CHAPTER 8
A CREW AND A HEADING
"Feast your eyes, Captain," Gibbs says. "All of them faithful hands before the mast. Every man worth his salt."
We walk down the "sailors" lined up in a row where Gibbs had brought them at the docks.
They are certainly not qualified sailors or even look fit enough to handle the ship's riggings. My eyes dart about the band of misfits with doubt. Half of them look homeless... well they're probably all homeless...
"And crazy to boot," Gibbs continues.
My expression almost mirrors Jack and Will's both as the three of us stand there. Jack cocks his head subtly with a lack of excitement and walks down the front of the men, checking with a frown to see if they are worth messing with.
Will and I hesitate but follow him.
"So this is your able-bodied crew?" Will asks Gibbs doubtfully, matching my face.
Jack keeps his eyes on a half-man with uncertainty.
"Where did you find them?" I ask with a disgusted look.
Gibbs eyes me regretfully, not wanting to answer my question.
Jack continues down the line, squinting his eyes at each man.
He stops in front of an older fellow with short shaggy beard and blue band around his head. He looks significantly older than all of us and has seen much, having a worn look to his baggy skin. But what catches my eye is the yellow and blue parakeet on his left shoulder.
"You sailor!" Jack speaks to the man.
"Cotton, sir," Gibbs says to Jack.
"Mr. Cotton, do you have the courage to follow orders and stay true to the face of danger and almost certain death?" he says in his face.
Cotton's eyes drift.
"Mr. Cotton! Answer man!"
"Uh he's a mute sir," Gibbs says as he squeezes between them. "Poor devil had his tongue cut out. So we trained the parrot to talk for him."
Cotton opens his mouth wide to show his missing tongue and jack mimicks his expression with a disgusted eye.
William makes a disturbed face at the sight and recoils his head back just a bit from it.
I lift a brow and eye both Jack and Gibbs suspiciously.
"No one's yet figured how..." Gibbs squints.
Jack looks down and clears his throat... "Mr. Cotton's parrot..." he looks up and addresses. "Same question..." he says when the bird looks at him blankly.
The parakeet squawks and shockingly answers, "Wind in the sails. Wind in the sails," joyfully.
I stare with disbelief and Will widens his eyes and lifts his eyebrows.
Jack hesitates.
"Mostly we figure that means 'yes'," Gibbs says.
Jack nods... "Of course it does." Then he turns to us. "Satisfied?"
Will and I give him the same look of disproval.
"They're wonderful, Gibbs," he turns back around.
"And what's the benefit for us?" another voice asks that surprisingly comes from a female.
Our heads turn to the end of the line and we follow Jack who approaches the woman who stands there, a black hat over her face.
Jack lowers his head to try and see her but he reaches up and takes off the hat instead.
The woman, African, looks up at him hard faced as her rough black hair falls from under the hat, showing a pale gold bandana on her head.
"Anna-maria," Jack smiles.
Immediately she returns with a slap across his face.
Will and I don't even flinch when his head whirls back from the impact. He looks confused and turns back around.
"You stole my boat!" Anna says angrily with her foot planted.
"Actually--" he begins.
But another slap that echoes in the air cuts him off.
He looks in pain.
I lift an eyebrow.
"Borrowed," Jack corrects as he faces her again. "borrowed without permission, but with every intention on bringing it back to you--"
"But you didn't!" she gets in his face.
Jack is clearly frightened. "You'll get another one," his voice cracks.
She points to his face, clenching her jaw.
The pirate flinches when her hand moves up to do so.
"I will..." she thrreatens.
"A better one," Will saves Jack as he gets closer to him.
"'A better one'," Jack repeats with a smile.
"You can have that one," I grin, getting close to them and pointing to our left.
"What one?" Jack asks and he looks to where I gesture as the rest of the crew look towards the Black Pearl.
Jack whirls around. "That one?" he asks through gridded teeth.
But the sailors heads turn to the pirate and so does Anna's.
He smiles nervously. "Aye, that one... what say you?"
"Aye!" she says and the rest of the men repeat her with excitement.
They scatter about to get ready for departure. Anna aggressively rips her hat from Jack's hand and stalks off with her pride in tact.
"No no no..." Gibbs mutters to him when he thinks I am not paying attention. "It's frightful bad luck to bring a woman aboard, captain."
"It would be far worse not to have her," he makes a regretful look at the clouds and turns to walk down the deck.
I roll my eyes about Gibb's superstition and head towards the Pearl.
I help people load supplies into the vessel until my hands are raw from rubbing against wood on the crates.
When I go to retrieve a box at the dock I try to pick it up, the thing being heavier than I anticipated and it doesn't lift of the wood. I try harder, straining myself a little.
Another pair of hands helping allows for it to be lifted. Anna and I walk it to the deck of the Pearl and set it down heavily.
"What is in this thing, bricks?" I ask. Opening the lid I find stacked to the top, bottles labeled "rum".
I purse my lips and roll my eyes. "Pirates," I mutter.
_______________
PS: please comment and tell me what you think so far! because I'm not sure if I will continue writing it if no one enjoys it. if you dont have an account so therefore cannot comment, message me on my twitter, etsy, deviantArt, or pinterest :) thank you
YOU ARE READING
Sea Bound Soul
Fanfiction"The king and his men stole the queen from her bed, and bound her in her bones. The seas be ours and by the powers where we will we'll roam. Yo-ho all together, hoist the colours high. heave-ho thieves and beggars, never shall we die."
