Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing related to Pirates of the Caribbean. That belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer, Disney, and a bunch of other people. Only original characters and plotlines are mine.
AN: Hello! Sorry for the late posting –real life got in my way, and there was no way around it. Anyway, at last, they meet…officially! Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!
Chapter 4: Meetings and Fears:
Muttering curses under his breath, Jack did his best not to sulk –it wouldn't do for the Captain of the Black Pearl to be seen sulking.
It was his third day of following "doctor's orders," and it was driving him mad. He had tried to do a few chores around the Pearl this morning, but Anna-Maria or Gibbs had stopped him and told him to go relax in his cabin. Frustrated, he had pulled on his effects and headed out for a walk, which was one of the few activities he could do without his first and second mates interfering.
Making his way along the water, he kept his eyes open, as things tended to wash up days after a storm hit. When ships went down, or if they had been hard-hit before making it to shore, some rather fascinating and useful things tended to come up on the sand. In fact, just yesterday he had managed to find a wooden box full of glass bottles of herbs and medicines, everything intact. True, it was a small find, but the fact that it had survived a storm was saying something!
As he approached the far end of the beach, Jack noticed a large form lying on the sand. At first, he thought it was a drunk from the town, but on closer inspection, he knew otherwise. Panic swelled up in him as he realized that it was a female form, and that she was in trouble. Given what had happened a mere few days ago, she was probably a shipwreck victim who had been lost at sea before washing on shore.
He raced down the beach, sand flying in his wake. As he knelt down beside her, Jack noticed that she was bare of clothes, though she had the oddest satchel on her back. A gold link belt glittered beneath the mass of long, dark hair that streamed about her prone form.
Gently, so as not to hurt her, Jack turned the girl over, her head cradled in the crook of his elbow as fingers gently pulled back her hair so he could get a good look at her. She was pretty, with pale skin, dark lashes that matched her hair, and pale pink lips. Her face was slightly angular, but it kept her from being inhumanly beautiful. Something tickled in the back of his mind, telling him that she seemed a bit familiar, but he couldn't place the face. Then again, after all of the women he had seen in his life, they all started looking alike after a while.
Checking to see if she was still breathing, he was relieved to find that she was. Her pulse was strong, but she was shivering. 'She's probably got a chill from lying out here, and suffering from shock and dehydration. She's likely half-starved, too.'
Moving quickly, Jack pulled off his coat and wrapped it around her, hoping that whatever warmth that lingered on the fabric passed to the girl. "Normally I wouldn't complain about having an attractive, naked girl in my arms, but I'd prefer it if she weren't half drowned and shivering from cold," he mumbled, checking to see if she was alright.
As he began to heft her up in his arms, Jack noticed that she had white pearls in her hair and on her wrists. "You must be a noblewoman," he whispered as he lifted her up, one hand on her back, the other under her bent knees. "But how is it that your clothes did not survive the swim here, but your satchel and gems did?" She also had a long knife tucked into the link belt at her waist. So far as he knew, nobles did not arm their young women, so why was this girl bearing such a thing so openly?
Well, those would be questions for later. Right now, he had to get her to the Pearl. Once she was well again, perhaps she would be able to answer his questions.
"I don't like it, Captain," Gibbs mumbled as he helped Jack bundle the girl under the sheets. "Keeping a shipwrecked girl in your cabin like this…what will the crew say when they find out?"
"Hopefully they'll think of the money we'll get when we ransom the girl to her family," Jack muttered back, careful not to wake her. "A girl with pearls in her hair and on her wrists, not to mention the gold around her waist has to come from money."
He retrieved the blade the girl had been carrying and handed it to Gibbs. "Here, hide this. If she turns out to be proficient with sharp objects, it's best that she not have her weapon of choice nearby."
"Well, she won't be of any use if she sickens and dies while you two stand there chattering like fools," Anna-Maria snapped, walking into the cabin. "Now, the two of you heave off so I can tend her until that doctor arrives." She glared at Jack. "And don't think about coming back in here until she's dressed and well enough to see other people."
Sighing, Jack turned and followed Gibbs out onto the deck, intent on having a hammock hung in the half-empty supply cabin next to his for him to sleep in. He might have given up his own sleeping quarters, but that didn't mean that he was willing to give up his privacy!
"Gibbs!" he hollered after his first mate. "I need you to get to work on something for me!"
I woke feeling sore, warm, and for the first time in my life, completely dry. It was not a good feeling.
Struggling to open my eyes, I realized my skin itched something dreadful. When my eyes finally dragged open, I discovered that my top half had been clad in a layer of cloth, with another larger one spread over me –this larger cloth was no doubt the source of the warm feeling around me. My hands moved slightly, and I could feel that my satchel, my gold chain belt, my blade, and my pearl bracelets were gone. The ones in my hair, however, remained.
