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dwgmHappy New Year, everyone!
Seven years ago today I posted my first story on the internet, the first seventeen chapters of Harry & the Pirate. I remember how excited and nervous I was, and how thrilled when PotC fans began reading and leaving comments. A few days later,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
erinrua, captain of ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
blackpearlsails, found the story and added it to her great recs page, and then invited me to join the Black Pearl Sails Yahoo group. To say I was thrilled would be putting it very mildly.
It's been an exciting seven years since that New Years Day 2004, and there have been many changes in the PotC fandom and in my own life. Yet here I am, ready to post what will probably be the last multi-chaptered addition to the Harry & the Pirate universe, twenty chapters, one per day for the next twenty days. Stories featuring OFC's don't appeal to everyone, particularly when said females are involved with the lead canon character. Yet a number of PotC fans have read and enjoyed the Harry & the Pirate stories, and have very kindly encouraged me to write more, and this is my gift to them. It's also been a very special gift to my dear friend and beta reader,hereswith, who wanted more about Tom and Anne.
Harry & the Pirate is a post-CotBP A/U and entirely ignores the story and character development of Dead Man's Chest and At World's End. The stories also include many original characters besides Harry, and tend to be somewhat complicated plotwise. But I am hoping that Blood and Treasure has enough explanatory information even for first time readers, and I also hope that those already familiar with this universe will enjoy Jack and Harry's adventures in England, where most of this story is set (and I apologize in advance if I've gotten any details about the setting outrageously wrong -- I hesitated to impose on any of my English friends by asking for assistance in "Brit-picking" the 40K words of this story so there may be errors here and there, though I've done my best, and these are, after all, based on a canon that features an undead monkey).
So, without further ado, here we go...
Chapter One: Farewell to Singaraja
Tom Sparrow negotiated the wide streets of Singaraja with a seemingly carefree step, affably returning the nods and smiles and occasional bows of the townsfolk, a gentle and beautiful people. Tom would miss them, for they’d grown to be his friends. They’d also grown accustomed to the fierce splendor of the Black Pearl, anchored fore and aft in their jewel of a harbor these many weeks, and to her pirate crew, as well.
Pirates, but not like the vicious dogs the Pearls had run across a number of times in voyaging about the East Indies. Officially, this wasn’t a piratical venture at all, but his parents' Voyage of Trade and Exploration, planned during the early years of Tom’s life, years in which his father, Captain Jack Sparrow, had sailed under an English Letter of Marque. It had been mere chance that opportunities of a more illicit nature had occasionally come their way. But Jack Sparrow was a pirate and a good man, and the presence of Tom’s elegant little mother, Lady Harry, and his sister, Daisy – now a lively ten-year-old – had lent a civilizing influence, so the Black Pearl and her people had acted as a benevolent force, whenever that had been possible, while making a mint of money into the bargain.
The Sparrows would return to western waters rich enough to buy an abbey, as the saying went. But even more valuable to Tom was the knowledge he’d gained in these last five years abroad. He had experienced a great deal in those years, from the steady, day to day running of the ship as she made her way around the globe, to wonders so singular that he’d never have believed them true if he’d not seen them with his own eyes. The fantastically varied lands and people, the adventures both happy and hair-raising: they’d just have been stories, like those in some dusty old book, if he hadn’t come along on his parents’ adventure.
He'd been fourteen years old when his father had recalled him from his apprenticeship under Michael Owens, who’d been made captain of the Zephyr, a neat little sixteen-gun brig the Pearl had captured from the Spanish about a year after Daisy had been born. Tom and his father had been having an uncomfortable time of it—growing pains, Gibbs had said—so Tom had been exiled from the Pearl for a couple of years, to study seamanship under another master, albeit one who’d always been Tom’s friend. Michael hadn’t played favorites, yet Tom had done well under his command, even as he’d come to a better understanding of what he’d had and lost on the Pearl.
