thanks again to Ellenar: many interesting questions. You'll find the answers in the next few chapters. And Santiago will be back soon... Do we want Norrington to be saved? That's the best question. Well, if it's up to Rowan and her temper... guess you've already realized that she can be quite a little bitch... but in the end I'm gonna be the one to decide
5. Of Crustaceans and a storm
The next day was one of those that never seems to end. Everyone was bored from having to stay in the Governor's chamber for one more day and staying in one room all day long with Captain Jack Sparrow being bored wasn't much fun either. The strain increased with every hour. They had to fear that someone would betray them, that Norrington's men would find them or that Ratbone would track them down by magic. Hours went by in slow-motion but nothing happened. The Governor returned from his daily duties and said goodbye to Elisabeth without the guard being hot on his heels though he still wasn't amused about sharing his private chambers with a gang of pirates. He was even less amused when Scarlett asked him to call for Joshua only so she could make an offer to his slave that his slave accepted smiling boldly at him.
"Consider it well. You will end up at the gallows if you join these pirates and sail under a pirate's flag." the Governor warned strictly but that couldn't impress M'leh.
"Better a short life in freedom than to perish in slavery." he took off his stupid white wig and threw it at Governor Swann's feet before leaving the room with the pirates as a free man.
They snuck through Port Royal on hidden paths Will had sketched for them until they reached a quiet corner of the harbour. Scarlett took a deep breath of salty air tasting the width of the ocean and its promise of freedom when she saw Gibbs storming to a nearby boat. With a sharp whistle she called him back into line.
"Damned! This is a fishing boat. You're not going to steal the boat of a fisherman, aye?"
"Luv, it's to commandeer a ship- nautical term." Jack corrected her. "What kind of pirate are you?"
He shouldn't have said that as Scarlett faced him with wildly scintillating eyes." Surely not the kind who robs a poor fisherman off what he needs for his livelihood when there are plenty of dinghies around belonging to the Royal Navy. So is there any nautical term to distinguish between right and wrong? Besides, Escobar had promised to leave one of his longboats on the beach for us. So just keep your eyes open and your mouth shut."
"Hey, don't bitch at each other friends." Marris cheerfully embraced both of them in a conciliatory gesture. "We've got to stick together, aye?"
"Hmpf." Scarlett growled with a shrug.
Finally they found the longboat belonging to the Gavina and crossed over to the ship where a sailor guided them to the Captain's Cabin asking them polity to stay there until they've set sail and left Port Royal. Again they were close together in a room with nothing to do but wait though this time they were on aboard a ship and could feel the swell of the sea playing with its hull. This gentle rocking of the waves got all of them drowsy except for Jack Sparrow who sat next to Rowan Scarlett.
"Now, as we've got nothin' to do but wait again, why don't ye tell me a little story 'bout yerself startin' with why ye thanked me for killin' Barbossa?"
"Well, you knew him, aye? Do I have to explain more?" She was brief until she realized that he wouldn't be satisfied with this, so she added. "He killed my parents."
"Sorry to hear that. How did it happen?"
"It's a long story."
"Oh and we're really short of time, aye?"
Scarlett laughed.
"Now come on don't let me drag it all outta ye. In Tortuga, I've told ye a good story- so why don't ye just gimme one in return?" He didn't give up urging her to tell more.
"Ye've won." she grumbled and warned him that she wasn't a very good storyteller; nevertheless he looked at her curious. "My parents had been... well, a very strange couple indeed. He's an Irish soldier who'd been forced to join the English Navy and she's a Spanish Moor. They met when he got wounded in a war that had never been his own and got stranded on the beach of a land that was supposed to be hostile. She discovered the man washed ashore 'n as she's a good-hearted woman with great skills in healing she took him in her house and healed him. They fell in love though it's not easy being a lovin' couple when yer from two different counties that 're at war with each other. Also, they're very catholic down there in Spain 'n they mistrusted a Moor woman with great skills in healing anyway 'specially after she'd married a stranger. Soon there were rumours about witchcraft spreadin', which brought the inquisitors into the area. Now, these very much honoured 'n bloody god fearing men 'd the task to track down witches 'n execute 'em by trial of ordeal, and even if the golden age of inquisition had gone by they still liked to see women burn. Ye surely can imagine that me father didn't want to see his wife burn on a stake only for knowin' a lot 'bout herbs and how to use them for healin', for savin' his life. So he freed her from jail and they fled from this small fishin' village at Cape Finisterre to the next bigger town, Santiago de Compostela, where I was born..."
