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The Chalice of Doom	By : Jessica66 Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (All) > General Views: 2364 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
5.
Of Crustaceans and a storm

The
next day was one of those that never seems to end. Everyone was bored from
having to stay in the Governor's chamber for one more day and staying in one
room all day long with Captain Jack Sparrow being bored wasn't much fun either.
The strain increased with every hour. They had to fear that someone would betray
them, that Norrington's men would find them or that Ratbone would track them
down by magic. Hours went by in slow-motion but nothing happened. The Governor
returned from his daily duties and said goodbye to Elisabeth without the guard
being hot on his heels though he still wasn't amused about sharing his private
chambers with a gang of pirates. He was even less amused when Scarlett asked him
to call for Joshua only so she could make an offer to his slave that his slave
accepted smiling boldly at him.

"Consider
it well. You will end up at the gallows if you join these pirates and sail under
a pirate's flag." the Governor warned strictly but that couldn't impress
M'leh.

"Better
a short life in freedom than to perish in slavery." he took off his stupid
white wig and threw it at Governor Swann's feet before leaving the room with the
pirates as a free man.

They
snuck through Port Royal on hidden paths Will had sketched for them until they
reached a quiet corner of the harbour. Scarlett
took a deep breath of salty air tasting the width of the ocean and its promise
of freedom when she saw Gibbs storming to a nearby boat. With a sharp whistle
she called him back into line.

"Damned!
This is a fishing boat.
You're not going to steal the boat of a fisherman, aye?"

"Luv,
it's to commandeer a ship- nautical term." Jack corrected her. "What
kind of pirate are you?"

He shouldn't have said that as Scarlett faced him with wildly scintillating eyes." Surely not the kind who robs a poor fisherman
off what he needs for his livelihood when there are plenty of dinghies around
belonging to the Royal Navy. So is there any nautical term to distinguish
between right and wrong? Besides,
Escobar had promised to leave one of his longboats on the beach for us. So just
keep your eyes open and your mouth shut."

"Hey,
don't bitch at each other friends." Marris cheerfully embraced both of them
in a conciliatory gesture. "We've got to stick together, aye?"

"Hmpf."
Scarlett growled with a shrug.

Finally
they found the longboat belonging to the Gavina and crossed over to the ship
where a sailor guided them to the Captain's Cabin asking them polity to stay
there until they've set sail and left Port Royal. Again they were close together
in a room with nothing to do but wait though this time they were on aboard a
ship and could feel the swell of the sea playing with its hull. This gentle
rocking of the waves got all of them drowsy except for Jack Sparrow who sat next
to Rowan Scarlett.

"Now,
as we've got nothin' to do but wait again, why don't ye tell me a little story 'bout
yerself startin' with why ye thanked me for killin' Barbossa?"

"Well,
you knew him, aye? Do I have to explain more?" She was brief until she
realized that he wouldn't be satisfied with this, so she added. "He killed
my parents."

"Sorry
to hear that. How did it happen?"

"It's
a long story."

"Oh
and we're really short of time, aye?"

Scarlett
laughed.

"Now
come on don't let me drag it all outta ye. In Tortuga, I've told ye a good
story- so why don't ye just gimme one in return?" He didn't give up urging
her to tell more.

"Ye've won." she grumbled and warned him that she wasn't a very
good storyteller; nevertheless he looked at her curious. "My parents had
been� well, a very strange couple indeed. He's an Irish soldier who'd been
forced to join the English Navy and she's a Spanish Moor. They met when he got
wounded in a war that had never been his own and got stranded on the beach of a
land that was supposed to be hostile. She discovered the man washed ashore 'n as
she's a good-hearted woman with great skills in healing she took him in her
house and healed him. They fell in love though it's not easy being a lovin'
couple when yer from two different counties that 're at war with each other.
Also, they're very catholic down there in Spain 'n they mistrusted a Moor woman
with great skills in healing anyway 'specially after she'd married a stranger.
Soon there were rumours about witchcraft spreadin', which brought the
inquisitors into the area. Now, these very much honoured 'n bloody god fearing
men 'd the task to track down witches 'n execute 'em by trial of ordeal, and
even if the golden age of inquisition had gone by they still liked to see women
burn. Ye surely can imagine that me father didn't want to see his wife burn on a
stake only for knowin' a lot 'bout herbs and how to use them for healin', for
savin' his life. So he freed her from jail and they fled from this small fishin'
village at Cape Finisterre to the next bigger town, Santiago de Compostela,
where I was born�"

"Ah, so you've been born with the skills of healin' and breakin'
someone from jail? Good hereditary factors I'd say."

