Chapter Five: Aboard the Pearl
I looked ahead as the grand ship became larger. She was even more beautiful up close. I had never seen a ship like her before. The Black Pearl was an unusually colored vessel. There aren't any other completely black ships with black sails, at least to my knowledge. We soon reached the ship. I looked up. She was enormous. I reached out my hand. Her side was rough and coarse from erosion and battle. I averted my gaze and looked left. Jack's crew were climbing the side of the Pearl. ~Oh God! Do they expect me to climb up that?~ Jack grabbed his own grapple and flung it up to his ship. I looked around excitedly, forgetting about the massive height.
"Where's my rope?" I eagerly inquired. Jack tugged at his rope, making sure that it could support his weight. Still holding it in his left hand, he turned to me and smiled.
"This one. We are sharing this one." he explained. I sighed disappointedly.
"Don't worry. This can support both of us." ~It's not that, I wanted to throw it.~ Jack grabbed a hold onto the rope and began to pull himself upward.
"No!" I suddenly shouted. He stopped, and his feet were already two feet above the ground. He was dangling up there, waiting for an explanation.
"I wanna go first." I rambled, "That way, if I fall, you can catch me." He shrugged and dropped back down to the boat. I seized the rope with both hands. Slowly, I made my way up the rope. It was a lot more strenuous than I had thought. When I was about half way up, I lost my balance and slipped. A second later, I felt Jack's strong hand support my back. I continued up the rope. ~Why can't they use ladders? Ladders are much more convenient.~ Once I made it to the top, I was struck with awe. I stopped with only one leg over the side. The ship looked even more magnificent than I had imagined. The rugged deck seemed elegant in the moonlight. The sails billowed like many flags. The very tall masts reached on forever into the heavens and beyond. The pirate ship was somewhat beautifully threatening, yet warmly welcoming. ~This is it! This is where I want to be! I want to live here forever with Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew! I never wan- ~ "Emily, luv, if ye don't mind, I would love to get on me ship." Jack growled from below me. I just realized that I was still blocking his way. Blushing furiously, I hurried from the side of the ship as the crew laughed merrily. Jack pulled himself up. He looked around at his ship and crew and exhaled happily. "Men, this is Princess Emily of England. I am doing her a favor, and she is my guest. If I hear that any of ye have touched, harmed, or taken advantage of her. I'll personally take out your intestines and use them as ropes for the ship. I believe we need 'em." The crew all nodded in unison. Jack turned to a young, female pirate with dark skin and beckoned her towards him. She was very pretty for a woman living with pirates. I had noticed that most of the crew kept their distance. I didn't blame them. Her expression was so fearsome that it could frighten any man. "Anamaria, she's under your watch. Tell her all that she needs to know." Jack walked to the wheel, and began to steer. I sighed, and turned to face Anamaria. Her face was stern, and she just stared at me, probably thinking about what to do with me. I finally broke the silence. "Hi, I'm-" "I know, Emily. Here, take this." Anamaria abruptly thrusted a mop into my chest. She then grabbed one for herself and continued to speak, "Princess of England, eh? What kind of favor could Jack do for ye?" "Well, uh, he is-" "Don't just stand around and talk! I gave that mop for a reason." We both began to swab the deck. "What were ye about to say, Emily? About the favor?" "Jack said he would-" "You've never picked up a mop have you? You're holding it wrong." interrupted Anamaria. ~Let me finish! Unless, of course, you don't really care about what I am saying.