The group of men took no notice to the Sparrows until they heard they're
footsteps approaching on the dock. Even then, they continued on with their
work of loading the ship with the much needed supplies. Kat followed her
brother passed piles of rope, spare sails, and many boxes of food and
ammunition. With each crew member her eyes came into contact with, she
became more disgusted.
"This is the men that will be helping us find the treasures of the seven seas?" She said skeptically as they passed a particularly unclean man with
a bald head. His brown teeth were what made Kat shudder away from him, nearly knocking Jack over. He quickly turned to her with a sharp look on
his face.
"Appearances don't always tell the whole story. They maybe uglier than a dog with the mange, but they are the best in Tortuga." He explained. Kat never really did understand his rational, but he was normally right. They continued on until they reached the plank leading up the ships deck. The
men there weren't much to look at either.
"Most of these men are much older than you, how do you except them to listen to you?" Kat asked, watching three of the crew climb up the ropes
to ready a sail.
"They maybe more aged, but some have just begun the life of a pirate. Ye might be more skilled than some of them, and ye are just a little woman." He answered, helping her to the deck before she plunged headlong into the water off of the plank. She couldn't believe how large the ship truly was.
It was much bigger than the last one they had. Unfortunately, that one ended up at the bottom of the sea not too long before. Jack began to climb the stairs to inspect the wheel when he shouted down to Kat. "Go into the
captain's quarters! I will call ye when we are ready to set off!" Kat just nodded and proceeded to where she was ordered. She peered into the quarters through the glass before opening the door. She had never seen a
quarters that neat before. Usually, she would see Jacks effects left
about.
"I think I'm going to like this." She said to herself as she sat down on the seat by a window. She gazed out into the open sea and let out a sigh. It had been a long while since they last set off to sea. Each time they returned to land, Kat felt like the waters were just calling to her. Jack had always taught her to love the sea, never to fear its mighty powers to destroy men. She thought back to the first time she had ever been on the
water. It wasn't very long after they left their home for Tortuga when they commandeered their first ship and set off across the Caribbean. She was only ten, and Jack was just nineteen. In those seven years since then, she had learned more than most of the boys did at school. She could read
better than most of the people she had met, even her own brother. Her skills of sailing were more keen than an elderly fisherman. Yet, she was hardly ever allowed to do work on the ship. All because she was a female, she was to stay back and watch the men work. Jack would sometimes let her
map out the next destination, but that was only when the first mate was
ill. If she weren't the sister of a captain, she might never have been able to travel. She listened to the waves breaking on the rocks nearby,
calmed by is serene sound.
"You never know what you have until you miss it." She chuckled to herself
as she turned to watch the men pass by the quarter's doors. She turned
back to watch the sea once more, when the doors went flying open. The clattering noise was enough to make Kat jump out of her seat. There stood a tall figure of a much older man, but was dressed similar to Jack. His
wrinkled face looked menacing as he glared around the room. His eyes
settled on Kat, where it turned into a half smile. Kat swiftly put one hand on her sword, but found that it was tangled in the scarf tied around
her waist.
"I don't believe ye are suppose to be in here young one." He sneered. Before Kat could tell him who she was, he closed in on her and grasped her
by the shoulders. "We best be taking you to the captain." He said, pushing her towards the open doors. On the deck, Kat could see that the crew was gathering. They all turned and looked when the man pushed Kat out
of the quarters. All of them began to elbow each other and given her
strange looks. Only one of them looked at her differently. He was a handsome man, probably a few years older than her brother. His dirty blond hair was long, but a bit curly. His face was kind, but strong at the same
time. She found that she couldn't take her eyes off him.
"Looks like we have an unwanted member." The man holding her shoulders yelled to the men. The crew began to laugh and snarl at the girl. Then, they heard someone clear their throat above them. They all looked up to
see Jack standing on the upper deck.
"I say, first mate Barbossa, what do ye have there?" He asked in his usual
tone. Barbossa swung Kat around to let Jack see.
"I found this whelp hiding out in ye'r quarter's captain. Good thing I found her before we left port." He said. Kat just looked at Barbossa with a dirty look and then back at her brother. Jack just snickered and smiled.
"Now now Barbossa, is that anyway to treat the blood of a captain?" He
asked. The crew looked at each other in a confused manner. Kat just
rolled her eyes.
"He means that I'm his family." She yelled out, breaking Barbossa's grip. She ran up the stairs to the upper deck and joined her brother there. She gave him a very angry look, at to which he just shrugged. He looked out to
the crew.
