He kept his hand on the wall on his left as he dogged her steps. There was
the sound of a match being struck and then there was a lantern lit, leading
the way ahead. Presently Jack became aware that the ground was sloping up.
Finally he saw light ahead and the lantern was left on the ground. He stepped into the sunlight blinking. He was on a plateau and there was a herd of horses grazing here. There didn't seem to be a way down.
"How'd they get up here?" he asked curiously.
She tried to hide it from him. Her face closed up completely, and she answered seemingly casually.
"Oh, the same way you did", her shoulders were extremely tensed.
He flashed a grin. "You stole them all?" he couldn't help the smirk on his face; it was impressive. She spun fast and he almost instinctively went to block her slap, but she wasn't about to slap him, her arms were rigid at her side.
She glared at him, then let out a high-pitched whistle and a brown horse stepped forward.
He had forgotten how big these animals were and he leant back as it came closer. She took the beasts' nose and brought its head down to his eye level. There Jack saw what she meant. Its' face was horribly scarred, cut and burnt deliberately.
"Stole or saved, I don't really care either way", was the only thing she said about where the horses came from.
For the next hour Jack was taught to ride a horse. She helped him up onto a passive looking mare, which she saddled for him. He sat there for about three seconds and then slid off the other side.
He fell in an ungraceful heap, spitting out the grass he had swallowed when he opened his mouth to yell. He half expected her to laugh, but she was merely waiting on the other side of the horse. Arms folded and mouth down turned. He sighed; he really hated horses.
No matter how hard he tried he could not sit on the horse, let alone ride one. After falling off eight hundred times and getting very hot and bothered, the girl stopped him.
"I think we'll start off smaller", she said decidedly and took the mare away.
She came back with a pony, not much higher than most dogs he had seen. He searched her face for any sign of amusement. But if she felt any she hid it well. Somewhat begrudgingly he clambered on. It was small enough to allow for his feet to touch the ground on each side.
She instructed him to dig in his heels and lean forward, he did so and to his surprise the animal started forwards. He immediately fell off.
She finally cracked.
With an impressive leap she jumped onto the ponys' back, positioned him in front of her and took the reigns. He was safe inside the barrier her arms made, and he soon got the feel of the creatures' movements. Then she passed the reigns to him. He was able to control the creature easily.
She hardly weighed a thing, so he didn't feel it when she slid off the back of the creature, and soon he was riding by himself. Even if he didn't realize it.
He rode in a circle and found the girl standing right in front of him. He nearly fell off in shock. She smiled up at him, and instructed him to get down. He went to do her bidding, but his foot got caught and he stumbled off, staggered sideways and fell flat on his back. He sat up with a groan.
She stood over him and told him to choose a horse for himself. He looked up at her accusingly and she smiled brightly.
Then she offered him a hand, which he took. "Dan" she said.
"What?" he asked in confusion.
"Danielle, but I'd rather Dan", he creased his brow in confusion then understood.
"Ah, Jack, Captain Jack" he replied, emphasizing the word Captain. She looked at him quizzically.
"You said you didn't have a ship." she stated.
"Well, I .uh" he stuttered trying to think up some story.
"You're in the market?" she said knowingly.
He flashed her a metallic grin. "Aye, that I am".
"Well Captain, I think you're ready to ride yourself a horse. Go ahead and choose one."
Jack looked at the twenty or so beasts. Most looked mean spirited, too flighty or outright scared of him. He weaved his way through the animals. Finally he came to the stream that ran down the mountain, across the plateau and over the edge.
Drinking here stood a roan coloured mare. He approached it cautiously. It didn't bolt or run. It merely watched him approach calmly. He now stood next to its side. It was watching him from over its shoulder.
He gingerly placed one of his hands on its back, expecting it to spin and bite off one of his fingers any second. It continued to watch passively. The girl was also watching from the other side of the field. He patted its neck, and ran his hand up to its snout. Gently he clasped both sides of its face and led it back to the girl who was looking at the two in surprise.
The good-natured beast stopped in front of her. He patted its neck, trying to keep it calm. So as to preserve his fingers and features.