He and his father had met infrequently during those years, but they’d gotten on better, and Tom never doubted that he’d be back on the Pearl eventually. And sure enough, when Daisy turned five, and the conflict with the Spanish was at a low ebb, his parents had at last announced they would leave St. Claire, appointing Captain Owens and his wife Suzanna nominal guardians of the island – the Owens’s were the parents of three by that time, twin girls and a boy, all under four years of age, and neither had any wish to leave the Caribbean just then – though Rachel, as always, was the true steward of Mother’s property. The Black Pearl would set sail on a voyage around the world, and Tom Sparrow would sail with her.
Even at fourteen, Tom had had enough wisdom to appreciate the opportunity he was being given. He’d done his best to absorb the lessons gleaned from observation and experience, and had been fairly attentive to the more formal schooling his father and mother had insisted upon. Now, at nineteen, Tom knew himself to be well versed in most aspects of sailing, including the complicated mathematics required in modern navigation; was skilled enough (and ruthless enough) to be of use in an action, with weaponry that ranged from pistol to blade to sheer cunning and, on occasion, swift flight; was capable of emulating the ways of a gentleman (and, conversely, the ways of a blackguard, at need); and, he hoped, had the empathy and courage it took to be a good man, just like his father.
And now he would be put to the test. He’d left the Caribbean a boy, but he would return a man.
But first he had to fetch his mother and sister.
He turned down the palm-shaded pathway that led to the splendid gold and stone residence of the ruler of this island nation. Tom’s mother and sister had run across a group of the king’s consorts and princesses on their second day in Singaraja, when they’d all been browsing the local market, and the ladies had taken an instant liking to each other, which ultimately had greased the wheels of the Pearls’ trade negotiations.
Mother had often been invited to visit the palace, to bathe in the privacy of the ladies’ garden, or to take tea with them, and Daisy had been allowed regular access to play and study with her special friend, the Crown Princess Surya, and Surya’s plentiful royal siblings (there were about three dozen children of varying ages, from what Tom could make out – the king had an astonishing number of wives and concubines and took his marital obligations very seriously – Tom’s father said it made him tired just thinking about it). Daisy had learned a little of everything in the last couple of months: local history and a smattering of the language; some cooking and the care of babies; music, and an unusual and graceful form of dance. Today it was dancing: the princesses and their friends were practicing a piece for the spring festival, to be held the day after tomorrow, and Daisy was all agog to have been invited to be counted among the performers.
Tom’s mother had gone to the palace with her daughter that morning, to watch the little girls rehearse and to visit with the other fond matrons. It was nearly noon now, and Tom hoped they were almost finished. The news that his father had received – a letter from English lawyers that had taken months to find its way from ship to ship and port to port – was too significant to them all to wait.
The guards nodded to Tom as he passed through the open archway, and he met his friend, Wayan, oldest of the princes, almost immediately.
“Sparrow, my friend, do you come for your ladies? The little ones are still practicing in the Great Hall.”
“My father sent me,” Tom replied. “Exciting times, Wayan. There’s been a letter delivered, from England.”
Wayan’s face fell. “You will leave us soon, then?”
“I believe so. We’d have to be on our way in any case, but it may be that we’ll be heading west, to England, and then home to the Caribbean.”
“How I wish I could go with you and see these strange places of which you speak,” Wayan said with a sigh, as he led the way along the path that crossed the wide, gorgeously planted inner courtyard. “But alas! I must stay and tend to my duties, and become a great king –may the day be long delayed, for I honor my father.”
“It’s a hard fate, Wayan. I don’t envy you – except for the palace, of course, and the flock of beauties you’ll have at your beck and call.”
Wayan grinned. “These things do ease the weight of my burden somewhat. But listen, do you hear? There is still music coming from the Great Hall. If we are very quiet, perhaps we can spy upon the dancers, among whom are, no doubt, a few of my future flock.”
They slipped inside and stood by the doors of the enormous and wonderfully ornate hall, watching the troop of dancers with delight. There were nearly forty young girls, each dressed in the traditional costume: a slim, violet and gold patterned ankle-length skirt, topped by a wide band of green-edged red silk that left slim shoulders and arms bare. A flamelike headdress of shining gold, a wide gold collar, and gold bracelets completed the ensemble.
