I have a picture of Katherine! Go see her, now!
(But then come back and start reading! LOL) Her picture will be posted on my page!
P.S. If you have certain foods or drinks before falling asleep,
it can cause nightmares. Though, I'm not sure why. LOL. This will be mentioned later in the story.
Enjoy~!
Shall I come, sweet Love, to thee,
When the ev'ning beams are set?
-Thomas Campion
…
Chapter 14: Fontem Neptuni
The sweltering sun had made its descent into the deep marine, dropping the temperature of the once suffocating sea air to a much more breathable ocean breeze. Will, who was sitting on a barrel with a large crate before him, was studying a withered old map.
Brushing a strand of cascading brown hair behind her ear, Katherine came towards him and took the seat on the barrel beside him. She glanced at the crinkled parchment before looking up at his face which held determination and sheer concentration, "William?"
"Hm?" He mumbled, rotating the map to gaze at it from an alternate perspective. The furrow in his brow told her of his growing aggravation. She laughed gently at his lack of words, obviously too absorbed in the map, "What are you up to?"
He perceived her for a moment, smiling politely, "I am trying to decipher this map, but it is in a foreign language that I'm not aware of."
"Shall I help?" Katherine offered. He obliged, turning the chart so she may have a clear view, "Of course, though I'm sure we will have to find a specialist for this matter."
Sliding a hand across the aged parchment, her fingers caressed the charcoal ink as she outlined a rather oblique island. In the center of the island, the words FontemNeptuniportrayed themselves in sophisticated script.
The language seemed familiar to her. Well aware that it was not Greek, Katherine continued to consider the possible options. She read the words over again.
It then came to her that it was Latin. It was in one of her favored books, Spartacus the Gladiator. Spartacus had once been a Roman soldier, therefore, bits of Latin speech were written in the text.
A smile tugged at Katherine's lips, "The language is Latin, Will."
"Really?" He spoke in disbelief before he congratulated her on her accomplishment, "This is remarkable. Thank you, Katherine. Is there anything else you can decode?"
With a slow exhale, she looked over the geographic draft once again, only to receive a throbbing headache. Perhaps she had overworked herself a little, "Forgive me, William. I'm afraid that's all I can interpret at the moment."
He smiled, resting a hand on her shoulder, "You've already done me a great favor as is. Thank you again."
"You're very welcome." She stood from the barrel, masking a yawn beneath her delicate hand, "I'll be off to bed now, so goodnight, William. Pleasant dreams."
Will nodded, bidding to her, "Ah. Goodnight, Katherine. Sleep well," She made her way across the deck, smiling gently at a few crew members who were enjoying themselves with a few bottles of rum and a game.
"Miss Katherine! Would ye like to join us?" Gibbs asked her merrily, gesturing to the game before them. The brunette laughed before responding with, "I would mister Gibbs, but I'm rather tired tonight. Would tomorrow evening be alright?"
Nodding, Gibbs and the crew complied, "Aye! Till then! Sweet dreams, lass!"
She waved at them as she left to her cabin. While on the way, she passed by Cotton, "Goodnight, mister Cotton."
The older man nodded cheerfully as his beloved parrot perched on his shoulder ruffled its coloured feathers, squawking.
She opened the door to her cabin, closing it firmly behind her. Sighing in exhaustion, she tugged at the strings on her back, shedding her heavy dress and corset to leave her standing in her shift. Katherine gathered the crème coloured dress in her hands before laying it on an old chair by the wall.
She tucked her long brown hair into a loose bun before she draped the sheets over herself and curled up soundly, falling asleep with the little flame of the candle at her bedside, providing sanctuary from the moonlit darkness that poured into her little cabin.
Resting a hand beneath the pillow, she wondered what Jack was up to at this very moment. Drinking rum, she thought pursing her lips in thought.
However, Sparrow had passed that stage long ago and was now in a comatose state as he lay on his bed, completely and utterly intoxicated with an arm and foot listlessly hanging over the edge of his mattress.
.
In the Devil's hour, Jack awoke with an excruciating headache, not only from the rum but also from having had a dreadful nightmare only moments before.
It was horrible; worse than anything he had ever encountered or anything he could have imagined. Barbossa stranding him on that godforsaken island while Jack watched in despair as the man sailed away with his ship and crew; it could not even be compared to his dream of eternalisolation.
His nightmare… It was as terrible as the day his mother passed when he was just a small lad. Forced to bare it without the comfort of his 'supposed' father, as he was out at sea.
With a groan, Jack sat upright on his bed; scouring his cabin for something to remedy his aching throat and dampened emotions. Spotting his bottle of rum from the same night, Jack briskly took a swig before he swallowed in distaste.
..Perhaps water may have been a better choice.
And so, in hopes of feeling the cool and refreshing sensation that only water could provide, Sparrow set off to the hold; pulling on his boots, but leaving his jacket and hat behind. Whilst on his way, he realized that the crew must have all gone to sleep down in the lower decks; so he passed by Katherine's cabin. It was somewhat alit with a warm glow. The calm Caribbean air drafted by, causing the assortment of beads in his dark hair to clatter quietly like chimes.
With a small pout, he peered inside and found her sleeping soundly. He did not want to awake her simply because of a silly nightmare, but he knew she would ease his still slightly stricken and dejected spirits.
… God, he needed rum. And quickly.
No, he sneered in reminder. Rum was most likely the cause of his dreaded nightmare.
Forgetting the water altogether, he cracked open Katherine's door just enough to see her clearly. The glowing yellow of the lit candle hit her beautiful features just so. Calmly and soundlessly, he closed the door behind him and strode toward her bed, sitting beside her as she rested; a peaceful little smile on her lips.
Yes, Katherine would ease his troubled thoughts at no matter what time of day or night. He smirked; barely touching her hand.
Because that's just who she was. His.
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