Shadows Over the Sea
By Illoria
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Chapter Six
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The first night on the Cavalier, Jack was at the helm well past midnight. He hadn't even noticed that much time had passed. It was his first time steering a ship, and the feeling of it was even better than he had imagined. He'd always felt like he belonged on a ship, but that first night, alone at the helm, the sea dark and mysterious below, the stars bright above in a clear sky, he felt a stronger sense of belonging than he'd ever felt in his whole life.
The helm of a ship, he'd realized the night of his fifteenth birthday, was the only place where he felt at peace. It was as if the wheel beneath his hands sent a certain energy coursing through him; his senses sharpened and he was aware of everything in poignant detail; the salty air combing through his long, tangled hair, sending it whipping about his face; the horizon in perfect focus right in front of him; the sensation of the ship rocking with the waves heightened and it just felt like that was how everything was supposed to be…
"JACK!"
He snapped out of his reverie at Val's voice. Jack turned around ever so slightly. "What is it?"
"You've been 'ere all night," Val said. "Do ye want me to steer?"
"No!" Jack snapped immediately. "I mean, no. I'm fine."
"Ye look tired," Val said.
Jack did feel kind of tired… he snapped out of it. "I'll be steering tonight."
Val nodded and walked away.
A little while later, Davies stopped by. "Ye need some sleep, Jack," he said. Jack felt a familiar resentment... but still...
Jack reluctantly conceded as Davies took the wheel. He did need some sleep, or else he'd be falling asleep at the helm the next day. He was about to go down to the bunks, but Thomas stopped him. "Now, you get the Captain's quarters," he said. "Bootstrap's orders," he added as he led Jack back to the deck and to the Captain's quarters.
Captain. Even though Jack was only temporarily in charge of the ship, he liked the sound of it. Captain Jack Sparrow. He smiled slightly as he opened the door to the cabin and stepped inside.
It was a very large quarters, with a big bed in one corner with what looked like velvet pillows. There was a desk in the other corner, with a map on it, pins stuck in to various places. Next to the map was an unlit lamp, and down on the floor, next to a small Oriental throw rug, was a cabinet with what Jack presumed would be guns inside. The royal navy's Captain sure did sail in luxury, Jack thought as he flopped down on the bed. He hadn't realized how tired he was, but he fell asleep almost instantly.
**
Morning came and Jack remembered something. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the little package that William had given him as a birthday present the day before.
He took the lid off the box and realized that there was nothing inside but a ripped piece of parchment. On it an address was written. Jack turned it over and found an explanation.
------
This is the address of the best blacksmith in Tortuga. There's a sword there waiting for you. Just say Bootstrap sent you.
------
**
By evening, Tortuga was steadily coming into view. Jack was again at the helm, and in spite of himself he felt reluctant to bring the ship into Tortuga. It was his hometown, and as he thought of it the blurred memories of being six years old came back to him in a flash. Breaking glass and a scream and a man's voice, a flash of pain.
Jack felt himself breathing heavier as he stood at the helm, the ghosts of images and sounds blending together rapidly, and even more, the vivid feeling of complete and utter fear, frenzied running through Tortuga's crowded streets…
The bow in front of him was blurring and suddenly, the sea was spinning around him. His head was buzzing loudly and suddenly started throbbing… His vision blurred even further and all he could see were patches of the ship and a very unfocused mass that was Tortuga. His hands were sweating on the wheel but he held a death grip on it anyway.
He felt short of breath. Slowly the world came back into focus and the buzzing in his head subsided. The bow stopped spinning about. Tortuga was no longer blurry.
As his breathing returned to normal, Jack glanced around the ship. The crew was scurrying about doing their jobs in preparation for arrival at Tortuga. Jack calmed himself as he loosened his vice grip on the wheel, and noticed that his hands were deathly white.
He was glad that none of the crew had witnessed his little 'episode'. Fainting at the helm would not have been a good thing, and he was sure that the crew would never let him live it through with all the jabs and digs at him that would follow.
He was embarrassed anyway, even though no one else knew that he'd just almost fainted. He wasn't sure why it had happened… The memories were still all so vivid, vivid yet blurred together… And his lack of sleep the night before probably had something to do with it, not to mention he'd been out in the sun all that day…
But he knew that for the most part it wasn't the lack of sleep or the sun that had caused what had just happened. It was the memories that made him sick like that. It had happened once before; three years ago, when he was twelve. It'd been nighttime and he couldn't sleep down in his bunk on the Voyager. He'd remembered that same rush of colors and sounds and sensations and he'd felt so dizzy…
There had been a reason for that particular occasion. It'd been the six-year anniversary. And there was an even stronger reason for today's particular occasion, and that was obviously, the knowledge that in a very short time Jack would be walking the same streets in Tortuga that he'd been running through that day nine years ago.