Daisy was in the front row, near Princess Surya. Tom noted with pride that his sister had done well in picking up the nuances of the stately yet sensual dance. She might almost have been a princess herself, with her dark hair and great eyes, and her skin that was now turned a pale gold – she and Mother had both spent more time basking in the sunny women’s garden these last weeks than was quite proper for aristocratic ladies, but no doubt their complexions would fade again to a more conventional hue during the coming months, before they reached England.
Tom’s little sister was growing up. She would be taller than Mother, soon, just as he’d grown to surpass his father’s height. And there were other changes: a slight curve of hip (if not yet of breast) that hadn’t been there a year ago, and an occasional gravity of thought that sometimes contrasted oddly with her usual liveliness. With such parents, beauty was a given, but Marguerite Elizabeth Sparrow was a charming creature in ways that even her brother couldn’t fail to acknowledge.
She saw him as soon as the dance stopped. “Tom!” she exclaimed, and she ran across the hall to him, laughing, for a number of the other girls were following her, all delighted squeals and scolds that they should have been seen by Men before the appointed time. They gathered around like a small tide of flowers, putting their hands together and bowing quite formally, and he and Wayan returned the favor. But Daisy was the only one to put out her hands for him to take. “Did you see us dancing, Tom? How long have you been standing here?”
“Just a few minutes,” Tom said, giving the little hands a brief squeeze. “Where’s Mother? Thought she’d be watching you.”
“She was, but then she and the other women went to visit the youngest of the wives, who is –” Daisy leaned in close and whispered the rest. “—having a baby! ”
“Oh!” said Tom, lifting his brows.
But Wayan said, “I’ll go fetch your mother, Tom. My father’s lady will have more help than she needs—or probably wants.”
A few of the girls went with Wayan, but most of them stayed in the hall with Tom, smiling shyly (or not so shyly), making eyes, and, in a few cases, trying to converse, though everyone agreed he should not be there at all, foreign devil that he was, and would he not attend the Spring Festival where he could see the whole dance, they were sure to perform most excellently with the eyes of such a handsome man upon them. Tom grinned, and assured them that he and most of the Pearls would be there, including his father.
“The great pirate captain!” said Princess Surya, eyes sparkling and a blush rising. “Ah! The stories we have heard! Tell me, is it true that he made love to a thousand virgins and defeated an army of the Undead, single-handed, then flew from the battlements of a great tower, like the bird he is named for, to steal away your esteemed mother and take her to his bed as First Royal Concubine?”
Tom gaped briefly, then eyed his sister.
“I may have exaggerated just a little,” she admitted, guiltily.
“A thousand virgins! You should be spanked for even thinking of that at your age.”
“Oh, Tom, don’t be silly,” she said, fondly, slipping her hand into his again. “You won’t tell?”
He scowled at her. “Do I ever?”
“No,” she smiled, “Best of Brothers! ”
Brief flashes of past Daisy-related incidents were running through his head – as if he hadn’t garnered enough trouble on his own, at times! “So I am, you baggage. And don’t you forget it.”
Continued in Chapter Two: Lord Wainfleet
Seven years ago today I posted my first story on the internet, the first seventeen chapters of Harry & the Pirate. I remember how excited and nervous I was, and how thrilled when PotC fans began reading and leaving comments. A few days later,
erinrua, captain of blackpearlsails, found the story and added it to her great recs page, and then invited me to join the Black Pearl Sails Yahoo group. To say I was thrilled would be putting it very mildly.It's been an exciting seven years since that New Years Day 2004, and there have been many changes in the PotC fandom and in my own life. Yet here I am, ready to post what will probably be the last multi-chaptered addition to the Harry & the Pirate universe, twenty chapters, one per day for the next twenty days. Stories featuring OFC's don't appeal to everyone, particularly when said females are involved with the lead canon character. Yet a number of PotC fans have read and enjoyed the Harry & the Pirate stories, and have very kindly encouraged me to write more, and this is my gift to them. It's also been a very special gift to my dear friend and beta reader,
hereswith, who wanted more about Tom and Anne.Harry & the Pirate is a post-CotBP A/U and entirely ignores the story and character development of Dead Man's Chest and At World's End. The stories also include many original characters besides Harry, and tend to be somewhat complicated plotwise. But I am hoping that Blood and Treasure has enough explanatory information even for first time readers, and I also hope that those already familiar with this universe will enjoy Jack and Harry's adventures in England, where most of this story is set (and I apologize in advance if I've gotten any details about the setting outrageously wrong -- I hesitated to impose on any of my English friends by asking for assistance in "Brit-picking" the 40K words of this story so there may be errors here and there, though I've done my best, and these are, after all, based on a canon that features an undead monkey).
