Shipwreck or The chances a Commodore and a Pirate can survive a deserted spit of land and each other.
Chapter One
The storm raged around him, the waves tossing him about like a rag doll as he struggled to keep not only himself afloat but also the person he had in tow. He had struggled to discard their heavy coats and boots a few moments before when they had become waterlogged and threatened to drag them under. "Bloody git better at least still be alive when I get his bloody self there" Jack thought to himself, "After all this he better have the decency to at least take his last breath ashore." He thought it would be a bit superfluous to add he'd kill him if he didn't. "Bloody Navy gob." Jack swore as a wave crashed over him threatening to put an end as to whether either one of them would be breathing when the shore was reached. He gasped for air, looked to see if they were making any headway towards what he hoped was land, as dark as it was and with the rain and wind and waves it was hard to tell. Lightening lit up the sky and the dark blot he hoped was land. He tightened his grip on the man, and once again set off paddling with one arm towards that blot.
He finally felt his bare feet scrape against something solid, and they were deposited rather un-gently on the sand by one of the cursed waves, almost as a last taunt from the sea. He drag-scooted the man and himself as far away from the water as his waning strength would allow, then collapsed back in the sand, half under his burden.
He lay there for several minutes trying to catch his breath as he coughed up seawater before even attempting to see if he had live or dead company with him on this little spit of land. At least the storm had mostly blown its self out by now and they were sitting in a gentle rain rather than a deluge. When he went about extraditing himself from said company he heard a groan. "Well that's a good sign." He mumbled, to himself apparently, as the man seemed far from being able to reply. He went on talking as talking to himself was something he did quite often, "Let's have a look at ya then." He turned the man's face towards him. "Bloody Commodore Bloody Norrington." He thought seriously about dragging the man back into the water. "No fit company you'll be makin a'tall I'll wager." Jack said to the man. "And I'm not lookin forward to spendin who knows how long here with the likes of you, specially with that goose egg yer sportin, probably make ya right grumpy, even more n usual. There'll be no livin with ya I'm sure. And sides that you did, after all, try to hang me." Jack finished his statement as he rubbed his neck, a sour expression on his face.
The man groaned again and fluttered his eyes although they didn't open. He started coughing and heaving up copious amounts of sea water. Jack rolled him over on his side and sat there till the man stilled.
"Commodore?" Jack said as he poked the man in the ribs several times getting nothing but a weak moan in response. "Right then," Jack said and turned his attention to their surroundings. Not much to see in the dark. He could make out palm trees and that was about it. He settled back in the sand making himself as comfortable as possible, plenty of time for sight seeing in the morning he supposed, and promptly went to sleep.
He woke with a start, smelling thick smoke, and before he had really wiped the sleep from his brain jumped up and shouted, "No, not good, don't burn the rum."
"As there does not appear to be any rum to burn Mr. Sparrow I do not feel that should be your main concern at the moment." The Commodore answered dryly.
"Captain Sparrow mate," Jack said automatically and then, "Ah, so you are alive."
"Apparently." James replied, "Due evidently to your intervention on my behalf I take it?"
"Didn't know it was you I was savin mate, might have had a few second er even third thoughts if I had." Jack responded with a pout, "By the time I realized just who I'd latched onto was too late ta do anything about it, had already drug yer fine Commodore-ly self up here on the beach. Just so ya know I did think about throwin ya back."
James snorted and said with a nod, "Well you have my thanks anyway…Captain." Then in a more serious tone asked, "I take it all other hands went down with the ship."
"Far as I know that's what happened." Jack answered just as seriously. They both sat in silence for a few minutes, each with their own thoughts about just what that meant. Both being sailors and having the sea in their blood it was both a tragedy and a godsend to be claimed by the sea when your time was up.
"May they rest in peace." James said solemnly a few minutes later, his eyes gazing off across the expanse of water that surrounded them. He cleared his throat and said, "So Captain Sparrow, it seems that for an undeterminable amount of time we shall be forced to share this little paradise. I would think the best way to accomplish this is set the ground rules for our co habitation of such."
"Aye Commodore, was thinking the very same thing." Jack said as he rocked back on his heels and waved his arms about. "These are my ground rules mate, you stay on your side of the island, I stay on mine. How's that suit ya for ground rules?"
"I was thinking a more mutually co operative manner of action would serve us better." James replied with a slight bit of humor in his tone as an almost non existent smile flitted across his face. "But if not then you will be retiring to your side of the island I take it?"
