Chapter 12

True to the captain's word, they arrived in Port Maria late the next morning. Before Blackbird had even had the chance to leave the ship, Captain Jones had made arrangements with a friend who was heading to Port Royal in a few days. He ordered that her "belongings" be retrieved from the loot onboard the Black Pearl. As he escorted her down the gangplank, he explained the arrangements to Blackbird. "I've spoken to a friend of mine who runs a merchant vessel," he said. "His ship will be leaving for Port Royal in three days, and he has agreed to grant you free passage. I hope you will not mind being my house guest until then. I assure you the utmost privacy during your stay."

Blackbird readily agreed. "Thank you, Captain Jones," she said, accepting his help getting into the carriage.

The house they pulled up to wasn't enormous, but it was by no means small. Apparently the captain was very wealthy, though he was unmarried. An elderly butler greeted them at the door and arranged for Blackbird's trunk to be carried to one of the vacant bedrooms on the far wing of the house. Captain Jones motioned to one of the young maids that stood waiting. "Sarah," he said. "Take Miss Turner to her room and see to it that her needs are met."

"Yes sir," the maid said, bobbing a quick curtsy. "Right this way, Miss."

Sarah led Blackbird to a spacious bedroom and had water drawn for a bath. After all was set in order, the maid lingered.

"You may go now," Blackbird said, a bit impatiently.

"Will ye not be wantin' help with ye bath, Miss?" she asked in confusion.
"No, that won't be necessary," Blackbird replied hastily. "I am perfectly capable of bathing myself. I will call you should any trouble arise."

The maid hesitated before curtseying. "As ye wish, Miss. I shall be right outside should you need me."

As soon as she was sure Sarah wouldn't be coming back in, Blackbird undressed and sank gratefully into the water. While she was fine without bathing, she never turned down the opportunity. She had sent the maid away because of her telltale scars that were now visible: whip marks across her back, the 'P' branded into her wrist, and, most obviously, the two round scars on her chest where she'd narrowly escaped death. No "lady" would have such scarring, so Blackbird knew it was necessary that they remain hidden.

When she'd had all she could stand, Blackbird put on the gown that had been provided and lay down on the luxuriously soft bed. There was a timid knock at the door and Sarah stepped in. "Miss?" she asked softly. "The Master requests that you join him for dinner this evenin'. What may I tell him?"

Blackbird hesitated. She hated any kind of dining that didn't involve storytelling, drunken singing, and free rum for everybody, but she also knew that it would seems suspicious for her to decline. "You may tell him I most gratefully accept," she finally said. Nodding, the girl disappeared into the hall again.

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Later that evening, Sarah and another maid worked to get Blackbird ready for the evening. They struggled a bit with her shorter, tangled hair before settling on brushing it and just leaving it loose. Blackbird selected a dress that would cover most of her scars and donned lacy white gloves to disguise her rough hands. The maids selected a simple necklace and earrings to complete the outfit. When all was said and done, Blackbird had to admit that it was an improvement. She'd never hear the end of it if her crewmates saw her like this.

When Blackbird finally went down into the dining room, Captain Jones could only stare. Remembering his manners, he cleared his throat and bowed slightly. "Miss Turner, I'm glad you could join me this evening; dinner by myself can get quite lonely at times…Won't you have a seat?" he said, pulling out a chair for her. Blackbird smiled graciously and sat down.

Servants brought out the meal one course at a time, each one more delicious than the last. As they ate, Blackbird secretly regretted not paying more attention to the few etiquette lessons her father had given her. He hadn't wanted her to be limited in any way by her background, so he had made sure she at least had a decent education. Naturally, she had hated it and had given it no more thought than painfully necessary. She could remember a few things, but she found herself constantly glancing at the young captain to figure out which utensil to use.

They talked all through the meal and well after, until finally they had to retire to the large balcony overlooking the sea so that the servants could clean up the meal. They discussed childhoods, current occupations, and future dreams. Of course, everything Blackbird said was a lie, but Captain Jones didn't have to know that.

"I've always wanted to sail," he was saying. "Ever since I was a lad, the sea has fascinated me. I feel…called to it." Blackbird, deciding it was best not to mention her own "calling", simply nodded.

As it grew late, they both struggled to suppress yawns. Finally, they said their goodnights. "Oh, and, Raven," Captain Jones called after her as she retired, "the pirates are scheduled to be hung at dawn and my presence is required. Will you be accompanying me?"

Blackbird nodded. "I wish to see those men brought to justice," she said firmly. Dawn. That would mean very little sleep before she would need to get busy. Wishing the captain goodnight once more, she disappeared into her room.

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Once she was sure that everyone in the house was asleep, Blackbird got out of her bed and got her trunk ready. Pulling out her shirt and pants from a hidden compartment at the bottom of the trunk, she quickly dressed. Since her room was on the first floor, it was child's play for her to climb out the large window with her things. Blackbird marveled at how quiet it was as she crept silently down the streets. In Tortuga, this time of night was the peak of activity.

She was surprised to find that the Pearl was unguarded, and even more to find that the cargo hadn't been touched. After she had stored her belongings in the forecastle and performed a quick check of everything, Blackbird silently snuck back to the captain's house. Once she was back in the bedroom, she slipped the nightgown over her clothes and settled down to sleep. She had no sooner dozed off than Sarah came to wake her up.

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Will leaned against the wall of the jail cell and closed his eyes, but sleep eluded him. Despite Jack's reassurances, he was still apprehensive of the next morning. They had already been informed of the hanging at dawn and he had been given a special honor: he would hang at the same time as Jack. Apparently Jack was not having the same concerns, as he was resting peacefully in the other corner. Will stirred uncomfortably on the hard floor.

"You might as well rest while ye can, mate," Jack said without opening his eyes. "We'll need all your energy in the morning."

Will shook his head. "I can't sleep," he muttered.

Jack sat up a little bit. "If you're still worryin' about the mornin', don't. Blackbird'll get us out; we can trust her."

"Can we?" Will asked. "She is a pirate."

"So are you, mate," Jack pointed out. "You seem forget whose daughter she is, Will. Bootstrap wouldn't've left a friend to die, you wouldn't leave a friend to die, and neither will Blackbird. She's a devoted pirate, but she'd sooner break the Code than let her friends down." With that, Jack put his hat over his eyes and went back to sleep.

Sighing, Will did the same and managed to doze for a few hours.

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They were woken up by the cell door being unlocked and several soldiers coming in. One bound Will's hands while another did the same to Jack. Once they were both secured, one of the soldiers smiled grimly and muttered, "Let's go."