Usual disclaimers. nevermind!
This is a somewhat longer chapter than usual. my fingers ran away with me today! :o
***
November
It was early morning when the men returned, all of the men from the Black Pearl relieved to be out of the jungle. They had lost too many men for Jack's liking - fifteen of the crew and five of the Achaili had not returned, but they had done well. Against the Boi there was rarely a victory that was not tinged with sadness. At least Theodore had survived - he could not imagine having to tell Catherine that her brother had been killed. The mere thought made him shudder.
Caton placed his hand on Jack's arm, shaking him from his reverie. "They will come."
Jack nodded. "I know - but we will stay to defend the village. m' crew have a few surprises in them still!"
Caton smiled warmly. He had known Jack would not leave them to face the other tribe alone, but had been relieved to hear him say it.
Jack turned to Gibbs who was leading a mule towards the river bank. "Get the chests aboard in m' cabin - we will sort through them when it's safe." Gibbs nodded as Jack looked around the village. "Where are th' women?" Jack could see the boys playing with the other children and a number of his crew - but of Catherine and the tribal women there was no sign.
"They are probably bathing," Caton shrugged. "You know women."
Jack smiled and headed down the narrow path towards the bathing pool. "I would not do that," Caton warned, but Jack just waved his hand airily and continued down the path, disappearing around the corner. Caton did not have to wait long for squeals and shouts to be heard, closely followed by a number of indignant returning women, Belicia in the lead.
"That Chief is a bad man!" she complained. "He has no respect for his wife!" Caton wisely held his tongue, trying not to smile as the remainder of the women arrived back in the village. Jack and Catherine did not return for some time.
***
Jack smiled as the women retreated, leaving his wife lazing in the water looking up at him. "Jack Sparrow!" she warned. "You are in so much trouble!"
He shrugged as he slid off his trousers, unbuttoning his shirt. "No change there then luv!" he drawled. Ensuring that his pistol would remain dry, he slid into the water with her. "Wha." he saw the tattoo that marked her body. "Belicia?"
Catherine smiled. "She said I should be properly marked as the Chief's wife."
"Nice design. seems kinda familiar," he teased, tracing the outline of the swallow in front of a sun, skimming over the waves. "Did yer miss me?"
"Heaven knows why," Catherine shrugged as she scooped a handful of the sand- like substance onto his shoulders. "Turn around and I'll wash you!"
***
Belicia still glowered at him when they eventually returned to the village, but the crew and tribesmen clapped him enthusiastically. Catherine blushed, laughing at them all as they made their way towards the Black Pearl.
"Jack!" Caton shouted across to them. "We must decide tonight about defending the village."
"At dusk?" Jack suggested, eager to get Catherine back to their cabin, and in particular to their bunk. He was relieved when Caton nodded his agreement.
***
Jack looked at the twenty four large chests that Gibbs had placed in his cabin. He had forgotten them in his eagerness to be with his wife but knew that he had to sort them before he could have time alone with her. The crew would need to know their share. Carefully he eased open a lid - in case one of those dinner-plate spiders was at home. but there was just gold. He eased open another lid - more gold. He jumped as Catherine slipped her arms around his waist.
"I thought it was the bunk you were interested in?" she suggested, smiling up at him.
"Gotta tally this up first luv," he apologised, smiling at her as she pouted in disappointment. "But two people can count faster."
Sighing she started to count, soon realising that there was enough gold and gemstones to make every crew member rich beyond even a pirate's wildest dreams. Horace McBride had not hoarded the normal bulky pirate treasure, only keeping gold and gems that could be stored in large quantities in a relatively small chest. and they had twenty four such chests!
After a number of hours she rose, stretching as her neck clicked. "I'll fix some lunch," she offered. "I could do with a break." Jack merely nodded, his lips moving silently as he counted another pile of coins. Quietly she slipped from the cabin, surprised to find most of the crew loitering onboard, doing small or menial jobs. They were all anxious to discover their share of the gold.
When Catherine returned, she was relieved to see that Jack appeared to have finished. Carefully she placed the bowl of stew next to him as he wrote, surprised to see he was tallying crew rates for the marines on board as well as for the pirates.
"They fought too," he explained, "so they get same share. Though what yer Pa will think when Theo buys his food with pirate gold I don't know!" He grinned mischievously at her, gold teeth glinting as he wrote down the final figure, whistling tunelessly. "Of course, Theo will get more, being an officer, like."
