Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to Pirates of the Caribbean. Well, except a Jack Sparrow poster, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.
AN: Okay, so Sounion is a real place in Greece –I'm not sure if there was a town there during the late 1700's or not (or if there is even one today), so we'll just pretend there was. From what I've seen in pictures, it's a gorgeous place, so why not place a quaint town there, just for the sake of fantasy? Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and please don't forget to review! Thanks!
Chapter 21: Greece:
Two days later, they docked in a small town outside of Athens calls Sounion. It was quaint, beautiful, and had some of the best scenery to be had in Greece.
Jack, however, was not impressed –at least, not yet. Evie had been avoiding him for the entire voyage, and Anna was giving him the evil eye, which only made things worse. Apparently his second mate had been right about Evie being in doubt about his feelings for her, and the other woman was clearly unhappy with him.
Griping the helm, he tried to relax and reassure himself that things would be alright soon. Or so he hoped…
'I'm going to do this, or die trying,' was Jack's determined thought, one that kept repeating throughout his head as he knocked on Evie's door.
They had docked last evening, and as such, everyone had gone to bed as soon as they were able, with the intent to wake early the next day, finish their chores, and explore the area. Jack had encouraged this idea, and had gone to bed with high hopes, which had stayed with him until this moment. Now, though he was so nervous, it felt like his breakfast was going to rebel against his stomach.
When Evie's door opened, his hopes had come crashing down on him. She looked at him with eyes that seemed lost, confused, and a little sad. Dear Lord, he couldn't stand to see her look so sad!
Gathering his courage, Jack pasted on a smile. "Morning, Evie," he greeted her. "It's a fine day for going out exploring, and I've a mind to show you one of the most impressive sights in Greece. What do you say?"
He didn't give her a chance to actually respond, because he immediately chimed, "Wonderful! Go ahead and don a comfortable pair of breeches and a light shirt, because we'll be doing a good deal of walking. I'll see you on deck in ten minutes."
Back in his cabin, Jack pulled on his coat, tucked his sword and pistol into his belt, and straightened his hat. Though he appeared confident and nonchalant, his insides were a twisted mess of fear, excitement, worry, and a slight bit of panic mixed into the whole thing. If he couldn't get Evie to see how much he cared for her before they left Greece…
'It's my own fault, I suppose,' he thought with a sigh. 'I should have been bolder, more affectionate towards her, like Anna said.'
But he had honestly thought that moving slowly would be the best course of action. Moving quickly was alright when he was handling wenches, who were always willing and eager for company, but Evie was no wench, and she deserved to be treated like the good woman she was.
So he had moved carefully, thinking he was doing the right thing, and this was where it got him. Now the woman he loved thought that he didn't want her, and he had no idea how he was going to convince her otherwise. If he was too bold, she might think he was trying to bed her for one night and forget her afterwards. On the other hand, if he was too reserved, that would only reinforce her belief that he was only being a good friend, rather than a suitor.
"Blood hell," Jack growled as he headed onto the deck. Things were only getting more complicated, and he had no idea how to fix it!
Maybe a trip to Shipwreck Island was needed after all…but only if necessary.
To his relief, Evie was waiting for him on deck, as requested, and dressed appropriately in cotton breeches, shirt, and comfortable leather boots. She even had a wide brimmed hat, to keep the sun off.
In a busy, wealthy city like Venice, gowns had been a necessity for the women to fit in. Here in Sounion, a tiny town where they welcomed coin and didn't care where it came from, Evie would be safe wearing her usual sailing gear. Jack privately hoped that she had a set of blades strapped somewhere, just in case.
"Ready?" he asked. She nodded. "Excellent."
"Where are we going?" she asked as he tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow.
"It's a surprise," Jack replied, giving her a knowing grin. "Let's go."
Sounion was a far different place from Venice. Instead of a great bustling city, it was a small, quaint seaside town surrounded by beautiful hills. No matter where Jack led me through the town, the sea was in sight, and in the air I could scent both the land and the sea, creating an almost perfect setting.
Since it was a seaside town on the edge of Greece, Sounion had its share of visitors, so Jack and I didn't stand out too much, though I did receive my fair share of odd looks. I suppose that women in breeches were a rare sight, even if I did see one or two others in town.
