Chapter Two - Morana
The pirate captain glanced around him, looking to his fellow crewmen to see if they had noticed the young beauty beckoning him to follow her. They however seemed oblivious, drinking and laughing, watching the other pretty young filly's who danced around earning their wages as they took a seat in a sailors lap, hoping to earn a bit more. This pirate captain was not a fool and he knew that the young lady heading out the doorway was different, but in what way he did not know. She was alluring and enticing, she held intrigue and mystery and he couldn't help but be drawn to the lingering idea that she might in some way be dangerous and that was something Captain Jack Sparrow quite enjoyed.
Looking back to the young lady he could see no sign of her having even been there other than the door gently swinging shut. Getting up quickly, scared almost that he had let her get away when he truly wanted to find out why she had beckoned him he makes his way across the tavern, through the lumbering louts who are far too drunk for their own good as they sway on the spot making the simple task of getting out of the door much more difficult than it should be. Quickly stepping over an unconscious pirate on the floor he finds himself out in the moonlit street, the light from the tavern windows dulled by all the grime and dirt of many, many years. Looking around him he pulls his long coat tighter around him, suddenly feeling a chill he had never before experienced even on the coolest of nights in the Caribbean. The only noise to be heard through the quiet town of Reynoir is from its only tavern, the noise of the drunken sailors and giggling wenches, ande the moans of the whores upstairs. Everything seems eerily quiet for even that noise seemed lower and less discernible from the blanket of silence that seemed to engulf Jack in his entirety.
Frowning in puzzlement he could not see her, he could not see even a single human walking the streets and it made him begin to wonder how much rum he had actually drunk, surely not enough to make him hallucinate things like this. But if she were real… then where was she? Letting out a slight sigh and shuddering as a breeze swept through the street he turns back towards the door and into the warmth of the tavern. The night seemed strange now, dangerous, there was something different but he could not place what and right now he wanted to get away from it. Even he was feeling dubious about his own safety.
"Captain Sparrow?" a quiet female voice asks from nearby, causing him to spin on his heel.
"Aye?" he responds, squinting his eyes in order to find the owner of the voice as even now he cannot discern her whereabouts. Her voice sounded like it was coming from his right but he could see no one there...
"Would you walk with me?" the voice asks again, coming nearer as Jack looks to his left to see the young lithe body of the woman stepping into the light from the shadows. His breath catches in his throat and he no longer feels in control of his body as it seems that words and oxygen have been knocked plain from him. Under the moonlight this woman was a divine beauty, stunning to say the least. Shaking his head though and taking a sharp breath he manages to blink, swallow and attempt to make sound pass from his lips.
"Walk with ye?" he asks. It seemed like an odd request especially when he did not yet even know her name.
"Yes Captain Sparrow. My name is Morana, I was hoping that we might take a walk; I have wanted to talk with you for a long while."
"Don't ye think it would be far warmer in the tavern luv, it's damn near freezing out here" Jack responds yet again pulling his coat around him to fend of the biting cold breeze.
"If we walk we shall be warm in no time at all." Morana says with a slightly mischievous smile and glint in her eye. Yet again Jack can sense the edge of danger about her, about this night but this only proves to make her more alluring so with a nod of his head he offers his arm which is taken by the ebony haired beauty within moments. It is hard to contain the inward shudder that courses through his veins but he cannot discern why, there seemed to be something icy to her touch even through the fabric of his clothes but this from a warm-bodied human would seem impossible.
"Or improbable" he mutters under his breath only catching himself and smiling as Morana raises her eyebrows. "Where would you like to go then Miss Morana?" he asks, his usual confident self returning as she smiles.
"Anywhere you wish to take me Captain." She replies, letting her gaze drop to the floor as a light crimson flush spreads across her cheeks. Jack grins saucily, encouraged and enjoying her light admission that would lead him to believe she had some kind of romantic interest in him.
"Well if ye have no objections and I have no desires to be in many places I would say we should walk where our feet take us." He replies, turning towards the docks and taking a small step forward causing Morana to follow suit.
"Splendid." She responds quietly with a smile, walking with him down the slight hill of the main street of Reynoir towards the sea. Many moments seem to pass as the pair walk in silence, neither one speaking and just watching the scenery as it goes by as their feet carry them onwards to some unknown destination. Jack takes occasional glances at Morana, wondering as to why she had asked him to walk with her and why she was not speaking when she had claimed to wish to do so. He also couldn't help but wonder at who she was, Reynoir was a French port and her name sounded like it could possibly be French but her looks told him otherwise. There was something far more exotic about her than any of the women he had seen here or in France itself.
"I suppose you wish to know who I am?" Morana states, not looking to Jack who cocks his head towards her to listen and watch her as she speaks.
"Aye, it is a pleasant occurrence but a surprising one for a woman such as yourself to beckon a man from his drink in order to walk and converse with him."
