A/N: There'll be a bit more action in this chapter. Not THAT kind of action! Honestly, some people! And for my first reviewer, Midnightingale, I'm naming a ship after you. And my chapter title. See what you get for reviewing?
A/N #2: Just in case anyone is wondering, AnaMaria had taken her share of the booty from Isla de Muerta and departed with some of the crew on a new ship that she commandeered at Tortuga before they reached New Providence. I hope that clears up the fact that she's not in this story.
~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter Ten: Fall of the Nightingale
'Forever searching; never right, I am lost
In oceans of night.
Forever hoping I can find memories.
Those memories I left behind.'
--Lyrics from "Evening Falls"
Enya
"Watermark"
Anne opened her eyes to find dark amber ones staring into hers. She coughed and sat up.
"I told you not to drink the rum so quick, love," said Jack.
"I guess you were right. Never having that again," she said. Her skull was aflame with a headache and her limbs felt like lead. "Ugh.. Why do I feel so sick?"
"That is called a hangover," he said matter-of-factly. Anne tried to stand up. Big mistake. She fell back down on the cot and groaned.
"I can see why they call it that," she said. Jack rose and went to the window.
"You're lucky I was there. You fell right off the dock, and I had to go in after ye."
"Thank you, but I don't need anyone's help. Much less yours," she said.
"If you say so. I'll be on deck if you need anything. Send Cotton up."
"Cotton?" He pointed out the parrot that was perched on the back of a chair. He bowed and left the cabin. Anne closed her eyes and slept.
~*~*~*~*~*
Jack stood at the helm, bellowing orders as they approached a British sloop.
"Pull up the Union Jack, Gibbs! Larkins, bring out all the canvas!" He pulled out his spyglass and held it up. The Black Pearl was gaining on the small ship, and he could see the name, the Nightingale. He put the glass away and bade the crew to go below deck, and wait for his signal. He stood tall and waited as the Nightingale came up alongside.
"Ahoy there!" came a call from the other ship. "What be your business this hour?"
"Every man's business is his own, my good man!" he replied. He could see the red-coat across from him hailing his crew. Apparently he was a captain.
"Are you a friend to His Majesty?" asked the Nightingale's Captain.
"Ah, I suppose you can call it that," answered Jack.
"May I ask to see your marque of permission?" said the soldier. Jack shifted his weight and gave a look to Gibbs, who had come back up to the desk. He pulled up the Jolly Roger alongside the Union Jack.
"You see, mate? That is my marque," said Jack, pointing to the pirate flag. The red-coat turned a color resembling cold porridge, and shouted something to his crew. Jack pulled out his pistol (newly loaded) and shot at the Nightingale. His bullet whizzed barely half an inch past the other Captain's head. All the rest of Jack's crew (minus Anne) rushed on-deck and drew their cutlasses.
"Men! Prepare to board!" ordered Jack. They shot grappling hooks over to the other ship and swung over, Jack being the last. The crew of the Nightingale was outnumbered ten-to-one. Jack impaled one of the officers, removed his blade, and wiped it on the dead man's coat. He noticed Cotton's bird flying above the battle, and he looked over at the Black Pearl. Anne was standing there, watching them. No, not now, he thought. Gibbs and Larkins were fighting three of the soldiers, and Jack set out to find the Captain. He found the man huddled in his cabin, trying to pick up a keg of gunpowder. Jack pointed his pistol at him.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, mate," he said. The red-coat dropped the keg, and his face went from porridge-white to a sickly green.
"What are your terms, sir?" said the Captain. Jack considered for a moment.
"We get your gold and supplies, and you and your crew will not be harmed," he said. He never wanted to make blood-shed unless there was a reason to. Jack was a negotiating kind of man.
"A-agreed," stuttered the red-coat. They shook hands, and Jack went with the Captain back to the deck. The crew of the sloop was standing in a line, unarmed. Jack's crew was standing guard. They took the barrels and crates (Jack grabbed a keg of the finest British rum) and went back to the Pearl.
Jack went over to Anne. She was staring at the other ship and made no comment.
"Got some more swag for us," he said. Anne looked at him at last.
"I've never seen piracy in action before," she said. Jack chuckled and put the keg in her arms. She buckled at the weight but lifted it again after a moment.
"You aren't squeemish, are you?" asked Jack. She shook her head and went to put the keg in the hold. Jack followed her.
"No, I can stand blood like any man." She put the rum barrel down and brushed her hair away from her face.
"If so, then why were you lookin' so strange before?" he said. Anne looked up at him.
"I knew one of the men who was killed."
"Who was he, love?"
~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: Ah, well you'll just have to wait and see!
Jack: That's not fair!
Me: I know it's not. I hate cliffhangers myself.
Jack: Then WHY did you put one in?
