Music roused her from her sleep. It was bittersweet and warming to hear, with the comforting sense of familiarity wrought from a song heard many years ago. Jade turned lazy eyes upon the cabin in which she lay and remembered that they had stolen a small schooner in order to pursue Barbossa. They had been chasing him for nearly a year now, unable to travel as fast as the Pearl and missing him by days whenever he made port. They had lost time returning the Aztec gold and Jack had been less than pleased that the other Jack of the primate variety had escaped, taking away the option of leverage. A part of her wished Jack would just give up, but there was no swaying him. No woman rivalled his Black Pearl.

The music kept playing, a lilting sound of flutes. She rolled out of the hammock and wandered out of the cabin onto the deck. Searching for the source of the noise, she peered across the rails on either side before ascending to the quarterdeck and making for the helm.

"Lemmeh take over," she said to the pirate on duty, a wiry bearded man with a scarred lip.

"A woman steer a ship? It be bad enough you're even on board let alone tryin' to do the work."

She glared at him. "Jack says I c'n do wharrever I want. So bugg'roff." She seized the wheel and began to yank it clockwise, veering the shipto port.

"Leave off!" the man cried and tried to prise her hands off, but she gripped with astonishing strength. As if he wasn't even there, Jade continued to turn the wheel and stared ahead with determination.

"Oi!" shouted a voice from the deck. Captain Sparrow pounced up the stairs and looked incredulous at the scrabbling between the crewmembers. "Master Dandswell, would you be so kind as to inform me of the problem?"

"She's just gone mad, Cap'n. Won't let go of the wheel. She said you told her she could."

"I did not."

"That's what I thought, sir. I said no woman's ever been all right sailin' in my book. Where will a man be if they start doing all 'is jobs?"

"Makes no odds whether she be man or woman," Jack said dismissively. "I want 'er off." He moved alongside Miss Starfall. "Jade? What're you doing?"

"Goin' t' find the pipers."

Jack blinked. "What?"

"I've got t' find where th' music's comin' from. They need 'elp…"

The pirate captain briefly exchanged glances with Dandswell before he slid around the opposite side of the wheel to block Jade's view. "Jade… there's no music."

Her gaze snapped to meet with his and she snarled, "Then yeh need t' get yeh ears washed out. Help meh Jack or get out'f m' way."

"Fine…I'll 'elp," he said as he moved away. With a sudden spin on his heel he grabbed her about the waist and tugged. Dandswell pulled at her hands and the two of them were able to wrench her free. Jade screeched and stamped on Jack's toes. Cursing, he made Dandswell hold her whilst he fetched a spare length of rope with which to bind her hands.

"When you've quite finished shootin' daggers at me, missy, 'ow's about you give me a reason not to think you stark ravin' bonkers?"

She looked up at him with spiteful tears. "Jes' don' change course. Yeh'll see, we're close now. S' beautiful, 's killin' meh inside. We have t' get t' them."

Jack squinted past the bow and saw nothing but mist. "That's not good." He called to the crew, "We turn back. Adjust course starboard an' with the sun."

"No!" Jade screamed.

Jack winced. The high-pitched sound that came from the faux pirate was not something he had experienced. Something was clearly wrong. This was confirmed as he strode to take the helm. The schooner jolted as it struck a sloping reef, sending its crew sprawling to the boards. Jade was up and running before any of them got to their feet.

"Stop!" Sparrow called but on she stumbled, tied hands clasped to her stomach. He raced after her but stopped dead in the middle of the deck as the ship gave a mournful groan. The air was thick and soundless in the way it dampens when one has been too close to loud noise. For a moment he thought he heard a faint chattering.

All at once there were a rounded dozen slimy monsters perching on the rails around the ship. Sharp teeth grinned about sets of pipes, upon which they were presumably chewing for Sparrow could hear no music. They had goblin features but with gills and webbed limbs. The rest of the crew drew their swords. Jack watched in horror as the creatures growled at the pirates and launched into battle.

Ahead, Jade stood at the ship's prow, oblivious to all that was happening behind her. Another of the goblin creatures was sitting on the bowsprit and was still 'playing' its set of pipes. The young woman stood, entranced.

Jack started forward and drew his pistol from its holster. A gurgling shriek to his left compelled him to turn with a dismayed expression and blast a creature that had been hurtling through the air towards him. He narrowly avoided getting splattered with black goo. Reverting his attention to Jade, he goggled, open-mouthed, as the musical monster leapt upon her and sank its teeth into her neck.

In clumsy desperation, Sparrow shoved his empty pistol back in his belt and ran for her. One hand grasped the creature's sticky scruff whilst his other carefully pinched its snout and peeled it away from Jade's throat. Immediately the incensed fiend began biting the length of his arm.

"Ow! Ow! Bugger! Bugger! Ow!"

The Captain tore the thing from him and cast it to the deck. His boot pressed upon its writhing form. It snapped at him, drooling. Jack drew his sword and quickly skewered the monster before he staggered back in his unsurefooted manner. Panicked, he spun to yell at those crewmen not engaged in combat. "I want those jibs shifted! The wind must take us off this shelf now! Move!" He rushed to Jade and released the rope that bound her. She looked up at him in pained bewilderment.

"Jack? Worr'appened? That thin' was…drinkin' meh."

"That would be your pipers what you were so eager to meet," Sparrow replied wryly. "Ought to call 'em vampipers if you ask me." They stumbled to keep their balance as the ship slid from where she was beached. The mist parted when they reached deeper waters and the squirming, gargling imps cast themselves overboard to find their home.

Jack winced at the stinging in his arm and brushed the slime from his coat sleeve. "All clear?" he shouted.

"Aye, Cap'n, all ten of 'em!" cried one of the men.

"Ten?" Sparrow murmured.

Jade turned to him. Her eyes went wide, she gasped and drew her knife. Dumbstruck, Jack ducked. There was a guttural squeal as Jade stabbed the piper that had been perching upon the Captain's hat. She pulled her arm back, the limp thing dangling from the blade. Jack returned the young woman's grimace with an empathetic smile.

"Oh."