Chapter 5

The next morning, the storm hadn't quite passed but was definitely on its way out. Joanna held a conference with Hawk at the helm, leaning against it while making sure everyone did his or her jobs right.

"Hawk," she told her friend, "We need money. For provisions mostly, but we may have to use it to pay off Jack too."

"There's a town across the cove," Hawk said, "I'll bet there's a pub. We've never been here before; profits will be slim but good."

"I thought of that," Joanna said, stroking Bourbon, who was perched on her shoulder. "But if you and I leave the ship, that's everyone that I trust. Who's to say the others won't hire two blokes while we're gone and haul out on us?"

"They haven't got the moneybags," Hawk pointed out, "You and I do. They couldn't hire anyone."

"Still."

Bourbon echoed his mistress's sentiment with an uneasy fluttering of his wings. He would be needed to keep watch at the tavern and fly in for rescue if things got nasty. The last person who had tried to attack Joanna wore bandages around where his eyes had been, thanks to Bourbon's talons.

"You could leave me on the ship," Hawk offered.

Joanna shook her head. "What else would start a good drinking game like a pretty girl and an impudent boy? I wouldn't take Adelinde, she would mess the whole thing up by opening her mouth. And Theo watches Annette like…well, like a hawk. He would never let her do such a thing."

Eliza Hawk shrugged her shoulders. "You'll just have to change the act, that's all. Take Hastings; Theo is pretty fond of him and Theo is the only one I would have trouble with I think, authority-wise. If you take Hastings, he'll have more reason to stay with us. While you two are getting money, Annette and Theo can go get supplies."

Joanna sputtered. "Eliza!" she exclaimed.

Hawk sighed. Joanna only used her first name when she was either in the middle of the drinking act or particularly upset.

Eliza placed her hand on Joanna's shoulder. "Sparrow," she said seriously, "It's not hard. Take Hastings, say you two are best mates or something, he's clever and you have a hot temper, you're bound to start some kind of fight."

Joanna huffed indignantly, but turned from her friend. "Theo! Hastings!" she ordered, her voice carrying over the ship. "To the helm, both of you, immediately!"

It didn't take long. It amused both women that the men snapped to attention at first but then relaxed, but the women pretended they hadn't noticed. Swiftly, the situation was explained, and met with two very different reactions. Theo nodded his head with a "Yes, Ma'am," and went to prepare the longboat for the four of them to go ashore. Hastings raised his eyebrows, looking down at Joanna. Although she was several inches shorter than he was, her commanding presence made her still able to look down her nose at him. It went against everything in the soldier's nature to take commands from a pirate (and a woman, for that matter!) but he was under orders from Theo to obey orders from the young woman captain and her spirited first mate. So after deliberating with himself for a few short seconds, he too nodded and went to help Theo.

"Hastings!" Joanna stopped him when he was a couple of stairs down. Now she stood over him. "Since it was Hawk's idea, she'll help with preparations."

Hawk rolled her eyes and left.

"You and I," Sparrow continued, "Have got to come up with an act."

"Right," Hastings said, glancing around. "We've got to start a drinking game and get people to bet on you right?"

"That's what we just discussed, yes."

Hastings eyed the woman in front of him. "Well, I'm not sure we'll have too much trouble getting people to bet against you. How much can you drink, out of curiosity?"

"I'll put it this way: only one man has ever beaten me, and he's the one we're after. When I finally passed out, the owner of the tavern had to go out of business until he could get another delivery."

Hastings gave a low whistle, though he didn't quite believe it. "That must have been expensive."

Joanna smirked. "That's the trick of it. Most of the time Hawk and I can get someone else to pay for the drinks."

"Alright."

The two of them considered.

"How much can you drink, Hastings?" Joanna wondered.

"A fair amount, I'd say."

The woman chewed her lip thoughtfully. "I've got nothing," she finally admitted. "My area of expertise is the sea. Hawk's the dramatic one."

"Wait, wait, I've got an idea," this soldier in disguise piped up. "What if you and I go in together, I'll get them riled up, then challenge them to drink against you."

"I'm not following."

He exhaled impatiently. "You and I go into the pub, I'll order a couple of drinks and we'll sit and enjoy them like normal folk, then when they start noticing you I can challenge them, saying something like 'I'll bet you couldn't even outdrink her!' which will of course incite them to want to prove that they can indeed outdrink you…the bartender will think it will all be over in a couple of shots and pay for the drinks, or someone will anyways, and I'll start the betting. If you can drink as much as you say you can, it should work."