"Ah, so you've been born with the skills of healin' and breakin' someone from jail? Good hereditary factors I'd say."
"Well, well, well Captain Jack Sparrow is that yer way to actually thank me for rescuing ye?" she asked with a mockery voice.
"For pokin' me shoulder with yer dagger, for cheatin' 'n druggin' me?" he replied in the same tone looking sceptically at her ring and then at his own fingers. "Good trick though, should remember that. But now go on with yer story. What's happened then?"
"So what d' ye think did happen to a woman being sought-after by the Inquisition and who had the bad luck to be struck with a red-haired brat?"
"Nah, don't say that..." He reached out to touch her hair but she just shook her head surly.
"Stop that. Thought ye've wanted to hear a story 'n I'm not finished yet," she said with a cooler voice. She didn't really remember anymore what it had been like to move from one town to another when she was young always fleeing the inquisition until they finally reached Santander where they embarked a ship to the colonies. "I loved ships 'n the sea from the very first moment my feet touched the planks of that galleon called Estrella but unfortunately we weren't sailing under a lucky star as pirates commandeered our ship near the Bahamas. They weren't like you or me. They were a gang of the most bloodthirsty kind, the ones that murdered without consideration, plundered 'n raped. I had to watch their activities, had to watch them murder my parents... I was the only survivor 'cause the leader of this gang from hell had big plans with me. He'd be my pimp 'n I'd be his whore as he thought me bloody red hair 'd gain him a fortune. So he took me to a Tortugan brothel where the whores should raise me 'til I was old enough. Though they were really nice to me this actually wasn't what I'd planned to be my future. I never wanted to be the one to be decided upon but to make my own decisions so I shaved my head and ran away- straight into the arms of a Spaniard who luckily wasn't like other Spanish men... not one of this patriarchal machos who want women to keep to their traditional roles. He taught me everything I wanted to know including how to fight with a sword and how to sail a ship; he even build the Jewel Star for me. I owe him a lot. His name's Santiago."
If she had expected him to jump on that name she'd been wrong. He looked at her with honest sympathy but didn't react to the name of Santiago, and that puzzled her.
"Well you're not that bad in story-telling..."
She repeated Santiago's name once again and then added how Mr.Gibbs had called him. "Don Miguel."
Still there was no reaction concerning this only a clumsy attempt to do what- comfort her? Or was he just misusing the situation to touch her, to stroke her hair? He was much too close now looking at her with his dark brown eyes that she thought at once he'd try again to kiss her again and she didn't know how she would have reacted to it.
Suddenly there was a loud bang followed by two further and the moment was gone. A last salute of farewell to Elisabeth who was sailing to Europe or so the Governor still believed. Minutes later she arrived at the Captain's cabin with Will and cheerfully greeted the pirates who were all wide-awake now. The anchor was weighted and the Gavina slowly gained speed.
After all had greeted each other and settled down again a sleepy atmosphere arose once more as the ship sailed through calm waters. Yet Scarlett was restless. She looked at Jack Sparrow and impatiently elbowed his rips.
"Come on, you must know him as he knows you."
"Who?"
"Santiago- or Don Miguel."
Well there was some sort of fleeing memory from long ago flashing through his head but he couldn't capture it to make any sense so he just shrugged. "Sorry luv. Many people know me as I'm Captain Jack Sparrow but I can't remember all I've ever offended."
Her eyes narrowed. She just couldn't stand him when he was so full of himself and she immediately forgot what she nearly had been about to do before the canons were fired for salute. A little later Capitano Escobar arrived in the cabin.
"We're approaching Yallah bay soon, Captain Scarlett, so if you would please be so kind to show up on deck. I presume they won't be firing a broadside at us if they see your remarkable hair shining in the sun."
"Si Capitano, seguramente."
