Chapter ten: John Bristol, and no more favors.
Katerina slid into the small hammock, her back aching low. Maybe she should have taken Jack up on that offer. At least she would have had a bunk...not a hammock.
"Sail ho!" Instantly, Katerina jumped back up, and scrambled up the steps to the deck, boots in hand.
"What is it?" She asked passing Will. He shrugged, and hurried up to the helm. Leaning against the bulwark and pulling on her boots, for the first time ever on a raid, she was scared. She saw Jack hurrying towards her, a frown ever so slightly creasing his brow.
"Go into me cabin," He said, reaching her, and grabbing one of her shoulders. Katerina pulled out of his grip and made to go to one of the cannons strapped on deck, but he grabbed her elbow.
"No! We may be a fighting ship, but crew member or not, you are pregnant, so you go to me bloody cabin now! That's an order. Im pulling rank."
Katerina glared up at him, before stalking to the cabin, glaring at anyone who dared to look at her. Pregnant! She was still in the bloody first trimester. She was crew, so she had a right to fight!
With a decisive move, Katerina turned back around and quickly went down the steps to the gun deck, placing herself next to an unattended cannon.
"What colors are they flying?" Katerina asked Hudson, who was next to her.
"I think its red," he whispered, awed and somewhat frightened looking. Hudson looked over at the woman, his stomach lurching. She was beautiful, and dangerous looking. She had abandoned her dresses with little guilt(though most everyone of the crew knew there were a few dresses, and corsets in her trunk) and was wearing a pair of black trousers, and a deep wine colored fitted tunic. Slung on her waist was a heavy leather belt, with her cutlass on her left side, her pistol on her right. Her long brown hair was plaited simply and reached the small of her back, and her blue eyes were icy with anger, and determination.
Hudson had heard many tales of this woman. Mostly from the crew, and Joshamee Gibbs, who spoke highly of her. "Beautiful, but pretty handy with a sword." he liked to say wistfully. Apparently the whole crew liked her, and were upset when she left.
Now she was squatting a yard or so away from him, her eyes intent on the small gun port.
"Katerina, dammit!" She quickly looked up to see Jack storming down, his face full of thunder.
"Hudson, go escort Mrs. Hawkins to the brig." Jack eyed the two, until the unwilling Hudson grabbed the squirming Katerina and took her to a cell.
Katerina was now furious. The brig! She was pregnant, dammit! She was only planning on manning the cannon, and was adamant on actual sword fighting, or drawing her pistol. Hudson slowly shut the cell door, shooting her a regretful glance before hurrying away.
"Bloody pirates!" Katerina shouted.
Boom.
Already the two ships had drawn level with each other. She looked out of a small knot in the wood to see a equally large ship parallel to the Black Pearl. The Wretched May had fair few cannon ports on her side, and Katerina had to quickly dive to the floor to avoid a cannon, passing over her head...just a few inches from where she had been standing.
Boom.
And so it went for almost an hour, before the cannons fell quiet, smoke slowly rising in the air from the powder. Katerina gingerly stood up, feeling the arm that she had landed on, wincing.
"That's gunna hurt tomorrow," she sighed, glancing around her. Already she was ankle deep in water, signifying that there was a leak somewhere in the keel.
"What's this?" Katerina glanced up to see a swarthy looking man smirking. He was quite tall, with a trim olive colored overcoat that was quite rich looking. He wore a hat similar to Jacks, and most of his fingers were encrusted with heavy rings. He was not handsome, but rather plain, with a thin jagged scar running the length of the left side of his face. When he took a step forward, there was a definite clunk, and when she looked down, she saw that he had a wooden leg.
"Who are you?" Katerina asked taking a step backwards.
"The question hanging around our heads is more like; who are you?"
"I asked first," she said stubbornly, her hand going down to her waist, but finding that her weapon belt had been removed by Hudson.
"Very well," The man said, his voice holding a trace of humor. "My name is John Bristol. Pleased to meet you." He swept a bow, and gave a mock salute.
"Now, your name."
"I-Katerina...Lancaster." Katerina knew better then to say her married name. There was no shame in it, but she was unsure what her stance was. And if she was right in her suspicions, this man could be looking for her.
"Interesting. Pray tell...are you a crew member? You don't exactly meet the qualifications for a lady, in those clothes. I like the color of the tunic, by the way. Very nice with your complexion and eyes."
"Are you flattering me?" Katerina asked, disbelief lacing her words.
"Why yes, I am," She blinked. Then looked around, and out the small knot to see the other ship slowly sinking.
"I take it you were a crew on that?" Katerina pointed to the direction of the now submerged vessel.
"Not quite. I was merely being transported. I told them that a schooner like that couldn't possibly take this galleon, but you know how pirates are,"
"Always taking, never aware of the consequences," Katerina agreed. "Nothing is too big in their eyes."
"You seem to know the likes very well,"
"Indeed," She said stiffly. She did not trust this man. She hardly trusted anybody. Even a twinge of doubt framed her mind about Jack. Her husband was no exception. Late husband, she scolded herself. They hadn't been married too long. Pity, she was starting to like him.
"So why are you down in the brig, sir? When your transportation was sunk?"
