An Irish Wind

Chapter Twenty Two - A Lass with Flames for Hair

It was the feeling of the ship being rammed on either side that woke me.  I'd spent the last week avoiding James after the incident in the corridor and was spending more of my time in the brig again.  Of course my first concern had been to tell the inhabitants of all that I had seen in the caves and about the sword we had found.  I had also related the information that Anamaria and Mai were to be released when we reached port.  I knew that something had passed between them all when I wasn't there because the remarkable silence that descended when I entered the brig spoke volumes.  I wondered vaguely whether Mr. Hawkins had ventured below again to tell the pirates of what he had seen that night between myself and James.  If he had, then they would probably think that I had betrayed them.  

Realistically they still were my only friends.  I was sure that as soon as I left the ship, James would never think upon me again.  Hadn't I bartered to have only Mai and Anamaria released though?  I had begun to think that perhaps I could have done more for them but I was also wondering why on earth they hadn't escaped of their own accord yet.  I knew Jack Sparrow had a mind for such things and yet here they all still sat as if waiting for something untoward to happen.  Or perhaps they were waiting until they reached land to escape.  In my mind that seemed the more plausible option but Jack Sparrow didn't think like everyone else.  

I'd reached the upper deck before I bumped into an officer.  Lieutenant Norris seemed in a great hurry, his hat askew and his cheeks flushed as he almost ran into me on the staircase.  

"What's going on?" I demanded of him as he muttered an apology and made to hasten away from me.  

"A likely dispute with some pirates!" he called over his shoulder.  "Might be best if you stayed below decks Miss."

He might have thought I should stay below, but he made no attempt to stop me as he hurried on down towards the middle deck.  I carried on, reaching the main deck in time to witness a ship ram us again on the port side.  I could see only midshipmen on the main deck and no officers and wondered where Lieutenant Norris had got his orders from.  I headed for the doorway that would lead me in the direction of James's cabin in the hopes of finding someone to speak to.  I descended into the gloom and was accosted immediately by Lieutenant Gillette who was laden with implements.  When he spotted me he moved swiftly, handing over James's telescope and pistol before he had even started speaking.

"Take these to Commodore Norrington if you please Miss, you'll find him on the quarter deck."

Yet again any answer I might have given was lost as Gillette tore off out onto deck still laden with other implements.  I did as I'd been asked and made my way to the quarter deck, sure that I'd glanced that way before and not seen anyone there.  I'd been wrong for James was at the helm with Lieutenant Thompson nearby, observing as one of the ships began it's retreat.  I didn't quite understand why that was happening at that point, but I clambered up the steps and held out James's pistol for him to take.

Immediately I saw a flash of anger in his eyes when he appraised me before it faded to some other form of emotion that I could not place.  He reached out for the pistol and telescope and I thought he was going to snatch them from me but instead he took them with little force and tucked the telescope into a pocket.  "Miss O'Connell, I want you below decks, now."

"Give me something to do," I pleaded as he turned away from me.  "I can help."

The anger was back in his eyes again but I was not sure whether he wished to direct it at me or not.  He grabbed my wrist then firmly, as if he thought his touch might convey the seriousness of his intent.  "Miss now is not the time to question my orders.  I have a particular reason for wanting you below decks at present.  Please oblige me this once and return to your assigned cabin.  I'll have someone fetch you when all is right."