Glancing around, I immediately knew I was inside a ship, and I could clearly see that I was in the Captain's sleeping area –after all, I had been in dozens of wrecked ships, so my location was quite obvious. But how had I come here?
That was when I heard someone speaking next to me. Turning my head, I saw a dark-skinned woman, her dark hair like mine, but with black eyes. As I couldn't understand human speech, I had no idea what she was saying, so I linked my mind to hers and let their meaning flow over me.
Apparently she and my other 'rescuers' had been worried about me, and had wondered about my recovery. It seemed that her Captain had found me on the beach and brought me here to their ship so that I could regain my health. The Captain had also had someone fetch a person called a 'doctor,' which was apparently a human who saw to the illnesses, injuries and health of other humans. How interesting!
Just then, a male voice called into the room, and for some reason, the woman beside me looked rather irritated at the intrusion. She huffed a little, and called back, which seemed to signal for the man to enter. To my complete shock, it was the Captain I had saved during the storm!
A mix of emotions churned through me at the sight of him. I was happy to see him alive; confused as to why he had saved me; and in complete admiration at seeing him conscious and standing within reach of my hand. True, I had held him tightly while saving him, but then, I had been far too busy to take note of his appearance.
Up close, he was even more handsome than I'd thought. His mouth sparkled with gold and silver as he grinned at me, and the quaint sound of his hair ornaments clinking together made me smile timidly back. He also looked rather pleased, which confused me, but I was unable to ascertain why because he began talking and I had to focus on his mind and words in order to understand him.
'Well, this fellow has a sense of humor,' I thought, trying to hide my smile as his hands, heavy with rings, gestured wildly as he spoke.
He greeted me with a smile and a joke about my washing up on shore like a bit of shipwrecked treasure, which made the woman beside me roll her eyes. In a slightly more serious tone, the Captain then said that the doctor was now here to 'take a look' at me, and that the woman, Anna-Maria, would be here to keep me company while the doctor examined me.
As I had never been looked at thoroughly by a human before, I immediately became rather nervous. Like most merfolk, I didn't trust humans –however, I was now human, and thus, susceptible to illness when I hadn't been before. Merfolk did not have illnesses, though we could sustain injuries after an accident. Fortunately, we are a fast-healing people…or at least, I had been, when I was a mermaid.
'I suppose I might as well start getting used to such things now,' I thought, nodding as the Captain asked if he should allow the doctor in now.
Then he asked me my name, and the tiny bit of confidence and faux bravery I had managed to scrounge together vanished.
Jack knew that something was wrong when he asked the poor girl her name. Her face immediately began to crumple into the familiar shape of a woman ready to weep, and that instantly sent him into a male panic.
"No, no!" he hastily tried to assure her as Anna-Maria threw him a warning glare for having upset her patient. "No tears, please! I just want to know what to call you."
She then opened her mouth and motioned with one of her hands towards her lips. With that gesture, Jack felt his gut twist. The poor thing was mute! Had the storm done this to her? Could she have been injured, or had she been born this way?
"Well, Captain, where's my new patient?" Doctor Phillips asked as he entered the cabin. Spotting the girl on the bed, the old man smiled kindly at her. "Well, hello, there! I hear you've had a hard time lately. Let's see if we can get a better idea of how you're feeling, hmm?"
"Um, a word with you, Doctor?" Jack said, gesturing for him to go into the next cabin.
Once they were alone, Jack shut the door to the sleeping quarters. "Doctor, it seems that the girl is mute. As a mute girl is at great risk on my ship, I don't suppose there's a way to help the lass along on the road to quickly recovering her ability to speak?"
Doctor Phillips gave him a stern look over his spectacles. "Captain Sparrow, for all we know, she could have been born this way. You'll just have to have patience with her and learn her manner of communication so that there aren't any misunderstandings."
Jack couldn't help but be worried. "She isn't…simple, is she? She'll be quick to learn how things are when it comes to life aboard the Pearl?"
The doctor gave the pirate a knowing look. "Planning to ransom her off, eh? Lad, just because the girl can't talk doesn't mean she's a fool. Her eyes indicate that she's sound of mind, and she might surprise you with how intelligent she is."
He waved a hand to halt Jack's protests. "Now, I'm going to see to the girl and make sure that she's alright. She's either been mute from birth, or it could be that the trauma of being shipwrecked has caused her to lose her voice. Either way, if you plan on keeping her here on the Pearl, you and your crew are going to have to create a new form of communication between you and her. Now, you wait here while I tend to the young lady."
As the man pushed his way back into the sleeping quarters, Jack ran a hand down his face in frustration. 'Well, sometimes the most rewarding ventures are the most difficult. Hopefully this one will be one of the more profitable ones.'
