Chapter Two:
The Madness of Captain Sparrow
Jack Sparrow surveyed the scene, caught between mild bafflement and amusement. He nudged the unconscious woman with the toe of his boot, eliciting no response whatsoever. She was well and truly schnockered, he decided, although how she had arrived at such a state on the deck of his ship was beyond him.
"Now what?" asked Gibbs. "I say dump the lass on the dock and leave 'er."
"Then it is a good thing," said Jack, not really paying attention, "that you are not captain." He kneeled and rolled Sofia onto her back, exposing her dirty, bruised face. She was alive, at least, but in a bit of a state- she was pale, more tattered than Jack remembered, and along with the bruises on her face, which were probably caused by her fall, the knuckles of her left hand were bruised and bloody. Her clothes were stiff with dried sweat, another thing that had not been present the night before.
"Probably in a bit of a scrap," said Jack vaguely, "an' got lost." He stood again, gave Sofia another half-hearted kick just for good measure, and was about to call Ana Maria when there was a shout from the dock.
Jack looked over the rail to see a filthy, greasy man wearing clothing that was almost rotting off of him. "What's that?" Jack called.
"Ye seen a small lass with dark hair, answers to Sofia?" the man asked. "Cap'n o' the Blackbird's lookin' fer her."
"Can't say I have," Jack replied with mock somberness. "I prefer the busty blonde sort," he added. The man on the dock chuckled. "I know what ye mean, mate. But it seems the gel walked off with a good bit o' loot, an' he ain't all that happy right about now."
"I fully sympathize. I will be certain to inform you if I do," Jack said, bowing slightly and waving his tricorn hat. He slurred his speech slightly, just for good measure. The man chuckled again and wandered away, his walk marking him as being none too sober himself.
"Daft man," Gibbs muttered. "Jus' what do ye intend to do with her?" he asked, referring to Sofia.
Jack turned and met Gibbs' eyes. "We sail with the tide, Mister Gibbs, and that's now. Haven't time to set her down, savvy?"
Gibbs nodded and left to see about his own duties, muttering under his breath. Jack caught something about bad luck, and laughed softly. For all his gruffness, there was never a more superstitious soul than Gibbs.
"Ashley!" Jack bellowed. Ashley appeared a moment later, jumping lightly from the shrouds to the deck.
"Aye, Cap'n."
"See to this bit o' baggage," said Jack, poking Sofia (yet again) with the toe of his boot. "I want it stowed before we set sail."
Ashley cast Jack a dubious look, but he nodded and dragged Sofia below decks.
* * *
It was a long time before Sofia awoke. When she did, it was suddenly and fully- she sat up, looked around, then swung off the mildew-smelling cot and crouched on the floor, reaching for her cutlass, finding it on the floor. This all took less than three seconds.
"Bit jumpy, aren't ye love."
Sofia looked up. Jack Sparrow had just walked in, apparently it had been the thud of the hatch against the bulkhead that had awakened her. She stifled a groan and slowly stood up.
"Oh. Hello," she said, trying desperately to recoup her characteristic good humor. "Um… where am I, if ye don't mind me askin'?"
"You, darling, are aboard the infamous Black Pearl," said Jack, making an expansive gesture. "We're currently sailing towards the Isla de Muerta. Satisfy your curiosity?"
"A bit," said Sofia warily. "And… what'm I doin' here?"
"Someone was looking for you with none too honorable intentions in mind," said Jack. "Bloody Cap'n Gandillon, I think."
"Who?" Sofia asked blankly. Then she pinched her eyes shut and shook her head sharply. "Captain of the Blackbird, I remember. But it ain't him what wants to use my skin for a throw rug, it's his first mate Jeremiah Jordan. Doesn't like me much." Sofia stood, absentmindedly rubbing the back of her left hand. She tossed Jack a lopsided grin. "Can't imagine why."
"First mate? Weren't he a captain once?"