On the outskirts of town, Jack paused before a rather sad little white shack that had a few rough wooden tables and chairs in front of it. A sign hung over the green front door, with a variety of languages written there, but I could read none of them. Jack, however, could, but he chose not to share them with me.
To my surprise, he knocked on the door, and a rather frazzled, plump Greek woman answered. He asked something in rough Greek, and she immediately brightened, her head nodding emphatically as she gestured for us to take a seat. Jack promptly shook his head, said something else, and got a sigh from the woman as a response. Finally, the woman nodded and went back inside, leaving the door open with Jack and me standing there, waiting.
Before I could ask what this place was, a stray breeze blew from the doorway, carrying the scent of roasted meat, fresh vegetables, water, and potatoes. I almost laughed as the answer; this was an eatery for travelers, and no doubt Jack had ordered a good meal for the both of us.
Jack saw that I knew what he'd done, and grinned at me. "She'll be only a moment with our lunch basket, luv," he explained. "Since it's so early in the day, some of the food's still cooking. Lucky for us, the roast lamb has been going since very early this morning, so some of it's done."
I couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten roast lamb. My parents had not bought it often, and I was eager to sample the Greek style of cooking it. Besides, it had been a while since breakfast, and with the walking we had done, I was a bit hungry.
Fortunately, a young boy came out of the door with a small ceramic plate in his hands. On the plate were two triangle-shaped pastries, clearly meant for us to nibble on while we waited for the woman to pack our luncheon.
Jack immediately picked up one of the pastries. "Go on, Evie," he said. "It's a flaky pastry with nuts and honey. A Greek specialty, and quite good." He then proceeded to take a healthy bite out of it.
Well, I was fond of honey, so I quickly followed his example. It was a rather sweet concoction, but the pastry was light, flaky and crispy, the honey was marvelous with the nuts, and after a moment, I found myself finishing off the whole thing. I even managed to lick my fingers clean of the last drops of honey, just as the boy went and fetched a bowl of water for me to wash up in.
Several minutes later, the woman returned, a good-sized basket over her arm and two flasks on leather straps in her hand. She said something to Jack, who nodded, passed her a few coins, and motioned for me to take his arm again.
"On we go, luv," he said, following a trail that led up a rather large hill. "It'll be a bit of a strain getting up there, but I promise, you will not be disappointed."
I sighed. A long hike up a hill was not what I had in mind, but it seemed that since Jack had gone through the trouble of obtaining lunch for us, the least I could do was go along. Besides, my outings with him had always been interesting and fun, so why not?
"Well, since it's easier to go downhill than up, I suppose it will be alright," I sighed.
He grinned. "That's the spirit!"
It began getting warm fairly quickly, and I would have been dying of heat had it not been for the flasks of water the woman had provided us. The scenery, however, was worth the effort, and all along the path we followed, I saw absolutely enchanting views of the country and the sea. There were even a few islands that I spotted offshore from where we stopped to rest.
Finally, after what seemed like both an instant and an eternity, we reached the summit of the hill we were ascending. I was tired, hungry, sweaty, and out of breath, but when I saw what awaited us, all of that was forgotten.
There stood the ruins of a temple, a glorious structure with large white steps leading up to an immense structure with columns that stood at least fifteen feet tall, all of it carved in white marble. Though the stones had aged, and less than half of the columns still stood, they were all tall and very impressive.
"Oh, my," I whispered, staring at the sight. "It's beautiful."
Jack set the basket down on a patch of green and pulled a rough blanket from inside it. He then proceeded to spread the cloth on the ground and take a seat, facing the temple. Once he was settled, he motioned for me to join him.
Without hesitation, I did so, breathing a sigh of relief as Jack began to unpack the contents of the basket. Much of the food was sealed with wax inside of rough clay containers, to keep it from spilling, so I got a nice rest while Jack ran a knife along the wax, breaking it to get at the contents.
The meal turned out to be quite impressive. There were slices of roast lamb in one pot, some kind of white herbed sauce in another, flatbread, crumbled cheese, pickled vegetables, and lettuce. There were also two small flasks of water flavored with mint, and several of the little crispy pastries for dessert. It all looked incredibly scrumptious!
I watched in surprise as Jack, rather than digging in, merely picked up a round of flatbread and held it in his hand. "Watch carefully, Evie," he said, pulling out a tiny blade from his belt.