"What?" he asked as she continued to stare.
"That one has never let me near her, always snapped and was generally bad tempered", she explained.
He looked at the mare; it stared back at him with doleful eyes. The girls' assessment of the creature made him slightly paranoid. Was it a monster in disguise?
"Don't worry, I may look too much like its' former master. That's all" she said indicating to the stripes that covered its back.
"Whip" was her one word explanation.
She then showed him how to saddle a horse and led him down the corridor, her horse in tow.
"Where are we going?" he asked. He thought they'd spend the night on the plateau.
"You're a pirate, I have a small boat on the northern side of the island. It's in a relatively calm bay, and it can be crewed by one man. It should take you at least half way across the Caribbean".
He stared at the back of her head in the dark.
"You're giving me a boat?" he was thoroughly shocked.
"If it's still there. I probably won't use it, since they've never found me in the wilderness. It was a last resort that I can do without. Besides, I can't feed you as well as me. It's a nice way to get rid of you".
He smiled widely. "Aye, a very nice way" he agreed
She stopped her horse and told him to wait. Then she turned to her left and disappeared into a small hole that he hadn't noticed on the way in. She came out carrying some sort of bundle and continued forward. They got to the entrance and she opened the door. After the horses were safely through she slid it into place and concealed all signs of them having been there.
Once they were in the sunlight and his eyes had adjusted, Jack noticed that she now wore a quiver of arrows and had a bow strung on her shoulder.
He supposed that was how she caught her food, and it explained why her arms were strong.
They rode for the better half of the day. Jack only fell off twice, and then got the hang of it. The horse was very steady; he liked that in a horse.
Her clothing was well blended. He also noticed she rode with ease on her horse. A stallion of all things; strong proud and huge.
She looked exceedingly small on it. It was brown in colour, with a few black patches randomly placed on it.
He snorted at the disproportion of them both. She turned back at him questioningly.
"You look ridiculous on such a big horse" he chuckled.
She smiled, liking the insult. "Well at least mine's not pink!" she drawled at him.
"Hey!" he yelped indignantly. "She is not pink".
The teenager in front of him laughed lightly. "Is too" she retorted softly. Jack let it go.
His horse wasn't pink! it was a red brown colour. The colour of expensive wood. He was so preoccupied with the thought of a pink horse that when he realized the girl had stopped it was too late, and his horse crashed into hers. She spun in her saddle to glare at him.
"Hey, I didn't know how to stop" he said raising his hands in defense.
"I think someone's out there", she said quietly.
"What do you.?" Jack began but never finished the sentence.
The bushes to his right rustled, and a figure burst out of them. He leant back to avoid the stranger knocking him out of his saddle; the green-clad man flew right past him.
"Run!" she yelled and kicked her steed into a gallop. His horse reared as she felt the weight of her rider pull back.
"No, No! Forward" he said and leant forwards, still vertical. The horse fell back onto her four hooves and charged ahead, after the girl who was already out of sight.
The sensation of plummeting through the undergrowth at breakneck speed was not pleasant. Jack couldn't see anything, the trees whipped at his face and he had to duck all kinds of branches.
He became aware of another horse beside him. It was white, and its rider was another green-clad man. He also, Jack noted in alarm, clutched a vicious looking knife in one hand. The white horse pulled closer to his, the man swiped at him. He threw his weight to the opposite side, only just avoiding the deadly weapon. The man pulled away to dodge an upcoming tree, then came back for another swipe. Unfortunately Jack still wasn't prepared for high-speed horse fights. When he tried to dodge the next attack he leant too far on one side and slid out of his saddle.
He let out a scream and gripped the reigns as he tried to pull himself up. But every time he got close, the horse bumped and he slid back down. He continued to yell as he was thrown around, his beads clacking madly.
Finally he got hold of the tall pointy bit at the front of his saddle, he'd forgotten what the girl called it, and clambered up. Two other horses and their riders now joined the white horse. One rider had a very sharp looking spear, which was currently aimed at his chest.
