A rope ladder was cast over the railing with a clatter, landing a few feet from the rowboat. Elusive figures grip the side and peer downward, watching from above. The men steadied the dinghy as we hover beneath the ship.
I brushed my fingertips against the dark wood, gliding them across the dampened crevices. I balanced myself in this way as I begin to stand, my wobbly knees causing the vessel to quiver beneath me. "Steady now," Barbossa gripped my hips until the stillness returns.
"Thank you." I exhaled shakily. It had been at least fifteen years since I'd been on a boat, let alone trying to stand in one. I slung my belongings across my body and hooked an elbow through the ladder. "I've got it."
He released me and I gripped the other side, stepping onto the rickety wooden rung.
I felt the ladder being pulled upward, and I grasp the ropes with white knuckles, stifling a yelp. I warily glance between the rungs and gasp, wide-eyed as the sea slips further and further down. I arch my neck upward as voices onboard became louder. The faces of the spectators come into view as I reach eye level to the ship's railing.
A titan of a man reaches for my hand with a muscled forearm and I take it cautiously. "Thank you..." I look to his stern face, synched brows and set jaw, searching for a name.
"Bo'sun." He grunts and I nod.
"Bo'sun, thank you."
He mumbles something and steadies me on the deck, casting the ladder overboard once more.
I am met with a circle of hardened pirates surrounding me. A sea of blackened teeth bent into salacious smiles, ragged garb, and unyielding eyes bear down on me. They study me curiously, some snickering, some firm-jawed with weapons in hand. I summon the courage within me to meet their eyes with calm austerity. I had quickly learned after being thrust onto Port Royal with no family or possessions that if a woman is to receive any respect at all, she must demand it with every fiber of her being. And so, I trained my gestures, body language, and facial expressions, to deceive even when desperately wishing to curl into a ball on the floor.
"Pleased to finally make your acquaintance, Ma'am." A thin pirate with a glass eye and sleek brown hair calls timidly to my left, slightly bowing.
My eyes melt into a smile as I sense his respect. "Likewise. What's your name?"
He smiles eagerly and another pirate next to him interjects. "That there's Regetti, don't pay no attention to him. He gets nervous 'round pretty girls."
Regetti blushes, shoving his friend with embarrassment.
I chuckle and raise an eyebrow. "And you are?"
"Name's Pintel." He eyes me up and down. "Thought you'd be older."
I hoot and reply, "does that disappoint?"
The pair's smiles disappear into focused expressions as their captain and first mate swing over the railing effortlessly.
"Gentlemen." Jack secures his footing and gestures open-handedly to the crowd. "I assume you've become somewhat acquainted with Miss Baudin, here." He begins sauntering toward the helm, the crowd parts before him instinctively. "You will show her the same respect as you show your captain, eh?"
"Aye, sir." Voices echo this assertion, steadying my pounding heart.
"She'll be with us a while, so show her a pirate's welcome."
The crew murmurs and nod their heads, unsure of what to do next.
"Gents," Barbossa declaratively shouts, "Back to work." The gathering snaps to attention as men stumble over one another itching to resume their duties. I raise an eyebrow at this authoritative discrepancy, and look to Jack who is talking with Bo'sun at the helm. I make my way up the creaking steps and peer at the deck below. Some of the crewmates are whispering and glancing in my direction while completing their tasks. Most are hard at work manning the expansive ship.
"What do you think, Floria?" Jack pulls me from my observations, his smile and gleaming eye awaiting my judgement.
"You've done well for yourself, Jack. I'm impressed." I genuinely take in my surroundings with amazement, I hadn't seen a ship as grand since my parents were alive. "Shall we, uh, chart a course? Is that it?" I nervously chuckle and Jack's smile deepens, flashing a gold tooth.
"You've been through a lot the last few hours, Love." He cocks his head toward the decks below. "I'll show you to your lodging, so you can rest."
I gratefully smile, as the adrenaline was leaving my body, I could hardly stand due to exhaustion.
He softly touches the small of my back and guides me down the steps.
"Sweet dreams, me Siren." Barbossa calls lasciviously after me, taking over the helm.
I nod to him, suspiciously. I sensed a power grab at hand. "Let's hope so."
Jack leads me down a narrow hallway and swings a saloon-style door open, revealing a small wooden bed positioned against the wall, a desk littered with lit candles and dusty books, and an empty wardrobe. I drift inside, entranced by the grand window vaulted outward nearly as big as the wall. The expansive sea ebbed and flowed just through the glass, glittering with expectation.
"I intend to pick up a shade of some sort to put in front of this door." Jack assures me, "for privacy of course."
I nod appreciatively and drop my belongings on the bed. "It's perfect, Jack."
He bows, hands clasped behind his back. "If you need anything at all, Darling," he urges sincerely, "don't hesitate to ask. My quarters are just across the hallway there." He turns to leave when I call.
"Thank you Jack," nearly choking on emotion. "For freeing me from being stuck at Port Royal, even if it is only for Aztec gold."
Jack shifts his gaze from the floor to me. "At least for me, Floria. It wasn't only for the gold." He smiles and eases the swinging doors behind him. I turn back toward the sea glimmering as a black-diamond, settling into a seat at the desk, and into a new life.
YOU ARE READING
The Sparrows |{Jack Sparrow x OC}|
Adventure' A memory so far away had been growing nearer throughout the evening. Of a young, strong-willed girl chasing after her playmate on the decks of a ship. A long-haired pirate child with no parents, and laughter that filled her days with joy. They wou...
