Authors Note: Here's chapter one - and don't worry... Jack will be showing
up in the next chapter (
Chapter One
The Gypsy of Spain
Sirena Caritas, known far and wide as 'The Gypsy of Spain' could be seen lounging on the Southern Docks of the small island of Isla Rosado Flor. It was a typical warm summer's morning, the sun shone high above the Caribbean Sea, and the wind blew a comfortable breeze throughout the entire island. A thoughtful expression on her face, the twenty year old girl sat with her legs dangling over the edge of the crudely made dock, looking far out into the distance.
"The ocean..." She mumbled to herself, resting her elbow on her knee and leaning forward. "Why have I never explored the ocean?" It was a question she could answer in a second - she didn't like boats, she got sea sick, she didn't have a boat. It was all quite simple, really... But she was a great Gypsy! A wanderer of the world, a trader, a dancer, an entertainer! Nothing had ever stopped her from getting her way - no person, no landmass, no natural disaster had ever stopped her. That was why she was famous.
"Why should a Gypsy such as myself, fear the ocean?" She said to herself, glaring at the blue-green waters beneath her, "It's just water... After all." She continued, tapping her forehead as she continued to think.
She had been to Italy, to Turkey, to England... She had even traveled as far as China - but each journey she had known where she was off to, and spent the entire time beneath deck, in her cabin. Never once had she braved the unknown - to set sail all on her own and set off to a distant island... No, that was something she hadn't done.
"Then the ocean it is," She said with a sigh, as she shook her heads and began to plan out the details in her head - she would need a boat... And a crew... And a hat... A really big hat. All Captains wore big hats - if she was going to steer a ship, she would be no exception...
A small smile appeared on Sirena's face as she continued to think, another adventure! What do you think of that? Sirena always got excited when new things were going to start up - it really gave her a chance to think about things, especially about getting away from home.
Then, from what seemed like miles away, Sirena heard a harsh voice call her name... It was a familiar voice... She hardly recognized it - but then, with a sudden change of expression and a sigh, she shook her head and turned around.
"SIRENA! My god child! How is it that the entire village can hear me call but you [i]can't[/i]? It's amazing what your day dreams do to your head... Has your brother returned yet? Have you seen him? What are you doing?"
With an exasperated sigh, Sirena Caritas, daughter of Casimiro Caritas, and bar maid of El Crepúsculo Posado (The Twilight Inn) pulled herself away from her day dreams and turned to face her oldest sister.
"Josefina, I told you I was going to sit by the dock and take a break - I haven't seen brother either... and I don't know where he is, so don't bother asking again." Sirena muttered as she got to her feet, brushing off her plain brown skirt and straightening the peasant-styled shirt.
For days now her three older sisters had been on her back - about everything. First, the eldest of the five children and the only boy, Aquilino, takes off on some boat in the night and leaves without so much as a note! Sirena, being the closet to him in the family, was pinched and pressured into telling the rest of her family as much as she knew about his departure - which was nothing. The last time she had seen him before he left was the day before the event... He had given her a tiny sealed box - gold in color and oval in size. He had told her to keep it secret, and keep it safe... She didn't intend to break the promise. Next, with Aquilino gone, there was a spot at the bar open that needed to be filled. With business booming, there was no way the bar could only be manned by one person... At [i]least[/i] two would be needed to keep the customers happy. That was where Serena came in. She had just spent the entire week being coached by her father and older sisters on exactly how she should interact with the customers, how she should treat them, when to stop serving them, how she should react... It was sickening just to listen to them go on and on and on.... It could drive a person insane.
And that was why she was on the dock, alone, and day dreaming. Whenever things at home got to frustrating, she became Sirena Caritas, 'The Gypsy of Spain'- an amazing adventuress who traveled the lands, braving danger, committing deeds - both good and bad, and seducing men all across the land... Exactly opposite of who she was in real life.
