Chapter Five

Here it is! I changed to first person POV because I kept doing it unintentionally.

Disclaimer – I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean. I do own Leticia though so HANDS OFF!

"White cap Bay is surprisingly not white," I commented as I clambered out of my rowboat, Angelica and Blackbeard following. I looked around the tall, dark rocks, rickety wooden bridges and light sand that glowed in the dark night. Glancing up, I saw the new moon, knowing it was perfect for hunting a mermaid's tear (according to Angelica). Once again, the female first mate had made me change and I was wearing my own white top again with red leather strap over my black breeches and silver buckled boots.

"We shall go and see about light. The Princess will stay here and watch carefully," Blackbeard ordered. One glance at his massive weapon and I turned to watch the black sea without complaining. One boat remained out there: bait. Jack came and placed an arm around my shoulder, watching too. "Sparrow!" Blackbeard called and Jack followed the group going up the lighthouse after placing a kiss on my cheek. I stared down at the sand as the gentle waves lapped it up. A long net lay ready to capture any poor mermaid that swam into its clutches and I found myself wondering why the hell I was on this mission. It didn't take very long to figure out. I was scared of Blackbeard and I personally didn't want to die. Besides that, I hadn't had much choice once Jack was taken. I wasn't about to lose him AGAIN! So I was journeying to the Fountain of Youth where Jack would drink the waters and live for however long the person he sacrificed had lived. I wondered vaguely who he would take the years from and prayed it wasn't, by accident or planning, me. I also wondered what would happen when I was old and decrepit then died. It was a strange thought and kind of morbid so I satisfied myself with watching the sailors being used for bait further out in the ocean. The lighthouse was in full use and beaming down on the poor men in an eerie manner. I could hear them all singing to attract the mermaids as everyone returned from the tower and Jack wrapped an arm around my waist.

"You look deep in thought," he informed me and I shrugged offhandedly.

"I'm not really. I was just . . . drifting," I lied slightly. Jack didn't seem to notice. He was analysing the shore too.

A while later (a long while later) I noticed movement from the boat and saw a pale figure hanging onto the side. She looked to have long blonde hair and I knew she was a mermaid. Soon, more mermaids gathered around the sailors and I noticed a crewmember who I highly suspected to be Scrum being led over the edge of the boat. That's when the fight began. Mermaids leapt out of the water, sailors yelled and fought back and the boat was splintered marginally. Explosions in the water told me that other sailors had lit up the gunpowder barrels, just as the net was ordered into the water. Silence reigned . . . until those holding the net were dragged into the water by ropes of seaweed.

"Retreat all to land, for your lives!" Jack yelled, breaking away from me and some began to comply.

"Cowards, back in the water! There be no refuge on land, on my word!" Blackbeard called, shooting at a scrambling sailor.

"Let them be! They don't deserve to die like this!" I shrieked and he turned his pistol on me. Jack yanked me out of the way but the dangerous captain did not fire.

"Ye be keeping your tongue in yer head, Princess. Or there'll be trouble." And he turned back to the water.

"Do not do that again," Jack warned in a whisper and I rolled my eyes, not replying. Lots of eerie shrieking caught my attention and Jack and I looked up, seeing an army of mermaids heading straight for us.

"Oh bugger," I commented. Their ropes latched onto the bridge we were on and pulled hard, causing Angelica to almost hit the water. I scrambled around, grabbing her hand to pull her up but another rope latched onto her ankle and she was dragged backwards again. I held as tightly to her hand as possible as Jack sliced the rope and I helped her back onto the jetty. Then Jack did the insane. He took off for the lighthouse, leaping over snatching mermaid hands and losing his sword.

"Is he out of his mind!?" Angelica hissed and I shrugged.

"He's Captain Jack Sparrow," I said by way of answer. Just when I was wondering what he was about to do, the fire in the lighthouse flared up. "Sodomita," I swore. "Duck!" I yelled, shoving Angelica out of the way and following straight after as the top of the lighthouse exploded and Jack leapt into the water.

"Ese hijo de puta estúpida! Podría haber matado a todos!" Angelica cried as we righted ourselves.

"That's very true. But it's stopped attracting mermaids," I pointed out.

