Jack stared gloomily out over the harbour, to where the Black Pearl and the
Red Dragon lay on the beach being refitted by some of the finest ship-
builders in Port Royale. He and Gibbs had made a habit of walking down
there everyday, just to make sure they weren't changing anything to do with
the design of his ship. Likewise, Will had persuaded Marin to help him keep
an eye on the work that was being done on the Dragon.
He should never have agreed to come to Port Royale for these repairs. Whereas in Tortuga, he would be in there, working alongside his crew to patch up the old girl, here he had been pre-emptively dismissed, as though he knew nothing of ship-building in the slightest. And now he could wander the streets in broad daylight with nothing to fear, he found himself bored.
If Marin were with him, he knew this wouldn't be the case, but he had no right to want her all to himself. She was sharing her time between her cousin, her friends and him, and although he seemed to take up the most of her time, still he wanted more. When his Marin was with him, it all went away, all the gloominess, the foul moods, the boredom.
But perhaps it was just as well that they spent some time apart. He was finding it increasingly difficult to refuse to sleep in her chamber, an invitation she made every night. Jack was not accustomed to suppressing his own desires, and was rapidly losing the ability to in the face of her calm siege. He didn't know how many more nights he could go on, returning to his room alone and desperately trying not to imagine what they could be doing in hers.
James' presence was a dose of cold water to him, and he was grateful to the commodore for his seemingly infallible inner clock that told him exactly when Jack's resolve was weakening. He always seemed to appear just in time for Jack to push himself back from the edge, determined not to shame his Marin, no matter how much she wanted it as well. But despite this almost constant temptation when she was around, Jack still couldn't bear it when they were apart.
There was a muttered oath behind him, and he heard Marin's voice coaxing her cousin out of the shadows. They had decided that Governor's House was too boring for them that evening, making plans to go and visit one of the many unsavoury taverns in the lower part of the town. However, James had overheard them and insisted they weren't going anywhere without a chaperone. To that end, Marin had taken him inside and told Jack to wait there for them.
'Oh, come on, James,' he heard her say, her voice taut with suppressed amusement. 'It doesn't look that bad.'
Jack could almost see the withering expression.
'Marin, if you weren't a woman, I would be sorely tempted to slap you,' James growled.
'Come now, commodore,' Jack called into the darkened doorway. 'There's no need to resort to threats.'
Marin slipped out onto the steps, sharing a wide grin with her man as she turned to encourage her cousin out into the night air. James obediently moved into the light, looking dangerously resentful. Jack opened his mouth to laugh, and Marin's boot scraped down his shin, preventing the sound ever coming out.
The commodore had been bereft of his wig and uniform, and dressed in what appeared to be some of Will's sailing clothes. A loose shirt and baggy trousers were secured with a deep green sash, the trousers tucked into black sea boots. A sabre hung at his side, the scabbard artfully scuffed and dulled. His skin had been dirtied up, his dark hair mussed effectively. A three-cornered hat completed the disguise.
Jack looked him over, impressed with the transformation once he'd got over the amusement of knowing who it was dressed in such a fashion. There was very little chance of the good commodore being recognised where they were going, since no one really knew what he looked like without his uniform and wig.
'It's amazing what a change of clothes can do, innit?' he declared, turning to make his way out onto the road, Marin at his side.
James glared at the pirate's retreating back, cursing his own sense of propriety for getting him into this mess. With no other option open to him, he ran to join them, trying to steadfastly ignore how much more comfortable these trappings were in comparison to his uniform.
*~*~*
The tavern was rowdy, as they had expected it to be, though Marin and Jack had purposefully chosen one where they knew both Pearl and Dragon crews were, in case the commodore got himself in trouble. Gibbs and Hopkins could both be relied on for a good diversion should things get dangerous.
James looked around him, shocked at the presence of so many pirates in his town, but at the same time fascinated by the sheer sense of joy that seemed to fill the taproom. These were men who drank for enjoyment, who genuinely liked one another's company and were incapable of sitting in morose silence while others spoke.
But what really touched him was the way these men responded to Marin as she passed them by. She was obviously well known, even among the other crews that were here, ready with a cheery smile as the men reached out to greet her. So many of them grasped her hand solemnly, or expressed their sympathies to her, James found himself rapidly changing his views on pirates altogether. They were a community, he realised, just a community of outsiders who had banded together.
