Morning came and the crew wasted no time in getting out into the town.  Not knowing when they would see land again, they always took as much advantage of their shore leave as they could.  Ahriman watched, an oily grin on his face, as Jack's crew left The Black Pearl.  When he has estimated that nearly all the crew was gone, he nudged Dolon, who had fallen asleep, and they made their way to the ship; they would fight any remaining crewmembers.

As soon as Ahriman's foot hit the deck, he felt different.  His mind became clouded with thoughts of taking the vessel as his own, of sailing it under the Barbossa name as, in his mind, it should have been.  The ship appeared to be deserted, though Dolon did notice a man asleep – or passed out – in the crow's nest.  Not seeing him as a threat, the pirates moved on in search of Jack's cabin.

"Are ye jus' gonna burst in on 'im?" Dolon asked.

"O' course I am, idiot," Ahriman replied.  "Jus' last night ye suggested tha' I do tha', didn' ye?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

"'Ow else would I do it?"

Dolon cringed a bit, not wanting to explain why he asked that question.  "Well, um, Cap'n, it's jus' tha'…last night I really didn' think about the fact tha' she could be in there with 'im."

"Cordelia?  In bed with tha' bastard?"  Ahriman had to stifle a laugh.  "She – if indeed it was she ye saw, I'm still not so sure tha' yer eyes were bein' honest with ye – would ne'er go t' a pirate's bed.  I made sure tha' she be taught better than tha'.  Ye've seen 'er in Port Royal, Dolon, she's a lady, not a whore!"  Ahriman looked around, he didn't mean to raise his voice to such a level.  If any of there was any crew on the ship, they must have been in a deep, oblivious sleep.

Dolon rolled his eyes.  "I'm not sayin' she's a whore, I'm…forget it, I'm through with talkin' t' ye.  Jus' don' be surprised if things don' go exactly 'ow ye wan' 'em to."

"Jus' shut yer bloody mouth, Dolon," Ahriman snapped.  His demeanor quickly changed when he came upon what he thought to be Jack's cabin.  He played everything out in his head.  He'd sneak in quietly and find Jack asleep in his bed.  He'd pull his blade from its sheath and let the cold steel against Jack's neck wake him.  Jack wouldn't have time to respond.  No witty word play, no trying to make a deal…just a long cut across his throat, blood on the sheets, and a moment of silence…for Ahriman's father.

Ahriman opened the door to Jack's cabin, a look of triumph on his face – then his plan fell to pieces.

Jack was indeed asleep in his bed.  Ahriman could have walked right over to him and put the blade to his throat.  He could have taken the Pearl in mere moments.  He could have been victorious without a fight.  So many things could have happened if only Dolon had been wrong – wrong about the woman in the tavern and wrong about the possibility of that woman being in Jack's bed.  However, Dolon was right.

Ahriman knew that Jack was in that bed, but he couldn't see him, his eyes wouldn't focus on him.  All of his attention was concentrated on the woman whose head was gently rising and falling with every breath Jack took.  Dolon watched as Ahriman's fists clenched at his sides, as his skin reddened, and as a large vein in his neck began to pulse.  He was torn between either ripping Jack apart with his bear hands or pulling Cordelia from the bed of his enemy.  For this first time in Ahriman's life, he hesitated…he froze.

"Well?" Dolon said rather impatiently.  Ahriman turned to face Dolon, but didn't have time to answer.

"Are ye jus' gonna stand there, Barbossa?"  Ahriman's eyes flew to the bed.  Jack's eyes were shut, but he was talking.  "I mean, if I can' spend a leisurely mornin' in me own bed, I may as well start me day out with a good fight."  Jack finally opened his eyes and looked at Ahriman.

Cordelia stretched and snuggled a bit closer to Jack.  "Did you say something?" she asked, her voice groggy.

"Seems we 'ave a bit o' company, love.  Better keep that sheet tight around ye."

Cordelia's eyes shot open and her breath hitched when she saw the two men in Jack's cabin.  If she wouldn't have been clinging to Jack, she would have screamed or panicked, but she was beyond confidant that Jack had a plan brewing at that very moment.

Ahriman still stood still – and speechless.  He wanted to do so many different things that his body seemed to shut down for the moment.  Jack seemed a bit puzzled, but took this opportunity to grab his pants from the foot of the bed and put them on while still under the covers.

"S'not polite t' stare," Jack said.  "Are both of ye mutes now?  'Cuz if ye are, there's a parrot on the crew that…"

"I'm going to kill you," Ahriman hissed as he narrowed his eyes at Jack.

Jack smiled.  "Found yer tongue, I see.  Too bad yer brain's still missin'.  Ye come on me ship and threaten me in me own cabin.  Not very smart of ye, now is it?"

Ahriman smiled.  "An' why not?"

"Well, I do have a loyal crew that…"

"Tha' are already havin' plenty o' drink," Dolon interrupted.  "No crew, Sparrow, jus' ye.  An' the lady o' course."

"Ah, the lady is not t' be looked at, ye dog.  An' as for me crew, s'not exactly a problem tha' they're not 'ere, seein' as there's only the two o' ye…and seein' as ye wan' t' talk more than ye want t' kill me."

Ahriman pulled his blade from his belt.  "I wan' t' kill ye more now than I did when ye killed me father, Sparrow."

Jack wasn't fazed.  "An' why is tha', if I may ask?  I mean, I do so much t' so many.  It's nice t' know why exactly ye want t' kill me this time."

Ahriman's eyes drifted to Cordelia.  "Because ye laid yer filthy hands on 'er."

Jack's demeanor changed drastically.  His voice was now stronger and far more serious.  "An' wha' does she 'ave t' do with anythin'?"

Ahriman lunged at Jack.  "She's not yours!"

Jack quickly moved out of the way and picked up his sword, which was on the floor by the bed.  "I beg t' differ, Barbossa.  She's very much mine."  Their swords met and Dolon went over to the bed.  This distracted Jack enough for Ahriman to get closer.

"Get dressed," Dolon ordered.

"No," Cordelia said, her voice shaking.

"Leave 'er alone!" Jack yelled, his sword again clashing with Ahriman's.  Jack kicked Ahriman's foot out from under him, causing the pirate to fall.  He then jumped onto the bed, careful of Cordelia and put his blade to Dolon's throat.  "I don' want to make me cabin a bloody mess, but I will.  Step back."  Dolon reached for his sword, then heard the cocking of a gun. 

"Move," Cordelia said, her voice shaking even more than before.  She was aiming Jack's pistol at Ahriman.  Dolon stepped back.

"Put that down, Cordelia," Ahriman said.  Cordelia's eyes widened, as did Jack's. 

"How do you know my name?" she asked.

Ahriman ignored her question.  "Why are you here with him, Cordelia?"

Jack stepped off of the bed.  "I believe she asked how ye know 'er name, Barbossa.  I'm a bit curious meself."

"Ye need t' leave with me, Cordelia."  Ahriman put more emphasis on her name, causing her skin to crawl. 

"Why would she do tha'?" Jack asked.

"I won' let 'er be with the bastard who killed her father!"