"Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns…"

-Homer's The Odyssey

A/N: This is how Homer opens The Odyssey. I've been reading it, and I've been reading Pirates of the Caribbean fanfiction, so the two have started to merge in my mind slightly. I like to think of Jack as a well-read person. So I do. The POV is that of a cabin boy.

Jack stayed in his quarters for a long time; we wondered if he would ever come out, but when he did, his face was haggard, drawn and gaunt. "We 'ave to head North," he said. "Now." Gibbs had soon complied, going straight to the wheel, his own compass in hand.

I walked up to the captain, an intimidating figure for sure. "Cap'n," I said shyly. "Wot exactly are we after?"

"Life," he replied grimly. I had the sense that he delighted in cryptic comments.

"Well then, Cap'n, if we're not after somethin' then are we runnin' from somethin'?" I asked.

"Yep." He looked down at me, furrowing his brow. "You're much too young for this," he said to no one in particular, fingering the grimy collar of my shirt.

"I'm not all that young, Cap'n. I'll be eight by the end of this month, I will," I said stoutly, bobbing my head earnestly.

He looked almost remorseful. "Stuck between a bloody Charybdis and Scylla," he muttered under his breath, as if he intended for no one to hear it.

"Wot's that? Wot's a… a… Charybdis?" I struggled with the Greek word, so odd tasting on my British tongue.

"It's a large beast of mythical proportions. Very nasty," he replied, wrinkling his nose in distaste.

"So that's wot's after us?" I asked, hoping to please him.

He sighed, and my face fell. "Lad, 'ave you ever heard of metaphors?"

"No, Cap'n." Mum would have taught us. She was smart. But she vanished.

"Oh. Well… we'll work on that. But… later. Don't you have some sort of duty to do?" he asked, raising his eyebrows expectantly.

"Aye, sir," I replied obediently, albeit a little glumly.

"Off you go then," he said, walking off and muttering something that sounded remarkably like, "Where's a copy of The Odyssey when you need one?"

I shook my head, but got to work. Our captain was a strange one indeed. I didn't know it then, but he was quite erudite for a pirate. Often makes me wonder today what his story is; and if it's similar to mine.

A/N: very short, i know, but i decided to post it anyway. i rather like it, and i like the cabin boy. so innocent... well anyway, please review.