"Is that the final shares?"
"Yup! About £9,000 each. should keep them all in trouble for a while!"
Catherine gasped at the figure. A ship the size of the Dauntless had only cost about £63,000 to commission and build and for any but the titled aristocracy, it was an incredible amount.
He glanced out of the window, noting there were still a number of hours before dusk. "I'd better go an' tell 'em before they knock th' cabin door down!" he winked, taking her hand and leading her from the cabin. Everyone crowded around anxiously. "Gentlemen," he smiled, "Gentlemen - I think we all owe Kitty a big thank you for finding the map for us."
Cheers echoed around the deck, together with a few shouts of "get on with it".
Sure in his audience, Jack smiled. "Basic tally is £9,000 per crew."
The deck erupted as the pirates jumped up and down, hats flying in the air as they danced with joy. The marines and Theodore stood to one side, unsure what to do. "All those that fought," Jack added, holding his brother-in-laws gaze, "an' I mean all, get crew shares!" In answer to Theodore's frown, he nodded. "Will you join us in th' cabin for a moment Theo?"
The marines, realising that they too would receive the money, joined in the celebrations with the pirate crew - the whole deck celebrating.
Jack turned to Joshamee Gibbs. "No alcohol Gibbs - we may still have t' fight," he warned before shutting the door quietly behind him. Theodore stood quietly in the cabin. "You'll get command rates Theo - should be about £15,000."
"What?" Theodore gasped, paling at the amount, realising that it was more money than he would earn in a lifetime of service - most ordinary seamen only earned £15 a year. "I. I." he stuttered.
"Always pleased t' help out family," Jack beamed, amused to see his brother- in-law speechless.
"You weren't joking when you said a mountain!"
"I rarely joke about gold mate," he smiled, "although we will still have to fight off the Boi an' get home safely."
"The Boi?"
"They'll attack th' village as the Achaili went into their territory, so we'll have t' stay a while until they're safe. Caton is callin' a meetin' in the village at dusk."
Theodore nodded. "I'll be ready," he assured Jack as he left the cabin. "And I will warn my men to stay alert."
When he left Jack quietly locked the door. "I seem to remember something about a bunk." he smiled lopsidedly as he encircled her with his arms.
Catherine wriggled round to face him. "And there was I thinking you'd forgotten," she teased.
"Me?" he leered. "As if!"
***
Jack made it to the village meeting just in time, leaving Catherine asleep in the bunk. Caton, the other Chiefs and Theodore were sitting quietly around the fire waiting for him.
"I guess a week is a long time to be away," Caton laughed, teasing Jack for being the last one to arrive. "Especially with such a pretty wife."
"I wouldn't let Belicia hear you say that mate!" Jack teased in return.
"Ah, but she knows that all other women pale before her," Caton smiled. "Although we are not here to discuss women."
Jack sobered. "The Boi - what can we expect?"
"They'll probably sneak in soon, kill as many as they can and go. I'd like for the women to be on your ship for safety."
Jack nodded his agreement, wondering how he'd get Catherine to do the same. He noticed Theodore smiling wryly to himself, remembering the brig of the HMS Resolute. Their eyes met and both burst out laughing. "It won't work mate!" Jack smiled.
Caton looked at them, deciding the sun had finally baked their brains as Theodore tried to explain what had happened. "You locked your wife up?" he gasped.
"Only to keep her safe," Jack admitted.
Caton shook his head in disbelief, before turning his attention back to the Boi. "I have already sent out scouts to warn us of when they approach. If we have men in the trees and hiding in the huts we should not lose too many men. for we will lose men."
Jack sobered, nodding to himself. "Aye, th' Boi fight nasty with their little darts, but a well aimed pistol can kill too!"
***
The Boi did not keep them waiting long. Two days later, at dusk they attacked hoping to catch the other tribe unawares. Caton's scouts had already warned him though - they were ready, quickly moving the women and children to the Black Pearl.
"Stay with the women onboard Kitty!" Jack ordered.
"No."
"Kitty, please!"
"No Jack, I will not! I'm as much a member of this crew as any other and I want to fight!"
"Kitty, you are not fighting!"
"Yes I."
Jack was expecting her punch, catching her fist easily in his hand. Her eyes sparked angrily. "No Kitty. You stay onboard with the women!"