So, without further ado, here we go...
Chapter One: Farewell to Singaraja
Tom Sparrow negotiated the wide streets of Singaraja with a seemingly carefree step, affably returning the nods and smiles and occasional bows of the townsfolk, a gentle and beautiful people. Tom would miss them, for they’d grown to be his friends. They’d also grown accustomed to the fierce splendor of the Black Pearl, anchored fore and aft in their jewel of a harbor these many weeks, and to her pirate crew, as well.
Pirates, but not like the vicious dogs the Pearls had run across a number of times in voyaging about the East Indies. Officially, this wasn’t a piratical venture at all, but his parents' Voyage of Trade and Exploration, planned during the early years of Tom’s life, years in which his father, Captain Jack Sparrow, had sailed under an English Letter of Marque. It had been mere chance that opportunities of a more illicit nature had occasionally come their way. But Jack Sparrow was a pirate and a good man, and the presence of Tom’s elegant little mother, Lady Harry, and his sister, Daisy – now a lively ten-year-old – had lent a civilizing influence, so the Black Pearl and her people had acted as a benevolent force, whenever that had been possible, while making a mint of money into the bargain.
The Sparrows would return to western waters rich enough to buy an abbey, as the saying went. But even more valuable to Tom was the knowledge he’d gained in these last five years abroad. He had experienced a great deal in those years, from the steady, day to day running of the ship as she made her way around the globe, to wonders so singular that he’d never have believed them true if he’d not seen them with his own eyes. The fantastically varied lands and people, the adventures both happy and hair-raising: they’d just have been stories, like those in some dusty old book, if he hadn’t come along on his parents’ adventure.
He'd been fourteen years old when his father had recalled him from his apprenticeship under Michael Owens, who’d been made captain of the Zephyr, a neat little sixteen-gun brig the Pearl had captured from the Spanish about a year after Daisy had been born. Tom and his father had been having an uncomfortable time of it—growing pains, Gibbs had said—so Tom had been exiled from the Pearl for a couple of years, to study seamanship under another master, albeit one who’d always been Tom’s friend. Michael hadn’t played favorites, yet Tom had done well under his command, even as he’d come to a better understanding of what he’d had and lost on the Pearl.
He and his father had met infrequently during those years, but they’d gotten on better, and Tom never doubted that he’d be back on the Pearl eventually. And sure enough, when Daisy turned five, and the conflict with the Spanish was at a low ebb, his parents had at last announced they would leave St. Claire, appointing Captain Owens and his wife Suzanna nominal guardians of the island – the Owens’s were the parents of three by that time, twin girls and a boy, all under four years of age, and neither had any wish to leave the Caribbean just then – though Rachel, as always, was the true steward of Mother’s property. The Black Pearl would set sail on a voyage around the world, and Tom Sparrow would sail with her.
Even at fourteen, Tom had had enough wisdom to appreciate the opportunity he was being given. He’d done his best to absorb the lessons gleaned from observation and experience, and had been fairly attentive to the more formal schooling his father and mother had insisted upon. Now, at nineteen, Tom knew himself to be well versed in most aspects of sailing, including the complicated mathematics required in modern navigation; was skilled enough (and ruthless enough) to be of use in an action, with weaponry that ranged from pistol to blade to sheer cunning and, on occasion, swift flight; was capable of emulating the ways of a gentleman (and, conversely, the ways of a blackguard, at need); and, he hoped, had the empathy and courage it took to be a good man, just like his father.
And now he would be put to the test. He’d left the Caribbean a boy, but he would return a man.
But first he had to fetch his mother and sister.