My time with the 'doctor' was one of the most interesting in my life. I had never been so closely examined, not even by curious sea creatures.
He was very kind, this Doctor Phillips, and quite gentle. His fingers were slightly callused, but still soft, and though his hands were old, they were steady as they held open my eyes, pressed at the veins in my wrists, and at the area just under my jaw. He asked me several questions, and after I had nodded or shaken my head at him, he appeared to be rather pleased as he called the Captain back in to join us.
Confused as to why he seemed happy with what he had discovered, I was forced to lean back, close my eyes, and use my mental abilities to their capacity to glean my answers. Perhaps, if I focused very hard on what they were saying…
Then, suddenly, it was as though the whole language was falling into place in my head. My mother had once told me that, if a mermaid were to focus entirely on the minds of one or two particular humans, our people could learn to understand human speech, and even absorb their knowledge into ourselves at will. We had to simply open our minds and accept the information that flowed through their minds, and it would be ours. It was a skill all merfolk bore, but one we refused to use due to our dislike and avoidance of humans. None had used this ability in millennia, and so, knowledge of it had turned into legend, which explained why I hadn't believed it possible –until now.
"She seems in perfect health, as far as I can tell," the doctor was saying. "She is exhausted, and in desperate need of good food and plenty of rest for a week or so, but then she should be right as rain."
I could sense his puzzlement in his next words. "However, I can find no physical reason for her voice to have been lost. It might be from the shock of being wrecked; if that is the case, then in the course of time, her voice will one day return." He paused for a moment. "Do not try and rush it, lad. She'll talk when she's good and ready."
I bit back a smile as I sensed a bit of shame in the Captain as he muttered, "Aye, well, as long as the lass is alright, I suppose that's all that matters."
"Of course she is," Anna-Maria declared. "Thank you, doctor. Is there anything you'd like me to give her? Or foods you think would do her best right now?"
"Start with bread, soups and stews at first, and make sure there's meat and vegetables in them," the doctor suggested. "Then, after a few days, you can feed her some sliced meat with a potato or two. In a week, she can have whatever it is you're feeding your crew."
I heard him rummaging for something somewhere. "Make sure she has fruit every day with her meals –it'll do her good. If there's any change for the worst, send for me at once."
"Aye, doctor, no worries," the Captain told him. There was the clank of small metal objects being dropped. "Thank you."
"My pleasure, Captain Sparrow," the doctor replied. "Good day."
I heard him leave, and allowed myself to relax into the softness around and under me, though my mind was still awake. If they thought me sleeping, perhaps they would be unguarded with their words…
"Jack, don't even think about trying to get her up-and-about sooner than is good for her," Anna-Maria hissed at him. "The poor thing's been through enough!"
"Why, Anna, I was thinking no such thing," he said, though I could clearly hear his thoughts saying otherwise. "Let the lass rest; we'll see how fit she is in a couple days. She seems like a strong girl, though what we'll do with her after she's well is the question…"
Anna-Maria sighed. "If I know you, and I do, you'll want to try and ransom her when the time's right. If she's the mute daughter of some rich noble, they might not even want her back! After all, invalids cost money to care for, especially if they're daughters who can't be married off. If her parents are as stingy as your typical nobles are, they'll not claim her and merely cut their losses. You might be stuck with her."
"Well, I have to get something for the lass," the Captain (or Jack, I suppose) said. "The crew's going to hear about the pearls in her hair and on her wrists. They'll know she's of wealthy stock, and they'll want some good swag in compensation of keeping a mute girl aboard with us."
"That…I think can be dealt with easily," Anna said with some hesitation. "Here, look what was in her bag."
Now I opened my eyes, curious in spite of myself. I saw Anna rummage around my satchel and raw out the bracelets strewn with rubies, sapphires and yellow stones, and the emerald necklace I had found in the shipwreck. Following them were the pairs of ear jewelry, and the smaller sack that held the pearls and things I had found.
Sitting up, I struggled to protest, to ask them to leave the smaller bag alone. They were welcome to the rest, but the smaller bag held things of special value to me.
To my despair, nothing emerged except for a soft sound that was either a croak or a moan. Jack looked at me in confusion, but Anna seemed to understand that something was bothering me. She picked up all of my possessions and brought them over to me.
Grasping them in my hands, I immediately knew that I needed to repay them for their kindness. Taking the bracelet set with rubies, I offered it to Anna-Maria, who stared at me. She seemed confused as well, so I offered the bracelet again, this time with more emphasis, clearly indicating that I wanted her to have it.
Hesitant, she reached out and accepted it, carefully clasping it on her wrist. I then took out the emerald necklace, which seemed the most valuable item I owned, and offered it to Jack, who was not only my savior, but also the Captain of the ship I was on.
