()() This chapter may be a bit short, but . . . yeah; all of them are a tad short. I'll try to put in as much as I can, okay? ()()
Alright!
Since I'm bored outta my skull, I came up with an idea for The Black Rose!
(Everyone cheers)
And, Partouf is BACK!
Partouf: Hi, everyone! Miss me?
(Everyone runs up to hug Partouf, petting him and making him feels happy-happy)
Yay!
And now, because I can think of nothing else to say, ON WITH THE CHAPTER!
(Cheers)
Stop cheering!
(Cheers, then a slight pause, then laughter)
(Sigh) you love this, don't you?
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Recap on last chapter:
Jon and I burst out laughing, and Jack wandered off, muttering something about craziness and addleplates.
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Tortuga was getting ever closer, and my nerves were feeling like wire, stiff and taught.
((This is so exciting!)) I thought, clutching the railings on the port side, leaning over to watch the island come ever nearer, listening as Jon said in my ear '. . . should be there by sundown, Marie!'
'Pardon?' I asked, turning back to face Jon, who was grinning like mad, and he repeated 'I said, at the rate we're going, and if the wind stays on our side, we should be there by sundown, Marie!' I felt my mouth go into an 'o' shape, and said 'Oh, alright, then. I was too busy watching the island. I apologize.'
With a slight chuckle, Jon swatted my arm, saying with a grin 'You act as if you've never seen an island before! What, been stuck on land for so long yo-' For some reason, Jon's voice was drowned out by a loud humming from . . . somewhere. ((What's going on?)) I though, pushing away from the rail and walking to the centre of the deck, trying to keep my balance as a wave hit the ship, causing it to rock slightly, but enough to make me stagger a bit.
I could hear nothing, save for the drone that filled my ears. Suddenly, a small voice in the back of my head said 'Remember, before the Blue Moon! That's a month from now, you twit! And don't give me any excuses, or I'll have to drag you to find it myself.' 'What . . . How'd you . . . What're you doing?' I whispered, looking around me to see people staring at me, and Jon was trying to talk to me, but I still couldn't hear him.
'I'm trying to keep you updated. You'll be hearing from me frequently, so get used to it, girly!' The mermaid's voice said again, and then . . . noise. I clapped my hands over my ears from the sudden rush of noise, and lost my balance as the ship bounced again, falling hard on my knees. 'Shite!' I cried out, ignoring the people around me as I pushed myself up, shaking slightly as Jon came over to help me up.
Anamaria pushed her way through, and said with a scowl 'Are ye alright, lass? Ye're not goin' mad on us, are ye?' I stared at her, bewildered for a moment, and then answered slowly 'No. . . . No, I'm fine . . . Just . . . Fine.' With that, the people around me went back to their posts, muttering amongst themselves about the events of just a few minutes ago.
'I swear, I will never get used to this.' I muttered with spite, leaning on the mast as another wave rocked the ship slightly, and Jon clasped my arm, asking 'Never get used to what?' 'The rocking of this God damned ship, that's what!' I swore, muttering dark things as I made my way back to the scuppers, just as someone cried out 'WE'RE COMIN' IN, CAP'N! SHOULD BE THERE BY SUNDOWN!'
'Good man, Gibbs!' I heard Jack reply, and I looked up to see him at the helm, the wind whipping his clumped hair around his tanned face, that lopsided grin making him look all the rogue he really was. His eyes turned to meet mine, and I blushed at being caught staring, so I turned away quickly to look out to sea, thinking ((He's a pirate . . . and yet . . . Oh, mother would be ashamed of me, kissing a man who I've not even gotten to know yet!))
Thoughts of mother clouded my mind, and I found myself humming that song again, the one she sang to put me us to sleep. . .
'There is a young maiden, she lives all alone,
She lives all alone on the shore, oh,
There is nothing she can find to comfort her mind
But to roam all alone on the shore, shore, shore,
But to roam all alone on the shore.'
'Where'd you learn that?' Jon asked from my elbow, and I turned to him, startled, saying 'Oh, my mum used to sing it to us, my sisters and me, to lull us to sleep. It's long, she said, but I've only learned a bit of it.' Jon nodded, and then asked again 'How much do you know?'
I took a breath, and answered 'Well, up until this part:
They replaced her away in his cabin below,
Let the winds blow high, blow low.
She's so pretty and neat; she's so sweet and complete,
She sung captain and sailors to sleep, sleep, sleep,
She sung captain and sailors to sleep.'