They walked up the companionway to the afterdeck followed by Jack. She turned to cast him a mocking glance. "What's the matter with you? D' ye wanna let your hair be shining in the sunlight as well?"
He just smirked and walked to the rail, overlooking the sea. She watched him for a moment before she understood how it must have been like for him to be locked up in cell or a room or even in the cabin here, as she would have felt the same. Escobar gave her the same suspecting gaze like Elisabeth had done in Port Royal, trying to impute her motives for rescuing Jack a romantic meaning. She didn't go into it.
"Well Capitano, once again thanks are in order and I really owe you a great deal; we all do. In the Turners luggage you'll find a few bottles of the finest Jamaican rum that can be sold at a quite nice price on the Spanish market- or you retire and drink it all by yourself."
"Muchas gracias, muy amable Señora Capitano. So am I right to assume that the Turners are not going to sail to Europe aboard the Gavina?"
Scarlett grinned at him cheekily. "No, they're gonna spend their honeymoon in Tortuga- they only don't know it yet. Now, would you like to tell it to them or shall rather I do it?"
"A gentleman always lets the lady go first." he answered politely but indicated that she'd made her bed and must lie on it now. She hadn't expected it to be any other way- on the other hand...
"Captain Sparrow, please be so kind as to inform the Turners that we're leaving this ship soon and crossing to the Jewel."
Jack should have known better and been warned because, as a rule, if she spoke so nicely it wasn't wise to trust her. Of course neither Will nor Elisabeth were acquainted with the fact that they weren't going to Europe but fortunately Will's annoyance didn't focus on him as the whelp was smart enough to notice which way the wind was blowing.
"Where is that red pirate-witch going to take us?" he asked Marris furiously but the blonde haired pirate just smiled him without being impressed and said only one word. "Tortuga."
"Ah ye should appreciate that, whelp. Tortuga- the most promisin' island in the whole Caribbean."
Will couldn't understand what Jack was raving about as he only remembered dirty streets crowded with filthy, drunken, cursing and fighting people, mainly lawless villains and whores. Well that might sound tempting to a pirate but it certainly wasn't a place where he wanted Elisabeth to be. He left Jack behind and rushed to find Rowan Scarlett. She could be in a crowd of people yet she'd strike attention with her flaming mane.
"You! I won't allow you to put my wife into danger!"
"Oh we're back to this topic again." Scarlett sighed, suddenly feeling quite fed up with all of it. She simply climbed over the rail and down the ladder to the longboat that has been sent from the Jewel, only wanting to go home.
"How did you get the idea to take Elisabeth to Tortuga?"
"To avoid anything happening to her."
"But this is not a suitable place for a lady to be."
Scarlett didn't answer and even didn't care anymore if anyone else besides Marris followed her to the longboat. She saw Jack talking to Will but couldn't hear what he said; anyway he must have found the right words to convince his friend to climb down the bloody ladder and into the boat. Finally they were ready to put out.
"You'll see that Tortuga isn't as bad if you stay away from the harbour." Marris tried to cheer up Will with his imperturbable good mood and he seemed to be successful. At least the young man didn't look that grisly anymore but managed a restrained smile.
"Well, it's just not the place I'd chosen for honeymoon." he admitted.
"The hinterland's really nice actually. There are green, softly curved ranges of hills with plantations, nice estates of well-off planters and some hidden bays with beautiful beaches where you can go swimming." Scarlett had just finished when she remembered that it probably wasn't proper for a lady like Elisabeth to go swimming in hidden bays, no matter how beautiful the beaches are. It came to her mind that it must be dreadfully boring to be tortured with all the do's and don'ts of high society, always considering what's decent or what impression you'd leave. So it was much better being a pirate and not giving a shit about decorum to have the ability to enjoy the beauty of hidden beaches and crystal-clear water. She was still deep in thoughts when Will addressed her.
"How long do we have to stay there and when are we sailing to Shanghai?"
She shook her head in confusion. It occurred to her that he'd just said when are we sailing to Shanghai? - but this couldn't be as no one had ever talked about that. None? She looked at Jack who had squeezed himself next to her at the bow of the boat. He smirked. Now she got it straight how he'd persuaded Will. Well, well she'd taken him for a ride a couple of times and now it was payback-time.
