The Sparrow and the Rose
By Latanya
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Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything to do with Pirates of the Caribbean though I'm almost certain that Captain Jack Sparrow has a strong hold on my poor soul now… he won't let me have a moment's rest.
Chapter Two: The Black Pearl.
Walking through the streets of Tortuga the captain of the Wave Dancer talked with her first mate Angus and two of her closets friends, Tara and Xavier. Their main topic of conversation was the repairs they needed made to the ship and where they would head to next. Because of Barbossa's hate for Morgance and for the Wave Dancer, they wouldn't be able to stay in the Caribbean for too long.
"But there has got to be something we can do to stay in the Caribbean." Tara growled angrily, "Why should we stay away because of some self-absorbed man? The Caribbean is big enough for the two of ye."
Angus shook his head, "Ye know, I've heard tell that Barbossa and the crew of the Black Pearl are under some curse…. Morgance knows what I mean, she's seen the Isla de Muerta from a distance."
"And it's a place I should love never to see again. The Isla de Muerta is a truly cursed place and so long as the Black Pearl anchors there, I shalt stay away from the Caribbean." She snapped at Tara.
Recoiling from her captain's comment, Tara shrugged and looked around, "Where do ye expect to find information in this place Capt'n?"
"If I remember rightly, there be an old sailor by the name of Gibbs. Last time I spoke to him, he was sharing a shed with some pigs." The first mate told them.
Nodding, Morgance agreed with him. "Gibbs is a man I'd love to 'ave on the Dancer but he thinks 'aving women aboard a ship is bad luck and to sail under a female captain… well, let's not go there. All I 'ave to say about the man is that he knows an awful lot and over a mug or two of rum, he'll tell us anything."
"Gibbs?" Xavier frowned, trying to remember the man they mentioned. "Oh aye, I remember him now. Ye threw a few buckets of water on him last time because he was drunk and smelling like pigs."
"Yes, he did mention something about that happening a lot to him." She replied with a faint smile.
Studying the woman, Angus wondered what was playing on her mind that was distracting her so much. "I'll buy ye a mug of rum Morgance, if ye tell me what's troubling ye. Don't try telling me it's nothing, I can see it's not nothing by the look in ye eyes."
"One day I should learn how to mask my emotions. Ye all see too much of what I'm thinking and I don't like it. I'd like to keep some secrets for me self if that be to much to ask." Morgance closed her eyes for a moment and banished her thoughts.
"Ye ain't still worried 'bout the Black Pearl are ye Morgan Rose? The famous captain of the Wave Dancer is worried about the infamously evil Captain Barbossa." Xavier chuckled before ducking away, expecting her to hit out at him.
She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Yes, I am worried about the Black Pearl and Captain Barbossa. What else would I be worried about? The man has it out for me, me ship and me crew and ye don't expect me to worry about him coming to Tortuga and finding the Dancer sitting there at a dock wounded because of some freak storm?"
"Well, worry is the most ye can do for the moment Morgance. How would ye know if he was coming or not?" Tara asked her.
"One can only hope that he doesn't come. My love is like a wounded bird at the moment, she can't fly away with the wind from any danger. We need to get her repaired as soon as we can."
Angus rested a hand on her arm and guided her into a tavern. Finding a table for the four of them to sit at, he waved a barmaid over to take their orders.
"We'll all 'ave rums thank ye lassie." The older man flashed her a smile and she giggled for a moment.
Noticing Xavier, the giggling barmaid smiled coyly at him, "And sir wouldn't want nothing else would 'e?"
Morgance and Tara burst out laughing and the captain slapped him lightly on the back, telling him to go for it. Shooting evil looks at both of them, Xavier declined the young woman's offer and hoped that she would go away quickly.
"Thank ye for that Morgance, Tara. If she comes back, I'll shoot the both of ye and Angus can be the new captain of the Wave Dancer." He growled at them angrily.
"Don't know how the crew'd take to that Xavier." Angus chuckled, enjoying the joke. "They all love the captain they've got and ye 'ave to agree that we couldn't get any better than Morgan Rose."
A half-drunk pirate over heard them and he staggered over to their table, staring at Morgance curiously. "Are ye lot goin' to tell me that the famous woman pirate, Capt'n Morgan Rose is sitting at this 'ere table?"
She frowned at him, "Ye aren't going to tell anyone who knows Captain Barbossa are ye?"