Jack pushed him down into a seat beside young Solomon, one of the younger lads on his crew, and provided the lad with gold to purchase drinks with, before being dragged away from the table by a rather enthusiastic whore. James' eyes flashed straight to Marin where she stood watching this by- play, her half-smile telling him that she had expected this. Her eyes widened, and he glanced back at Jack, to find the pirate handing a purse over to the whore and pushing her gently in the direction of another lusty pirate. He then returned to Marin's side, rewarded with a kiss for his will- power.
A large tankard of unknown liquid was put in front of him, and James felt his eyes water from the sheer mass of alcoholic fumes rising from it. Solomon grinned at him, taking his place beside the commodore as he took a huge gulp of his own drink. James opened his mouth to say that he didn't drink, and was reminded of an evening not so long ago when he had drunk, rather a lot. With a resigned sigh, he lifted the tankard to his lips, pleasantly surprised when neither ale nor rum touched his tongue, but a well made grog instead.
Marin watched him take a gulp, proud of her cousin when he didn't spit it out, or do anything else that could start a fight. She nodded to Solomon, who gave her a cheeky grin. Yes, James would be perfectly alright this evening. He would probably give her a blistering dressing down tomorrow for taking him to such an unsavoury tavern, but she wasn't worried.
The whores were flocking around Jack, but she wasn't bothered by that either. He had proved that he wasn't going to negotiate with any of them for any services rendered, because no services would be rendered this evening. He would need his pride cushioned a little though, she decided, taking in the furious expressions on some of the women's faces. Jack was going to have a very sore cheek.
A pipe started playing somewhere nearby, a merry little tune she recognised as it wove about the noisy crowd. Seeking out the player, she found him seated on one of the balconies, his foot tapping against the railing as he played the melody. Someone grasped her from behind, lifting her up onto a table as the men around her began clapping, or stamping their feet, in time to the music played above her.
Marin shook her head disbelievingly, grinning down at the up-turned faces around her. Even without Elias to bully them into requesting it, they still wanted to hear her sing. She glanced up at the piper, listening as he played the opening bars once more for her. With a rueful smile, she launched into the well known tune, encouraged as the men joined in, each in his own key, of course.
Jack watched her proudly, ignoring the whores who were trying to get his attention. He had a feeling he had let them down badly by refusing their favours, but he was determined to be faithful to Marin. There was no reason he could see for hurting her with a little dalliance on the side with a fallen woman. He would sooner marry her than break her heart.
He laughed to himself, deftly removing a wandering hand from a sensitive area of his anatomy. James would be very interested to know that, he thought, though the commodore seemed not to mind that his cousin had paired herself with one of the Caribbean's more notorious pirates. Indeed, he could have sworn said officer was encouraging them to be together, which was flattering, if a little nerve-racking at the same time.
Pushing through the crowd as the song hurtled towards its closing bars, Jack lifted his Marin down amid the raucous cheers that always accompanied her singing. She was well-known here, and those who hadn't drunk too much yet could see the attachment between her and Jack. A fair amount of friendly teasing sprang up as he lifted her down, some of the more choice words making her blush as she sought to ignore certain of the phrases being bandied in their general direction.
Jack stooped to kiss her gently, admiring the way her blushes made her look so much more innocent than she usually did. His shoulder suddenly sprouted a short dagger and he staggered backwards, cursing loudly as the blood began to flow freely. Marin spun around, seeking his attacker and caught a glimpse of a familiar face slipping out into the street. She forced her way through the crowd, leaving James to take charge of Jack as she pursued his attacker out into the streets of Port Royale.
'Well, well,' said a mocking voice as she stalked silently through the streets. 'If it isn't the little interfering cow. Marin, isn't it?'
Marin turned slowly, her sharp eyes finding the woman where she stood, half- hidden in shadow, a pistol aimed for her chest.
'Hester,' she said wearily. 'Didn't I humiliate you enough in Tortuga?'
The dog-faced woman hissed at her, fury darkening her already disfigured features. It appeared the broken nose Marin had left her with hadn't set properly, leaving the offending feature squashed and red.
'That's why I'm here, little girl,' she spat. 'I've had my revenge on Jack, and now I want you.'
Marin's eyes narrowed, taking in the woman's stance, her readiness to fight.
'You've only got one shot,' she said softly.
Hester smiled grimly.
'One shot is all I need,' she promised.
Tense, Marin watched her carefully, weighing up her options. Hester laughed, glancing away as the younger woman prepared to strike, and in that moment, Marin leapt forward. A single shot echoed through the streets of Port Royale.
