Usual disclaimers... and I still hate them!
Here is the promised donkey chapter just for BlueTrinity...
***
At dusk Elizabeth sighed, loading the last of the trunks onto the ever patient James.
"Ready?" Jean Claude smiled as he waited to lead the small donkey.
"As I will ever be." Elizabeth took one last look at her house before taking the hands of Billy and Eilis. "Guess we'd better go..."
Will put his hand on her shoulder, comforting. "We may come back one day love," he smiled. "But it cannot be while Spense is Governor..."
"I know," she smiled sadly as they walked quietly through the town, keeping to the shadows. It was fortunate that the patrols had been sent to the trouble spots - mainly down by the docks - and they were able to leave without notice.
Richael walked beside the donkey, whispering to him. "It'll be alright James. Jack is going to take us to a new home on a different island where there will be grass for you..."
"Ssshh!" Isaac smiled. "We are meant to be escaping in secret!"
"Oh," Richael blushed. "Sorry..."
For a moment, as they left the last of the houses of the town behind she was quiet and for a while they walked cautiously on in the darkness. It was lucky there was some moonlight, although it was pale, or they would have been unable to see anything. At last, when he thought they were far enough away from the town he lit the small lantern, a steady yellow glow lighting the path before him. "Come," he said quietly. "We still have a number of miles to walk..."
***
By the time that they reached the cove where the Black Pearl sheltered all three of the children were asleep. Elizabeth carried Eilis, Will carried Billy and Jean Claude carried Richael whilst leading James. Isaac signalled the Black Pearl from the top of the steep wooded slope and soon help could be heard climbing up to meet them. One of the men was Jack.
"I thought yer'd never get here," he smiled but frowned when he saw the donkey. "It can't come!" he declared.
Elizabeth was glad that the children were asleep or their wails would have been heard all the way back to Port Royal. "But we have to take him," she protested. "The children will be heartbroken!"
"And I will need him for the new smithy..." Will added.
"I ain't takin' a donkey on th' Pearl!" Jack declared. "It'll do nothin' but piss an' poo th' entire way!"
"Jack!" Elizabeth scolded. "Language!"
"They're asleep!" he defended. "An' it ain't going!"
Richael rubbed her eyes sleepily, woken by the raised voices. "What isn't going?" she yawned, suddenly realising that Jack was looking at James. "No!" she wailed, waking up the other children with her cry. "We cannot leave James!"
Jack sighed. "It cannot get down th' slope luv," he evaded, not wanting to repeat his earlier explanation for his refusal. "It would be kinder t' leave him here an' not make him go on a ship..."
"But I told him all about it," she cried. "About the trees and the grass... you cannot disappoint him!"
"He cannot get to the ship luv," Jack protested, wincing as Richael began to cry. She buried her head against Jean Claude's shoulder sobbing loudly. Billy and Eilis looked at him, sniffing when they too realised that James would not be going with them.
Will and Elizabeth stared pointedly at him. "Jack..." Will began.
"There is a small bay a short distance further," Jean Claude offered. "Perhaps I could take him and swim back..."
Jack's eyes narrowed, realising that yet again he had been outmanoeuvred. "Fine!" he hissed. "You do that!"
"Does that mean James can come?" Richael asked hopefully. "Oh, thank you Jack!" She jumped down from Jean Claude's arms and flew to Jack, hugging him. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome," he muttered, still glowering at Jean Claude who was innocently unloading the donkey. "Yer'd better start then!"
Jean Claude took the lantern from Isaac and led the now unloaded James further along the narrow path. "Oui Captain," he grinned.
"An' yer can clean up after it too!" Jack shouted after him before looking down at Richael who was still hugging him. "Guess we'd better get yer aboard then..." he suggested. "Yer can have th' sick bay as there's nobody sick..."
"Kitty is sick!" Eilis told him earnestly. "Are you going to get Kitty soon?"
"T'morrow luv," he smiled. "Once it gets dark!"
The crew helped the Turners down the steep bank, carrying the children across to the ships boats that were waiting on the beach. They rowed out quietly, the blades of the oars hardly causing a ripple in the still night. Will and Elizabeth climbed up first and Jack handed the children up to them before climbing up himself closely followed by the remaining crew.
"Best get yerselves settled," Jack smiled as he led them towards the stairs.
"I'll get a hoist sorted Captain," Isaac offered innocently. Jack turned and looked at him frowning. "Well, we've got to get James onboard somehow!"
Jack humphed and stomped down the steps - bloody donkey!
***
Several hours later a shout went up from the watch that Jack had ordered kept. "Captain, they've arrived!"
Jack peered disappointedly over the side to see Jean Claude and James the donkey swimming into the bay. "An' I had money on th' sharks gettin' yer!" he drawled.
"Sorry to disappoint you Captain," Jean Claude spluttered as James saw the shore and started to swim in that direction. He hauled his head back around with difficulty and forced him to swim to the Black Pearl where he could see a hoist being lowered. Several of the crew jumped into the sea to help fix the bindings and soon the donkey was standing exhausted on the deck.
"Tie it up and give it some water!" Jack ordered, watching in disbelief as the creature raised his tail and messed all over the deck. "An' clean that up!" he shouted, stomping back towards his cabin. "Piss an' poo! I said it'd piss an' poo!" he complained. "But nobody ever listens to me - I'm just the Captain!"
***
Don't worry BlueTrinity - James hasn't finished with Jack yet!
