The Adventures of Elizabeth Swann

Chapter Eleven: Two Captains

The running of any pirate ship; or any ship, for that matter, consisted of endless, backbreaking work, and while Elizabeth's Empress was half the size of the Pearl, the list of chores was no less unyielding, though many, Jack had been fortunate enough to have avoided for some time, being Captain of the Pearl.

The day began with a meal of hardtack, beer, and the luxury of some fruit plucked recently from a minuscule isle. He was then set to work, holystoning the decks; a menial task in which brittle sandstone and seawater were rubbed ceaselessly against the wood, resulting, eventually in stripping the wood back to reveal a beautiful ashen white colour. Or, in the case of the Pearl, curiously, a deep charcoal grey. No amount of holystoning could reveal her untouched oak.

While this strange occurrence had proven enough to drive numerous of his more superstitious crewmates to jump ship, Jack had long since privately formed his own theory as to how his ship could apparently be charred to the core, and yet remain afloat.

That wretched day, when Beckett had had him chained to the mast of his beloved ship, his flesh freshly seared raw with the brand of a pirate, he had given his soul to the servitude of Davy Jones in exchange to have his ship, his lady, returned from the depths. And, while Jones had spared her, she had risen not as a pristine, reborn vessel, as Jack had expected, but bearing the scars of her ordeal, just as Jack would forever bear his brand and the various scars that marred his flesh. She had risen, revealing to him her blackened soul, and he has shown his own, in turn.

"Look lively, Sparrow." Huang barked, snapping Jack out of his reverie.

"Captain Jack Sparrow." He grumbled under his breath, followed the man with his obsidian gaze.

Over the mellow tones of the sea shanties, sung by his crewmates, he heard a voice call to the first mate. He turned his gaze towards the helm, towards Elizabeth. She had been there all morning, the breeze of the wind catching her hair, which fell down around her shoulders, and the feathers of her hat.

It vexed him, how often his eye drifted in her direction. It vexed him even more how... content he was, to remain upon the Empress, despite his dissatisfaction with the tasks granted him. At least, he was content to remain until he found his Pearl once more, of course. And find her, he would.

"Sparrow!" Huang called, marching back across the deck, towards Jack. He came to a stop directly in front of him.

Jack looked up with a grimace.

"Aye, Sir?" He said, between gritted teeth.

"The Captain will speak with you."

He glanced once more towards Elizabeth, who nodded, her chin high.

"Aye, Sir."

Abandoning his sandstone and pail of sea salt, he made his way leisurely up the staircase, to the helm, leaning casually against the rail. He crossed a leg in front of the other, touching a finger to his bandana in mock salute.

"Captain?"

"The sails need patching." She nodded towards them, and then cast an eye over Jack, taking in the lean, wiry muscles beneath his shirt. "You look like you can help Smith, well enough."

He noticed her gaze, as she glanced, seemingly with nonchalance, over the length of his body, but he noted a fire pooling in the depths of her dark eyes and met her gaze with a knowing, playful look; the look that she had seen so often, which she could only bring herself to describe as 'insufferable'. He was insufferable.

"Aye, Captain." He smirked, but as he turned to leave, a thought occurred. "Might I be so bold as to inquire as to our heading?"

"I believe we've already had this conversation."