Rose of the Sea

The Missing Sparrow

Drew's POV:

Despite the calm seas and fortunate winds, my compass was fussy the entire journey. It couldn't decide whether to point towards Tortuga or back to Port Royal. A few nights ago, it lost it's mind completely and began spinning to no end. Fortunately, the skies were clear enough that I could use the stars to keep my heading. 

I finish tying off Loyalty and brush my hand over mercy's hilt to get a rope to swing down into my hand from Norrington's Pride. I check once more to make sure Loyalty's moorings won't fall loose, and I board my new ship.

The deck is a gorgeous white pine, characteristic of Navy ships, and the railings are a beautiful dark oak. Despite the deck, the rigging is more befitting a pirate's sailing habits with an ample amount of reef bands to keep the sails on the tack lines. Every single one of her eighty guns are in pristine shape. 

The living quarters are some of the best I've seen too. Normally once a merchant ship is commandeered by pirates, the majority of the hold is converted into living decks, yet Pride divides the space equally, providing equal opportunity. The hold is fully stocked with food rations, gunpowder, and cannon balls, as well as a considerable number of cutlasses and small swords.

A breath hitches in my throat as I open the double doors to the Captain's Quarters. The quarters consist of a bedroom, a washroom, and a private study where a door leads into the galley. The chambers are completely furnished, mahogany, no less. In the bedroom, two wardrobes stand with a window in between them. I open the one to the left and find it's filled with a mix of gowns and Navy uniforms. Gorgeous gowns with patterns from red to purple mix with vibrant royal blue and pristine white uniforms. The second wardrobe holds a variety of more rugged clothing, new shirts, corsets, pants, vests, even a few dresses in darker reds or browns. A new pair of black, leather boots rests at the bottom of the wardrobe. I take out a new shirt and corset and step into a new pair of pants from the second wardrobe. Closing the doors, I turn to the bed, where a box lies on top of the maroon bedspread.

I lift the lid off the box to reveal a wide-brimmed hat with three elegant pheasant feathers sewn to it. I set the hat on my head, and notice a necklace in the bottom of the box. I carefully pick it up and see it's a small, oval locket. I slide my fingernail along its edge and flip it open to reveal a tiny piece of paper inside. On it is scribbled, 

"For Bri, a beautiful sparrow free to take flight. See you in Tortuga, Love."

A smile spreads across my face at the thought of the one person I want to see. I latch the locket around my neck and walk off Pride and into Tortuga.

I make my way to The Hog's Head, my favorite pub, owned by an old friend. I go inside and immediately he walks over to greet me.

"Captain Rose!" He calls, waving at me.

"Christopher!" I reply, grinning. "How have you been, old dog?"

He claps an arm around my shoulders, leading me over to the bar. "I've been making my way. The shutdown of black market rum runners has made my business a little better. Forces the locals to pay my prices." He lets out a loud guffaw. "What about you lass? Last I saw you, you said you were headed for home."

I smile "I've been good Chris, got back to Port Royal all right."

He smiles, pouring me my favorite drink, a ginger rum with a dash of nutmeg. "That's great, I'm still amazed you managed to escape Blackbeard's crew with naught a scratch at all."

I shrug, catching the drink as he slides it across the counter. "You know me, Chris, I can handle anything."

Another guffaw escapes him. "Aha! Of course, I do! "Captain Brianna Rose of Blackbeard's Fleet, quick as lightning, sly as a fox, tongue of silver, with a gaze that kills, God pity the man who becomes ensnared in her trap."