"Well, well, well Captain Jack Sparrow is that yer way to actually
thank me for rescuing ye?" she asked with a mockery voice.

"For pokin' me shoulder with yer dagger, for cheatin' 'n druggin' me?"
he replied in the same tone looking sceptically at her ring and then at his own
fingers. "Good trick though, should remember that. But now go on with yer
story. What's happened then?"

"So what d' ye think did happen to a woman being
sought-after by the Inquisition and who had the bad luck to be struck with a
red-haired brat?"

"Nah, don't say that�" He reached out to
touch her hair but she just shook her head surly.

"Stop that. Thought ye've wanted to hear a story
'n I'm not finished yet," she said with a cooler voice. She didn't really
remember anymore what it had been like to move from one town to another when she
was young always fleeing the inquisition until they finally reached Santander
where they embarked a ship to the colonies. "I loved ships 'n the sea from
the very first moment my feet touched the planks of that galleon called Estrella
but unfortunately we weren't sailing under a lucky star as pirates commandeered
our ship near the Bahamas. They weren't like you or me. They were a gang of the
most bloodthirsty kind, the ones that murdered without consideration, plundered
'n raped. I had to
watch their activities, had to watch them murder my parents� I was the only
survivor 'cause the leader of this gang from hell had big plans with me. He'd be
my pimp 'n I'd be his whore as he thought me bloody red hair 'd gain him a
fortune. So he took me to a Tortugan brothel where the whores should raise me 'til
I was old enough. Though they were really nice to me this actually wasn't what I'd
planned to be my future. I never wanted to be the one to be decided upon but to
make my own decisions so I shaved my head and ran away- straight into the arms
of a Spaniard who luckily wasn't like other Spanish men� not one of this
patriarchal machos who want women to keep to their traditional roles. He taught
me everything I wanted to know including how to fight with a sword and how to
sail a ship; he even build the Jewel Star for me. I owe him a lot. His name's
Santiago."

If she had expected him to jump on that name she'd been
wrong. He looked at her with honest sympathy but didn't react to the name of
Santiago, and that puzzled her.

"Well you're not that bad in story-telling�"

She repeated Santiago's name once again and then added
how Mr.Gibbs had called him. "Don Miguel."

Still there was no reaction concerning this only a
clumsy attempt to do what- comfort her? Or was he just misusing the situation to
touch her, to stroke her hair? He was much too close now looking at her with his
dark brown eyes that she thought at once he'd try again to kiss her again and
she didn't know how she would have reacted to it.

Suddenly there was a loud bang followed by two further
and the moment was gone. A last salute of farewell to Elisabeth who was sailing
to Europe or so the Governor still believed. Minutes later she arrived at the
Captain's cabin with Will and cheerfully greeted the pirates who were all
wide-awake now. The anchor was weighted and the Gavina slowly gained speed.

After all had greeted each other and settled down again
a sleepy atmosphere arose once more as the ship sailed through calm waters. Yet
Scarlett was restless. She looked at Jack Sparrow and impatiently elbowed his
rips.

"Come on, you must know him as he knows you."

"Who?"

"Santiago- or Don Miguel."

Well there was some sort of fleeing memory from long
ago flashing through his head but he couldn't capture it to make any sense so he
just shrugged. "Sorry luv. Many people know me as I'm Captain Jack Sparrow
but I can't remember all I've ever offended."

Her eyes narrowed. She just couldn't stand him when he
was so full of himself and she immediately forgot what she nearly had been about
to do before the canons were fired for salute. A little later Capitano Escobar
arrived in the cabin.

"We're approaching Yallah bay soon, Captain
Scarlett, so if you would please be so kind to show up on deck. I presume they
won't be firing a broadside at us if they see your remarkable hair shining in
the sun."

"Si Capitano, seguramente."

They walked up the companionway to the afterdeck
followed by Jack. She turned to cast him a mocking glance. "What's the
matter with you? D' ye wanna let your hair be shining in the sunlight as
well?"

