PoTC: Voyage of the Devil's Dowry

Morning broke over the horizon and slowly the crewmembers of The Devil’s Dowry appeared on deck to get orders from their captain. They all had their jobs and they were all to be doing them as Jack gave Sage directions to The Isle de la Murta. Lareyna and J wer were on their knees scrubbing the deck. Gabriel and Christian were tightening the ropes. Iron Henry, Diana, Kain, and Gabriel were all down in the hold giving a top to bottom clean and Carver and Jolly Roger were in storage cleaning the weapons.

“My, my, would you look at that? If that isn’t handsome, I don’t know what is.” Lareyna said to Julia, washing the same spot for the 50th time. Her words were very pronounced and clear. You certainly couldn’t tell that she spent most of her ton aon a Pirate’s ship. Looking over her shoulder at Jack Sparrow, she sighed, seeing he was in deep conversation with the captain.

Julia who hadn’t really been listening to much of what Lareyna said, looked over at her “What be ye talkin’ bouts? Ole’ Jack? Are ye crazy, ‘e be a right, ragged mess, ‘e is.” Nodding to emphasize her words and ending her sentence she returned to the task at hand.

Shocked, Lareyna gasped at what Julia had said, “You are the one who ad! ad! He’s wonderful. Neither of us have even the slightest chance with him, though. He’s got his eyes on our captain.” Lareyna said, smugly.

Julia rolled her eyes dramatically. “Cap’n Sage wouldn’t have a thin’ ta do with ‘im an’ I’m positive ‘e knows this.” She said. She looked down at Lareyna’s hand in disgust “Are ye goin’ rub tha’ spot all day?”

Lareyna shook her head “You are a really nasty little girl. Do you know that?”
Julia shrugged and went back to her work, drowning out Lareyna with whistling.


Christian tugged on one of the ropes, making sure the sails were steady and walked over to where Gabriel was standing to see if he needed help. “You need help with anything?” Christian said. It came out rather angry sounding, which was made more apparent by the irritated look on his face.

“Uh, no,” Gabriel said, “What’s wrong with ye Christian, me boy? Ye’ve been in a dire mood all morn. Somethin’ botherin’ ye?” Gabriel looked at the young boy, a slightly worried look on his face. Christian thought he was being peculiar, but then saw that he was sincere.

“No.” Christian said vacantly, causing Gabriel to turn back to his rope. The look of anger still on his face, he knew he was being childish. He just didn’t want to tell anyone what had been bothering him since Jack had been brought on board. He sighed. “It’s just, well, ever since Jack came aboard Cap’n and him seem ta be getting’ along rather well. It ls mes me out in the cold in a way. She’s more like a mum to me then me own. O’course ye know why we started this journey in the first place. I think she’s gettin’ off the crux of the whole thing. Ye get my meanin’?”

Gabriel, who was still turned away from him, only nodded. “I get ye, boy-o. I get ye. I’ve been noticin’ that for a long time. She still wants Grogg dead, aye, but I think it’s ta kill her own skeletons now, not yer mums. She’s a troubled soul, that one.”

Chian ian said nothing the the next few minutes, just stood silently in thought, his head down. “Gabriel?” he said, “Do ye think ye can finish up? I really need ta think about some things.”

Gabriel turned around to look at him. “Aye, boy-o. I can.” He said, nodding and watching Christian walk off toward the Captain’s Cabin. He tu bac back toward his work and sighed.


Jack snapped his compass closed in Sage’s face. “Wait a second, love. Do ye smell that?” He said, sniffing the air raucously and holding up a finger.

Sage looked around, confused. She too took a great whiff of the air. “What am I ta be smellin’ then?” she asked him. It was clear that she thought he was crazy. She took another whiff before looking at him with her eyebrow raised.

“The air, dove, don’t ye smell it? It’s wet and humid. There be a storm comin’ and it’s going to be terrible.” He told her, sniffing the air yet again, “It might be wise ta put down the sails and get inside for this one. Ship’ll be tossed tonight.”