"This is my side of the island mate, if anybody is retiring anywhere it will be you doin the retiring." Jack replied.
"Ah but you see I have already staked my claim so to speak, on this side of the island so it will be you who is leaving." James said, the flit of a smile once again fleetingly making an appearance.
"How do ya figure mate?" Jack said a bit dubiously.
"Rather simple Captain. When I hauled the wood for the fire, broke it up into firewood, and started the fire it was an act of settlement on my part, ergo it makes this my side of the island as you have done naught to establish your own claim."
"I was sleepin after almost givin up me mortal soul and sundry, and me rum, in the act of usin all me strength ta save your bloody arse Commodore." Jack said a bit perturbed. "Didn't know ya was gonna come up with some kinda legal falderal n mumbo jumbo such as this."
"Well now you do. I do however, wish you the best of luck on your side of the island Captain." James said as he went over to tend the fire.
Jack stood there making faces at the Commodore's back for a few minutes, then turned and swayed off mumbling to himself.
James smiled to himself as he heard Sparrow depart, sat down leaning against one of the palms, picked up a coconut he had found earlier, pulled his knife out of its sheath on his waist, thanking what ever powers that be he hadn't lost it in the sea, and set about opening the coconut.
He wasn't really fond of coconut, discovered he was even less fond of opening coconuts, but as there probably would not be a great variety of food on this island decided he was thankful for at least this anyway. Finally having managed to pry through the shell of the coconut he perused the beach for anything that may have been washed ashore from the shipwreck that could be put to some use. There appeared to be some parts of at least one sail if not more, and some timbers along with what seemed to be some of the lines and cables from the ship. He took a drink of the coconut milk, made a face, "Intolerable" he mumbled to himself but finished off the liquid anyway. He decided to wait a while before opening the coconut and eating the rest, after all one could only take so much coconut at a time. He laid it aside and went about gathering what he could from the scattering of wreck that had washed up on the sand.
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Jack grumbled loudly as he stumbled off through the undergrowth. "Bugger! Bugger! Bugger!" He looked skyward and shouted, "'S not funny ya know. Strandin me here with that bloody uniformed excuse fer a navy gob. Not fair at all. Don't believe I've done anything so bad as fer ya ta be doin sumthin such as that to me person! Bloody Commodore Norrington! Bugger! Bugger! Bugger!" He tripped over a vine and went down. He laid there for a moment glaring at the offending vine, sat up, gave another 'bugger' just for the heck of it, got to his feet and started off once again. "Don't even have any rum!" he groused remembering how he had discarded his coat which had held a fine and full bottle of rum. He allowed himself a little smile however when he remembered jerking that blasted wig off that unknown person at the time, and giving it up to the sea as well. He was even happier about it now seeing as now he knew whose wig it was. "Bloody Commodore Norrington!"
He almost fell into the stream he was so involved in his rantings. He cupped his hand and took a drink, fresh water. Well at least he wouldn't die from thirst, probably would die from lack of rum though. "Bugger! Bugger! Bugger! Bloody Norrington!" He chanted over and over as he walked a little farther on. He came out of the trees and looked around. Didn't look a whole lot different from the beach he'd just left except there were cliffs that extended out a fair ways into the ocean on either side of the narrow strip of sand. Then he noticed the wind. The cliffs evidently served as a funnel of some sort, directing a pretty strong wind this way. Maybe it was just a temporary thing. He happened to look up at the palms and that idea was squashed. "Bugger" he said seeing all the palms were leaning away from the beach in a rather perilous manner, from the more than likely constant wind off the ocean. There was no way he could set up camp here. "Bugger!" Had he said that before he thought to himself, well bugger he'd say it again! He turned and swayed back into the jungle, he would just have to find a better place to set up camp.
Several hours later, and after having tromped over the whole island and been thwarted in his attempts to find a suitable place to set up camp by the monstrous cliffs and deep depressions of the island he stumbled back to where the Commodore had staked his claim, to the only decent spot on this whole spit of land it seemed. As he came out on the beach he could see the Commodore had been busy in his absence. He had fashioned a lean-to made of torn sails between several of the palms, had fixed up a cooking spit of sorts over the fire, and had by the looks of it managed to snare a bird or two and was now sitting there happily roasting said birds over the fire. Jack's stomach growled a bit at the aroma of the roasting birds. The Commodore's back was to him and he wondered what his chances would be if he tried grabbing one of the birds from the fire and making off with it.
