The Sparrow and the Rose
By Latanya
…………………………………
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 Three: Meeting the Sparrow.
In the morning, Morgance was busy working side by side with her crew at repairing the sails. Because of her upbringing, she was incredibly skilled at sewing and that was a skill she found useful on a ship. While many of them were working on the sails they could repair, others were sent off in search of canvas they could use to make at least two new sails to replace the ones they lost. Also, the extra canvas was needed to reinforce the rips they were repairing.
The group she was working with started singing a song as the worked and Morgance smiled to herself, humming along with them. This was the kind of work she enjoyed doing when they were forced to dock up. Hopefully though, the repairs would not take too long and they could soon be on their way again. Angus walked over to her, his eyes troubled.
"Capt'n, there's a man walking up the dock towards us. I think ye should 'ave a look at him." He nodded towards the dock.
She glanced over to where he was talking about and stared at the man standing there. He was dressed in a similar fashion to her but his hair was in dreadlocks with beads plaited in… not to mention the other trinkets to be found there. He wore a faded red bandana on his head, which was half hidden by the tri-cornered hat. Closing her eyes, Morgance stood up, leaving her work where it was and walked over to him with Angus trailing behind her.
"Well if it isn't Captain Jack Sparrow." She smiled at him sadly. "Last time I saw ye, ye were having problems with a little boat."
He cringed and waved his hands about, "Let's just forget that little incident eh? What brings ye to Tortuga Captain Morgan Rose? Didn't think ye like the Caribbean much."
Morgance shrugged, "I heard that Barbossa was dead so I've come to take back me kingdom."
"Yer kingdom? I thought it was mine seeing how I 'ave the fastest ship in the Caribbean." Jack replied, arching his eyebrows daringly at her.
"Had, Sparrow, had. Ye know that the Wave Dancer is faster than the Black Pearl. Just like ye know that I've not been caught once… not even by the East India Company."
Angus cringed, waiting for Jack's reply. When none came, he turned to Morgance and shrugged, "I think I 'ave something better to do than listen to ye exchange words with Jack Sparrow."
"Captain, Captain Jack Sparrow." He corrected the first mate.
"Right, Captain Jack Sparrow." Angus rolled his eyes and walked off, shaking his head sadly. "Ye 'ave no idea what yer dealing with Captain Jack Sparrow."
The two pirate captains stood there staring at each other in a silent contest of wills. Jack was the first one to look away as he didn't like the look in her eyes. He felt like she was reading the very depths of his soul and judging what she found there. From what he'd heard about Captain Morgan Rose from Gibbs, she wasn't a soft woman who could be flattered with a few cheep words. Nor was she a woman to give up on what she wanted and if she wanted the Caribbean as her kingdom, Jack was going to have to fight dirty to stop her.
"Ye know ye haven't been caught because they know who ye really are Lady Rosewyn. I was there when the Governor of that port… can't remember the name… saw ye and knew who ye were. If I remember correctly, he asked ye if ye had been kidnapped by pirates and ye replied that the King paid ye to be the pirate doing the kidnapping." He snorted.
Her eyes flashed angrily and Morgance growled, "I am not paid to be a pirate. Just 'cause yer jealous that I'm a better pirate than ye are doesn't mean I'm paid. And don't call me Lady Rosewyn…. I left her behind years ago."
Jack chuckled, shaking his head at her. "Don't ye realize that most believe ye are paid by the King of England to send the competition to Davy Jones Locker? Just thought ye should know."
"And don't ye know that yer treading a very fine line between life and death? Continue to talk 'bout that and ye'll be talking to Barbossa. I'm he'd like ye company Captain Jack Sparrow. And I bet he'd like it more than I currently do." Her voice caused Jack to think of poisoned wine and he winced.
"Gibbs did warm me that yer not an easy woman to deal with Captain Rose and he was sure right. Tell me, are ye always this unwilling to talk or do ye just make a habit of throwing out threats when someone mentions where ye come from?"
Morgance fell silent for a moment before asking, "Ye know ol' Gibbs? How is he? Angus and I were hoping to talk to him while we are in Tortuga but we were told he'd gone off… not that it mattered, we got the information we needed from a pirate named Bob Jones."
"Bob Jones? He's an old and reliable pirate if there is such a thing in the world we live in." Jack shook his head thoughtfully. "Now look here Morgan Rose-"
"Captain Morgan Rose I'll tell ye. Notice the ship I'm standing on?" She frowned down at him.
