Mae Rose: Sister of Sparrow

Arriving

I slid down the mast and onto the tiny fishing vessel that Jack and I were sailing on.

"Jackie! Port Royal dead ahead!" I called out as my brother climbed up on the mast. I began to bail water out of the small vessel, the Jolly Mon, trying to keep it afloat.

After taking out his spyglass, Jack looked, and saw the bustling ships from Port Royal. He jumped back down, putting his spyglass away in his coat.

"Aye, Maria Rose. Hopefully some wretched scallywags will not notice us, ey?" My brother asked, a small smirk visible on his lips as he went to the stern of the ship to man the rudder.

"Jack, it's Mae. First mate Mae Rose," I corrected him as I stopped bailing water to look at him, my long braid flipping to the side.

"And its Captain Jack. Not Jack," he stated with a grin as his long dreadlocks blew in the breeze. His dark brown eyes shifted to the port side of the wimpy vessel. I followed his gaze with my brown eyes, which were lighter than his. Four skeletons of pirates hung by their necks.

Jack took off his captain's hat and held it to his chest in respect. I silently bowed my head slightly, as I never wore a hat.

"Pirates—Ye be warned," I said, reading the sign because Jack couldn't read anything, even if he tried.

Jack got up and clambered up to the top of the mast as I followed behind him. The ship was sinking as we sailed into the harbor. Once it reached the dock, Jack stepped off and then extended his hand towards me. I disembarked smoothly as Jack took my hand. With my free hand, I adjusted the shoulders of my loose white shirt, tugging them up higher.

"It's a shilling for tying up at this dock," a harbor master said, "and you're going to have to give me your names."

Jack and I looked back towards our vessel, which only the topmost section of the mast was visible. I turned back to the harbor master and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Space at the dock," he corrected himself.

"What do you say to three shillings, and we forget the names?" I asked, gently nudging Jack, who pulled out said shillings.

"Welcome to Port Royal, Mr and Ms Smith." The harbor master said as I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that this harbor master didn't call me 'Mrs'.

Jack saluted to him as we walked down the dock. Spotting a pouch of coins on the ledger unprotected, he gingerly picked it up, shook it, then pocketed the money. I looked at him with a smile as we turned toward the HMS Interceptor, which was docked not too far away. I cautiously glanced around, spotting two guards awkwardly smushed together in a tiny patch of shade. I quickly looked away, hoping that they didn't notice two pirates approaching a Navy vessel.

"This dock is off-limits to civilians," one of the men, Murtogg, said as he and Mullroy raised their rifles up.

"Sorry, we didn't know," I said, about to work my way around them.

"If we see any, we will let you know," Jack stated, following my lead and trying to get around the two bumbling sentries. However, when they shuffled sideways to block us from the ramp, I felt Jack squeeze my hand a little harder, a signal to find a distraction.

I heard music coming from Fort Charles, high above on a cliff.

"Some big to-do up at the fort, eh? You two weren't invited?" I asked curiously, gesturing towards Mullroy and Murtogg.

"No," Murtogg said hesitantly. "Someone has to make sure this dock stays off-limits to civilians," he stated as I sensed some slight discomfort in his voice.