Disclaimer: see chapter 1
Author's note: and so my little fic turns 21. Wow. Never thought it was going to be this long, which just shows how these things grow. Continued thanks to reviewers, old and new - if you have been reading and enjoying, do let me know! Critical comments always appreciated.
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Edward Howard lifted his sword in salute, and then tucked his left hand behind his back and stood ready, en garde.
Jack, the ends of his sash tucked in and hair tied back with a piece of leather, raised his eyebrows at the salute and contented himself with bowing elaborately and then moving straight in for the attack. His opponent, taken aback, managed to parry and then they were off, circling each other on the gently swaying deck.
"What happened to en garde?" Lord Howard asked, feet moving gracefully.
Jack tried an uppercut. "That's all very well," clash, "if you're playing by the rules, but mostly you won't be fighting people who play by the rules." Their blades met. "You wait, you die."
Howard drove upwards with his sword, and Jack dodged the blow. "I see. So, I suppose I am safer if I too do not play by the rules?"
"Now you're getting it!" Jack said, parrying. "All this fancy politeness don't mean a thing, if it's you or him."
His opponent lowered his blade, and paused, sweat beading on his brow. "My fencing tutors at school mentioned nothing of the kind. Knowing how to use a blade is of course a necessity, but one imagines using it only in a duel ..."
"Between gentlemen?" Jack asked. Lord Howard nodded.
"Yes."
"And I'm not one, that it?"
Howard blushed, furiously. "Well ... I mean ..."
Jack grinned, broadly. "I wouldn't want to be a gentleman, mate. All that duty, having to do what folk want you to do, having to go and sit in parliament ..." he shuddered. "No thanks." He adjusted his grip. "Knowing the rules is great, but only so's you can break them, savvy?"
Edward Howard returned the smile. "That is a ridiculous phrase. But yes, I see." He wiped his brow with his sleeve. "Shall we continue?"
They had been sailing for four days. It turned out that with Lord Howard's vote of confidence in Jack, the captain of the Belladonna - the ship that had rescued Howard and his fellow passengers and crew of the attacked merchant vessel - was quite happy to have an avowed pirate aboard. Jack had gathered that the Earl of Carlisle was rich enough for the loss of his goods aboard the merchant vessel not to be of that great an import, and that his son, Lord Howard, had promised that the Earl would pay handsomely for his voyage home. Jack had admittedly been made to work for his passage thus far, with night watches and plenty of hard graft, but he did not mind. He had put the unpleasant Dragon episode firmly behind him, and was now looking to the future.
In addition, the pirate and the lord had struck up an unlikely friendship. Whilst hugely different in character, the two young men were of a similar age. They shared a love of the sword, and were fairly evenly matched, practising, as now, when Jack was not at work and when the weather was calm. Lord Howard listened avidly to Jack's tales of piracy, and Jack was more than happy enough to tell them (embellished a little, where needed).
They duelled now for another fifteen minutes or so, neither really gaining the upper hand. Jack, though, was more accustomed to the Caribbean heat, and when Edward Howard paused for the third time, shirt sticking to his body, he said: "Want to stop?"
"I'm perfectly ... yes." Howard pulled his shirt out of his breeches, and flapped his hand weakly in front of his face to circulate some air. "How can you not feel this heat?"
Jack wiped his own forehead, and sheathed his sword, hanging the belt up out of the way before fetching a wooden pail and throwing it over the side. "Just got used to it, that's all." He brought up the pail, full now with water, with an expert tug of its rope, and threw it over Lord Howard. "That'll refresh you, y'r lordship."
Howard shrieked in a very ungentleman-like fashion, and tackled Jack to the deck. They fought in a light-hearted manner for a few moments, and then lay still, gazing up at the blue sky. Jack put his hands behind his head and sighed.
"This is the life."
"I wonder what my father would say if I never returned home?" Edward Howard mused aloud.
"Probably what mine did," Jack said. "'Huh'."
"'Huh'?"
"Then he tried to hit me," said Jack, rolling over and leaning on his elbow. "So I hit him back. Last I saw of him, and I don't mind if I never see him again."
"I don't think my father would do that," Lord Howard said.
"Sparrow!" The bo'sun's voice rang out. "Swab those decks down, if you're finished duelling with his lordship."
Jack got to his feet, and called back. "Aye, sir!" He went to find a mop, and began pushing water into the scuppers. Lord Howard watched him for a while, and then wandered off, evidently to change his clothes.