*~*~*
I'm really on a roll here! Let me know if you want me to slow up on the posts, okay?
He should never have agreed to come to Port Royale for these repairs. Whereas in Tortuga, he would be in there, working alongside his crew to patch up the old girl, here he had been pre-emptively dismissed, as though he knew nothing of ship-building in the slightest. And now he could wander the streets in broad daylight with nothing to fear, he found himself bored.
If Marin were with him, he knew this wouldn't be the case, but he had no right to want her all to himself. She was sharing her time between her cousin, her friends and him, and although he seemed to take up the most of her time, still he wanted more. When his Marin was with him, it all went away, all the gloominess, the foul moods, the boredom.
But perhaps it was just as well that they spent some time apart. He was finding it increasingly difficult to refuse to sleep in her chamber, an invitation she made every night. Jack was not accustomed to suppressing his own desires, and was rapidly losing the ability to in the face of her calm siege. He didn't know how many more nights he could go on, returning to his room alone and desperately trying not to imagine what they could be doing in hers.
James' presence was a dose of cold water to him, and he was grateful to the commodore for his seemingly infallible inner clock that told him exactly when Jack's resolve was weakening. He always seemed to appear just in time for Jack to push himself back from the edge, determined not to shame his Marin, no matter how much she wanted it as well. But despite this almost constant temptation when she was around, Jack still couldn't bear it when they were apart.
There was a muttered oath behind him, and he heard Marin's voice coaxing her cousin out of the shadows. They had decided that Governor's House was too boring for them that evening, making plans to go and visit one of the many unsavoury taverns in the lower part of the town. However, James had overheard them and insisted they weren't going anywhere without a chaperone. To that end, Marin had taken him inside and told Jack to wait there for them.
'Oh, come on, James,' he heard her say, her voice taut with suppressed amusement. 'It doesn't look that bad.'
Jack could almost see the withering expression.
'Marin, if you weren't a woman, I would be sorely tempted to slap you,' James growled.
'Come now, commodore,' Jack called into the darkened doorway. 'There's no need to resort to threats.'
Marin slipped out onto the steps, sharing a wide grin with her man as she turned to encourage her cousin out into the night air. James obediently moved into the light, looking dangerously resentful. Jack opened his mouth to laugh, and Marin's boot scraped down his shin, preventing the sound ever coming out.
The commodore had been bereft of his wig and uniform, and dressed in what appeared to be some of Will's sailing clothes. A loose shirt and baggy trousers were secured with a deep green sash, the trousers tucked into black sea boots. A sabre hung at his side, the scabbard artfully scuffed and dulled. His skin had been dirtied up, his dark hair mussed effectively. A three-cornered hat completed the disguise.
Jack looked him over, impressed with the transformation once he'd got over the amusement of knowing who it was dressed in such a fashion. There was very little chance of the good commodore being recognised where they were going, since no one really knew what he looked like without his uniform and wig.
'It's amazing what a change of clothes can do, innit?' he declared, turning to make his way out onto the road, Marin at his side.
James glared at the pirate's retreating back, cursing his own sense of propriety for getting him into this mess. With no other option open to him, he ran to join them, trying to steadfastly ignore how much more comfortable these trappings were in comparison to his uniform.
*~*~*
The tavern was rowdy, as they had expected it to be, though Marin and Jack had purposefully chosen one where they knew both Pearl and Dragon crews were, in case the commodore got himself in trouble. Gibbs and Hopkins could both be relied on for a good diversion should things get dangerous.
James looked around him, shocked at the presence of so many pirates in his town, but at the same time fascinated by the sheer sense of joy that seemed to fill the taproom. These were men who drank for enjoyment, who genuinely liked one another's company and were incapable of sitting in morose silence while others spoke.
But what really touched him was the way these men responded to Marin as she passed them by. She was obviously well known, even among the other crews that were here, ready with a cheery smile as the men reached out to greet her. So many of them grasped her hand solemnly, or expressed their sympathies to her, James found himself rapidly changing his views on pirates altogether. They were a community, he realised, just a community of outsiders who had banded together.
Jack pushed him down into a seat beside young Solomon, one of the younger lads on his crew, and provided the lad with gold to purchase drinks with, before being dragged away from the table by a rather enthusiastic whore. James' eyes flashed straight to Marin where she stood watching this by- play, her half-smile telling him that she had expected this. Her eyes widened, and he glanced back at Jack, to find the pirate handing a purse over to the whore and pushing her gently in the direction of another lusty pirate. He then returned to Marin's side, rewarded with a kiss for his will- power.