"Barbossa be dead Capt'n Rose." The pirate sat down on the remaining stool. "I 'eard tell that Jack Sparrow got his revenge on Barbossa at last for stealing his ship ten years ago… or was it eleven years ago? Ah, don't matter. Well, Jack Sparrow is Captain of the Black Pearl again and she was always his ship."
"Well isn't that interesting? Very interesting." The pirate captain murmured while exchanging looks with Angus.
He raised an eyebrow at the drunken pirate, "Are ye trying to tell us that Jack Sparrow is still alive? I heard that he'd been caught by Commodore Norrington and was to 'ave a personal meeting with the hangman."
"Aye, that be what I'm telling ye. In fact, Captain Jack Sparrow was in Tortuga a few months ago with his crew and the Black Pearl. They're due back 'ere in the next few days to pick up one of their crew members who had to stay here to care for her sick mother."
Shaking her head in disbelief, Morgance asked the pirate. "How did Barbossa manage to steal the Black Pearl from Jack Sparrow? I've not heard about this and I should like to know since I've a grudge against Barbossa and his crew."
The pirate smiled at her, "Barbossa was Jack Sparrow's first mate and a mutinous one at that. He lead the crew in a mutiny against Sparrow and they left him marooned on an island with nothing but a pistol with one shot and a few other things. Sparrow's been planning his revenge ever since and earlier this year, he got it, not to mention, he managed to steal the HMS Interceptor from Port Royal."
"Really?" The four of them tuned in more attentively.
"He did but Barbossa destroyed her completely. I 'eard that the royal navy ain't to happy 'bout that either. The Interceptor was the fastest ship in the fleet though she don't compare to the Black Pearl… or to the Wave Dancer for that matter. There ain't no ships faster then those two." He nodded happily.
"Now that's just interesting." Morgance grinned, truly happy for the first time in days. "That's one less ship that I 'ave to worry about chasing after me and she was the only real threat from the royal navy in this area. Just leaves the Black Pearl now."
"Don't think that Captain Jack Sparrow will be after ye Captain Rose. He don't 'ave a reason to be. Barbossa was an evil man and he didn't like the competition that ye presented with a ship as fast as his. Ye be a smart woman Captain and I bet ye can manage to stay on Jack Sparrow's good side."
Angus gave his captain a meaningful look before turning back to the half-drunk pirate who had joined them. "So, just to make it clear, yer telling us that Captain Barbossa is dead and that Jack Sparrow is the captain of the Black Pearl? Do ye know anyone who might be able to confirm this for us?"
"'Spose, Anamaria could. I mean, she's one of his crew and she's in Tortuga at the moment like I said 'cause she's got a sick mother she's got to care for. Though I 'eard tell that her mother was close to passing on anyway… which would explain why the Pearl should be docking here in the next few days." He shrugged, taking a swig of his rum.
Meanwhile, their drinks had been brought over and the barmaid was still eyeing off Xavier who was looking at Tara pleadingly. She grinned and sat herself in his lap, trying to give the barmaid the idea that he was taken. The barmaid growled and walked off in a huff, her eyes darting around the tavern. Glancing at them, Morgance barely held back a laugh. She knew that Tara and Xavier often shared a bed even if most of the crew didn't. The captain of the Wave Dancer didn't let much slip by her attention…. Ever.
"Well, if this information about the Black Pearl be true, we might well be able to stay in the Caribbean now. Tara, did ye hear that? We should be able to stay in the Caribbean for a while and upset old Norrington a little." Morgance's first mate laughed when she spoke this.
"Morgance, ye be a wicked woman indeed. Norrington won't be happy to hear yer back in the Caribbean to stay this time. But at least ye can teach Captain Jack Sparrow who's the true ruler of the seas. The Black Pearl cannot compete with the Wave Dancer anymore, especially when ye consider that the Dancer is a lot younger then the Pearl and she's traveled further." Angus grinned mischievously.
She nodded, "Aye, I like the sound of that. Indeed I do. Well, let me buy ye a drink good man since ye gave us the wonderful news that ye did."
The pirate smiled back at her and held out his hand. "The name be Jones. Bob Jones and it's a real treat getting to meet ye Captain Morgan Rose. I've got a question about ye though, I've 'eard tell that ye be a true English lady even though ye 'ave been preying on ships and settlements for nigh on fourteen years. Is it true?"
"Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn't." She replied, not wanting anyone to know the truth.
"Well it is true that ye never attack an English ship or settlement unless ye 'ave to? Are ye perhaps employed by the King of England to prey on rival ships and settlements?"
