Chapter Three
Eight months later found the young woman back out at sea. Currently her own ship, the Rambler, a topsail schooner, was moored in an inlet off a large island. Another ship was moored next to it, this one a galleon with a char darkened appearance, a famed ship known as the Black Pearl.
Although most of the crews of each ship weathered the edges of the hurricane below deck within their own ship, both captains sat in the quarters of the Pearl. Both sat in a similar manner, with their feet up on the table and leaned back comfortably within their chair. Neither seemed to pay any mind to the storm raging outside.
"…and then I heroically leaped from the battlements into the water below. Of course me ship was waiting, I knew that they'd come back for me," the man known as Jack Sparrow finished his story, throwing his arms out with a flourish.
"This seriously sounds like some kind of fairy tale," Keilani spoke.
"Ah, ya' know better than most those tales oft' have some truth to 'em," Jack countered, throwing the younger captain a knowing look. "But I'll grant ya the fairy tale part, where the dashing hero escapes at the end to live happily ever after."
Keilani tilted her head, "And you're supposed to be the dashing hero in this? 'Cause it sounds ta me like this blacksmith might be – got the girl, got some riches, got some status."
Jack snorted, "the whelp couldn't a done it without me."
"I'm sure," Keilani replied dryly.
The two lapsed into an easy silence, both picking at some food still left on the table and enjoying their rum.
"Are you sure you're up for this?" Jack broke the silence solemnly. "You know what role you'll have to play in this."
Keilani sighed, "I know. 'm not looking forward to it, but it's better than having that accursed object around."
"To courage than," Jack raised his bottle of rum.
"To freedom!" Keilani toasted back.
As the hurricane continued its ferocious attack on the planet, the two captain's dozed off, neither moving from their spot.
When morning dawned the storm had finally blown itself out and everything was still, a swath of destruction visible across the land laid out in front of the ship but the sea looked peaceful as though it had not been raging mere hours ago.
Gradually the crews of both ships awakened and busied themselves with reorganizing the supplies on their ships, and with canvassing the vessels to make sure there was no damage and fixing what they found.
By the end of the day both ships were again in order and the crews combined to enjoy a rowdy dinner. The drinks flowed freely, raucous jokes were told, and bawdy songs were sung. Everyone celebrating the end of the storm and the survival of the crews.
The next morning the crews were slow to awaken, many suffering from hangovers, and began reading themselves to make sail.
"Do ye have a bearing?" Jack asked his fellow captain, as Keilani readied herself to return to her own ship.
"Not really," the female captain shrugged. "Figured I'd let the wind lead where it will. How 'bout you?"
Jack opened his odd compass and watched it spin uselessly around. "The wind it is."
"It was good to catch up with you again."
"Same girly, you be careful out there."
"What's the fun in that?" grinned the young woman, grabbing the rope and swinging across to her own ship.
"Just take care of yer'self," Jack called across, shaking his head and then yelled to his crew. "Draw anchors! Ready the sails!"
"What's our heading captain?" asked a bearded man, Gibbs, the first mate of the Pearl.
"We're gunna head south," the captain answered, steering his ship through the opening of the inlet.
Back on the Rambler, Keilani and her own crew busied themselves with readying their own ship as the Pearl turned and began to leave.
"What's the plan, Kei?" asked a man with wild blond hair.
"Not much of one, Diethelm. Figured we'd head west ta start and see what we run into."
"Works for me," shrugged the first mate of the Rambler.
The smaller schooner soon followed the larger galleon out of the inlet and both ships sailed their separate way.
Over the following several days, the sea remained rather calm. Small storms would occasionally pop up, tiny remnants of the hurricane, but nothing too serious. No other ships were spotted and one could be forgiven for feeling as if they were the only people in the world.
On the fifth day the lookout, an Asian man named Chau, called Keilani over while the first mate remained at the wheel.
"'Sup?" the woman questioned.
"Somethin' odd on the horizon out there. Can't quite make out what it is though." Chau handed the looking glass over to his captain.
"Well, let's go find out," the captain grinned, as she headed for the top deck to take over the wheel.
Within a relatively short time the object became distinct, it was three lifeboats attached to each other with ropes.
It did not take long after that for the lifeboats to reach the ship, the crews having started rowing once they realized the vessel was headed towards them. The small boats were quickly attached to the larger vessel and the bedraggled men were quick to make their way onboard. The 18 men, 6 from each boat, all wore uniforms marking them as members of the British royal navy. Most wore the reds of the general enlisted, although each lifeboat had been helmed by an officer dressed in the blues.
Happy to be rescued the enlisted men were thanking the crew of the vessel, as Diethelm and Keilani made their way over to the group.
"So how'd ya end up out here?" Diethelm questioned the three officers.
"Our ship was caught out in the ocean during that hurricane a few days ago," explained the most senior, and officer with the epaulettes of commodore.
"Most of the crew was lost," one of the lieutenants provided solemnly.
Keilani tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, clearly thinking.
"What were you doing out in such terrible weather?" the blond asked, incredulous.
"Chasing a pirate," explained the second lieutenant.
"That's how I know you!" exclaimed Kei, having only partially listened to the conversation.
"Cap'n?" queried Diethelm.
"When I had that issue with the Spanish ship, they're the ones that, uh, rescued me," Keilani tapped her fingers against her leg, trying to recall their names. "Yeah, you're uh… It's Groves, Gillette, and Norrington!"
"Keilani Teach?" the officer in a commodores uniform questioned, now recognizing the young woman.
"Yeah, Hi!" she greeted cheerfully, while in her mind she was thinking some very unladylike thoughts and trying to figure out how this was supposed to work.
