Title: Helm an' sails: Cursed Men
Author: Blackheart Dracon
Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean
Characters: Hector Barbossa, Tia Dalma, Koehler, Jacoby, Twigg, etc.
Rating: T for safety
Genre: General, missing scene
Disclaimer: All for Disney and Disney for all
A/N: Another story for Helm an' Sails. Barbossa and his crew already cursed and coming to Tia Dalma in search for answers.
We are cursed men…
As the pirates silently steered the boat in the river water, Barbossa was sitting in it and thinking if he had done a right thing. There were so many things that have gone down the drain already. He couldn't allow himself another mistake.
"Houses, capt'in!" cried Jacoby who was sitting on the prow of the boat. He was now pointing at the poor wooden barns rising on pilings right from the river which were still some way ahead.
"Speed down, lads" ordered Hector and looked through his spyglass in search of the house they needed.
The wags of the oars lessened. Barbossa was still in his search. He wasn't sure which of these half-rotten half-drowned buildings was the one where the witch lived, having no idea who dwelt in other houses and wanting to know not.
He had been here only once, when Jack was captain. Aye, that was strictly before they set out to Isla-de-Muerto – Jack came here and asked for headings.
Hector chuckled, remembering the mutiny that went after Jack finally gave away the course and himself trying to get the Black Pearl to that cursed place. And then the idea that occurred to him for the first time. It's needed to get lost to find the place that cannot be found. And it worked.
'Blast it' thought Barbossa grimly searching for the building 'I'd give away anythin' for it not to 'ave worked 'en'
And the next moment he spotted it. Standing a bit aside of the others the house was straight ahead. It was gloomy in spite of all the candles burning. Candles. Candles meant fire and fire meant warmth. Hector frowned. For him it now meant nothing.
"Rest on the oars!" he commanded and the oars were lifted from the water and placed vertically.
He remembered coming here with Jack again. The place seemed to have changed, but Hector couldn't get how.
"Masters Jacoby an' Ragetti – tie the boat" Barbossa waited the boat to be carried by the slow current right to the wooden stairs which led up to the door.
Ragetti was the first one to start performing his order. Jacoby joined him in and the boat was safe fixed to one of the pilings. Barbossa got up and stepped onto he first stair. He turned and glanced at his men thinking who of them was gallant enough to join him in his visit to Tia Dalma.
"Hm…" he chewed his lip. No one was, but somebody was needed "Master Koehler. And Master Twigg. Aye, ye be coming with me. Pintel! Hand Master Koehler the present!"
Dropping no more words Hector climbed the stairs and knocked on the door before opening it.
In the dimness of half-light he immediately saw the woman. She was bending over some dried roots which suspiciously reminded Barbossa of human fingers. The moment he entered she raised her head and smiled the sweetest of smiles.
"Capteen Barbossa" she said putting the roots-fingers aside "I knew yee be coming"
"Ye knew" repeated Barbossa in irony coming up to the table.
"I see meny thin's" the witch shook her head looking sad.
"For example?" inquired Hector.
"Yee know yee need da pay fer information"
"Aye. That's why I brought ye this" Hector nodded Koehler and the pirate made two quavering (which was unusual for this man) steps forward and showed the dark-skinned woman a long pale-orange python which seemed quite uninterested in what was happening and looked like it wanted to sleep.
"That wasn't easy to catch" smirked Hector "Me men spent 'ours tryin' to fetch some appropriate gift fer ye"
"Fine payment" the witch smiled in response rising from her chair and striding towards Koehler.
She raised her hand and touched the python's head gently. The creature opened its eyes lazily and stared at Tia Dalma. The woman stared back without blinking. The python hissed in what seemed frustration and to the pirates' s surprise left Koehler's arm and curled around Tia Dalma's neck. It hissed once more, showed its bifid tongue and fell asleep.
"Impressing" Barbossa said and grinned "Now tell us what do ye see"
Tia Dalma sighed and set down again.
"Yee want da play with me, Hecta Barbossa?"
"Ye know me first name?" sparks of interest lit on in the Pearl's captain's eyes "What do ye see except for this?"
Tia Dalma closed her eyes and fell silent. When her lashes lifted up again it was clear she was in sorrow.
