Gah, sorry again it took so long. I really think I should quit saying that
next time it won't be such a long wait because it always turns out to be a
long wait. So. I'm feeling extremely lazy today and ff.net isn't loading up
properly at the moment, so for this chapter I'm not going to respond
individually to reviews. But, thanks to everybody who reviewed, I love you
all! ::Hugs::
Anyway, here we go with the story.
**********
The Legend of Devil's Fork
**********
The sun peeked over the town and set the turquoise waters ablaze. The sky shone with every imaginable shade of pink, orange and yellow. A few seagulls squawked but otherwise the picturesque morning was silent. I was sitting near the helm of the Black Pearl watching the sunrise. We were moored in Tortuga's bay, having arrived just the previous night. The morning, as it seemed, was perfect. Except for one small detail...
"Mornin', Matheson," Sparrow grunted as he stood at his customary place at the helm.
"Tortuga," I said with a smile on my face, "It's good to be home."
~-~-~-~-~
"Will?" Elizabeth repeated, a disbelieving look upon her face.
"Elizabeth."
Will took a step forward. Elizabeth tried to take one backward, but she had conveniently walked herself straight against the wall. For the moment, it seemed she was stuck.
"What is this?" she asked. Her tears welled up as she looked into the face of her supposedly dead husband.
"It's me, Elizabeth," Will said firmly, "I'm alive."
"W-what?"
Will sighed. "I did not die. All of it was a hoax...Jack's plan, of course."
"Tell me more."
"Legend tells of a place called Devil's Fork. It's a treacherous channel, one no sailor has yet successfully past. It is told a mysterious treasure lays hidden there. Jack is after that treasure and he wanted my help...I said, of course, yes. He thought it would be smart if others thought I were dead...said nobody would suspect a dead man of piracy."
Elizabeth nodded slowly, absorbing the slight absurdity of the tale. "And you couldn't even tell me?" She took a few strong strides forward and slapped Will across the face, hard. His head snapped back with a sickening noise and he rubbed his sore jaw.
"That one," he said with a smirk, "I suppose I deserved?"
Elizabeth smiled and took Will's rough hand in her own. She kissed him lightly and as she pulled away, she whispered, "It really is you."
~-~-~-~-~
Tortuga had not changed a bit. Men drank themselves silly, whores flitted about, and the smell...it was a combination of alcohol, smoke, dirt and sweat. I breathed in deeply, the unique scent that was Tortuga filling my nostrils.
Jack and I were in search of a decent tavern. The pair of us had been craving rum and had set out almost immediately to find Tortuga's finest. Will and Elizabeth had chosen to stay behind on the Pearl--crazy bastards. Lord only knows what they were up to.
"'Ere we go," Sparrow drawled as he pushed open the half-rotten door of a tavern--The Red Maiden. He walked in, boots clunking though with the surrounding noise it was impossible to hear. I followed and grinned broadly at the scene inside.
There was barely room to move inside; in every spare inch of space a brawl was going on. Drunken pirates punched, shot and tossed furniture at each other as they fought over nothing, really. In Tortuga, you didn't need a reason. Various whores, who were revealing more skin than when naked, fluttered around, giggling and flirting with the male occupants. The interior reeked of alcohol, a scent I was much accustomed to--and one I enjoyed very, very much. Empty tankards, and some still half full, littered the floor and tables, not many of them left standing up straight.
"C'mon," Sparrow said impatiently, "I'll buy ye a drink...so long as you never ask me to ravish you again."
I grinned maliciously. "We have an accord."
~-~-~-~-~
I tipped back my tankard and swallowed the remainders of my rum. It was my third but I was barely half way to drunk--if there was one thing I could do, it was hold my liquor. I placed it back on the table and waved my arm in the air to attract the attention of the bar wench.
A petite blonde woman, whose clothing consisted of more skin than fabric, scuttled over to our small, rum-soaked table. She smiled flirtatiously at Jack for the millionth time that night and he, for the millionth time that night, shot her a so-called charming, gold-toothed grin.