********
In his cabin on the Black Pearl, Jack Sparrow was becoming reunited with one of his true loves… rum, of course.
A series of events, namely Gibbs confessing that they hadn't been able to 'find' all the supplies they needed in the small village, had ended in the Black Pearl being on its way to Tortuga. Not only for supplies, though. It'd hit Jack hard that this was the first time he didn't have a thoughtfully laid-out plan to go after something crazy. This upset him, and he knew it: there was only one thing to do. Find something crazy to go after, and as much as Jack didn't want to resort to it at that moment, there was only one place where a pirate could without-a-doubt find out something crazy.
So, they were on their way to Tortuga, and all the supplies and craziness they needed would be at their beckon call in four days. It was a comparatively long way off to Tortuga, but they all knew the trip was necessary.
It was odd how the place that had been Jack's cage as a child was now his refuge. Tortuga was the one place in the world that a pirate would never be caught, no matter what. Firstly, no one who would've been keen on throwing a pirate into jail would ever be in Tortuga. Secondly, even if the aforementioned person by some fluke of navigation ended up in Tortuga, there were an endless number of pirates on the island and the aforementioned poor disoriented person wouldn't be able to decide which one to sack. Lastly, even if the person in question picked a random pirate to throw into a cell, some of the other pirates would probably all gang up on him and make sure that their comrade wasn't on his way to prison, either that or spring the imprisoned pirate out.
But, Tortuga was certain to present a certain difficulty to Jack now. Ever since his meeting and consequent exchange of rescues with Will Turner two weeks ago, he hadn't been able to disconnect past from present like he usually could. Usually, he was able to separate Tortuga into past Tortuga and present Tortuga; the former he refused to think about, leaving only present Tortuga for the haven it was.
But meeting Will Turner had created a bridge from past to present. A bridge that Jack had destroyed a long time ago… a bridge that he had worked to destroy upon setting foot in Tortuga for the first time in five years.
*******
Jack and the crew let down the anchor after stashing the Cavalier away in a sort of cave on the far side of the island of Tortuga. Docking her with the rest of the ships in Tortuga's ports was out of the question, considering that the royal navy was without a doubt scouring the seas for their stolen flagship at that very moment. So, Jack and the small crew got into a longboat and rowed it into shore. Davies had a flask of alcohol, and Jack asked for a sip. He needed to calm his nerves somehow, seeing as his heart was currently pounding quite loudly at the prospect of walking into Tortuga.
Davies smirked and handed the flask over to Jack, who took more than a sip. He'd downed half the flask by the time he handed it back to Davies, who looked at Jack questioningly, shrugged, and downed the rest of the drink.
Jack was sure, however, that he'd need bottles of the stuff to stop his heart from pounding. Although now he felt ever so slightly lightheaded, he was still grounded in worry. He felt his hands shake as he got out of the longboat with his mates. Harris noticed.
"Jack? You okay?"
Jack looked up and nodded, shoving his hands promptly behind his back. Harris looked at him skeptically, but didn't push the matter.
They stashed the longboat under the docks and tied it up, and then made their way into Tortuga. Each step forward that Jack took felt like a leap backward as present-day Tortuga turned into the Tortuga of the past, as fifteen-year-old Jack fell backward to the frightened child he'd been back then.
"Jack? Jack?" he faintly heard Davies saying his name.
"He doesn't look too good," Jack heard Thomas mumble to Val, who mumbled something back.
"Jack?" Davies repeated.
Jack snapped back to the present, and as he looked around the chaotic street that they were standing in the middle of, he felt as if he'd just fallen into the scene from somewhere else. And really, he had. He'd just fallen from the past into the present, and gradually the present was coming back to him.
"I'm fine," he said quickly. He was fine, now.
Davies opened his mouth to say something, but didn't say it, as he was preoccupied with dodging a chair that someone had flung from a window somewhere above them. Straightening, Davies grinned slightly. "Welcome to Tortuga," he said to Jack. "Ever been 'ere before?"
Jack nodded. "I was born here, actually," he said.
"Really!" Davies exclaimed, obviously impressed. "Hey boys!" he shouted to the other pirates. "This 'ere is Jack's hometown!"
The others reacted the same way, slapping Jack on the back as if being born in Tortuga was something to be proud of. Jack supposed it would've been to another pirate, considering how Tortuga was known for being the pirate's haven of the world, but considering what had happened to Jack in Tortuga he felt quite less than proud.
The pirates kept walking (dodging various things and skirting various brawls along the way). They finally came to a building with a swinging sing indicating what was inside.
"The Faithful Bride," Val said appreciatively. "Most notorious pub around." He threw open the door, and Jack immediately had to leap out of the way as a man fell out into the street.
"Gotta love it," Val said, stepping inside.
