The Night Dancer
Tears glistened in Jack�s eyes as he watched the Black Perl bun. He blinked them back. She had been his life. He had fought Barbossa and his cursed crew for her. Now the curse had been uncovered again, and this time, it had cost him his ship.
�I�m sorry Jack.� Raven whispered, burying her head in his chest. �I should have stopped him.�
�There was nothing you could have done, love.� was his reply. �He was immortal, remember?�
�I know, but...I could have stopped him. I should have stopped him. I choked. I�ve failed you, Jack. I�m sorry.�
There was nothing she could have done, he thought. She�s lucky to have gotten out alive. But it�ll be a cold day in Hell before she�ll be convinced.
Raven straightened.
�Come with me, I want to show you something.� She led Jack through the jungle to a small inlet. There was the infamous night dancer. Jack recognized the red and black frigate instantly. She was well cared for, he could see. It all started to make sense now. Why Raven had loved this island. Why she had always wanted to rest here. Where she had gotten the twenty men that made up half of his crew. This was Captain Raven Drummond, known throughout the Caribbean. Why hadn�t he seen it?
�I want you to have her, Jack.� Her words cut through his thoughts like the cutlass hanging at his waist.
�What?�
�I want you to have her. You need a ship to get off this island. And your crew needs you. You�re a better captain then I�ll ever be and your crew needs you. Take good care of her, Jack.�
He could see that it broke her heart to do this. She loved that ship. Jack understood now. She had been Captain Raven Drummond. And she had given it all up. She was giving him the last shred of that past. Why? Was she really giving it all up for him?
�This is your ship?� he asked, still in disbelief.
�She�s yours now. H have failed you entirely. It�s the least I could do.�
Raven turned to leave.
�Wait, love, where are you going?�
�I�ve lost it. You�re better off without me. I�ve lost my edge, and I�ll only hold you back.� She sounded surprisingly strong, considering what she was about to leave behind.
�Oh for God�s sake love! He was immortal! Did you honestly think you, any of us, could win? You did all you could, you gave us time! We got out alive, thanks to you. If he had gotten to the magazine any sooner we�d all be dead!� Jack seemed desperate now. �You know what we do with deserters!�
�I know, and it seems I have no other choice. You have my ship.�
�Wait, for God�s sake, don�t go! Please! The crew needs you!�
�Jack, you�ve lost the only thing you�ve ever loved, and it�s my fault! I could have saved her, and I choked. I choked Jack. You loved the Pearl, and I let her be taken from you. What kind of crewman does that make me?�
�You�re only half right there, love. I did love the Pearl. But not half as much as I love you. I need you Raven. I need you and this is the response I get?�
�Oh God, Jack, why didn�t you say something?� she cried, running into his arms.
The Night Dancer set sail that night, Raven standing at the bow. This is where I belong, she thought. I�ve come home.
A Change in Alliance
Raven watched the ominous black ship as it grew steadily closer to the Africa Trader.
�Ye�d best be gettin� back to yer cabin, Miss. There�ll be a hell of a fight. �T�aint no place fer a lady.� Raven smiled inwardly. There was something familiar about the ship in the distance.
�Why all this worry, Sam? She looks just like another merchant to me.� she asked, even though she knew exactly why. A plan was beginning to hatch itself in her mind.
�Sh�aint a merchant! See those dreadful colors?� Sam exclaimed, handing her the spyglass. Raven looked to the approaching ship.
�My God!� she gasped, �It�s the Black Pearl! Surely you don�t intend to fight her?!� She now looked to the Pearl�s captain. �Hello, my pet.� she thought to herself, and continued to act frightened..
�Fight we must, m'lady! We can�t afford to lose this cargo!� But Raven persisted.
�But she�s the fastest ever to sail these seven seas! She�s crewed by the damned, and captained by a man so evil that hell itself spat him back out!� This wasn�t exactly true anymore, but by now a good number of the Trader�s crew had gathered about. She could see by their faces that she had a good chance of convincing them to surrender. �We can�t even hope to outrun her, let alone fight her cursed crew! They�ll leave not a man alive if we try that! Our only hope is surrender! I know her captain. If we don�t fight our lives will be spared. It�s the only way!�
�Stop it! You�re scaring the crew! But...how do you know her captain?�
�I was...unfortunate enough to be a passenger on another merchant...the Windspirit...when she was taken. They killed her crew, down to the last man. They spared my life, but...�Raven cast her eyes to the deck. Every man there understood her meaning. The captain�s words cut the awkward silence.
�What are you doing just standing around!? Battle stations!!�
�But...� one of the crew spoke, �What if the Lady is right? I�ve heard terrible stories about the Pearl! And the Windspirit...my father was lost on that ship. She just disappeared and was never heard from again!� The crew was in agreement.
�So...you�re refusing to fight?� asked the captain in disbelief. Another of the crew spoke.
�To fight the Black Pearl is suicide! And they�ve got us outgunned!� The Trader struck her colors just as grappling hooks latched onto the railing. And what happened next left every man of her crew speechless-Raven turned and leapt onto the Pearl�s railing. The hooks were cut loose and Raven sailed off in Jack Sparrow�s arms.
