Troubled Seas
Jungle
Katie dipped her hand into the cool water as the dingy was rowed ashore. The island of Anew stood prominent before her, covered in rampant jungle. The beach, beautiful white sand, was back against thick and menacing jungle greenery.
Jack was quite surprised that any civilization had not only made this hostile speck of land their home, but had also managed to flourish on it. This information troubled Jack, for the kind of people who could survive on this sort of island would be fierce warriors and that was not the kind of battle Jack felt comfortable waging at this moment in time.
The instant the dingy rocked against the sandy shore, Katie’s soul seemed to shake. She leapt from the still moving craft and sprinted across the soft sand, heading for the green thicket.
“Katie!” Jack bellowed after his fair haired companion. His first instinct was to chase after her, but he knew his first obligation was to his crew.
Grimacing, Jack turned to his men and led them onto the glimmering beach. Anamaria stood to his right, ready for her orders.
“We shall break into two parties, one headed by Anamaria, the other headed by me. Our mission is to find the heart of this island and capture the medicine man who resides there. Any native who gets in your way shall be killed. Pillage. Plunder. Burn. Murder. Take what you want. The only responsibility you have is to capture and keep alive, the medicine man. He is the only important native, savvy?”
“Savvy!” Jack’s pirates shouted back to their trusted captain.
The pirates of Captain Jack’s crew were familiar with this division in ranks. Although it was an uncommon act for most pirate lords to divvy their crew, Jack trust his second in command, Anamaria, and the feeling was mutual between them. If Jack ever perished, Ana would take over without opposition.
The crew separated into their predetermined sets and pulled out their swords.
“Men! Our first priority is recovering Katie. She may be in danger or she may pose a threat to us. Either way, we must find her and take her with us. Where ever I go, she goes. Following Katie’s return to our folds, we shall use any mean necessary to capture the medicine man.” Jack bowed to his half of the crew and they rushed into the jungle just beyond the beach.
Ana and her men had veered to the far west of the beach and as Jack watched, they were slowly swallowed up by the bleak jungle.
Jack dashed in after his men. Deep in his soul Jack could feel a tugging. A constant tugging that he knew would lead him to Katie. Jack traced his way through the jungle, chopping down vines that hung before him, and stopping to gauge his location.
About five hundred paces in a northeasterly direction, Jack found Katie. She was sitting in a tree, staring off over the tops of the jungle trees. Katie looked down at Jack and smiled. “Jack.” She pointed to him.
Jack felt his heart unclench, “Jack,” he nodded.
“Him,” she pointed out over the trees.
“Him…him who Katie?”
“Him,” she repeated quietly. She dropped down from the tree and snuggled up against Jack. “Jack.”
“Can you show me where ‘him’ is?” Jack asked gently.
“Him?”
“Him.”
“Him!” Katie took Jack’s hand and began to tug him through the Jungle. There was a desperation in her pull, whomever she was talking about, Katie was either very scared of him or very angry. And that would make all the difference.
Jack put his left hand to his mouth and whistled loud and clear. The tromping all around him stopped, Katie as well. He whistled two more times and within thirty second his men had surrounded him.
“Katie has been found. She is going to lead us to the village. Prepare yourself for unexpected…visitors,” he ordered.
“Him!” Katie whined, tugging incessantly on his hand. Jack pulled his cutlass from its sheath and allowed Katie to begin their journey through the jungle.
Jack was quite surprised that any civilization had not only made this hostile speck of land their home, but had also managed to flourish on it. This information troubled Jack, for the kind of people who could survive on this sort of island would be fierce warriors and that was not the kind of battle Jack felt comfortable waging at this moment in time.
The instant the dingy rocked against the sandy shore, Katie’s soul seemed to shake. She leapt from the still moving craft and sprinted across the soft sand, heading for the green thicket.
“Katie!” Jack bellowed after his fair haired companion. His first instinct was to chase after her, but he knew his first obligation was to his crew.
Grimacing, Jack turned to his men and led them onto the glimmering beach. Anamaria stood to his right, ready for her orders.
“We shall break into two parties, one headed by Anamaria, the other headed by me. Our mission is to find the heart of this island and capture the medicine man who resides there. Any native who gets in your way shall be killed. Pillage. Plunder. Burn. Murder. Take what you want. The only responsibility you have is to capture and keep alive, the medicine man. He is the only important native, savvy?”
“Savvy!” Jack’s pirates shouted back to their trusted captain.
The pirates of Captain Jack’s crew were familiar with this division in ranks. Although it was an uncommon act for most pirate lords to divvy their crew, Jack trust his second in command, Anamaria, and the feeling was mutual between them. If Jack ever perished, Ana would take over without opposition.
The crew separated into their predetermined sets and pulled out their swords.
“Men! Our first priority is recovering Katie. She may be in danger or she may pose a threat to us. Either way, we must find her and take her with us. Where ever I go, she goes. Following Katie’s return to our folds, we shall use any mean necessary to capture the medicine man.” Jack bowed to his half of the crew and they rushed into the jungle just beyond the beach.
Ana and her men had veered to the far west of the beach and as Jack watched, they were slowly swallowed up by the bleak jungle.
Jack dashed in after his men. Deep in his soul Jack could feel a tugging. A constant tugging that he knew would lead him to Katie. Jack traced his way through the jungle, chopping down vines that hung before him, and stopping to gauge his location.
About five hundred paces in a northeasterly direction, Jack found Katie. She was sitting in a tree, staring off over the tops of the jungle trees. Katie looked down at Jack and smiled. “Jack.” She pointed to him.
Jack felt his heart unclench, “Jack,” he nodded.
“Him,” she pointed out over the trees.
“Him…him who Katie?”
“Him,” she repeated quietly. She dropped down from the tree and snuggled up against Jack. “Jack.”
“Can you show me where ‘him’ is?” Jack asked gently.
“Him?”
“Him.”
“Him!” Katie took Jack’s hand and began to tug him through the Jungle. There was a desperation in her pull, whomever she was talking about, Katie was either very scared of him or very angry. And that would make all the difference.
Jack put his left hand to his mouth and whistled loud and clear. The tromping all around him stopped, Katie as well. He whistled two more times and within thirty second his men had surrounded him.
“Katie has been found. She is going to lead us to the village. Prepare yourself for unexpected…visitors,” he ordered.
“Him!” Katie whined, tugging incessantly on his hand. Jack pulled his cutlass from its sheath and allowed Katie to begin their journey through the jungle.