Pirates of the Caribbean: The Devil Deals in Threes

Chapter 2: Lady for a Day

Finally given a moment alone she stripped away the layers of clothes that had been clinging to her body. She felt like she had been smothered all day. She burned to pull out her normal clothes that were hidden away in the bottom of her bag. As she stood in the middle of the tiny room she glanced down suddenly realizing that she had her weapons still strapped on and to think that was the one part of the outfit that she half forgot she was wearing. Removing them quickly from her person she hid them away. These were not something she wanted found. For the time being they'd find a place and stay unseen in her room. Comfortable at last she climbed into the thin layer of sheets. Sleep hit her far too quickly and the next thing she realized it was morning again. Time to reapply the torture suit, she thought as she pulled a second dress from her bag. Dressed and eager to leave the confines of this stuffy room she made her way to the deck.

Looking around the Pearl she was making a mental note of Captain Jack Sparrow's crew. Satisfied she turned her attention to bow of the ship. Curse the idiot that made this dress...it was inching like crazy, not to mention she was seriously overheating and it was barely early morning sunlight that plagued her. She headed towards the front of the ship, which hid her slightly from the rest of the crew. Pulling her dress up she took a seat by the railing, letting her legs pass between the wooden slats. Every so often an ocean spray would fly up just high enough to splash against her leg.

As she sat staring out at the ocean her mind began to formulate what she was going to do next. They would be at sail for sometime before they reached the island, but she still knew time was against her.

"God...get me out of this dress," she mumbled to herself as she tugged slightly at one of the sleeves.

She began for a moment to roll through her plan, but she got distracted by the ocean waves as they rippled across the mass of blue. For a time she let her hand extend past the railing where it was hit with a mist of sea water. The moisture began to build on her hand, small droplets gradually forming and rolling down her fingertips. Pulling her hand back she used her free hand to gather and push her hair to the side. Rubbing her hand across her neck she let the water caress her skin. It was a nice break from the yards of fabric that were boiling her alive.

"Mind if I join you...here..." he said pausing awkwardly before he flashed her a slightly crazed, but charming smile.

Turning her head slowly she found Jack standing behind her. She was a bit taken back by the fact that he had come over, but she shrugged it off.

"I suppose..." she replied with a slight smile as she turned her attention back to the horizon.

Once again she let her feet tap gently against the hull, capturing more of the ocean spray than if they remained still. She suddenly realized that she should have pulled her skirt further down because it was hiked up around her thighs. Not very ladylike, but to address it now would be a serious delayed reaction. That would appear odder. Instead she shrugged it off and turned her full attention to the crashing waves against the side of the ship.

"What be your interest in this island you be wantin' me to take you to?" he asked suddenly as he pulled a flask from his side and unscrewed the cap, raising it to his lips.

"Honestly?" she said and surprisingly it wasn't too far from the truth, though the map had been in her head, "I found a map and pointed to a place..."

As she spoke she glanced up at him and the rings on his hands suddenly caught her eye. Reaching up she grabbed his hand and turned it so she could see them. It didn't really allow him a moment to get in a response.

"Do you mind?" she asked as she motioned to the one on his index finger.

When he kept his hand, but failed to issue a response she decided to take it as a no. Pulling the ring off his finger she examined it more closely. It was a deep green emerald cast in intricately carved silver. Turning it over once she decided he probably picked it up in Singapore. The design seemed of that region. Reaching up she grabbed his hand again and placed the ring back on his finger. With that done she turned and looked out to the ocean again.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly, but before she could respond he continued, "An' you just wish to go to the place you pointed out for...what? For the hell of it?"

He was an odd character. One moment he appeared to be completely drunk and the next he seemed to be one of the smartest men she'd ever met. Slowly glancing up at him she shrugged slightly at his question. Though as the second one came it merited a different response.

"And why not?" she asked a hint of annoyance flaring, though she quickly brought it back in check, "You do it all the time...I doubt you know what it feels like to be chained to your position, so I see no reason to explain my actions to you."

Quickly looking away she stared out at the ocean again. This was absurd. she was arguing with the man over something she too hadn't experienced. Jack raised a brow, but said not another word as he pushed away from the railing and walked away.

After Jack had come and gone she sat for a little while longer before turning her attention to the task at hand. She was looking for something and before she got off this ship she was going to have it. Standing she took off along the deck in a decision to 'explore.' Wandering along she descended into the lower decks. It took some time, but eventually she had been through it all. She should have known...in fact she did know with some certainty that it wouldn't have been down there. Something as important as the map she was looking for would only be housed in the Captains quarters.