A large tankard of unknown liquid was put in front of him, and James felt his eyes water from the sheer mass of alcoholic fumes rising from it. Solomon grinned at him, taking his place beside the commodore as he took a huge gulp of his own drink. James opened his mouth to say that he didn't drink, and was reminded of an evening not so long ago when he had drunk, rather a lot. With a resigned sigh, he lifted the tankard to his lips, pleasantly surprised when neither ale nor rum touched his tongue, but a well made grog instead.
Marin watched him take a gulp, proud of her cousin when he didn't spit it out, or do anything else that could start a fight. She nodded to Solomon, who gave her a cheeky grin. Yes, James would be perfectly alright this evening. He would probably give her a blistering dressing down tomorrow for taking him to such an unsavoury tavern, but she wasn't worried.
The whores were flocking around Jack, but she wasn't bothered by that either. He had proved that he wasn't going to negotiate with any of them for any services rendered, because no services would be rendered this evening. He would need his pride cushioned a little though, she decided, taking in the furious expressions on some of the women's faces. Jack was going to have a very sore cheek.
A pipe started playing somewhere nearby, a merry little tune she recognised as it wove about the noisy crowd. Seeking out the player, she found him seated on one of the balconies, his foot tapping against the railing as he played the melody. Someone grasped her from behind, lifting her up onto a table as the men around her began clapping, or stamping their feet, in time to the music played above her.
Marin shook her head disbelievingly, grinning down at the up-turned faces around her. Even without Elias to bully them into requesting it, they still wanted to hear her sing. She glanced up at the piper, listening as he played the opening bars once more for her. With a rueful smile, she launched into the well known tune, encouraged as the men joined in, each in his own key, of course.
Jack watched her proudly, ignoring the whores who were trying to get his attention. He had a feeling he had let them down badly by refusing their favours, but he was determined to be faithful to Marin. There was no reason he could see for hurting her with a little dalliance on the side with a fallen woman. He would sooner marry her than break her heart.
He laughed to himself, deftly removing a wandering hand from a sensitive area of his anatomy. James would be very interested to know that, he thought, though the commodore seemed not to mind that his cousin had paired herself with one of the Caribbean's more notorious pirates. Indeed, he could have sworn said officer was encouraging them to be together, which was flattering, if a little nerve-racking at the same time.
Pushing through the crowd as the song hurtled towards its closing bars, Jack lifted his Marin down amid the raucous cheers that always accompanied her singing. She was well-known here, and those who hadn't drunk too much yet could see the attachment between her and Jack. A fair amount of friendly teasing sprang up as he lifted her down, some of the more choice words making her blush as she sought to ignore certain of the phrases being bandied in their general direction.
Jack stooped to kiss her gently, admiring the way her blushes made her look so much more innocent than she usually did. His shoulder suddenly sprouted a short dagger and he staggered backwards, cursing loudly as the blood began to flow freely. Marin spun around, seeking his attacker and caught a glimpse of a familiar face slipping out into the street. She forced her way through the crowd, leaving James to take charge of Jack as she pursued his attacker out into the streets of Port Royale.
'Well, well,' said a mocking voice as she stalked silently through the streets. 'If it isn't the little interfering cow. Marin, isn't it?'
Marin turned slowly, her sharp eyes finding the woman where she stood, half- hidden in shadow, a pistol aimed for her chest.
'Hester,' she said wearily. 'Didn't I humiliate you enough in Tortuga?'
The dog-faced woman hissed at her, fury darkening her already disfigured features. It appeared the broken nose Marin had left her with hadn't set properly, leaving the offending feature squashed and red.
'That's why I'm here, little girl,' she spat. 'I've had my revenge on Jack, and now I want you.'
Marin's eyes narrowed, taking in the woman's stance, her readiness to fight.
'You've only got one shot,' she said softly.
Hester smiled grimly.
'One shot is all I need,' she promised.
Tense, Marin watched her carefully, weighing up her options. Hester laughed, glancing away as the younger woman prepared to strike, and in that moment, Marin leapt forward. A single shot echoed through the streets of Port Royale.
*~*~*
I'm really on a roll here! Let me know if you want me to slow up on the posts, okay?