Jack glanced around the large tavern. It was complete and utter chaos. There were fights going on all over the place, and he had to step over various drunks passed out on the ground. Barmaids scurried about bringing drinks to a number of shady looking men, and most of the barmaids ended up in the laps of said men. Jack's eyes widened as he had to sidestep a knife whizzing past his ear, which embedded itself in a wooden post only to be yanked out by a burly man.
Jack, Davies, Val, Harris, and Thomas found a table in a dark corner where no one would bother them, and they all ordered a mug of rum, including Jack. A busty barmaid returned with their drinks, bending dangerously over the table, her dress looking like it was coming close to falling off in the process. She winked at Jack as she straightened and said, "Will that be all, boys?"
Davies nodded to her, his eyes lingering on her as she turned to walk away. He raised his mug.
"To Tortuga! The town with the best drinks, and the best women!" They clanged their glasses together and took large gulps of rum.
**
"A-And then," Jack said, his words slurred together very much and his hands waving madly about, "That's when I met William, you see, and we went on this ship and…"
"Just like Bootstrap," Davies remarked, his words slurred also.
They toasted to William, spilling a large amount of rum in the process. With a large gulp, Jack finished off his second mug. The crew used to be cautious about letting Jack drink too much. After all, they'd met him when he was ten (and he'd probably looked even younger). But after William had let him have rum, the rest of them had followed his lead and realized that Jack was growing up if he hadn't already.
"So, ye 'avent been back in Tortuga since you were six, eh?" Val asked Jack, waving his mug around drunkenly.
"No!" Jack corrected. "Havent been in Tortuga since I was ten, on the count of I was at th'orphanage after that…" He made to take another drink of rum, but noticed sadly that his mug was empty.
"Orphanage?" Thomas repeated.
Jack nodded exaggeratedly. "Got tossed in there when the captain of William's ship, he thought I was too young to sail, see, so I had to stay at the orphanage, and had to stay there till I was ten and William came back on the Voyager…"
They all cast their eyes down in reverence for the sunken Voyager, but it was only a very brief gesture considering that they were all so drunk. Soon they were carrying on again, telling stories and making little sense through all the alcohol.
They stayed at the Faithful Bride all night, and past one o'clock in the morning, Harris, Davies, Val, and Thomas had found a couple of very pretty barmaids. Leaving on the arm of a grinning girl, Harris had called back to Jack, "There's an inn a few buildings down, get a room for the rest of the night," and tossed him a pouch full of coins. Jack had rolled his eyes and swaggered outside, and he was now standing in front of the inn.
He walked inside and set a few coins down on the innkeeper's desk. "Just for tonight," he said, trying to keep his voice steady in spite of his drunken state. His efforts were unneeded, however, as the innkeeper's voice was slurred. "Upstairs, find what ya can."
Jack nodded and made his way up the stairs, tripping over a few in the process. He found an empty room and stumbled inside, quite literally falling onto the bed. He fell asleep quickly.
**
In the morning, Jack awoke and the events of the previous night came back to him in one hard blow. Two mugs of rum, and he'd spilled his childhood history to all four of his mates. He groaned, wondering how he could've possibly been so stupid. Anyone but William knowing about the past was something Jack had never intended to let happen.
Well, they didn't know everything. He'd started his story at running into William and left out all the events preceding that. Hopefully the crew, who had been even drunker than Jack had been, would either not remember it or not mention it.
Jack figured the crew would be at the docks waiting for him. However… he had an errand.
Jack walked down the streets, holding the ripped parchment that William had given him. He looked over the address again and turned a corner. He counted building numbers as he made his way down the street, and eventually stopped in front of one of the buildings. He was obviously where he was supposed to be; a swinging sign said that the building was in fact a blacksmith's. Jack smiled and opened the door.
The inside was dark and dusty, the walls strewn with various weapons. A man was in the corner pounding on an unfinished sword with a hammer.
"'Morning, sir!" Jack shouted out over the banging noise of the hammer.
The man looked up from his work, and upon seeing Jack, he set down his hammer and walked over to him.
"What can I do fer ye?" the blacksmith asked.
"Bootstrap sent me," Jack said.
"Ah!" the smith exclaimed, his indifferent expression gone and replaced with one of interest. "Ye must be Jack Sparrow, then! Come here, come here." Jack followed the blacksmith across the room, where a row of very nice swords hung upon the wall. The smith scanned the row and stopped at one of the swords, which he removed from the wall very carefully.
"What do you think?" the smith asked interestedly as he handed the sword over to Jack... who dropped it.
Embarrassed, Jack retrieved the sword from the ground and grasped the handle. It felt awkward in his hand. "Ehhh…" was all that escaped his mouth.
The smith raised his eyebrows, "Ah," was all he said.
Jack nodded sheepishly.