Sage sighed. “Are ye certain, Jack? It seems ta me ta be…” she paused looking up at the formerly bright sky that was now dark and gray, “not sunny at all. Well, no worries then. I hope we’ll not be blown to far off course.”

Jack said “The only thing ye can do right now is pray. It’s not lookin’ to good. Best ta tell the crew now. Do ye want me to do that for ye?” He smiled slyly and put his arm around Sage for the 2nd time since she had known him.

She smacked his hand off her shoulder with great force. “Jack, I’m neither drunk nor a wench so I will thank ye kindly ta leave me and my body be, Aye?
Now, if ye want ta do me a favor ye can go along and tell me crew that I said ta head in.” She boomed, “I’ll get Gabriel and Christian, agreed?”

Jack raised his hands above his head. “Sorry, dove. I’m sorry. Not ta happen again. Agreed.” He nodded and sat off to tell the crew to get ready.

Sage walked up to where Gabriel was standing. “Where’s Christian?” She asked him, slightly concerned, “I told him ta help ye. Did he not?”

Gabriel nodded “Oh, no, Cap’n. He was helpin’ me. I gave him some time off. He didn’t look to well rested.” Gabriel lied. “I think he went ta the cabin. I think he wanted to lie down or somethin’ of that sort.”

Sage smiled. “Oh, alright. Thank ye. He’s been a little worn out lately, aye. What I had come to tell the both of you was…” she started to say but was drowned up by a great rumble of thunder. She smiled and finished when it had ended “it is going to storm and ye need ta take down the sails. Then, get in yer cabin. The deck of a boat be no pace safe when…” Just then Kain, yelling from her cabin, interrupted her.

“Cap’n! Cap’n! We can’t find Christian. We’ve looked over the whole boat and he seems ta be nowhere at all. Not only that, but yer book be missin’ too.” The rain started pouring, falling on the deck in loud, determined sheets of water. Thunder and lighting were crashing all around them and the wind howled furiously making The Devil’s Dowry rock as if it were a possessed cradle.

“He couldn’t have just got of the damned boat. He be somewhere, mark me words. Just keep looking!” she called back to him. ‘I can’t believe he took the book’ she thought to herself. She was drenched and cold as she forced her way into the center of her ship. Shielding her eyes from the rain with one hand she looked around the ship. ‘Where could he be’ she wondered, silently. She was about to call out for her crew when suddenly a fast, strong wind blew the boat to one side knocking her and everyone on deck to one side.

Over the deafening noise of the storm she head a scream coming from above her. ‘Of course,’ she thought, ‘The crow’s nest’ Looking up she saw Christian holding on to one of the sides with one hand. ‘Oh no.’ she thought frantically ‘He’s going to fall in the sea and be lost to Davy Jone’s locker’ Just as she thought that another wind knocked him from the ship and into the darkness of the night. She could hear his screams echoing within the pit of her brain. “Men!” she called to her crew, “Reel that fish back on this deck at all costs.”

The crew came from nowhere carrying a rope and throwing it over the board. Jack who had been watching the scene unfold was standing in the middle of it all, looking at Sage. She looked cold, wet, and scared. Not at all the brave captain she had been before her brother was put in danger. In fact, this was the most feminine that Jack had seen her since he met her.

“You keep looking for him, men. I’ve got to get that book.” Sage called over a thunderclap. She turned swiftly and began walking toward the mast that held the crow’s nest. She managed to take four steps before she felt a hand grab her wrist. She turned around quickly; ready to hurt anyone who dare stop her. When she saw that it was Jack, she raised her palm in readiness to smack him, but it was caught with his free hand. “Let go of me!” she spat.

“Sorry, dove, can’t be lettin’ ye go up there.” Jack told her.

Sage laughed, “Lettin’ me? Lettin’ me, ays!ays!” she said angrily, “Listen here Captain Jack Sparrow!” She spat the word ‘captain’ out like it was poison “Ye are not a member of me crew nor are in any sort of a position ta be lettin’ me do anythin’. Secondly, ye have no idea what that book holds or what it means ta me. Let go of me.” She pulled away abruptly and ran to the mast. In a matter of minutes she was out of the sight of both the crew and Jack.

