Scarlet surveyed the noisy, rowdy tavern with content. She had
enough money in her pocket to last her for quite a while, and Barbosa was
nowhere to be found. Life was pretty good.
Scarlet signaled to the barmaid, who shook her head in exasperation. That girl was asking for her sixth rum. Six! Most men couldn't even drink three before getting drooling drunk. This girl, for she was no older than 25 or so (young to be hanging around in these parts), could drink twice that, and not only walk in a straight line, but she could talk, and actually make sense. Like she'd only had one, not six. Still, she was a paying customer, and when she was kept in a good mood, she paid and tipped well. So the barmaid didn't complain about the short, red-haired girl. She simply brought out the rum.
Scarlet nodded her appreciation when the rum came. She was tucked in a corner, set back from the noisy, brawling action of the tavern. The Faithful Bride was as good a place as any to make friends as well as get a dagger in your back. But Scarlet was happy, something that hadn't happened very often in her short life. She leaned back in her chair, propping her boots up on the table, and downed half of the mug of rum in one gulp. She sighed, closing her eyes for just a moment, enjoying hearing the sounds of the tavern, somehow and oddly more peaceful than silence. Then a tense silence did fill he air, and Scarlet opened one eye experimentally. Standing, there at the door, was none other than Captain Barbosa, along with several of his pirate crew. Outside, it looked as though Scarlet couldn't care less. Inside, Scarlet was scared stiff. Her father had died at the hands of Barbosa, and she was sure that this was to be her fate as well, should Barbosa get his hands on her.
Scarlet stood, and as soon as Barbosa was looking the other way, she bolted for the window, stepped up on a chair, hopped onto the table beneath the window, and launched herself out the window. She meant to roll as soon as she hit the ground. But she never hit the ground. In stead, she fell into a man, knocking him off his feet. He hit the ground, Scarlet soon following suit.
"What the devil?" The man said, sitting up.
"Ouch." Scarlet mumbled, not wanting to move. Landing on cobblestone streets in an unprepared fashion is quite painful.
"Are ye a'right, lass?" The man asked, bending over her.
"Why did you have to be under that window?" Scarlet lamented.
"Till ye came flyin' out o'the window, I hadn't the foggiest that it'twas even there." The man gave a half grin.
Scarlet held up her hand, and the man grasped it, pulling her to her feet. Once she standing and had brushed all of the street-dust off herself, he held out his hand. She clasped it.
"Jack Sparrow." He said.
"Scarlet." She said.
"Scarlet.Who?" Jack questioned, waving/rolling his hand in the air.
"Never ye mind what me name might be. S'none o'yer damned business. Thankee for ye help, now fare thee well." Scarlet made to leave, but was jerked back. Jack had taken hold of her arm.
"Now hold on there, lass. Why're ye in such a hurry?"
Scarlet put her hands on her hips as best she could. "I'm running away." She stated.
"I can see that." Jack replied. "What I meant was, why are ye runnin' away?"
"Ba-" Scarlet was cut off by boots pounding around the cobblestone corner.
"Barbosa." Jack said, all amusement evaporating in a second.
"Jack." Barbosa said, looking mildly surprised. "It seems yet again that you have something that I want."
"Her?" Jack said, looking at her with distain, like he was seeing some hideous, pitiful creature for the first time. "What d'ye with the likes of 'er?"
"None of yer damned business. Just 'and 'er over, and I'll remember the next time I be wantin' t'kill ye."
Jack narrowed his eyes and let go of Scarlet. "Do you realize that you have just made me a very angry man?" Jack asked Barbosa.
Barbosa shrugged. "I care because..?" He asked, waving his hand in the same manner that Jack had just done.
Jack pulled the gun out of his belt and unsheathed his sword. Scarlet proceeded to do the same. Jack winked inconspicuously at her. "Ye've one very important thing, mate." He said to Barbosa.
Barbosa rolled his eyes. "I know, I know.."
"I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." Jack grinned. Then he and Scarlet raised both sword and gun, glaring at Barbosa's men. Then, just as it seemed they were about to attack, both Jack and Scarlet turned tail and ran. Barbosa's men, once they realized what had happened, began to pursue, but Barbosa stopped them.
