Chapter 3

"The best place for a story to start is at the beginning" Jack announced, "however, for this particular story, it's really not necessary. You only need to know those facts which pertain to you" he gestured towards Elizabeth, "so I'll forego the formalities of my complete life story, if you don't mind?"

Elizabeth nodded in agreement, she really was in no position to be setting demands.

"Good!" Jack exclaimed "I can live with that...and so can you" he teased.

"I won't go into the long drawn out details of how I secured a position such as the one I hold, but let's just say it's because of this position that I'm practically immortal...not quite, mind you...but practically. I'm quite positive a woman of your educational background is familiar with the song bird that shares my name?"

Elizabeth nods.

"But are you familiar with the legend that goes along?" he asked.

Elizabeth frowned, thinking back to her lessons from childhood but couldn't recall any legends. She shook her head.

"Well, let me enlighten you, m'lady." Jack purred as he reached for her hand and cradled it in his own, gently stroking her fingers.

"You see, it's believed that said song bird has special powers and a very important job." he pulls her hand up to his mouth and gently glides his lips over the surface of her skin. "Sparrows are believed to embody the souls of the dead, they represent human souls. It's also bad luck to kill one and if one does meet it's end, the tree it lives in will also die." He parts his lips and runs his tongue over her fingertips, savouring her taste, her smell, her feel. Elizabeth feels herself warm to his touch but quickly pulls her hand away.

"I think I understand." she says coldly. "Captain Sparrow! If this is all an attempt to seduce me I suggest you stop right now! I shall not allow my love for Will to lead to my honour being stolen by the likes of a lying pirate!"

Jack raises his head, smiles and takes her hand back in his. "I assure you, love. This is all fact and in no way is this only an attempt to have my way with you. However," he continues as he places her hand back against his lips, "I should tell you that sparrows are also an attribute of the Goddess Aphrodite," he winks at her "and have a reputation for lasciviousness."

Elizabeth attempts to pull away but he holds her tightly to him. She breathes heavily, feeling herself responding yet again to his touch, the want for him growing greater with each graze of his lips against her fingers. He begins to place gentle kisses all over her hand, knowing that she's beginning to get turned on.

Jack stops, but he doesn't let go of her hand. He senses her growing lust and satisfied that he has worked her up enough, decides to continue with his story as if nothing has happened, leaving Elizabeth excruciatingly frustrated. He smiles at this then proceeds.

"They're considered the least of God's creatures, outcasts as it were. They go through life collecting the souls of those who have met their end, taking only those souls who would prove useful to them and leaving behind the ones that will hinder. Each soul that's collected enables them to attain a new skill, desire or trait but one must be careful what one picks up. Some souls are diseased and should be allowed to pass on to it's inevitable fate. Some souls are better left behind." He continues to hold and stroke her hand.

"Like Barbossa?" she asks.

"Aye, lass. Like Barbossa. A man not fit for either heaven or hell. A man destined to spend eternity in purgatory until someone is willing to claim his soul."

"Do you just take them...I mean...do the sparrows just take the souls or do the souls have to come willingly?" she questioned.

"They must come willingly, you can't force what doesn't want to be, however, there's far more souls clamouring to be taken then left behind to face the unknown. Far too many, I'm afraid."

"When do they collect them? The souls, I mean?"

"They must have a decision when the soul leaves the body. Death is a process and the soul leaving it's earthly prison is the first step, albeit an invisible one. If they are to give their soul to a sparrow, they must decide that immediately upon their death."

"Doesn't give them much time, does it?" Elizabeth asked.

"Most who opt to give their souls do so because they're either not ready to die, or fear the unknown because of possible repercussions from the choices they made while alive. Most only need that brief second to come to a decision. There's a few who do it for other reasons. Of course once a soul has agreed to go with a sparrow, never again will they have ownership of it. They'll be at the mercy of the sparrow as long as that sparrow lives, but I suppose for some, it's better than what lies waiting."

Elizabeth contemplates about what he is saying and glances down at her own hand. She realizes that she has been furiously clasping onto Jack's hand throughout the duration of his story and now finds it quite difficult to release her grasp. She does so, however, with a little concentration and pulls her hand out of his clutch.

"Have I quenched the lady's thirst for knowledge?" Jack asked rather seductively. "Or is there some other deeply rooted curiosity I can satisfy for you right here on this bed?

Elizabeth blushes, and turns away. "No thank you. That will about do it fo..." she stops short.

Jack however, finishes it for her. "For now." He reaches over and strokes her hair. "Aye, for now." he whispers.

He rises off of the bed and walks over to the cabin door. "I must return to my captain duties! Cotton tends to get a little wreckless at the wheel. He seems to revel in taking it for joyrides. I'd better get back." He opens the door but before he walks through it he turns and leaves Elizabeth with one final thought.

"Oh yes. One other thing about sparrows, love. Hearing a sparrow's call means rain. Just thought you might be interested, you can store it in the same place you store the rest of those useless facts one picks up in their life."

Then he steps out of the cabin and into the darkness of the night.