"I."
"Right! That's it!" Jack picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder as she kicked and screamed at him as he walked down below decks.
"Jack!" she shouted angrily, "You."
Standing her upright he took away her pistol, knowing that she would try to shoot the lock to get out, before locking the door behind her. She glared at him from behind the bars. "Sorry Kitty - not this time." He turned and walked away, listening as she swore at him at the top of her voice. He winced - bastard was one of the more polite names. She had certainly picked up a colourful vocabulary being onboard.
On reaching the deck he found Theodore escorting the tribal woman onboard. "Is that Catherine?" he asked, hearing the commotion from below.
Jack shrugged. "She isn't fighting!" he insisted, knowing how dangerous the Boi were.
Belicia looked confused. "Kitty wants to fight? Why?"
"Because she's a member of th' crew. but she's my wife too." Jack felt rotten about what he had done, and knew he would pay for it later, even if it seemed like the right thing to do at the present. "She isn't to be released Belicia!" he warned, relieved that she nodded. "Come, let's get yer all settled in th' cabin 'fore they get 'ere!"
Once the women, children and the two boys were safely in the cabin he locked the door.
Theodore looked at him worriedly, still listening to his sister. "She seems very angry Jack."
"She'll get over it," Jack assured him.
***
Jack would not have been so sure if he could have seen Catherine. She sat in the brig, throat hoarse from shouting, tears streaming down her face. She was utterly, totally dejected. Finding an old blanket, she curled beneath it crying herself to sleep.
***
Jack fidgeted as he lay flat on the floor of the stilted hut, peering over the edge carefully as he waited for a target. He glanced around the camp, seeing the other crew hiding in the huts and in hides around the camp. The Boi crept into the camp, closing on what they thought were people asleep around the fire.
Boom! Theodore's pistol fired as the lead Boi pulled the blanket from the sleeping pile of earth, other pistols firing close behind his. The Boi looked up in panic, realising the trap too late as they tried to reach for their blow pipes. The crew rushed them, swords drawn, cutting a swathe through their ranks as they tried to flee, but only a few managed to reach the safety of the surrounding trees. Caton shouted, sending his men after them. Only two of the Boi party would manage to reach their territory and it was a long time before they gathered the courage to attack again.
***
Catherine was stoney faced when he eventually released her, red eyes narrowing when she looked at him. She did not speak.
"Kitty, I."
She pushed past him, not speaking.
"Kitty! Stop!" Jack shouted.
She turned to face him. "As I am clearly not classed as crew Jack, you have no command over me on this ship," she hissed.
"Kitty!" he pleaded, dejectedly realising that this time she was really, really angry.
"No Jack! I was good enough to fight two reds, but no longer it seems! I will remain in the galley, but you can forget everything else!" She stepped towards him, standing toe to toe. "And I mean everything else!"
"Dammit Kitty! I didn't want you hurt!" he protested, but she stomped up the steps without looking back.
***
Jack did not see much of Catherine that day. Although he was busy with tribal matters - ensuring that Caton received a fair share of the gold and such - he suspected she was avoiding him. The tribe were holding a party that night, to say goodbye to the Black Pearl and to celebrate beating the Boi - he hoped she would surface before then.
"Theo, have you seen Kitty?"
Theodore frowned, realising that she had been missing for most of the day. "Have you." he glanced towards the crow's nest, his sister's favourite place when she was angry. "She seemed very angry when I last saw her."
Jack sighed, climbing up in search of his wife, but she was not there. From his vantage point, he looked around for any sign of her, eventually spotting her returning from the bathing pool. Relieved more than he would care to admit, he climbed down.
"Did you see her?" Theodore called up to him.
Jack nodded as he jumped the last few feet. "Yeah, she's been bathing." He climbed down into a small ships boat, rowing to shore but Catherine had disappeared again by the time he reached the village. It took him a while of searching before he found her in his hut. He stood in a moment, watching as she brushed her damp hair. "Kitty."
"What?" She did not even turn to face him, continuing to brush her hair.
"Dammit Kitty, please! Let's stop this." He crouched down, hugging her, unsurprised to find his affection shrugged off.
"It has already stopped Jack. When we return to Port Royal I will be leaving the Pearl."
"Wha. but."
"If I am not crew then I have no place onboard Jack."
"Kitty! You are my wife!"