He just smirked and walked to the rail, overlooking the
sea. She watched him for a moment before she understood how it must have been
like for him to be locked up in cell or a room or even in the cabin here, as she
would have felt the same. Escobar gave her the same suspecting gaze like
Elisabeth had done in Port Royal, trying to impute her motives for rescuing Jack
a romantic meaning. She didn't go into it.

"Well Capitano, once again thanks are in order and
I really owe you a great deal; we all do. In the Turners luggage you'll find a
few bottles of the finest Jamaican rum that can be sold at a quite nice price on
the Spanish market- or you retire and drink it all by yourself."

"Muchas gracias, muy amable Se�ora Capitano. So
am I right to assume that the Turners are not going to sail to Europe aboard the
Gavina?"

Scarlett grinned at him cheekily. "No, they're
gonna spend their honeymoon in Tortuga- they only don't know it yet. Now, would
you like to tell it to them or shall rather I do it?"

"A gentleman always lets the lady go first." he answered
politely but indicated that she'd made her bed and must lie on it now. She
hadn't expected it to be any other way- on the other hand�

"Captain Sparrow, please be so kind as to inform the Turners that
we're leaving this ship soon and crossing to the Jewel."

Jack should have known better and been warned because, as a rule, if she
spoke so nicely it wasn't wise to trust her. Of course neither Will nor
Elisabeth were acquainted with the fact that they weren't going to Europe but
fortunately Will's annoyance didn't focus on him as the whelp was smart enough
to notice which way the wind was blowing.

"Where is that red pirate-witch going to take us?" he asked
Marris furiously but the blonde haired pirate just smiled him without being
impressed and said only one word. "Tortuga."

"Ah ye should appreciate that, whelp. Tortuga- the most promisin'
island in the whole Caribbean."

Will couldn't understand what Jack was raving about as he only remembered
dirty streets crowded with filthy, drunken, cursing and fighting people, mainly
lawless villains and whores. Well that might sound tempting to a pirate but it
certainly wasn't a place where he wanted Elisabeth to be. He left Jack behind
and rushed to find Rowan Scarlett. She could be in a crowd of people yet she'd
strike attention with her flaming mane.

"You! I won't allow you
to put my wife into danger!"

"Oh we're back to this topic again." Scarlett sighed, suddenly
feeling quite fed up with all of it. She simply climbed over the rail and down
the ladder to the longboat that has been sent from the Jewel, only wanting to go
home.

"How did you get the idea to take Elisabeth to Tortuga?"

"To avoid anything happening to her."

"But this is not a suitable place for a lady to be."

Scarlett didn't answer and even didn't care anymore if anyone else
besides Marris followed her to the longboat. She saw Jack talking to Will but
couldn't hear what he said; anyway he must have found the right words to
convince his friend to climb down the bloody ladder and into the boat. Finally
they were ready to put out.

"You'll see that Tortuga isn't as bad if you stay away from the
harbour." Marris tried to cheer up Will with his imperturbable good mood
and he seemed to be successful. At least the young man didn't look that grisly
anymore but managed a restrained smile.

"Well, it's just not the place I'd chosen for honeymoon." he
admitted.

"The hinterland's really nice actually. There are green, softly
curved ranges of hills with plantations, nice estates of well-off planters and
some hidden bays with beautiful beaches where you can go swimming."
Scarlett had just finished when she remembered that it probably wasn't proper
for a lady like Elisabeth to go swimming in hidden bays, no matter how beautiful
the beaches are. It came to her mind that it must be dreadfully boring to be
tortured with all the do's and don�ts of high society, always considering
what's decent or what impression you'd leave. So it was much better being a
pirate and not giving a shit about decorum to have the ability to enjoy the
beauty of hidden beaches and crystal-clear water. She was still deep in thoughts
when Will addressed her.

"How long do we have to stay there and when are we sailing to
Shanghai?"

She shook her head in confusion. It occurred to her that he'd just said when
are we sailing to Shanghai? - but this couldn�t be as no one had ever
talked about that. None? She looked at Jack who had squeezed himself next to her
at the bow of the boat. He smirked. Now she got it straight how he'd persuaded
Will. Well, well she'd taken him for a ride a couple of times and now it was
payback-time.

