A/N Hello again! Thanks for the wonderful reviews Saxony and Marauder
Lupin, you have no idea how fulfilling it is for me to here that I brought
you both to tears! :D I apologise for the loss of the knife, but it was a
sacrifice I had to make. We all shall mourn it but the story could not
continue without its dramatic departure. So here is the my newest offering
to you wonderful people, I apologise if it is a little rushed but I had to
finish it off quickly, sleep is calling to me.
Enjoy!
Live for My Dying
Chapter Three
Surviving Salvation
Captain Sparrow stood at the helm. One hand resting on it lightly, maintaining contact, monitoring the tensions and vibrations he could feel through it. As well as guiding the ship's course, the helm could tell him intimate things about the currents and wind which truly controlled the ship. In turn he could harness them.
He looked out over his Pearl, at his crew about there work. They had been at sea for about a month now, and things had been relatively quiet. Having met with a small merchant vessel and acquisitioned it's cargo, satisfying his necessity to plunder, for a while, there was nothing calling to him with any particular urgency, except of course the open sea. But then, the sea was always calling to him, as it did to any sea-faring folk.
With nothing urgent to attend to he was free to sail at will waiting for something to interesting to take his attention. Their course was loosely set for the Swan Islands, Jack knew a man there who would find his purloined cargo extremely interesting, but should an opportunity arise Captain Sparrow was more then happy to change his plans.
A flurry of movement in the rigging caught Jack's eye, and he lifted his gaze to see one of the two men from the nest clambering down to the deck. Jumping the last five feet, he scrambled across the deck and up the steps to the helm. Jack watched him approach; he was the youngest member of the crew and small, but he was agile clambered easily through the rigging.
"Capt'n," he gasped slightly out of breath, "Falcon's spotted somethin' up ahead."
"Well lad, what is it?" Sparrow asked raising an eyebrow. Falcon, wiry old scoundrel, had the sharpest eyes Jack had ever come across; he wouldn't have sent the lad down just to report a piece of drift wood.
"Falcon says he don't rightly know. But tha' it's directly in our path and tha' if ye kept ye're eyes peeled ye'll see it ye're self soon enough." The lad lowered his eyes apologetic for not being more useful.
"Orright then, back te yer post then." Jack commanded and watched the boy scurry off and back up into the rigging. "Gibbs!" he called.
"Aye Capt'n" the older man said approaching the helm.
"Take the helm for a spell, Falcon's spotted something up ahead; I'm takin' a look see." Jack replied, handing the wheel to his first mate.
The Captain made his way to the bow, picking up a small looking glass on the way. Reaching the ships rail he put it to his eye scanning the sea for any irregularities. And there it was, almost directly in the Pearls path, a small white smudge on the blue green sea. Jack was stunned once again at Falcon's eyesight, if he hadn't known what he was looking for Captain Sparrow would have dismissed the smudge as a spray of foam.
He focused on the smudge trying to bring it into detail; it was coming closer each second as the ship sped towards it. After a minute he was beginning to make out the shape, and a minute later let the glass drop from his eye.
"I'll be," he murmured.
"Capt'n?" a member of his crew asked, looking up from his work.
"Prepare a line mate," Jack said, "There's a girl in the water."
The man's eyes widened, "Alive Capt'n?" he asked.
"Don't know yet do I?" Sparrow said with an evil grin at the sick look on the man's face. As a pirate he should be able to deal with death. The pirate hurried off to prepare a line silently praying he wouldn't be sent into the water to retrieve the girl.
"Capt'n," another voice said behind him. It was the lad from the nest, "Falcon thought ye might need someone te help with the girl."
"Aye," he said, dimly remembering the boy's name was Tomas "Go get a mug o' water from the galley. If she lives, it'll be the first thing she needs, savvy?"
"Aye Capt'n," the boy nodded and sped away.
Looking out at the fast approaching smudge, he called out for the crew to shorten sail, effectively slowing the ship. Sparrow removed his hat and sword belt, he could easily have one of the crew fetch the girl but he was enjoying the small distraction from the helm and besides he was rather intrigued. Waiting for a moment until the now discernable girl was within swimming distance, he dived neatly over the rail.
