Chapter Four ~
Next morning found a disgruntled and sleepy Zaralinda and Rivka running towards the docks, to meet their new captain and the rest of the crew men.
Zaralinda had been excited that Gibbs had finally found them a job that she had packed everything in such a frienzy. Rivka couldn't say she was any less happy. Tortuga was not really suiting to her taste, though the rum was good to go.
Still, they were late arriving at the docks. Lagging their things behind them, the two ladies arrives in time to see the man in the three-cone hat - the same one Zaralinda had met last night - get slapped by a woman.
The woman slapped the man hard enough, that his head whipped around to face his companion - the same one from last night.
"Oo, that ought to have hurt." Rivka spectulated, as the two stopped in shock.
Zaralinda shook her head, "those men with uncle are the two men I told you about last night." She informed her friend as she heaved up her bag and started walking forward in a much slower pace. She watched as the two men interacted and the man in the three-cone hat turn around to get slapped again.
"The two who woke your uncle in the pig sty?" Rivka asked, catching up to Zaralinda and falling in step with her.
Zaralinda shot her a look that clearly asked, 'what-other-men-did-I-tell-you-about-that-I-met-last-night'?
"Just making sure." Rivka giggled.
Just as they reached Gibbs and the two men, the crew lined up yelled 'Aye!"
Grabbing the hat in Jacks hand, the woman glared at him and walked away with the rest of the crew.
"No, no, no, no. It's frightfully bad luck to have a woman aboard, sir!" Gibbs said to the man in the three-cone hat, Zaralinda took as the captain. Why else would Gibbs call him sir. He said this, not noticing the two ladies who had joined them.
"And what would we be ? Chopped liver?" Rivka asked sarcastically, startling the elder man quite nicely.
"It'll be far worse not to." Jack answered Gibbs, not having heard Rivka as he was too busy staring off at the sky. As soon as he said it, he turned around to leave, but found his path blocked by two ladies - whom he instantly placed as the princess and her friend.
Even if Zaralinda's jasmin perfume hadn't filled his sences, he'd have instatly place who was who. Or rather, he would have easily placed the princess anywhere.
This was on account of how alike she looked to Kailasa. Same raven black hair. Same porcelain skin. Same pointed nose and rosy thin lips. Only difference between the two would be Zaralinda's startling blue eyes. While Kailasa's were a sea blue color, her ones weren't such a deep sea blue color, that you felt like you're staring right at the depth of the ocean.
"Ah! So you two were whom Mr Gibbs told me about." Jack said, looking at said person for comfirmation.
"We wouldn't know what Mr Gibbs told you, but I'm Rivka. I take it you are my Captain?" Rivka said holding her hand out confidentally. Zaralinda who was standing beside her smiled, looking away - still Jack saw her smiling, as did Gibbs and Will.
Zaralinda knew what her friend was doing, being all sassy to their future Captain. She was trying to show she knew exactly what she was doing, just like Zaralinda had told her to.
Be confident, pretend you know everything thats going on, even if you have no idea what the hell is going on.
That had been the advise she had received from that pirate she met 10 years ago, when she asked how best to deal with a pirate. Of course that had been before she realised that he too was a pirate. But that was when she had taken her lessons on dealing with pirates seriously. How many others can tell that they received lesson on 'how to deal with a pirate 101' from a pirate.
That's what she thought.
Jack was impressed by Rivka's confidence and shook her hand rather pleasently. Well, as pleasently as a pirate can.
"Jack Sparrow." He told her as way of greeting.
Hearing his name, Zaralinda's head whipped in his direction. Her eyes gone so wide that they all could see the depth of her ocean blues rather clearly.
"Jack Sparrow? As in the Captain Jack Sparrow?" She questioned, her tone rising an octavte too high in her excitement. Just like that, she was wide awake, and bouncing on the sole of her feet in excitement. Of all the things, this she hadn't anticipated.
Jack turned his attention to the princess with a charming smile. "That'll be me. One and only, love." He said motioning to himself. "And you must be the lady we met last night, but din' have the pleasure of makin an aquaintence." He added, looking her from head to toe.
Strangely, Zaralinda didn't feel self-conscious with his gaze on her. She didn't even care that he was checking her out, because his gaze didn't seem to be looking at her that way.
And strangely enough, he hadn't been checking her out that way either. Something about the girl looked familiar to him, and not in a 'she looks exactly like her mother' way either. Sure she looked like her mother and that was familiar to him. No, what he felt was that he had met her before, personaly.
Her, not her mother.
"Zaralinda." She added holding out her hand same as her friend.
Jack took her hand with a smirk, but the moment his calloused hand touched her smooth and soft hand he had a distant feeling of nostalgia. From the way her eyes blinked away the sleep in her eyes to the slight way she slouched - as if she wanted something to lean against. Everything about her seemed familiar to him.
Narrowing his eyes at her, he suddenly, out-of-the-blue, asked, "have I threatened you before?"
Taken back by the abrupt question, Zaralinda blinked at him in shock. Then slowly she shook her head. Because, though she remembered that night like it just happened, she didn't lie. He had never threatened her before. Not even when he revealed that he was a pirate.
"Alright then, let's get moving." Jack stated, letting go of her hand as abruptly and turning to the Interceptor, waving the banana in his hand as he moved drunkenly to the ship.
Rivka and Zaralinda looked at each other puzzled, as if wondering, 'did that just happen?'
Then hurried to catch up with the three men, who were making their way up to the ship.
"Welcom aboard the Interceptor, ladies. Wish you good luck on your duties." Jack said, giving the two ladies a piercing gaze.
"Good to be aboard Captain." Rivka answered with a nod of her head, but her friend had strayed away from the four. Walking to the starboard side, she stared off at the sea. Loving the feel of the wind whipping against her face, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh ocean breeze. Now she truly felt free.
"Looks just like Kailasa, doesn't she?" Mr. Gibbs asked Jack, both of whom, along with Rivka, were staring at the girl up he starboard side, staring a the sea, unaware of her audience. "A regal Queen." Gibbs muttered under his breath, but his words weren't missed by either of his companions.
"What?" Rivka asked, turning to her friends uncle with a look of interest. The way he said it sounded like there was a story behind his statement.
'But that is not whom I'm thinking about.' Though he didn't say it out loud, that was what was running through Jacks head as he stared at the lady.
"That is a tale for another time. Mr Gibbs please be kind enough to show the fair ladies to their cabin, we have to make way and I'd love it to be quick." Jack ordered, turning to his first mate before he could launch into one of his tall tales. Casting a last glance at the princess, he walked away into his cabin.
"Aye, captain." Gibbs instantly agreed, turning back to Rivka. "Come on then lass. Let's find you and Zaralinda a cabin." He said, taking Zaralinda's bag, which she had left unattainted by Rivka.
"Za, come on!" Rivka called out to her friend, heaving her own bag up her shoulder as she started to follow Mr Gibbs.
Only when she looked back at her friend, she noticed something amiss. Zaralinda was holding the railing a little too tightly and her eyes seemed glazed over. At Rivka's yell, she looked away from the sea and at her friend.
Registering her words, she let go of the railing and took a step towards them before she felt her legs give way and black spots clouded her vision.
She didn't even realise she had stumbled back and fallen down, not until her head banged against the wooden floor of the deck. But even then she was past feeling.
As soon as Zaralinda's legs buckled out under her, Rivka and Gibbs raced over to the girl, but she was flat on her back - unconscious - by the time they reached her