In her little town of Isla Rosado Flor she was known as a dreamer - someone who's words tended to speak louder then her actions. She was a pretty face, long black hair that fell to her mid back in curls, and intriguing aqua eyes that always seemed to have a dreamy haze over them... Besides that, she was known as 'that little Caritas' - someone who was always getting yelled at for one reason or another, someone who never really had any friends. To all the men in town she was only good for some entertainment like the rest of the Caritas girls - they all learned to dance, and dance quite well really, one of the few things their mother had taught them before she left them. To all the women in the town, Sirena was an extra hand, someone to help and nothing more... It was no wonder Sirena preferred her fantasy world to real life, she was bigger then the little Island - much bigger, and much better! But she didn't know how to rid herself of the place... It just wasn't easily done.
"Fine Sirena!" Her sister said in a huff, glaring at her from behind thick, black eyelashes. "But when padre comes to ask why the bar isn't being tended and I tell him the barmaid is off day-dreaming I won't try and stop him when he comes after you for a lashing!" Josefina snapped, turning on her heels to stomp of towards the Inn, Josefina had the largest temper of the family... Her mother had always said that she had gotten Marisol and Nicanora's (another two of her older sisters) share of the nasty trait.
"Alright already!" Sirena cried after her, as she hurried after Josefina, picking up her skirts as not to trip over them. "I'm coming, I'm coming - for goodness sake, can't I relax anymore?" She snapped, once she caught up to her, casting a particularly nasty glare in her direction.
"Of course you can relax! That's what night is for... Day is for work, night sleep. Got it, baratija?" Her sister said, using Sirena's usual nickname of baratija - something that always annoyed her.
"I'm not 'littlest' anymore! I'm not a baratija! I'm 20 years old Josefina, when are you going to stop this nonsense?" She protested, trying to make herself look both taller, more mature, and older at the same time.
"You'll always be 'la baratija hermana' to me, my Sirena, now off to work - don't keep the customers waiting too long! And remember, eye- contact..."
"I know, I know, now... Go do whatever you need to do!" Sirena muttered, ushering her sister away as she made her way gloomily towards the Inn. "And so starts another day of work..." She muttered, shoving the door open and making her way to the bar. "I could sure use some ale now - shame daddy won't let me."
And with a glum look on her face, Sirena got filled a glass of beer and handed to a man in front of her, a small sigh escaping her lips - what would The Gypsy of Spain do in this situation? ... She had the whole afternoon to ponder it.
Chapter One
The Gypsy of Spain
Sirena Caritas, known far and wide as 'The Gypsy of Spain' could be seen lounging on the Southern Docks of the small island of Isla Rosado Flor. It was a typical warm summer's morning, the sun shone high above the Caribbean Sea, and the wind blew a comfortable breeze throughout the entire island. A thoughtful expression on her face, the twenty year old girl sat with her legs dangling over the edge of the crudely made dock, looking far out into the distance.
"The ocean..." She mumbled to herself, resting her elbow on her knee and leaning forward. "Why have I never explored the ocean?" It was a question she could answer in a second - she didn't like boats, she got sea sick, she didn't have a boat. It was all quite simple, really... But she was a great Gypsy! A wanderer of the world, a trader, a dancer, an entertainer! Nothing had ever stopped her from getting her way - no person, no landmass, no natural disaster had ever stopped her. That was why she was famous.
"Why should a Gypsy such as myself, fear the ocean?" She said to herself, glaring at the blue-green waters beneath her, "It's just water... After all." She continued, tapping her forehead as she continued to think.
She had been to Italy, to Turkey, to England... She had even traveled as far as China - but each journey she had known where she was off to, and spent the entire time beneath deck, in her cabin. Never once had she braved the unknown - to set sail all on her own and set off to a distant island... No, that was something she hadn't done.
"Then the ocean it is," She said with a sigh, as she shook her heads and began to plan out the details in her head - she would need a boat... And a crew... And a hat... A really big hat. All Captains wore big hats - if she was going to steer a ship, she would be no exception...
A small smile appeared on Sirena's face as she continued to think, another adventure! What do you think of that? Sirena always got excited when new things were going to start up - it really gave her a chance to think about things, especially about getting away from home.
Then, from what seemed like miles away, Sirena heard a harsh voice call her name... It was a familiar voice... She hardly recognized it - but then, with a sudden change of expression and a sigh, she shook her head and turned around.
"SIRENA! My god child! How is it that the entire village can hear me call but you [i]can't[/i]? It's amazing what your day dreams do to your head... Has your brother returned yet? Have you seen him? What are you doing?"
