Chapter Text
Theis watched his mother from the shadows with storm grey eyes as she laid his half brother in a dank shadowy corner at the end of the tunnel. The child stirred looking at their mother with knowing mocha eyes he did not reach out to her and did not cry. His mother took this as another sign to get rid of his brother. Just as she stood up from her crouch, Theis stepped away from the dark wall he was leaning against.
“You abandon another son?” Theis asked rhetorically crossing his arms across his chest, his mortal mother spun around to look upon him with fear and shock.
Theis had very little resemblance to his mortal parent, his grey eyes, lithe build and dark colouring coming from his flighty father that he only knew in passing. The woman in front of him was, for lack of a better word, tiny, while she was taller then Theis by a half a head she had little muscle making her look starved, her complexion was a light brown with sharp aristocratic facial features, a telling sign to the nature of her birth, and eyes so dark they looked black.
Indeed the only similarities they had was their soft midnight black hair, but while she had straight waist length locks he had natural wavy hair cut just above his shoulders.
“you should not be here, not be alive.” she whispered unable to look away from her first born. Theis stepped closer to her and closer until he was finally upon her. His mother, he never did bother to find out her name, flinched expecting to be struck but Theis just walked passed her to his brother.
Theis bent down to scoop up the swathed babe, placing him into the crook of his arm against his worn leather surcoat. Turning back to his mother he watched her expression carefully. There was fear, of him, longing, for a child, but also hate and rage. These were what Theis expected but what stopped him from giving her a crass comment was the undisguised relief at seeing him hold her youngest. Theis was not slow by any stretch of the meaning he knew what happened to unwanted mortal children. Their mother honestly believed that killing her children would be better then letting them grow up as slaves or lower servants.
“Will you try to stop me?” Theis asked brushing his dark fingers over his brothers soft head. Their mother did not move for a few seconds.
“No, I will not.” with that she moved off to the side so she did not block the tunnel. Theis nodded and walked past her, his boots echoing with every purposeful step, but before he exited he looked over his shoulder one last time.
“What did you name him?” The woman slowly crumpled to the ground unable to handle the torrent of emotions within her.
“Sparrow, I named him sparrow.” it echoed softly and Theis gave another sharp nod. Not even five steps away his mother broke down and started to cry.
Once away from his brothers place of abandonment, Theis brought his head closer to his brother and whispered the name of his choosing.
“Jackal Sparrow.” The wind brushed by and took Theis' words to the water, his brothers father might not be able to raise him but he did have a right to know. Jack opened his already mocha eyes to watch his brother expectantly. Theis, seeing his brothers silent demand chuckled and walked back to the tavern he was staying at. He would eventually need to put plans into action and to tell the captian he was serving under that he had to leave but right at that moment it didn't matter.
“Ba-ba Tha” Jack babbled away grabbing Theis' fingers to play with, ignorant to the tide that had just swept through his life.
Yes, tomorrow he would tell his captain it was time to head to Tortuga and that they had an unexpected traveller on board. It shouldn't be to hard, so long as Theis got him drunk enough first.
LINE BREAK
Getting is captain drunk enough to accept his brother on board was the easy part of his plan it seemed, the crew accepted Jack aboard with only some hesitation until they found that he was a quiet sleeper and did not fuss about meals. No, the hardest part of his plan was keeping Jack on the boat while he would not drown if he fell in, his father was a water god the crew would definitely notice if Theis where to fish out a whole and hale Jack from the sea he loved too much. It was not to say that they would not accept that Jack had power over water, they knew Theis had some minor ability to predict the wind but not that he could control it, but what they would do with it.
“Theis! Get over here!” Captain Hex bellowed from the helm. Theis hastily tied the rope he was securing, grabbed Jack, and strides across the ship to the stairs.
Hex stood off to the side of the ship's wheel holding one of the pins to keep the boat straight. When Theis was arms length away he let go, the wheel immediately started spinning, on reflex Theis grabbed one of the pins and righted the ships coarse. Jack looked at the wheel intensely before watching the water, slowly the pressure Theis had to exert on the wheel lessened. Looking at his captain with a raised brow Theis set Jack down between his feet.
Captain Hex did not say anything as he stared out at the water his hand shoved in the pockets of his breeches.
“There are 24 pins to this ship's wheel.” he said never once looking at Theis. “The capped one when facing up after 2 full turns centers the boat.” slowly Hex looked over to the brothers. “until this voyage is over you will be captain of this ship, while I instruct you.” Theis looked at Hex in surprise and shock from the no name dock to Tortuga would take at least three weeks if not more.
Theis nodded, not like he had a choice in the matter, and turned to face the wheel fully. Jack watched the exchange with wide eyes before copying his brothers stance and grabbing the wheel as well only one the spokes.
“Turn starboard twelve pins.”