"Gentleman, I want to welcome ye all to The Black Pearl. I see that ye have already made the acquaintance of my sister Kat." He said, motioning to her. The crew didn't make a sound, but looked at each other out of the
corners of their eyes. "I expect each of ye to treat her like myself. Anyone that does anything unkindly to her, lets just say that the prospect of children in ye'r future is zero." He said sternly. Kat swore she saw
some of the men cringe. She just smiled at that thought. "Now, get to
work! We have much to do, not enough daylight to do it!" He ordered.
Everyone on deck scattered to their jobs. Jack did an about face and
walked to the wheel of the ship.
"Thanks for saving my neck back there Jack. I owe you one." Kat said,
breathing a much needed sign of relief. She was about to leave, when Barbossa came up behind her once more. He just looked down at her like she
was nothing.
"Captain, I didn't know that she was one of ye'r own. I wouldn't have
bothered her so much if I had known." He said, turning his eyes away.
"Not to worry mate, you would have found out either way. Now, get back to
work." Jack said, not paying much attention. Barbossa gave one last glance at the girl, before departing the upper deck. Kat already didn't
like him at all.
"Jack, I know that pirates shouldn't be trusted, but there's something about that particular one that I don't like. Are you sure it was wise to make him your first mate?" She asked with much concern. The ship gave a sudden lurch forward, nearly knocking Kat flat on her face. She gained her
composure and waited for the answer.
"Ye worry too much. I'm certain that this mission will be just like the ones before." He said, trying to guide the ship out of the harbor. The window was just enough to get them going at a medium speed in a short time.
Kat looked out over the deck's railing.
"For once, I hope you are right." She whispered. Inside, her heart was telling her that he was very wrong. It was like intuition was telling her
that this voyage was going to be much different than any others she had
been on. That something was going to happen to all of them and change their lives forever. All of it would have something to do with that first mate. She couldn't tell this to her brother, he would just tell her that
it was just a female thing. She hated it whenever he used that excuse.
She just shook her head, trying to rid herself of these feelings. She
watched just turned her attention back to the ship. She watched as the harbor and Tortuga began to shrink from sight. She felt happy that they were leaving that stink hole behind. She never liked being there in the
first place. As they reached the open sea, she went running for the
stairs.
"Where are ye going Kat?" Jack yelled to her. She looked at him with a
sideways glance.
"Just to my favorite spot. You don't mind, do you?" She answered. He
just shook his head.
"Of course not my dear. We need someone up there anyway." He called. Kat nodded and started down the stairs. She went right for the pole that held the sails. She cranked her neck upward to see how high it really was. It was just enough to make her eyes squint in the sunlight. It was perfect to her. She went to the side of the ship and began to climb up the ropes. On
the first break, she paused to try and find another rope to climb. The only one she found was much to high for her to reach. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't reach it. Below her, she could hear a few of the
crew members laughing at her, taunting her.
"Bloody pirates." She scoffed. She didn't even notice someone come up
beside her.
"Might I offer some assistance me-lady? He asked. Kat turned to find that it was the same man that she had gazed at before. Her heart felt like it
did a flip.
"As a matter of fact, I do. I need to get to the crows nest, but this rope
it far to high." She explained. He gave her a smile.
"Well then, I'll help you." He answered. He clasped his hands together and changed his feet around to keep a good grip. "Step right there then,
and you'll be set." He said. Kat was more than happy to comply. She
stepped into his hands and he boasted her up to the rope. When she was
sure she had a good enough grip, she looked down at her helper.
"Thank you.um." she started. She suddenly realized that she didn't know
his name.
"Bootstrap Bill miss." He corrected her. She found his name a little odd,
but usually pirates had different nicknames.
"Yes, thank you Bootstrap Bill." She said. He gave her a bit of a salute and continued on with his work. She began to climb the rope to the top of the pole as quickly as she could. She had done this so many times in her
life that she never got tired. Soon, she was pulling herself into the crows nest at the very top. It was much quieter up here, though the wind was more strong. As she stood in the crowd next, she carefully took off her boots. She never liked to wear them while she was up there. Then, she climbed out of the crows nest and onto the pole that held the sail. No man
she knew was brave enough to do that.
"This is more like it!" She said to herself, the wind pulling her hair from her face. This was her spot on the ship, no one could take it from
her. This was her freedom. As the sign of land disappeared from sight
behind her, she put her arms out, like she was ready to fly away. Everything that had happened just washed away. It was a new beginning, a
new journey, a new life. She was just glad to be alive for it all.
