rp for commodore_jln
The digny is tethered to one of the many boulders that protrude from the water along the cresent line of the cove. Jack sits in its bow, the lamp in front of him doused, and rocks back and forth slowly in time to the waves crashing against the cliff face. It's not quite sunset but the shadows have already grown long, hiding him and his crew from the would-be sight of Norrington if/when he should come. Three men are piled in the stern of the digny, awaiting orders to row, and Mr. Cotton's parrot is perched on a rock nearby, able to warn Jack should the Commodore renege on his word and bring more men than stated in their exchange of letters.
He wasn't quite honest himself in his last letter to the Commodore. There is a longboat tied not many metres from where Jack hides now and there is a bottle inside with stationary, should Norrington feel up to writing him any more terms of endearment. If it is true that there are only four men with the Commodore -- three of his own, and the crew member he captured from the Pearl -- then Jack will blindfold them and ferry them over to where the Pearl lies anchored in a secret spot not far from the cove. If Norrington brings more men than he swore, or it looks to be a trap, well. Well, Jack will think of something then. Get word out to Gibbs somehow that the plan failed and mark the man he lost as fell behind.
It isn't even that he cares much about the man in Norrington's capture. Doesn't know his name; assumes he worked as naught more than a deck hand for two months. Must have picked him up in the last port of call. If he were stupid enough to let hisself be caught by the Navy then that be his problem. Jack isn't the type to go risking his neck for wayward pirates. Norrington's man too, locked below decks in the brig, he swears he could care very little about. Except he is a young and rashly brave -- reminds Jack a bit of young Will with his dolly belle back at wherever-it-were -- and in his letter Norrington remarked about the loss of a young Marine already due to storm. Something about the description piques his curiousity, that Norrington would think he could get any sympathy from a pirate at the loss of a soldier.
Yet Jack does feel sympathy and maybe. Right, well. Even if the wanting to see Norrington face-to-face again after all these months has something to do with this stark crazy mad affair, it doesn't all reason everything away. Reasons got nothing to do with it. Maybe he just wants to know what two supposedly good men can do when lopped together aboard one ship. His ship.
A splashing noise from the distance raises Jack from his thoughts and cautiously, slyly, he ducks his head around the rock to see if it be Norrington and his men.