He turned down the palm-shaded pathway that led to the splendid gold and stone residence of the ruler of this island nation. Tom’s mother and sister had run across a group of the king’s consorts and princesses on their second day in Singaraja, when they’d all been browsing the local market, and the ladies had taken an instant liking to each other, which ultimately had greased the wheels of the Pearls’ trade negotiations.
Mother had often been invited to visit the palace, to bathe in the privacy of the ladies’ garden, or to take tea with them, and Daisy had been allowed regular access to play and study with her special friend, the Crown Princess Surya, and Surya’s plentiful royal siblings (there were about three dozen children of varying ages, from what Tom could make out – the king had an astonishing number of wives and concubines and took his marital obligations very seriously – Tom’s father said it made him tired just thinking about it). Daisy had learned a little of everything in the last couple of months: local history and a smattering of the language; some cooking and the care of babies; music, and an unusual and graceful form of dance. Today it was dancing: the princesses and their friends were practicing a piece for the spring festival, to be held the day after tomorrow, and Daisy was all agog to have been invited to be counted among the performers.
Tom’s mother had gone to the palace with her daughter that morning, to watch the little girls rehearse and to visit with the other fond matrons. It was nearly noon now, and Tom hoped they were almost finished. The news that his father had received – a letter from English lawyers that had taken months to find its way from ship to ship and port to port – was too significant to them all to wait.
The guards nodded to Tom as he passed through the open archway, and he met his friend, Wayan, oldest of the princes, almost immediately.
“Sparrow, my friend, do you come for your ladies? The little ones are still practicing in the Great Hall.”
“My father sent me,” Tom replied. “Exciting times, Wayan. There’s been a letter delivered, from England.”
Wayan’s face fell. “You will leave us soon, then?”
“I believe so. We’d have to be on our way in any case, but it may be that we’ll be heading west, to England, and then home to the Caribbean.”
“How I wish I could go with you and see these strange places of which you speak,” Wayan said with a sigh, as he led the way along the path that crossed the wide, gorgeously planted inner courtyard. “But alas! I must stay and tend to my duties, and become a great king –may the day be long delayed, for I honor my father.”
“It’s a hard fate, Wayan. I don’t envy you – except for the palace, of course, and the flock of beauties you’ll have at your beck and call.”
Wayan grinned. “These things do ease the weight of my burden somewhat. But listen, do you hear? There is still music coming from the Great Hall. If we are very quiet, perhaps we can spy upon the dancers, among whom are, no doubt, a few of my future flock.”
They slipped inside and stood by the doors of the enormous and wonderfully ornate hall, watching the troop of dancers with delight. There were nearly forty young girls, each dressed in the traditional costume: a slim, violet and gold patterned ankle-length skirt, topped by a wide band of green-edged red silk that left slim shoulders and arms bare. A flamelike headdress of shining gold, a wide gold collar, and gold bracelets completed the ensemble.
Daisy was in the front row, near Princess Surya. Tom noted with pride that his sister had done well in picking up the nuances of the stately yet sensual dance. She might almost have been a princess herself, with her dark hair and great eyes, and her skin that was now turned a pale gold – she and Mother had both spent more time basking in the sunny women’s garden these last weeks than was quite proper for aristocratic ladies, but no doubt their complexions would fade again to a more conventional hue during the coming months, before they reached England.
Tom’s little sister was growing up. She would be taller than Mother, soon, just as he’d grown to surpass his father’s height. And there were other changes: a slight curve of hip (if not yet of breast) that hadn’t been there a year ago, and an occasional gravity of thought that sometimes contrasted oddly with her usual liveliness. With such parents, beauty was a given, but Marguerite Elizabeth Sparrow was a charming creature in ways that even her brother couldn’t fail to acknowledge.
She saw him as soon as the dance stopped. “Tom!” she exclaimed, and she ran across the hall to him, laughing, for a number of the other girls were following her, all delighted squeals and scolds that they should have been seen by Men before the appointed time. They gathered around like a small tide of flowers, putting their hands together and bowing quite formally, and he and Wayan returned the favor. But Daisy was the only one to put out her hands for him to take. “Did you see us dancing, Tom? How long have you been standing here?”