"A mutiny. Jack Sparrow marooned. Gold. Much gold. Then horror. A cursed ship in de moonlight" she said quietly "A crew in despair. A captain on de brink of it. A man goeen' down to de depths with a cannonball stripped to 'is leg"
"Bootstrap" whispered Koehler.
"William Turner, ah?" Tia Dalma turned to him and raised a brow.
"Aye" said Koehler looking without fear into her eyes.
"Tia Dalma" Barbossa called and she looked at him. Her dark eyes were filled with rue.
"Cursed gold" she said rising once again from her chair "Aztec gold. Eight 'undred an' eighty two identical pieces dat were delivered in a stone chest to Cortes as a redemption. Yet Cortes crossed 'em and so they called to their gods for revenge. So dat now any mortal 'o removes but a single piece… shall be punished for eternity"
The last words thundered above the gathered. Twigg dropped down a stone which he had picked up from the witch's table.
"For eternity?" he repeated in disbelief.
"Why 'aven't ye told Sparrow when ye were both whisperin' in a corner?" Barbossa asked without emotions.
"I did" the witch said "It was 'is choice da believe it or not"
"Then 'e decided to keep it from me" nodded Hector.
Tia Dalma shrugged.
"Be there a way?" Hector inquired.
"Yee be brave Barbossa" Tia Dalma came up to him smiling as if planning something "Yee 'ave a stron' spirit"
"That 'as nothin' to do with the cursed gold" responded Barbossa.
"Nigh, it 'as!" she said raising her head higher to look into his eyes "There be a way"
Twigg seemed to have glued his eyes to the witch now. Koehler looked not much better.
Barbossa laughed at the sight of them.
"Yee feel somethin', Hecta Barbossa?"
His laughter stopped.
"Nigh" he answered indifferently "Nothing"
"Nothing at all?" Tia Dalma took one last step forward and stood close to Hector. She raised her hand and placed it on his chest.
"Nothing" Barbossa repeated feeling just a possible obstacle if he wanted to move forward – not a warm woman's palm.
"And ye cannot die?" she continued.
"I can't die?" Barbossa raised his brows astonished.
"If ye be not livin' 'ow can yee die?" she asked slowly passing her hand down his sternum.
Hector frowned and pretended to be thinking.
"Ye seem right" he said slowly. Of course he couldn't show before the crew that he believed her at an instant – they still didn't trust and feared the witch even if they tried hard to hide it. But she was right. If he was not living – how possibly could he die?
"Master Koehler!" Barbossa called "Come up 'ere"
Koehler thinned his eyes in incomprehension but strided to his Captain.
"Aye, capt'in" he said.
"Pardon, miss" Barbossa took a step away from Tia Dalma "I must know if yer words be true"
Not having ended his words Hector unsheathed out his sword and in one instant run Koehler through.
The last one gasped and winced. Twigg leaped up on his spot in surprise and stared at his captain with unbelieving eyes.
"Stop actin' bein' mortally wounded, stupid mongrel – ye feel nothin' an' ye can't die" Barbossa rolled his eyes and pulled out his sword.
"Ye… ye be sure, sir?" Koehler stammered looking down at himself.
"Nigh, I ran through me first mate just fer fun to contemplate 'is death" mocked Hector wiping his blade on Koehler's sleeve "Well, honestly no one can be sure of anything till 'e tries it 'imself"
He turned back to Tia Dalma leaving poor Koehler in complete abashment.
"So we be not getting old either?" he questioned sitting down on the corner of the witch's table.
"Punishment for eternity" she shrugged.
Twigg went pale realizing at last what those words truly meant.
"Ye said there be a way" reminded Barbossa.
"Yes" Tia Dalma twisted one of her dreadlocks around her finger "But it be a long an' 'ard way"
"We'll try" spoke up Twigg.
Hector cast a glance at him which consisted of two feelings – desire for Twigg to shut up and let the captain speak and a thank for the man's hoping.
"Speak off" Barbossa finally decided to say.
"Pardon, capt'in"
"All the pieces of gold must be brought back to de chest" Tia Dalma continued tickling her snake's head softly not to wake it up "And a ritual must be done. By blood begun, by blood – undone. Blood must be repaid"
"Sacrifice?" Hector raised his brow "Any blood or..?"
"Yer blood" the witch interrupted "And blood of yer crew members."
Koehler looked at Barbossa for permission to speak. The last made a gesture to him showing that he could.