Onto the bread, he piled meat, lettuce, vegetables, cheese, and dribbled a bit of sauce onto it all with a small spoon from the basket. When he finished putting it all together, he then rolled it carefully up and handed it to me.
"Enjoy," he said with a smile. "Go on. It'll be delicious."
Of that, I had no doubt! I happily accepted the offering and gingerly took a bite, trying to get a bit of all the ingredients at once. Oh, it was heaven! The meat was moist and savory; the vegetables crisp and refreshing; and the sauce cut through the rich taste of the meat, bringing a delectable flavor to everything it touched. The cheese crumbled and melted on my tongue, a delightful sensation that almost had me humming with joy.
It wasn't long before my meal was completely consumed –the same could be said about Jack and his own food. We both indulged in dessert and tucked the empty containers into the basket. After washing in a nearby stream, Jack left the blanket and basket where they were and motioned for me to follow him, both of the mint-water flasks dangling in his hand.
"Come on, luv," he said, taking my hand and tucking it into the crook of his arm. "Let's explore, shall we?"
Jack had always known that the great Temple of Poseidon was here. It had actually been a life-long dream of his to come and pay tribute to the sea god, his most favorite of deities, and now here he was, standing on the steps of that very place. Best of all, he had Evie with him, and she looked just as awed as he felt.
"Incredible," she muttered. "It really is a wonder how the ancient Greeks managed to build such a fantastic monument with their limited tools and resources."
"Aye," Jack said in agreement as they stood between two immense columns.
She looked over at him. "Jack, which Greek god or goddess was this temple created for?"
"Poseidon," he replied, earning a knowing smile from her. "Aye, he's a favorite of mine. Given what a dangerous life sailors live, there aren't many who don't believe in one kind of god or another. Some have faith in the Christian God; others believe that Poseidon or Calypso might be our best bet for surviving a life at sea."
Evie nodded her understanding. "So this was his temple? It must have been glorious back when it was whole."
He nodded. "They clearly built it because of the views of the sea, but since Greece was a seafaring nation, many came to ask for Poseidon's protection. They brought a lot of offerings and made sacrifices to try and keep him happy."
"Sacrifices?" Evie squeaked, looking rather sick.
Jack chuckled. "Oh, no, nothing like that," he assured her. "They sacrificed animals, like cows, calves, bulls, sheep, that sort of thing, and burned the insides of the animal to the gods. They also likely placed offerings at the feet of the god's or goddess's statue. Not sure what Poseidon would have liked, but maybe pearls, shells, that kind of thing. Aphrodite probably liked flowers and other beautiful things, since she was the goddess of beauty and love."
"Are you going to make him an offering?" Evie asked, clearly curious as to what his reply would be. "I mean, if he is your favorite deity and all, are you going to give him something for his favor?"
Well, if there was ever a more opportune moment, this was it.
I watched as Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a small string of tiny pearls. They were an array of pretty colors, from yellow to black to pink, with even a few white ones sprinkled in. I watched as he went to the western side of the temple and set the pearls down in a small groove in between the stones. He then brushed a light dusting of earth over it, probably to keep it from being found by others.
"There," he said, dusting off his hands. "Now, what say we enjoy the view, ay? There's likely to be a good sunset, too, in a few hours, and we wouldn't want to miss that. The owner of the eatery provided a tiny lantern for us to use for the trip back down."
Well, it wasn't every day I visited a Greek temple in Greece, so why not? I let Jack lead me to steps on the far side of the temple and sat down beside him, looking at the sea far below us and a large island that sat several miles offshore. There was a constant breeze coming off of the water, bringing scents of the sea up to my nose and clearing my head of all thoughts.
"Care to know a bit more about the Greeks and their gods?" Jack asked. "My dad told me quite a bit when I was younger."
I smiled. "I'd like that," I replied, straightening the floppy black hat that Anna-Maria had loaned me for the day. "Start with Poseidon and work your way onwards."
He told Evie about everything he knew about the Greeks, and was rewarded with Evie's genuine interest and her smile. Most women would have begun to yawn or had their eyes glaze over, but not Evie –she actually wanted to learn something from him.
For hours they sat there together, talking about the ancient Greeks, their deities, and their ways of life. It would have been a rather boring conversation anywhere else, but when they were seated in an actual Greek temple by the sea, it was far more poignant, and Jack savored every moment of it.