She turned at last to face him, eyes utterly miserable. "Yes, I guess I am, but I'm sure a handsome man such as yourself can find himself a willing whore in Tortuga."
He sat on the floor of the hut, poleaxed in shock. "Kitty?" He stared at her, shaken to the core. Had he lost her?
She rose, adjusting her clothes before climbing down the ladder, heading towards the fire where the party was just starting.
***
Jack rowed tiredly back to the Black Pearl, muddled by rum but not happily drunk. He did not think he could ever be happy again. When he reached his cabin it was dark and empty, although he knew Catherine had returned to the ship earlier. Frowning he went in search of her, eventually finding her asleep in a hammock below decks.
"Kitty!" he argued, glad that the crew were sleeping where they'd fallen in the village. "Kitty!"
A muffled voice came from within the pile of blankets. "Sod off!"
"Dammit Kitty! Come back to the cabin!"
"No!"
Drawing his knife, Jack cut one end of the hammock free from the bulkhead, causing Catherine to tumble from the hammock. "I said."
"And I said no!" Angrily she picked up her blankets, storming up on deck.
Jack sighed. "I'll sleep with th' crew if you like, but please come back to th' cabin."
She just looked at him sadly, turning to climb up into the rigging. Realising she meant to climb to the crow's nest Jack snatched her blankets, reaching for her too, but she swung out over the sea, avoiding his grasp as she climbed.
Defeated, he let the blankets slip from his grasp. "Kitty?" he called but she did not answer. Dejectedly he returned to the empty cabin, determined to drink himself into oblivion.
***
After saying their goodbyes to Caton and the tribe, Jack ordered the anchor raised and the sails unfurled. Using the sweeps, he turned the ship around, once more heading into open water. Even the thickest member of the crew had noticed the attitude between their Captain and his wife, but were wise enough to keep their own counsel. Theodore had thought about trying to intervene, but a glare from his sister changed his mind. He had never seen her this angry before and was worried about her marriage to Jack, stunned by her announcement that she was leaving the Black Pearl.
They reached the mouth of the Amazon, turning northwards to home.
***
Please don't be too hard on Kitty - she is upset and confused. The next chapter explains her mind better - I hope!
This is a somewhat longer chapter than usual. my fingers ran away with me today! :o
***
November
It was early morning when the men returned, all of the men from the Black Pearl relieved to be out of the jungle. They had lost too many men for Jack's liking - fifteen of the crew and five of the Achaili had not returned, but they had done well. Against the Boi there was rarely a victory that was not tinged with sadness. At least Theodore had survived - he could not imagine having to tell Catherine that her brother had been killed. The mere thought made him shudder.
Caton placed his hand on Jack's arm, shaking him from his reverie. "They will come."
Jack nodded. "I know - but we will stay to defend the village. m' crew have a few surprises in them still!"
Caton smiled warmly. He had known Jack would not leave them to face the other tribe alone, but had been relieved to hear him say it.
Jack turned to Gibbs who was leading a mule towards the river bank. "Get the chests aboard in m' cabin - we will sort through them when it's safe." Gibbs nodded as Jack looked around the village. "Where are th' women?" Jack could see the boys playing with the other children and a number of his crew - but of Catherine and the tribal women there was no sign.
"They are probably bathing," Caton shrugged. "You know women."
Jack smiled and headed down the narrow path towards the bathing pool. "I would not do that," Caton warned, but Jack just waved his hand airily and continued down the path, disappearing around the corner. Caton did not have to wait long for squeals and shouts to be heard, closely followed by a number of indignant returning women, Belicia in the lead.
"That Chief is a bad man!" she complained. "He has no respect for his wife!" Caton wisely held his tongue, trying not to smile as the remainder of the women arrived back in the village. Jack and Catherine did not return for some time.
***
Jack smiled as the women retreated, leaving his wife lazing in the water looking up at him. "Jack Sparrow!" she warned. "You are in so much trouble!"
He shrugged as he slid off his trousers, unbuttoning his shirt. "No change there then luv!" he drawled. Ensuring that his pistol would remain dry, he slid into the water with her. "Wha." he saw the tattoo that marked her body. "Belicia?"
Catherine smiled. "She said I should be properly marked as the Chief's wife."
"Nice design. seems kinda familiar," he teased, tracing the outline of the swallow in front of a sun, skimming over the waves. "Did yer miss me?"
