"Rum" was the only thing on Jack Sparrow's manipulative mind as he swaggered into his favourite tavern. Tortuga had an air for keeping troubles out of your mind and bad feelings at bay, and Jack had no doubt that this was partly due to the wonderful effects of Tortuga's rum. Jack however, was not one to question this.
He began to manoeuvre his way around the group in the bar. The lights were bright and he soon had no trouble at all seeing the craggy man in front of him intend an and turned the opposite way. Suddenly he felt a firm grip on his shoulder. Stopping in his tracks he rolled his eyes. Not that easy.
"Aye, sir" he said as he rolled his head around to face the man. "I just overheard that woman over there", he continued, pointing to the first attractive blonde he could find," was just searching for a befitting man…just like yourself".
With a suggestive wave of his hand and a nudge in the right direction, Jack watched as the man grunted, attempted a satisfied smile, and left, taking his stench with him. Pleased with himself, Jack slipped away.
Marlee ran ahead of Benjamin as they made their way, across the sandy, moonlit shoreline of Tortuga. As they turned round a bend on the islands beach, the many wooden buildings of Tortuga, all bunched together, came into view. In a sudden movement Ben slowed to a halt and stared. He flung out his arms and then brought them together in a loud clap. The brilliantly lighted island was in full swing. A cloud of smoke streamed out from the islands midst, while the untroubled inhabitants of Tortuga rampaged and yielded to the reigning chaos. Tortuga looked fun.
A few metres in front of him, Marlee had stopped and was looking back at him.
"You'll get used to it lad, come on" she told himEMarlee ran ahead of Benjamin as they made their way, across the sandy, moonlit shoreline of Tortuga. As they turned round a bend on the islands beach, the many wooden buildings of Tortuga, all bunched together, came into view. In a sudden movement Ben slowed to a halt and stared. He flung out his arms and then brought them together in a loud clap. The brilliantly lighted island was in full swing. A cloud of smoke streamed out from the islands midst, while the untroubled inhabitants of Tortuga rampaged and yielded to the reigning chaos. Tortuga looked fun.
A few metres in front of him, Marlee had stopped and was looking back at him.
"You'll get used to it lad, come on" she told him, "Now listen, It'd probably be best if you stayed in one of the taverns closer to the shore, that way, me finding you, will become less complicated. Hmm?. "
Benjamin nodded and was already clambering up the beach towards an inn.
"I'll be back soon!" she called out after this retreating figure, before turning and walking determinedly into the midst of Tortuga.
Benjamin walked cautiously through the bright lighted bar. He walked slowly, holding one arm out to guide himself though the thick groups of cheery people, and the other to hold his freshly filled pint high above his blonde head. He spotted a free seat by the back stairs and immediately headed in that direction. There was only one other man sitting by the small square table, so Ben continued to push his way through without hesitation.
He sat down, carefully placing the tin mug in front of him and stared, wide-eyed, at the foam. He stopped a trickle of rum with his finger and slowly scooped it up, letting nothing go to waste.
The man opposite looked on bemused. His lips were twisted in the slightest of smiles, yet his eyes were shaded by the shadow of his tattered hat. His long dark hair was twisted into thick, dreadlocks which hung around his shoulders. He sat casually leaning back comfortably in his chair. One foot was bent and rested against the seat of the chair next to him, his elbow rested on the tabletop, whilst his other arm hung by his side.
"You're new here aren't you lad?" said the man.
Previously unaware of anyone watching him, Ben was suddenly startled upon hearing the unexpected voice. In reply, he sat silently say for a moment, then started, and then just settled for something in between a shrug and a nod.
"I'm just waiting. She seems determined, but she won't be that quick. Then again," noticed Ben,"I was wrong. Here she is now!"
"Aye, well lets take a look at your bony lass" said the man, slowly lifting his black hat from his eyes and looking in the same direction within the bar as Benjamin. Suddenly, he dropped his feet and blinked, as his dark eyes widened, he leaned his entire body forward, as if to see something more clearly.
"Oh dear lord…" he said under his breath as realisation hit, and swiftly swung his feet around his chair in one quick movement.
Confused, Benjamin watched as Jack, crouching slightly, dipped his hat, held onto the sabre at his side, and began to progress towards the creaky, untrustworthy stairs.