"Oh it sounds marvelous," Joanna said flatly. "Except for one thing."

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" the captain declared for the umpteenth time. She, Hastings, Theo, and Annette were in the longboat heading for land, leaving Hawk, Peter and Adelinde on the ship. Joanna was gripping the plank she sat on so hard that her knuckles were white. "I can't believe I'm wearing a dress!"

It had been Hastings's idea, and Hawk had thought it was wonderful, and even Joanna had to admit it was a good plan, but she hadn't worn a dress in all her life to her knowledge. Although, technically, it wasn't a dress. She had borrowed a shirt and skirt from Hawk, and let down her long braid to brush her hair and pin it in a more feminine fashion. Annette had had to help, which was humiliating. If this idea didn't bring in a steep profit, Joanna was going to murder Hastings.

"Remember," Hawk that evening said as she helped lower the longboat bearing her best friend, "You've watched me do it a hundred times. Smile coyly, toss the hair that falls around your face, and act absolutely airheaded."

"Right."

"And stop glaring at everyone. Open your eyes wide and innocent-looking."

Hastings had opened his mouth to add to that advice, but Joanna had silenced him with a glare. She was mad enough at him as it was, so he decided not to push her further. The falcon was sitting on her shoulder cleaning his razor-sharp talons threateningly.

Theo expertly guided the longboat to the dock and paid the fare to the manager while Joanna picked the manager's pocket. She explained to the others later that he had probably stolen the money from someone else and could steal more, so he wouldn't miss it. Half the contents of the purse she had stolen went to Annette, who was absolutely appalled, and the other half went to Hastings so he could buy drinks. Then the group separated.

"He's not coming in, is he?" Hastings wondered, eyeing Bourbon, who glared a falcon's glare at him. "I mean, he'll attract attention."

"No," Joanna said quietly. "Bourbon stays outside unless I call him." So saying, she nuzzled the falcon affectionately and bid him farewell. He took to the sky where he could follow her, and he knew to perch on the roof of whichever building she entered, near a window so he could hear.

"Smart bird," Hastings commented, before giving out a gasp of surprise as Joanna threw herself at him.

Actually, she hadn't thrown herself at him, but looped her arm around his waist and leaned heavily on him. The soldier was surprised simply because women where he came from kept respectful distances from the men unless they were engaged. However, he was learning to accept readily the surprises and etiquette breaches that this world threw at him, so he tried to relax and even tentatively placed an arm around the woman's shoulder.

"Good job, dear," Joanna muttered, still not at all happy. Still, she was a good actress and her energy rubbed off on Hastings somewhat, so he grew more relaxed as they went in search of the pub.

It was not a large port, so the tavern wasn't hard to find. However, it was a small one and Joanna slowed her gait, causing Hastings to stumble. The captain was worried.

"It's so small," she murmured. "That'll never fetch a profit."

Hastings pulled her closer, saying quietly, "If this doesn't work you have my permission to keel-haul me." Then he laughed his best imitation of a drunken laugh, as if what she had just said was the funniest thing in the world, and then surprised the both of them by kissing her cheek.

Joanna grimaced and rubbed her face, pretending his stubble had caused irritation, trying to hide her inflamed cheeks.

Hastings shook his head at himself. Goodness, he thought, if things stay the way they are by the end of the trip I'll have no morals left!

The two of them were hardly noticed as they walked. The tavern, when they entered, was surprisingly full of people for such a small port. Still, it was evening, the sun had almost gone from the sky, and it was a popular time to be drunk. Joanna knew this well. She altered her step, making it more faltering as if she were inebriated. Hastings followed her lead.

The captain's nerves disappeared as she began, officially, to play her role. It wasn't as hard as she had first thought. She wasn't the only wench in the place, but she was a new face among the regulars, so every male eye gradually turned in her direction. It also helped that Hastings slammed the door open, announcing their arrival with a bang. He left her to find a table for them, and she did. She found a table in the center of the room where everyone could see her and began attempting to flirt with those around her. Either she was as good as Hawk, or the men were drunker here than in other places, or they were just tired of the same old wenches, or a combination of the three, for they soon flocked to Sparrow. She had to admit, she liked the attention.

Hastings made his way over with two frothing mugs, shoving his way through the crowd.

"Watch it, laddie," one man growled.

Hastings sneered drunkenly back at him. "She's mine," he said, "Came with me, she did, so lay off."

Joanna sighed and smiled at her new friends regretfully, trying to make out like she wouldn't actually stay with Hastings if there was a higher bidder. Sensing this, Hastings looped his arm around her shoulder again. She wiggled free, giggling, and threw her arms around one of the other men. There was a chorus of laughter.