"C'mon luv don't be irritated." he said but she'd already jumped to her feet which caused the boat to rock dangerously. "Hey, d' ye want us to sink?"
"No, I'd only like to drown you." She sat down again and resisted the urge to really do so.
"But what's wrong with the idea that we're sailing to Shanghai and search Will's father?"
"Oh, there's nothing wrong with searchin' Will's father- it's the 'we' I've problems with. You can do whatever ye wanna but I'd prefer not being integrated." The hull of the Jewel Star rose in front of her like a huge cliff now and reminded her that there was something else she had to clarify with Jack. "By the way, this is my ship and I'm the Captain. Ye'd better bear that in mind, keep quiet and call me Captain instead of luv. And that's Captain's order, savvy? "
"Yer wish's my command, luv... um, Captain Scarlett." he said with exaggerated courtesy and a broad, golden gleaming smile. While she ignored him waving a last good-bye to the Gavina and its Captain Escobar, Jack Sparrow climbed up the ladder and unexpectedly faced a pair of snapping blue claws that belonged to an angry crustacean. He tried to get out of the way swaying a bit too much in his attempt to do so and nearly fell over the rail. It was Scarlett who helped him by giving him a push in the back.
"I've said I'd like to drown you- no need to do it yerself."
"Yer too kind." Jack gasped with clenched teeth, feeling a painful heat shooting up his back that nearly made him scream but he only went quite pale for a moment.
At once it occurred to her that she might have treated him too roughly. She didn't ask him if he was all right as he wouldn't have told her anyway; she just ordered Marris to assign beds to all their guests.
"Ah Maharani Scarlett brings guests. Very good. Rashid makes food for all, very good. Look! Isn't it a beauty!" A dark-skinned man with shaved head welcomed Captain Scarlett waving a blue crab in one hand and proudly pointing to a bucket with even more crustaceans. "What you think, eh? Cangrejos con pineapple 'n curry?"
"Sounds tempting."
"Riquíssimo!" he promised, making a gesture of total delight and then turned to Jack Sparrow for further confirmation while holding the still snapping crawfish straight in front of his nose. Again Jack made an attempt to retreat, maybe fearing for his nose. Rashid just laughed. "Don't worry. Really delicious with curry. You taste tonight."
Jack bared his teeth instead of smiling and staggered away to inspect the ship he was on, wondering how long it would take the crew to finally weigh anchor and set sails. Well, if it had been his ship he'd already barked orders. Actually, it was hard for him not to do so as he'd never been guest on a ship before- either he'd commanded or commandeered it.
He watched Scarlett being welcomed by her crew. They seemed to be quite fond of her but that was no basis to run a ship as respect was needed as well, so it really surprised him that she only had to whistle sharply and everyone was back on his position. There was no shouting or neither yelling nor barking orders- a whistle from her was enough to start hectic activities on deck. The crew was a perfectly united team that really worked hand in hand that's why the Jewel Star left the bay much sooner than he'd ever thought.
"The rigging's some sort of new-fashioned, these blocks 'n tackles 're much easier to handle, ye know." Marris came up to him smiling like he always did as if nothing could ever trouble him. "Well, guess ye'd fancy havin' a closer look at the Jewel before I show ye where ye can rest, aye? Mind ye if I'll show ye round? Oh, and it's not to keep an eye on you or something like this, savvy. I can leave ye alone as well if ye wanna, no problem with that.."
During the first few hours of their voyage back to Tortuga conditions couldn't have been better; there was a fresh wind blowing, filling the canvas with a crackling sound. Scarlett ordered to brace the sails fully and the Jewel Star nearly seemed to fly across the waves. But late afternoon the wind decreased more and more that they had to set some additional staysails to keep going. It was then when Scarlett decided to change course and sail south round Hispaniola instead of sailing the Windward Passage though this route would take longer. However, it occurred to her that it would be the safer way in case someone followed them and she was quite sure that Norrington would try to track them down.
At dusk, a bell rang for diner. Marris rushed to take over the helm, as he knew damn well how offended Rashid could feel if the Captain herself was not one of the first to enjoy his meal.