"Two more rums," I said, looking at her threateningly. My eyes darted to Sparrow and I slid my chair closer to him. I smiled sweetly and added, "We're together, y'know. An' if ye look at 'im one more time like that, I will hurt you."
A look of fright flickered over the wench's face and she quickly hurried off to fill our order. Sparrow glared at me, his eyes like knives. "Oi! What was that all about?"
"What?" I asked innocently, "Jus' havin' some fun."
~-~-~-~-~
"Oi, Capt'n!" shouted an unidentified male voice. My head snapped up in unison with Sparrow and we spotted a portly man with graying muttonchops walking over to us. A group of rag-tag looking sailors followed--Sparrow's crew, I presumed.
The large group simultaneously grabbed holds of some chairs and seated themselves amongst Sparrow and I. They talked meaninglessly with Sparrow, all the while looking at me curiously, trying to discern whether I was a whore or what.
I smiled wickedly and all of a sudden Sparrow seemed to remember I was there. He frowned slightly and began to motion towards me with his head. Whether he was drunk or this was normal behavior, I did not know.
"Aye, she's a pirate," he finally said, smirking at the puzzled looks on the faces of his crew, "Trevor Matheson."
I flashed them a quick smile, gold teeth flashing slightly in the dim light of the tavern. A female pirate--who I had not noticed until now--leaned forward with a slight look of awe on her face. "You," she said, "are Trevor Matheson?"
"Aye, that I am."
The portly man--Gibbs as the others called him--looked at me warily. "You know what I've said about having women aboard, Capt'n."
Both Anamaria and I shot him looks of ice. He winced slightly but didn't falter. Sparrow only chuckled.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but she'll be coming aboard. You see, Matheson here is in possession of the map to Devil's Fork."
~-~-~-~-~
Sparrow and his crew chattered incessantly. I talked to Anamaria below the noise, swapping various stories of our lives.
"...and then," she finished angrily, "the scoundrel stole my boat!"
I laughed quietly at the tale of Anamaria, Sparrow and her boat.
"So...," she said, "Tell us a story."
The rest of the crew seemed to have heard Anamaria and their chatter immediately died down. I couldn't help but feel my ego inflate slightly--I was Captain Trevor Matheson, after all, and I had had my fair share of heart pumping adventures. I didn't blame them for wanting me to tell them a story.
So I did.
~-~-~-~-~
"By tha' point, all other members of the crew had been killed. The deck was awash with the blood of good men. It was only me an' me firs' mate standin'. We were surrounded by Redcoats--bloody fools--an' they thought they had us. Me firs' mate lifted 'er shirt an' distracted 'em...knocked 'em all out, shot 'em and sailed away with their ship."
The crew's mouths were agape when I finished my tale--with the exception of Sparrow, of course. He seemed quite preoccupied with the image of a woman lifting her shirt to distract attackers.
Gibbs stifled a yawn and told us he'd be retiring to the ship now. He stood and left, and one by one, the crew trickled from the tavern, each saying they were bloody tired and needed some sleep. It was soon only Sparrow, Anamaria and myself at the table.
"How'd you come by that map?" Anamaria asked. Sparrow raised his eyebrows quizzically...apparently he had been wondering, too.
"My father gave it to me," I said simply. There was more to the story, more than anyone could imagine, but tonight was not the night to tell.
The pair nodded, accepting this as an acceptable answer. I downed my fifth-- or was it sixth?--rum and noted with a laugh that we had been in the tavern all afternoon and nearly all the night.
~-~-~-~-~
Elizabeth sat in Will's arms on the deck of the Pearl. Though she had only been without him a week, it was the longest, most terrible week of her life. Of course, any week where you were led to believe that your husband was dead couldn't exactly be classed as 'good.'
The stars were slowly coming out and they sat in silence, simply marveling at the night sky. Sappy, yes, but it felt so right to be in each other's arms. The sun had long since dipped below the horizon and still Jack and Trevor had not returned. The couple smirked simultaneously, only knowing quite too well what they would be up to.
~-~-~-~-~
The three of us finally decided it was time to leave the tavern and head back to the ship. We staggered through the streets, Anamaria and I giggling drunkenly.
