Song of the Sea: Sunsets and Black Sails

Chapter 6: Turner's Son

Jack

Lying there in that cell the next morning, Jack's thoughts were consumed by Aria. She hadn't gotten married after all these years, then... A large part of him was greatly relieved. He was selfish for not returning to her, but he hadn't known where the Swanns had gone. More importantly, however, he had wanted to be able to buy clemency for himself.

Jack refused to disgrace the woman he loved, and he wanted her to be able to marry a man who wasn't followed by the black cloud of the pirate brand he wore. He could never have asked her to join him in such a life. But his ambition to be with her again as soon as possible rather than taking the more patient road was what had lost him the Pearl in the first place. He'd heard tale of a treasure that no one else could find. It seemed so easy... He'd find the gold, buy his innocence, and be wed to Aria Swann within six months. But everything went wrong after that. He had been foolish, so foolish... Left without a ship and therefore having no means of gaining his freedom, he'd refused to even search for Aria, figuring she'd be better off without him.

Last night, he'd been left to rot by his former crew members for a second time. The curse, as it turned out, was very much real, and they were after the last piece of the treasure. Though he had no idea how Aria had wound up with it, Jack knew she was in danger if Barbossa's men had found her with the medallion. Even once they'd realized she wasn't Turner's child, Jack had stupidly babbled on and on about her all those years ago. Like a lovesick fool, he had described her in unmistakable detail. Barbossa would take her just to get revenge on Jack. Or... his memory, anyway. Hector thought he was dead. That could work to his advantage... First, though, he needed to get out of here. He grabbed the bone from the floor and broke it into two splintered pieces. The dog had run off, so now the only way to get out was to pick the lock.

Jack had managed to wedge the sharp end into the opening and he was trying to get it to turn when suddenly, he heard footsteps. He flung himself to lay back on the floor, trying to seem casual and innocent. The figure came nearer, then stopped in front of his cell.

"You, Sparrow." It was the blacksmith boy he'd fought earlier.

"Aye," Jack muttered in reply, looking up at him.

"You are familiar with that ship, the Black Pearl?"

Resting his head back in disinterest, he shrugged. "I've heard of it."

"Where does it make berth?" the young man demanded. His mannerisms were awfully familiar...

"'Where does it make berth'?" Jack repeated incredulously, snapping his attention back to him. "Have you not heard the stories?" When the young man just stared, Jack once again relaxed into the straw. "Captain Barbossa and his crew of miscreants... sail from the dreaded Isla de Muerta. It's an island that cannot be found, except... by those who already know where it is."

There was a beat of silence before he received a reply.

"The ship's real enough..." the young man decided. "Therefore, its anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?"

Jack casually began to study his fingernails. Can't look overeager or he'd never get out of here. He had seen Aria's sapphire eyes for the first time in over ten long years, and he was determined to see them again, to right his wrongs.

"Why ask me?"

"Because you're a pirate..."

"And you want to turn pirate yourself, is that it?"

The man slammed his fist against the bars. "Never." There was a moment of hesitation before he admitted, "They took Miss Swann."

Jack's mind registered nothing but the 'Miss', and he smirked triumphantly, recalling the conversation they'd had during their little duel.