Usual disclaimers... blah!
Four chapters today for being good!
***
Jack took the helm all night and Catherine did not leave his side. Eventually she stumbled to bed at dawn. They had seen no ships lights in the night and the ships that came into view as the sky gradually lightened all seemed to be going about other business. None of them seemed to show signs of wanting to attack the Black Pearl at least. Jack hoped that they were far enough away from Singapore to avoid further problems and that night should see them to the Sunda Strait and the relative safety beyond.
"Anythin' nears then give me a shout," Jack warned as Oran took the helm whilst Jean Claude fixed breakfast for the crew. "Else wake me an' Kitty at dusk..."
"Aye Captain," Oran nodded, his hand resting lightly on the wheel. "Will you be wanting breakfast? Do you want me to ask Jean Claude to send some in?"
"We might wake later - but I think Kitty's already asleep an' I've every intention of joinin' her!" Jack yawned as he turned to climb down to the main deck. She had left the cabin doors open but he shut them quietly behind him, slipping out of his clothes and climbing into the bunk next to her. Catherine rolled over, kissing him sleepily before snuggling back down next to him. It had been over twenty four hours since they had both slept and they were soon both oblivious to the world.
***
It was late afternoon when they eventually woke, Jack's stomach gurgling loudly. Catherine opened one bleary eye, staring up at him. "I take it that is your plea for food?" she laughed, climbing over him and wriggling free of his grasping arms. She quickly dressed. "Stay there - I'll bring you something..." He still looked tired and she was relieved when he lay back on the pillows. She quietly slipped from the cabin, nodding to Jean Claude who was standing at the wheel.
"Afternoon Kitty!" he smiled as she climbed up towards him.
"Anything to report, Jean Claude?" she asked, eyes scanning the seas around them for other ships, relieved to see nothing nearby.
"Been quiet all day, thankfully," he sighed. "The Captain not awake?"
"He's having a little longer whilst I cook him something," she smiled. "I think yesterday did us all in..."
"Oui, it is not a day I would like to repeat..." He saw Oran below and called down to him. "Booth! Come take the helm whilst I help Kitty prepare something for us all!"
Oran nodded and climbed quickly up to stand before them. "Afternoon Kitty," he grinned. "Some of the men trailed some lines over the rail earlier and there is a pile of somewhat strange looking fish in the galley..."
"So it is fish stew for breakfast," she sighed.
"What do you mean - it's supper for us!" he grinned. "Go on... fish stew!"
Catherine rolled her eyes at him. "You know I've got to do fish stew if you've been so kind as to catch them for me... they won't last in the heat!"
"Heat?" he teased. "You call this heat? Nah, you should have been at the helm at midday!"
"It's hot enough for me Oran," she smiled. "You coming then Jean Claude?"
The two of them climbed down to the main deck and disappeared into the galley, working quickly together and soon the smell of fresh stew drifted around the decks. The crew were served before she carried two bowls up to the cabin, surprised to find Jack already awake and dressed. He had a large chart spread across the table and was studying it intently.
He looked up on hearing her enter. "Fish stew?"
"The crew caught some fish today," she explained. "I couldn't let them spoil!"
Jack knew she was right. It would be a long trip to Cape Town before they could get fresh supplies, and anything they could supplement their stores with could not be wasted. He rolled the chart up, placing it carefully away before taking his bowl. "Any news?" he mumbled, munching a mouthful of stew.
"Jean Claude said it had been quiet, Oran complained it was hot... apart from that, nothing. The crew have repaired everything and they'll change over at the second dog watch. We should reach the strait by dusk..."
He nodded, scraping the last pieces of vegetable from the bowl. "We'd best get goin' then," he smiled as he put the bowl aside and took her hands in his. "Will yer stand with me t'night?"
"I can't think of anywhere nicer," she smiled, reaching for his empty bowl. "I'll get these seen to and join you when I'm finished..."