"C'mon luv don't be irritated." he said but she'd already
jumped to her feet which caused the boat to rock dangerously. "Hey, d' ye
want us to sink?"

"No, I'd only like to drown you." She sat down again and
resisted the urge to really do so.

"But what's wrong with the idea that we're sailing to Shanghai and
search Will's father?"

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with searchin' Will's father- it's the 'we'
I've problems with. You can do whatever ye wanna but I'd prefer not being
integrated." The hull of the Jewel Star rose in front of her like a huge
cliff now and reminded her that there was something else she had to clarify with
Jack. "By the way, this is my ship and I'm
the Captain. Ye'd better bear that in mind, keep quiet and call me Captain
instead of luv. And that's Captain's order, savvy? "

"Yer wish's my command, luv� um, Captain Scarlett." he said with exaggerated courtesy and a
broad, golden gleaming smile. While she ignored him waving a last good-bye to
the Gavina and its Captain Escobar, Jack Sparrow climbed up the ladder and
unexpectedly faced a pair of snapping blue claws that belonged to an angry
crustacean. He tried to get out of the way swaying a bit too much in his attempt
to do so and nearly fell over the rail. It was Scarlett who helped him by giving
him a push in the back.

"I've said I'd like to drown you- no need to do it yerself."

"Yer too kind." Jack gasped with clenched teeth, feeling a
painful heat shooting up his back that nearly made him scream but he only went
quite pale for a moment.

At once it occurred to her that she might have treated him too roughly.
She didn't ask him if he was all right as he wouldn't have told her anyway; she
just ordered Marris to assign beds to all their guests.

"Ah Maharani Scarlett brings guests. Very good. Rashid makes food
for all, very good. Look! Isn't it a beauty!" A dark-skinned man with
shaved head welcomed Captain Scarlett waving a blue crab in one hand and proudly
pointing to a bucket with even more crustaceans. "What you think, eh?
Cangrejos con pineapple 'n curry?"

"Sounds tempting."

"Riqu�ssimo!" he promised, making a gesture of total delight
and then turned to Jack Sparrow for further confirmation while holding the still
snapping crawfish straight in front of his nose. Again Jack made an attempt to
retreat, maybe fearing for his nose. Rashid just laughed. "Don't worry.
Really delicious with curry. You taste tonight."

Jack bared his teeth instead of smiling and staggered away to inspect the
ship he was on, wondering how long it would take the crew to finally weigh
anchor and set sails. Well, if it
had been his ship he'd already barked orders. Actually, it was hard for him not
to do so as he'd never been guest on a ship before- either he'd commanded or
commandeered it.

He watched Scarlett being welcomed by her crew. They seemed to be quite
fond of her but that was no basis to run a ship as respect was needed as well,
so it really surprised him that she only had to whistle sharply and everyone was
back on his position. There was no shouting or neither yelling nor barking
orders- a whistle from her was enough to start hectic activities on deck. The
crew was a perfectly united team that really worked hand in hand that's why the
Jewel Star left the bay much sooner than he'd ever thought.

"The rigging's some sort of new-fashioned, these blocks 'n tackles 're
much easier to handle, ye know." Marris came up to him smiling like he
always did as if nothing could ever trouble him. "Well, guess ye'd fancy
havin' a closer look at the Jewel before I show ye where ye can rest, aye? Mind
ye if I'll show ye round? Oh, and it's not to keep an eye on you or something
like this, savvy. I can leave ye alone as well if ye wanna, no problem with that.."

During the first few hours of their voyage back to
Tortuga conditions couldn't have been better; there was a fresh wind blowing,
filling the canvas with a crackling sound. Scarlett ordered to brace the sails
fully and the Jewel Star nearly seemed to fly across the waves. But late
afternoon the wind decreased more and more that they had to set some additional
staysails to keep going. It was then when Scarlett decided to change course and
sail south round Hispaniola instead of sailing the Windward Passage though this
route would take longer. However, it occurred to her that it would be the safer
way in case someone followed them and she was quite sure that Norrington would
try to track them down.

At dusk, a bell rang for diner. Marris rushed to take over the helm, as he knew damn well how offended
Rashid could feel if the Captain herself was not one of the first to enjoy his
meal.

