A/N: Here we go! Exciting chapter for you all. I'm actually kind of nervous about posting this one, because it is pretty crucial. Hope people think it works!
Queenofspades: Haha, I was tempted to use that little blip you replied with as the story intro. But alas, things had to play out a bit differently.
AmmNIwriter: Hope this new chapter makes you smile, too!
Nytd: Thanks again for giving me the correct spelling of "Obeah". You have no idea how much it was bothering me to not know how to spell that!
Chapter 8
William Weatherby Turner was dreaming about his mother.
It was a bittersweet dream, because somewhere in the back of his mind, Will knew a dream was all it could be. She held him in her arms, sitting on a kitchen chair back at their home in Port Gullington. Aunt Martha's oat bread was rising in the oven, and Will was telling his mother how good it smelled. She smiled down at him, ruffling his hair and telling him to be patient. He sighed and leaned back into her arms. Her hand was on his shoulder then, but when he looked up, it was Master Hobbins, and they were on the deck of the Merry Maid. Master Hobbins shook his shoulder and called his name. Will tried to respond, but his mouth could not open. He tried to respond again, panic rising. His mouth was glued shut. He struggled, shaking back and forth, but Master Hobbins' grip on his shoulder just got tighter.
Will's eyes snapped open in fear.
"Shhh," a gravelly voice said. "It's okay, lad. I'm sorry to scare you, but you need to come with me."
He was awake. He was awake and terrified. Will realized that the strange man's hand was covering his mouth the moment he tried to scream for help.
"None of that now, boy," the man said, heaving the seven year-old up out of bed. "We have to get you out of here. Quick-like."
Will struggled against the large man, slapping at his dirty clothes and kicking into his gut.
"Mrmmm-mmm-mmm-mrmmmmmm!" Will screamed through the thick fingers of the kidnapping stranger.
"Ow, ow!" the man said, trying to block Will's blows to his stomach. "Will yeh calm down, lad! I'm a – "
The door burst open and several British soldiers flooded the room, guns leveled at the smelly intruder.
I'm saved! Will thought, relief washing over him.
" – Friend," the man finished lamely, clutching onto Will even tighter than before.
"Drop the boy," the commanding officer spoke, taking a menacing half step forward.
Oh, thank you, thank you! Will could feel tears welling up in gratitude.
The kidnapper stared at them, at first seeming uncertain. One glance over his shoulder, though, and he seemed to have reached a decision. "Sorry, don't think I can do that, lads." He began slowly backing up toward the open window.
No! Will looked at the window in fear, noticing the rope dangling down out it. Must be how he got in, some non-petrified part of Will's mind managed to realize.
"Drop him, pirate," the officer said, stepping forward again. "Now. Or so help me, I will shoot you."
Pirate?! Will's already panicked brain went into overdrive. I'm being kidnapped by a pirate?! Oh, Mum isn't going to like this at all…
"Mmmmlrm!" he tried to scream again.
"Quiet, kid!" the pirate hissed at him. "I'm here to help you!"
Will's mind reeled. What?!
"I will count to five," the officer said, cocking his gun. "One. Two."
Help me? But you're a pirate! Pirates don't help, they hurt! Soldiers help! Soldiers…
The warning from Master Hobbins suddenly popped up in Will's memory.
"Soldiers?!" Master Hobbins had said in shock. "I need to make somefin' perfectly clear, boy. Never, under any circumstances, go to a soldier for help. Ye are not to talk to soldiers, nor to officers. Don't even look at 'em. Stay away from any members of the Royal Navy, at all costs. Do ye understand, lad?"
"Three."
Will stopped struggling with his captor, indecision coursing through him. But if I can't trust soldiers, then…There was a sudden bump, interrupting Will's thoughts. The pair had apparently reached the windowsill.
"Four."
"Wait!" the pirate shouted, desperately, glancing out the window and seeming to realize he would never get out in time. "Hold on, let's be reasonable!"
"Five."
A gunshot rang out. Will winced automatically, but soon found that he was not falling to the ground. The pirate holding him remained standing, looking as shocked as Will felt. From outside the room, they heard the muffled sound of a body crumpling down the staircase. Screams let out from the bar beneath them.
"What in the name of – " the naval officer began, turning to face his soldiers.
Suddenly, more gunshots. Soldiers fell left and right, and shouts of battle could be heard through the dust and smoke. Will did not have much of a chance to absorb the horrifically shocking situation, however, as he soon felt himself being hoisted over the pirate's shoulders and shuffled towards the window.
"Hold on, kid!" the man shouted, swinging one leg over the windowsill and grabbing onto the rope. "This is our cue to leave!"
While his mind was filled with terror and confusion, one thing Will knew with definite clarity was that holding on was a really good idea. The pair dropped through the night air, Will's small fists curled tight in the man's stained vest. Below them, Will could just peer over to see the street filling with screaming bar-goers, racing out of the inn for safety. Above he could still hear the sound of guns firing and metal clashing. He doubted there was ever a time he had felt more terrified.