They made good time for the rest of their voyage to Hispaniola, where the Belladonna was to put in and offload her goods. As she was then bound for Europe, Jack was to leave the ship at Santo Domingo. He would have to either find cross-land travel, to reach the crossing to Tortuga, or passage on another ship sailing around the island.
The ship docked late in the afternoon, and the long process of unloading the hold began. Jack helped for a while, until Lord Howard came along and took his arm.
"The captain's told me you are free to go," he said. "As you won't be able to leave until the morrow, I propose some dinner."
"Got no money," Jack said. "Have you?"
"A little," Howard replied.
"But I thought I'd taken it all!" Jack said.
Edward Howard produced a small money bag. "Did you honestly think I would give all my valuables to you, Jack?" he asked.
"Well now, that's interesting," Jack said. "Should have searched you better, y'r lordship. Losing my touch." He reached out for the bag, but Howard snatched it out of his reach and dropped it in a pocket.
"Not a chance, my friend! Come, take it off me another way, and agree to have a drink with me."
"That sounds like a plan," Jack approved, and together they set off to find an inn. They chose an airy wooden building overlooking the harbour, busy with locals and other sailors. Settling down at a table, Howard looked around him a little helplessly. Jack grinned, and waved at a slim girl who was serving as a waitress, who soon hurried over.
"Sí?"
"Two mugs o' grog, love," Jack ordered, holding up two fingers. "And some food."
She smiled, and bobbed a courtesy before hurrying away.
"Grog?" asked Lord Howard.
"Rum, lad," Jack said. "Warms the cockles of your heart, as my shipmate Thornton used to say."
"Oh."
The grog came, and they lifted tankards. "Cheers," said Jack.
Lord Howard peered into his tankard, and sniffed. "It smells ... good. What did you say was in it, apart from rum?"
Jack swallowed his first mouthful, and licked his lips in satisfaction. "Dunno. Mostly rum, I reckon. Drink up." Howard sipped. A thoughtful look crossed his face as he considered the taste, and then he lifted the tankard to his mouth and gulped down some more. Jack smiled privately, and turned to his own drink.
A plate of fish stew and two more mugs of grog later, Lord Howard was rivalling Jack for conversation, chattering away about the voyage from England and about watching the Fiery Dragon sail away with his father's goods. Jack was matching his companion drink for drink, but he was more used to it and his mind was still clear - reasonably so, at least.
Their plates were cleared away, and Edward Howard leant on the table and kept on talking. His eyes were bright and his face animated, and the grog kept disappearing down his throat.
After a while, two pretty girls came over to their table. Jack shifted up along his bench and let one of them lean against him, draping his arm over her shoulders. Howard looked a bit taken aback when the other girl sat down next to him, but kept on with his current tale (something about his father's exploits in the recent Civil War in England). Jack's girl helped herself to some of his grog and settled back against his chest.
Lord Howard came to the end of his story, drained his tankard and peered hazily at Jack. "So," he said.
"So," Jack agreed.
Howard examined the bottom of his mug. "S'empty."
"So t'is," Jack said.
The lord nodded, and laid his head down on the table. In a moment he was snoring peaceably.
Jack disentangled his girl's arm, and got up from his seat to feel in Howard's pockets, triumphantly producing the leather moneybag after a few moments. He tipped the coins out on to the table, and whistled. They were mostly gold sovereigns, with a few smaller gold coins and some silver shillings. Both the girls looked on keenly as Jack put three or four of the sovereigns back into the bag, and the bag back into Edward Howard's pocket. He tucked most of the rest into his own belt pouch, gave Howard's girl a half-sovereign and left the remainder of the money on the table, to pay for the food and drink.
"Thanks, mate," he told the sleeping lord, who did not stir.
He put on his hat and held out his arm to his girl, who exchanged a brief flurry of Spanish with her friend, and took it. They wandered out together into the cool Caribbean night. The sound of the waves mingled with the wind in the palm trees; high above the stars twinkled down. Jack's companion looked up at him, and he smiled at her.
"It'll have to be your place, love - I'm what you might call homeless, currently."
She seemed to grasp his meaning, and turned up between two buildings. They climbed for a while, weaving up above the harbour, before the girl pushed open the door to a small wooden cabin and leading him in. Jack glanced around outside before closing the door behind them both, and throwing his hat and sword belt off on to the cabin floor. The girl smiled, and caught his hand, drawing him across to the pallet by the wall, and pulling him down.
