A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I hope you all like this one :) I can't believe we're already at chapter 20!
Chapter XX
The next night, I took it upon myself to find out just what exactly Shipwreck Cove actually was. I had quickly found that the ultimate source of knowledge for everything having to do with either piracy or mythology was in fact Joshamee Gibbs, so it was only natural that he should be the one I sought out.
"Mr. Gibbs," I said as we sat in the galley for dinner, "What is it about Shipwreck Cove that makes it to special?"
"Well, that be a fine question, lassie," he began, relishing the opportunity to tell a story, "Shipwreck Cove is port on Shipwreck Island which houses Shipwreck City."
"Well, they certainly got creative with the names, didn't they?" I mumbled wryly to myself.
"Aye, that be a fair observation. But Shipwreck Cove is no laughing matter. The city itself is constructed of the ghostly carcasses of ruined ships, amalgamated together into a giant citadel. For Shipwreck Cove be a pirate stronghold, but nay, not just any pirate stronghold; the pirate stronghold is more fitting. Naught but the best n' most fearsome scallywags can make the journey through the Devil's Throat and into the Cove."
"Devil's Throat?"
"Aye, Devil's Throat be one o' the most treacherous passages in the Spanish Main. Wide enough for but one ship to pass, and just barely deep enough – the passage itself was only made navigable by the poor souls who lent their lives to the namin' o' Shipwreck Cove. Devil's Throat be the only way into the city, which makes the island a veritable fortress. It's only natural, then, that the Brethren Court should choose it as their meeting place."
"What exactly is the Brethren Court?" I asked.
"The Brethren Court consists o' nine Pirate Lords, one o' which be Jack Sparrow, Pirate Lord o' the Caribbean."
"Jack – I mean, Captain Sparrow – is a Pirate Lord?"
"Aye, to be sure – and cleverer'n the lot o' them, though ye'd be hard pressed to get any o' them to admit it. Fer a long while, Jack was the youngest – ye can imagine what that meant… In any case, the Lords're now Cap'n Chevalle o' the Mediterranean, Cap'n Villanuova o' the Adriatic, Mistress Ching o' the Pacific, Cap'n Angria o' the Indian Ocean, Gentleman Jocard o' the Atlantic, Cap'n Barbossa o' the Caspian Sea, Ammand the Corsair o' the Black Sea, n' Tai Huang o' the South China Sea. Used to be Sao Feng, then Lizzie, but she 'ad to give it up."
"Lizzie?"
"Aye, Elizabeth Swann, well Elizabeth Turner, now – governor's daughter, turned pirate. Pirate King. Wife o' the Cap'n o' the Flyin' Dutchman."
"She's got quite the repertoire," I commented, "She must have been an interesting character."
"Aye, Jack thought so. He pretended to want nothin' to do wit' her, but I suspect she got about as close to him as anyone… Only person to ever succeed in killin' Cap'n Jack Sparrow to date."
"I'm sorry, killing?"
"Aye, she betrayed him and left 'im to the Kraken after givin' him the "Kiss o' Death," as it were. Had to fetch him back from Davy Jones' Locker, we did."
"Then why on earth did he like her?" I asked.
"Cap'n Jack always did enjoy a bit o' a challenge…"
I couldn't help but smirk; somehow, this information didn't surprise me in the least. "Why did she give up her position? Surely she was quite powerful, no?" I asked.
"She decided that her maternal duties overshadowed those of Pirate King," he answered.
"She has a child?"
"Yes, a son, I believe."
"It's not… It's not Jack's, is it?"
"No, no – she's a married woman! The lad's name is William Turner III… And Jack's much more careful 'bout that sort o' thing than ye might think…"
"The Captain of the Flying Dutchman can have children?"
"Apparently."
"So," I continued, lowering my voice to barely a whisper, "is there going to be trouble when the Court convenes? Jack didn't seem too enthused…"
Gibbs raised his bushy eyebrows; "Ye know – "
"Yes, I know about the ships," I cut him off.
"How?"
"I overheard," I replied ambiguously. "Jack knows I know."
"Well," he sighed, "there shouldn't be trouble, but when ye have the world's most notorious pirates together in one room, it's more or less inevitable."
This seemed all too true. "Should I be worried?" I asked.
"Nay, it's got nothin' to do with ye. Jack's the one who ought to be worried…"
I didn't realize it until he made this distinction, but it had indeed been Jack that I was referring to when I asked if I should be worried. Because if Jack should be worried, so should I. Because I was worried – not for myself, per say – but for Jack. And this was the first time it'd truly dawned on me.
"Oh," I said simply.
There must have been a change in my expression, because he said, "Well I'll be…"
"What?"
"Ye care for 'im."
"For who?"
"For Captain Jack Sparrow, that's who."
"Don't be absurd," I snapped a little too quickly. "I just don't like the thought of having to sail under another captain, is all. Jack's been good to me, I'll give him that – certainly better than most pirate captains would be…"
"It's alright to admit it, lass. I've never once come across a woman who didn't grow to care for Cap'n Jack in one way or another."
"What about Elizabeth Swann?" I reasoned.
"I said she didn't 'ave a child with him, not that she didn't care for him."
"But she married someone else."
"There be various degrees of caring, to be sure."
"But she left him for dead!"
"That don't mean she didn't like 'im," he scoffed jovially.
I sighed deeply in defeat. "Be that as it may," I began carefully, "I do not care for Captain Sparrow any more than is appropriate for a crewmember to care for his – or in this case, her – captain. I pledge my loyalty to him, but that's the farthest extent of it."
"If ye say so…" he replied, smirking. "Just know that most crewmembers don't generally refer to their cap'n by 'is first name."