"Captain Sparrow, you have apparently made a grievous error in your bearings. For here you are not on your side of the island as you most certainly should be, but on my side of the island." James said as he stood up from the crouch he had been in, holding the stick one of the birds had been impaled on and picking bits of meat off and putting it in his mouth as he turned to face him with those sea green eyes focused directly at him.
Jack stood there with a mournful look on his face as he looked from the bird still roasting away over the fire to the one James was eating as his stomach continued to send out signals that one of those birds would be most welcome to be partaking of.
Jack gave the Commodore one of his most endearing looks and flopping his hands about said, "Ya gonna eat both them birds mate?"
James snorted and after a short pause replied, "Very well Sparrow, I will share my bounty with you, this time."
Jack wasted no time in making his way to the fire, grabbing the bird and beginning to devour it.
"No need to use your best manners on my account Captain." James said sarcastically.
"'s really good Commodore, didn't know ya was such a fine cook." Jack said around a mouthful of bird.
"Indeed!" James replied, "I would imagine there is a lot you don't know about me."
"So tell me." Jack said as he looked at the Commodore with interest, his curiosity having been peaked by the Commodore's seemingly innocuous statement.
"Oh please Sparrow, you are not interested in me in the least." James said scoffingly.
"No mate, really I am. We have a lot more in common than ya'd think. Both havin the sea in our blood and all. Sides you're a reasonably intelligent man as is meself," This eliciting another snort from the Commodore, "would be refreshin ta hold a conversation with a body that didn't turn out ta be one sided, mainly my side as it were, or comin from a parrot. And I been thinking bout your mutual co thing ya was talkin bout earlier. Good idea I'm thinkin now." Jack said with a tilt of his head, a glittering smile and a flop of his hands.
James stood there for a moment, his eyes meeting Jack's as he digested what Jack had said. He didn't see anything but sincerity in those eyes, at least at the present time. He let out a snort and said, "All right Sparrow, but if I discover this is just a ruse to eat the food I acquire it will go badly for you, mark my words."
"Consider them marked Commodore." Jack nodded his head and replied in his most solemn manner, right before he tore back into devouring the bird.
After he had finished eating and noisily sucking the excess off his fingers he settled down by the fire and said with a flip flop of his hands, "Well let's have it mate. Tell me all about the fine Commodore Norrington." He paused, tapping his finger on his chin, and then added. "Just how did ya know I was going to be in that tavern Commodore? I didn't even know I was gonna be there. Was the last place I'd have thought about seein ya or havin ya arrest me for that matter."
"Actually Captain, that was pure luck, at least for me, not so much for yourself I imagine. I was traveling on the HMS Avenger preparing to begin my long anticipated vacation. Due to some unexpected repairs that needed to be made we put into port where I most unexpectedly yet most fortuitously came across you in your rum sodden state."
"So it was chance what brought us together." Jack said a bit sourly as he looked heavenward with a grimace. One more thing the Fates evidently thought was funny.
"I would see it as good luck Captain." James replied with a smirk. "Just what were you doing there without your ship and crew?"
"Was seein a lass about a….. suggestion she'd made me a while back. A suggestion that was never carried through with cause of yer bad timin I might add Commodore. Sent the Pearl off on some business as I was under the impression I would be stayin there a day or two. Wasn't under the impression that I was gonna be clapped in irons and thrown in that miserable hole ya call a brig, although I do want ta thank ya for releasing me when the storm hit. Other wise I'd be in Davey Jones locker with the rest of 'em, and you'd be floatin face down caught by some current and headed to who knows where, leastwise till the sharks found ya." Jack began tapping his finger on his chin again and then asked in a tone that dripped with mistrust, "Seein as you were on vacation as it were, was it even legal for ya ta be arrestin me?"
"I am a Commodore in the service of the Royal Navy and am sworn to uphold and execute the duties of my office despite the state of my being on or off duty Captain."
"Just makin sure Commodore." Jack said with a pout.
James leaned back against a palm, let out a deep breath and said, "What chance do you think we have of being rescued Sparrow? It will be some time before the Navy hears about the Avenger going down if they hear at all, and as we are not on one of the usual shipping lanes we really can't count on a merchant ship happening by."
"Don't look good does it Commodore?" He added with a bit more confidence that he was actually feeling, "Fortunately me Pearl should be back in Santa Bella in a few days. Once they find I've been taken by the bloody Navy they will no doubt come lookin for me."
"You really expect them to be able to find us here?" James said with a bit of disbelief.