The man leered at Jack from under his mop of curly brown hair. Jack only had enough time to register that he was dead this time, and that Barbossa still had his ship, when suddenly an arrow bloomed from his attackers chest. It was suddenly there, the man looked surprised as he slid from his saddle to hit the ground, roll a few times and remain still.
The other two looked back at their fallen companion. As did Jack, who couldn't quite believe what had happened. Then they looked back at each other. The next one fell, the last one spun to look at the direction the arrows had come from; Jack looked too. It was Dan, she was firing arrows from her horses back. Jack found that amazing, he could barely even see while riding.
Her next arrow was close but not quite. It buried itself into a tree trunk, which was right next to henchman 3's head. The man pulled off to the side and disappeared into the forest. Dan pulled up sharply and waited for Jack to catch up. He caught up, but kept going. He still didn't know how to stop.
She chased after him, gaining on him quickly because her horse was faster and seemed hardly tired. She matched him stride for stride. Then leant over and gripped the reigns to his mare. She pulled back on them and the horse stopped as if it had struck a wall. Jack went flying from his saddle, right over the roans' head and roll/landed on the ground a good few feet away. It took him three seconds to get his bearings, then a few seconds more to realize he was unscathed. Then he began laughing.
Laughing like he hadn't done in ages.
Laughing hysterically and in wild abandon.
He was all right, after that awful chase and crash-landing he was safely on the ground again. He spotted the young woman perched atop her brown stallion looking at him in concern.
He giggled and sat up, then lay back down again as a wave of nausea swept through him. He felt like he wanted to be sick.
He was still smiling when a twig snapped on his left; he turned to see a boot and when he looked up he was looking down the shaft of an arrow.
His smile faded.
There was a shout from the green clothed men as the girl threw herself from her horses saddle and rolled/ran into the bush. This was followed by the crashing sounds of her retreat. Four men followed in pursuit.
The man with the arrow motioned him to his feet. He got up, his hands raised, then he was motioned to turn around and he felt the arrowhead nudge him in the back. He walked ahead of his captors, who appeared to speak Spanish.
It was all quite frustrating really.
***********************************************************
Finally he saw light ahead and the lantern was left on the ground. He stepped into the sunlight blinking. He was on a plateau and there was a herd of horses grazing here. There didn't seem to be a way down.
"How'd they get up here?" he asked curiously.
She tried to hide it from him. Her face closed up completely, and she answered seemingly casually.
"Oh, the same way you did", her shoulders were extremely tensed.
He flashed a grin. "You stole them all?" he couldn't help the smirk on his face; it was impressive. She spun fast and he almost instinctively went to block her slap, but she wasn't about to slap him, her arms were rigid at her side.
She glared at him, then let out a high-pitched whistle and a brown horse stepped forward.
He had forgotten how big these animals were and he leant back as it came closer. She took the beasts' nose and brought its head down to his eye level. There Jack saw what she meant. Its' face was horribly scarred, cut and burnt deliberately.
"Stole or saved, I don't really care either way", was the only thing she said about where the horses came from.
For the next hour Jack was taught to ride a horse. She helped him up onto a passive looking mare, which she saddled for him. He sat there for about three seconds and then slid off the other side.
He fell in an ungraceful heap, spitting out the grass he had swallowed when he opened his mouth to yell. He half expected her to laugh, but she was merely waiting on the other side of the horse. Arms folded and mouth down turned. He sighed; he really hated horses.
No matter how hard he tried he could not sit on the horse, let alone ride one. After falling off eight hundred times and getting very hot and bothered, the girl stopped him.
"I think we'll start off smaller", she said decidedly and took the mare away.
She came back with a pony, not much higher than most dogs he had seen. He searched her face for any sign of amusement. But if she felt any she hid it well. Somewhat begrudgingly he clambered on. It was small enough to allow for his feet to touch the ground on each side.
She instructed him to dig in his heels and lean forward, he did so and to his surprise the animal started forwards. He immediately fell off.
She finally cracked.
