* * * * * * * * * *
"What was it I said about once a womaniser, always a womaniser?" Ana- Marie asked, recalling the story. Captain Jack Sparrow seemed more interested in the complexity of Ana-Marie's shirt buttons.
She slapped his hands away, and he growled.
"Ana-Marie, you can't invite a man into you're bed and not expect him to be interested in your buttons."
"I didn't invite you captain."
"Ah." Jack paused, his argument defeated. "Well, where do you hide the rum?" He said, leaning over her to check her the top drawer of her table.
"Jack, how do you know I even have rum in here?" Ana-Marie asked, as Jack reached under the bed.
"Because.Ah huh!" He said triumphantly, drawing out a half full bottle of rum. He waved it in her face, while she tried to snatch it. "I know you Ana. And you introduced me to the stuff."
"And that's how I found myself wedged in a barrel, sailing god knows where." Jackson finished, eying the woman opposite him warily. She had not interrupted is story once, preferring to stare into the fire.
Finally she started laughing.
"Ah, Jackie boy, you're not the first man to be led to the life of pirating because of a woman." She paused. "Did you love her?"
"Julia? Or the Jararaca's seven wives?"
"Julia."
"Yes," He said simply, looking at his hands.
"Bitch." Ana-Marie said with a shrug, and passed him the rum. "Jack, as Turner always says, the sea's a cruel mistress, but she won't misuse you like Julia did. Be good to her, and she'll serve you well."
* * * * * * * * * * * Two days after that, a naval ship caught the Portella out on open sea, the wind working against her. The fight, by all accounts, was a bloodied one that left too many dead. Ana-Marie woke up to the sounds of cannons, and Crow's voice from the deck. She rushed to the windows, ignoring her father as he moaned on the bed.
"Damnations." She swore, holstering her gun and finding her axes. No one would take the Portella from her. Not unless it was over her dead body.
"Captain we're under." Came a voice from the door.
"I know Barl," She said angrily as she strode past him. "Carlos, Vincent, go load the cannons. Barl, take the others on deck. We're going to have to fight them. We have to turn the ship so we can get them in firing range." She hurried, and nearly walked straight into Jackson.
"Captain, what's." She shoved past him roughly, flattening him against the wall.
"Vincent, take that idiot with you." She shouted back over her shoulder.
The fight that ensued was pure chaos. The naval boat was a crew of young men, only their first trip out to sea. Luckily for Ana-Marie, most of them didn't know Starboard from dashboard. Still, the Portella was unprepared and took a beating on its hull.
Ana-Marie found herself facing the Corporal of the ship. He drew his sword, his eyes dull.
"Pirate whore. Go back to your bed sheets." Surprise was on her side, as he hissed when she drew her own sword, matching him blow for blow with angry menace. Canons boomed from both sides, and Ana-Marie was caught of guard when the mast of the naval ship fell. A protruding nail left a nasty cut down her arm, letting the Corporal gain advantage.
He had her backed up against the wall; battle going on all around, his blade pressed her throat.
"Seems almost a pity to kill you girl. I'd rather take you to my bed," The tip of his blade moved lower, stroking her collarbone. "Little minx like you."
"I'd rather die." Ana-Marie spat through her teeth. The Corporal pressed the blade against her skin, causing her to gasp, as he sliced open the skin on her collarbone.
"Would you, well." Whatever comment the Corporal would have made was silence, as a blade unceremoniously a slit his throat. Ana-Marie darted out of the way of his sword, glancing up at Jackson. He shot her a smile and a small salute before darting away.
She watched him for a few seconds, his speed, the grace in which he fought, dancing this way and that. Sparrow was a fitting name for the way he fought. Then she turned and blocked an incoming attack.
The battle ended, with ten soldiers captured, and the rest dead. Two pirates were slain, four injured. Ana-Marie sighed as she watched captives being shoved of the plank to fall into the water with their dead. The ship, while only a naval boat, contained enough to made the trip worth wild, though now they could not repeat it, not for a while anyway. Too many ships were now chasing the Portella.
Time to relax, and lay low. What better place then Tortugua? Ana-Marie thought, trying to distract herself from the fact that she hadn't checked on her father for eight hours.