Unlike Anna, he did not take it. There was a bit of puzzlement in his eyes, as well as something I could not read without invading his thoughts.
"Pretending to sleep so that you could overhear us, luv?" he asked, quirking a dark eyebrow. "Aye, well, I've done the same thing, so don't look so shamed. I'd gladly accept your gift, miss, but unfortunately, I think you'll need it when we drop you off in port in a week."
Anna looked at him, aghast. "Don't be a fool, Jack! You'd leave a poor mute girl alone in Tortuga with a couple handfuls of treasure? She'd be dead in less than ten minutes, and you'd have her blood on your hands!"
Jack waved her words aside. "No, I don't plan on doing that to the poor girl! I can easily sell her goods for a good price, and set her up for life in a tiny room somewhere, all nice and tidy. See? No worries!"
The thought of being shut away somewhere, with people I did not know in a body that was unfamiliar to me, was terrifying. Surely he could not be that cruel, not after he had been kind enough to save me!
Then, strange enough, wetness began to prickle my eyes, and trails of water began to slowly fall down my cheeks. What was happening to me?
Whatever it was, it sent Jack into a panic. "Oh, no, no crying! Stop that, right now!"
Crying? Oh, I see. It's what humans did when they were sad. Mermaids did not cry, though we did feel sadness. What an unusual experience! I would have to see what else I could glean from others about human emotions.
Tears still streamed down my cheeks, and much to my surprise, Anna came to join me on the bed, her arms wrapping around me in a rather comforting fashion. As my head rested on her shoulder, I saw her throw what could only be described as a deathly glare at her Captain.
"Throwing her off the ship just because she's mute is a weak excuse, Jack," she growled at him. "Mr. Cotton is mute, or have you forgotten that little detail? And not only is he mute, but he's also a fine crewmember who doesn't cause trouble for anyone."
Her tone indicated that there had better not be another reason for him not wanting me aboard. Since it was clear he was not going to win this argument, Jack winced and sighed in resignation. "Oh, alright, she can stay," he conceded. "But she's your responsibility, Anna. You will be the one to teach her some chores that will lighten the load off some of the men so that they can focus on more important things, savvy?"
My tears began to slow, though my nose was now flowing. It was rather disgusted. As though she sensed my discomfort, Anna quickly pulled out a square of cloth and ordered me to 'blow,' which I found confusing until I saw what she wanted me to do in her mind. Doing as she asked, I felt a bit better, though I could see that Jack did not.
Guessing that he had a fondness for pretty, shiny things, I again offered him the necklace. To my surprise, he shook his head and instead dumped out the contents of my satchel. I watched as he immediately snatched up the ear pieces, and the bracelet of yellow stones.
"Trust me, darling, yellow would look atrocious with your blue eyes," he explained. "I'm doing you a favor by taking these. And since your ears aren't pierced, the earrings would do you no good. These are all worth quite a good price each, and will be enough payment for you to stay onboard the Pearl –for a while at least. Sooner or later, you'll have to earn your keep, savvy? There are no free rides aboard my ship!"
Nodding, I was happy to see him smile in relief. "Now, get some rest, and I'll see you in a couple days."
After Anna put away the rest of my belongings and tucked me back into bed, I was more than happy to close my eyes and do as Jack suggested, my body relaxing into the soft bedding beneath me.
Lying in his hammock, Jack took a swig from his bottle and savored the feel of the rum running down his throat. Whenever he had issues with women, rum usually helped him relax so that he could think.
And to be quite honest, the girl sleeping in his quarters was driving him mad. She was too pretty for her own good, and those blue eyes that looked at him with such innocence, fear, and desperation had pulled at far too many of his heartstrings. He shouldn't have suggested leaving her in Tortuga, as it had been unfeeling, even for him, but it was the only way he knew of saving himself from caring about the poor girl. Pirates could not afford to be tenderhearted!
Well, Anna-Maria could be soft towards another unfortunate soul, but not Jack himself. The men would think him soft, and that tends to lead to mutiny –a subject he'd rather not think about.
'And I can't keep on calling the poor foundling 'girl' all the time, either. The lass needs a name, and since she can't tell us what it is, I should ask her to write it for me.'
It would be just his luck if the girl couldn't read or write, but then, if the girl was mute before the storm, it's likely her parents thought her 'simple,' and not worth educating, which meant she wouldn't be able to read or write. If that was the case, he would have to rename her (with her permission, of course). But what would suit her?
He thought long and hard about that one. 'I'd call her Pearl for the ship, but that would get confusing. Well, since I found her on the shore, I'll call her Marina.'
It was a name that meant 'from the sea,' and since that's where he found her, that's what he would call her.
Satisfied, Jack polished off the bottle in a few more swigs and settled down for a nap. Lord knows he deserved it!
AN: There's another chapter! Please be kind and review!