Captain Scarlett
already sat at a table with Will and Elisabeth when Jack entered the mess.
Having expected a plain, functional set up room like on all other ships he was
surprised now that this one nearly had the same atmosphere of a good tavern;
there were oriental lamps on the walls spreading a cosy light. Also the food was
not of the quality you usually get on a pirate ship. It smelled like exotic
spices that reminded him of Singapore. A sizzling pan was placed on the table
and he saw his old friend- the evil snapping crustacean- swimming with others in
a creamy, yellowish sauce.

While he greedily stuffed down everything he was served, Will obviously
had some problems with unfamiliar hot spices. His face turned red and his eyes
filled with tears. Jack tapped the younger man's shoulder sympathetically.

"'t happens if ye've not been to Singapore, whelp."

"Madras." Rashid corrected. "Me I'm from Madras."

Singapore or Madras didn't change anything for Will and he already had
doubts about sailing to Asia to search for his father as he would have burned
his insides out before he'd even got there.

"Me I was personal chef of Maharaja of Madras." Rashid
continued and though he spat out on the floor to make clear what he thought
about the Maharaja, Elisabeth looked at him with confusion.

"You've had a decent profession and you're surely a great cook- so
why did you become a pirate?"

"To keep me balls."

Jack gasped, Will turned even redder if possible and most of the pirates
burst into laughter when Elisabeth politely asked. "Pardon?"

Rashid wanted to make a gesture to underline his words but Scarlett kept
him from doing so. "Stop it! She's a fine lady." She turned to
Elisabeth to explain. "Rashid was personal chef of the Maharaja when he was
offered a promotion. He should be honoured and become cook for the Maharaja's
wives as well, and this special honour he wasn't allowed to turn down. Problem's
only that all who're serving the Maharanis had to be eunuchs and he didn't want
to be one. That's why he escaped, looking for a ship to take him away before the
Maharaja found out and that's how we met."

"'n me I'm still complete." Rashid grasped between his legs and
weighed his private parts with an overjoyed smile in his face.

"Oh, I see." whispered Elisabeth embarrassed and a bit stunned
from talk that shouldn't be meant for decent ladies' ears. Will wasn't very
happy with the situation as well.

"Darling, we'd better leave now and go to bed." he said softly
and surely without the intention to give suggestions but of course the pirates
burst into laughter once again; one shouted:

"Guess he wants to find out if he's still complete!"

Though it was only good-natured teasing the Turners hastily left the mess
and shortly afterwards Scarlett went back to the helm to navigate the Jewel Star
safely through the night.

-

Jack woke at dawn, or at least he thought it should be dawn by now though
it was still dark outside. He shot a look out of the window, realizing that the
sky was covered with dark, deep-hanging clouds that passed by like fog-patches
and there was an eerie greenish glow at the horizon. He heard hasting footsteps
of pirates trying to secure things, extinguish every candle and close all
hatches. It was evident that a storm was about to break loose.

A hectic voice gave orders to Will and Elisabeth in the neighbouring
cabin to stay inside and not to show up on deck no matter what happens.
Of course that wasn't meant for him as he was Captain Jack Sparrow and might
give a helping hand, as he was experienced with storms.

The ship had already begun to roll in the waves and the clouds opened up,
rain was pouring down when he walked up the companions way. Within seconds he
was soaking wet. He didn't mind; he liked to struggle with the powers of nature
and the surge of adrenalin that ran through his veins. But who still had some
sails set at the beginning of a one menacing inferno must be an adrenalin-junkie.
He couldn't believe his eyes. Though halliards, clew lines or braces were coiled
and secured the sails were only reefed a little.

Jack staggered to the afterdeck. Captain Scarlett stood at the helm and
seemed to enjoy it; her eyes flashed green sparks though the darkness. He waved
his arms to attract her attention.

"Luv, ye've gotta drop canvas." he shouted but she just laughed
at him.

"Why? Would ye if ye'd be aboard the Pearl now?"

No. She was right- somehow. The storm wasn't that heavy yet and he'd gone
through worse ones but she'd forgotten one very important thing. He was Captain
Jack Sparrow and this wasn't the Pearl as he told her.

"Aye! That's why I'm not droppin' canvas. The Jewel can stand a bit
longer."

"Yer mad!"

"Well, that's what people say bout you." She grinned, holding
the helm firmly in her hands and yet steering the Jewel with great care.

