Ahoy there! Fresh after watching the Olympics and now, back to work.
This is my first POTC fic featuring our favorite ice cream dude: James Norrington (after a long disappointing work of research/writers block attempts/content/sentence structure/brit picking) so here's the prologue of the story.
Title - Dangerous Beauty
Summary - Torn between honor and apathy, Commodore Norrington's life went bewilderingly drawn to the feisty Catherine 'Cat' Smith, a pirate with no memory. Will our Commodore able to helping...then tempting to this pirate maiden? Post COTBP/AU.
Disclaimer - This story is my idea! All characters belong to the mouse!
(Thank You Notes' piano theme) Thank you, bruised-tears for healing the work and we'll PM'ed again!
Prologue
Oft on the troubled oceans face,
Loud stormy winds arifle;
The murmuring surges f'well apace
And clouds obscure the skies
The grey and dark storm was rapidly closing in causing the chaos between the waves crashing and harsh winds…the wrath of nature is so unforgiving throughout the darkness of the North Atlantic seas, and Mother Nature has gone bad to worse. If we could see this scene in our own eyes, it was sheer madness. So violent, as the sounds of thunder flashes, so frightening.
And just how can a lone dinghy sail across to fate, being tossed around by the storm? And still resume his singing…
But, when the tempests range is o'er,
Soft breezes smooth the main,
The billows cease to left the shore,
And all is calm again.
Not fo in found and am'rous fouls.
If tyrant Love once reigns,
There one eternal tempest rolls,
And yields unceasing pain.
A person on a boat, still singing to meet its death or fighting to stay alive. Pushing both oars with his bared hands, rowing and rowing before his arms began to sore. Harder and faster in an adrenaline rush as he bravely continued singing.
Ah, cruel god!
Our peace restore,
Or wound us with thy fhats no more:
Ah, cruel god! Ah, cruel god!
Our peace restore,
Or wound us with thy fhats no more…
He froze in his singing, stunned in terror where a huge wave is about to pull in straight at him. Without warning, he's paddling faster and faster (and resumes singing) as the wave pulls him in a frightening speed, then it tosses the dinghy in the air and crashes it down to its sea.
It was a miracle that the waves pushed the boat away safely from the middle of the tempest, and the dinghy bounces swell to swell until it's over.
The waves are calming down as the dinghy floats slowly. But the song has stopped and there is silence as the storm fades…
Two days later...
Morning came with a beautiful sunrise like a word of peace, as the HMS Dauntless sails across the open seas. It was three months at sea where the crew gathered their duties from cleaning barracks to testing the rig. Others are on hands at deck as officers were standing at the helm, towering over the quiet ocean as they chatted with each other humorously about their loved ones way back home. The ship is hardly fit with a muscle as she surges forward on its long journey. And it's almost five days from now after departing England before she's heading to the Caribbean seas: a one-day stopover first to Port Lake at Anguilla for repairs and extra supplies, and then finally sailing home to Port Royal.
Under the poop deck at the stern of the ship, where the sunbeams streamed in through the ornate glass windows and brightens the Great Cabin. Commodore James Norrington stood at the long cherry wood mirror, buttoned his waistcoat then put his blue coat. He paused in a moment to look at his own semblance in the mirror. He looks young at the age of thirty-two without a powdered wig rather than forty: a fine gentleman of propriety, honor and experience. He's still in a good appearance he seemed to be perfect in his bachelor life. Perfect as a fine officer of the British Royal Navy he served well for thirty years of service.
But perfect James's life had suddenly haunted him a year ago, his engagement with Elizabeth Swann during his promotion. He was fairly foolish over the failure during mayhem later on as the Black Pearl attacked Port Royal and kidnapped Elizabeth. So foolish because of his introspective by-the-book mannerism on rescue attempt and so on, was a slow failure. But in the end, his proposal with the Governor's daughter was cut off and she's already fallen into the arms of Will Turner, a young blacksmith with pirate's blood who saves her life. And James had known that Elizabeth did not loved him…
Everything that his life was outwitted by on Turner's side was Jack Sparrow, a certain pirate who started it all and gave Norrington a major bad headache.
And…oh that? He's also his zealously over pirates including Sparrow. A pride, brave and noble man: The Scourge of Piracy, as locals, fellow officers and much worse, you named it – pirates, throughout calling him. His blood lust was still hunting against those scoundrels, outlaws and criminals, and bringing them to justice then end to the gallows. Already during his lifetime at sea, his pirate hunting adventures were his only place with a taste of excessive hostility to spread a warning against every pirate across the Caribbean.
