Disclaimer: In the words of the late Captain Barbossa, "I OWN NOTHIN', not
the wind on my face--"...no, that can't be right. Anyway, you get the
drift...Also, my pirate-speak is severely lacking (as you probably could
tell from the last chapter...)...you have been warned. The last few
chapters were just set up, now we're starting to pick up with my favorite
part...Jack! Avanti con romanza! Enjoy!
Here's To Freedom (Chapter 5)
Captain Jack Sparrow's head shot up at the knock on his cabin door. The combination of the loud rapping and his rapid movement proved to make the rum's effect all the more potent. With a wince, he called out, "Come in!"
No sooner had he slurred the words than his crew burst in, dumping armloads of glittering swag on any and all free surfaces in the small room and shouting about their adventures in pillaging to their captain. The excess noise brought his splitting headache to a new level of agony that he hadn't thought existed prior to experiencing it.
With a hefty growl, he silenced the men. "To the deck, boys! Unless it's a rope you fancy having slung 'round your neck, we'd best be leaving!" Jack hollered, "Now off with you!"
The crew took up another cheer as they filtered out of the captain's quarters to the top deck, leaving him to discuss the evening's events with his first mate. Dropping down into his worn wingback chair, Jack put his feet up on the desk and massaged his temples to alleviate some of the throbbing, to no avail. "So, how did you fare?" he asked with a sigh, raising his eyes to Casey.
"Ol' Eaton didn't have the money, but he did have a house full of guests, so we looted to make up for it. Seein' as most of his guests were rich, the booty'll probably amount to a king's ransom!" he said, the thrill of the plunder still raising the pitch of his voice.
At his close friend's account, Jack sat up, putting his boot-clad feet back on the floor and leaning expectantly over his desk. "Whaddaya mean Eaton didn't have the money? The man rivals the damn governor in funds!"
Casey shrugged and replied, "Jack, I'm juss tellin' you what I know. He said he di'n have it."
Puzzled, he tucked the bit of information aside to come back to later. "Did anything else of particular interest happen?" he asked.
Seriously contemplating his question, the second in command thought back to the night's earlier occurrences. Just when Jack was prepared to ask him to get a good night's sleep over it, Casey jumped up out of the wooden chair he had been sitting in, across from the captain's desk. "Come ta think of it, there was somethin' goin' on. They were all congratulatin' the gov'na and Eaton's boy. Probably a weddin's comin' up," he said with a shrug. "Oh, and some bloke asked me who me cap'in was. We answered him right quick and proudly, but I din't find out why. I pro'lly shoulda, right?"
Toying with the pair of braids hanging from his chin, Jack furrowed his brow in deep thought. An engagement involving the Governor and young Eaton...could it be Elizabeth? No, it couldn't have been because William had been after her. That still left the question of who was asking after him! But then who else would be marrying the lad?
Still unsure of all of the details that were swimming through his mind, Jack nodded to his first mate in thanks. "Good work, Mister Shaw. Go keep an eye on the crew. I'll take third watch tomorrow."
"Aye, cap'in. Have a pleasurable evenin'," he said, taking his leave and letting the rough, oak door slam shut on his way out.
Leaning back in his chair once more, he shook his head. "Not bloody well likely!"
* * * *
Will watched through the front window as the last of Jack's men scrambled down the hill by torchlight with Master Eaton's valuables. Through the thin panes of glass, he could hear them bellowing the words to a pirate song that he'd often heard his wife singing. He struggled to suppress a grin at the thought of his old friend, and shook his head as he turned to face the rest of the guests.
"Are they gone?!" asked the governor, his voice rather shrill from fear. After his first major experience with pirates, almost two years prior, when Elizabeth was taken hostage aboard the Black Pearl, he had developed a justifiable aversion to them.
Nodding, he approached the huddled mass at the center of the hall and said, "They've gone. Is everyone alright?" Will's eyes scanned the room before him, but no one appeared to be injured or harmed in any way, as was typical of the captain. He liked to leave survivors to spread the tales of his ferocity throughout the Spanish Main.
Taking one final inventory of the people in attendance, he noticed something. "Where is Miss Natalie?"
An audible gasp could be heard from the crowd who all turned to their neighbors to whisper and seek out the missing girl in their midst. Slowly, as they failed to find her, wails and cries rose and filled the cold, marble echo chamber with haunting sound. Someone in the fray raised up an emerald green, satin fan that she had found on the floor...the same fan that Natalie had been seen with earlier.