Jon smiled, and then sang in an alto voice:
'Then she robbed him o' silver, she robbed him o' gold,
She robbed him o' costly ware, o,
Then took his broadsword instead of an oar,
And paddled her way to the shore, shore, shore,
And paddled her way to the shore.
''Well, me men must be crazy, me men must be mad,
Me men must be deep in despair, oh!
For to let you away from my cabin so gay
And to paddle your way to the shore, shore, shore,
And to paddle your way to the shore.''
''Well, your men was not crazy, your men was not mad,
Your men was not deep in despair, oh!
I deluded your sailors as well as yourself
I'm a maiden again on the shore, shore, shore,
I'm a maiden again on the shore.''
There is a young maiden, she lives all alone,
She lives all alone on the shore, oh,
There's nothing she can find to comfort her mind
But to roam all alone on the shore, shore, shore,
But to roam all alone on the shore.'
I paused a bit before questioning 'Let me guess . . . You learned that part from our Da?' Jonathan nodded, looking out as he replied 'Yeah . . . He used to only sing the last 5 verses to me, and always kept me guessing as to what happened before . . . I always thought she was a mermaid, for some strange reason.'
I laughed, and leaned against the rails, sighing 'I know a few tales about kings and such. I lingered around to listen to some of the few women that came into the inn, and they had amazing stories to tell!' This got Jon's attention, and he asked excitedly 'What kinds of stories? Are there any about pirates? Huh? Huh?'
'You're like an annoying child who won't shut his mouth!' I exclaimed, rubbing the heel of my hand hard on the crown of his head, and he ducked out from under it, poking my underarm, right where I happened to be the most ticklish. 'Ack!' I cried, leaning over to one side as he darted out of reach, running over to make a rude face at me from the stairway up to the quarterdeck. With a wry smirk, I called 'I'll you for that, you little monkey!', and ran after him, leaping up the stairs in order to catch him.
Anamaria was now bickering with Jack on what should be done first, either look for a place to stay the night, or go drinking first, and then fall down drunk in an alley. So far, Anamaria was winning by force. 'You stupid man! Why would we get drunk first? We need to find a place to bunk th' night, y'addleplate!' Anamaria hissed, swatting him over the head harshly, and I caught Jon right before he accidentally bumped into Anamaria, which would result in great bodily harm, at the rate she was going.
Jack briefly looked over at me, and then up at the sun, which was at a 35 degree angle in the sky, and he said to Anamaria 'Fine. We'll find a place t' stay firs', then off t' get drunk, savvy?' This caught Anamaria off guard, and she looked quite taken aback at his reply, saying warily 'Ye're sure?' Jack just stared straight ahead, and nodded in recognition, saying 'Aye.'
She sniffed at him, paused a moment, and then turned to descend the stairway, walking over to help the short man with tying a link. Silence reigned until I sighed, and said to Jon (whose head reached just under my chin) 'You'd best get on with the duties assigned to you, Jon. Run off!' Jon wiggled out of my grasp, straightening his ruffled hair and saying in a grumpy manner 'I'm not a child anymore, Marie! Don't treat me like one!' He smirked again, and bounced off down the stairs, running about to help anyone in need.
''e's a good lad, Marie. Couldn't 'ave anyone better than 'im.' I heard Jack say, and I turned to face him, asking 'How well did you know our father?' Jack was silent for a moment, and then answered with a sigh 'As well as I knew Bootstrap Bill Turner. . . Like a brother, 'e were. Never really approved o' me English, though.' I giggled a little, but then stopped, thinking harshly ((Pirates don't giggle, you nit! Stow it!))
Jack just gave me that roguish grin, and then cleared his throat, asking 'Marie, could ye do me a favour?' 'What kind of favour?' I asked, one eyebrow raised in a mimic of Anamaria when she got suspicious. He just shrugged, and twiddled with the helm a little before answering 'Change into yer dress . . . It should be in me chest, at the end o' me bed.' I gagged a bit, and was about to ask why, when he said (without looking at me) 'Ye'll look odd in th' pirate's garb ye got on now, 'specially in Tortuga. If ye dress like th' lass y'are, then ye'll get less stares an' even less challenges.'
I just sighed, gave a half-hearted 'Yes, Captain.', and left to change.
What a long evening THIS was going to be!
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THERE!
I HAVE UPDATED!
I DON'T EXPECT ANYONE TO BUG ME FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER TWO WEEKS!
I'M LEAVING ON VACATION, SO. . .IF I DON'T UPDATE, NOW YOU KNOW WHY!
LIVE LONG AND CHICKEN!
I love you all!
Partouf: ME TOO! (hugs everyone)
--Marie the Black Rose--
