Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I don't pretend to own anything, I'm
using this stuff without permission just for the amusement of anyone
that reads this. Don't sue me.
(End of last chapter: And then there was a light.)
It was only a flicker, really, but that was enough. Squinting, she leaned forward a little more and tried to see exactly what was happening. A moment later there was another. This time she knew. She started for the crow's nest.
On the Black Pearl, a crewman fumbled to cover the lantern back up. His struggle was put to an end as Anamaria took both it and the cloth that was supposed to be shielding it from view from his hands and, moving the cover so it would conceal the flame, and swiftly tossed it overboard. "Be careful," she hissed at him in irritation, glancing toward the other ship anxiously. It remained silent, moving only with the gentle rolling of the waves.
"Captain!"
A door opened and the woman strode in. "Barringer," she said, coming to a stop in front of the rickety table where the grizzled old captain sat, maps and papers strewn about and a bottle of liquor half sloshed onto things, "It's the Black Pearl." She didn't need to say more. The captain sat up quickly, upsetting the table and the bottle, his chair clattering on the twisted planks. "Here." She pulled a large, ornate sword from its decorative place on the wall and tossed it to him. He caught it deftly and nodded to her.
"Get the men, Kit," he ordered, pulling a belt loaded with pistols and knives around his waist as he spoke. She nodded, pretending to check her belt for her own weapons. Instead her hand passed over the maps laid out on the table, sifting silently through papers until she found the one she was looking for. She quickly pocketed it, took a sip from the bottle, and headed for the deck.
The Pearl wasn't far away now. If she really looked, she could see the faint outline of the black sails against the black sky. She quickened her pace, throwing open the hatch and clattering down the short ladder. "The Black Pearl's out there!" she shouted, pushing the door open and disrupting the poker game. The men cheered drunkenly. Kit shook her head as she stepped over an unconscious sailor that was blocking the way to her hammock. They didn't stand a chance, not like this. She sighed and kneeled down on the swaying bed, reaching up into the wooden supports, and ran her fingers over the musty, splintering wood until they came across something soft. Removing the small sack, she peeked inside to make sure nothing was missing before fastening it to her belt with a large knot. Glancing around the room as she stood up from the hammock, she caught sight of a grappling hook near the door.
They would never make it, she knew. There was no way for these men to win this fight. Why should she die with them? Had they ever treated her well enough for that? What loyalty did she have to any of them, anyway?
None, she decided, picking up the coiled rope and testing the weight of the rusty hook at the end. It would do. She glanced at the drunks behind her, almost feeling sorry for them for a fleeting moment. They had no idea what they were up against, but then, when in life did anyone? They were pirates, she reminded herself, this was what they chose. Tossing the coil over her shoulder, she pushed past a few more men and headed for the deck.
The Pearl slid silently into place next to the other ship, the crew waiting in tense anticipation. Tonight was the night they had been waiting for for months, ever since word first got out that the single most important piece of paper in the Caribbean was on this ship. Not many had believed it, at least not enough to invest the time and money to go looking; the Viper was a small, old ship, not exactly fast, and without enough guns to cause much damage to an opponent without sustaining more than that itself. A bucket of junk, in essence. Who would believe that the way to a famous, tirelessly hunted treasure would be through this?
Well, Jack Sparrow did. And he had been quite sure that nobody else would be chasing after this ship, which was surely no place to house such a valuable map, or anything at all for that matter, valuable or not. It looked, he noted with a bit of a grin, as if it would simply collapse into a pile of rotting timber at any moment. Nonetheless, the crew was already assembled on the deck, looking determined despite the obvious fact that they could not win. Jack grinned again and took the last step down from the quarterdeck.
Alongside the stern of the Viper, Kit moved leaned slowly out of the shadows and pulled the paper from her pocket. In the dim light she read the numbers, repeating them to herself a few times so she wouldn't forget, and tore up the paper before tossing it into the inky sea. Whispering the numbers under her breath, she picked up the oars and began rowing the rickety boat quickly but quietly toward the far side of the Black Pearl. She could hear the sounds of a fight- the guns firing, the swords clashing, the men screaming- and the smells of blood and gunpowder mingled in the air.