CaptainScarlett already sat at a table with Will and Elisabeth when Jack entered the mess. Having expected a plain, functional set up room like on all other ships he was surprised now that this one nearly had the same atmosphere of a good tavern; there were oriental lamps on the walls spreading a cosy light. Also the food was not of the quality you usually get on a pirate ship. It smelled like exotic spices that reminded him of Singapore. A sizzling pan was placed on the table and he saw his old friend- the evil snapping crustacean- swimming with others in a creamy, yellowish sauce.
While he greedily stuffed down everything he was served, Will obviously had some problems with unfamiliar hot spices. His face turned red and his eyes filled with tears. Jack tapped the younger man's shoulder sympathetically.
"'t happens if ye've not been to Singapore, whelp."
"Madras." Rashid corrected. "Me I'm from Madras."
Singapore or Madras didn't change anything for Will and he already had doubts about sailing to Asia to search for his father as he would have burned his insides out before he'd even got there.
"Me I was personal chef of Maharaja of Madras." Rashid continued and though he spat out on the floor to make clear what he thought about the Maharaja, Elisabeth looked at him with confusion.
"You've had a decent profession and you're surely a great cook- so why did you become a pirate?"
"To keep me balls."
Jack gasped, Will turned even redder if possible and most of the pirates burst into laughter when Elisabeth politely asked. "Pardon?"
Rashid wanted to make a gesture to underline his words but Scarlett kept him from doing so. "Stop it! She's a fine lady." She turned to Elisabeth to explain. "Rashid was personal chef of the Maharaja when he was offered a promotion. He should be honoured and become cook for the Maharaja's wives as well, and this special honour he wasn't allowed to turn down. Problem's only that all who're serving the Maharanis had to be eunuchs and he didn't want to be one. That's why he escaped, looking for a ship to take him away before the Maharaja found out and that's how we met."
"'n me I'm still complete." Rashid grasped between his legs and weighed his private parts with an overjoyed smile in his face.
"Oh, I see." whispered Elisabeth embarrassed and a bit stunned from talk that shouldn't be meant for decent ladies' ears. Will wasn't very happy with the situation as well.
"Darling, we'd better leave now and go to bed." he said softly and surely without the intention to give suggestions but of course the pirates burst into laughter once again; one shouted:
"Guess he wants to find out if he's still complete!"
Though it was only good-natured teasing the Turners hastily left the mess and shortly afterwards Scarlett went back to the helm to navigate the Jewel Star safely through the night.
-
Jack woke at dawn, or at least he thought it should be dawn by now though it was still dark outside. He shot a look out of the window, realizing that the sky was covered with dark, deep-hanging clouds that passed by like fog-patches and there was an eerie greenish glow at the horizon. He heard hasting footsteps of pirates trying to secure things, extinguish every candle and close all hatches. It was evident that a storm was about to break loose.
A hectic voice gave orders to Will and Elisabeth in the neighbouring cabin to stay inside and not to show up on deck no matter what happens. Of course that wasn't meant for him as he was Captain Jack Sparrow and might give a helping hand, as he was experienced with storms.
The ship had already begun to roll in the waves and the clouds opened up, rain was pouring down when he walked up the companions way. Within seconds he was soaking wet. He didn't mind; he liked to struggle with the powers of nature and the surge of adrenalin that ran through his veins. But who still had some sails set at the beginning of a one menacing inferno must be an adrenalin-junkie. He couldn't believe his eyes. Though halliards, clew lines or braces were coiled and secured the sails were only reefed a little.
Jack staggered to the afterdeck. Captain Scarlett stood at the helm and seemed to enjoy it; her eyes flashed green sparks though the darkness. He waved his arms to attract her attention.
"Luv, ye've gotta drop canvas." he shouted but she just laughed at him.
"Why? Would ye if ye'd be aboard the Pearl now?"
No. She was right- somehow. The storm wasn't that heavy yet and he'd gone through worse ones but she'd forgotten one very important thing. He was Captain Jack Sparrow and this wasn't the Pearl as he told her.
"Aye! That's why I'm not droppin' canvas. The Jewel can stand a bit longer."
"Yer mad!"
"Well, that's what people say bout you." She grinned, holding the helm firmly in her hands and yet steering the Jewel with great care.