Okay, so maybe I couldn't hold my alcohol as well as I liked to think.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I can't think for the life of me of anything to say down here.
Anyway. I've done my part, so now you do yours and review! ^_~
--Silmarwen
Anyway, here we go with the story.
**********
The Legend of Devil's Fork
**********
The sun peeked over the town and set the turquoise waters ablaze. The sky shone with every imaginable shade of pink, orange and yellow. A few seagulls squawked but otherwise the picturesque morning was silent. I was sitting near the helm of the Black Pearl watching the sunrise. We were moored in Tortuga's bay, having arrived just the previous night. The morning, as it seemed, was perfect. Except for one small detail...
"Mornin', Matheson," Sparrow grunted as he stood at his customary place at the helm.
"Tortuga," I said with a smile on my face, "It's good to be home."
~-~-~-~-~
"Will?" Elizabeth repeated, a disbelieving look upon her face.
"Elizabeth."
Will took a step forward. Elizabeth tried to take one backward, but she had conveniently walked herself straight against the wall. For the moment, it seemed she was stuck.
"What is this?" she asked. Her tears welled up as she looked into the face of her supposedly dead husband.
"It's me, Elizabeth," Will said firmly, "I'm alive."
"W-what?"
Will sighed. "I did not die. All of it was a hoax...Jack's plan, of course."
"Tell me more."
"Legend tells of a place called Devil's Fork. It's a treacherous channel, one no sailor has yet successfully past. It is told a mysterious treasure lays hidden there. Jack is after that treasure and he wanted my help...I said, of course, yes. He thought it would be smart if others thought I were dead...said nobody would suspect a dead man of piracy."
Elizabeth nodded slowly, absorbing the slight absurdity of the tale. "And you couldn't even tell me?" She took a few strong strides forward and slapped Will across the face, hard. His head snapped back with a sickening noise and he rubbed his sore jaw.
"That one," he said with a smirk, "I suppose I deserved?"
Elizabeth smiled and took Will's rough hand in her own. She kissed him lightly and as she pulled away, she whispered, "It really is you."
~-~-~-~-~
Tortuga had not changed a bit. Men drank themselves silly, whores flitted about, and the smell...it was a combination of alcohol, smoke, dirt and sweat. I breathed in deeply, the unique scent that was Tortuga filling my nostrils.
Jack and I were in search of a decent tavern. The pair of us had been craving rum and had set out almost immediately to find Tortuga's finest. Will and Elizabeth had chosen to stay behind on the Pearl--crazy bastards. Lord only knows what they were up to.
"'Ere we go," Sparrow drawled as he pushed open the half-rotten door of a tavern--The Red Maiden. He walked in, boots clunking though with the surrounding noise it was impossible to hear. I followed and grinned broadly at the scene inside.
There was barely room to move inside; in every spare inch of space a brawl was going on. Drunken pirates punched, shot and tossed furniture at each other as they fought over nothing, really. In Tortuga, you didn't need a reason. Various whores, who were revealing more skin than when naked, fluttered around, giggling and flirting with the male occupants. The interior reeked of alcohol, a scent I was much accustomed to--and one I enjoyed very, very much. Empty tankards, and some still half full, littered the floor and tables, not many of them left standing up straight.
"C'mon," Sparrow said impatiently, "I'll buy ye a drink...so long as you never ask me to ravish you again."
I grinned maliciously. "We have an accord."
~-~-~-~-~
I tipped back my tankard and swallowed the remainders of my rum. It was my third but I was barely half way to drunk--if there was one thing I could do, it was hold my liquor. I placed it back on the table and waved my arm in the air to attract the attention of the bar wench.
A petite blonde woman, whose clothing consisted of more skin than fabric, scuttled over to our small, rum-soaked table. She smiled flirtatiously at Jack for the millionth time that night and he, for the millionth time that night, shot her a so-called charming, gold-toothed grin.
"Two more rums," I said, looking at her threateningly. My eyes darted to Sparrow and I slid my chair closer to him. I smiled sweetly and added, "We're together, y'know. An' if ye look at 'im one more time like that, I will hurt you."