The smith appeared to be debating something with himself. "I practice with these, I could…" He threw his hands up in surrender. "Ah, I'll teach ye. If Bootstrap took to ya like he did…" He shook his head. "I owe him a few favors anyway. Tell you what, come here at noon every day."
Jack nodded. "Thank you," he said.
"Meanwhile, you'll be needing a sheath for that," the smith said, nodding toward the sword still clutched awkwardly in Jack's hand. The smith walked over to the wall that he'd taken Jack's sword down from, and retrieved its sheath. Jack fastened it to his belt and sheathed the sword.
"I'll be here tomorrow," he promised as he backed out of the smithy, making his way to the docks.
**
"What took ye so long?" Davies asked as soon as Jack arrived.
Jack pulled the sword ever so slightly out of its sheath. "William had it made for me," he explained. "I was picking it up."
Davies nodded.
"'S nice," Val remarked, eyeing the sword.
Jack smiled and sheathed the sword.
"So," Thomas began, "what's the plan for today?"
The five looked at each other and eventually shrugged. They all looked at Jack, who raised his eyebrows.
"You're in charge," Val reminded him.
"While on board the Cavalier," Harris added. "Which we are not. So really, we don't have to listen to Jack." But none of them made to leave.
"Do whatever you want," Jack eventually said as all eyes fell on him again.
The pirates shrugged and made for town again. Jack shook his head, disappointed at his not knowing what kind of orders to give the crew. On the Voyager, the Captain had told them to stock up on supplies while in town and had given them orders concerning when to board the ship again. But the crew was only one of five, too small to sail very far, and their ship was only a temporary arrangement to bring them into Tortuga.
Jack, not knowing what else to do and eager to learn how to use the sword sheathed at his side, went back to the smithy that he'd just come from. Opening the door, he called out, "I'm back. I'm ready to start now."
The blacksmith emerged from a small room in the back of the smithy. "Back already, eh?" he said. "Well, I suppose we could start now…" He grabbed a sword for himself off of the wall.
"Can I ask you something?" Jack said.
"What?"
"Just, why do you practice with these?" Jack asked. "I mean, there's not really a need for you to…"
"Ah, don't get much business," the smith admitted. "Figured it'd be useful to learn. So I did. Now, we'll start with basic blocks and counters. Alright!" The smith lunged with the sword. "Now, block." Jack blocked.
By evening, Jack was doing pretty well with "basic blocks and counters". "Your footwork needs work, but we'll work on that another time," the blacksmith said.
Jack sheathed his sword. "Thank you, again," he said before leaving.
**
The next week went the same way. Jack reported dutifully to the smithy every day. By the end of the week, the blacksmith told him he was doing very well. Jack had even managed to outsmart the smith's moves a few times, but he still needed work. They agreed to spend a few more days training.
Meanwhile, Jack and the crew had reached a point that could be summed up as: "What next?" Jack called a meeting on the deck of the Cavalier at the end of the week, and they all reported there.
"I've got an offer to join the crew of the Sea Serpent," Thomas reported. It turned out that Harris, Davies, and Val were also thinking of joining the crews of other pirate ships.
"But we're not goin' anywhere if you 'avent got anywhere to go," Davies assured Jack.
Jack nodded. He opened his mouth to his answer to the looming "What next?", but then he remembered something: he didn't have an answer. The last week had been comprised of days spent learning how to fight at the smithy, and nights spent at taverns, which Jack had been thoroughly enjoying. But he didn't know what was next, which caused him to worry in spite of himself.
"Eh, I…" Jack stumbled. "I'm actually thinking of staying in Tortuga. Just for now," he added quickly.
"Let's stay here for another week," Harris said after a little while. "Make sure of…"
"Alright," Jack said, recovering. "Tortuga for another week. Then we…" He didn't feel the need to finish his sentence. The crew all nodded.
So the crew was leaving, and he didn't blame them. They were pirates, after all. They weren't tied to staying together, and they would most likely meet again anyway.
Eventually, the crew went down to the bunks. Jack stayed on deck, at the bow. Noises faintly drifted from Tortuga, but mostly the only thing he could hear was the sound of waves pounding against the sides of the Cavalier. Jack took a deep breath of the salty air.
He could stay in Tortuga. But what would be there for him? He really didn't know. He could get passage on a ship to somewhere, but… what would be there for him then? As much as he fiercely hated to admit it, he knew in the back of his mind that not many Captains would want him to join their crew. He was only fifteen, although he knew more about a ship than many grown men did. But there was a nagging doubt in the back of his mind…
He shook it off. He'd find something. He didn't feel like worrying about it… For now he was just fine standing at the bow of the ship he'd commandeered, looking out at Tortuga and the sea.