*end of another chapter! Man, did I make Barbossa into a jerk or what? I hope I start getting a few more reviews for my work, it takes a really long
time to get it done! Anyway, the next chapter will probably be a conversation between Bootstrap Bill, Jack, and Kat. Remember in the movie when Raghetti said that Will was a spitting image of his father? That is
why Kat is so taken by him. R&R!*
"This is the men that will be helping us find the treasures of the seven seas?" She said skeptically as they passed a particularly unclean man with
a bald head. His brown teeth were what made Kat shudder away from him, nearly knocking Jack over. He quickly turned to her with a sharp look on
his face.
"Appearances don't always tell the whole story. They maybe uglier than a dog with the mange, but they are the best in Tortuga." He explained. Kat never really did understand his rational, but he was normally right. They continued on until they reached the plank leading up the ships deck. The
men there weren't much to look at either.
"Most of these men are much older than you, how do you except them to listen to you?" Kat asked, watching three of the crew climb up the ropes
to ready a sail.
"They maybe more aged, but some have just begun the life of a pirate. Ye might be more skilled than some of them, and ye are just a little woman." He answered, helping her to the deck before she plunged headlong into the water off of the plank. She couldn't believe how large the ship truly was.
It was much bigger than the last one they had. Unfortunately, that one ended up at the bottom of the sea not too long before. Jack began to climb the stairs to inspect the wheel when he shouted down to Kat. "Go into the
captain's quarters! I will call ye when we are ready to set off!" Kat just nodded and proceeded to where she was ordered. She peered into the quarters through the glass before opening the door. She had never seen a
quarters that neat before. Usually, she would see Jacks effects left
about.
"I think I'm going to like this." She said to herself as she sat down on the seat by a window. She gazed out into the open sea and let out a sigh. It had been a long while since they last set off to sea. Each time they returned to land, Kat felt like the waters were just calling to her. Jack had always taught her to love the sea, never to fear its mighty powers to destroy men. She thought back to the first time she had ever been on the
water. It wasn't very long after they left their home for Tortuga when they commandeered their first ship and set off across the Caribbean. She was only ten, and Jack was just nineteen. In those seven years since then, she had learned more than most of the boys did at school. She could read
better than most of the people she had met, even her own brother. Her skills of sailing were more keen than an elderly fisherman. Yet, she was hardly ever allowed to do work on the ship. All because she was a female, she was to stay back and watch the men work. Jack would sometimes let her
map out the next destination, but that was only when the first mate was
ill. If she weren't the sister of a captain, she might never have been able to travel. She listened to the waves breaking on the rocks nearby,
calmed by is serene sound.
"You never know what you have until you miss it." She chuckled to herself
as she turned to watch the men pass by the quarter's doors. She turned
back to watch the sea once more, when the doors went flying open. The clattering noise was enough to make Kat jump out of her seat. There stood a tall figure of a much older man, but was dressed similar to Jack. His
wrinkled face looked menacing as he glared around the room. His eyes
settled on Kat, where it turned into a half smile. Kat swiftly put one hand on her sword, but found that it was tangled in the scarf tied around
her waist.
"I don't believe ye are suppose to be in here young one." He sneered. Before Kat could tell him who she was, he closed in on her and grasped her
by the shoulders. "We best be taking you to the captain." He said, pushing her towards the open doors. On the deck, Kat could see that the crew was gathering. They all turned and looked when the man pushed Kat out
of the quarters. All of them began to elbow each other and given her
strange looks. Only one of them looked at her differently. He was a handsome man, probably a few years older than her brother. His dirty blond hair was long, but a bit curly. His face was kind, but strong at the same
time. She found that she couldn't take her eyes off him.
"Looks like we have an unwanted member." The man holding her shoulders yelled to the men. The crew began to laugh and snarl at the girl. Then, they heard someone clear their throat above them. They all looked up to
see Jack standing on the upper deck.
"I say, first mate Barbossa, what do ye have there?" He asked in his usual
tone. Barbossa swung Kat around to let Jack see.
"I found this whelp hiding out in ye'r quarter's captain. Good thing I found her before we left port." He said. Kat just looked at Barbossa with a dirty look and then back at her brother. Jack just snickered and smiled.
"Now now Barbossa, is that anyway to treat the blood of a captain?" He
asked. The crew looked at each other in a confused manner. Kat just
rolled her eyes.
"He means that I'm his family." She yelled out, breaking Barbossa's grip. She ran up the stairs to the upper deck and joined her brother there. She gave him a very angry look, at to which he just shrugged. He looked out to
the crew.
"Gentleman, I want to welcome ye all to The Black Pearl. I see that ye have already made the acquaintance of my sister Kat." He said, motioning to her. The crew didn't make a sound, but looked at each other out of the
corners of their eyes. "I expect each of ye to treat her like myself. Anyone that does anything unkindly to her, lets just say that the prospect of children in ye'r future is zero." He said sternly. Kat swore she saw
some of the men cringe. She just smiled at that thought. "Now, get to
work! We have much to do, not enough daylight to do it!" He ordered.