Slicing into the cool Caribbean water, Jack swam out strongly, quickly breaching the distance between himself and the girl. He pulled up and treaded water, a metre or two away from her. Despite his earlier, baiting of the crew man he wasn't terribly keen on disturbing a long dead corpse. Her face was covered by her long brown hair; she appeared to be clinging to a bucket to remain a float. It was then he noticed the hair across her face moving slightly with her breath. She was alive.
With this new knowledge he crossed the open water between them and called out to his crew for the line. It came snaking through the air towards him just as he reached the girl's side. He tried to pry her arms from the bucket, to tie the rope around her but she stirred and clung to it furiously, so muttering under his breath Jack grasped her around the waist tying himself to the rope. He pulled twice, signalling to the crew to pull him up.
Back onboard he lay the girl down on the deck and once again tried to take the bucket from her. At first she fought again, but then her eyes flutter open her, glanced around and closed again. Her grip loosened.
Tomas stepped forward with his mug of water. Jack took a step back concentrating for a moment on loosening the rope from his waist. He turned back at the sound of strangled coughing.
Tomas kneeling at the girl's side had poured the water into her throat too quickly and she had choked. The Captain rolled his eyes and took the mug from the boy. Glaring at the rest of his crew who were staring idly at the girl, he told them fiercely to get back to work.
"An' don't let me catch you wasting time gawking, ye here! Ye to lad," he said to the boy. Tomas had the strangest look on his face as he turned to go, glancing back at the girl once more.
Sparrow muttered under his breath, and turned his attention back to the girl. Lifting her head to put the water carefully to her lips, his hand encountered something behind her neck.
"Hello," he murmured, pushing aside her hair, so that he could see where the chain lead underneath the front of the thin shift she wore. His hand moved down to pull it out, but the girls eyes opened, and saw him for the first time with some clarity. Her hands flew up, violently, defensively. Water sloshed from the mug, and jack moved his hands back, to stop it from be over turned completely.
"Alright! "alright luv," he said placatingly, meeting the eyes that glared at him accusingly. "Alright," he said quieter this time, "I was just trying te give some water, savvy?" He lifted her head again, and her eyes softened at the word water. She tried to drink greedily, but he made her take small sips. "Ye don't want te choke now."
His eyes moved to the point were the chain disappeared. He was curious, but for now he put the matter from his mind, he'd find out soon enough.
Live for My Dying
Chapter Three
Surviving Salvation
Captain Sparrow stood at the helm. One hand resting on it lightly, maintaining contact, monitoring the tensions and vibrations he could feel through it. As well as guiding the ship's course, the helm could tell him intimate things about the currents and wind which truly controlled the ship. In turn he could harness them.
He looked out over his Pearl, at his crew about there work. They had been at sea for about a month now, and things had been relatively quiet. Having met with a small merchant vessel and acquisitioned it's cargo, satisfying his necessity to plunder, for a while, there was nothing calling to him with any particular urgency, except of course the open sea. But then, the sea was always calling to him, as it did to any sea-faring folk.
With nothing urgent to attend to he was free to sail at will waiting for something to interesting to take his attention. Their course was loosely set for the Swan Islands, Jack knew a man there who would find his purloined cargo extremely interesting, but should an opportunity arise Captain Sparrow was more then happy to change his plans.
A flurry of movement in the rigging caught Jack's eye, and he lifted his gaze to see one of the two men from the nest clambering down to the deck. Jumping the last five feet, he scrambled across the deck and up the steps to the helm. Jack watched him approach; he was the youngest member of the crew and small, but he was agile clambered easily through the rigging.
"Capt'n," he gasped slightly out of breath, "Falcon's spotted somethin' up ahead."
"Well lad, what is it?" Sparrow asked raising an eyebrow. Falcon, wiry old scoundrel, had the sharpest eyes Jack had ever come across; he wouldn't have sent the lad down just to report a piece of drift wood.
"Falcon says he don't rightly know. But tha' it's directly in our path and tha' if ye kept ye're eyes peeled ye'll see it ye're self soon enough." The lad lowered his eyes apologetic for not being more useful.
"Orright then, back te yer post then." Jack commanded and watched the boy scurry off and back up into the rigging. "Gibbs!" he called.