"Heaven knows why," Catherine shrugged as she scooped a handful of the sand- like substance onto his shoulders. "Turn around and I'll wash you!"
***
Belicia still glowered at him when they eventually returned to the village, but the crew and tribesmen clapped him enthusiastically. Catherine blushed, laughing at them all as they made their way towards the Black Pearl.
"Jack!" Caton shouted across to them. "We must decide tonight about defending the village."
"At dusk?" Jack suggested, eager to get Catherine back to their cabin, and in particular to their bunk. He was relieved when Caton nodded his agreement.
***
Jack looked at the twenty four large chests that Gibbs had placed in his cabin. He had forgotten them in his eagerness to be with his wife but knew that he had to sort them before he could have time alone with her. The crew would need to know their share. Carefully he eased open a lid - in case one of those dinner-plate spiders was at home. but there was just gold. He eased open another lid - more gold. He jumped as Catherine slipped her arms around his waist.
"I thought it was the bunk you were interested in?" she suggested, smiling up at him.
"Gotta tally this up first luv," he apologised, smiling at her as she pouted in disappointment. "But two people can count faster."
Sighing she started to count, soon realising that there was enough gold and gemstones to make every crew member rich beyond even a pirate's wildest dreams. Horace McBride had not hoarded the normal bulky pirate treasure, only keeping gold and gems that could be stored in large quantities in a relatively small chest. and they had twenty four such chests!
After a number of hours she rose, stretching as her neck clicked. "I'll fix some lunch," she offered. "I could do with a break." Jack merely nodded, his lips moving silently as he counted another pile of coins. Quietly she slipped from the cabin, surprised to find most of the crew loitering onboard, doing small or menial jobs. They were all anxious to discover their share of the gold.
When Catherine returned, she was relieved to see that Jack appeared to have finished. Carefully she placed the bowl of stew next to him as he wrote, surprised to see he was tallying crew rates for the marines on board as well as for the pirates.
"They fought too," he explained, "so they get same share. Though what yer Pa will think when Theo buys his food with pirate gold I don't know!" He grinned mischievously at her, gold teeth glinting as he wrote down the final figure, whistling tunelessly. "Of course, Theo will get more, being an officer, like."
"Is that the final shares?"
"Yup! About £9,000 each. should keep them all in trouble for a while!"
Catherine gasped at the figure. A ship the size of the Dauntless had only cost about £63,000 to commission and build and for any but the titled aristocracy, it was an incredible amount.
He glanced out of the window, noting there were still a number of hours before dusk. "I'd better go an' tell 'em before they knock th' cabin door down!" he winked, taking her hand and leading her from the cabin. Everyone crowded around anxiously. "Gentlemen," he smiled, "Gentlemen - I think we all owe Kitty a big thank you for finding the map for us."
Cheers echoed around the deck, together with a few shouts of "get on with it".
Sure in his audience, Jack smiled. "Basic tally is £9,000 per crew."
The deck erupted as the pirates jumped up and down, hats flying in the air as they danced with joy. The marines and Theodore stood to one side, unsure what to do. "All those that fought," Jack added, holding his brother-in-laws gaze, "an' I mean all, get crew shares!" In answer to Theodore's frown, he nodded. "Will you join us in th' cabin for a moment Theo?"
The marines, realising that they too would receive the money, joined in the celebrations with the pirate crew - the whole deck celebrating.
Jack turned to Joshamee Gibbs. "No alcohol Gibbs - we may still have t' fight," he warned before shutting the door quietly behind him. Theodore stood quietly in the cabin. "You'll get command rates Theo - should be about £15,000."
"What?" Theodore gasped, paling at the amount, realising that it was more money than he would earn in a lifetime of service - most ordinary seamen only earned £15 a year. "I. I." he stuttered.
"Always pleased t' help out family," Jack beamed, amused to see his brother- in-law speechless.
"You weren't joking when you said a mountain!"
"I rarely joke about gold mate," he smiled, "although we will still have to fight off the Boi an' get home safely."
"The Boi?"
"They'll attack th' village as the Achaili went into their territory, so we'll have t' stay a while until they're safe. Caton is callin' a meetin' in the village at dusk."
Theodore nodded. "I'll be ready," he assured Jack as he left the cabin. "And I will warn my men to stay alert."
