Two Sparrows In The Wind

Chapter 1

I remember that day. 'Course I do. Me and dad, his stupid dreadlocks, hat and sword in all, where sailing across the sea in, ah, 'dads ship'. When I say dad's ship I mean a ship which IS a pirate ship, just smaller. So small, you could only get a two person crew, three if you pushed it. Pathetic, I know, but if I told dad that he'd have me guts for garters, even if I'm his daughter. Oh, and the boat wasn't actually his. He just borrowed it without asking from a 'friend' of his.

Anyway, we where sailing across the sea, when we spotted the port. Port Royal. We where almost there! "Darling, the ship'd be sinking, start bailing will you?" Dad had his hands in the air like the weirdo he was. He chucked me a bucket and smiled, showing all his teeth including the gold one. "I'll be paying my respects." And with that he took his hat off and paid homage to three pirate skeletons hanging from a rock, bound in iron chains. Next to them read a warning. Pirates, Ye Be Warned. "I feel so welcome... Dad, d'ya think any of them were to have some, perhaps, rum?" I asked. He looked at me again, flashing a smile, then told me to carry on bailing, as the boat was halfway in the water, while he climbed the mast.

We reached the port. Dad was standing 'look out', at the top of the mast. When the boat sank right to the shallow bottom of the port, he stepped off gingerly, the pier inline with him exactly, while I got a little more wet. I went down with the sad little boat, as it sank beneath the water. He clasped my hand and pulled me atop the pier. I was soaked, from my leather boots and puffy shirt to my loosely brown tied up hair and bandana. My tanned skin glistened in the light like scales.

"What? Hey. Hold up, there you. It's a shilling to tie up your boat at the dock." Said a chubby, bespectacled man followed by a little dark boy who looked at the ground as soon as he saw me. Dad and Sir Chubb's looked at the boat. "And I shall need to know your names"

The little boy stared at me, and then mumbled that I was wearing boy clothes, but the other guy barely noticed me. 'S'pose he saw it below him to notice young girls like myself. Dad planted three shillings into the (supposedly) harbourmaster's hand. "What 'ya say to three shillings and we forget the name?"

The harbourmaster took the coins and replied. "Welcome to Port Royal, Mr. Smith, Miss Smith." As we walked away, dad stole the man's pouch of coins, which where on a pillar along with a logbook.

As soon as we got past the harbourmaster, we headed straight for the nearest ship. A proper ship this time. A ship dad could (supposedly) intercept easily. But a pair of redcoats stopped us in our paths.

"This dock is off limits to civilians" he spoke the word 'civilians' like it was the plague. Good job I wasn't one.

"Yeah, civilians, better watch out for those" I mumbled.

Dad glared at me, then put on a face. "I'm terribly sorry. I didn't know. If I see on I shall inform you immediately." He stepped forward but was blocked by the redcoat. I stepped to the other side. The second redcoat blocked me. This one looked scared to use his bayonet on anyone, let alone a kid.

"I'm Mullroy... Please don't hurt me!" he squeaked, probably seeing the pistol in my belt. What a dog.

"Apparently there's some sort of high toned and fancy do up at the fort eh?" continued dearest father. "How could it be that two upstanding gentlemen such as yourselves did not merit an invitation?" the way he used those fancy words was incredible. How he learned 'em I'm not sure. All I know is he couldn't have read them, as we both couldn't read. At least, that's what he (supposedly) said about himself. I knew I couldn't read. Then again, every pirate knew the words 'Pirates' and 'Warned/ warning' at least.

"Someone has to make sure this dock stays off limit, to civilians." Again with the civilians thing. I'd hate to be a member of this society. It sucks. Then again, if I was a member of a community like this one, I'd be wearing a dress. Scary stuff that. "And why is it, that this young lady is wearing a young gentleman's clothes?" wailed Mullroy. "Murtogg, she's not wearing a dress!"

"It's a fine goal to be sure but it seems to me that a ship like that" dad pointed out at a ship in the background, which said something on its side, probably its name.Dad continued. "Makes this one here a bit superfluous, really."

The Murtogg fella relaxed a little. "Oh, the Dauntless is the power in these waters, true enough, but there's no ship as can match the Interceptor for speed."

Dad seemed to be up to something, what, I'm not sure. But he just kept smiling and making conversation with these louts.

"I've heard of one, supposed to be very fast. Nigh un-catchable. The Black Pearl."

At those words, Murtogg and Mullroy fell swiftly into an argument. To be honest, it was quite fun to watch.

"Well, there's no real ship as can match the interceptor."

"The black pearl is a real ship"

"No, no it's not"

"Yes, it is, I've seen it"

"You've seen it?"

"Yes"

"You haven't seen it"

"Yes, I have"

"You've seen a ship with black sails, that's crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that hell itself spat him back out?"

"No."

"No"

"But I have seen a ship with black sails"

That's when we got bored. We slipped away as they continued talking about the Pearl. Dad was at the wheel, which of course gained him the recently lost attention.

"Hey! You! Get away from their!" they pointed their bayonets at us, again.

"Whoah, watch where you're pointing that thing... you could seriously hurt someone with that"

"You don't have permission to be aboard there, mate"

"I'm sorry! It's just- it's just such a pretty boat." Said dad.

"Ship" I corrected him. I may not be able to read, or write as a matter of fact, but I hated it when dad got 'boat' and 'ship' mixed up. It was irritating.

"What's- what's your name?"

" Smith. Or smithy if you like"

"And her?" said Murtogg.

"Daughter. Named Mary"

"What's your business in Port Royal?"

"End the questions already..." I pleaded, I mean, that's all these two had done for Davey Jones locker's sake.

"Yeah, and no lies"

"Well, then, I confess, it is my intention to commandeer one of these ships, pick up a crew in Tortuga, raid, pillage, plunder and otherwise pilfer my weasely black guts out!"

"And I, Veronica Jack Sparrow will help! By the way, dad, why is my middle name Jack?"

"I said no lies!" Murtogg experimentally poke me in the ribs with his bayonet. Why had I revealed my name to these scum? I pulled my pistol on him. "Listen dude, stop asking questions, and you touch me with that thing again, I will blow your brains out the back of your head"

That made Murtogg retreat. I always did have a way with words.

"I think he's telling the truth...

"If he where telling the truth, he wouldn't have told us"

"Unless, of course, he knew you wouldn't believe the truth even if he told it to you" smiled Dad.