“Just a few minutes,” Tom said, giving the little hands a brief squeeze. “Where’s Mother? Thought she’d be watching you.”
“She was, but then she and the other women went to visit the youngest of the wives, who is –” Daisy leaned in close and whispered the rest. “—having a baby! ”
“Oh!” said Tom, lifting his brows.
But Wayan said, “I’ll go fetch your mother, Tom. My father’s lady will have more help than she needs—or probably wants.”
A few of the girls went with Wayan, but most of them stayed in the hall with Tom, smiling shyly (or not so shyly), making eyes, and, in a few cases, trying to converse, though everyone agreed he should not be there at all, foreign devil that he was, and would he not attend the Spring Festival where he could see the whole dance, they were sure to perform most excellently with the eyes of such a handsome man upon them. Tom grinned, and assured them that he and most of the Pearls would be there, including his father.
“The great pirate captain!” said Princess Surya, eyes sparkling and a blush rising. “Ah! The stories we have heard! Tell me, is it true that he made love to a thousand virgins and defeated an army of the Undead, single-handed, then flew from the battlements of a great tower, like the bird he is named for, to steal away your esteemed mother and take her to his bed as First Royal Concubine?”
Tom gaped briefly, then eyed his sister.
“I may have exaggerated just a little,” she admitted, guiltily.
“A thousand virgins! You should be spanked for even thinking of that at your age.”
“Oh, Tom, don’t be silly,” she said, fondly, slipping her hand into his again. “You won’t tell?”
He scowled at her. “Do I ever?”
“No,” she smiled, “Best of Brothers! ”
Brief flashes of past Daisy-related incidents were running through his head – as if he hadn’t garnered enough trouble on his own, at times! “So I am, you baggage. And don’t you forget it.”
Continued in Chapter Two: Lord Wainfleet
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 12:48 pm (UTC)Tom is such a great & interesting character! I'm so happy there will be more about him & Anne.
That was an awesome beginning! I can't wait for the next chapter! :)
no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 04:45 pm (UTC)She did, and something of his propensity for mischief, too.
There will be more about Tom, and Anne, but this is Jack's story as well, as will be seen in tomorrow's chapter. I'm so happy you like the way the story started. It's been great fun to write, I have to say, quite different in certain ways from the previous stories.
Many thanks for commenting!
no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 01:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 04:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 04:55 pm (UTC)Will be back eventually to read and review! I'm sorry I'm not doing so right now!
no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 05:24 pm (UTC)*New Years Hugs*
no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 10:40 pm (UTC)*hugs back*
no subject
Date: 2011-01-02 04:42 am (UTC)That's so cool!!
no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 05:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 05:28 pm (UTC)*Big New Years Day Hugs*
no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 06:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 08:42 pm (UTC)How Jack would scold Daisy for telling such tales... and how pleased he'd be inside!
I look forward to reading the further adventures of the Sparrows. Not least of all: how the business referred to in the letter will play out (Jack as nobility- somehow that's absurd and fitting all at once!)
no subject
Date: 2011-01-02 04:37 am (UTC)I'm sure he would totally agree. In fact he may do so in the next chapter, if I recall.
So glad you enjoyed this! Thank you very much for letting me know. :D
no subject
Date: 2011-01-01 10:15 pm (UTC)Now to go read..........
no subject
Date: 2011-01-02 04:42 am (UTC)*hugs*
no subject
Date: 2011-01-02 09:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-02 05:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-02 07:22 pm (UTC)Now, at nineteen, Tom knew himself to be well versed in most aspects of sailing, including the complicated mathematics required in modern navigation; was skilled enough (and ruthless enough) to be of use in an action, with weaponry that ranged from pistol to blade to sheer cunning and, on occasion, swift flight; was capable of emulating the ways of a gentleman (and, conversely, the ways of a blackguard, at need); and, he hoped, had the empathy and courage it took to be a good man, just like his father.