"I would suppose so." Morana replies with a small shrug of her shoulders in indifference.
"And it seems that we have not yet done much of the latter of what you said you wished for so maybe we should start?" Jack asks, now slightly perplexed as to why he was actually with this woman as they starting making their way up the stone steps towards the Fort of Reynoir atop the cliffs.
"I suppose we should."
"Ye suppose a lot of things don't ye."
"I suppose I do." Morana replies this time with a hint of mischief and mirth in her voice.
"Well shall we begin then?"
"I supp-"
"Aye we shall." Jack cuts her off before she can utter the rest of her sentence he already knew the ending to. She was toying him that was for sure but with a beauty such as she he was not too annoyed that he had been included in the game. Silence passes yet again as both seem to be thinking of what to say to the other, topics of conversation are lost from Jacks mind as Morana's arm holds tighter onto him as the breeze atop of the fort grows stronger and colder.
"Are you a religious man Captain Sparrow?" Morana asks, letting go of Jacks arm and taking a seat on the low stone wall of the Fort, perched upon the edge of the cliff.
"Ye can call me Jack luv, and no, I can't say I am." He responds, his head becoming clearer as the contact is lost and the breeze bites at him again, something he had become oblivious to as they had walked.
"So you do not believe in gods or angels or heaven and hell?"
"In a way I do but... I wouldn't say I would belong to any particular faith, I'm not a man to be seen praying by his bedside before sleep, nor would I confess my sins as I fear it would take me until my death to do and by then I would still be damned for eternity." A small smile curls his lips as he hears Morana chuckle slightly, seemingly amused by his words.
"My name, it is the name of the goddess of death in Slavic mythology." she states, her gaze drifting out towards the ocean before settling back on the Captain, a small glint of mischief twinkling in her eyes.
"Does it now?" Jack muses, not holding much interest in this fact but rather humouring the lady before him. "Well no offence to ye, it's a lovely name to be sure, but I can't help but think that you'd be better suited to something with a... more pleasant meaning." he added, his usual skills of flattery making an appearance.
"And what makes you think that death doesn't suit me?" Morana asks, her tone void of emotion.
"I don't know... death seems to conjure up images of ugliness, and I can readily admit that you're far from that."
She smirked, one corner of her mouth lifting up in an amused expression. Ah Jack did have a way with women, he knew it, they knew it, all knew it, and this lady seemed to be no exception to the rule.
Getting up from her seated position Morana took the few short steps towards Jack, holding her hand out to him gesturing for him to take it. Silently he obliged the gesture and proceeded to follow her as she made her way back to the edge of the fort before coming to a halt, standing looking out to the dark expanse of the ocean.
"Why do you think death must be ugly?" she asked quietly. Jack frowned for a moment, pondering the question.
"I guess it's just the way I've been brought up to see it." he answered after a moment of contemplation.
"If a man died with honour, would that not be beautiful?"
"No, I don't think that's the right word..."
"So all death is ugly, and you believe that because it's what people have told you to believe." Morana states, her tone slightly accusing.
"In a way..."
"I thought you were a pirate."
"I am-"
"But above all I thought you were your own person." she cut him off, disappointment clear in her tone.
"I am!" Jack answered, slightly exasperated and wholly confused as to why Morana was acting in such a way.
"I liked you." she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"But not any more?" Jack concluded with a slight pout. Maybe his charm didn't quite reach the whole of the female population.
"No." she answered simply, looking away from him her head held aloof. Jack watched her for a moment, trying to piece together the sitution and how he could maybe change her mind, after all her new less than pleasant demeanour would prove a nice little challenge for him to work through. However with the wind atop the fort starting to bite at him he decided it was enough, he wasn't in the mood for something quite so difficult right now, and there were plenty of women back at the tavern who would be far more welcoming to his advances.
Sighing quietly he turned on his heel, ready to make his way back towards the tavern, that was until her voice stopped him in his tracks.
"But..." she began, causing Jack to turn around again slowly, looking towards her to see that she was casually looking at him over her shoulder. "You could redeem yourself." she stated. Jack watched her for a moment, thinking over her proposition.
"And how exactly would I go about doing that?" he asked. "I'll tell you now that I'm not one for making extravagant romantic gestures."
She laughed. "No, it's quite simple really."
"So what is it?" Jack queried, pondering the possibilities.
Morana outstretched an arm towards him in a gesture for him to go to her. Hesitating for the shortest moment he furrowed his brow quickly before brushing aside any apprehension over the matter and moved to stand before her again. Taking his hand in hers she made him step closer, their bodies almost touching as they stood before the fort wall. Silently they looked at one another, seemingly trying to read the others thoughts. There was a keen expression of concentration upon Morana's face Jack noted, and with the way in which her eyes looked into his so deeply he began to ponder if she really could read what he was thinking. With a small, almost victorious smile Morana broke the gaze before leaning just a little closer to Jack, to whisper her request.