This seemed to be enough proof for those present, and suddenly, a holler went up, voicing what everyone else had been thinking. "She's been kidnapped! The pirates have the governor's daughter!"
* * * *
Here's To Freedom (Chapter 5)
Captain Jack Sparrow's head shot up at the knock on his cabin door. The combination of the loud rapping and his rapid movement proved to make the rum's effect all the more potent. With a wince, he called out, "Come in!"
No sooner had he slurred the words than his crew burst in, dumping armloads of glittering swag on any and all free surfaces in the small room and shouting about their adventures in pillaging to their captain. The excess noise brought his splitting headache to a new level of agony that he hadn't thought existed prior to experiencing it.
With a hefty growl, he silenced the men. "To the deck, boys! Unless it's a rope you fancy having slung 'round your neck, we'd best be leaving!" Jack hollered, "Now off with you!"
The crew took up another cheer as they filtered out of the captain's quarters to the top deck, leaving him to discuss the evening's events with his first mate. Dropping down into his worn wingback chair, Jack put his feet up on the desk and massaged his temples to alleviate some of the throbbing, to no avail. "So, how did you fare?" he asked with a sigh, raising his eyes to Casey.
"Ol' Eaton didn't have the money, but he did have a house full of guests, so we looted to make up for it. Seein' as most of his guests were rich, the booty'll probably amount to a king's ransom!" he said, the thrill of the plunder still raising the pitch of his voice.
At his close friend's account, Jack sat up, putting his boot-clad feet back on the floor and leaning expectantly over his desk. "Whaddaya mean Eaton didn't have the money? The man rivals the damn governor in funds!"
Casey shrugged and replied, "Jack, I'm juss tellin' you what I know. He said he di'n have it."
Puzzled, he tucked the bit of information aside to come back to later. "Did anything else of particular interest happen?" he asked.
Seriously contemplating his question, the second in command thought back to the night's earlier occurrences. Just when Jack was prepared to ask him to get a good night's sleep over it, Casey jumped up out of the wooden chair he had been sitting in, across from the captain's desk. "Come ta think of it, there was somethin' goin' on. They were all congratulatin' the gov'na and Eaton's boy. Probably a weddin's comin' up," he said with a shrug. "Oh, and some bloke asked me who me cap'in was. We answered him right quick and proudly, but I din't find out why. I pro'lly shoulda, right?"
Toying with the pair of braids hanging from his chin, Jack furrowed his brow in deep thought. An engagement involving the Governor and young Eaton...could it be Elizabeth? No, it couldn't have been because William had been after her. That still left the question of who was asking after him! But then who else would be marrying the lad?
Still unsure of all of the details that were swimming through his mind, Jack nodded to his first mate in thanks. "Good work, Mister Shaw. Go keep an eye on the crew. I'll take third watch tomorrow."
"Aye, cap'in. Have a pleasurable evenin'," he said, taking his leave and letting the rough, oak door slam shut on his way out.
Leaning back in his chair once more, he shook his head. "Not bloody well likely!"
* * * *
Will watched through the front window as the last of Jack's men scrambled down the hill by torchlight with Master Eaton's valuables. Through the thin panes of glass, he could hear them bellowing the words to a pirate song that he'd often heard his wife singing. He struggled to suppress a grin at the thought of his old friend, and shook his head as he turned to face the rest of the guests.
"Are they gone?!" asked the governor, his voice rather shrill from fear. After his first major experience with pirates, almost two years prior, when Elizabeth was taken hostage aboard the Black Pearl, he had developed a justifiable aversion to them.
Nodding, he approached the huddled mass at the center of the hall and said, "They've gone. Is everyone alright?" Will's eyes scanned the room before him, but no one appeared to be injured or harmed in any way, as was typical of the captain. He liked to leave survivors to spread the tales of his ferocity throughout the Spanish Main.
Taking one final inventory of the people in attendance, he noticed something. "Where is Miss Natalie?"
An audible gasp could be heard from the crowd who all turned to their neighbors to whisper and seek out the missing girl in their midst. Slowly, as they failed to find her, wails and cries rose and filled the cold, marble echo chamber with haunting sound. Someone in the fray raised up an emerald green, satin fan that she had found on the floor...the same fan that Natalie had been seen with earlier.
This seemed to be enough proof for those present, and suddenly, a holler went up, voicing what everyone else had been thinking. "She's been kidnapped! The pirates have the governor's daughter!"
* * * *