I opened my mouth to spit out a reply, but he stood and left before I got the chance. I shook my head in exasperation, before also standing and clearing my plate. I then proceeded to help Natalie, who had prepared the dinner, scrub the dishes.
"How much time do you think it takes to reach Shipwreck Cove?" I asked curiously as we worked.
"I'd say 'bout four more days, weather permittin'," she replied thoughtfully. "Wait 'til ye see it, love. There ain't anythin' on earth quite like it; it's absolutely beautiful."
"Mr. Gibbs said it was made up of actual shipwrecks… Sounds a bit macabre, if you ask me…"
"Spend enough time as a pirate, lassie, and beautiful 'n macabre become one 'n the same," she said sagaciously.
When we were finished cleaning, we went out to the main deck and joined the rest of the crew; it never ceased to amazing just how much alcohol pirates were able to consume. Jack was at the helm with a bottle of rum firmly in the grasp of his left hand, and Gibbs was enthusiastically recounting some sort of nautical tale with his flask clutched tightly. Jansen was drinking as well, but I imagined that a man as large as he could consume a vast quantity of liquor before feeling its effects. Natalie soon took the bottle out of her husband's hand and took a swig herself. I sat beside the Spritelies.
"How have you boys been?" I asked. I hadn't spoken to them in a while, and I felt almost negligent.
"Fine," Tom replied amicably, "You've certainly been a busy bee, haven't you?"
"What do you mean?"
"You've been spending a lot of time with Mr. Wentworth," Tim answered, "And Cap'n Sparrow."
"And don't think we didn't see you and Mr. Wentworth the other night," Tom chided, wagging one of the four fingers on his left hand at me disapprovingly.
"You remember that?" I was genuinely taken aback.
"Have you ever noticed," Time continued, seemingly on a tangent, "how Cap'n Sparrow tends to occasionally appear more intoxicated than he really is?"
"It's a clever trick, is it not?" Tom added.
"Very clever," I agreed with a proud smile. I wasn't upset with them, but instead rather impressed; I was surprised that they'd noticed this about Jack. I lowered my voice; "You do know why we are headed to Shipwreck Cove, do you not?"
"To drop off the Daggerdales?" Tim suggested.
"Yes; the less people who know about the treasure, the better, wouldn't you agree?"
"Aye," said Tom, "I must admit, though, despite the fact that it's a detour, I'm rather lookin' forward to seein' Shipwreck Cove."
"I heard that there's a whole quarter of the city that was built using the bones of the people who died making the passage," Tim added.
I furrowed my brow; that didn't sound entirely accurate…
"I heard that's where Cap'n Sparrow was born," Tom said.
"No, everyone knows that Cap'n Sparrow was born in a typhoon off the coast of India," Tim reasoned as if it were obvious.
"No, I'm pretty sure he was born in Shipwreck Cove," Tom argued.
"Perhaps he grew up in Shipwreck Cove," Tim snapped, "But he was born in a typhoon."
I could see that this argument was only going to escalate, so I took it as my cue to leave. Mildly intrigued by this minor dispute, I decided that perhaps I ought to settle it for myself and go straight to the source; so, I approached Jack at the helm.
"Captain Sparrow," I began.
"Aye?"
"I have a question for you."
"Is that so?"
"Yes – you see, the Spritely boys are having a bit of an argument about you."
"About me? Bugger, I've met far too many a eunuch in my day..."
It took me a moment to realize what he was implying, but when it set in I quickly corrected, "No, no, you misunderstand – it's nothing like that, I assure you. They're having an argument over the location of your birth."
"The location of me birth, ey?"
"Yes, Tim says that you were born in a typhoon off the coast of India, but Tom says you were born in Shipwreck Cove."
"I'm going to have to go with the typhoon explanation; far more interesting."
"But is that the truth?"
" 'course it is! Whenever there's a question pertainin' to Cap'n Jack Sparrow, ye can always expect that the most interesting option is the correct one."
"I'll keep that in mind," I said dryly. I settled myself beside him against the helm and watched the black stretch of sea before us.
After a moment, he remarked, "I thought you said you had a dispute to settle."
"Oh no, I just wanted to know in order to satisfy my own curiosity; I'll let them decide the correct answer for themselves," I replied.
Jack smirked and cocked an eyebrow. "I've noticed that young Wentworth is angry with you," he commented lazily.
"Angry's a bit of an overstatement; irritated, perhaps?"
"He's avoiding you; every time you approach he moves away."
"That's quite observant of you," I countered.
"Can't help but notice things from up here. But that is in fact a problem, love; we don't need him 'irritated,' especially not now."
"I understand that," I agreed repentantly. "I tried apologizing, but I think perhaps he just needs time to himself."
"Alright… I'm sure you'll be able to charm him back if necessary, ey?"
"I could try…"
"If ye try, you will most certainly succeed. With a pretty face like that, how could he resist?"
Never in my life had I ever blushed when someone complimented my beauty. It was such a common occurrence that such mentions usually went over my head; I realize that this is quite conceited, but such is the life of a mermaid. The way Jack had said it – he spoke merely as if he were stating a fact, not an opinion. But, for some bizarre reason, I felt my cheeks heat up.
Perhaps Gibbs had been on to something, after all…
A/N: Thanks for reading, I hope you all liked it! Please review!
P.S. I don't know if anyone cares about this, but in case you are wondering how far they are from Shipwreck Cove: according to the PotC wiki, Shipwreck Cove is located a day's sail off of the northeast coast of South America (in the same general area as Tortuga, I'm assuming). St. Croix, where they started out, is a fair distance from this area, I estimated the total time they would have to travel would amount approximately five days. I don't know if this is accurate, it's just what I gathered from looking at a map of the Caribbean...