Kit pulled hard on the oars once more, and brought herself to a stop directly below the quarterdeck of the Pearl. She tossed the grappling hook up to catch on the rail and tugged on it. When it didn't give way, she started to climb.
"Captain, it wasn't there!"
"What do you mean, it wasn't there? It has to be there! That bastard of a captain probably hid it, that's all!"
Kit held onto the rope and peered out at the scene before her. A mass of pirates were fighting on the deck, the Pearl's crew quite obviously winning over the Viper's, who for the most part were slightly intoxicated. She had just made it to the deck and had been about to climb over the rail when Sparrow and the other pirate had appeared; now she watched the exchange with half a smile, waiting for her chance.
"Find it," Sparrow said firmly.
"Aye, Captain," the other pirate said, and started back toward the Viper.
Kit waited until his back was turned, then climbed quickly over the rail. As she got to her feet another wave of Viper crewmen swung onto the Pearl, brandishing weapons, and were quickly absorbed into the fight. Kit pulled a dagger from its sheath on her belt and crept quietly down the steps to the main deck, moving back into the shadows as soon she reached it. Sparrow was fighting one of the Viper's crewman a few yards ahead and Kit inched closer, taking care not to step out of the shadows until she was right there.
Suddenly there was a dagger pressed to Jack's throat. "I got it," said a female voice behind him, and the man he had been fighting backed off with a nod. As soon as he was gone, Jack's attacker pushed him to face her, not removing the dagger. "Hello, Captain Sparrow," she said pleasantly, smiling. "What would you say... if I told you I knew where to find that map you're looking for?"
Ok! I wrote it today cause I wanted to get something up before I go on vacation for a week, maybe more. And now to answer my awesome reviewers!! you guys kick arse!!
Chelsey: Thanks! Glad you liked it. Much more to come!
saxony: Thanks! Nope its not my first my other one's called The Past Is Never Gone which I'm working on too... hopefully I'll update that one when I get back.
Vipera berus: Thanks! I was gonna make it longer but I wanted to post it and see how it went over first. I'll update again as soon as I can.
Don't forget to review!!!
(End of last chapter: And then there was a light.)
It was only a flicker, really, but that was enough. Squinting, she leaned forward a little more and tried to see exactly what was happening. A moment later there was another. This time she knew. She started for the crow's nest.
On the Black Pearl, a crewman fumbled to cover the lantern back up. His struggle was put to an end as Anamaria took both it and the cloth that was supposed to be shielding it from view from his hands and, moving the cover so it would conceal the flame, and swiftly tossed it overboard. "Be careful," she hissed at him in irritation, glancing toward the other ship anxiously. It remained silent, moving only with the gentle rolling of the waves.
"Captain!"
A door opened and the woman strode in. "Barringer," she said, coming to a stop in front of the rickety table where the grizzled old captain sat, maps and papers strewn about and a bottle of liquor half sloshed onto things, "It's the Black Pearl." She didn't need to say more. The captain sat up quickly, upsetting the table and the bottle, his chair clattering on the twisted planks. "Here." She pulled a large, ornate sword from its decorative place on the wall and tossed it to him. He caught it deftly and nodded to her.
"Get the men, Kit," he ordered, pulling a belt loaded with pistols and knives around his waist as he spoke. She nodded, pretending to check her belt for her own weapons. Instead her hand passed over the maps laid out on the table, sifting silently through papers until she found the one she was looking for. She quickly pocketed it, took a sip from the bottle, and headed for the deck.
The Pearl wasn't far away now. If she really looked, she could see the faint outline of the black sails against the black sky. She quickened her pace, throwing open the hatch and clattering down the short ladder. "The Black Pearl's out there!" she shouted, pushing the door open and disrupting the poker game. The men cheered drunkenly. Kit shook her head as she stepped over an unconscious sailor that was blocking the way to her hammock. They didn't stand a chance, not like this. She sighed and kneeled down on the swaying bed, reaching up into the wooden supports, and ran her fingers over the musty, splintering wood until they came across something soft. Removing the small sack, she peeked inside to make sure nothing was missing before fastening it to her belt with a large knot. Glancing around the room as she stood up from the hammock, she caught sight of a grappling hook near the door.
