Chapter two: Animal's Grace
I woke with a start the following morning. Someone was hovering over me, staring at my face. I blinked a few times, trying to get the sleep out of my eyes, and finally I managed to look up at the person who woke me up with sheer force of will.
"Who are you?" I croaked as I sat up, and looked at a very odd looking person. This man had tattoos every place that I could see, and thats saying something because all he was wearing was a short pair of pants.
"I could ask the same question." He said in a surprisingly clipped and cultured tone. I shook my head, my hat almost falling off. I quickly jammed it back in place.
"My name is Jezebel. Your captain said he would take me to India."
"Did he now?" The man said, in a kinder tone. "Well then. My name is Dan. I am the cook and second mate as well as cleaner. You dont by any chance clean, do you?"
"No." I lied. I hated cleaning. I was forced to at home, and now, I wouldn't touch a rag to save my life. The man called Dan offered his hand, and I greatfully took it grimacing as I stood up. Sleeping on hard wood wasnt that nice for the back, Ill tell you. I brushed off my clothes and looked around. The sun was just begining its accent up towards the heavens, and the sky was ablaze with reds, pinks, and orange. It was a beautiful sight to behold. I saw Sparrow talking to a young looking manwell...more like arguing. I turned my head, and saw a man untying a knot that was evidently holding us to the dock.
"I dont care, Tunner!" Sparrows voice all of a sudden boomed. "I don' care if your want to be on this crew! I said no, and that means no!" The young man, in frustration punched a railing, cracking it, then stormed off the ship just as the man working on the untying of the knots gave one last tug.
The ship slowly started to glide out of the harbour and make its way out to open sea. Sparrow took over the helm and glowered for what seemed like hours until he started to hum a catchy tune, his face relaxing into a slack grin, its dour position lost. I puzzled over this for a little while until Dan, the man with the tattoos shoved a bucket and mop into my arms.
"What? I told you, I dont clean." I said, trying to push the bucket away from me.
"Its for your own cabin," Dan explained hurridley before rushing off.
"What, is it a law I have to clean my own cabin?" I called after him, but he didnt hear me, and if he did, he didnt answer. I looked down at the empty wooden bucket.
"Um...excuse me?" I called out. A few pirates looked at me with interest then went back to their task of trimming the sails, cleaning, and the likes. Only one egnolaged me.
"What?" He asked in a gruff voice.
"Where do I get the water to fill this up?" I asked stupidly, and as soon as the question was out, I turned red. The pirate saw my facial expression of self-realization and didn't bother to point out that there was in fact, water everywhere. I just had to retrieve it. I slowly walked to the ships railing and looked down. A few dolphins where swimming alongside the ship, a good omen. I lowered a rope and collected water, then set to cleaning that pig pen I would be living in for a while.
"Wow, this place looks clean," Sparrow said from the doorway. I didn't turn around, but finished wiping of the table besides my small bunk.
"No thanks to you," I mumbled under my breath. He didn't hear me.
"We will stopping in England for some more supplies,"
"The whores of Greenwitch are a noble calling, eh?" I interrupted. He continued on.
"Then head over to India. Do you have any familiy we need to be worried about in either two places?" He asked, eyes narrowed.
"No," I lied. The fact was, there was my sister, May, and her husbad, Jim, in England, as well as my other sister, Grace. And in India, my aunt Fiona.
"Jolly good. Dinner is after fifth bell, and you will begin your training tomorrow morning, after first bell."
"What training?"
"Pirates training. All pirates go through it. And being as you'll be with us for a while, you should learn a few things." He explained.
"I already know how to sword fight, and I can shoot with a steady hand, if I dont have to shoot too far, that is." I said proudly, Sparrow looked inpressed.
"Well, then you can learn how to trim sails, and maybe even learn 'ow to stear the ship, eh?" I gave a small nod and he walked away. I sat down on my now clean bed, and thought.
We would be stopping in England, just like I planned they would want to do. Then, while they were picking up supplies that would misterisously dissapear(by me), I would sneak away and have a quite rendevous with my dear sister May. Last I had heard from my mother a year ago before they tried to ship me off to Austraila, she was living with her husband and two kids in Whitechapel. I got some satisfaction with that. She was living in the slums, amongst the whores and drunks.
I slept very little the next night, tossing and turning and dreaming of things that had happened before. I awoke sharply as the bell tolled one. I quickly jumped out of bed, and ran up the steps to the deck. Sparrow was standing there, the risisng sun silloueting him, and he held two swords in his hands.
"First," He said, tossing me a short sword, and I caught it nimbly. "I want to see how much you know." We sood, legs apart, waiting for the other to attack first. Sparrow finally ended up charging me. We fought for what seemed like forever, him starting to loose his energy, me keeping my vigor. I toyed around with him for a bit.
"Parry, Parry. Thrust Thrust. Good." I said, after each attack and defence. He finally shouted to stop.
"Ok, we know you can fight, alright?" He gasped, leaning againts his sword as if it was a cane. "How the hell did you learn to fight like that?"
"Ask me no questions, and I shall tell you no lies." I sing-songed. He rolled his eyes. I was surprised they didnt roll out of his head.
"Well, ye can fight, and tha's all there is ta it." I grinned, pleased at his praise.
In the weeks that followed, I started to dump things overboard when I had the chance. Sparrow harped on the crew about gluttony, and no one seemed to know where all the food, and water were going. We speeded up our pace, and soon enough we were in England. We all dissembarked to get the supplise I secretly thrown. As the crew spread out to get the various things ordered, I slipped away into Whitechapel.
"Excuse me," I asked a passing whore. "Do you by chance know where a May Sinclare is?" I was speaking in a light French accent to throw anybody off of my scent.
"Oh yeah, I might" The bagtail said. I knew she wanted money, so I slipped a shilling into her dirty palm. She grinnned. "Yeah, I know 'ol May. She be livin' down there," She pointed to a dirty sreet, and walked away laughing. I quickly ran down it, and slipped into the tennant building. I asked another passing person who looked like a whore:
"Do you know which room May Sinclair lives in?" I asked in a low voice. This one; however, did not ask for money, but silently pointed the third door down. I nooded a thanks, and walked down the hallway. I took a deep breath before entering. I saw May bending over some sewing, her back turned.
"Oh good, Grace." She said.
"Wrong sister, ya hateful bitch." I said happily. She whipped around, dropping her needlework.
"Jez," She gasped.
"Righto."
"What are you doing here?"
I sighed, taking my time. "Well," I drawled. "A moment ago, I was standing in the street, now Im getting ready to look at a dead woman." Before she could respond, I flung my dagger at her, striking dead in the heart. She fell to the dirty floor, convulsing for a moment, before going stiff. I walked to her, grabbed my dagger and wipped it clean on her torn gown. I walked into one of the rooms, and saw my other sister, Grace, sleeping on the bed.I hovered over her.
"I might never have liked you," I said to her sleeping form. "Point in fact, I despise you. But it doesnt mean that I dont respect you." I raised my dagger. "Dying in our sleep is a luxury our kind is rarely afforded. My gift, to you." Just as I was bringing the dagger down her eyes opened, but it was too late. My knife was lodged in her chest. I walked away, not even feeling a twing of guilt for killing my sisters. They helped my mother and father try to ship me off to Austraila, a place for convicts. They deserved to die.