Me: Because it makes everything so much more exciting. Don't you think?
Jack: *grumble*
A/N #2: Just in case anyone is wondering, AnaMaria had taken her share of the booty from Isla de Muerta and departed with some of the crew on a new ship that she commandeered at Tortuga before they reached New Providence. I hope that clears up the fact that she's not in this story.
~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter Ten: Fall of the Nightingale
'Forever searching; never right, I am lost
In oceans of night.
Forever hoping I can find memories.
Those memories I left behind.'
--Lyrics from "Evening Falls"
Enya
"Watermark"
Anne opened her eyes to find dark amber ones staring into hers. She coughed and sat up.
"I told you not to drink the rum so quick, love," said Jack.
"I guess you were right. Never having that again," she said. Her skull was aflame with a headache and her limbs felt like lead. "Ugh.. Why do I feel so sick?"
"That is called a hangover," he said matter-of-factly. Anne tried to stand up. Big mistake. She fell back down on the cot and groaned.
"I can see why they call it that," she said. Jack rose and went to the window.
"You're lucky I was there. You fell right off the dock, and I had to go in after ye."
"Thank you, but I don't need anyone's help. Much less yours," she said.
"If you say so. I'll be on deck if you need anything. Send Cotton up."
"Cotton?" He pointed out the parrot that was perched on the back of a chair. He bowed and left the cabin. Anne closed her eyes and slept.
~*~*~*~*~*
Jack stood at the helm, bellowing orders as they approached a British sloop.
"Pull up the Union Jack, Gibbs! Larkins, bring out all the canvas!" He pulled out his spyglass and held it up. The Black Pearl was gaining on the small ship, and he could see the name, the Nightingale. He put the glass away and bade the crew to go below deck, and wait for his signal. He stood tall and waited as the Nightingale came up alongside.
"Ahoy there!" came a call from the other ship. "What be your business this hour?"
"Every man's business is his own, my good man!" he replied. He could see the red-coat across from him hailing his crew. Apparently he was a captain.
"Are you a friend to His Majesty?" asked the Nightingale's Captain.
"Ah, I suppose you can call it that," answered Jack.
"May I ask to see your marque of permission?" said the soldier. Jack shifted his weight and gave a look to Gibbs, who had come back up to the desk. He pulled up the Jolly Roger alongside the Union Jack.
"You see, mate? That is my marque," said Jack, pointing to the pirate flag. The red-coat turned a color resembling cold porridge, and shouted something to his crew. Jack pulled out his pistol (newly loaded) and shot at the Nightingale. His bullet whizzed barely half an inch past the other Captain's head. All the rest of Jack's crew (minus Anne) rushed on-deck and drew their cutlasses.
"Men! Prepare to board!" ordered Jack. They shot grappling hooks over to the other ship and swung over, Jack being the last. The crew of the Nightingale was outnumbered ten-to-one. Jack impaled one of the officers, removed his blade, and wiped it on the dead man's coat. He noticed Cotton's bird flying above the battle, and he looked over at the Black Pearl. Anne was standing there, watching them. No, not now, he thought. Gibbs and Larkins were fighting three of the soldiers, and Jack set out to find the Captain. He found the man huddled in his cabin, trying to pick up a keg of gunpowder. Jack pointed his pistol at him.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, mate," he said. The red-coat dropped the keg, and his face went from porridge-white to a sickly green.
"What are your terms, sir?" said the Captain. Jack considered for a moment.
"We get your gold and supplies, and you and your crew will not be harmed," he said. He never wanted to make blood-shed unless there was a reason to. Jack was a negotiating kind of man.
"A-agreed," stuttered the red-coat. They shook hands, and Jack went with the Captain back to the deck. The crew of the sloop was standing in a line, unarmed. Jack's crew was standing guard. They took the barrels and crates (Jack grabbed a keg of the finest British rum) and went back to the Pearl.
Jack went over to Anne. She was staring at the other ship and made no comment.
"Got some more swag for us," he said. Anne looked at him at last.
"I've never seen piracy in action before," she said. Jack chuckled and put the keg in her arms. She buckled at the weight but lifted it again after a moment.
"You aren't squeemish, are you?" asked Jack. She shook her head and went to put the keg in the hold. Jack followed her.
"No, I can stand blood like any man." She put the rum barrel down and brushed her hair away from her face.
"If so, then why were you lookin' so strange before?" he said. Anne looked up at him.
"I knew one of the men who was killed."
"Who was he, love?"
~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: Ah, well you'll just have to wait and see!
Jack: That's not fair!
Me: I know it's not. I hate cliffhangers myself.
Jack: Then WHY did you put one in?
Me: Because it makes everything so much more exciting. Don't you think?
Jack: *grumble*