Marlee spotted Benjamin with ease. He was the only one sitting upright, but what was even easier to spot, was the unmistakable hair of the man sitting next to him, and the most un-subtle way in which he was trying to run away. Picking up pace, Marlee rolled her bright eyes, and continued to squeeze through the swarm of people. To Ben, the night was getting more and more puzzling as it wore on. He decided to leave his mug, and simply wait outside.
Unbeknownst to Jack, he had been noticed. As suddenly as he had left the table, with the same suddenness did he see the crimson material of a woman's skirt materialise in front of his eyes. As he gasped and shot upright, he felt a loud slap land right on his left cheek.
"Not sure I deserved that", he said as he turned his face back to see a stern Marlee, obviously furious.
"NO?" she replied, "How about this one then?" she continued as she instinctively lifted her slender arm, preparing it for another blow.
Jack paid no attention to this remark and slapped his arm around her wrist just before it landed on his cheek. Spotting the nearest passing drunk, he turned to him and handed over Marlee's tanned hand into the man's tight grip.
"She's all yours ", he said to the passer-by, and gave Marlee a small wave and a wide smile. Marlee's shocked face turned into something, which he knew was a small cheeky smile, yet barely visible.
"What makes you think, that this will get rid of me?" she said sceptically.
The last thing Jack saw was Marlee cock an eyebrow, and he ran off, up the rough, wooden stairs.
It didn't take Marlee long to get rid of the disillusioned drunk, and within a second she was running up the stairs after Jack. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Marlee turned her head to look down the hall and saw the heel of Jack's foot disappear through the open doorway of the farthest room. Hitching up her dark skirt she ran towards it, slowing down only to notice a wooden chair standing just outside the door. Picking it up in one fluid movement, she turned into the doorway and threw it with all her might towards the far end of the room. The chairs flight across the nearly empty room was interrupted as it smashed across the figure of Jack, who was halfway out the window. Marlee saw how her brother lost his grip and caught onto the window sill on his way down. Marlee ran up to the window and looked down.
Jack was still swinging, holding on with both hands, and watching his precious hat fall to the ground, revealing the ever present crimson bandana on his head. She leaned out of the window and placed both hands across the wooden frame of the window, and looked down at Jack.
As Jack returned her eye contact, He gave her the cockiest smile he could muster.
"Well, this is a nice little reunion", he said mockingly. "You need to find yourself a man, Marlee. You've obviously got nothing better to do with your time than follo-"
"YOU DESERTED ME!" she yelled.
"NO… not deserted….left…but with every intention of coming back." Jack replied assuringly.
"BUT YOU DIDN'T! ", she retorted, "You owe me Jack, so this time you're doing things my way"
"How did you get here?" he asked still, hanging out the window
"That's not important"
"NOT IMPORTANT? You come here, out of the blue, start HARRASSING me during a peaceful evening, and you think that how you got here, isn't a VITAL PART OF THE STORY!"
Marlee pinched him. Hard.
"Come up and I'll tell you" said Marlee simply, tapping her fingernails against the weathered wood. Jack just stared.
"What do you want me to do?" said Jack,
"I just want you to meet with a certain fellow"
"Who?"
"…Norrington"
"WHAT!"
"No…JACK….." she said, but too late, Jack had let go of the ledge, and holding onto a beam on his right, he slid effortlessly down to the ground.
He dusted himself off, and with one hand slammed his hat victoriously on his head, he ran off down the busy street, with no one paying him the slightest bit of attention. Spotting Ben standing around in the middle of the street, she saw Jack heading right in his direction.
"BENJAMIN! Stop him!" cried Marlee, as she pointed to the escaping figure of Jack. Still somewhat confused about the entire fiasco, yet without further ado, Benjamin picked up the nearest object, which happened to be a giant sack of hay, and swung it around just as Jack turned his way. With the sack landing somewhere in between his eyes, Jack was knocked off his feet, and smacked down to the ground in a matter of seconds. He groaned as his back hit the ground, and a moment later flung his hands up to lay them up above his head, as if in surrender and waited expectantly.
Marlee was already running out of the bar, and running up to the men. As he approached a resigned Jack, she sat on his stomach, with her feet firmly placed by Jacks right side. Paying no attention from the groan which escaped from his lips, she sat there for a moment catching her breath and said nothing. She scooped her hair up from its previous place on her back and let it fall on one side of her head. She then looked down on her amused, yet slightly annoyed brother and smiled triumphantly. She laughed softly, and lightly smacked his cheek.
"Do we have deal then?"