Author's note: and so my little fic turns 21. Wow. Never thought it was going to be this long, which just shows how these things grow. Continued thanks to reviewers, old and new - if you have been reading and enjoying, do let me know! Critical comments always appreciated.
----
Edward Howard lifted his sword in salute, and then tucked his left hand behind his back and stood ready, en garde.
Jack, the ends of his sash tucked in and hair tied back with a piece of leather, raised his eyebrows at the salute and contented himself with bowing elaborately and then moving straight in for the attack. His opponent, taken aback, managed to parry and then they were off, circling each other on the gently swaying deck.
"What happened to en garde?" Lord Howard asked, feet moving gracefully.
Jack tried an uppercut. "That's all very well," clash, "if you're playing by the rules, but mostly you won't be fighting people who play by the rules." Their blades met. "You wait, you die."
Howard drove upwards with his sword, and Jack dodged the blow. "I see. So, I suppose I am safer if I too do not play by the rules?"
"Now you're getting it!" Jack said, parrying. "All this fancy politeness don't mean a thing, if it's you or him."
His opponent lowered his blade, and paused, sweat beading on his brow. "My fencing tutors at school mentioned nothing of the kind. Knowing how to use a blade is of course a necessity, but one imagines using it only in a duel ..."
"Between gentlemen?" Jack asked. Lord Howard nodded.
"Yes."
"And I'm not one, that it?"
Howard blushed, furiously. "Well ... I mean ..."
Jack grinned, broadly. "I wouldn't want to be a gentleman, mate. All that duty, having to do what folk want you to do, having to go and sit in parliament ..." he shuddered. "No thanks." He adjusted his grip. "Knowing the rules is great, but only so's you can break them, savvy?"
Edward Howard returned the smile. "That is a ridiculous phrase. But yes, I see." He wiped his brow with his sleeve. "Shall we continue?"
They had been sailing for four days. It turned out that with Lord Howard's vote of confidence in Jack, the captain of the Belladonna - the ship that had rescued Howard and his fellow passengers and crew of the attacked merchant vessel - was quite happy to have an avowed pirate aboard. Jack had gathered that the Earl of Carlisle was rich enough for the loss of his goods aboard the merchant vessel not to be of that great an import, and that his son, Lord Howard, had promised that the Earl would pay handsomely for his voyage home. Jack had admittedly been made to work for his passage thus far, with night watches and plenty of hard graft, but he did not mind. He had put the unpleasant Dragon episode firmly behind him, and was now looking to the future.
In addition, the pirate and the lord had struck up an unlikely friendship. Whilst hugely different in character, the two young men were of a similar age. They shared a love of the sword, and were fairly evenly matched, practising, as now, when Jack was not at work and when the weather was calm. Lord Howard listened avidly to Jack's tales of piracy, and Jack was more than happy enough to tell them (embellished a little, where needed).
They duelled now for another fifteen minutes or so, neither really gaining the upper hand. Jack, though, was more accustomed to the Caribbean heat, and when Edward Howard paused for the third time, shirt sticking to his body, he said: "Want to stop?"
"I'm perfectly ... yes." Howard pulled his shirt out of his breeches, and flapped his hand weakly in front of his face to circulate some air. "How can you not feel this heat?"
Jack wiped his own forehead, and sheathed his sword, hanging the belt up out of the way before fetching a wooden pail and throwing it over the side. "Just got used to it, that's all." He brought up the pail, full now with water, with an expert tug of its rope, and threw it over Lord Howard. "That'll refresh you, y'r lordship."
Howard shrieked in a very ungentleman-like fashion, and tackled Jack to the deck. They fought in a light-hearted manner for a few moments, and then lay still, gazing up at the blue sky. Jack put his hands behind his head and sighed.
"This is the life."
"I wonder what my father would say if I never returned home?" Edward Howard mused aloud.
"Probably what mine did," Jack said. "'Huh'."
"'Huh'?"
"Then he tried to hit me," said Jack, rolling over and leaning on his elbow. "So I hit him back. Last I saw of him, and I don't mind if I never see him again."
"I don't think my father would do that," Lord Howard said.
"Sparrow!" The bo'sun's voice rang out. "Swab those decks down, if you're finished duelling with his lordship."
Jack got to his feet, and called back. "Aye, sir!" He went to find a mop, and began pushing water into the scuppers. Lord Howard watched him for a while, and then wandered off, evidently to change his clothes.