"Let 'em go." He said. "Just find the Pearl, and we'll get the girl lads, ye'll see."
Scarlet signaled to the barmaid, who shook her head in exasperation. That girl was asking for her sixth rum. Six! Most men couldn't even drink three before getting drooling drunk. This girl, for she was no older than 25 or so (young to be hanging around in these parts), could drink twice that, and not only walk in a straight line, but she could talk, and actually make sense. Like she'd only had one, not six. Still, she was a paying customer, and when she was kept in a good mood, she paid and tipped well. So the barmaid didn't complain about the short, red-haired girl. She simply brought out the rum.
Scarlet nodded her appreciation when the rum came. She was tucked in a corner, set back from the noisy, brawling action of the tavern. The Faithful Bride was as good a place as any to make friends as well as get a dagger in your back. But Scarlet was happy, something that hadn't happened very often in her short life. She leaned back in her chair, propping her boots up on the table, and downed half of the mug of rum in one gulp. She sighed, closing her eyes for just a moment, enjoying hearing the sounds of the tavern, somehow and oddly more peaceful than silence. Then a tense silence did fill he air, and Scarlet opened one eye experimentally. Standing, there at the door, was none other than Captain Barbosa, along with several of his pirate crew. Outside, it looked as though Scarlet couldn't care less. Inside, Scarlet was scared stiff. Her father had died at the hands of Barbosa, and she was sure that this was to be her fate as well, should Barbosa get his hands on her.
Scarlet stood, and as soon as Barbosa was looking the other way, she bolted for the window, stepped up on a chair, hopped onto the table beneath the window, and launched herself out the window. She meant to roll as soon as she hit the ground. But she never hit the ground. In stead, she fell into a man, knocking him off his feet. He hit the ground, Scarlet soon following suit.
"What the devil?" The man said, sitting up.
"Ouch." Scarlet mumbled, not wanting to move. Landing on cobblestone streets in an unprepared fashion is quite painful.
"Are ye a'right, lass?" The man asked, bending over her.
"Why did you have to be under that window?" Scarlet lamented.
"Till ye came flyin' out o'the window, I hadn't the foggiest that it'twas even there." The man gave a half grin.
Scarlet held up her hand, and the man grasped it, pulling her to her feet. Once she standing and had brushed all of the street-dust off herself, he held out his hand. She clasped it.
"Jack Sparrow." He said.
"Scarlet." She said.
"Scarlet.Who?" Jack questioned, waving/rolling his hand in the air.
"Never ye mind what me name might be. S'none o'yer damned business. Thankee for ye help, now fare thee well." Scarlet made to leave, but was jerked back. Jack had taken hold of her arm.
"Now hold on there, lass. Why're ye in such a hurry?"
Scarlet put her hands on her hips as best she could. "I'm running away." She stated.
"I can see that." Jack replied. "What I meant was, why are ye runnin' away?"
"Ba-" Scarlet was cut off by boots pounding around the cobblestone corner.
"Barbosa." Jack said, all amusement evaporating in a second.
"Jack." Barbosa said, looking mildly surprised. "It seems yet again that you have something that I want."
"Her?" Jack said, looking at her with distain, like he was seeing some hideous, pitiful creature for the first time. "What d'ye with the likes of 'er?"
"None of yer damned business. Just 'and 'er over, and I'll remember the next time I be wantin' t'kill ye."
Jack narrowed his eyes and let go of Scarlet. "Do you realize that you have just made me a very angry man?" Jack asked Barbosa.
Barbosa shrugged. "I care because..?" He asked, waving his hand in the same manner that Jack had just done.
Jack pulled the gun out of his belt and unsheathed his sword. Scarlet proceeded to do the same. Jack winked inconspicuously at her. "Ye've one very important thing, mate." He said to Barbosa.
Barbosa rolled his eyes. "I know, I know.."
"I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." Jack grinned. Then he and Scarlet raised both sword and gun, glaring at Barbosa's men. Then, just as it seemed they were about to attack, both Jack and Scarlet turned tail and ran. Barbosa's men, once they realized what had happened, began to pursue, but Barbosa stopped them.
"Let 'em go." He said. "Just find the Pearl, and we'll get the girl lads, ye'll see."