A Pirate's Tale

Chapter 5

Selene stood on The Beautiful Trap, eyeing the ships across us. I stood beside her, for once uncomfortable about what was happening. The commander, whose name I never bothered to learn, tossed me the reward money. Selene's eyes widened in horror as she was taken by the soldiers. She fought and fought and fought, but they finally put the irons around her wrists. I didn't move a single muscle to help either one, merely kept out their way. Just as she was being put below deck, her eyes met mine.

"How dare you? I'll kill you! I hate you, Jack Sparrow!" She yelled.

As soon as the ships were gone, I was attacked. I didn't fight them either. Just stood there and let them punch and kick me.

When they saw what they were doing wasn't affecting me, they threw me overboard.

I watched the Beautiful Trap leave with my heart in my throat.

I woke up and stared at the ceiling, cursing myself once again for turning her in that day. It had been five long years since that day, and not a day went by that I didn't miss her and regret that one decision. Soon though, I rolled out of my hammock, and, taking several gulps of rum, got dressed.

Outside several men were cleaning The Black Pearl - who I finally got back. We were going to find treasure once again, this time in the form of thousands of precious jewels. The catch was that we would have two new crew members with us. As they walked toward me, I took the time to evaluate them. The one on the right was undoubtfully a man, with clothes that were all dark red with a sword and pistol strapped to his side and nothing on his head. What a dull looking man. The one on the left was a woman, with a maroon red shirt and pants, but a black coat and hat atop her head, shadowing her face. Her sword was strapped by her side, but I didn't pay attention to that. I payed attention to the knife hilt sticking out her boot. Interesting.

They both stopped in front of me, each quiet as they took in my clothes. The woman let out a breath and leaned toward the man to whisper into his ear, causing his to step forward.

"Lane, Captain." He said sticking his hand out.

"No last name?" He shook his head no. "Then welcome aboard, Lane! It's nice to have ya. And you are, lass?"

She leaned over and whispered something to Lane, "She doesn't like telling people her name, sir."

"Captain, boy. Captain Jack Sparrow," I corrected with an easy smile.

I heard the woman chuckle before she reached a scared hand up to push her hat off her eyes. Silver eyes.

"Hello Jack," her voice was soft and alluring, as it had been years ago.

I pulled the best fake smile I could to hide the pain, "Hello Luv, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Aye it has been. Where is my ship?"

I paled slightly and braced myself for the attack sure to come, "lost."

She pounced, her sword drawn. Mine was out just as quickly and then we were locked in battle. Her sword was as dangerous as always, and before I knew what to think it was pressed to my throat. I gulped carefully.

"I should kill ya, but I need your help to get the treasure." She drew her sword away from my neck and walked away to go help the crew.

I watched her and Lane for a minute before yelling, "Your little friend needs to repay me for that rum he threw overboard!"

Selene stopped and laughed suddenly, "I didn't know he actually did that."

I scowled as she turned away, I was being serious.

It was late into the night by the time I walked into my quarters. I almost expected to see her laying in the hammock, soundly sleeping, but she wasn't there. I kicked off my boots and pulled my shirt over my head after shrugging off my coat and draping it over the chair. Just then my door opened and she walked inside. She blinked when she saw that I was shirtless, but she didn't say anything; merely grabbed my coat off the chair, balled it up, and lay down on the floor using it as a pillow. I couldn't fight the small, soft smile that tugged at my lips.

She suddenly turned and threw her hat at me, causing me to chuckle and lay in the hammock. I could hear movement as she pulled her boots off and placed her sword and pistol on the floor.

"I could sleep in the chair lass," I told her quietly.

She didn't reply, and after a few beats I knew she was asleep. I stepped toward her, and put her gently in my hammock. I then pulled the thin blanket over her small frame. Quietly I pulled out a small chest I kept hidden and opened it. I traced the drawing she had drew at a different time, at a time she wasn't planning to kill me. I was leaning against some of the rigging rope on The Beautiful Trap; my shirt halfway open from our recent spar. She had caught the edges of the tattoos that showed perfectly, and at the bottom were simple words.

"The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude towards the problem."

A sad smile pulled at my lips as I placed the drawing back in the chest. Then I sprawled out in the chair, falling asleep to the sigh of a new scar on her neck, and the thought of what caused it.

I never discovered what caused that scar, or any of the others really.