A look of fright flickered over the wench's face and she quickly hurried off to fill our order. Sparrow glared at me, his eyes like knives. "Oi! What was that all about?"
"What?" I asked innocently, "Jus' havin' some fun."
~-~-~-~-~
"Oi, Capt'n!" shouted an unidentified male voice. My head snapped up in unison with Sparrow and we spotted a portly man with graying muttonchops walking over to us. A group of rag-tag looking sailors followed--Sparrow's crew, I presumed.
The large group simultaneously grabbed holds of some chairs and seated themselves amongst Sparrow and I. They talked meaninglessly with Sparrow, all the while looking at me curiously, trying to discern whether I was a whore or what.
I smiled wickedly and all of a sudden Sparrow seemed to remember I was there. He frowned slightly and began to motion towards me with his head. Whether he was drunk or this was normal behavior, I did not know.
"Aye, she's a pirate," he finally said, smirking at the puzzled looks on the faces of his crew, "Trevor Matheson."
I flashed them a quick smile, gold teeth flashing slightly in the dim light of the tavern. A female pirate--who I had not noticed until now--leaned forward with a slight look of awe on her face. "You," she said, "are Trevor Matheson?"
"Aye, that I am."
The portly man--Gibbs as the others called him--looked at me warily. "You know what I've said about having women aboard, Capt'n."
Both Anamaria and I shot him looks of ice. He winced slightly but didn't falter. Sparrow only chuckled.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but she'll be coming aboard. You see, Matheson here is in possession of the map to Devil's Fork."
~-~-~-~-~
Sparrow and his crew chattered incessantly. I talked to Anamaria below the noise, swapping various stories of our lives.
"...and then," she finished angrily, "the scoundrel stole my boat!"
I laughed quietly at the tale of Anamaria, Sparrow and her boat.
"So...," she said, "Tell us a story."
The rest of the crew seemed to have heard Anamaria and their chatter immediately died down. I couldn't help but feel my ego inflate slightly--I was Captain Trevor Matheson, after all, and I had had my fair share of heart pumping adventures. I didn't blame them for wanting me to tell them a story.
So I did.
~-~-~-~-~
"By tha' point, all other members of the crew had been killed. The deck was awash with the blood of good men. It was only me an' me firs' mate standin'. We were surrounded by Redcoats--bloody fools--an' they thought they had us. Me firs' mate lifted 'er shirt an' distracted 'em...knocked 'em all out, shot 'em and sailed away with their ship."
The crew's mouths were agape when I finished my tale--with the exception of Sparrow, of course. He seemed quite preoccupied with the image of a woman lifting her shirt to distract attackers.
Gibbs stifled a yawn and told us he'd be retiring to the ship now. He stood and left, and one by one, the crew trickled from the tavern, each saying they were bloody tired and needed some sleep. It was soon only Sparrow, Anamaria and myself at the table.
"How'd you come by that map?" Anamaria asked. Sparrow raised his eyebrows quizzically...apparently he had been wondering, too.
"My father gave it to me," I said simply. There was more to the story, more than anyone could imagine, but tonight was not the night to tell.
The pair nodded, accepting this as an acceptable answer. I downed my fifth-- or was it sixth?--rum and noted with a laugh that we had been in the tavern all afternoon and nearly all the night.
~-~-~-~-~
Elizabeth sat in Will's arms on the deck of the Pearl. Though she had only been without him a week, it was the longest, most terrible week of her life. Of course, any week where you were led to believe that your husband was dead couldn't exactly be classed as 'good.'
The stars were slowly coming out and they sat in silence, simply marveling at the night sky. Sappy, yes, but it felt so right to be in each other's arms. The sun had long since dipped below the horizon and still Jack and Trevor had not returned. The couple smirked simultaneously, only knowing quite too well what they would be up to.
~-~-~-~-~
The three of us finally decided it was time to leave the tavern and head back to the ship. We staggered through the streets, Anamaria and I giggling drunkenly.
Okay, so maybe I couldn't hold my alcohol as well as I liked to think.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I can't think for the life of me of anything to say down here.
Anyway. I've done my part, so now you do yours and review! ^_~
--Silmarwen