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A/N: Thank you to all those who have reviewed, and to all those who are about to review. ;) *wink, wink, nudge, nudge*
By Illoria
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Chapter Six
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The first night on the Cavalier, Jack was at the helm well past midnight. He hadn't even noticed that much time had passed. It was his first time steering a ship, and the feeling of it was even better than he had imagined. He'd always felt like he belonged on a ship, but that first night, alone at the helm, the sea dark and mysterious below, the stars bright above in a clear sky, he felt a stronger sense of belonging than he'd ever felt in his whole life.
The helm of a ship, he'd realized the night of his fifteenth birthday, was the only place where he felt at peace. It was as if the wheel beneath his hands sent a certain energy coursing through him; his senses sharpened and he was aware of everything in poignant detail; the salty air combing through his long, tangled hair, sending it whipping about his face; the horizon in perfect focus right in front of him; the sensation of the ship rocking with the waves heightened and it just felt like that was how everything was supposed to be…
"JACK!"
He snapped out of his reverie at Val's voice. Jack turned around ever so slightly. "What is it?"
"You've been 'ere all night," Val said. "Do ye want me to steer?"
"No!" Jack snapped immediately. "I mean, no. I'm fine."
"Ye look tired," Val said.
Jack did feel kind of tired… he snapped out of it. "I'll be steering tonight."
Val nodded and walked away.
A little while later, Davies stopped by. "Ye need some sleep, Jack," he said. Jack felt a familiar resentment... but still...
Jack reluctantly conceded as Davies took the wheel. He did need some sleep, or else he'd be falling asleep at the helm the next day. He was about to go down to the bunks, but Thomas stopped him. "Now, you get the Captain's quarters," he said. "Bootstrap's orders," he added as he led Jack back to the deck and to the Captain's quarters.
Captain. Even though Jack was only temporarily in charge of the ship, he liked the sound of it. Captain Jack Sparrow. He smiled slightly as he opened the door to the cabin and stepped inside.
It was a very large quarters, with a big bed in one corner with what looked like velvet pillows. There was a desk in the other corner, with a map on it, pins stuck in to various places. Next to the map was an unlit lamp, and down on the floor, next to a small Oriental throw rug, was a cabinet with what Jack presumed would be guns inside. The royal navy's Captain sure did sail in luxury, Jack thought as he flopped down on the bed. He hadn't realized how tired he was, but he fell asleep almost instantly.
**
Morning came and Jack remembered something. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the little package that William had given him as a birthday present the day before.
He took the lid off the box and realized that there was nothing inside but a ripped piece of parchment. On it an address was written. Jack turned it over and found an explanation.
------
This is the address of the best blacksmith in Tortuga. There's a sword there waiting for you. Just say Bootstrap sent you.
------
**
By evening, Tortuga was steadily coming into view. Jack was again at the helm, and in spite of himself he felt reluctant to bring the ship into Tortuga. It was his hometown, and as he thought of it the blurred memories of being six years old came back to him in a flash. Breaking glass and a scream and a man's voice, a flash of pain.
Jack felt himself breathing heavier as he stood at the helm, the ghosts of images and sounds blending together rapidly, and even more, the vivid feeling of complete and utter fear, frenzied running through Tortuga's crowded streets…
The bow in front of him was blurring and suddenly, the sea was spinning around him. His head was buzzing loudly and suddenly started throbbing… His vision blurred even further and all he could see were patches of the ship and a very unfocused mass that was Tortuga. His hands were sweating on the wheel but he held a death grip on it anyway.
He felt short of breath. Slowly the world came back into focus and the buzzing in his head subsided. The bow stopped spinning about. Tortuga was no longer blurry.
As his breathing returned to normal, Jack glanced around the ship. The crew was scurrying about doing their jobs in preparation for arrival at Tortuga. Jack calmed himself as he loosened his vice grip on the wheel, and noticed that his hands were deathly white.
He was glad that none of the crew had witnessed his little 'episode'. Fainting at the helm would not have been a good thing, and he was sure that the crew would never let him live it through with all the jabs and digs at him that would follow.
He was embarrassed anyway, even though no one else knew that he'd just almost fainted. He wasn't sure why it had happened… The memories were still all so vivid, vivid yet blurred together… And his lack of sleep the night before probably had something to do with it, not to mention he'd been out in the sun all that day…
But he knew that for the most part it wasn't the lack of sleep or the sun that had caused what had just happened. It was the memories that made him sick like that. It had happened once before; three years ago, when he was twelve. It'd been nighttime and he couldn't sleep down in his bunk on the Voyager. He'd remembered that same rush of colors and sounds and sensations and he'd felt so dizzy…
There had been a reason for that particular occasion. It'd been the six-year anniversary. And there was an even stronger reason for today's particular occasion, and that was obviously, the knowledge that in a very short time Jack would be walking the same streets in Tortuga that he'd been running through that day nine years ago.
