CHAPTER SEVEN

Captain Barbossa, Olivia and the crew were about to set sail the following morning. They had gotten the supplies they needed. Gibbs was at the wheel, nursing a very cruel hangover.

" Not feeling well Mr. Gibbs?" Captain Barbossa asked cheerfully, clapping him hard on the shoulder. Gibbs only groaned in reply.

The day became dark as storm clouds rolled in. Thunder grumbled in the distance as rain started to fall.

" Tis a bad sign," Gibbs said to Olivia, " It is going to get rough out here. You'd best to hang on to something."

Gibbs was right…the weather was rough. The roughest she has experienced yet. She hung on to a rope that was tied to the sails as Gibbs and Barbossa battled to keep the ship on course. The rain was heavy and the thunder was loud-it sounded angry. Waves splashed over the side of the ship, drenching it's crew. She peered through the rain and saw Barbossa shouting something at her. She could not hear a thing. She fought hard against the wind as she walked closer. Her hat flew off her head and disappeared.

" What?" she yelled when she was within earshot.

" Go below," Barbossa advised, " Ye be safer."

" I am fine. I won't get blown away," she replied.

" I'd feel better knowin' yer were safe." Barbossa insisted. She relented, she was starting to feel nauseous anyway.

Towards night, the storms quelled and the wind eased off. Olivia woke from her nap, she had fallen asleep sometime during the storms. She went back up on deck and saw Barbossa consulting some charts. She smiled at him before she stared out at the sea. Her hat was nowhere in sight but there was something else floating in the sea. She squinted, it was a man.

" Man overboard!" she shouted. Barbossa, Gibbs and Ragetti joined her.

" Pull that man in," Barbossa barked orders at his crew. It took some effort, but they dragged the man up and over and into the ship. He landed with a thud on the deck.

Barbossa turned him over. The man was a stranger with long, wind-swept hair with cuts on his face. He wore tan breeches and a long-sleeved white shirt. He had a blue bandana around his head and had a sword at his side.

Gibbs threw some water into the man's face. The man coughed and spluttered as he opened his eyes. He found himself staring into the faces of three men and a woman.

" Where did you come from sir?" Barbossa demanded the stranger.

" I-I don't know. I can't remember." The man sat up and groaned. Blood dripped from a cut lip and he wiped at it.

" I'll get some bandages." Olivia said and disappeared.

" Take him down below." Barbossa ordered. The crew did as ordered.

Barbossa studied the stranger as Olivia dressed his wounds. They let the stranger rest and after a few hours, the stranger began to regain his memory.

" My name is Peter. I remember the storm. It was quite nasty…some pirates came aboard my ship and we'd started to fight. Then I must have fallen overboard because I don't remember much else." He winced as Olivia dabbed some ointment on a cut on his arm.

" I am Miss. Olivia and this is Captain Barbossa. You're on board The Duchess." She finished dressing his wounds and turned to Barbossa, " What should we do with him?"

" Find his ship I suppose," Barbossa replied but Peter shook his head quickly. " no. Those men are nasty…you and your crew would get killed if we found them."

" Believe me, I've been in my share of mutinies," Barbossa assured him then realized he would be putting Olivia in danger if they went searching for Peter's ship. It was not part of the voyage.

" The only other thing we can do is drop ye off at the nearest shore and ye can make ye own way home."

" Why don't we make him a part of our crew?" she suggested. Barbossa glanced at her and shook his head.

" If you please, I'd like to rest. I am still very sore."

Olivia nodded and they left him.

" Let him join us? We don't even know him." Barbossa said.

" Then we should get to know him. What is the harm?"

" He could be dangerous." Barbossa argued.

" He does not appear to be. When he's ready he will tell his story."

Peter curled up on the bank and thought of the woman. He'd been in hell, now he was in heaven for Miss. Olivia was an angel. He was saved.