Jack turned toward Lareyna and Julia who were watching the whole scene even as they pulled the rope. Their shoulders shrugged in unison, looking equally worried. Jack’s mind was racing inhoushousand different directions. He knew what could happen in a storm like this and it bothered him. ‘Why does it bother me?’ he thought to himself, ‘She doesn’t like me. I’m Jack Sparrow, I don’t care about her either.’ He couldn’t hide the fact that he was worried. Quickly, he to ran toward the crow’s nest following closely on her heels.

Reaching the top, the first thing he seen was Sage. He was about to call out to her when another jolt sent him toppling into the basket and her, out of it. “Sage!” Jack called, scrambling to get up. Looking over the side he saw he saw her holding on with one hand, knuckles turning white from the tight grip. The other arm flailed unmercifully behind her as she held a heavy leather book in her hand. “Sage, hand on.” He told her, grabbing her hand and trying with all his might to pull her in. “Love, I need yer other hand. I can’t pull you in with just this one.”

Sage struggled even harder to pull her other hand ane boe book up to where Jack could reach it, but she just wasn’t stronger than the wind. “I can’t pull meself and the book in, Jack. I need this book. Ye’ve got to understand.” Her voice was sparse and strained, not at all like her usual voice. The rain was making her hand slip fris ais and as she struggled it got worse.

“Sage, darlin’, I know whatever be in that book must be of mighty importance, but ye’ve got ta trust me when I tell ye, ye’ll die if ye don’t let go of it.” His heart was pounding loudly in his chest and he was sure that she could hear it, even over the crashing waves. “Please.” He pleaded with her, “I need yer other hand.”

Dangling helplessly miles above deck, Sage looked down. She would surely die if she happened to fall on the deck and the sea was just as promising. She looked back at the book, wet and soaked to the spine. ‘Even if I do save it now, it would surely be unreadable’ she said to herself. She sighed and looked back up into Jack’s eyes. She could tell he was scared ‘Why?’ she thought, ‘Why is he doing all this?’ Slowly, she let the book fall from her hand and into the ocean’s depths below.

Ever so slowly, Jack managed to pull hp inp into the crow’s nest and they toppled over. Sage landed hard on Jack’s stomach and he cringed in pain. “Sorry.” She said to him, smiling. “And thank ye, as well.”

He smiled back at her. “Ye are very welcome. I just don’t think I could let a lady fall ta her death like that.” Silence came, but this time it was neither strange nor tension-filled. They’re eyes met, truly, for the first time since they’d met. He could feel her breath quicken and his soon came to meet pace with hers. He coughed nervously “Um, maybe we should get down there and see about yer brother.

“Aye.” She whispered, letting her breath make its way to his ear. Moving her face until her nose touched his, her lips soon came to rest on his. It was her first real kiss in her life and it was beautiful. The mere softness of his lips made her very core shiver. Her mouth opened to make room for his tongue, which roamed over her teeth just to meet with her own tongue. A soft moan escaped her throat and she hoped to God that he didn’t hear it.

He never imagined that this would happen, she was soft to the touch and she knew how to kiss. He heard a moan escape from with in her and he smiled inside.

Finally realizing where they were, their lips parted and Jack smiled up at her. The rain had soaked them both and was now running down her wet tendrils and into his eyes. He ran his hands through her hair and said, “We really do need ta be gettin’ down there.”

She nodded and they both stood, keeping steady and made their way down to the deck below. The crew was silent as they approached their captain, all of them held their bandanas in hand, all of them sad. The rain was slacking off little by little. Julia stepped forward, tears making their way down her pale face. “He’s not… We couldn’t… Christian.” She said between sobs. “I’m sorry.”

Sage’s head fell in despair, her black hair covered her face, “No.” she said to herself, “What will I do? Me baby brother’s gone. What will I tell mum?” her voice cracked and she shuffled her feet, heavily, walking toward her cabin.
Jack looked from one sad face to the next. He nodded and headed off to follow her. Kain was the only one that watched as Jack made his way to the cabin, in the dark.