Chapter five: Abandoned by ship
A few weeks later nothing of great consequence had happened. Katerina slowly slunk into her new position and none of the crew commented but took her secondhand commands like they were from the captain...which they actually were.
They were sailing with great haste to the island again. Jack was dead set about the return of the strange medallions that no one seemed to have the time or want to explain. And Katerina just took it into great stride, figuring it was just part of the things that came along with the crew.
"The four of us again to shore." Jack said shortly to Katerina one dreary day. Being second mate she was allowed a small cabin. It was too small to do anything in but sleep, and she spent most of her time on deck.
It was slowly sprinkling when they got into the row boat and went inside the cave. It took only ten minutes to drop the medallion in the chest, and get back into the boats. However, just before they alighted, Elizabeth who was now quite far along, started retching. That set them back another twenty minutes as Will loudly stated he would not go anywhere until she felt better.
They were finally in the boat and sailing back.
"Erm...Jack!" Katerina called, who saw the ocean before the rest of them. "Should the ship be sailing away like that...I mean Im not an expert, but should it be doing that while your not on it?" Jack scrambled to the front and sure enough the ship was almost out of sight.
"STUPID BLOODY PIRATES!" He screamed right next to Katerina's ear. She winced, but was more concerned about where they would sleep...and how they would get off the island.
"Thats it...Im gettin' a new crew. And new mates. Katerina," Jack barked at her, she looked up at him, feeling slightly suspicious.
"You are now my first mate. Nothin' against you Will, but you wont be here." Katerina rolled her eyes and they went back into the cave.
"This is too much. The third bloody time!" Jack exclaimed as they were once again in the large cave. They pushed some treasure aside and sat down on the soft black sand.
"Your too loose with it, Jack." Katerina said, then turned bright red at her words. Everyone stared at her for a while, then busted out laughing themselves.
"You know, Will. Your dad would always say stuff like that when things weren't looking too chipper for us. I remember one raid...oh it was great. Not the raid, but your dads words. He cheered the whole crew." Katerina looked over at Will who had a half smile on his lips.
"Where is your father...?" Katerina asked almost hesitantly.
"Oh, Tourtuga." Katerina blinked, then smiled.
"See him often?"
"Nope." Will smiled, then looked off into the water, absent mindedly. Katerina had the feeling that all was not well on the Turner parental front. She quickly got up and started picking her way around the large dimly lit cave.
"Any idea as to who exactly might have stolen the ship?" She called out, jumping over a puddle of water.
"Well, I cant think of a hell of a lot, but, it's a waste of time. For now, we are stuck here."
"Have you ever thought of looking other places then this small cave? The island looks large, maybe there is some vegetation." Elizabeth offered. Katerina nodded to her, and jumped over another small ravine. However, this time, she slipped and went sprawling into the four feet deep freezing cold water. As she was submerged, she felt like a total idiot, because this was the second time in happening. Now, there were three more people to witness her bare. She stalled as long as she could, and when she pulled herself off the water floor, and onto the black sand, she had her back to the three of them, feeling embarrassed for no reason.
Jack knew why she hadn't turned around. In fact, he tried to make Elizabeth and Will look at him, by talking.
"So, Elizabeth...think you may be pregnant?" But she didn't hear him, as she was slowly making her way to help out her newly found friend. Jack was almost desperate, and it scared him, because he was actually worrying about this woman. He scoffed, and leaned back, apparently relaxed.
"What the..." Came from the side of the cave that Katerina was on, and sure enough, she turned around. Her face was wiped clean, and she looked even more lovely then the last time Jack had seen her. Her cheeks were red with embarrassment for being found out, and she stood there, nibbling her bottom lip.
"Er...bit cold, yeah?" She said distractedly. Elizabeth was gawking at Katerina with an open mouth stare, and Will had stood up from his position on the ground by Jack. Jack had to nudge Will in the back of the legs, because Will had the same look on his face.
"Why do you...?" Katerina pushed past the staring Elizabeth, and walked over to were Jack was sitting, an amused look plastered on his face.
"Give us your coat." She demanded, producing an outstretched hand. He glanced up at it, then shrugged off his thick black coat. Katerina grabbed it up, and went to the other side of the cave, in the entrance of the tunnel, and threw the coat on over her shoulders. She then pealed off her wet clothes, and threw them on a rock to dry. Only after she buttoned up the coat, and synched the waist with her damp leather belt, did she walk back to where Jack, Will, and the still bewildered Elizabeth sat.
"Tell us love, why exactly do you wear that?" Jack asked after Katerina sat down, and pulled her legs up under the coat.
"It's a long and boring story." She said unhelpfully. Will jerked his head up from where he was talking into Elizabeth's ear.
"We have time, Katerina." He said softly, prompting her into a situation she didn't wish to be in.
"Oh shove off." Katerina snapped, and looked over to Jack, her eyes silently appealing to him for some reason.
Jack marveled that a woman could be so beautiful, and not vain about it. If anything, she seemed ashamed.
He stared at her for a long time, a frown puckering his brow. She was just so...beautiful. Her damp hair curled slightly–though when dry it was straight–and framed her face perfectly. He could make out her profile, and she looked amazing. Her down cast eyes stared at the swirls she was making in the bright lava rock sand, her eyelashes sweeping shadows across her cheeks. Her slightly upturned nose gave her a hint of vulnerability that wouldn't have normally been there. Her chin was jutting out in defiance to the world, and Jack thanked his lucky stars he had walked in her shop that day. Then, he wondered exactly why he did.
"Do I interest you that much, Sparrow?" Katerina hissed, glancing sideways at him. Her blue eyes flashed navy in her irritation with her own clumsiness and her dislike for everyone else.
"Yes, indeed you do, love." He said softly. He plucked her hand from the ground, and put it on her bended knees.
"Your going to rub your fingertip raw." Jack said wryly, then swiftly withdrew his own hand, at the look Katerina shot him.
They both had seemed to forget the other two occupants of the cave. Will and Elizabeth silently got up and went to the rowboat, which was pulled in safely from the tide. They put down some bolts of cloth that they had found, and made a cozy little bed, smiling at the behavior of their two friends.
"It'll be a miracle if they don't have a good romp." Will commented, drawing Elizabeth closer to himself, and closing his eyes. He adjusted his neck, then instantly fell asleep. She had a bit more difficulty, thinking about Katerina's odd behavior.
Inside the cave, however, Katerina and Jack were staring each other down, sizing each other up.
Jack raised a hand and gently stroked Katerina's cold cheek. In that small movement, he felt her tense from his hand, and shiver from being chilled. She glared up at him, then jerked her head away from his touch.
"Im not a whore. No matter how my face looks." She spat, and jumped up, nearly toppling over for the second time, forgetting that her legs were tucked in the jacket. She strode to the other side of the cave with all dignity that she could muster, and hid herself in a small fort she made out of trunks.
Jack just shook his head, damning that he would get no action that night.