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Chapter 2
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BANG
Ana's body jerked with the noise, and in her surprise she lost her footing and her body slipped, her hands grasping for something, anything.
Jack launched the top half of his body over the side of the crow's nest, reaching his hands frantically downward to try and catch her. Not seeing her immediately, Jack felt his heart thud to a sudden stop.
"Jack!" her voice rose to meet his ears again, and Jack finally spotted her, one hand caught in the rigging and the rest of her body twisting frantically in attempts to find some other way to stable herself.
"Coming, love," Jack yelled back, quickly swinging himself down to just above her along the horizontal supports. He wrapped his legs around the beam and dangled himself down to stretch out his hand. Her free hand caught securely in his and he hoisted her struggling form to deposit her in front of him on the beam.
Straddling it, Ana stared at him blankly. She tilted her head to stare down at where she had been hanging precariously seconds before then looked back at him, suddenly beginning to tremble. Jack reached out his hand and touched her shoulder, seeming to reassure her that she was safe.
"Come on, love," Jack said finally, and he, with an iron grasp on her wrist, helped her move down to the secure knotted rigging that connected the crow's nest and the Pearl's deck. When her feet touched the deck, she felt an overwhelming shakiness flow through her and she clutched at the ropes, too proud to let herself sit.
Jack watched her with concerned eyes, but knew her pride was most important in front of the rest of the crew. "Man the guns!" he barked. The other ship hadn't fired on them again, and it was quite possible that the shot was only meant to alert the Pearl of their presence or a malfunction, seeing how nothing had been damaged. Still, it never hurt to be prepared.
Not going its top speed, the other speeding ship easily caught up within minutes. As they drew alongside, Jack saw Anamaria go very pale. The familiarity of the situation did not escape him. He caught her eyes and motioned towards his cabin, the closest, but she shook her head. Glaring a little, he gestured with his head again towards it. Finally she threw her hands up in the air and stalked towards the cabin, muttering something about a daft pirate captain.
Jack didn't recognize the other ship. However as it drew alongside the Pearl, he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at a figure standing up on the railing clinging to a line, waving its free arm frantically. The dark hair and slim build suddenly clicked in Jack's mind, and he glimpsed the ship's name: Requisition.
Jack rolled his eyes and shouted over to the other ship, "What's in yer head, lad? Miss yer Captain Jack already?"
The man on the other ship looked amused, "Obviously," he shouted back. The dark-haired man threw a rope adorned with three large prongs on one end onto the Pearl, catching securely on the rigging. At the slow speeds the ships had been reduced to, he swung easily onto the Pearl. His boots landed with a thump on the deck and he straightened up, importantly pushing back his cloak revealing his finely made clothes and exquisitely polished sturdy sword.
Jack's lips curled into his trademark smirk. "Elizabeth's been clothing ye well, I see. Turnin' ye into a fine-steppin' noble, aye?"
"She has not!" William Turner protested, his tanned face turning a nice shade of pink.
Jack waved his hand as if his protest was of minimal importance. "What's all this about then?" he asked. "Oh, lemme guess. Ye want to turn pirate again, is it?"
"Nothing of the sort," Will retorted sharply, as if the idea was almost laughable. "There's a ship in Port Royal, Jack. From Africa."
Jack grasped the rigging, swaying with the sea as he studied the boy intently. "And that means. . .?"
"They're looking for Anamaria."
Jack frowned, his forehead creasing in a deep line. "Ana!" he hollered as loud as he could muster without turning towards the cabin.
The door to the cabin burst open and a disgruntled-looking Ana cautiously came out. Seeing Will Turner standing there, she stalked over to him and slapped him hard across the cheek.
He clutched his stinging cheek in surprise, letting out a surprised gasp. Will looked to Jack with wide eyes, his expression questioning the guilt he held for that punishment. Jack only shrugged at the boy, with a better-you- than-me expression.
"Fer scarin' me half to death!" Ana told him angrily, shoving her finger in his face. Will nodded obediently. "What are ye doin' here?" she demanded.