When he left Jack quietly locked the door. "I seem to remember something about a bunk." he smiled lopsidedly as he encircled her with his arms.
Catherine wriggled round to face him. "And there was I thinking you'd forgotten," she teased.
"Me?" he leered. "As if!"
***
Jack made it to the village meeting just in time, leaving Catherine asleep in the bunk. Caton, the other Chiefs and Theodore were sitting quietly around the fire waiting for him.
"I guess a week is a long time to be away," Caton laughed, teasing Jack for being the last one to arrive. "Especially with such a pretty wife."
"I wouldn't let Belicia hear you say that mate!" Jack teased in return.
"Ah, but she knows that all other women pale before her," Caton smiled. "Although we are not here to discuss women."
Jack sobered. "The Boi - what can we expect?"
"They'll probably sneak in soon, kill as many as they can and go. I'd like for the women to be on your ship for safety."
Jack nodded his agreement, wondering how he'd get Catherine to do the same. He noticed Theodore smiling wryly to himself, remembering the brig of the HMS Resolute. Their eyes met and both burst out laughing. "It won't work mate!" Jack smiled.
Caton looked at them, deciding the sun had finally baked their brains as Theodore tried to explain what had happened. "You locked your wife up?" he gasped.
"Only to keep her safe," Jack admitted.
Caton shook his head in disbelief, before turning his attention back to the Boi. "I have already sent out scouts to warn us of when they approach. If we have men in the trees and hiding in the huts we should not lose too many men. for we will lose men."
Jack sobered, nodding to himself. "Aye, th' Boi fight nasty with their little darts, but a well aimed pistol can kill too!"
***
The Boi did not keep them waiting long. Two days later, at dusk they attacked hoping to catch the other tribe unawares. Caton's scouts had already warned him though - they were ready, quickly moving the women and children to the Black Pearl.
"Stay with the women onboard Kitty!" Jack ordered.
"No."
"Kitty, please!"
"No Jack, I will not! I'm as much a member of this crew as any other and I want to fight!"
"Kitty, you are not fighting!"
"Yes I."
Jack was expecting her punch, catching her fist easily in his hand. Her eyes sparked angrily. "No Kitty. You stay onboard with the women!"
"I."
"Right! That's it!" Jack picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder as she kicked and screamed at him as he walked down below decks.
"Jack!" she shouted angrily, "You."
Standing her upright he took away her pistol, knowing that she would try to shoot the lock to get out, before locking the door behind her. She glared at him from behind the bars. "Sorry Kitty - not this time." He turned and walked away, listening as she swore at him at the top of her voice. He winced - bastard was one of the more polite names. She had certainly picked up a colourful vocabulary being onboard.
On reaching the deck he found Theodore escorting the tribal woman onboard. "Is that Catherine?" he asked, hearing the commotion from below.
Jack shrugged. "She isn't fighting!" he insisted, knowing how dangerous the Boi were.
Belicia looked confused. "Kitty wants to fight? Why?"
"Because she's a member of th' crew. but she's my wife too." Jack felt rotten about what he had done, and knew he would pay for it later, even if it seemed like the right thing to do at the present. "She isn't to be released Belicia!" he warned, relieved that she nodded. "Come, let's get yer all settled in th' cabin 'fore they get 'ere!"
Once the women, children and the two boys were safely in the cabin he locked the door.
Theodore looked at him worriedly, still listening to his sister. "She seems very angry Jack."
"She'll get over it," Jack assured him.
***
Jack would not have been so sure if he could have seen Catherine. She sat in the brig, throat hoarse from shouting, tears streaming down her face. She was utterly, totally dejected. Finding an old blanket, she curled beneath it crying herself to sleep.
***
Jack fidgeted as he lay flat on the floor of the stilted hut, peering over the edge carefully as he waited for a target. He glanced around the camp, seeing the other crew hiding in the huts and in hides around the camp. The Boi crept into the camp, closing on what they thought were people asleep around the fire.
Boom! Theodore's pistol fired as the lead Boi pulled the blanket from the sleeping pile of earth, other pistols firing close behind his. The Boi looked up in panic, realising the trap too late as they tried to reach for their blow pipes. The crew rushed them, swords drawn, cutting a swathe through their ranks as they tried to flee, but only a few managed to reach the safety of the surrounding trees. Caton shouted, sending his men after them. Only two of the Boi party would manage to reach their territory and it was a long time before they gathered the courage to attack again.