"Perhaps I am, perhaps I'm not."
He frowned, "Ye don't like to give a straight answer 'bout ye self, do ye?"
"Perhaps I don't, perhaps I do."
Her friends laughed at the confusion on the pirate's face and he stood up, shaking his head.
"I'd like to take ye up on ye offer of a drink but ye be a strange woman and me old mate Gibbs has often said that women are bad luck. Ye ain't bad luck but ye sure know how to confuse a man." Bob shook her hand again. "Wish ye luck with the Black Pearl but I don't think ye 'ave much to worry about."
Once he was gone, Morgance smiled faintly. "Worry? If Jack Sparrow is the captain of the Black Pearl now, then I 'ave plenty to worry about… one can never tell what he's going to do. Ye know what they say, ye can trust a dishonest man to be dishonest and to be predictable but the honest ones, ye can never tell what they're going to do."
"Since when 'ave ye known that Jack Sparrow is an honest man Morgance?" Xavier asked curiously.
"I've meet him once or twice, as has Angus. Jack Sparrow is an interesting man but he's got a problem with arrogance."
"Aye, Jack Sparrow thinks he's the best god damn pirate to sail the Caribbean." Angus muttered.
Tara looked shocked, "But we know the best god damn pirate to sail the seas is our very own Captain Morgan Rose."
"He hasn't had to deal with her as competition yet Tara. He will soon though and I don't know what he'll think about that." The first mate finished his rum and turned to Morgance questioning what she planned to do next.
Also finishing her rum, Morgance stood up and nodded to them. "I think I might just go back to the Dancer. Feel a little more at home on her then I do in a tavern in Tortuga. Ye don't 'ave to come back with me but ye better make sure yer back tomorrow morning to start repairs to the ship."
Angus left with her and in silence the two of them made their way back towards the docks. When they reached the Wave Dancer, one of the men came over and pointed towards the other side of the bay. Morgance's eyes went wide when she saw the ship that was anchored there peacefully.
They had to admit that the Black Pearl was every bit as beautiful as the Wave Dancer though there was a slightly more sinister air to the older ship. Giving orders to the few crew who where there, Morgance had them arm the cannons in case the other pirate ship attacked them.
"I'm not going to 'ave my ship sitting 'ere and wait for Captain Sparrow to decide to fire at us." She snarled to Angus.
He held up his hands defensively. "Whoa Morgance, ye heard what that pirate Bob Jones had to say about Captain Sparrow and the Black Pearl. Ye don't 'ave to worry about him attacking us since I doubt he would. In fact, he's never seen this ship before so I doubt me that he will do anything other then come over to 'ave a little look at her."
"I know what ye mean Angus but I don't want to be unprepared. Who knows if Jack Sparrow is anything like Barbossa when it comes to the idea of 'aving competition in the area."
Putting an arm around her, Angus guided the woman towards her cabin. "Ye had best get some sleep Morgance. The Dancer will be fine and there aren't to many hours left to this day."
Taking his suggestion, Morgance disappeared into her cabin and stripped out of her clothes before lying down on her bed to try and sleep. But it would not come to her easily this time and her mind was troubled with thoughts about the Black Pearl attacking her beloved ship. If that were to happen, Captain Jack Sparrow wouldn't live for long once she got her hands on him.
Morgance didn't know what she'd do if she ever lost her Wave Dancer and it didn't matter how she lost it. If she did, she was sure she'd go mad with grief for the Wave Dancer was her life, her love and her home. Nothing could ever separate the two of them and the crew of the ship knew it. They loved Morgance for her fairness and wisdom, for her skill and her loyalty to them all. She would sooner kill herself then to see the Wave Dancer in possession of the royal navy and her crew hanging from a noose in some fort.
If Captain Jack Sparrow came anywhere near her or her ship with any malicious intentions in his head, he would find himself dealing with a viper and Morgance was skilled at playing that part. However, if he came near her or her ship with friendly intentions, she would kindly inform him that she was the new ruler of the Caribbean and that he'd best not get in her way else he'd be having a nice little meeting in Davy Jones Locker with those who'd annoyed her before him.
Either way, Captain Jack Sparrow would soon find out that she ruled here now and that he'd best stay out of her way because she would not hesitate to kill him and add the Pearl to her collection of ships. Besides, she'd always wanted to build a fleet of pirate ships… maybe she'd get the chance to.