Wings of a Sparrow

Tortuga

They sailed into dank and dirty port, where the tides seemed to have swept together the scum of the Caribbean: pirates, privateers, prostitutes, thieves, and drunkards. With its rotting docks, weather beaten buildings, and odd assortment of animals running free, it was far less civilized than Port Royal.

Jack, Cora, and Will moved through the crowd. Jack looked around. "We need a crew. We can manage the ship between islands with minimal issue, but the open sea, other ships firing on you? That's another matter."

A redheaded woman a little farther down turned and noticed Jack. She stalked over and slapped Jack, hard. Satisfied, she turned and strode off. Will ignored her, choosing instead to cross his arms and snarl, "Just do it quickly."

Jack rubbed his jaw. "Not sure I deserved that... and don't worry. I've already got my Quartermaster."

Jack lead them toward a pub: the Faithful Bride, the emblem over the door being a politically incorrect painting of a smiling woman holding a bouquet in her chained and manacled hands.

Jack pulled open the door; Will and Cora followed him inside passing a pretty Asian women coming out. She saw Jack and immediately slapped him, cursing something in Chinese. Jack backed away, again rubbing his jaw. Cora smirked. "Suppose you didn't deserve that either?"

"To be completely honest love, I was probably drunk when I met her because I have no idea who she is. But actually I'm not sure I did deserve it. Even if I've never interacted with them, most women here just think me a savage, so they act accordingly."

Cora rolled her eyes. "So I'm supposed to believe that you're completely innocent and have never done anything to deserve the wrath of these women."

Jack chuckled. "M'lady, I've done many things in life that cause me shame." Jack suddenly sobered and looked away from her. "But harming or violating a woman in any way? That is a boundr'y I'll never cross, savvy?"

"Jack! Over here." Will was talking to the bartender. "He said he knows Gibbs."

The three walked out back of the pub, Jack and Cora carrying buckets of water. A drunken man laid in the mud, having a friendly conversation with two pigs. He wore an old tattered Navy jacket.

Jack dumped his water on him, splashing him across his face, revealing: this was old Joshamee Gibbs (the man who told pirate stories to Elizabeth and later Cora when they were children). He
sputtered and roared, "Curse you for breathing, you slack-jawed idiot!!" but then he recognized Jack. "Mother's love, Jack, you know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping. It's bad luck!"

Jack grinned. "Well, fortunately, I know how to counter it. The man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink, and the man who was sleeping drinks it while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking."

Gibbs worked out what he said, then smiled. "Aye, that'll about do it."

Jack heaved Gibbs to his feet, and then Gibbs is hit with a second wave of water. Cora stood there with an empty bucket. Gibbs sputtered. "Blast it, I'm already awake!"

She smirked. "I know. That was for the smell."

Gibbs blinked once, then smiled even wider than before. "Cora Turner? Be that really you? It's been nearly a decade, why are you with this disgrace of a pirate?"

Cora smiled and started to walk back into the pub. "I'll let the disgrace explain it to you, Joshamee!" She called over her shoulder.

{~~~}

Jack and Gibbs sat at a table in the shadows, a single candle illumining them, speaking in hushed voices. Will and Cora were away from them, at the door, hand on their swords, keeping a lookout.