With an exasperated sigh, Sirena Caritas, daughter of Casimiro Caritas, and bar maid of El Crepúsculo Posado (The Twilight Inn) pulled herself away from her day dreams and turned to face her oldest sister.
"Josefina, I told you I was going to sit by the dock and take a break - I haven't seen brother either... and I don't know where he is, so don't bother asking again." Sirena muttered as she got to her feet, brushing off her plain brown skirt and straightening the peasant-styled shirt.
For days now her three older sisters had been on her back - about everything. First, the eldest of the five children and the only boy, Aquilino, takes off on some boat in the night and leaves without so much as a note! Sirena, being the closet to him in the family, was pinched and pressured into telling the rest of her family as much as she knew about his departure - which was nothing. The last time she had seen him before he left was the day before the event... He had given her a tiny sealed box - gold in color and oval in size. He had told her to keep it secret, and keep it safe... She didn't intend to break the promise. Next, with Aquilino gone, there was a spot at the bar open that needed to be filled. With business booming, there was no way the bar could only be manned by one person... At [i]least[/i] two would be needed to keep the customers happy. That was where Serena came in. She had just spent the entire week being coached by her father and older sisters on exactly how she should interact with the customers, how she should treat them, when to stop serving them, how she should react... It was sickening just to listen to them go on and on and on.... It could drive a person insane.
And that was why she was on the dock, alone, and day dreaming. Whenever things at home got to frustrating, she became Sirena Caritas, 'The Gypsy of Spain'- an amazing adventuress who traveled the lands, braving danger, committing deeds - both good and bad, and seducing men all across the land... Exactly opposite of who she was in real life.
In her little town of Isla Rosado Flor she was known as a dreamer - someone who's words tended to speak louder then her actions. She was a pretty face, long black hair that fell to her mid back in curls, and intriguing aqua eyes that always seemed to have a dreamy haze over them... Besides that, she was known as 'that little Caritas' - someone who was always getting yelled at for one reason or another, someone who never really had any friends. To all the men in town she was only good for some entertainment like the rest of the Caritas girls - they all learned to dance, and dance quite well really, one of the few things their mother had taught them before she left them. To all the women in the town, Sirena was an extra hand, someone to help and nothing more... It was no wonder Sirena preferred her fantasy world to real life, she was bigger then the little Island - much bigger, and much better! But she didn't know how to rid herself of the place... It just wasn't easily done.
"Fine Sirena!" Her sister said in a huff, glaring at her from behind thick, black eyelashes. "But when padre comes to ask why the bar isn't being tended and I tell him the barmaid is off day-dreaming I won't try and stop him when he comes after you for a lashing!" Josefina snapped, turning on her heels to stomp of towards the Inn, Josefina had the largest temper of the family... Her mother had always said that she had gotten Marisol and Nicanora's (another two of her older sisters) share of the nasty trait.
"Alright already!" Sirena cried after her, as she hurried after Josefina, picking up her skirts as not to trip over them. "I'm coming, I'm coming - for goodness sake, can't I relax anymore?" She snapped, once she caught up to her, casting a particularly nasty glare in her direction.
"Of course you can relax! That's what night is for... Day is for work, night sleep. Got it, baratija?" Her sister said, using Sirena's usual nickname of baratija - something that always annoyed her.
"I'm not 'littlest' anymore! I'm not a baratija! I'm 20 years old Josefina, when are you going to stop this nonsense?" She protested, trying to make herself look both taller, more mature, and older at the same time.
"You'll always be 'la baratija hermana' to me, my Sirena, now off to work - don't keep the customers waiting too long! And remember, eye- contact..."
"I know, I know, now... Go do whatever you need to do!" Sirena muttered, ushering her sister away as she made her way gloomily towards the Inn. "And so starts another day of work..." She muttered, shoving the door open and making her way to the bar. "I could sure use some ale now - shame daddy won't let me."
And with a glum look on her face, Sirena got filled a glass of beer and handed to a man in front of her, a small sigh escaping her lips - what would The Gypsy of Spain do in this situation? ... She had the whole afternoon to ponder it.