********
In his cabin on the Black Pearl, Jack Sparrow was becoming reunited with one of his true loves… rum, of course.
A series of events, namely Gibbs confessing that they hadn't been able to 'find' all the supplies they needed in the small village, had ended in the Black Pearl being on its way to Tortuga. Not only for supplies, though. It'd hit Jack hard that this was the first time he didn't have a thoughtfully laid-out plan to go after something crazy. This upset him, and he knew it: there was only one thing to do. Find something crazy to go after, and as much as Jack didn't want to resort to it at that moment, there was only one place where a pirate could without-a-doubt find out something crazy.
So, they were on their way to Tortuga, and all the supplies and craziness they needed would be at their beckon call in four days. It was a comparatively long way off to Tortuga, but they all knew the trip was necessary.
It was odd how the place that had been Jack's cage as a child was now his refuge. Tortuga was the one place in the world that a pirate would never be caught, no matter what. Firstly, no one who would've been keen on throwing a pirate into jail would ever be in Tortuga. Secondly, even if the aforementioned person by some fluke of navigation ended up in Tortuga, there were an endless number of pirates on the island and the aforementioned poor disoriented person wouldn't be able to decide which one to sack. Lastly, even if the person in question picked a random pirate to throw into a cell, some of the other pirates would probably all gang up on him and make sure that their comrade wasn't on his way to prison, either that or spring the imprisoned pirate out.
But, Tortuga was certain to present a certain difficulty to Jack now. Ever since his meeting and consequent exchange of rescues with Will Turner two weeks ago, he hadn't been able to disconnect past from present like he usually could. Usually, he was able to separate Tortuga into past Tortuga and present Tortuga; the former he refused to think about, leaving only present Tortuga for the haven it was.
But meeting Will Turner had created a bridge from past to present. A bridge that Jack had destroyed a long time ago… a bridge that he had worked to destroy upon setting foot in Tortuga for the first time in five years.
*******
Jack and the crew let down the anchor after stashing the Cavalier away in a sort of cave on the far side of the island of Tortuga. Docking her with the rest of the ships in Tortuga's ports was out of the question, considering that the royal navy was without a doubt scouring the seas for their stolen flagship at that very moment. So, Jack and the small crew got into a longboat and rowed it into shore. Davies had a flask of alcohol, and Jack asked for a sip. He needed to calm his nerves somehow, seeing as his heart was currently pounding quite loudly at the prospect of walking into Tortuga.
Davies smirked and handed the flask over to Jack, who took more than a sip. He'd downed half the flask by the time he handed it back to Davies, who looked at Jack questioningly, shrugged, and downed the rest of the drink.
Jack was sure, however, that he'd need bottles of the stuff to stop his heart from pounding. Although now he felt ever so slightly lightheaded, he was still grounded in worry. He felt his hands shake as he got out of the longboat with his mates. Harris noticed.
"Jack? You okay?"
Jack looked up and nodded, shoving his hands promptly behind his back. Harris looked at him skeptically, but didn't push the matter.
They stashed the longboat under the docks and tied it up, and then made their way into Tortuga. Each step forward that Jack took felt like a leap backward as present-day Tortuga turned into the Tortuga of the past, as fifteen-year-old Jack fell backward to the frightened child he'd been back then.
"Jack? Jack?" he faintly heard Davies saying his name.
"He doesn't look too good," Jack heard Thomas mumble to Val, who mumbled something back.
"Jack?" Davies repeated.
Jack snapped back to the present, and as he looked around the chaotic street that they were standing in the middle of, he felt as if he'd just fallen into the scene from somewhere else. And really, he had. He'd just fallen from the past into the present, and gradually the present was coming back to him.
"I'm fine," he said quickly. He was fine, now.
Davies opened his mouth to say something, but didn't say it, as he was preoccupied with dodging a chair that someone had flung from a window somewhere above them. Straightening, Davies grinned slightly. "Welcome to Tortuga," he said to Jack. "Ever been 'ere before?"
Jack nodded. "I was born here, actually," he said.
"Really!" Davies exclaimed, obviously impressed. "Hey boys!" he shouted to the other pirates. "This 'ere is Jack's hometown!"
The others reacted the same way, slapping Jack on the back as if being born in Tortuga was something to be proud of. Jack supposed it would've been to another pirate, considering how Tortuga was known for being the pirate's haven of the world, but considering what had happened to Jack in Tortuga he felt quite less than proud.
The pirates kept walking (dodging various things and skirting various brawls along the way). They finally came to a building with a swinging sing indicating what was inside.
"The Faithful Bride," Val said appreciatively. "Most notorious pub around." He threw open the door, and Jack immediately had to leap out of the way as a man fell out into the street.
"Gotta love it," Val said, stepping inside.