* * * * * * * * * *
"What was it I said about once a womaniser, always a womaniser?" Ana- Marie asked, recalling the story. Captain Jack Sparrow seemed more interested in the complexity of Ana-Marie's shirt buttons.
She slapped his hands away, and he growled.
"Ana-Marie, you can't invite a man into you're bed and not expect him to be interested in your buttons."
"I didn't invite you captain."
"Ah." Jack paused, his argument defeated. "Well, where do you hide the rum?" He said, leaning over her to check her the top drawer of her table.
"Jack, how do you know I even have rum in here?" Ana-Marie asked, as Jack reached under the bed.
"Because.Ah huh!" He said triumphantly, drawing out a half full bottle of rum. He waved it in her face, while she tried to snatch it. "I know you Ana. And you introduced me to the stuff."
"And that's how I found myself wedged in a barrel, sailing god knows where." Jackson finished, eying the woman opposite him warily. She had not interrupted is story once, preferring to stare into the fire.
Finally she started laughing.
"Ah, Jackie boy, you're not the first man to be led to the life of pirating because of a woman." She paused. "Did you love her?"
"Julia? Or the Jararaca's seven wives?"
"Julia."
"Yes," He said simply, looking at his hands.
"Bitch." Ana-Marie said with a shrug, and passed him the rum. "Jack, as Turner always says, the sea's a cruel mistress, but she won't misuse you like Julia did. Be good to her, and she'll serve you well."
* * * * * * * * * * * Two days after that, a naval ship caught the Portella out on open sea, the wind working against her. The fight, by all accounts, was a bloodied one that left too many dead. Ana-Marie woke up to the sounds of cannons, and Crow's voice from the deck. She rushed to the windows, ignoring her father as he moaned on the bed.
"Damnations." She swore, holstering her gun and finding her axes. No one would take the Portella from her. Not unless it was over her dead body.
"Captain we're under." Came a voice from the door.
"I know Barl," She said angrily as she strode past him. "Carlos, Vincent, go load the cannons. Barl, take the others on deck. We're going to have to fight them. We have to turn the ship so we can get them in firing range." She hurried, and nearly walked straight into Jackson.
"Captain, what's." She shoved past him roughly, flattening him against the wall.
"Vincent, take that idiot with you." She shouted back over her shoulder.
The fight that ensued was pure chaos. The naval boat was a crew of young men, only their first trip out to sea. Luckily for Ana-Marie, most of them didn't know Starboard from dashboard. Still, the Portella was unprepared and took a beating on its hull.
Ana-Marie found herself facing the Corporal of the ship. He drew his sword, his eyes dull.
"Pirate whore. Go back to your bed sheets." Surprise was on her side, as he hissed when she drew her own sword, matching him blow for blow with angry menace. Canons boomed from both sides, and Ana-Marie was caught of guard when the mast of the naval ship fell. A protruding nail left a nasty cut down her arm, letting the Corporal gain advantage.
He had her backed up against the wall; battle going on all around, his blade pressed her throat.
"Seems almost a pity to kill you girl. I'd rather take you to my bed," The tip of his blade moved lower, stroking her collarbone. "Little minx like you."
"I'd rather die." Ana-Marie spat through her teeth. The Corporal pressed the blade against her skin, causing her to gasp, as he sliced open the skin on her collarbone.
"Would you, well." Whatever comment the Corporal would have made was silence, as a blade unceremoniously a slit his throat. Ana-Marie darted out of the way of his sword, glancing up at Jackson. He shot her a smile and a small salute before darting away.
She watched him for a few seconds, his speed, the grace in which he fought, dancing this way and that. Sparrow was a fitting name for the way he fought. Then she turned and blocked an incoming attack.
The battle ended, with ten soldiers captured, and the rest dead. Two pirates were slain, four injured. Ana-Marie sighed as she watched captives being shoved of the plank to fall into the water with their dead. The ship, while only a naval boat, contained enough to made the trip worth wild, though now they could not repeat it, not for a while anyway. Too many ships were now chasing the Portella.
Time to relax, and lay low. What better place then Tortugua? Ana-Marie thought, trying to distract herself from the fact that she hadn't checked on her father for eight hours.
* * * * * * * * * *