He watched her for a moment and then changed his mind. She wasn't that
mad at all, in fact she did a damned good job at the helm. She knew exactly what
she was doing. She knew the sea and the wind and her ship, and she handled
everything very skilful. He decided not to interfere any longer, as his help
wasn't required anyway, so he only watched her for a while.

The storm got worse. There was the sound of thunder in the distance and
lightning flashed up, the wind increased. Just at the same time, as he would
have done so she was willing to give order to strike sails.

Soon after that the thunder got deafening and the lightning nearly
blinding. The sea was like a seething cauldron of white-foaming water, waves
splashed over the deck and the ship rocked quite heavily though it never heeled
hard over. After all it was still fun but this ended when lightning stroke the
top of the mizzen mast. A nasty crack of wood was to be heard.

"Fuck!" Scarlett looked up. Some flames flickered over the tied
gaff-topsail but extinguished immediately due to the heavy rain. Nevertheless,
this was a serious problem because if the mast would come loose uncontrolled it
could cause a lot of damage to the entire rigging. She had to hurry up.

"Take over the helm." she shouted to Jack and climbed into the
shrouds.

She's mad, he thought again, mad
but damned courageous. He hardly knew any man- let alone any woman- who'd
had the nerve to climb up a mast in the midst of a raging inferno. She did it
and he would have done so as well to avoid further damage. He looked up. She had
already reached the mizzen crosstrees and started to cut off the top of the mast
as well as parts of the rigging before it could crash down. Watching her, quite
impressed, he forgot to concentrate on the helm, so the ship shifted at bit and
the next wave rocked it hard. A boarding-axe fell from up above hitting the
planks only a few inches away from his feet, followed by a very nasty curse. He
gasped, cursed himself for not being concentrating and tried to steady the Jewel
before he dared to look up again to see how Scarlett was doing. It frightened
him that she was swinging dangerously to and fro on a rope right above the
outraged sea, but luckily she managed to get back onto the mast soon, struggling
to recover her balance. He was really relieved when she finally returned to the
helm safe.

"Phew, 't was quite a thrill." she said panting for breath.
Then she looked at him with eyes that glittered full of wild triumph instead of
anger as he had expected, and laughed about the worried expression in his face.
Pushing him away she took the helm again. "Well Captain Sparrow ye see it's
not easy to keep the Jewel steady as she needs more careful hands to steer her,
savvy?"

"Aye, Captain." Jack faked a smile though he was reluctant that
he got away with this reminder. He had already realized that the Jewel won't
allow any inobservances as she reacted more efficiently to the touch of the helm
as any other ship and that's why he wished he could've steered her a little bit
longer. It was interesting to be on a ship that could nearly match his beloved
Black Pearl and to become familiar with its peculiarities.

The storm increased even more and the sea was white with spray that
glowed ghostly in the lightning. It was getting harder with every minute to keep
the Jewel from being tossed about by the swells as the waves had become
dangerously high. That was without doubt the worst thunderstorm Scarlett had
ever experienced and it even occurred to her that not only the powers of nature
were playing an evil game with her but also that there was more behind.

"What d'ye think Jack- can weather be influenced by magic?"

"I've seen pirates turn skeletons in moonlight�guess ev'rything's
possible." he shouted against the wind that was howling as furiously as a
mad banshee.

She nodded to confirm that she got his words when a wave crashed over
their heads. They quickly steadied themselves with a rope to keep from being
washed overboard. Jack shook himself. "Land's close�. we should drop
anchor in a bay." he suggested but Scarlett apparently didn't like the idea,
as she turned the wheel with full force to the opposite direction.

"No way! Land's at windward side, we'll crash if we'd try!"

She was right. There was no way to call at land, as this part of the
Hispaniolan coast was full of rocks, riffs and dangerous shallows. They would
run aground if they tried. On the other hand they could only try to stand the
storm as long as possible before a wave would swallow the Jewel. So there
weren't really any alternatives unless the storm would let up which was rather
unlikely at the moment.

"Help me!" Scarlett yelled when the powers of nature got too
strong for her to handle the helm all by herself and Jack willingly rushed for
help. Together they manoeuvred the Jewel through the storm, avoiding the strong
current that wanted to drag the ship to the coast and navigating it to the open
sea again. This way they fought the storm for nearly an hour when suddenly there
was something like the light at the end of the tunnel. The clouds broke up a
little and a glimpse of daylight was to be seen. The same time the wind
decreased and at once there was a silence that was frightening in some way as it
was abnormal. With eyes wide open she looked at Jack Sparrow.

