Chapter 3 - Backup plan
Lissandra tried to shake the steel door of her cell. The bars didn't budge. She sat on the cold stone floor and leaned against the wall. Boredom took over her mind, so she started to sing.
When paths and roads are at an end
Sail the wide blue sea
When wheel and cart are beyond mend
Set sail to thee
After dirt and stone and green grass
Leave the docks behind
When gone is thy bonnie lass
A new one you must find
When life is gone, sunk below
To the sea you must go
After sword has split and broken bow
To the sea you must go...
'Hey! Maiden!' She heard a voice beneath the window. 'It's me.' Lissandra approached the window and pressed her face against the cold iron bars.
'Who are you? Where are you?' She asked. Suddenly a face popped up in front of hers. He had a huge smile, as his head cocked to one side. Lissandra didn't laugh. 'Jack Sparrow.'
'Lissandra, darling!'
'Come to laugh at me?'
'Well, I would, if you were someone else.' Jack's smile faded. 'But laughing at you wouldn't seem right then, would it mate?' Jack looked below him. 'I have a friend to deliver to you here. Said his name was Evan Eronel.'
'Evan? He's alive?'
'He's fine. We saved him. Anyway, more importantly,' Jack said, 'At ten o'clock tonight the Navy will transport you into the city jail. As they are doing so, you'll be on the open city streets. Are you ready to make the getaway of your lifetime.'
'Lifetime?' Lissandra smirked in disbelief of this outrageous offer.
'There will be two hundred Navy officers and guards all around the city tonight. And only three of us.'
'Why that many?'
'Tomorrow is December the 8th.'
'The pirate's war?'
'Essil's war. On the night of the 7th they had two hundred watching the city. After no war came they all went home. The next morning, the exact same two hundred officers were found in their beds lying in a puddle of blood. But that is not what I'm bothering you for. Be ready tonight. We will be on the left side of the battlement until then.'
'What are you going to do?' Lissandra yelled, but they disappeared.
Lissandra waited tired and cold in the cell. Only once did a guard pass by and find her laughing. He was astonished. And asked curiously, 'What are you laughing at?'
Lissandra had a mad glimmer in her eye. 'Oh nothing! Just the little voices.'
The man moved on and never came back.
It was almost nightfall when another guard came to claim Lissandra and drag her to the jail. Without a word he tied her hands together. He was gentle; he could sense her, well, 'innocent' side. He held her forearm and directed her out the building.
Once outside, an ill-mannered lout, who sported a nauseating smell of liquor on his breath, greeted the man and his prisoner. He grabbed Lissandra from the guard and stood her in front of him. His eyes traveled from her face, down and back up. 'You're a stupid girl. What did you do, eh? Sleep with the wrong man?' The malicious man spat at the ground, where a skinny black cat happened to be sitting. The cat, startled at the contact between the gross saliva and it's soft fur, gave a loud screech and bolted off like lightning.
'Captain,' the guard quietly said. 'She is that the Maiden of The Cloud.' The drunken man looked at the guard, then Lissandra, then back at the guard. His face was blank.
'I know.' He nodded. 'Let's get this over with.' He motioned towards a towering building across the way.
The captain pushed Lissandra forward roughly, but she said no word and avoided his gaze.
Just reaching the doors to the city jail, Lissandra lost all hope in Sparrow. Where was he? But just as the doors were being opened, Jack whistled.
'You there! Come here!' The captain demanded Jack.
'Aye, sir?'
'Who be you, so late at night?'
'I be the same person I am during the day.' The captain was not amused by Jacks antics. 'If you do not speak, sir, then we will force you.'
Jack smiled. 'Actually,' Jack blushed. 'I confess. I am none-other than the great, the glorious, the unequalled, and inimitable: Captain Jack Sparrow. And I ask you two fine gentlemen to release the lady. Otherwise...' Jack leaned towards the men. 'You won't wake up... tomorrow.'
'I don't respond well to threats, Mr. Sparrow.' He took out a pistol and held it to Jack's head. 'And I don't respond to pirates.'
'Lucky for me though, mates, I always have a backup pl...' Jack started, but his gaze was lost. 'Now, there's something you don't see every day!' He pointed. The man turned around to see what was Jack was pointing at. But Jack quickly grabbed Lissandra and yelled. 'Run!' And so they did.