They made good time for the rest of their voyage to Hispaniola, where the Belladonna was to put in and offload her goods. As she was then bound for Europe, Jack was to leave the ship at Santo Domingo. He would have to either find cross-land travel, to reach the crossing to Tortuga, or passage on another ship sailing around the island.
The ship docked late in the afternoon, and the long process of unloading the hold began. Jack helped for a while, until Lord Howard came along and took his arm.
"The captain's told me you are free to go," he said. "As you won't be able to leave until the morrow, I propose some dinner."
"Got no money," Jack said. "Have you?"
"A little," Howard replied.
"But I thought I'd taken it all!" Jack said.
Edward Howard produced a small money bag. "Did you honestly think I would give all my valuables to you, Jack?" he asked.
"Well now, that's interesting," Jack said. "Should have searched you better, y'r lordship. Losing my touch." He reached out for the bag, but Howard snatched it out of his reach and dropped it in a pocket.
"Not a chance, my friend! Come, take it off me another way, and agree to have a drink with me."
"That sounds like a plan," Jack approved, and together they set off to find an inn. They chose an airy wooden building overlooking the harbour, busy with locals and other sailors. Settling down at a table, Howard looked around him a little helplessly. Jack grinned, and waved at a slim girl who was serving as a waitress, who soon hurried over.
"Sí?"
"Two mugs o' grog, love," Jack ordered, holding up two fingers. "And some food."
She smiled, and bobbed a courtesy before hurrying away.
"Grog?" asked Lord Howard.
"Rum, lad," Jack said. "Warms the cockles of your heart, as my shipmate Thornton used to say."
"Oh."
The grog came, and they lifted tankards. "Cheers," said Jack.
Lord Howard peered into his tankard, and sniffed. "It smells ... good. What did you say was in it, apart from rum?"
Jack swallowed his first mouthful, and licked his lips in satisfaction. "Dunno. Mostly rum, I reckon. Drink up." Howard sipped. A thoughtful look crossed his face as he considered the taste, and then he lifted the tankard to his mouth and gulped down some more. Jack smiled privately, and turned to his own drink.
A plate of fish stew and two more mugs of grog later, Lord Howard was rivalling Jack for conversation, chattering away about the voyage from England and about watching the Fiery Dragon sail away with his father's goods. Jack was matching his companion drink for drink, but he was more used to it and his mind was still clear - reasonably so, at least.
Their plates were cleared away, and Edward Howard leant on the table and kept on talking. His eyes were bright and his face animated, and the grog kept disappearing down his throat.
After a while, two pretty girls came over to their table. Jack shifted up along his bench and let one of them lean against him, draping his arm over her shoulders. Howard looked a bit taken aback when the other girl sat down next to him, but kept on with his current tale (something about his father's exploits in the recent Civil War in England). Jack's girl helped herself to some of his grog and settled back against his chest.
Lord Howard came to the end of his story, drained his tankard and peered hazily at Jack. "So," he said.
"So," Jack agreed.
Howard examined the bottom of his mug. "S'empty."
"So t'is," Jack said.
The lord nodded, and laid his head down on the table. In a moment he was snoring peaceably.
Jack disentangled his girl's arm, and got up from his seat to feel in Howard's pockets, triumphantly producing the leather moneybag after a few moments. He tipped the coins out on to the table, and whistled. They were mostly gold sovereigns, with a few smaller gold coins and some silver shillings. Both the girls looked on keenly as Jack put three or four of the sovereigns back into the bag, and the bag back into Edward Howard's pocket. He tucked most of the rest into his own belt pouch, gave Howard's girl a half-sovereign and left the remainder of the money on the table, to pay for the food and drink.
"Thanks, mate," he told the sleeping lord, who did not stir.
He put on his hat and held out his arm to his girl, who exchanged a brief flurry of Spanish with her friend, and took it. They wandered out together into the cool Caribbean night. The sound of the waves mingled with the wind in the palm trees; high above the stars twinkled down. Jack's companion looked up at him, and he smiled at her.
"It'll have to be your place, love - I'm what you might call homeless, currently."
She seemed to grasp his meaning, and turned up between two buildings. They climbed for a while, weaving up above the harbour, before the girl pushed open the door to a small wooden cabin and leading him in. Jack glanced around outside before closing the door behind them both, and throwing his hat and sword belt off on to the cabin floor. The girl smiled, and caught his hand, drawing him across to the pallet by the wall, and pulling him down.