Well... reviews?
Here is the promised donkey chapter just for BlueTrinity...
***
At dusk Elizabeth sighed, loading the last of the trunks onto the ever patient James.
"Ready?" Jean Claude smiled as he waited to lead the small donkey.
"As I will ever be." Elizabeth took one last look at her house before taking the hands of Billy and Eilis. "Guess we'd better go..."
Will put his hand on her shoulder, comforting. "We may come back one day love," he smiled. "But it cannot be while Spense is Governor..."
"I know," she smiled sadly as they walked quietly through the town, keeping to the shadows. It was fortunate that the patrols had been sent to the trouble spots - mainly down by the docks - and they were able to leave without notice.
Richael walked beside the donkey, whispering to him. "It'll be alright James. Jack is going to take us to a new home on a different island where there will be grass for you..."
"Ssshh!" Isaac smiled. "We are meant to be escaping in secret!"
"Oh," Richael blushed. "Sorry..."
For a moment, as they left the last of the houses of the town behind she was quiet and for a while they walked cautiously on in the darkness. It was lucky there was some moonlight, although it was pale, or they would have been unable to see anything. At last, when he thought they were far enough away from the town he lit the small lantern, a steady yellow glow lighting the path before him. "Come," he said quietly. "We still have a number of miles to walk..."
***
By the time that they reached the cove where the Black Pearl sheltered all three of the children were asleep. Elizabeth carried Eilis, Will carried Billy and Jean Claude carried Richael whilst leading James. Isaac signalled the Black Pearl from the top of the steep wooded slope and soon help could be heard climbing up to meet them. One of the men was Jack.
"I thought yer'd never get here," he smiled but frowned when he saw the donkey. "It can't come!" he declared.
Elizabeth was glad that the children were asleep or their wails would have been heard all the way back to Port Royal. "But we have to take him," she protested. "The children will be heartbroken!"
"And I will need him for the new smithy..." Will added.
"I ain't takin' a donkey on th' Pearl!" Jack declared. "It'll do nothin' but piss an' poo th' entire way!"
"Jack!" Elizabeth scolded. "Language!"
"They're asleep!" he defended. "An' it ain't going!"
Richael rubbed her eyes sleepily, woken by the raised voices. "What isn't going?" she yawned, suddenly realising that Jack was looking at James. "No!" she wailed, waking up the other children with her cry. "We cannot leave James!"
Jack sighed. "It cannot get down th' slope luv," he evaded, not wanting to repeat his earlier explanation for his refusal. "It would be kinder t' leave him here an' not make him go on a ship..."
"But I told him all about it," she cried. "About the trees and the grass... you cannot disappoint him!"
"He cannot get to the ship luv," Jack protested, wincing as Richael began to cry. She buried her head against Jean Claude's shoulder sobbing loudly. Billy and Eilis looked at him, sniffing when they too realised that James would not be going with them.
Will and Elizabeth stared pointedly at him. "Jack..." Will began.
"There is a small bay a short distance further," Jean Claude offered. "Perhaps I could take him and swim back..."
Jack's eyes narrowed, realising that yet again he had been outmanoeuvred. "Fine!" he hissed. "You do that!"
"Does that mean James can come?" Richael asked hopefully. "Oh, thank you Jack!" She jumped down from Jean Claude's arms and flew to Jack, hugging him. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome," he muttered, still glowering at Jean Claude who was innocently unloading the donkey. "Yer'd better start then!"
Jean Claude took the lantern from Isaac and led the now unloaded James further along the narrow path. "Oui Captain," he grinned.
"An' yer can clean up after it too!" Jack shouted after him before looking down at Richael who was still hugging him. "Guess we'd better get yer aboard then..." he suggested. "Yer can have th' sick bay as there's nobody sick..."
"Kitty is sick!" Eilis told him earnestly. "Are you going to get Kitty soon?"
"T'morrow luv," he smiled. "Once it gets dark!"
The crew helped the Turners down the steep bank, carrying the children across to the ships boats that were waiting on the beach. They rowed out quietly, the blades of the oars hardly causing a ripple in the still night. Will and Elizabeth climbed up first and Jack handed the children up to them before climbing up himself closely followed by the remaining crew.
"Best get yerselves settled," Jack smiled as he led them towards the stairs.
"I'll get a hoist sorted Captain," Isaac offered innocently. Jack turned and looked at him frowning. "Well, we've got to get James onboard somehow!"
Jack humphed and stomped down the steps - bloody donkey!
***
Several hours later a shout went up from the watch that Jack had ordered kept. "Captain, they've arrived!"
Jack peered disappointedly over the side to see Jean Claude and James the donkey swimming into the bay. "An' I had money on th' sharks gettin' yer!" he drawled.
"Sorry to disappoint you Captain," Jean Claude spluttered as James saw the shore and started to swim in that direction. He hauled his head back around with difficulty and forced him to swim to the Black Pearl where he could see a hoist being lowered. Several of the crew jumped into the sea to help fix the bindings and soon the donkey was standing exhausted on the deck.
"Tie it up and give it some water!" Jack ordered, watching in disbelief as the creature raised his tail and messed all over the deck. "An' clean that up!" he shouted, stomping back towards his cabin. "Piss an' poo! I said it'd piss an' poo!" he complained. "But nobody ever listens to me - I'm just the Captain!"
***
Don't worry BlueTrinity - James hasn't finished with Jack yet!
Well... reviews?