"There's a ship from Africa in Port Royal that's been there a few days now. The crew's looking for you; they're from your father's tribe. One of them came with us here aboard the ship."
Ana chewed her lip in distress, her gaze shifting from the ship behind Will to the pirate captain lounging against the lines. Though his posture was relaxed, she could see the tension in his shoulders and face. "It won't do any harm to 'ear him out," she said slowly.
She felt Jack's gaze on her as they boarded the ship. She knew she hadn't said what he wanted her to, and they would be exchanging words later. Will was speaking again, and she struggled to focus her thoughts to process what he was saying.
"His name is Salim and he's Himba, Ana but he knows English fairly well. He said he'd know you by sight, because he knew your father. But he also said something about a ring as well."
Unconsciously, Ana's eyes shot to the ring that Jack wore, and he met her gaze defiantly, his unease with the situation made quite clear. Ana gave him a sharp look, but wrapped her fingers through his left hand in attempts to reassure him. The pirate remained rigid, his frown set firmly in place.
Will led the pair towards the main cabin. Ana and Jack entered the dimly lit room in front of him. Blinking in the suddenly changing light, Ana could not see anything for several seconds as her eyes adjusted. She heard a flurry of activity and jangling metal and her eyes shot to the corner of the room. As her vision improved she was able to see a large man who had risen to his feet upon her entrance.
He was wearing what appeared as leather as a vest and britches as typical of most sailors. His skin was the darkest she'd ever seen and she saw thick bracelets and necklaces adorning his body. She also noted the heavy club and cutlass strapped to his waist. Finally her gaze returned to his face to meet his eyes. The stranger dropped his eyes instantly, as if afraid to make eye contact with them.
Ana exchanged wary glances with Jack, squeezing his fingers in reassurance before releasing them to step closer to the African. She was uncomfortable, and all the possible greetings she could think of flew from within grasp. Finally, she swallowed and tried to smile. "Hello."
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AN: Stay tuned. Point of this little intermediately semi-story revealed.
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Chapter 2
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BANG
Ana's body jerked with the noise, and in her surprise she lost her footing and her body slipped, her hands grasping for something, anything.
Jack launched the top half of his body over the side of the crow's nest, reaching his hands frantically downward to try and catch her. Not seeing her immediately, Jack felt his heart thud to a sudden stop.
"Jack!" her voice rose to meet his ears again, and Jack finally spotted her, one hand caught in the rigging and the rest of her body twisting frantically in attempts to find some other way to stable herself.
"Coming, love," Jack yelled back, quickly swinging himself down to just above her along the horizontal supports. He wrapped his legs around the beam and dangled himself down to stretch out his hand. Her free hand caught securely in his and he hoisted her struggling form to deposit her in front of him on the beam.
Straddling it, Ana stared at him blankly. She tilted her head to stare down at where she had been hanging precariously seconds before then looked back at him, suddenly beginning to tremble. Jack reached out his hand and touched her shoulder, seeming to reassure her that she was safe.
"Come on, love," Jack said finally, and he, with an iron grasp on her wrist, helped her move down to the secure knotted rigging that connected the crow's nest and the Pearl's deck. When her feet touched the deck, she felt an overwhelming shakiness flow through her and she clutched at the ropes, too proud to let herself sit.
Jack watched her with concerned eyes, but knew her pride was most important in front of the rest of the crew. "Man the guns!" he barked. The other ship hadn't fired on them again, and it was quite possible that the shot was only meant to alert the Pearl of their presence or a malfunction, seeing how nothing had been damaged. Still, it never hurt to be prepared.
Not going its top speed, the other speeding ship easily caught up within minutes. As they drew alongside, Jack saw Anamaria go very pale. The familiarity of the situation did not escape him. He caught her eyes and motioned towards his cabin, the closest, but she shook her head. Glaring a little, he gestured with his head again towards it. Finally she threw her hands up in the air and stalked towards the cabin, muttering something about a daft pirate captain.