***
Catherine was stoney faced when he eventually released her, red eyes narrowing when she looked at him. She did not speak.
"Kitty, I."
She pushed past him, not speaking.
"Kitty! Stop!" Jack shouted.
She turned to face him. "As I am clearly not classed as crew Jack, you have no command over me on this ship," she hissed.
"Kitty!" he pleaded, dejectedly realising that this time she was really, really angry.
"No Jack! I was good enough to fight two reds, but no longer it seems! I will remain in the galley, but you can forget everything else!" She stepped towards him, standing toe to toe. "And I mean everything else!"
"Dammit Kitty! I didn't want you hurt!" he protested, but she stomped up the steps without looking back.
***
Jack did not see much of Catherine that day. Although he was busy with tribal matters - ensuring that Caton received a fair share of the gold and such - he suspected she was avoiding him. The tribe were holding a party that night, to say goodbye to the Black Pearl and to celebrate beating the Boi - he hoped she would surface before then.
"Theo, have you seen Kitty?"
Theodore frowned, realising that she had been missing for most of the day. "Have you." he glanced towards the crow's nest, his sister's favourite place when she was angry. "She seemed very angry when I last saw her."
Jack sighed, climbing up in search of his wife, but she was not there. From his vantage point, he looked around for any sign of her, eventually spotting her returning from the bathing pool. Relieved more than he would care to admit, he climbed down.
"Did you see her?" Theodore called up to him.
Jack nodded as he jumped the last few feet. "Yeah, she's been bathing." He climbed down into a small ships boat, rowing to shore but Catherine had disappeared again by the time he reached the village. It took him a while of searching before he found her in his hut. He stood in a moment, watching as she brushed her damp hair. "Kitty."
"What?" She did not even turn to face him, continuing to brush her hair.
"Dammit Kitty, please! Let's stop this." He crouched down, hugging her, unsurprised to find his affection shrugged off.
"It has already stopped Jack. When we return to Port Royal I will be leaving the Pearl."
"Wha. but."
"If I am not crew then I have no place onboard Jack."
"Kitty! You are my wife!"
She turned at last to face him, eyes utterly miserable. "Yes, I guess I am, but I'm sure a handsome man such as yourself can find himself a willing whore in Tortuga."
He sat on the floor of the hut, poleaxed in shock. "Kitty?" He stared at her, shaken to the core. Had he lost her?
She rose, adjusting her clothes before climbing down the ladder, heading towards the fire where the party was just starting.
***
Jack rowed tiredly back to the Black Pearl, muddled by rum but not happily drunk. He did not think he could ever be happy again. When he reached his cabin it was dark and empty, although he knew Catherine had returned to the ship earlier. Frowning he went in search of her, eventually finding her asleep in a hammock below decks.
"Kitty!" he argued, glad that the crew were sleeping where they'd fallen in the village. "Kitty!"
A muffled voice came from within the pile of blankets. "Sod off!"
"Dammit Kitty! Come back to the cabin!"
"No!"
Drawing his knife, Jack cut one end of the hammock free from the bulkhead, causing Catherine to tumble from the hammock. "I said."
"And I said no!" Angrily she picked up her blankets, storming up on deck.
Jack sighed. "I'll sleep with th' crew if you like, but please come back to th' cabin."
She just looked at him sadly, turning to climb up into the rigging. Realising she meant to climb to the crow's nest Jack snatched her blankets, reaching for her too, but she swung out over the sea, avoiding his grasp as she climbed.
Defeated, he let the blankets slip from his grasp. "Kitty?" he called but she did not answer. Dejectedly he returned to the empty cabin, determined to drink himself into oblivion.
***
After saying their goodbyes to Caton and the tribe, Jack ordered the anchor raised and the sails unfurled. Using the sweeps, he turned the ship around, once more heading into open water. Even the thickest member of the crew had noticed the attitude between their Captain and his wife, but were wise enough to keep their own counsel. Theodore had thought about trying to intervene, but a glare from his sister changed his mind. He had never seen her this angry before and was worried about her marriage to Jack, stunned by her announcement that she was leaving the Black Pearl.
They reached the mouth of the Amazon, turning northwards to home.
***
Please don't be too hard on Kitty - she is upset and confused. The next chapter explains her mind better - I hope!