'Story time', Alyssia thought sardonically, listening with half an
ear as Jack enthralled the two marines with his tales of derring-do, which
she had to admit were pretty impressive. She'd never met anyone who could
lie so creatively with no prep time at all.
She shaded her eyes with one hand as she peered up at the cliffs that overshadowed the harbor. She could see two figures up on the battlements, a man and a woman. The woman's fan was fluttering rapidly like a startled butterfly, and Alyssia found herself thinking, 'That's one helluva drop if she faints- but no, her gentleman friend no doubt has the wits to catch her if she does'. Then, a moment later, 'Woops, guess not.' The woman fell like a shot bird, hit the water with a loud splash and immediately sank out of sight. Alyssia stared, horrified, then yelled, "Sparrow!"
She could hear men up on the cliff yelling something, but they didn't seem too eager to dive in after her, no doubt on account of the rocks. Jack looked past one of the marines at her and demanded, "Will you be saving her then?"
"That seems to be more your forte than mine," she retorted. "Or aren't your stories true?"
The marine answered at the same instant, giving his excuses.
"Pride of the Royal Navy, you are!" Jack growled, shedding his coat, sword belt, and hat. "Do not lose these!" Then he dove into the water and vanished into the murky depths.
Alyssia stood with the two marines, watching the water anxiously, but then she thought, 'Come on, the hero never dies this early in the show...' Then she grinned and amended, 'Which means he's definitely drowned.'
Her thoughts were interrupted as the sea pulsed, the water rising and falling again in a way that was, well, unnatural. A moment later, Jack resurfaced, but was quickly dragged back under by the weight of the woman's waterlogged dress. Alyssia said several words that would have earned her a slap from her aunt and prepared to dive into the water after him, but the ring on her finger tightened sharply, sending a jolt of pain up her arm. She said several more words, held the thing up to her eyes, and glared at it, demanding, "What is this, a complimentary babysitting service free with my time-and-space travels? I know what I'm doing! I can swim just fine!"
The ring sparkled innocently in the sunlight and gave no reply. At that point, however, Jack's head broke the surface of the water a second time, and he was supporting the limp form of the young woman, who was now clad only in a white shift. Alyssia started to run down the dock, but she was cut off by a squad of marines, led by the man she had seen from a distance on the battlements. Jack's two "friends" from the Interceptor rushed to help him with the young woman, who was now on her back on the dock, and reportedly not breathing. She watched interestedly as Jack pulled a knife and cut off the woman's corset, which solved the problem, and tossed it to one of the marines, who handled it gingerly, as though it might explode, holding it in front of himself like a shield.
There was some discussion between Jack and a man in a blue uniform who had arrived with the marines, as well as Elizabeth's father. In the process, Jack was thanked, threatened, revealed to be a pirate ('Oh, big surprise! Just look at him!'), and ultimately sentenced to be hanged.
She supposed she should be upset when they clapped him in irons and sentenced him to death, but he seemed quite unconcerned with the whole affair, and for some unfathomable reason she found herself trusting his judgment, or at the very least trusting that he had some kind of a plan for getting away alive. Her suspicions hardened into certainty when she caught him watching Elizabeth closely out of the corner of his eye, an expression that she knew, though she had met him less than an hour before, meant trouble.
"Now, Sparrow," Alyssia said warningly, "Don't do anything stupid-" He lunged and looped the chains that bound his hands around Elizabeth's neck -"Like that," she finished, groaning.
One running battle later, they were hiding behind a statue of a blacksmith. Alyssia took the opportunity to lecture him, as no one would hear her anyway. "That was royally stupid, Sparrow! What if they'd shot you?"
He gave her a devil-may-care smile, and answered, "Concerned for my safety, love? I'm touched."
"You're touched in the head!" she snapped, following as he slid out from behind the statue and entered the blacksmith's shop, carefully shutting the door behind him.
She shaded her eyes with one hand as she peered up at the cliffs that overshadowed the harbor. She could see two figures up on the battlements, a man and a woman. The woman's fan was fluttering rapidly like a startled butterfly, and Alyssia found herself thinking, 'That's one helluva drop if she faints- but no, her gentleman friend no doubt has the wits to catch her if she does'. Then, a moment later, 'Woops, guess not.' The woman fell like a shot bird, hit the water with a loud splash and immediately sank out of sight. Alyssia stared, horrified, then yelled, "Sparrow!"
She could hear men up on the cliff yelling something, but they didn't seem too eager to dive in after her, no doubt on account of the rocks. Jack looked past one of the marines at her and demanded, "Will you be saving her then?"
"That seems to be more your forte than mine," she retorted. "Or aren't your stories true?"
The marine answered at the same instant, giving his excuses.
"Pride of the Royal Navy, you are!" Jack growled, shedding his coat, sword belt, and hat. "Do not lose these!" Then he dove into the water and vanished into the murky depths.
Alyssia stood with the two marines, watching the water anxiously, but then she thought, 'Come on, the hero never dies this early in the show...' Then she grinned and amended, 'Which means he's definitely drowned.'
Her thoughts were interrupted as the sea pulsed, the water rising and falling again in a way that was, well, unnatural. A moment later, Jack resurfaced, but was quickly dragged back under by the weight of the woman's waterlogged dress. Alyssia said several words that would have earned her a slap from her aunt and prepared to dive into the water after him, but the ring on her finger tightened sharply, sending a jolt of pain up her arm. She said several more words, held the thing up to her eyes, and glared at it, demanding, "What is this, a complimentary babysitting service free with my time-and-space travels? I know what I'm doing! I can swim just fine!"
The ring sparkled innocently in the sunlight and gave no reply. At that point, however, Jack's head broke the surface of the water a second time, and he was supporting the limp form of the young woman, who was now clad only in a white shift. Alyssia started to run down the dock, but she was cut off by a squad of marines, led by the man she had seen from a distance on the battlements. Jack's two "friends" from the Interceptor rushed to help him with the young woman, who was now on her back on the dock, and reportedly not breathing. She watched interestedly as Jack pulled a knife and cut off the woman's corset, which solved the problem, and tossed it to one of the marines, who handled it gingerly, as though it might explode, holding it in front of himself like a shield.
There was some discussion between Jack and a man in a blue uniform who had arrived with the marines, as well as Elizabeth's father. In the process, Jack was thanked, threatened, revealed to be a pirate ('Oh, big surprise! Just look at him!'), and ultimately sentenced to be hanged.
She supposed she should be upset when they clapped him in irons and sentenced him to death, but he seemed quite unconcerned with the whole affair, and for some unfathomable reason she found herself trusting his judgment, or at the very least trusting that he had some kind of a plan for getting away alive. Her suspicions hardened into certainty when she caught him watching Elizabeth closely out of the corner of his eye, an expression that she knew, though she had met him less than an hour before, meant trouble.
"Now, Sparrow," Alyssia said warningly, "Don't do anything stupid-" He lunged and looped the chains that bound his hands around Elizabeth's neck -"Like that," she finished, groaning.
One running battle later, they were hiding behind a statue of a blacksmith. Alyssia took the opportunity to lecture him, as no one would hear her anyway. "That was royally stupid, Sparrow! What if they'd shot you?"
He gave her a devil-may-care smile, and answered, "Concerned for my safety, love? I'm touched."
"You're touched in the head!" she snapped, following as he slid out from behind the statue and entered the blacksmith's shop, carefully shutting the door behind him.