***
Jack wrapped his free arm around her again, the Black Pearl running in darkness, lanterns shuttered as they passed through the narrowest point of the Sunda Strait. He prayed that they would meet no others running dark for there was little room in the channel. Finally it widened and they entered the Indian Ocean as dawn broke, sailing south-westerly towards Cape Town. He sighed deeply, hoping that they would reach port with no further...
"Captain!"
Jack stopped his musings, startled from the shout by Cenydd who was yet again up the crows nest. "What?"
"Captain! English frigate off our stern! She's closing!" Cenydd warned, his Welsh lilt obvious with the fear in his voice. "Gunports open!"
Jack looked over his shoulder in panic, Catherine staring in shock. "Oh my..." she whispered in shock. "Jack!"
"Kitty, rouse th' crew! I want every sail aloft an' every man at th' sweeps!" He watched as she ran below to wake those sleeping. Soon the deck was alive with men rushing to obey orders. Undermanned as they were they would have no chance at all against a frigate - although why it had targeted in on them he had no idea. He was relieved when Catherine returned. "Take th' helm luv," he ordered, relieved she had taken a nap wedged against the binnacle in the night. "Keep us south-westerly an' away from that!" He jerked his head towards the frigate, relieved that it had not gained any further now that the Black Pearl had every sail aloft. "I'll be at th' sweeps... use Moses as a messenger if yer need me!"
She took the helm, smiling as Moses was sent to stand beside her. "Let's see how much speed we can get out of her," she grinned, feeling the ship lunge forwards as the sweeps bit into the water.
***
Jack kept the men at the sweeps for as long as they could, urging some to rest earlier so that there would be a skeleton crew for when the majority of the crew rested. He staggered back to his bunk, grateful to see Jean Claude relieve Catherine of the wheel. They had gained a fair degree of headway on the frigate, but she was still there and he knew that they would have to take to the sweeps again if they hoped to break free of her. He worried why the frigate was chasing them, for they were not known as pirates in these waters and had done nothing illegal. He lay there for a while, staring at the bulkhead, the image of Jedidiah slowly returning to him as he stood on the dockside threatening vengeance. He would not have... would he?
***
Four chapters today for being good!
***
Jack took the helm all night and Catherine did not leave his side. Eventually she stumbled to bed at dawn. They had seen no ships lights in the night and the ships that came into view as the sky gradually lightened all seemed to be going about other business. None of them seemed to show signs of wanting to attack the Black Pearl at least. Jack hoped that they were far enough away from Singapore to avoid further problems and that night should see them to the Sunda Strait and the relative safety beyond.
"Anythin' nears then give me a shout," Jack warned as Oran took the helm whilst Jean Claude fixed breakfast for the crew. "Else wake me an' Kitty at dusk..."
"Aye Captain," Oran nodded, his hand resting lightly on the wheel. "Will you be wanting breakfast? Do you want me to ask Jean Claude to send some in?"
"We might wake later - but I think Kitty's already asleep an' I've every intention of joinin' her!" Jack yawned as he turned to climb down to the main deck. She had left the cabin doors open but he shut them quietly behind him, slipping out of his clothes and climbing into the bunk next to her. Catherine rolled over, kissing him sleepily before snuggling back down next to him. It had been over twenty four hours since they had both slept and they were soon both oblivious to the world.
***
It was late afternoon when they eventually woke, Jack's stomach gurgling loudly. Catherine opened one bleary eye, staring up at him. "I take it that is your plea for food?" she laughed, climbing over him and wriggling free of his grasping arms. She quickly dressed. "Stay there - I'll bring you something..." He still looked tired and she was relieved when he lay back on the pillows. She quietly slipped from the cabin, nodding to Jean Claude who was standing at the wheel.
"Afternoon Kitty!" he smiled as she climbed up towards him.
"Anything to report, Jean Claude?" she asked, eyes scanning the seas around them for other ships, relieved to see nothing nearby.
"Been quiet all day, thankfully," he sighed. "The Captain not awake?"
"He's having a little longer whilst I cook him something," she smiled. "I think yesterday did us all in..."