He nodded and waved his hand towards the helm, "Yes and she's a very pretty boat… ship. Sorry. But if ye'd kindly turn around and look across the bay, ye'll notice a very fine ship who happens to be the fastest ship in the Caribbean."
"The Black Pearl does not even begin to rival the Wave Dancer for speed. She was the fastest ship in the Caribbean but I'm 'ere now to take what's rightfully mine and what Barbossa denied me."
"Ah." The other pirate captain rubbed his head worriedly before speaking to her again. "Captain Rose, how 'bout we set up a little competition to see who has the faster ship?"
"Come again?" Her eyes were blank for once.
"We could 'ave a little race… say to Port Royal and back again. That is, once ye 'ave made yer repairs otherwise it wouldn't be fair."
She clenched her fist around the sewing needle she still held, "A race? To Port Royal and back again? That is far too easy Captain Sparrow."
"Ah well, I was thinking that we could race there in our own ships and then switch ships and race back." Jack grinned at her.
"You want me to let you sail my pride and joy?" The angrier Morgance got, the more she slipped back into talking like an English lady, which made Jack smile faintly.
He shrugged, "Hey, I'd be letting ye sail me love so it's not just ye who has something to say. But what I meant is that ye and yer crew sail the lovely Dancer here to Port Royal and then once there, me and my crew will swap ships with ye and we can race back. Just thought it would make things more interesting."
"A strange sense of interesting you have there Captain Sparrow. A very strange sense of interesting. But tell me, what would the winner of this little race get?"
Jack walked up the gangplank towards her, "Now that is an easy answer for ye. The winner gets to call the Caribbean their kingdom and the looser will agree to, while staying in the Caribbean mind ye, will agree to stay out of the other's way."
"Now yer talking about things close to me heart." Morgance smiled, her anger flowing away. Perhaps this little race that Jack Sparrow proposed wasn't such a bad idea. It would certainly show him who had the faster ship.
"Do we 'ave an accord then Captain Rose?" He held out his hand to her.
She studied him before shaking her head, "Not yet but I'll keep it in mind. Before I go anywhere near Port Royal, I want to make sure the Wave Dancer is well armed and able to fly like the wind. Commodore Norrington isn't a good friend of mine."
He laughed at her, "Aye, like he's me friend. Norrington has a grudge with me… involves his thinking that I had something to do with him loosing Elizabeth Swann to Bootstrap Bill Turner's son, Will."
"Bootstrap had a son? I never knew that. He was a good man, Bootstrap was. A faithful hand before the mast." She smiled sadly. "Never sat well with me what Barbossa did to him."
"How'd ye know what Barbossa did to him?" Jack studied her face curiously. She was a lot stranger then he had previously thought.
"I saw Barbossa 'ave Bootstrap tossed into the sea with a cannon attached to his feet. We would 'ave saved him but Barbossa didn't know we where nearby and I couldn't risk me crew or me ship."
They fell silent as Xavier walked along the dock towards them. His eyes were fixed on Jack darkly and Morgance crossed her fingers hoping he wouldn't cause trouble for her… seeing how causing trouble was her job, not his. He pushed past Jack and put an arm around her waist, kissing her gently. Jack's eyes narrowed and Xavier knew he'd managed to get the reaction he'd been aiming for.
"Morgance, 'ave ye seen Angus this morning? We need his help with the canvas orders." Xavier glanced around the ship's deck but couldn't see the faithful first mate anywhere.
She frowned at him strangely, "Yes, I 'ave Xavier. Though he's probably underneath somewhere. Try the hold; he could be doing a check of our stock and whatnot. After a storm like that one, there's always spoiled food on a ship."
Xavier kissed her again, his eyes still fixed on Jack, "I'll check there first luv, yer most likely right."
When he walked off, Jack shook his head at her. "Never knew that women captains used members of their crew to keep their beds warm."
Fuming, she snapped at him. "I have never done such a thing!"
"Well yer deal Xavier seemed awfully familiar with ye."
"I don't know why he did that but I fully intend to find out. Xavier isn't one who'd normally do something like that unless he was trying to… oh, I see." Morgance grinned suddenly, chuckling softly.
"Ye see what Captain Rose?"