"Aye Capt'n" the older man said approaching the helm.
"Take the helm for a spell, Falcon's spotted something up ahead; I'm takin' a look see." Jack replied, handing the wheel to his first mate.
The Captain made his way to the bow, picking up a small looking glass on the way. Reaching the ships rail he put it to his eye scanning the sea for any irregularities. And there it was, almost directly in the Pearls path, a small white smudge on the blue green sea. Jack was stunned once again at Falcon's eyesight, if he hadn't known what he was looking for Captain Sparrow would have dismissed the smudge as a spray of foam.
He focused on the smudge trying to bring it into detail; it was coming closer each second as the ship sped towards it. After a minute he was beginning to make out the shape, and a minute later let the glass drop from his eye.
"I'll be," he murmured.
"Capt'n?" a member of his crew asked, looking up from his work.
"Prepare a line mate," Jack said, "There's a girl in the water."
The man's eyes widened, "Alive Capt'n?" he asked.
"Don't know yet do I?" Sparrow said with an evil grin at the sick look on the man's face. As a pirate he should be able to deal with death. The pirate hurried off to prepare a line silently praying he wouldn't be sent into the water to retrieve the girl.
"Capt'n," another voice said behind him. It was the lad from the nest, "Falcon thought ye might need someone te help with the girl."
"Aye," he said, dimly remembering the boy's name was Tomas "Go get a mug o' water from the galley. If she lives, it'll be the first thing she needs, savvy?"
"Aye Capt'n," the boy nodded and sped away.
Looking out at the fast approaching smudge, he called out for the crew to shorten sail, effectively slowing the ship. Sparrow removed his hat and sword belt, he could easily have one of the crew fetch the girl but he was enjoying the small distraction from the helm and besides he was rather intrigued. Waiting for a moment until the now discernable girl was within swimming distance, he dived neatly over the rail.
Slicing into the cool Caribbean water, Jack swam out strongly, quickly breaching the distance between himself and the girl. He pulled up and treaded water, a metre or two away from her. Despite his earlier, baiting of the crew man he wasn't terribly keen on disturbing a long dead corpse. Her face was covered by her long brown hair; she appeared to be clinging to a bucket to remain a float. It was then he noticed the hair across her face moving slightly with her breath. She was alive.
With this new knowledge he crossed the open water between them and called out to his crew for the line. It came snaking through the air towards him just as he reached the girl's side. He tried to pry her arms from the bucket, to tie the rope around her but she stirred and clung to it furiously, so muttering under his breath Jack grasped her around the waist tying himself to the rope. He pulled twice, signalling to the crew to pull him up.
Back onboard he lay the girl down on the deck and once again tried to take the bucket from her. At first she fought again, but then her eyes flutter open her, glanced around and closed again. Her grip loosened.
Tomas stepped forward with his mug of water. Jack took a step back concentrating for a moment on loosening the rope from his waist. He turned back at the sound of strangled coughing.
Tomas kneeling at the girl's side had poured the water into her throat too quickly and she had choked. The Captain rolled his eyes and took the mug from the boy. Glaring at the rest of his crew who were staring idly at the girl, he told them fiercely to get back to work.
"An' don't let me catch you wasting time gawking, ye here! Ye to lad," he said to the boy. Tomas had the strangest look on his face as he turned to go, glancing back at the girl once more.
Sparrow muttered under his breath, and turned his attention back to the girl. Lifting her head to put the water carefully to her lips, his hand encountered something behind her neck.
"Hello," he murmured, pushing aside her hair, so that he could see where the chain lead underneath the front of the thin shift she wore. His hand moved down to pull it out, but the girls eyes opened, and saw him for the first time with some clarity. Her hands flew up, violently, defensively. Water sloshed from the mug, and jack moved his hands back, to stop it from be over turned completely.
"Alright! "alright luv," he said placatingly, meeting the eyes that glared at him accusingly. "Alright," he said quieter this time, "I was just trying te give some water, savvy?" He lifted her head again, and her eyes softened at the word water. She tried to drink greedily, but he made her take small sips. "Ye don't want te choke now."
His eyes moved to the point were the chain disappeared. He was curious, but for now he put the matter from his mind, he'd find out soon enough.