"Die for me." she spoke quietly. It took Jack a moment to register her words but before he could respond she was climbing on top of the fort wall, and with her hand still grasping his she was proceeding to pull him with her.
"Wh... what are you doing!" he exclaimed as soon as his voice came to him, trying to fight against her efforts to make him stand beside her upon the ledge.
"Jump!" she said gleefuly, her eyes darting from him towards the edge of the wall, her gaze dropping down to view the rocks below.
"You're mad!" He exclaimed, incredibly bewildered and not enjoying Morana's company any more in the slightest.
"It's simple, so, so simple!" she continued to say, her tone almost giddy with delight as she continued to tug him towards her. Jack fought against her pull, using all the strength within him, prying her hand from his wrist, but it was to no avail, she had a strong grip on him and she would not relent in her efforts until finally she managed to drag him up beside her.
"I am not about to kill myself for a woman I have only just met, a madwoman no less!" he exclaimed, his eyes darting between Morana who was grinning, an almost childlike innocence hidden within her smile.
"Why do you say I am mad Captain?" she asked, her jovial tone remaining.
"Because you're trying to kill me!" he exclaimed exasperated.
"No, no, no!" she disagreed with a melodic tune, her eyes still sparkling. "You must do it, you must jump!" she exclaimed.
"Well I'm not going to!"
"So obstenate." Morana muttered, smiling at him. "One of the things I like about you." she added. "Don't worry my darling I know you're scared but there's no need, no need at all." she said, her voice soothing.
"I'm not scared but nor am I completely out of my mind!" Jack answered, still trying to pry his hand from Morana's grip as she had still yet to let go.
"Don't worry, I'll go first then." she said, and suddenly he felt her grip leave his wrist as she stepped closer to the edge. "So simple." she muttered again, peering downwards into the oblivion below.
Jack saw her shrug her shoulders, sigh a little in defeat and only had the chance to shout for her to stop as he made to grab at her before she went tumbling down, her body soaring through the air, her long hair flowing out behind her. He shut his eyes as he saw her close in on the rocks below, he couldn't bear to see her body smash into them. The sounds of the waves crashing were the only sound to his ears and he was thankful for it, he didn't want to hear the crunch of her bones either.
Stepping back away from the ledge as he peered over he ran his hand wearily over his face. 'You wanted danger, you got it' his conscience spoke, causing him to grimace. Trust him to find the one woman in the world, a very beautiful woman at that, and she'd have to be as mad as a rabid dog.
"Your turn." a voice suddenly cropped up, making his heart leap inside his chest and his breath catch in his throat as he turned back towards the land, his eyes falling straight onto the figure of Morana as perfect as it was before. Words would not come from his mouth even though his lips parted in shock as he tried to speak, and this bewildered expression only served to make Morana smile widely and walk towards him.
"Bu... but... what the hell... you're dead!" he finally managed to exclaim as she came closer to him, that bewitching smile still present on her lips.
"Dead... close, but you're not quite right... death...now there you'd be spot on." she said, and the light severity in her tone told him that she was not joking. "Now, like I said... your turn." she spoke after a moment, startling Jack once again as suddenly she appeared right beside him. "Easy peasy." she sang, her hand reaching out to rest upon his shoulder. He stared at her, blinking, his lips parting then shutting again in silent confusion. He could feel her touch him, her hand was as real as the wall he stood on... the wall.
Adrenaline pumped through Jack's system as he realised where he was, still on the ledge, still so close to the edge, she could push him so easily...
"No, even a goddess has to follow some rules." she spoke. "I can't take your life, I have to give you a choice."
Jack frowned for a moment, thinking over the words... goddess?
"Mhmmm." she agreed. "All the faiths, all the religions, all the mythologies, they all have something right about them. I am Morana, I am death. Not so ugly after all." she explained, smiling smugly to herself. Still the adrenaline made Jack's heartbeat quicken, and before his mind even had a chance to think about it he was running. Running away from the edge, running away from his possible demise, running away from Morana.
He could hear her laughter piercing through the cool night air, her voice high and shrill. He took one quick moment to look back at her, the wind spraying her hair out like long ebony fingers, her dress bilowing out around her, and the most prominent feature of all... her eyes glowing a luminescent blue, shining out like two eery stars from the darkness. Stumbling over a rock he turned his attention back to the path and ran. He wasn't a coward, he wasn't one to flee a confrontational situation but this... this was far beyond what even Captain Jack Sparrow could fight.
"Jack be nimble, Jack be quick..." her voice came to him as a whisper, as though she were running along next to him, speaking into his ear. "But you'll give in sometime, I just know you will."