~ "Anyway, I asked Jack to kidnap me-" "Kidnap? Why would you ask him to kidnap you?" That was the last straw. I finally exploded. "Will you let me finish?" I shouted. I turned to look at Anamaria. I expected her to be angry. Instead, she was smiling. "Well done. That is exactly what I wanted to hear. The first thing ye need to know about being on this ship is that ye have to be tough for the crew to respect ye, especially since yer female. Don't worry about answering my question. Jack has already told me." I frowned. It wasn't common for a woman to be beating up men. "A man can smell fear and weakness a thousand miles away. Ye need to be strong and not afraid to hit or threaten a man. Since Jack has made sure that nobody hurts ye, they won't be hitting back. Watch." Anamaria walked over to a man whom I have not yet met. He was tall and certainly much older than Anamaria. He had been watching us as we mopped. "Are ye looking at us?" She yelled. The pirate frantically shook his head. Anamaria held up her fist in rage. "What do ye think we are? Eye candy to ye? If I catch ye starin' at us again, I will smash yer head through a wall! Now get back to work!" I stared in amazement as Anamaria punched the cowering man in the shoulder. ~Wow, and he is much bigger and stronger than she is.~ She walked back to where I was smiling smugly. "See? No man messes with me on this ship. And soon, they won't mess with ye either." She continued to swab the deck. "What about Jack? Do you threaten and beat him up too?" I asked curiously. Anamaria turned to me and smiled. "Aye, but I know that he doesn't fear me like the others. He just doesn't hit women." "Why? Does he feel that we are weak and defenseless?" I asked. "Nah, he told me hisself. He says that he likes women better than men, and I'm glad. I wouldn't want to get in a fight with Jack, neither does any other man that knows him well." "Why not? Why wouldn't you want to fight Jack." My interest was growing. I wanted to know Jack. "He'd kill me in a heartbeat. Jack is cleverer than any other man. He has escaped death many times as well. Jack has also been to many hangings and he is still alive." ~Wow, that is amazing.~ "How could ye not know anyways? Captain Jack Sparrow is the most infamous pirate. Surely, you have heard the many legends of Cap'n Jack." "No, my father didn't allow me to hear any stories of pirates. I wasn't even supposed to find out that pirates and other criminals existed. My father is a bit overprotective." I confessed. "Aye, it must be difficult to be the King's daughter. What was it like?" Anamaria asked. I began to tell my life's story. I told her of the high expectations, fancy parties and dresses, and horrible suitors I had to deal with. I used humorous gestures and vulgar comments to make her laugh. We had become good friends within a short while. "And now," I managed to say between fits of laughter. "I, the King's daughter, have joined a pirate crew with the most infamous and best pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow, and I have never been so happy in my life! What could possibly go wrong?" I didn't realize that trouble was just beginning to brew.
I looked ahead as the grand ship became larger. She was even more beautiful up close. I had never seen a ship like her before. The Black Pearl was an unusually colored vessel. There aren't any other completely black ships with black sails, at least to my knowledge. We soon reached the ship. I looked up. She was enormous. I reached out my hand. Her side was rough and coarse from erosion and battle. I averted my gaze and looked left. Jack's crew were climbing the side of the Pearl. ~Oh God! Do they expect me to climb up that?~ Jack grabbed his own grapple and flung it up to his ship. I looked around excitedly, forgetting about the massive height.
"Where's my rope?" I eagerly inquired. Jack tugged at his rope, making sure that it could support his weight. Still holding it in his left hand, he turned to me and smiled.
"This one. We are sharing this one." he explained. I sighed disappointedly.
"Don't worry. This can support both of us." ~It's not that, I wanted to throw it.~ Jack grabbed a hold onto the rope and began to pull himself upward.
"No!" I suddenly shouted. He stopped, and his feet were already two feet above the ground. He was dangling up there, waiting for an explanation.
