black Pearl, assuming you're William Turner, but getting hit in the head was NOT in the job description."
"Will? Will, what's happened?" A woman had entered the room by way of the still-open door. She was (from what Jess could tell, cross-eyed, lying on the floor) extremely pretty. Jess knew she must be Elizabeth, Will's... girlfriend? Wife? She saw Jess sprawled on the floor with Will holding a sword to her throat and, instead of screeching and carrying on as Jess would have expected, she seized a sword from a nearby rack and advanced, keeping the tip between herself and Jess. "A friend of yours?" she asked Will, her voice fairly dripping with sarcasm. She eyed Jess coldly, as one might regard a cockroach before squashing it.
"Not to my knowledge," he replied dryly. "But she claims Jack sent her."
"Aye, that she does!" Jess spat, her head pounding. "And she can speak for herself, thank you!"
"Sit up!" Will snarled, backing up a pace. "And keep your hands where I can see them! Now, tell us the truth- who sent you?"
Jess didn't answer. She had had quite enough, between being brained with what she now saw was a forge hammer, and Will's suspicion and rudeness. She shook her head to cover the tensing of her muscles, then lunged at Elizabeth, kicking the sword out of her hand and flinging the woman away from her.
Will's gaze became cold as ice as he growled, "That's the last mistake you'll ever make, pirate."
"That may be, but would you at least listen to what I'm trying to tell you before you kill me? Here, you can have this. God knows I don't want to kill you." She handed him the sword. "Happy now? Then listen." She told them about Liam Connolley, and the Bane, and Jack's plan, adding, "Jack thought you might like to join him aboard the Pearl. He figured you might have somewhat of a, ah, personal interest in coming events."
Will nodded slowly. "He's right... We'll go with you... if you can pass a little test. Tell me, besides his sparrow tattoo, what other distinguishing mark does Jack have on his arm?"
Jess grinned. "He has the East India 'P' brand, for pirate!"
"Just checking. One can never be too careful"
"Lovely. Now, just for the sake of curiosity, why the devil did you hit me over the head when I came in earlier?"
Will sighed. "Ever since people heard about my adventures-"
"And misadventures-" Elizabeth interjected.
"-on Isla de Muerta," Will continued, smiling briefly at Elizabeth, "A lot more people have been interested in owning one of the swords I make. I guess the thought is that it'll be a better blade if the craftsman can use it as well as make it."
"What has that to do with bashing me over the head?" Jess asked.
Elizabeth took up the thread of the story, idly twirling her rapier in lazy circles. "Some people seem to think that stealing is the best way to go about acquiring one of Will's swords. And anyone who makes an entrance like yours, just charging in without announcing themselves, well..." She trailed off significantly.
"I see," said Jess. "Well, if you're coming with me we may as well leave now. I'll meet you on the docks in about ten minutes, alright? Unless of course," she added slyly, "You'd like to introduce me to the good Commodore before we leave? After all that Jack's told me, I'm sure our meeting would be... interesting."
"I rather think not," Elizabeth said delicately.
Jess grinned lopsidedly, looking, for a moment, very much like Jack. "Well then. Ten minutes, alright? We haven't got all day after all."
************************************************************************
Fifteen minutes later they were rowing out to the Bluefang. The crew had lined up on the deck to inspect the new arrivals. Thankfully, Jess thought they were up to scratch, herself. Elizabeth was wearing breeches and one of Will's shirts. She carried a long rapier with an air of one who knew what to do with it (Will had been teaching her). Will carried a heavy saber he had made himself, and a pair of pistols.
Jess sprang lightly onto the deck of the Fang, filled her lungs, and bellowed, "What be ye doin' a-standin' about gawping like greenies when there's work to be done?! Weigh anchor! Hoist the sails! Tom, show Will and the lady their quarters- you know the drill. Oh, and hearken to me now, ye scum of the sea, cuz I'll only warn ye once. If I hear any of ye have so much as looked at Elizabeth in a way she finds offensive, ye'll have me to answer to, if Will doesn't get ye first!"
The crew's laughter rang out from high above the deck. They knew better than to try anything when Jess was within a ten mile radius.
The wind caught the sails, and the Bluefang leapt forward, racing for open water and her rendezvous with the Pearl. No one noticed the small ship with red sails that slipped out of port behind them, and vanished.