To Catch A Sparrow And Free A Heart

Better Off With Rum

Dinner was served in the dinning room where another chair and place setting was set for Jack. It turned out to be a rich stew comprised of various vegetables, herbs, spices and fish meat. With the meal was served a very fine very strong port seeing as Illona had no rum on hand. It turned out that the girl was a very good cook which a bit of a relief after months of hard biscuits and what else passed for food on the Pearl. And besides the food the company was just a bit better too.

“So all that runnin’ around and I still ended up over a fire pit to be served up as some heathen feast.” Jack continued with the story of how he escaped the island of cannibals that made him their god and chief. Illona was clutching her side as she laughed so hard she almost slipped off her seat. She managed to regain her composure in time to hear the rest of the story.

“Captain Jack...the trouble you get into! It’s a wonder ye haven’t wound up on my island sooner!” She exclaimed as her laughter finally subsided. He quirked an eyebrow at that and after another bite of stew pressed her about it.

“Odd comment luv, do tell ol’ Jack what ye meant.” He slurred. She had given him quite a lot of port (he kept asking for more) and he found that he liked it quite a lot. Not as much as rum but...it wasn’t bad.

“Not so odd...I’ve had many a pirate and honest sailor come to my shores needin’ something or other. They always need supplies or to be fixed up a bit. The stories I’ve heard would boggle the mind but I take ‘em with a grain of salt and get what I can out of the entertainment. Always good for a laugh or two they are. Once I had the Royal Navy come up while I had Black Beard’s crew in my back yard. Now that was entertaining to be sure.” She explained but it left Jack a tad bit more confused then before.

“Missy, how long ‘ave you lived here? Ol’ Black Beard died quite a few years ago and ye can’t be older than seventeen.” He thought the port must really be getting to him.

“I’ve lived here a hundred years. I’m one hundred and sixteen.” She answered and Jack laughed so hard that with a little help from the port he toppled over into a drunken slumber. With a sigh and a warm smile Illona half dragged half carried him back to his bed. She checked his wounds and re-bandaged them before covering him up. She was happy that she had thought to lend him her father’s robe. It made such endeavors so much easier.

With one final glance she headed back to the dinning room to collect the dishes and get them washed. An hour later found her in her own room with a book and a candle as the sun had set some time ago. She read until she was able to drift off into the embrace of sleep noting to herself to not give Jack so much port next time.

The next morning Illona woke with the sun and started breakfast. She took her time knowing that her poor guest would be awhile still in bed. Thankful that she had gone to the main island to stock up on a few things just a week ago, she happily got the food cooking. The smell was undoubtedly arousing because not long after the coffee was done her guest limped and staggered his way into the kitchen. He looked around groggily then went into the dining room to sit down. He meant to lay his head down for only a bit but promptly fell back to sleep.

With a louder than need be thunk Illona set out the dishes of food, pot of coffee, and pitcher of juice. Jack awoke with a jerk and immediately regretted the rapid rise of his head off the table. With a groan he lay it back down. The rich and wonderful smell of food turned his stomach ever so slightly and he didn’t want to even look at it.

“Rise and shine Jack Sparrow! Breakfast waits for no hangover.” Chirped Illona far too cheerfully in Jack’s point of view. He growled about impertinent women and left his head where it was.

“Look there’s work to be done and I haven’t had a man around this place in over a week. I’m putting you to good use and for that you’ll need a full stomach. The juice and coffee are my own special concoctions and will help with yer suffering so drink up!” Illona sat and poured herself some of both before digging into the meal. Finally, with the promise of relief at hand, Jack raised his head and poured himself some of the juice. With a cautious sniff he took a sip and found it much to his liking. His stomach immediately calmed and he was able to start eating.

“Wow...this is really good.” Jack commented between ravenous bites. Illona grinned and watched him eat.

“Thank you. I try my best.” She blushed a little. There was a silence for a while before either spoke again.

“Lass, about last night...” Jack played with his food for a bit. Usually he was never even remotely ashamed about being drunk and now was no different but he had to play the part so that he could be told the truth about what his hostess had said.

“Think nothing of it. You just have no stomach for port.” She said with a wicked grin.

“Aye, I’m better off with rum, which you don’t have.” Jack replied and continued to devour the food before him. With a chuckle Illona bit off a piece of biscuit before responding.

“That can be easily fixed. A few of my medical supplies are running low and I’d thought you’d enjoy a trip to the larger island to the north of mine. We can go later today if ye wish.” She offered as she poured herself some more coffee.

“Sounds fine.” Said Jack who thought hard about what he was about to say. “I was wondering sometin’ about last night...What ye said about how long you had been on this island, I must ‘ave been too drunk to hear right. Tell me again.”

“I’ve been here one hundred years. Same answer I gave you last night. I’m one hundred and sixteen years of age and no there’s no alcohol in either of yer drinks.” She explained patiently. This was not news she shared lightly and when she did she received more or less the same reaction that she had gotten from Jack as she was now, a vacant disbelieving stare.

“Now missy I’ve seen some strange things in my time but...this-”

“Jack me mother is a nymph.” Illona interrupted the pending disbelief speech and watched as Jack’s jaw nearly hit the table.

“Which one?” He asked cautiously, after all he had angered one or two female deities in that past.

“Calypso, daughter of Atlas. That’s my favorite name for her any way.” She replied. With a thud Jack’s head hit the table and he let out a groan that had nothing to do with pain. “Don’t worry Jack, she has no ill will towards you. Trust me on this.” Soothed Illona. With a sigh Jack looked back up at her.

“Ye sure about that? Right then...so tell me more, who’s yer father? Do ye know?” Inquired Jack just a tad too eagerly. He had forgotten for a moment that at the age of one hundred and sixteen the girl could not possibly his daughter.

“Aye...I do. Davy Jones was my father. He left my mother for his duties and when his next time ashore came she had whisked me away to this island to raise me. She left me here when she was imprisoned telling me that the magic of the island would keep me safe from all those came ashore.” By the end of her story Illona was sadly watching her finger trace the grain of the oak table.

“Right then as sorry as I am that yer Da is passed on I’d like you to keep in mind that it wasn’t me who made him do the passing.” Jack said hurriedly wondering what powers this daughter of a nymph had.

“No worries then. I have no love lost for a man I never knew.” She assured him and with an equally assuring smile stood and began to gather the dishes effectively interrupting Jack’s train of thought and preventing, for now, any further questioning. She sent him to actually get dressed in his old clothes warning him to be careful of his injuries. He left to do just that leaving Illona to deal with the dishes.

It didn’t take long for the dishes to be done and put away and the long boat, complete with small sail, was loaded with things to trade and pushed off towards more or less open waters. With the wind on their side they made fine time getting to the much larger island which Jack had been promised to hold a good many things including rum.