"I wanna go first." I rambled, "That way, if I fall, you can catch me." He shrugged and dropped back down to the boat. I seized the rope with both hands. Slowly, I made my way up the rope. It was a lot more strenuous than I had thought. When I was about half way up, I lost my balance and slipped. A second later, I felt Jack's strong hand support my back. I continued up the rope. ~Why can't they use ladders? Ladders are much more convenient.~ Once I made it to the top, I was struck with awe. I stopped with only one leg over the side. The ship looked even more magnificent than I had imagined. The rugged deck seemed elegant in the moonlight. The sails billowed like many flags. The very tall masts reached on forever into the heavens and beyond. The pirate ship was somewhat beautifully threatening, yet warmly welcoming. ~This is it! This is where I want to be! I want to live here forever with Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew! I never wan- ~ "Emily, luv, if ye don't mind, I would love to get on me ship." Jack growled from below me. I just realized that I was still blocking his way. Blushing furiously, I hurried from the side of the ship as the crew laughed merrily. Jack pulled himself up. He looked around at his ship and crew and exhaled happily. "Men, this is Princess Emily of England. I am doing her a favor, and she is my guest. If I hear that any of ye have touched, harmed, or taken advantage of her. I'll personally take out your intestines and use them as ropes for the ship. I believe we need 'em." The crew all nodded in unison. Jack turned to a young, female pirate with dark skin and beckoned her towards him. She was very pretty for a woman living with pirates. I had noticed that most of the crew kept their distance. I didn't blame them. Her expression was so fearsome that it could frighten any man. "Anamaria, she's under your watch. Tell her all that she needs to know." Jack walked to the wheel, and began to steer. I sighed, and turned to face Anamaria. Her face was stern, and she just stared at me, probably thinking about what to do with me. I finally broke the silence. "Hi, I'm-" "I know, Emily. Here, take this." Anamaria abruptly thrusted a mop into my chest. She then grabbed one for herself and continued to speak, "Princess of England, eh? What kind of favor could Jack do for ye?" "Well, uh, he is-" "Don't just stand around and talk! I gave that mop for a reason." We both began to swab the deck. "What were ye about to say, Emily? About the favor?" "Jack said he would-" "You've never picked up a mop have you? You're holding it wrong." interrupted Anamaria. ~Let me finish! Unless, of course, you don't really care about what I am saying.~ "Anyway, I asked Jack to kidnap me-" "Kidnap? Why would you ask him to kidnap you?" That was the last straw. I finally exploded. "Will you let me finish?" I shouted. I turned to look at Anamaria. I expected her to be angry. Instead, she was smiling. "Well done. That is exactly what I wanted to hear. The first thing ye need to know about being on this ship is that ye have to be tough for the crew to respect ye, especially since yer female. Don't worry about answering my question. Jack has already told me." I frowned. It wasn't common for a woman to be beating up men. "A man can smell fear and weakness a thousand miles away. Ye need to be strong and not afraid to hit or threaten a man. Since Jack has made sure that nobody hurts ye, they won't be hitting back. Watch." Anamaria walked over to a man whom I have not yet met. He was tall and certainly much older than Anamaria. He had been watching us as we mopped. "Are ye looking at us?" She yelled. The pirate frantically shook his head. Anamaria held up her fist in rage. "What do ye think we are? Eye candy to ye? If I catch ye starin' at us again, I will smash yer head through a wall! Now get back to work!" I stared in amazement as Anamaria punched the cowering man in the shoulder. ~Wow, and he is much bigger and stronger than she is.~ She walked back to where I was smiling smugly. "See? No man messes with me on this ship. And soon, they won't mess with ye either." She continued to swab the deck. "What about Jack? Do you threaten and beat him up too?" I asked curiously. Anamaria turned to me and smiled. "Aye, but I know that he doesn't fear me like the others. He just doesn't hit women." "Why? Does he feel that we are weak and defenseless?" I asked. "Nah, he told me hisself. He says that he likes women better than men, and I'm glad. I wouldn't want to get in a fight with Jack, neither does any other man that knows him well." "Why not? Why wouldn't you want to fight Jack." My interest was growing. I wanted to know Jack. "He'd kill me in a heartbeat. Jack is cleverer than any other man. He has escaped death many times as well. Jack has also been to many hangings and he is still alive." ~Wow, that is amazing.~ "How could ye not know anyways? Captain Jack Sparrow is the most infamous pirate. Surely, you have heard the many legends of Cap'n Jack." "No, my father didn't allow me to hear any stories of pirates. I wasn't even supposed to find out that pirates and other criminals existed. My father is a bit overprotective." I confessed. "Aye, it must be difficult to be the King's daughter. What was it like?" Anamaria asked. I began to tell my life's story. I told her of the high expectations, fancy parties and dresses, and horrible suitors I had to deal with. I used humorous gestures and vulgar comments to make her laugh. We had become good friends within a short while. "And now," I managed to say between fits of laughter. "I, the King's daughter, have joined a pirate crew with the most infamous and best pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow, and I have never been so happy in my life! What could possibly go wrong?" I didn't realize that trouble was just beginning to brew.