He watched her for a moment and then changed his mind. She wasn't that mad at all, in fact she did a damned good job at the helm. She knew exactly what she was doing. She knew the sea and the wind and her ship, and she handled everything very skilful. He decided not to interfere any longer, as his help wasn't required anyway, so he only watched her for a while.
The storm got worse. There was the sound of thunder in the distance and lightning flashed up, the wind increased. Just at the same time, as he would have done so she was willing to give order to strike sails.
Soon after that the thunder got deafening and the lightning nearly blinding. The sea was like a seething cauldron of white-foaming water, waves splashed over the deck and the ship rocked quite heavily though it never heeled hard over. After all it was still fun but this ended when lightning stroke the top of the mizzen mast. A nasty crack of wood was to be heard.
"Fuck!" Scarlett looked up. Some flames flickered over the tied gaff-topsail but extinguished immediately due to the heavy rain. Nevertheless, this was a serious problem because if the mast would come loose uncontrolled it could cause a lot of damage to the entire rigging. She had to hurry up.
"Take over the helm." she shouted to Jack and climbed into the shrouds.
She's mad, he thought again, mad but damned courageous. He hardly knew any man- let alone any woman- who'd had the nerve to climb up a mast in the midst of a raging inferno. She did it and he would have done so as well to avoid further damage. He looked up. She had already reached the mizzen crosstrees and started to cut off the top of the mast as well as parts of the rigging before it could crash down. Watching her, quite impressed, he forgot to concentrate on the helm, so the ship shifted at bit and the next wave rocked it hard. A boarding-axe fell from up above hitting the planks only a few inches away from his feet, followed by a very nasty curse. He gasped, cursed himself for not being concentrating and tried to steady the Jewel before he dared to look up again to see how Scarlett was doing. It frightened him that she was swinging dangerously to and fro on a rope right above the outraged sea, but luckily she managed to get back onto the mast soon, struggling to recover her balance. He was really relieved when she finally returned to the helm safe.
"Phew, 't was quite a thrill." she said panting for breath. Then she looked at him with eyes that glittered full of wild triumph instead of anger as he had expected, and laughed about the worried expression in his face. Pushing him away she took the helm again. "Well Captain Sparrow ye see it's not easy to keep the Jewel steady as she needs more careful hands to steer her, savvy?"
"Aye, Captain." Jack faked a smile though he was reluctant that he got away with this reminder. He had already realized that the Jewel won't allow any inobservances as she reacted more efficiently to the touch of the helm as any other ship and that's why he wished he could've steered her a little bit longer. It was interesting to be on a ship that could nearly match his beloved Black Pearl and to become familiar with its peculiarities.
The storm increased even more and the sea was white with spray that glowed ghostly in the lightning. It was getting harder with every minute to keep the Jewel from being tossed about by the swells as the waves had become dangerously high. That was without doubt the worst thunderstorm Scarlett had ever experienced and it even occurred to her that not only the powers of nature were playing an evil game with her but also that there was more behind.
"What d'ye think Jack- can weather be influenced by magic?"
"I've seen pirates turn skeletons in moonlight...guess ev'rything's possible." he shouted against the wind that was howling as furiously as a mad banshee.
She nodded to confirm that she got his words when a wave crashed over their heads. They quickly steadied themselves with a rope to keep from being washed overboard. Jack shook himself. "Land's close.... we should drop anchor in a bay." he suggested but Scarlett apparently didn't like the idea, as she turned the wheel with full force to the opposite direction.
"No way! Land's at windward side, we'll crash if we'd try!"
She was right. There was no way to call at land, as this part of the Hispaniolan coast was full of rocks, riffs and dangerous shallows. They would run aground if they tried. On the other hand they could only try to stand the storm as long as possible before a wave would swallow the Jewel. So there weren't really any alternatives unless the storm would let up which was rather unlikely at the moment.
"Help me!" Scarlett yelled when the powers of nature got too strong for her to handle the helm all by herself and Jack willingly rushed for help. Together they manoeuvred the Jewel through the storm, avoiding the strong current that wanted to drag the ship to the coast and navigating it to the open sea again. This way they fought the storm for nearly an hour when suddenly there was something like the light at the end of the tunnel. The clouds broke up a little and a glimpse of daylight was to be seen. The same time the wind decreased and at once there was a silence that was frightening in some way as it was abnormal. With eyes wide open she looked at Jack Sparrow.