Lissandra tried to shake the steel door of her cell. The bars didn't budge. She sat on the cold stone floor and leaned against the wall. Boredom took over her mind, so she started to sing.
When paths and roads are at an end
Sail the wide blue sea
When wheel and cart are beyond mend
Set sail to thee
After dirt and stone and green grass
Leave the docks behind
When gone is thy bonnie lass
A new one you must find
When life is gone, sunk below
To the sea you must go
After sword has split and broken bow
To the sea you must go...
'Hey! Maiden!' She heard a voice beneath the window. 'It's me.' Lissandra approached the window and pressed her face against the cold iron bars.
'Who are you? Where are you?' She asked. Suddenly a face popped up in front of hers. He had a huge smile, as his head cocked to one side. Lissandra didn't laugh. 'Jack Sparrow.'
'Lissandra, darling!'
'Come to laugh at me?'
'Well, I would, if you were someone else.' Jack's smile faded. 'But laughing at you wouldn't seem right then, would it mate?' Jack looked below him. 'I have a friend to deliver to you here. Said his name was Evan Eronel.'
'Evan? He's alive?'
'He's fine. We saved him. Anyway, more importantly,' Jack said, 'At ten o'clock tonight the Navy will transport you into the city jail. As they are doing so, you'll be on the open city streets. Are you ready to make the getaway of your lifetime.'
'Lifetime?' Lissandra smirked in disbelief of this outrageous offer.
'There will be two hundred Navy officers and guards all around the city tonight. And only three of us.'
'Why that many?'
'Tomorrow is December the 8th.'
'The pirate's war?'
'Essil's war. On the night of the 7th they had two hundred watching the city. After no war came they all went home. The next morning, the exact same two hundred officers were found in their beds lying in a puddle of blood. But that is not what I'm bothering you for. Be ready tonight. We will be on the left side of the battlement until then.'
'What are you going to do?' Lissandra yelled, but they disappeared.
Lissandra waited tired and cold in the cell. Only once did a guard pass by and find her laughing. He was astonished. And asked curiously, 'What are you laughing at?'
Lissandra had a mad glimmer in her eye. 'Oh nothing! Just the little voices.'
The man moved on and never came back.
It was almost nightfall when another guard came to claim Lissandra and drag her to the jail. Without a word he tied her hands together. He was gentle; he could sense her, well, 'innocent' side. He held her forearm and directed her out the building.
Once outside, an ill-mannered lout, who sported a nauseating smell of liquor on his breath, greeted the man and his prisoner. He grabbed Lissandra from the guard and stood her in front of him. His eyes traveled from her face, down and back up. 'You're a stupid girl. What did you do, eh? Sleep with the wrong man?' The malicious man spat at the ground, where a skinny black cat happened to be sitting. The cat, startled at the contact between the gross saliva and it's soft fur, gave a loud screech and bolted off like lightning.
'Captain,' the guard quietly said. 'She is that the Maiden of The Cloud.' The drunken man looked at the guard, then Lissandra, then back at the guard. His face was blank.
'I know.' He nodded. 'Let's get this over with.' He motioned towards a towering building across the way.
The captain pushed Lissandra forward roughly, but she said no word and avoided his gaze.
Just reaching the doors to the city jail, Lissandra lost all hope in Sparrow. Where was he? But just as the doors were being opened, Jack whistled.
'You there! Come here!' The captain demanded Jack.
'Aye, sir?'
'Who be you, so late at night?'
'I be the same person I am during the day.' The captain was not amused by Jacks antics. 'If you do not speak, sir, then we will force you.'
Jack smiled. 'Actually,' Jack blushed. 'I confess. I am none-other than the great, the glorious, the unequalled, and inimitable: Captain Jack Sparrow. And I ask you two fine gentlemen to release the lady. Otherwise...' Jack leaned towards the men. 'You won't wake up... tomorrow.'
'I don't respond well to threats, Mr. Sparrow.' He took out a pistol and held it to Jack's head. 'And I don't respond to pirates.'
'Lucky for me though, mates, I always have a backup pl...' Jack started, but his gaze was lost. 'Now, there's something you don't see every day!' He pointed. The man turned around to see what was Jack was pointing at. But Jack quickly grabbed Lissandra and yelled. 'Run!' And so they did.