"Oui, it is not a day I would like to repeat..." He saw Oran below and called down to him. "Booth! Come take the helm whilst I help Kitty prepare something for us all!"
Oran nodded and climbed quickly up to stand before them. "Afternoon Kitty," he grinned. "Some of the men trailed some lines over the rail earlier and there is a pile of somewhat strange looking fish in the galley..."
"So it is fish stew for breakfast," she sighed.
"What do you mean - it's supper for us!" he grinned. "Go on... fish stew!"
Catherine rolled her eyes at him. "You know I've got to do fish stew if you've been so kind as to catch them for me... they won't last in the heat!"
"Heat?" he teased. "You call this heat? Nah, you should have been at the helm at midday!"
"It's hot enough for me Oran," she smiled. "You coming then Jean Claude?"
The two of them climbed down to the main deck and disappeared into the galley, working quickly together and soon the smell of fresh stew drifted around the decks. The crew were served before she carried two bowls up to the cabin, surprised to find Jack already awake and dressed. He had a large chart spread across the table and was studying it intently.
He looked up on hearing her enter. "Fish stew?"
"The crew caught some fish today," she explained. "I couldn't let them spoil!"
Jack knew she was right. It would be a long trip to Cape Town before they could get fresh supplies, and anything they could supplement their stores with could not be wasted. He rolled the chart up, placing it carefully away before taking his bowl. "Any news?" he mumbled, munching a mouthful of stew.
"Jean Claude said it had been quiet, Oran complained it was hot... apart from that, nothing. The crew have repaired everything and they'll change over at the second dog watch. We should reach the strait by dusk..."
He nodded, scraping the last pieces of vegetable from the bowl. "We'd best get goin' then," he smiled as he put the bowl aside and took her hands in his. "Will yer stand with me t'night?"
"I can't think of anywhere nicer," she smiled, reaching for his empty bowl. "I'll get these seen to and join you when I'm finished..."
***
Jack wrapped his free arm around her again, the Black Pearl running in darkness, lanterns shuttered as they passed through the narrowest point of the Sunda Strait. He prayed that they would meet no others running dark for there was little room in the channel. Finally it widened and they entered the Indian Ocean as dawn broke, sailing south-westerly towards Cape Town. He sighed deeply, hoping that they would reach port with no further...
"Captain!"
Jack stopped his musings, startled from the shout by Cenydd who was yet again up the crows nest. "What?"
"Captain! English frigate off our stern! She's closing!" Cenydd warned, his Welsh lilt obvious with the fear in his voice. "Gunports open!"
Jack looked over his shoulder in panic, Catherine staring in shock. "Oh my..." she whispered in shock. "Jack!"
"Kitty, rouse th' crew! I want every sail aloft an' every man at th' sweeps!" He watched as she ran below to wake those sleeping. Soon the deck was alive with men rushing to obey orders. Undermanned as they were they would have no chance at all against a frigate - although why it had targeted in on them he had no idea. He was relieved when Catherine returned. "Take th' helm luv," he ordered, relieved she had taken a nap wedged against the binnacle in the night. "Keep us south-westerly an' away from that!" He jerked his head towards the frigate, relieved that it had not gained any further now that the Black Pearl had every sail aloft. "I'll be at th' sweeps... use Moses as a messenger if yer need me!"
She took the helm, smiling as Moses was sent to stand beside her. "Let's see how much speed we can get out of her," she grinned, feeling the ship lunge forwards as the sweeps bit into the water.
***
Jack kept the men at the sweeps for as long as they could, urging some to rest earlier so that there would be a skeleton crew for when the majority of the crew rested. He staggered back to his bunk, grateful to see Jean Claude relieve Catherine of the wheel. They had gained a fair degree of headway on the frigate, but she was still there and he knew that they would have to take to the sweeps again if they hoped to break free of her. He worried why the frigate was chasing them, for they were not known as pirates in these waters and had done nothing illegal. He lay there for a while, staring at the bulkhead, the image of Jedidiah slowly returning to him as he stood on the dockside threatening vengeance. He would not have... would he?
***