Sofia chuckled softly. "Aye, he were. Until me an' my mate sailed off with his ship an' sold it to Gandillon. He'll mutiny an' get his bloody boat back the instant Gandillon ain't watchin' 'im."
"Sounds like a bit of a tale there," Jack mused. "No wonder he wants ye for 'imself. He what chased ye down to me ship?" he asked, indicating Sofia's bruised knuckles. She nodded tersely.
"Aye. Six years an' he's still bent on killin' me."
Jack leaned on the bulkhead and examined Sofia. She was certainly an unpredictable person, but it was odd to have all that strange history wrapped up in this short, slender woman with short, dark hair and even darker eyes. She stood easily, even with the Black Pearl's seasickness-inducing rocking motion, and the way she held her cutlass indicated a great deal of familiarity with its usage. Strange woman, indeed- stranger even than Ana Maria, who didn't have any sort of sensationalism in her past.
"What were ye doin' in Tortuga, love?" Jack asked. "I don't think it was just for the company."
Sofia shrugged. "Lookin' for trouble, I 'spose. Been searchin' for a woman by the name o' Lydia Avery- she were the captain o' the Amazon, close on twenty-five years ago."
"She's probably dead by now," said Jack derisively. "The Amazon was captured and made into a bloody merchant ship."
Sofia said nothing. A slight smirk played with one corner of her mouth.
"I thought ye were smarter 'n that, Cap'n," said Sofia. "Thought ye would've figured out why by now."
Jack waved off her words. "Can't be bothered. I like things set out straight, savvy?"
"She were the one what cursed the Amazon so's no man could sail her," said Sofia. "The British Navy renamed her the Mary Celeste."
"Ah." Jack raised his eyebrows slightly and tilted his head to one side, making his hair trinkets jingle slightly. "Ye be wantin' to revenge yourself upon the woman what killed yur father."
Sofia shrugged, the very picture of nonchalance. Jack wasn't fooled a bit. "Among other things," she said, a strange glint creeping into her coal-dark eyes. "That bloody curse ended up killin' my mother and settin' me up as a near-slave to them bloody pirates on the Blackbird. Weren't pleasant."
Jack nodded, and then said abruptly, "So ye know about sailin'."
Sofia nodded in turn. "Aye."
"Good. Mr. Cotton passed on a month ago, yur his replacement. Saves me the trouble o' finding one on me onesies. You'll be startin' up tomorrow morning, savvy?" Jack cast Sofia a look that clearly communicated that, unless she wanted to be chucked overboard and possibly keelhauled in her skivvies, or at least placed in the brig until next landfall, she didn't really have a choice in the matter.
Sofia drew herself to her full height—which didn't make much difference, as she was only five feet tall—and nodded sharply. "Aye, Cap'n."
Jack's stern expression unfroze with disturbing swiftness, and he grinned roguishly, exposing several gold teeth. "Welcome to the Black Pearl, love."
* * *
Sofia placed one foot on the railing and rested her hand on her knee. She watched the dark waters of the Caribbean Sea, reflecting the rippling and shifting moon like another sea had, many years ago. The ship swayed under her feet, more comforting to her than her mother's half-forgotten embrace had ever been. She'd heard that some philosophers claimed life sprang from the sea, and in moments like this Sofia thought it was the only thing that said philosophers had ever gotten right.
"Here I am again," Sofia murmured, losing herself in the sensations of the moment. "Sailin' off to that blasted unknown future o' mine." She took a deep breath, savoring the smell of sea-salt and wood.
She'd done this so many times, slip away into nothing and soak up the ocean. In New York, the Carolinas, the Azores, Africa, even Brazil once. This was the first time she'd had the freedom to feel of the Caribbean, however, and she loved it.
"Ye should be below decks, lass," Gibbs grunted. "Keepin' yourself out o' the way."
"I just had to see it," Sofia replied softly. "I haven't been free to stand on the deck on a ship in a long time, what with bein' a stowaway most o' the time. I've missed it."