Sunset eventually came, and when the sun began to turn the horizon a brilliant red-orange, he had talked himself out and both flasks were empty. Jack set them aside and managed to edge himself closer to Evie, who had turned her attention towards the horizon. The sun's fading rays made her face glow brilliantly, and softened her features as she stared at the sea.
Swallowing nervously, Jack decided to do something that was either brilliant, or incredibly stupid.
He reached up, brushed her cheek with his hand, and when she turned towards him, her face utterly beautiful in the brilliant, fading light…
He kissed her.
When his lips pressed against mine, a thousand thoughts raced through my head. I thought about how wonderful it felt -the fiery sunset before me was nothing compared to what was happening in my head and my heart. I would never forget the way my body tingled with joy, or how my heart seemed to melt in my chest.
And it was the most exquisite kiss I had ever experienced. I'd been kissed before, many years ago by the young men my parents had tried to match me with, but none of them compared to Jack. He had to have the softest lips I'd ever felt, and the tickling sensation of his beard made me want to giggle in delight.
But best of all, it wasn't a sloppy, inexperienced kiss, like my former suitors had tried when kissing me. Jack's was tender, but also bold, like the pirate he was, and full of fire. The hand he had gently pressed to my cheek now cupped it, pulling me closer to him and drawing me deeper into the kiss.
A part of me trilled joyfully, crying out that Jack really did care deeply for me. However, another part wondered if his feelings were true. Did he genuinely love me, or was he merely trying to draw me into his bed, a sort of temporary company until I found him a wife?
Those feelings of doubt caused a chill to run through me, and I reluctantly pulled back (though I also need to take a breath). Jack looked torn between wonder, disappointment, and worry as he gazed at my face.
"Evie?" he asked softly. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"
I took a deep breath. "Jack, I'm sorry," I whispered. "It's just…I honestly don't know about…how you feel about me, and whether this is some sort of distraction for you." I put a hand on his arm. "I know you're a good man, but…"
I had to look away, as I couldn't bear to see the hurt look on his face.
Jack felt his hopes die within him. That settled it –if she didn't trust him and his feelings now, there was no way he was going to be able to persuade her on his own.
He sighed. 'Looks like a trip to Shipwreck Island is called for after all.'
Out loud, he said, "Come on, luv. We'd better get back before it gets too dark."
Luckily, the trip back down to the Pearl went quickly, so there wasn't much awkward silence to put up with. Evie seemed to be deep in thought, and Jack was no less so. He was frantically thinking of how to ask his father for help in this situation, though he had a feeling that his mother would be far more sympathetic –Lillian Teague was known for both her beauty and her good advice.
They both stopped briefly to return the basket and dishware to the little Greek eatery, which the owner was glad to get. In return, the owner gave him back a coin or two, in return for bringing all of it back, with nothing stolen or broken. Jack nodded his thanks, and led Evie back to the Pearl. The sight that greeted him on deck took him by surprise and immediately made him forget his own problems.
It was Selene, the sweet girl with the dark hair and huge green eyes. Those eyes, usually so shy, were now rimmed red from tears, and there was a panicked look on her face. Behind her stood Rannoch, who also looked alarmed, but also a bit ashamed.
"Captain, we need to speak to you and Miss Evie," the large crewman said.
Nodding, Jack motioned for them to follow him. When all four of them were in the cabin, Jack closed the door and turned to inspect the pair before him. Rannoch kept his arm around Selene's shoulders, holding her as though she were a fragile glass figure. Evie, meanwhile, was holding Selene's hand, a sign that she would stand by her friend no matter what.
"Alright, Rannoch, spit it out," Jack said. "I promise that no harm will come to you or Selene if you just tell me what happened."
The bigger man nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, sir, it looks like we'll have to visit Shipwreck Island sooner than expected, for reasons you already gave early on in this venture of yours."
Jack had to stare at him a moment as his mind raced to catch up. Shipwreck Island…that was where he promised to settle the women of his crewmen if they were ever to…
"You're having a baby!" Evie cried, pulling Selene into a hug. The two women immediately began laughing and crying while Rannoch beamed happily.
Jack, however, had to let the whole thing catch up with him first. 'It looks like I've got the perfect cover story for going to Shipwreck, then. No need to make false stories this time!'
Grinning broadly, he clapped his crewman on the shoulder and offered his congratulations.
AN: Review?