"What's that?"

"No idea, luv." he whispered as if he feared any loud word
could bring the storm back.

They stood together and listened. Nothing was to be heard except for the
usual noises of a ship, the creaking of the planks, the rattling of the rigging,
the splashing of the waves swirling about the hull. Then the wind rose again and
intensified these noises, and the clouds broke up even more. Now, at the end of
a day that had almost been as dark as the night, the last sunbeams painted the
sky with an absurd abundance of colours.

Some pirates came up the companions way and looked around. They gave the
impression that they had almost accepted their fate to go to Davy Jones' locker
and couldn't believe that they're still alive.

"Praise the Captain!" someone shouted and others joined in.
"She's saved us all!"

Scarlett didn't liked this sort of worshipping so she quickly let Marris
take the helm since he who was the first to reach her at the afterdeck,
but she knew that Jack loved being the centre of attraction.

"Praise Captain Jack Sparrow, mates. I wouldn't have done it without
his help."

While Sparrow was willingly spinning a yarn about their adventures during
the storm, Scarlett secretly slipped away to her cabin. She was soaked to the
bones, dog-tired and yet filled with an energy that wouldn't let her rest just
now. Fortunately a good soul had already placed a bottle of wine on her table
and lit some candles, so she only had to take off her wet clothes to make
herself comfortable. She had just wrapped a blue sarong with coloured
butterflies around her body when Jack entered the room.

"Bloody hell! What's got into ye? Can't ye knock?" she snapped
at him.

"Oh." he was taken aback a little but that didn't keep him from
eying her. Nice sight, he thought.

"Now what d' ye want?"

"Lookin' for a place to sleep."

"Here?"

"Aye. Well, actually it's yer first mate who'd assigned beds and as
I'm Captain Jack Sparrow he must have chosen the Captain's cabin's for me. He's
a good man."

"He's a dead man soon." Scarlett mumbled to herself, wondering
if Jack had already snooped around her cabin before realizing that he must have
slept in her bed. She raised her voice again. "Hope ye slept well."

"Very well. Thanks for asking, luv."

She rolled her eyes but then it came to her that there was no use
becoming offensive after he'd helped her steer the Jewel through that storm. She
sighed. "Well, now that yer 'ere anyway, ye can make yerself useful 'n open
the bottle instead of staring at me. Never seen a woman wearing a sarong?"

Scarlett towelled her hair and tossed her head to let it swing down her
back like cascades of red wine. Jack couldn't help staring at her while
uncorking the bottle because that sarong was more like a piece of cloth wrapped
around her body in a slapdash fashion, revealing lots of golden-tanned skin.

"At least never one with red-wine-hair." He raised the bottle
and sat down on the bed. "And that'll be wine as well, aye?"

"Aye, it's a Rioja gran reserva." �and actually much too precious to be shared with someone who won't
appreciate it anyway.

"So, let's have some wine before we go to bed."

She decided to ignore this remark as she certainly wouldn't go to bed
with him- or would she? Well, with the storm still raging in her blood she was
quite susceptible to an attractive body and these dark brown, khol-rimmed eyes
that gave his look so much intensity. Actually she was just in the right mood
for a little tussle between the sheets�
to cut it short, she wanted a man and he happened to be there.

"Well, Captain Jack Sparrow, I've to thank ye. I surely couldn't
have handled the Jewel without yer help."

"Nah, don't say that, luv. Yer actually quite good with nautical
things. Although- if ye really wanna thank me, well�" He fell silent and
smirked, alluding to the
conversation they had in Tortuga.

"Oh, I know exactly what you mean." she said with a sweet smile
on her lips, yet he was quite stunned that she came up to him. Still smiling she
sat down on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. As
she had expected he returned her kiss at once, taking the chance to push his
tongue boldly into her mouth and explored her intensely. Now, that was a
promising start. Her sarong to came undone and soon everything took its course
the way she wanted it. Nevertheless he still believed that Captain
Jack Sparrow was just irresistible and that every woman would fall for him
gradually, in time. Of course it never came to him that he might have been wrong
about that.
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The Chalice of Doom