Chapter Three: Benjamin's Lashes
Sage lays uncomfortably on the Captain's bed, him laying next to her, not so uncomfortably.
"Ye've go' a strange name, Sparrow," Sage says.
"Captain," he warns her. "And jus' wha' do ye mean by tha'?"
"I would imagine, ye've got two sides ter ye. Jack, is a strong name, often carried down generations, showing yer a fearless pirate Captain, no' afraid of nothin'. Sparrow, kind of a weedy bird, ain' it? Showin' tha' 'maybe yer no' so bad after all, tha' yer kind and romantic, showin' tha' ye find the righ' girl and ye'd happily give up all ye whores," Sage turns to look at him.
"Wha' kind of a name is Sage then?" he asks in return, not answering her.
"The Sage, is a wise man, or woman. The symbol of ancient wisdom, above the Earth's plane, and above temptation."
"Aw, I always find i' much easier ter give in ter temptation, love," Captain Sparrow says.
"I can jus' imagine," Sage replies, then she's quiet for a moment. "It also means isolation, a journey through isolation leads to a be'er person a' the end. An' it's lonely, sometimes. Being a Captain."
"I know jus' what ye mean, love. Tha's why us Captains, we gotta stick together," Captain Sparrow purrs into Sage's ear, wrapping an arm around her.
"Then I'll have to make sure no one takes advantage of me then," she replies.
"Indeed," purrs Captain Sparrow, snuggling up to her.
"Jack, I'm not a whore, an' I'm not sleeping with you," she says, shrugging out of his grip. His face turns hard.
"Ye'll do wha' I tell ye ter do," he says, angrily.
"Then go an' rape one of ye're men," Sage replies, nastily, getting off the bed and going out on deck to a warm night and a star-filled sky. She sits by the helm, touching the wheel as she goes past and smiling to the man sailing the ship by night.
"Ye're migh' be Captain of yer own ship," says Captain Sparrow, coming over to her from the cabin. "Bu' ye're on my ship, and ye'll do wha' I say!"
"Oh will I?" Sage asks, looking scornfully up at him.
"Yeah! Because ye know the only way ter run a ship is wi' a crew tha' obey their Captain, ye don' take nonsense from yer crew, do ye?"
"No. I don't rape them either," Sage spits back.
"Well ye migh' le' yer crew ge' away a murder, bu' on this ship, anyone disobeys me ge's lashes, understan'?" Sage nods.
"How many am I getting' then?"
"None, at the minute, because o' yer sex I'm givin' ye one las' chance," Captain Sparrow says.
"Tha's very kind of ye Captain," Sage says in mock seriousness.
"I'm glad yer grateful, now ge' back in me cabin."
"If you're gonna rape me then I'd rather stay out 'ere," replies Sage, Captain Sparrow can see he will have to admit defeat.
"Fine, I won' touch ya, jus' get inside!" Sage stands and stomps back inside the Captain's cabin. She and Captain Sparrow sleep top to tail that night.
The next day, Sage is set about her duties, scrubbing the deck, mending the old sails incase a storm brings the new ones down, cleaning the Captains cabin, and spending watches in the crows nest. So the Captain kept her busy.
She still had to sleep in the Captain's cabin every night, but so far, the three or four nights in to the journey, he hadn't tried anything.
She woke up the next morning to the Captain shouting at one of the crew, Sage goes on deck to discover it's one of the crew that had caught her eye earlier.
"Lose at leas' a day," Captain Sparrow mumbles as he brushes past Sage and goes into the cabin.
"Wha's wrong wi' 'im?" she asks the pirate on the receiving end of Captain Sparrow's temper. The pirate, Benjamin Creal, turns to face her.
"I was steering through the night," he begins to explain, "But it were a cloudy nigh' and I los' track of our bearin's, so we're abou' a day off course," he bows his head in shame.
"Don't worry, I've done it countless times before, I 'ate the night shift," Sage says comfortingly. Benjamin smiles a little.
"Ye're the Captain though, don' matter if ye do it," he replies. Sage gives him a kiss on the cheek and goes to find the Captain, in his cabin.
"Wha' was tha' fer?" she explodes when she sees him.
"We're loosin' time," the Captain growls, pouring over Sage's map.
"You know how 'ard it can be steerin' at night, when there's no land ter guide ye and only the moonlight between the clouds to read a compass by! You shouldn' 'ave shouted like tha' at 'im!"
"Shoute' a' 'im?" Captain Sparrow shouts in reply, turning around. "If I ain' satisfied wi' 'is work at the end of the day 'e's getting' lashes!" Sage, amazed at how cruel the man could be, spun on her heel and left him to begin her chores.
One of which, was crows nest watch. It was getting colder as The Black Pearl headed further south, and Sage, not having sailed these waters before, was beginning to pull her shirt around her tighter, wishing it was thicker. After a while, Benjamin climbs up to the rigging to give her a warmer jacket. She gratefully accepts it and he sits with her as the sun begins to sink, talking about the sky, the sea and pirating.
"Creal!" a voice startles them from below, it's the Captain. "Ge' down 'ere now! Both of ye!" Benjamin helps Sage down and they both stand in front of the Captain. "Wha' de ye think ye're doin' up there?" he roars at Benjamin.
"I was. . ." Benjamin begins to explain.
"Don' answer me back! Gibbs! Ge' the cat!" Gibbs goes below deck.
"He was jus' bringing me. . ." Sage is stopped short by Captain Sparrow's hand brought sharply across her face.
"I'll be' he was," the Captain snarls as two other pirates remove Benjamin's shirt and tie him to the rigging. Captain Sparrow holds out the cat of nine tails to Sage.
"No way!" she exclaims.
"Do i', or I'll be lashin 'ye too!"
