A/N: Reviews- on here, plus I've gotten a couple emails and instant messages- keep coming in and I am so delighted. Words cannot express how much I thank you guys! Also, Kai asked how I knew ship stuff… A little research and guesswork. I found some ship designs, but the Pearl didn't really fit any of them, so I figured I'd make her a special design. I'm no sailor, so if anything sounds off, please let me know and I'll fix it. Yeah, so on with the story.
Chapter Four
The sun rose bright and clear, and Nicholas Sparrow woke with a smile. He carried the smile as he hoisted a bucket of water, and carried it down the stairs. Grant had asked if they should take it easy on the boy. The captain allowed himself a chuckle as he opened the door to the cabin Jack was occupying. If there was one thing he'd learned as the captain of a ship such as the Pamplona, it was that you never take it easy on the promising ones. The same went here on the Black Pearl, and Jack was nothing if not promising.
The cold water landed directly on the boy's face. He sat up, sputtering and clutching the sopping blanket. "Gah! What was that for?"
"Get your things; you're moving."
"But-"
"So you think a new member of this crew will get his own cabin? I think not."
Jack blinked, swinging his legs over the side of his bunk. "But… what about the hole?"
It seemed like the most unlikely thing to say, especially since the boy was sopping wet, black hair plastered against his head, and he had just been ordered out of his cabin. But it made perfect sense to Jack- Sparrow could see it in his eyes. "You can get to work patching that as soon as you finish moving your things to your bunk in the forecastle. When you're done with that, report back to Killigan. Let's hope that you can put your knowledge to good use, boy."
Jack stood, swaying a tad as he nodded. "Aye, Captain." He reached down and lifted his worn old chest, carrying it out without another word.
The captain watched the boy sashay along the narrow hall, clothes and hair dripping puddles as he walked along. As soon as Jack disappeared, Sparrow started to laugh, a rich sound that he hadn't heard for a while, and plunked down on the bed.
The laughter abruptly stopped as cold water soaked into his breeches. Sparrow sighed and kicked the bucket away. "Bloody hell…"
*
"No, no, boy! This piece goes through the loop, then over, not under! If you can't learn to tie a simple knot, there's no hope for you."
Jack grunted and retied the knot. "Is that better, Mr. Killigan?"
The grizzled old man tugged on the knot, then nodded. "A wee bit perhaps."
Jack straightened and stretched, taking a moment to glance up at the Captain and Mr. Grant, conversing over a compass and a map at the ships wheel. They seemed to be charting out a course, deciding where to go next. Perhaps there was a merchant vessel they were after, or a hidden treasure? Before he could weave anymore tales in his mind, Killigan slapped his shoulder.
"Keep your mind on this deck, boy!" Jack nodded, and Killigan pointed to the next knot to be tied in the endless line of rigging. He began to refasten it, not making any mistakes in the knotting. Killigan nodded approvingly. "You learn quick."
"Thank you," Jack replied, mind on his work. Then, as he caught the hang of it, he asked, "How long have you been at this, Killigan?"
The older man snickered. "Far as I can remember, going on twenty years. Long and dangerous road, it is."
"What about the captain?"
Killigan shook his head and shot a look up at Sparrow, who was still deep in conversation with Grant. "Time runs differently out here. I think we've all lost track of how long its been." Jack nodded, following his gaze. The captain's hair blew wildly around his face, which was drawn in concentration. Jack opened his mouth to ask another question, but Killigan cut him off. "Don't go meddlin' and asking questions, boy. Let the captain have his secrets. We all do."
Jack nodded and finished the last knot. He'd been with this crew for less than three days, and he already knew that.
Chapter Four
The sun rose bright and clear, and Nicholas Sparrow woke with a smile. He carried the smile as he hoisted a bucket of water, and carried it down the stairs. Grant had asked if they should take it easy on the boy. The captain allowed himself a chuckle as he opened the door to the cabin Jack was occupying. If there was one thing he'd learned as the captain of a ship such as the Pamplona, it was that you never take it easy on the promising ones. The same went here on the Black Pearl, and Jack was nothing if not promising.
The cold water landed directly on the boy's face. He sat up, sputtering and clutching the sopping blanket. "Gah! What was that for?"
"Get your things; you're moving."
"But-"
"So you think a new member of this crew will get his own cabin? I think not."
Jack blinked, swinging his legs over the side of his bunk. "But… what about the hole?"
It seemed like the most unlikely thing to say, especially since the boy was sopping wet, black hair plastered against his head, and he had just been ordered out of his cabin. But it made perfect sense to Jack- Sparrow could see it in his eyes. "You can get to work patching that as soon as you finish moving your things to your bunk in the forecastle. When you're done with that, report back to Killigan. Let's hope that you can put your knowledge to good use, boy."
Jack stood, swaying a tad as he nodded. "Aye, Captain." He reached down and lifted his worn old chest, carrying it out without another word.
The captain watched the boy sashay along the narrow hall, clothes and hair dripping puddles as he walked along. As soon as Jack disappeared, Sparrow started to laugh, a rich sound that he hadn't heard for a while, and plunked down on the bed.
The laughter abruptly stopped as cold water soaked into his breeches. Sparrow sighed and kicked the bucket away. "Bloody hell…"
*
"No, no, boy! This piece goes through the loop, then over, not under! If you can't learn to tie a simple knot, there's no hope for you."
Jack grunted and retied the knot. "Is that better, Mr. Killigan?"
The grizzled old man tugged on the knot, then nodded. "A wee bit perhaps."
Jack straightened and stretched, taking a moment to glance up at the Captain and Mr. Grant, conversing over a compass and a map at the ships wheel. They seemed to be charting out a course, deciding where to go next. Perhaps there was a merchant vessel they were after, or a hidden treasure? Before he could weave anymore tales in his mind, Killigan slapped his shoulder.
"Keep your mind on this deck, boy!" Jack nodded, and Killigan pointed to the next knot to be tied in the endless line of rigging. He began to refasten it, not making any mistakes in the knotting. Killigan nodded approvingly. "You learn quick."
"Thank you," Jack replied, mind on his work. Then, as he caught the hang of it, he asked, "How long have you been at this, Killigan?"
The older man snickered. "Far as I can remember, going on twenty years. Long and dangerous road, it is."
"What about the captain?"
Killigan shook his head and shot a look up at Sparrow, who was still deep in conversation with Grant. "Time runs differently out here. I think we've all lost track of how long its been." Jack nodded, following his gaze. The captain's hair blew wildly around his face, which was drawn in concentration. Jack opened his mouth to ask another question, but Killigan cut him off. "Don't go meddlin' and asking questions, boy. Let the captain have his secrets. We all do."
Jack nodded and finished the last knot. He'd been with this crew for less than three days, and he already knew that.