"We've got one!" Yes and it turned out to be a slightly delirious Scrum. The search was on for a live mermaid and we found one next to the clergyman. His sword was just released from her tail as the net was placed over her head and she hissed venomously.

"Did everyone see that because I will not be doing it again?" Jack called as he came out of the water. I ran over to him and checked for new wounds.

"I'm very impressed," I told him, kissing him briefly before making my way back to the ship. I could practically feel Jack smirking behind me.

XXX

"Just as I thought. Not this way!" Jack called as we all broke through the thick green leaves. I swallowed nervously as I took in the very, very long drop off the edge of the cliff we found ourselves on. An angry Angelica stomped past me to stand by Jack.

"This is the way, isn't it?" she demanded. She really didn't like him.

"Yes, but we should go around to the east."

"That would take us out of the path of the chalices." I sighed loudly.

"We'll circle back."

"There is no time."

"You're the one who insisted on bringing the bloody mermaid." Blackbeard circled around the pair to stand next to me. Despite the fact that he terrified me, I looked to see if he was exasperated as I was. He was.

"Well the mutiny didn't help."

"You walk like a girl."

"You would know."

"For God's sake, spare me this agony!" I finally yelled, causing everyone to look at me. I didn't care. "Just shut up." Jack opened his mouth. "Both of you."

"Someone must go," Blackbeard told us. Angelica instantly looked worried.

"You mean . . . split up?" she asked nervously and I raised an eyebrow at Blackbeard.

"You mean jump?" Jack asked and I gritted my teeth. "This I cannot wait to see." He looked at Angelica with a somewhat gleeful expression.

"What if I jumped?" I asked and he glared.

"Not a chance."

"Sparrow will go. Find the ship, retrieve the chalices," Blackbeard ordered. Jack's face was a picture but I eyed the long jump cautiously. It didn't look very likely that he would survive that fall. Angelica's head whipped back and forth between Jack and Blackbeard.

"Sparrow? What makes you think he will come back?" she asked and I nodded. She had a point. Jack stepped forward with an 'innocent' expression on his face.

"Yes, what makes you think he will come back?" he asked and I sighed loudly again. He was just trying to avoid jumping – not that I blamed him.

"We cannot trust him, father. I will go," Angelica insisted and I shrugged.

"Or I'll do it," I put in. Jack shook his head adamantly at that suggestion.

"She'll go," Jack said eagerly. Angelica walked away, handed her things to Scrum then began running for the edge. I covered my eyes, not wanting to see her jump. I heard her collide with something and nervously uncovered my eyes to see Blackbeard pushing her away from the edge. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"How much farther to the Fountain?" Blackbeard asked and Jack informed him as such. "You will go," Blackbeard ordered when Jack was done, stealing his compass. Jack approached the edge and looked down. I grabbed the nearest thing (a tree branch which splintered in my tight grip) and watched him fearfully.

"You know that feeling you get sometimes when you're standing in a high place with the sudden urge to jump? I don't have it," he said and I swallowed, scared out of my wits. Blackbeard raised his pistol to Jack's head and I squeaked.

"I need those chalices," Blackbeard said and I rolled my eyes at the obvious statement.

"Shoot – save me the bother of the fall," Jack replied and I shook my head quickly.

"You will go. You will return. Or I will kill her." And his pistol moved to the centre of my chest. I gulped.

"I have already survived a gunshot and a sharp, sharp blade. What makes you think I won't this time?" I asked with more confidence than I had. Blackbeard raised an eyebrow and moved the pistol.

"How about to the head?" he asked and I sighed in concession, knowing it was pointless. I let my eyes drift to Jack who looked slightly sick and was glaring at the pistol harshly.

"If I jump . . . will I survive?" Jack asked the quartermaster nervously. Doing something with a Jack-like doll that I didn't understand, it was revealed that he would survive after throwing the doll over the cliff. Blackbeard moved his finger to the trigger threateningly and Jack leapt off the edge. I screamed and ran over, looking down just as he collided with the water below. Ten seconds later, he rose to the surface and started moving. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well played father," Angelica complimented.

"Yes, bloody brilliant," I snarled before stomping away.

I'm warning you now: there are only nine chapters in this story! I want to thank everyone for the reviews, favourites and alerts. Thanks! Love Bianca :) x