"It doesn't look like she's leavin' with ye, lad," the man with Sparrow said, grasping her tight.

That was uncomfortable, so Joanna pulled free again and sat on a chair to be surrounded by her admirers again.

Hastings approached the man she had just left. "Ye aren't man enough for her!" he scoffed lopsidedly.

"Not you either!" someone else called, causing a chorus of laughter again.

"Oh really?" Hastings said, taking a gulp from his drink. Joanna was impressed, his eyes only watered a little from the strong alcohol. "I'll bet you can't even outdrink the wench!"

Sparrow gasped in mock surprise.

More drunken laughter than before.

"How much would you wager on that, pup?" the first man growled.

"All I've got, including my ship," Hastings said, throwing the purse Joanna had stolen earlier on the table, "And the whoever wins can have the wench."

The "wench" in question was not pleased at being included in the betting, nor the ship being included, but she looked flirtatiously from under her lashes at the men around her.

That got them almost fighting over who was to drink against her.

"All of ye pipe down!" a voice suddenly boomed from the back of the crowd. "I'll handle this!"

The crowd parted to allow a huge man through. Hastings paled but tried not to show it.

"I'll pay for the drinks," the huge man said, "And I'll drink against her. The wench can go with whoever catches her pretty body when it goes down."

Joanna wasn't particularly worried, especially after the huge man offered to pay. She'd gone against larger men in her time. Pouting and touching the arms of several of the men around her, she made her way to the table and sat across from the large man. Because of his order, she was immediately surrounded on all sides.

"Give a girl some breathin' room, gents," she said playfully. They obliged.

Hastings, recovering, started taking bets. Of course, everyone bet in favor of the pub hero, the large man.

Remember to act like it's affecting you, Joanna thought to herself as she sipped the drink put in front of her, matching his movements exactly, think like Hawk.

To make things interesting, she started swaying after the first mug. The betting grew more heated. Hastings was betting everything that they had for Joanna, hoping against hope that she could drink as much as she said she could.

He needn't have worried. Of course, he didn't know she was faking when she swayed or blinked furiously as if trying to stay conscious, so he did worry. He was sweating profusely but his palms were cold. It was very dark out now, Theo and Annette would be wondering where they were.

A couple of hours passed. By now both drinkers were swaying and the bettors were holding their breath with anticipation. They had never seen a woman drink so much. The man drinking against her was completely intoxicated. Sparrow judged that one more drink would knock him out, and she was a very good judge. So she made herself shake violently and grasped the table as if for support.

Roars of encouragement for the hero echoed throughout. He was encouraged enough to order the next drink.

As she had predicted, he fell out of his chair after his first gulp. The silence that followed was thick enough to be cut with a sword.

Joanna hiccupped and wandered over to Hastings, taking the purse out of his hands and holding it up. The men now looked at her with a nervousness that bordered on fear, but they wouldn't attack her. So they paid what they had bet, and what she couldn't fit in the purse she hid in her clothes, which made Hastings blush. Sparrow was still giggling and leaning heavily on Hastings as they left.

As soon as they got out of the pub, she gave one last hiccup for good measure. Then she straightened her shirt and hair, completely sober and not bothering to hide it. She whistled to Bourbon, and took off at a sprint back for the docks. Hastings was confused until he heard the angry voices behind him disrupting the silence they had left. Then he too took off towards the docks.

Theo and Annette were waiting for them, both pacing with worry. When Sparrow saw them, she called from a distance for them to cast off. Annette was confused but Theo obeyed without question. Hastings, who was rather more scared of the mob that was following them than his captain, had passed her and arrived in time to push the boat off. Joanna, not far behind, leaped from the dock and landed gracefully in the middle of the boat. Then she tossed her head back and laughed.

They had to spend the night ashore since it was too dark to see the ship, so Theo rowed them around to another dock to confuse the drunken mob enough that they finally wandered back to the pub. Then the two men and two women made their way quietly to the inn, which was on the nicer side of the small port town, and procured two rooms. Sparrow was all for the four of them sharing a room to save money, but Theo put his foot down. So the captain, who retained fierce control of the purse (and the other money, though Hastings didn't really want to know where she had hidden most of it) grudgingly paid for two rooms, one for the women and one for the men.

Annette was secretly relieved that Theo had intervened. She was sure sharing a room with a man would cause quite a stir back home if anyone found out about it. She took to her bed quietly, as Joanna was still grumbling about how men with morals would be the ruin of her.