Everyone on deck scattered to their jobs. Jack did an about face and
walked to the wheel of the ship.
"Thanks for saving my neck back there Jack. I owe you one." Kat said,
breathing a much needed sign of relief. She was about to leave, when Barbossa came up behind her once more. He just looked down at her like she
was nothing.
"Captain, I didn't know that she was one of ye'r own. I wouldn't have
bothered her so much if I had known." He said, turning his eyes away.
"Not to worry mate, you would have found out either way. Now, get back to
work." Jack said, not paying much attention. Barbossa gave one last glance at the girl, before departing the upper deck. Kat already didn't
like him at all.
"Jack, I know that pirates shouldn't be trusted, but there's something about that particular one that I don't like. Are you sure it was wise to make him your first mate?" She asked with much concern. The ship gave a sudden lurch forward, nearly knocking Kat flat on her face. She gained her
composure and waited for the answer.
"Ye worry too much. I'm certain that this mission will be just like the ones before." He said, trying to guide the ship out of the harbor. The window was just enough to get them going at a medium speed in a short time.
Kat looked out over the deck's railing.
"For once, I hope you are right." She whispered. Inside, her heart was telling her that he was very wrong. It was like intuition was telling her
that this voyage was going to be much different than any others she had
been on. That something was going to happen to all of them and change their lives forever. All of it would have something to do with that first mate. She couldn't tell this to her brother, he would just tell her that
it was just a female thing. She hated it whenever he used that excuse.
She just shook her head, trying to rid herself of these feelings. She
watched just turned her attention back to the ship. She watched as the harbor and Tortuga began to shrink from sight. She felt happy that they were leaving that stink hole behind. She never liked being there in the
first place. As they reached the open sea, she went running for the
stairs.
"Where are ye going Kat?" Jack yelled to her. She looked at him with a
sideways glance.
"Just to my favorite spot. You don't mind, do you?" She answered. He
just shook his head.
"Of course not my dear. We need someone up there anyway." He called. Kat nodded and started down the stairs. She went right for the pole that held the sails. She cranked her neck upward to see how high it really was. It was just enough to make her eyes squint in the sunlight. It was perfect to her. She went to the side of the ship and began to climb up the ropes. On
the first break, she paused to try and find another rope to climb. The only one she found was much to high for her to reach. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't reach it. Below her, she could hear a few of the
crew members laughing at her, taunting her.
"Bloody pirates." She scoffed. She didn't even notice someone come up
beside her.
"Might I offer some assistance me-lady? He asked. Kat turned to find that it was the same man that she had gazed at before. Her heart felt like it
did a flip.
"As a matter of fact, I do. I need to get to the crows nest, but this rope
it far to high." She explained. He gave her a smile.
"Well then, I'll help you." He answered. He clasped his hands together and changed his feet around to keep a good grip. "Step right there then,
and you'll be set." He said. Kat was more than happy to comply. She
stepped into his hands and he boasted her up to the rope. When she was
sure she had a good enough grip, she looked down at her helper.
"Thank you.um." she started. She suddenly realized that she didn't know
his name.
"Bootstrap Bill miss." He corrected her. She found his name a little odd,
but usually pirates had different nicknames.
"Yes, thank you Bootstrap Bill." She said. He gave her a bit of a salute and continued on with his work. She began to climb the rope to the top of the pole as quickly as she could. She had done this so many times in her
life that she never got tired. Soon, she was pulling herself into the crows nest at the very top. It was much quieter up here, though the wind was more strong. As she stood in the crowd next, she carefully took off her boots. She never liked to wear them while she was up there. Then, she climbed out of the crows nest and onto the pole that held the sail. No man
she knew was brave enough to do that.
"This is more like it!" She said to herself, the wind pulling her hair from her face. This was her spot on the ship, no one could take it from
her. This was her freedom. As the sign of land disappeared from sight
behind her, she put her arms out, like she was ready to fly away. Everything that had happened just washed away. It was a new beginning, a
new journey, a new life. She was just glad to be alive for it all.
*end of another chapter! Man, did I make Barbossa into a jerk or what? I hope I start getting a few more reviews for my work, it takes a really long
time to get it done! Anyway, the next chapter will probably be a conversation between Bootstrap Bill, Jack, and Kat. Remember in the movie when Raghetti said that Will was a spitting image of his father? That is
why Kat is so taken by him. R&R!*