"Aye," Gibbs. "I know the feelin'." He leaned on the railing, arms folded. "'Tis a lovely sight."
"Aye," Sofia replied. "Makes a body wish they'd the schoolin' to put it in words."
"Words? What fur? Too big fur any sort o' words," said Gibbs. "Ain't meant to be written down."
Sofia smiled at Gibbs' words. "That's certainly true."
"So, lass, where'd you learn to drink like tha'?" asked Gibbs. Sofia grinned to herself.
"I grew up amongst old salts like you, Gibbs, and we lived off beer and rum, almost," said Sofia. "When there was water, it were mixed with rum so's the men would actually drink it. I reckon I've become a bit immune to alcohol."
Gibbs chuckled. "Aye, that's the only way a little thing like you could out-drink me, old drunk tha' I am."
"Indeed."
They lapsed into companionable silence, contemplating the starlit sea. Sofia took her foot from the railing and mimicked Gibbs' posture, sighing softly.
"A fine pair ye make," said Jack Sparrow teasingly, swaggering towards the two. He had been at the wheel, but now a black man called Neville was manning it. "Standin' out here all romantic-like…"
Gibbs snorted derisively. Sofia pursed her lips and gave Jack's shoulder a light thump, but her eyes glittered with amusement.
"Jealous, Cap'n?" she asked coquettishly. Gibbs snorted again, this time with suppressed laughter. Jack gave Sofia a look of mock innocence.
"My dear girl, what ever made you think such a thing? Fraternizing with me own crew! What kind of scurvy dog do ye think I am?"
"The opportunistic kind," Sofia replied amiably. "Never mind Cap'n, I's just bein' Sofia."
"An' here I thought you were the Queen o' England," said Gibbs. "More the fool me."
Sofia laughed at Gibbs' turn of phrase. "I certainly fooled ye, din' I."
Jack shook his head. "You're absolutely daft, love."
"So're you. An' I ain't no one's love, least of all you," Sofia replied. "Ain't been for nearly five years, an' it's stayin' tha' way."
Jack said nothing, only smirked slightly, as if he knew full well no woman alive could resist his charm. Sofia had seen plenty of charmers in her life, and while Jack featured in amongst the more talented ones, she had long ago decided that any buccaneer was not a romantic option, dashing or no. She'd learned her lesson quite well with Starling.
"I'll be goin' below," said Sofia after a slight pause. "Feelin' me age, I 'spose." She tossed the two men a sarcastic smile and then vanished below decks.
"Odd woman," said Gibbs, once Sofia was gone. Jack nodded and shrugged.
"They all are, Gibbs. They all are."
* * *
The next morning, gone were the joking men of before, replaced by stern ship's officers. Sofia did not let herself be surprised- she had been a passing acquaintance before, but now she was just another tar. If she wanted to be anything more, she had to earn her keep. She caught herself thinking several times that she seemed to have regressed back to her Blackbird days, when even the cabin boy was worth more than her. The Black Pearl had no cabin boy, but Sofia held to the idea. She was worked ragged.
Truth be told, she rather enjoyed it. It had been too long since she'd been able to be above decks on a ship at will, even if she had to mend rope when doing so.
The days slipped away easily, marked only by the forming of nascent friendships with some of the crew. The only other woman aboard, Ana Maria, was not among them- she did not care for Sofia, and Sofia disliked the other woman's harsh personality. After a few clashes, they reached an unspoken accord- they would stay as far away from each other as possible.
There were few encounters with other ships, and all passed relatively bloodlessly, except for one memorable encounter when the cook of the Sea Jewel attacked Gibbs with the unconventional combination of a meat cleaver and a frying pan. Gibbs was unharmed and the cook was pacified, spoken to, and then brought aboard the Black Pearl as their newest crew member, a move only made because Jack liked the scrawny teenager's spunk and the lad could cook well. Sofia took it as proof of Jack's insanity.
And so, as time has a habit of doing, the weeks slipped by….