"I came across a very strange looking man who said either escort myself to the brig, or jump ship. After being pointed in the direction, I came down. I didn't expect such company."
Katerina shifted her weight uneasily, and leaned against the bulkhead. The man named John Bristol came forward and slunk his arms through her cell bars, and leaned in casually.
"Sorry," He noted briskly. "Me stump is aching, and I need something to lean on." He jerked his head downwards to his wooden peg.
"That's quite alright," Katerina mumbled. She was totally thrown off by this man. He looked like a buccaneer, but acted almost gentlemanly. His vocabulary was not withstanding from his time on ship(as every sailor developed that bit of a cockney accent, no matter where they were from) and he didn't mince his words either. At the moment, she was completely rendered unaware as to what to do. Something she didn't like.
"So, why are you on this large and infamous pirate ship? Am I right in thinking that you are crew?"
"Yes, I am crew. I have sailed with them before, and just signed the articles, only last night. I have missed it," Katerina admitted.
"Can I take a stab in the dark?"
"You will find it is quite light here,"
John Bristol roared with laughter at her pun, and straightened up from his slouched position, smiling.
"Well then, may I take a stab in the light?"
"That is unfair, as you can see."
"Can I just ask a question?"
"That was all you need have said," Katerina liked daunting this man. Jack would have usually gotten fed up with her, and Matthew would have thought it was her time of the month and back away from her like she had the plague or the sweat. In fact, she often felt like the infested Thames, and the Tower of London of old, where dead bodies were dropped into the river. That's how Matthew would sometimes make her feel. She shuddered slightly at a memory, and repressed it.
"Well, I shall take a stab in the light, and say you had a turn as a Lady,"
"Your aim is well," Katerina remarked, a ghost of a smile forming on her lips, almost like a grimace. "And you, sir? What of your family, or do you have a wife?"
"Oh no!" John said, eyes wide with mock horror. "Not me. I have my share of women, but none want to marry a gimp," he brandished his peg. "My dear mum is still alive, and kicking it in Tortuga. She runs the Faithful Bride(a/n: ok, I dunno who came up with that name, or if it really is from the movie, but I don't want people to say I stole it from them...I have seen it everywhere) and is very well set."
"I have seen her then. I like Edna. She told me a fair few stories."
"That would be her," John nodded. "Other then that, I have no family. I was originally from Wales, but I prefer the Caribbean Sea and sun."
"All those who sail in it do, Mr. Bristol."
"Call me John." Katerina looked at him again, still unsure completely about his motives, and if what he spoke was truth.
"Why are you in the brig?" John finally asked, a hint of amuesment coming forth in his muddy brown eyes.
"For being a woman."
"Surely not. They should let you fight, if you signed the articles."
"Im sure they would. But the captain and I had a disagreement, and it led to this. I suppose punishment for questioning his orders."
"What part do you play in battle?"
"At the moment I mostly man a cannon. Or woman a cannon, I should say. Sometimes I am lookout. But I can fight well and aim straight."
"Are you and the captain...in a family way, as Edna says."
"Oh no," It was Katerina's turn to look horrified, although she inwardly admitted that the idea had come across her mind more then once. But that was behind her. Now she was carrying her late husbands child, who would be heir to the Hawkins treasure, sought after by men and pirates alike.
She would not be so stupid as to say there wasn't something in her heart for the strange and unique captain, but it was mostly affection for taking her onto his ship, after she had jumped it a year ago. And because he was taking her to the treasure(he naturally got a cut) and promising to help if she needed it.
"Ah. Well, I suppose I shall sit, as it will take a while to clean up on deck,"
"No need," Came a fresh voice from the doorway leading to the stairs. Both persons looked up to see aforementioned pirate captain standing there, a mocking smirk on his face, his step jaunty.
"I see you have met the captee. Well, of sorts. He wasn't crew, so we couldn't really kill him...but we couldn't just leave him to die. That damn old mercy of mine flaring up again." Katerina snorted, and John looked amused.
"Can I come out now, Captain?" She asked, smiling pleasantly, and batting her eyelashes.
"Only if you promise not to bloody try to fight, Ginger. You know how delicate your state can be..."
"Im bleedin' pregnant, Jack!" Katerina exclaimed, placing her hand flat on her stomach that hadn't begun to show yet. "Not made of glass! You didn't mind when I fought before!"
"You weren't carrying your husbands child before!"
If Katerina was out of the cell, and wasn't out of reach of Jack, she would have slapped him. He didn't care about her herself. Just her baby. Just because of the treasure.
"Excuse me," John said rather embarrassedly, walking out of the brig. Jack let him go.
"I'm not yours," Katerina said in a low and silky voice, pressing her face to the bars, and pointing at him with a quivering forefinger.
"So? Can't I still look out for your well-being?"
"No!" Katerina screamed, letting out a maniacal shriek of laughter. "So do me a favor, and stop doing me favors!"
Jack opened his mouth to retort, but a malicious comment died on his tongue. Without another word, he turned on his heel–beads clicking gently–and strode out of the brig.
"Let me fucking out!" Katerina cried, almost near tears.
"I'm not supposed to do you any favors," came a faint cry from the other side of the door. Katerina kicked the bars, allotting a stubbed toe in return.