With an impressive leap she jumped onto the ponys' back, positioned him in front of her and took the reigns. He was safe inside the barrier her arms made, and he soon got the feel of the creatures' movements. Then she passed the reigns to him. He was able to control the creature easily.
She hardly weighed a thing, so he didn't feel it when she slid off the back of the creature, and soon he was riding by himself. Even if he didn't realize it.
He rode in a circle and found the girl standing right in front of him. He nearly fell off in shock. She smiled up at him, and instructed him to get down. He went to do her bidding, but his foot got caught and he stumbled off, staggered sideways and fell flat on his back. He sat up with a groan.
She stood over him and told him to choose a horse for himself. He looked up at her accusingly and she smiled brightly.
Then she offered him a hand, which he took. "Dan" she said.
"What?" he asked in confusion.
"Danielle, but I'd rather Dan", he creased his brow in confusion then understood.
"Ah, Jack, Captain Jack" he replied, emphasizing the word Captain. She looked at him quizzically.
"You said you didn't have a ship." she stated.
"Well, I .uh" he stuttered trying to think up some story.
"You're in the market?" she said knowingly.
He flashed her a metallic grin. "Aye, that I am".
"Well Captain, I think you're ready to ride yourself a horse. Go ahead and choose one."
Jack looked at the twenty or so beasts. Most looked mean spirited, too flighty or outright scared of him. He weaved his way through the animals. Finally he came to the stream that ran down the mountain, across the plateau and over the edge.
Drinking here stood a roan coloured mare. He approached it cautiously. It didn't bolt or run. It merely watched him approach calmly. He now stood next to its side. It was watching him from over its shoulder.
He gingerly placed one of his hands on its back, expecting it to spin and bite off one of his fingers any second. It continued to watch passively. The girl was also watching from the other side of the field. He patted its neck, and ran his hand up to its snout. Gently he clasped both sides of its face and led it back to the girl who was looking at the two in surprise.
The good-natured beast stopped in front of her. He patted its neck, trying to keep it calm. So as to preserve his fingers and features.
"What?" he asked as she continued to stare.
"That one has never let me near her, always snapped and was generally bad tempered", she explained.
He looked at the mare; it stared back at him with doleful eyes. The girls' assessment of the creature made him slightly paranoid. Was it a monster in disguise?
"Don't worry, I may look too much like its' former master. That's all" she said indicating to the stripes that covered its back.
"Whip" was her one word explanation.
She then showed him how to saddle a horse and led him down the corridor, her horse in tow.
"Where are we going?" he asked. He thought they'd spend the night on the plateau.
"You're a pirate, I have a small boat on the northern side of the island. It's in a relatively calm bay, and it can be crewed by one man. It should take you at least half way across the Caribbean".
He stared at the back of her head in the dark.
"You're giving me a boat?" he was thoroughly shocked.
"If it's still there. I probably won't use it, since they've never found me in the wilderness. It was a last resort that I can do without. Besides, I can't feed you as well as me. It's a nice way to get rid of you".
He smiled widely. "Aye, a very nice way" he agreed
She stopped her horse and told him to wait. Then she turned to her left and disappeared into a small hole that he hadn't noticed on the way in. She came out carrying some sort of bundle and continued forward. They got to the entrance and she opened the door. After the horses were safely through she slid it into place and concealed all signs of them having been there.
Once they were in the sunlight and his eyes had adjusted, Jack noticed that she now wore a quiver of arrows and had a bow strung on her shoulder.
He supposed that was how she caught her food, and it explained why her arms were strong.
They rode for the better half of the day. Jack only fell off twice, and then got the hang of it. The horse was very steady; he liked that in a horse.
Her clothing was well blended. He also noticed she rode with ease on her horse. A stallion of all things; strong proud and huge.
She looked exceedingly small on it. It was brown in colour, with a few black patches randomly placed on it.
He snorted at the disproportion of them both. She turned back at him questioningly.
"You look ridiculous on such a big horse" he chuckled.
She smiled, liking the insult. "Well at least mine's not pink!" she drawled at him.
"Hey!" he yelped indignantly. "She is not pink".