"An' 'ow much blood d' we need?" Koehler crossed his arms on his chest "All of it or just..?"
"'ow do ye get all yer blood out if ye can't die?" Barbossa chuckled.
"Ye can never know what those Aztecs 'ad 'ad in their blasted minds, sir" shrugged Koehler.
"Yes, a few drops'll de enough" agreed Tia Dalma.
"Wait" Barbossa said feeling a sudden chill (which he actually thought he felt because he would have felt it if he wasn't cursed) "All me crew members?"
"All of dem" nodded the witch.
Hector fell into grim silence.
"What's it, capt'in?" asked Twigg.
"Bootstrap" whispered Koehler in horrifying understanding "'e be dead!"
"'e be not dead, lad, 'aven't ye 'eard Miss Tia?" Barbossa clenched his teeth in anger "We simply be not able t' find 'im"
"That means we won't be able to lift th' curse" said Twigg in a quavering voice.
"Nigh" sneered Barbossa "That doesn't"
He looked at his crewmembers.
"Ye remember our old Bootstrap saying somethin' about sending one of those cursed medallions to 'is beloved son?"
"Aye, captain" responded Twigg and Koehler in a choir.
"So?"
"What, captain?" asked Twigg, while Koehler frowned.
"'is blood!" he exclaimed "Tis 'is son's blood we need"
"Great to 'ear" mocked Hector "I was beginnin' t' 'ink I took a wrong man as a first mate"
He turned to Tia Dalma.
"If ye see many thin's" started Barbossa "'en, per'arps, ye 'elp us find th' biy some'ow?"
The witch sighed.
"Th' last thin' I'll do fer yee t'day, Hecta"
"Aye, Miss Tia" Barbossa nodded in acceptance.
The witch walked to one of her far tables. She bent over it grabbing a pouch and untying it.
Twigg glanced over Koehler's shoulder obviously interested but still afraid.
Meanwhile, Tia Dalma took a handful of old crab pincers and whispered something to them.
"Touch… Of destiny" her voice grew louder as she threw the pincers onto the the smooth wooden surface of the table.
"Dat be dis" she said smiling in satisfaction.
Barbossa came up to her and looked down.
"What be this?" he said without any shadow of irony.
"See the location?" Tia Dalma pointed at the pincers "Yer boy be on 'is way to the Caribbean from England. On a supply ship guarded by army. The traditional route. Yee know dat route?"
"Course, Miss Tia" grinned Hector "We be leaving 'en"
"Luck on yer journey" said the witch turning away from him "It be 'ard an' cruel I know"
"It be in our blood to challenge the hardnesses" Barbossa said confidently.
"Maybe" she answered quietly "Maybe. But be careful with yer blood.
"Aye" responded Hector and turning to his men ordered "Koehler, Twigg, we be leaving"
"Aye, capt'in!" the pirates said in what seemed relief and turned to leave.
When Twigg and Koehler were already outside and Barbossa was overstepping the threshold, Tia Dalma's voice sounded from behind him.
"Yee will return here, Hecta Barbossa"
The captain turned and looked at her with no emotions.
"Yet in a way yee do not no"
Barbossa shrugged and wanted to go, but she suddenly was there holding his arm.
"Yee be not afraid of…" she started.
"I be not afraid" he answered at once "I 'ave no soul to be afraid"
"Yee 'ave no soul, ah?" Tia Dalma smiled sweetly "And what about Sparrow?"
"Sparrow be dead by now" Barbossa said.
"Yes?" the witch tilted her head.
"Aye" Hector answered mockingly "Ye suppose 'im to eat air an' drink sea water? Or ye expect 'e captured a sea turtle an' ran off?"
"I suppose yee to 'ave been merciful" she said slyly "And 'ave given 'im a chance yee may regret in future"
"Chance or no chance – I did what I did" Hector answered and saying no other word he left.
''ow does tis woman know about everything?' he thought angrily climbing into the boat 'She seem some kind of 'eathen goddess in 'uman form!
"Row, lads!" he called to his crewmembers "We 'ave eight 'undred an' eighty two medallions to collect!"
Jacoby stared at him. Barbossa laughed shortly hiding his doubts. The way was going to be long indeed.
Tia Dalma looked out of the window.
"See yee, Hecta Barbossa" she whispered stroking the misty glass with her fingertips and smiled solemnly "Now I know 'o be needed"