They would never make it, she knew. There was no way for these men to win this fight. Why should she die with them? Had they ever treated her well enough for that? What loyalty did she have to any of them, anyway?
None, she decided, picking up the coiled rope and testing the weight of the rusty hook at the end. It would do. She glanced at the drunks behind her, almost feeling sorry for them for a fleeting moment. They had no idea what they were up against, but then, when in life did anyone? They were pirates, she reminded herself, this was what they chose. Tossing the coil over her shoulder, she pushed past a few more men and headed for the deck.
The Pearl slid silently into place next to the other ship, the crew waiting in tense anticipation. Tonight was the night they had been waiting for for months, ever since word first got out that the single most important piece of paper in the Caribbean was on this ship. Not many had believed it, at least not enough to invest the time and money to go looking; the Viper was a small, old ship, not exactly fast, and without enough guns to cause much damage to an opponent without sustaining more than that itself. A bucket of junk, in essence. Who would believe that the way to a famous, tirelessly hunted treasure would be through this?
Well, Jack Sparrow did. And he had been quite sure that nobody else would be chasing after this ship, which was surely no place to house such a valuable map, or anything at all for that matter, valuable or not. It looked, he noted with a bit of a grin, as if it would simply collapse into a pile of rotting timber at any moment. Nonetheless, the crew was already assembled on the deck, looking determined despite the obvious fact that they could not win. Jack grinned again and took the last step down from the quarterdeck.
Alongside the stern of the Viper, Kit moved leaned slowly out of the shadows and pulled the paper from her pocket. In the dim light she read the numbers, repeating them to herself a few times so she wouldn't forget, and tore up the paper before tossing it into the inky sea. Whispering the numbers under her breath, she picked up the oars and began rowing the rickety boat quickly but quietly toward the far side of the Black Pearl. She could hear the sounds of a fight- the guns firing, the swords clashing, the men screaming- and the smells of blood and gunpowder mingled in the air.
Kit pulled hard on the oars once more, and brought herself to a stop directly below the quarterdeck of the Pearl. She tossed the grappling hook up to catch on the rail and tugged on it. When it didn't give way, she started to climb.
"Captain, it wasn't there!"
"What do you mean, it wasn't there? It has to be there! That bastard of a captain probably hid it, that's all!"
Kit held onto the rope and peered out at the scene before her. A mass of pirates were fighting on the deck, the Pearl's crew quite obviously winning over the Viper's, who for the most part were slightly intoxicated. She had just made it to the deck and had been about to climb over the rail when Sparrow and the other pirate had appeared; now she watched the exchange with half a smile, waiting for her chance.
"Find it," Sparrow said firmly.
"Aye, Captain," the other pirate said, and started back toward the Viper.
Kit waited until his back was turned, then climbed quickly over the rail. As she got to her feet another wave of Viper crewmen swung onto the Pearl, brandishing weapons, and were quickly absorbed into the fight. Kit pulled a dagger from its sheath on her belt and crept quietly down the steps to the main deck, moving back into the shadows as soon she reached it. Sparrow was fighting one of the Viper's crewman a few yards ahead and Kit inched closer, taking care not to step out of the shadows until she was right there.
Suddenly there was a dagger pressed to Jack's throat. "I got it," said a female voice behind him, and the man he had been fighting backed off with a nod. As soon as he was gone, Jack's attacker pushed him to face her, not removing the dagger. "Hello, Captain Sparrow," she said pleasantly, smiling. "What would you say... if I told you I knew where to find that map you're looking for?"
Ok! I wrote it today cause I wanted to get something up before I go on vacation for a week, maybe more. And now to answer my awesome reviewers!! you guys kick arse!!
Chelsey: Thanks! Glad you liked it. Much more to come!
saxony: Thanks! Nope its not my first my other one's called The Past Is Never Gone which I'm working on too... hopefully I'll update that one when I get back.
Vipera berus: Thanks! I was gonna make it longer but I wanted to post it and see how it went over first. I'll update again as soon as I can.
Don't forget to review!!!