Jack didn't recognize the other ship. However as it drew alongside the Pearl, he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at a figure standing up on the railing clinging to a line, waving its free arm frantically. The dark hair and slim build suddenly clicked in Jack's mind, and he glimpsed the ship's name: Requisition.
Jack rolled his eyes and shouted over to the other ship, "What's in yer head, lad? Miss yer Captain Jack already?"
The man on the other ship looked amused, "Obviously," he shouted back. The dark-haired man threw a rope adorned with three large prongs on one end onto the Pearl, catching securely on the rigging. At the slow speeds the ships had been reduced to, he swung easily onto the Pearl. His boots landed with a thump on the deck and he straightened up, importantly pushing back his cloak revealing his finely made clothes and exquisitely polished sturdy sword.
Jack's lips curled into his trademark smirk. "Elizabeth's been clothing ye well, I see. Turnin' ye into a fine-steppin' noble, aye?"
"She has not!" William Turner protested, his tanned face turning a nice shade of pink.
Jack waved his hand as if his protest was of minimal importance. "What's all this about then?" he asked. "Oh, lemme guess. Ye want to turn pirate again, is it?"
"Nothing of the sort," Will retorted sharply, as if the idea was almost laughable. "There's a ship in Port Royal, Jack. From Africa."
Jack grasped the rigging, swaying with the sea as he studied the boy intently. "And that means. . .?"
"They're looking for Anamaria."
Jack frowned, his forehead creasing in a deep line. "Ana!" he hollered as loud as he could muster without turning towards the cabin.
The door to the cabin burst open and a disgruntled-looking Ana cautiously came out. Seeing Will Turner standing there, she stalked over to him and slapped him hard across the cheek.
He clutched his stinging cheek in surprise, letting out a surprised gasp. Will looked to Jack with wide eyes, his expression questioning the guilt he held for that punishment. Jack only shrugged at the boy, with a better-you- than-me expression.
"Fer scarin' me half to death!" Ana told him angrily, shoving her finger in his face. Will nodded obediently. "What are ye doin' here?" she demanded.
"There's a ship from Africa in Port Royal that's been there a few days now. The crew's looking for you; they're from your father's tribe. One of them came with us here aboard the ship."
Ana chewed her lip in distress, her gaze shifting from the ship behind Will to the pirate captain lounging against the lines. Though his posture was relaxed, she could see the tension in his shoulders and face. "It won't do any harm to 'ear him out," she said slowly.
She felt Jack's gaze on her as they boarded the ship. She knew she hadn't said what he wanted her to, and they would be exchanging words later. Will was speaking again, and she struggled to focus her thoughts to process what he was saying.
"His name is Salim and he's Himba, Ana but he knows English fairly well. He said he'd know you by sight, because he knew your father. But he also said something about a ring as well."
Unconsciously, Ana's eyes shot to the ring that Jack wore, and he met her gaze defiantly, his unease with the situation made quite clear. Ana gave him a sharp look, but wrapped her fingers through his left hand in attempts to reassure him. The pirate remained rigid, his frown set firmly in place.
Will led the pair towards the main cabin. Ana and Jack entered the dimly lit room in front of him. Blinking in the suddenly changing light, Ana could not see anything for several seconds as her eyes adjusted. She heard a flurry of activity and jangling metal and her eyes shot to the corner of the room. As her vision improved she was able to see a large man who had risen to his feet upon her entrance.
He was wearing what appeared as leather as a vest and britches as typical of most sailors. His skin was the darkest she'd ever seen and she saw thick bracelets and necklaces adorning his body. She also noted the heavy club and cutlass strapped to his waist. Finally her gaze returned to his face to meet his eyes. The stranger dropped his eyes instantly, as if afraid to make eye contact with them.
Ana exchanged wary glances with Jack, squeezing his fingers in reassurance before releasing them to step closer to the African. She was uncomfortable, and all the possible greetings she could think of flew from within grasp. Finally, she swallowed and tried to smile. "Hello."
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AN: Stay tuned. Point of this little intermediately semi-story revealed.