The teenager in front of him laughed lightly. "Is too" she retorted softly. Jack let it go.
His horse wasn't pink! it was a red brown colour. The colour of expensive wood. He was so preoccupied with the thought of a pink horse that when he realized the girl had stopped it was too late, and his horse crashed into hers. She spun in her saddle to glare at him.
"Hey, I didn't know how to stop" he said raising his hands in defense.
"I think someone's out there", she said quietly.
"What do you.?" Jack began but never finished the sentence.
The bushes to his right rustled, and a figure burst out of them. He leant back to avoid the stranger knocking him out of his saddle; the green-clad man flew right past him.
"Run!" she yelled and kicked her steed into a gallop. His horse reared as she felt the weight of her rider pull back.
"No, No! Forward" he said and leant forwards, still vertical. The horse fell back onto her four hooves and charged ahead, after the girl who was already out of sight.
The sensation of plummeting through the undergrowth at breakneck speed was not pleasant. Jack couldn't see anything, the trees whipped at his face and he had to duck all kinds of branches.
He became aware of another horse beside him. It was white, and its rider was another green-clad man. He also, Jack noted in alarm, clutched a vicious looking knife in one hand. The white horse pulled closer to his, the man swiped at him. He threw his weight to the opposite side, only just avoiding the deadly weapon. The man pulled away to dodge an upcoming tree, then came back for another swipe. Unfortunately Jack still wasn't prepared for high-speed horse fights. When he tried to dodge the next attack he leant too far on one side and slid out of his saddle.
He let out a scream and gripped the reigns as he tried to pull himself up. But every time he got close, the horse bumped and he slid back down. He continued to yell as he was thrown around, his beads clacking madly.
Finally he got hold of the tall pointy bit at the front of his saddle, he'd forgotten what the girl called it, and clambered up. Two other horses and their riders now joined the white horse. One rider had a very sharp looking spear, which was currently aimed at his chest.
The man leered at Jack from under his mop of curly brown hair. Jack only had enough time to register that he was dead this time, and that Barbossa still had his ship, when suddenly an arrow bloomed from his attackers chest. It was suddenly there, the man looked surprised as he slid from his saddle to hit the ground, roll a few times and remain still.
The other two looked back at their fallen companion. As did Jack, who couldn't quite believe what had happened. Then they looked back at each other. The next one fell, the last one spun to look at the direction the arrows had come from; Jack looked too. It was Dan, she was firing arrows from her horses back. Jack found that amazing, he could barely even see while riding.
Her next arrow was close but not quite. It buried itself into a tree trunk, which was right next to henchman 3's head. The man pulled off to the side and disappeared into the forest. Dan pulled up sharply and waited for Jack to catch up. He caught up, but kept going. He still didn't know how to stop.
She chased after him, gaining on him quickly because her horse was faster and seemed hardly tired. She matched him stride for stride. Then leant over and gripped the reigns to his mare. She pulled back on them and the horse stopped as if it had struck a wall. Jack went flying from his saddle, right over the roans' head and roll/landed on the ground a good few feet away. It took him three seconds to get his bearings, then a few seconds more to realize he was unscathed. Then he began laughing.
Laughing like he hadn't done in ages.
Laughing hysterically and in wild abandon.
He was all right, after that awful chase and crash-landing he was safely on the ground again. He spotted the young woman perched atop her brown stallion looking at him in concern.
He giggled and sat up, then lay back down again as a wave of nausea swept through him. He felt like he wanted to be sick.
He was still smiling when a twig snapped on his left; he turned to see a boot and when he looked up he was looking down the shaft of an arrow.
His smile faded.
There was a shout from the green clothed men as the girl threw herself from her horses saddle and rolled/ran into the bush. This was followed by the crashing sounds of her retreat. Four men followed in pursuit.
The man with the arrow motioned him to his feet. He got up, his hands raised, then he was motioned to turn around and he felt the arrowhead nudge him in the back. He walked ahead of his captors, who appeared to speak Spanish.
It was all quite frustrating really.
***********************************************************