"Better countin on that mate, other alternative is pretendin it's all a bad dream and somehow I don't think that's gonna help in this situation." Jack said with a tilt of his head and a weak smile as he flopped his hands around.
"No I rather doubt it would." James replied dryly.
Jack got up, swayed over and picked up a coconut off a small pile James had gathered. He looked at it and then tossed it aside, repeated the same thing with several other coconuts.
"What is it you are doing Captain." James said as he watched the antics Jack was performing.
"Just checkin ta see if you'd gotten any of the blossoms when ya collected these." Jack replied. "Can make a pretty palatable alcohol out of 'em."
"You aren't serious, you can't really make liquor out of coconuts." James said dubiously.
"Can make liquor out of all sorts of things Commodore. Course some of it's more drinkable that others, all dependin on how bad a person's wantin a drink ya see."
"No Captain, I really do not think I want to see." James answered with a shake of his head and a wry look.
Jack looked disappointedly at the coconut in his hands for a few moments then tossed it away also, "Bugger."
James let out a snort, "Really Captain, you can't go without drink at all can you?"
"I could if I was wantin to, but I'm presently not wantin to." He paused as he eyed the tops of some of the palms close to them. "Might be worth a try Commodore." Jack replied with a grin and a flutter of fingers at James.
"You aren't thinking of climbing up there are you?" James said a bit aghast as he pointed to the top of the palm he was leaning against.
"Trifles Commodore, I scurry up there, collect some of the blossoms, bring 'em back down here and then your Uncle Bobs your Aunt Fanny, coconut
liquor!" Jack said with a flourish of hands and a wide glittering smile.
"You are going to break your neck Sparrow and when you do I refuse to lift a hand to help you." James said shaking his head.
"Can't be too much harder than climbin the riggin on me Pearl mate."
"It's your neck Sparrow." James answered.
"Aye it is at that." Jack said as he eyed the tree in front of him. He'd seen people climb palm trees before and they always made it look easy. Course that was probably because they'd been doing it their whole lives, but really how hard could it be. He eyed the tree once again and taking a couple of running steps jumped up and grasp the tree with his arms, winding up about six feet off the ground, "So far so good Commodore."
"If you don't mind I think I will just watch from over here." James said dryly as he took a dozen steps away from the tree.
"Suit yerself mate." Jack said as he looked up the tree trying to figure out what he was going to do next. He looked back down at James and said, "Mind talking to me mate, help take my mind off what I'm about to do?"
"What would your preferred subject of conversation be Captain?"
"Don't matter if ya recite the alphabet to me Commodore, just talk." Jack said. He had started to wave his arm about in aggravation but it only took a moment for him to realize that was not a wise thing to do and immediately returned said arm to the tree.
James snorted a bit and thought about doing just that but then said, "Why did you become a pirate Sparrow?"
Jack had finally almost gotten the hang of grasping the trunk of the palm with his feet and pushing himself upward then wrapping his arms around the trunk and repeating. He was making progress at least. "Wasn't always a pirate mate, was actually employed by the East India Trading Company for a time."
"I had heard rumors here and there about that." James replied. "However that does not answer my question, why did you become a pirate."
Jack had made it almost to the top of the tree. "Freedom pure and simple Commodore, something you wouldn't understand I'm thinkin." Jack said as he reached out for one of the blossoms. He pulled on it and when it didn't come loose he pulled a little harder. Unfortunately this threw him off balance and he wound up hanging by his arms from the palm, his feet dangling. "Uh Commodore." He said in a bit of a high pitched tone.
"I warned you this was an ill thought out act. I am not climbing up there after you Sparrow."
Jack glared down at him for a moment, then swung his legs several times trying to wrap them around the tree. He did finally manage to do that after several attempts and get himself back on the upper side instead of the lower side.
"Captain come down from there before you kill yourself." James said with an actual bit of concern in his voice.
"Not without me blossoms Commodore." Jack said stubbornly.
"Hang the blasted blossoms and get down from there." James said making it sound like a command.
Jack ignored him and scrambled the few feet that separated him from the blossoms and with a firmer grip on the tree began pulling the blossoms free and dropping them to the ground. When he had gotten all he could he scrambled back down the tree to the ground and immediately approached another tree.
"You are mad you know that don't you?" James said with disbelief as he saw the man meant to climb another tree.
"Ah, but I've got the hang of it now Commodore." Jack replied with a grin, a wave of his arms and a running jump at the next tree.
To Be Continued
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