He finally finished dressing properly as he strapped his sword and pistol and headed out the door to the main deck. He walked as he courteously watched a sailor busy clearing the ropes around the mast, then ten men heaving on a heavy rope, raising a top sail. The ship is plowing itself into the middle of the sea.
It was an opaque morning as the Dauntless glides across the clear blue waters. The Commodore walked finally to the upper deck, with his hands clasped behind his back, relaxing in a little breeze which ran through the corn like a swift serpent, and looking towards the sea after inspection.
"Good morning, sir." First Lieutenant Theodore Groves greeted with salute, approaching next to James.
"Morning, Lieutenant." Norrington replied.
"You're up early, sir?"
"Yes, I'm bit of a light sleeper." He sighed. "Thank goodness from the storm."
Groves nodded. "It is."
"Well it's been over three months now and still the same path."
"Indeed, sir." Groves said, looking over the sea. "Everything's running smoothly and will keep us off guard before the fates' coming. Pirates are still prowling across the Caribbean area."
James nodded. "Good, makes sure to keep an eye and don't get too rash, Mr. Groves. This is our job at sea. Just one ship and we'll have them."
Then one hour later, the Commodore began walked back to his quarters to begin his log duties after the storm. "Well, I've been at the morning during sea inspection. Maintain sail and heading. And if anything becomes in the slightly degree, Mr. Groves."
"Yes, sir."
"In the meantime–"
Without a warning, a bell rings from the crow's nest three times. "Three points to port!" A lookout crew cried above. "There's a small craft, sir!"
Groves turned to the crew. "All hands on deck!"
As the Dauntless furls and then turns, Norrington and Groves walked quickly to the rail where a floating object spotted there, like a drifting leaf. James pulled out his spyglass as he took a closer look.
"Three points to port!" James demand to his lieutenant.
"Three points to port!" Groves to the helmsman.
"Turn ho!" Kingsley the helmsman turns the wheel.
As James moves the lens of his spyglass to whole view: a lone small dinghy where a human figure lies, in the middle of nowhere. "There's one person on the boat, Mr. Groves." he said. "Gather the crew and prepare to lower the lifeboat."
"I'll order one of our men to bring some canteen with fresh water, Commodore." Groves added.
"Good." James put his spyglass away. "Send them down and I'm coming right over. You're with me, Lieutenant." he turned to his crew. "Mr. Pyle." then finally to his second officer. "Mr. Gillette, take on command."
Four minutes later as Groves and the crew were finally into the lifeboat then the Commodore joined them below. Broderick Shaw the ship's doctor rushes out of his cabin and to the upper deck where Second Lieutenant Phillip Gillette is in charge.
"Morning, Gillette." the doctor greeted. "What's going on?"
Gillette glanced to Shaw. "There's a small dinghy in the middle of the ocean."
Then Shaw walked against the rail to take a look. "Survivors?"
"Just one, doctor."
They watched as the sails gathered and set out their own boats to investigate. James held his spyglass again to watch in the distance the lifeless being in dark shirt and brown breeches determined to be dead, asleep or even drunk, and he could see the tangled strands of dark black hair, but it's too hard to see its face. And as they finally drew close, the crew grabbed hold of the dinghy and gazed at the form of a young boy lying on right side in the bottom of the boat. James climbed over to the dinghy then he leans down closer and turned the lad to face him.
To the Commodore's surprise, that this boy was revealed to be a girl.
Her face would have struck him as unbeautiful with her eyes closed that she's asleep peacefully. And whatever her age, one year younger before Miss Swann's and he found it diverting as his heart suddenly ached in his chest. How could this poor creature last alone in the middle of the Atlantic was impossible to fathom like this?
James was still paying attention to this stranger from Theodore Groves' words at the next boat. "Sir!" the lieutenant alarmed again, this time in a loud call. "Is he dead?"
"S…sorry." James hesitates, he took her wrist to checked her pulse. "No, she's alive."
He can't take it anymore as he's still staring at this sad innocent creature of her quiet life, and it was like a rose in blowing that had James mesmerized…
Oi, James! Shut up and snap out of it! He sighed and hesitates in abasement.
Try to pay his attention this time so studied her again as he held her forehead on his other hand. "She's got exposure, and she's been here for a while after the storm…fetch me the canteen–" then he paused as his eyes lowered to her wrist his holding and gazed to her forearm: the letter 'P' branded on her skin.
The Commodore's coolly state with his brows raised as he found his catch. "Well, I'll be damned." he muttered.
* that lyric is belong to the songs from the Revolution. And it's too difficult to find a better sea faring lyrics of the 18th century!
Oh, please...reply and what d'ya think ^_*... kupooooo!