He was standing there, leaning against the side of the ship with his arms crossed over his chest and Morgance couldn't help but smile at the sight of him. He appeared so sure of himself, so certain of his position but she knew that he had little self-confidence. One never does after experiencing a crew mutiny against you. She'd seen it happen on the first ship she sailed on and for an eighteen year old like she had been, it was a scary thing. The captain had always protected her and to see him displaced virtually with a snap of someone's fingers had deeply unsettled her.
"What?" Jack raised an eyebrow, wondering what had brought about such an unscrupulous gaze from a woman who seemed like stone.
Shaking her head, Morgance smiled again. "I was wondering why ye seemed to self assured while yer standing on me ship. Thought it was just a little bit strange."
"Self assured? Aye, that's a new thing for me. 'Aven't been called that before. Cocksure perhaps, but never self assured."
"Cocksure? Yes, I'm sure ye are considering ye reputation among the whores of most ports in the Caribbean." She replied, rolling her eyes.
Jack grinned, "Yer quiet welcome to come and find out for yer self if ye like. Though, we wouldn't want to upset ye little Xavier would we?"
"I don't share my bed with Xavier or any man aboard this ship for that matter. No cheep whore am I." Her eyes flashed in anger and Jack almost ran away from the intensity of her gaze.
"I'm sure ye don't Captain Morgan Rose but if a man can 'ave urges, then a woman probably can as well seeing how they're just as physical as men are. Even if ye did keep yer bed warm at night with one of ye crew, I wouldn't condemn ye since I'd do it as well if I had a willing female crew member who's name ain't Anamaria."
Trying to regain the upper hand again, Morgance murmured, "I must remember to offer this Anamaria a place in me crew. Another woman aboard would be a good thing. Six are stronger than five."
"Ye 'ave five women in ye crew already?" Jack stared at her in shock.
"Five including myself. I'm not silly enough to be the only woman aboard a ship full of men. Like I said, I'm no cheep whore. I share my bed with no man who is not worthy." Her head was held high and he knew that she was an intensely proud woman.
Shaking his head, Jack shrugged. "Ye are a strange woman Morgan Rose and I like it. I hope ye will consider my little idea for a competition."
"Why don't we turn it into a bet? Because I bet that the Wave Dancer will easily beat the Black Pearl no matter who's sailing her." Morgance's mouth turned up at the corners.
Her predatory smile unnerved Jack and he glanced over at where members of her crew were working on a sail. "When ye 'ave finished with yer repairs, we'll talk about it again. I wouldn't want ye to 'ave an unfair disadvantage."
"Sure ye wouldn't Captain Sparrow but I can tell ye this, I'll be waiting for ye in Port Royal and then ye'll be waiting for me in Tortuga. The Wave Dancer is the fastest ship in the Caribbean and next to her, the Black Pearl is nothing." Her smile grew bigger.
"Just one more question for ye Morgance Rosewyn, what caused so much damage to yer sails?" Jack frowned.
"We got caught by a freak storm that nearly drove us towards a reef where we surely would 'ave been lost. Tortuga was the closest port that we could get to in order to make repairs. I'm just glad that we made it through the storm alive and safe with no major injuries. Loosing a few sails is nothing much but it did slow us down for a while."
He knew the storm she was talking about and was amazed that a few ripped sails was the most that the Wave Dancer had to deal with. "Ye really were lucky to get through that storm with as little damage as ye did. Normally there's one every year and so many good ships 'ave been lost to them. Ye were right when ye called the storm a freak."
Morgance shrugged, "The Wave Dancer has lived through worse but lucky we were this time. I know of too many who 'ave been lost to storms because their captain didn't keep his head about him. Me crew trusts me to keep them alive and in relatively good condition. I couldn't ever bring myself to let them down."
"Ye must be a good captain if yer crew holds so much faith in ye. I've always been wary of me crews since Barbossa led one in mutiny against me." He looked down at the deck before turning to go. "Yer a lucky woman to 'ave such a good ship and a good crew."
"Thank ye Captain Jack Sparrow." She called after him. "Especially for killing that son of a whore Barbossa. I hope he's in the deepest fires of hell getting what he deserves."
"No doubt he is Captain Morgan Rose. No doubt he is."
She watched him walk off, talking to himself. When he reached the end of the dock, he was meet by several men who Morgance assumed were from his crew seeing how one of them was Gibbs. Shaking her head, she went back to her place and sat down to work again. "He's a strange man, I'll grant him that."