"What's that?"
"No idea, luv." he whispered as if he feared any loud word could bring the storm back.
They stood together and listened. Nothing was to be heard except for the usual noises of a ship, the creaking of the planks, the rattling of the rigging, the splashing of the waves swirling about the hull. Then the wind rose again and intensified these noises, and the clouds broke up even more. Now, at the end of a day that had almost been as dark as the night, the last sunbeams painted the sky with an absurd abundance of colours.
Some pirates came up the companions way and looked around. They gave the impression that they had almost accepted their fate to go to Davy Jones' locker and couldn't believe that they're still alive.
"Praise the Captain!" someone shouted and others joined in. "She's saved us all!"
Scarlett didn't liked this sort of worshipping so she quickly let Marris take the helm since he who was the first to reach her at the afterdeck, but she knew that Jack loved being the centre of attraction.
"Praise Captain Jack Sparrow, mates. I wouldn't have done it without his help."
While Sparrow was willingly spinning a yarn about their adventures during the storm, Scarlett secretly slipped away to her cabin. She was soaked to the bones, dog-tired and yet filled with an energy that wouldn't let her rest just now. Fortunately a good soul had already placed a bottle of wine on her table and lit some candles, so she only had to take off her wet clothes to make herself comfortable. She had just wrapped a blue sarong with coloured butterflies around her body when Jack entered the room.
"Bloody hell! What's got into ye? Can't ye knock?" she snapped at him.
"Oh." he was taken aback a little but that didn't keep him from eying her. Nice sight, he thought.
"Now what d' ye want?"
"Lookin' for a place to sleep."
"Here?"
"Aye. Well, actually it's yer first mate who'd assigned beds and as I'm Captain Jack Sparrow he must have chosen the Captain's cabin's for me. He's a good man."
"He's a dead man soon." Scarlett mumbled to herself, wondering if Jack had already snooped around her cabin before realizing that he must have slept in her bed. She raised her voice again. "Hope ye slept well."
"Very well. Thanks for asking, luv."
She rolled her eyes but then it came to her that there was no use becoming offensive after he'd helped her steer the Jewel through that storm. She sighed. "Well, now that yer 'ere anyway, ye can make yerself useful 'n open the bottle instead of staring at me. Never seen a woman wearing a sarong?"
Scarlett towelled her hair and tossed her head to let it swing down her back like cascades of red wine. Jack couldn't help staring at her while uncorking the bottle because that sarong was more like a piece of cloth wrapped around her body in a slapdash fashion, revealing lots of golden-tanned skin.
"At least never one with red-wine-hair." He raised the bottle and sat down on the bed. "And that'll be wine as well, aye?"
"Aye, it's a Rioja gran reserva." ...and actually much too precious to be shared with someone who won't appreciate it anyway.
"So, let's have some wine before we go to bed."
She decided to ignore this remark as she certainly wouldn't go to bed with him- or would she? Well, with the storm still raging in her blood she was quite susceptible to an attractive body and these dark brown, khol-rimmed eyes that gave his look so much intensity. Actually she was just in the right mood for a little tussle between the sheets... to cut it short, she wanted a man and he happened to be there.
"Well, Captain Jack Sparrow, I've to thank ye. I surely couldn't have handled the Jewel without yer help."
"Nah, don't say that, luv. Yer actually quite good with nautical things. Although- if ye really wanna thank me, well..." He fell silent and smirked, alluding to the conversation they had in Tortuga.
"Oh, I know exactly what you mean." she said with a sweet smile on her lips, yet he was quite stunned that she came up to him. Still smiling she sat down on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. As she had expected he returned her kiss at once, taking the chance to push his tongue boldly into her mouth and explored her intensely. Now, that was a promising start. Her sarong to came undone and soon everything took its course the way she wanted it. Nevertheless he still believed that Captain Jack Sparrow was just irresistible and that every woman would fall for him gradually, in time. Of course it never came to him that he might have been wrong about that.