Amazingly like his father, in just about every way, it seems! Definitely a chip off the ol' block, is Tom Sparrow! ;-)
(there were about three dozen children of varying ages, from what Tom could make out – the king had an astonishing number of wives and concubines and took his marital obligations very seriously – Tom’s father said it made him tired just thinking about it).
LOL! Yes, I'm sure the one wife Jack has keeps him plenty busy, in that regard! No need for a harem, when you have Harry around! ;-)
“The great pirate captain!” said Princess Surya, eyes sparkling and a blush rising. “Ah! The stories we have heard! Tell me, is it true that he made love to a thousand virgins and defeated an army of the Undead, single-handed, then flew from the battlements of a great tower, like the bird he is named for, to steal away your esteemed mother and take her to his bed as First Royal Concubine?”
Tom gaped briefly, then eyed his sister.
“I may have exaggerated just a little,” she admitted, guiltily.
Ah! And the other Sparrow seems to have inherited her father's talent for a bit of creative embellishment when it comes to the legend of Captain Jack Sparrow! ;-)
As they say, blood will out, and that's certainly turned out to be the case with the younger Sparrows! ;-)
Simply delightful! I love this series, and I love your characters! So glad to be able to welcome them back, like old friends (though also a bit sad to know this will most likely be their final adventure)! :-)
Well done, and (as usual) beautifully written, with a lovely eye for detail! Eagerly looking forward to the rest...
-- Cat
no subject
Date: 2011-01-02 07:42 pm (UTC)I don't like to bog down the pace with a lot of description, so this is very good to hear. I'm pretty sure
I'm so glad you enjoyed this chapter with the Sparrow kids. I know that people looking for Jack and the other canon characters will probably be put off by such an opening, but it seemed a natural place to begin this tale.
Thank you so much for the detailed comments, you are so wonderful to do that for me, and for all of us.
*New Years Hugs*
no subject
Date: 2011-01-03 03:06 am (UTC)I can do anticipatory wiggle with the best of 'em you know (read nigh 60 going on 6~!) Love you thank you and bless you wonderful wordy woman@! You made my day when I heard you were considering. And now...I'm getting to start on a treat that will be best==thank you kindness, thank you for your words in stories which give pleasure in reading and your words encouragement to little old moonpie faced hippie piratistas who get all happy when you to praise my little bit of spark! Youse proof positive, donchano, that in giving away love there is so much more received. Hope you have a place for all the hopes for joy and buckets of "atta gal, way cool" being sent your way. Okay, like you say without further waiting, I'm off to read this delight...and yes I know I'm supposed to read and then comment...but actually it does just sorta demand that I post a new comment...without so much as a by your leave...so, I did it correctly then!
;-DD
no subject
Date: 2011-01-03 05:26 am (UTC)*hugs*
no subject
Date: 2011-01-03 09:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-04 04:39 am (UTC)I'm thrilled to know you're reading and enjoying. This was such fun to write, almost like coming home in a way. Thank you very much for commenting.
*Hugs*
no subject
Date: 2011-01-04 02:59 am (UTC)Is there anything more daunting than "Chapter One", that first tenuous step into a new world? And yet we continue to subject ourselves to that pain, and with a gleam in our eye. Gotta be love!
I understand and feel you pain regarding the Anglican nemesis, but then what else are we barbaric colonists to do? Divided by a mutual language is a terrible state of affairs... perhaps we should all become Canadian!!....
Tom does seem to be a bit of a chip off the ol' block, even if the block would prefer not to have to admit it. This promises to be some of your best yet, starting out with a strong touch of the exotic. 'Tis grand when all the research comes together, is it not?
Good stuff!! Onward to the next...........
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Date: 2011-01-04 06:03 am (UTC)It's not so much the language, but this is set in England, London and Lincolnshire, and the only time I've been to the UK was for a two hour layover at Heathrow, lol! I've been reading novels and non-fiction about England most of my life, and hopefully readers will keep in mind the hand-wavy fantasy aspect of PotC in general and forgive any blunders.
I'm so glad you liked this first chapter. It was so easy to visualize the whole thing, and I'm happy to know there's enough detail that the exotic setting comes through.
Thank you so much for reading and commenting! I do hope you'll enjoy the rest just as much.