Jack glanced around the large tavern. It was complete and utter chaos. There were fights going on all over the place, and he had to step over various drunks passed out on the ground. Barmaids scurried about bringing drinks to a number of shady looking men, and most of the barmaids ended up in the laps of said men. Jack's eyes widened as he had to sidestep a knife whizzing past his ear, which embedded itself in a wooden post only to be yanked out by a burly man.
Jack, Davies, Val, Harris, and Thomas found a table in a dark corner where no one would bother them, and they all ordered a mug of rum, including Jack. A busty barmaid returned with their drinks, bending dangerously over the table, her dress looking like it was coming close to falling off in the process. She winked at Jack as she straightened and said, "Will that be all, boys?"
Davies nodded to her, his eyes lingering on her as she turned to walk away. He raised his mug.
"To Tortuga! The town with the best drinks, and the best women!" They clanged their glasses together and took large gulps of rum.
**
"A-And then," Jack said, his words slurred together very much and his hands waving madly about, "That's when I met William, you see, and we went on this ship and…"
"Just like Bootstrap," Davies remarked, his words slurred also.
They toasted to William, spilling a large amount of rum in the process. With a large gulp, Jack finished off his second mug. The crew used to be cautious about letting Jack drink too much. After all, they'd met him when he was ten (and he'd probably looked even younger). But after William had let him have rum, the rest of them had followed his lead and realized that Jack was growing up if he hadn't already.
"So, ye 'avent been back in Tortuga since you were six, eh?" Val asked Jack, waving his mug around drunkenly.
"No!" Jack corrected. "Havent been in Tortuga since I was ten, on the count of I was at th'orphanage after that…" He made to take another drink of rum, but noticed sadly that his mug was empty.
"Orphanage?" Thomas repeated.
Jack nodded exaggeratedly. "Got tossed in there when the captain of William's ship, he thought I was too young to sail, see, so I had to stay at the orphanage, and had to stay there till I was ten and William came back on the Voyager…"
They all cast their eyes down in reverence for the sunken Voyager, but it was only a very brief gesture considering that they were all so drunk. Soon they were carrying on again, telling stories and making little sense through all the alcohol.
They stayed at the Faithful Bride all night, and past one o'clock in the morning, Harris, Davies, Val, and Thomas had found a couple of very pretty barmaids. Leaving on the arm of a grinning girl, Harris had called back to Jack, "There's an inn a few buildings down, get a room for the rest of the night," and tossed him a pouch full of coins. Jack had rolled his eyes and swaggered outside, and he was now standing in front of the inn.
He walked inside and set a few coins down on the innkeeper's desk. "Just for tonight," he said, trying to keep his voice steady in spite of his drunken state. His efforts were unneeded, however, as the innkeeper's voice was slurred. "Upstairs, find what ya can."
Jack nodded and made his way up the stairs, tripping over a few in the process. He found an empty room and stumbled inside, quite literally falling onto the bed. He fell asleep quickly.
**
In the morning, Jack awoke and the events of the previous night came back to him in one hard blow. Two mugs of rum, and he'd spilled his childhood history to all four of his mates. He groaned, wondering how he could've possibly been so stupid. Anyone but William knowing about the past was something Jack had never intended to let happen.
Well, they didn't know everything. He'd started his story at running into William and left out all the events preceding that. Hopefully the crew, who had been even drunker than Jack had been, would either not remember it or not mention it.
Jack figured the crew would be at the docks waiting for him. However… he had an errand.
Jack walked down the streets, holding the ripped parchment that William had given him. He looked over the address again and turned a corner. He counted building numbers as he made his way down the street, and eventually stopped in front of one of the buildings. He was obviously where he was supposed to be; a swinging sign said that the building was in fact a blacksmith's. Jack smiled and opened the door.
The inside was dark and dusty, the walls strewn with various weapons. A man was in the corner pounding on an unfinished sword with a hammer.
"'Morning, sir!" Jack shouted out over the banging noise of the hammer.
The man looked up from his work, and upon seeing Jack, he set down his hammer and walked over to him.
"What can I do fer ye?" the blacksmith asked.
"Bootstrap sent me," Jack said.
"Ah!" the smith exclaimed, his indifferent expression gone and replaced with one of interest. "Ye must be Jack Sparrow, then! Come here, come here." Jack followed the blacksmith across the room, where a row of very nice swords hung upon the wall. The smith scanned the row and stopped at one of the swords, which he removed from the wall very carefully.
"What do you think?" the smith asked interestedly as he handed the sword over to Jack... who dropped it.
Embarrassed, Jack retrieved the sword from the ground and grasped the handle. It felt awkward in his hand. "Ehhh…" was all that escaped his mouth.
The smith raised his eyebrows, "Ah," was all he said.
Jack nodded sheepishly.
The smith appeared to be debating something with himself. "I practice with these, I could…" He threw his hands up in surrender. "Ah, I'll teach ye. If Bootstrap took to ya like he did…" He shook his head. "I owe him a few favors anyway. Tell you what, come here at noon every day."
Jack nodded. "Thank you," he said.
"Meanwhile, you'll be needing a sheath for that," the smith said, nodding toward the sword still clutched awkwardly in Jack's hand. The smith walked over to the wall that he'd taken Jack's sword down from, and retrieved its sheath. Jack fastened it to his belt and sheathed the sword.
"I'll be here tomorrow," he promised as he backed out of the smithy, making his way to the docks.
**
"What took ye so long?" Davies asked as soon as Jack arrived.
Jack pulled the sword ever so slightly out of its sheath. "William had it made for me," he explained. "I was picking it up."
Davies nodded.
"'S nice," Val remarked, eyeing the sword.
Jack smiled and sheathed the sword.
"So," Thomas began, "what's the plan for today?"
The five looked at each other and eventually shrugged. They all looked at Jack, who raised his eyebrows.
"You're in charge," Val reminded him.
"While on board the Cavalier," Harris added. "Which we are not. So really, we don't have to listen to Jack." But none of them made to leave.
"Do whatever you want," Jack eventually said as all eyes fell on him again.
The pirates shrugged and made for town again. Jack shook his head, disappointed at his not knowing what kind of orders to give the crew. On the Voyager, the Captain had told them to stock up on supplies while in town and had given them orders concerning when to board the ship again. But the crew was only one of five, too small to sail very far, and their ship was only a temporary arrangement to bring them into Tortuga.
Jack, not knowing what else to do and eager to learn how to use the sword sheathed at his side, went back to the smithy that he'd just come from. Opening the door, he called out, "I'm back. I'm ready to start now."
The blacksmith emerged from a small room in the back of the smithy. "Back already, eh?" he said. "Well, I suppose we could start now…" He grabbed a sword for himself off of the wall.
"Can I ask you something?" Jack said.
"What?"
"Just, why do you practice with these?" Jack asked. "I mean, there's not really a need for you to…"
"Ah, don't get much business," the smith admitted. "Figured it'd be useful to learn. So I did. Now, we'll start with basic blocks and counters. Alright!" The smith lunged with the sword. "Now, block." Jack blocked.
By evening, Jack was doing pretty well with "basic blocks and counters". "Your footwork needs work, but we'll work on that another time," the blacksmith said.
Jack sheathed his sword. "Thank you, again," he said before leaving.
**
The next week went the same way. Jack reported dutifully to the smithy every day. By the end of the week, the blacksmith told him he was doing very well. Jack had even managed to outsmart the smith's moves a few times, but he still needed work. They agreed to spend a few more days training.
Meanwhile, Jack and the crew had reached a point that could be summed up as: "What next?" Jack called a meeting on the deck of the Cavalier at the end of the week, and they all reported there.
"I've got an offer to join the crew of the Sea Serpent," Thomas reported. It turned out that Harris, Davies, and Val were also thinking of joining the crews of other pirate ships.
"But we're not goin' anywhere if you 'avent got anywhere to go," Davies assured Jack.
Jack nodded. He opened his mouth to his answer to the looming "What next?", but then he remembered something: he didn't have an answer. The last week had been comprised of days spent learning how to fight at the smithy, and nights spent at taverns, which Jack had been thoroughly enjoying. But he didn't know what was next, which caused him to worry in spite of himself.
"Eh, I…" Jack stumbled. "I'm actually thinking of staying in Tortuga. Just for now," he added quickly.
"Let's stay here for another week," Harris said after a little while. "Make sure of…"
"Alright," Jack said, recovering. "Tortuga for another week. Then we…" He didn't feel the need to finish his sentence. The crew all nodded.
So the crew was leaving, and he didn't blame them. They were pirates, after all. They weren't tied to staying together, and they would most likely meet again anyway.
Eventually, the crew went down to the bunks. Jack stayed on deck, at the bow. Noises faintly drifted from Tortuga, but mostly the only thing he could hear was the sound of waves pounding against the sides of the Cavalier. Jack took a deep breath of the salty air.
He could stay in Tortuga. But what would be there for him? He really didn't know. He could get passage on a ship to somewhere, but… what would be there for him then? As much as he fiercely hated to admit it, he knew in the back of his mind that not many Captains would want him to join their crew. He was only fifteen, although he knew more about a ship than many grown men did. But there was a nagging doubt in the back of his mind…
He shook it off. He'd find something. He didn't feel like worrying about it… For now he was just fine standing at the bow of the ship he'd commandeered, looking out at Tortuga and the sea.
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A/N: Thank you to all those who have reviewed, and to all those who are about to review. ;) *wink, wink, nudge, nudge*