They slid down the rope quickly. Will could feel the blood rushing to his head and closed his eyes tight as the ground neared at an alarming speed.
Thud.
His captor staggered back for a moment upon landing, and did his best to cling onto the child draped over his right shoulder. Will realized that this was a perfect opportunity for escape, and began kicking and slapping all over again.
"Oh, for the love of Pete!" the pirate exclaimed, heaving the boy back in front of him and clasping both wrists in one tight fist. "I'm a friend! Gibbs! Mister Gibbs! Didn't your mother ever tell you about me?" he asked between huffed breaths as he ran down the streets of Port Beckett with Will in a firm grasp.
"No, she did not!" Will yelled, finally finding his voice and realizing there was no hand over his mouth anymore. "Heeeeeeeeeelp!" he started to wail just before the thick, dirty hand got slapped back over his face.
"Jack was right," the man (Gibbs? Will tried to think of what he called himself) said in exasperation. They reached a building near the edge of town, and the pirate stopped behind it to catch his breath. "Annoying as hell."
Will's ears perked up at that. Jack? Could he mean Captain Jack Sparrow? He felt puzzled. But, why would a pirate know Captain Jack Sparrow? Maybe he means a different Jack. Though, he did say he knew my mother, and Captain Jack Sparrow must know my mum, too, so maybe they DO know each other…William the Great must use his expert powers of deduction to learn more.
The gunshots were getting closer, and the pirate man started running again, heading out of town and into the trees. Will's eyes widened in surprise as he noticed other figures running alongside them.
More pirates! he realized in a shock. The figures to their right kept turning around to fire their pistols, and then spinning back forward and ducking as shots were returned their way. The pirate holding Will ducked and swerved frequently as well.
Bouncing along, young William Turner had a difficult time keeping track of who all was racing with them, but there appeared to be about four…no, five…
BANG!
No…four…Will realized in horror, as one of the pirates fell to the ground. His captor stumbled to a stop and turned to his fallen comrade.
"Henderson's down!" he shouted, looking about for aid.
Will's stomach lurched violently at the sight in front of them. There lay a young man, his face glued in shock. A pool of blood was seeping through his dirty white shirt, the exit wound of the gunshot horrifically wide across his chest.
"Yeah, and he's not gettin' back up," a new voice said.
Will looked up to see yet another strange pirate, this one sporting long black hair and tri-cornered hat. The new pirate paused upon noticing the boy. His dark, charcoal-lined eyes looked straight into Will's, his gaze intense and calculating. Will swallowed behind his captor's hand.
"Cap'n, orders?" his kidnapper asked the man.
Captain? That made the stranger even scarier than before.
A corner of the black-haired pirate's mouth twitched to the side and he broke eye contact with Will to glance down at their fallen companion. A shot fired past them at that point, causing both pirates to duck and run forward again.
"Keep to the code, Gibbs," the pirate captain said. "You know that."
"Yes, sir," Will's kidnapper nodded, as they sped off into the trees.
"Douse the torch!" the captain shouted at a tall man running ahead of them.
The man dropped the torch to the ground, stomping it into some sand. The light went out, and darkness enveloped the fleeing group.
Will felt tears streaming down his face. More than ever he wanted to be safe in his mother's arms. Or even with Master Hobbins. Someone. Anyone other than these terrifying men carting him away at the present moment. William the Great has been captured by the enemy. How will he make his daring escape, the world anxiously wonders? Another tear dripped silently down Will's nose. I wonder that, too.
Palm branches collided into the pair and the kidnapper swore. Momentarily releasing his grip on Will's mouth, he smacked the leaves to the side, still cursing about how "running in the dark was always, and would always be bad luck".
Will thought about yelling for help, but frankly he was too scared that would mean their pursuers would start shooting at them again, and might hit him by accident. The soldiers certainly did not seem like they were trying that hard to make sure he was not shot. Some rescue, Will thought to himself, angrily. Maybe Master Hobbins was right about soldiers. They are useless after all.
They continued to race through the dark until the rag-tag group came across a clearing, which Will quickly realized was actually a beach. They were at shore.
"Into the long boats!" the smelly pirate holding onto him whispered loudly, immediately dashing over to the first of the two vessels.
"I'm not takin' the left side again, you know my shoulder's bad," a slightly chubby pirate said to his skinner friend as the pair climbed into their boat.
"Oh alright, I'll row on the left, give me the oar," the other man responded.
"You don't have to trade oars for which side you row on, honestly," the first man said, clinging to his paddle as the pair switched seats.
"Yes you do!" the skinner man argued back, sitting down on his new side. "Due to the slight angulation of the oar's head, one oar is specifically designed for the right, and the other for the left."
"No, see, you can just turn it over, it will be the same."
"No, it won't, see? Now mine is all twisted funny."
"Well of course it is, because now you have it backwards."
"This wouldn't have happened if you had just given me your oar in the first place."
"Oh, will you two stuff it and start rowin'?!" Will's captor asked in frustration.
They boat began drifting off into the night, and Will fearfully thought for a moment that the soldiers had lost their trail. But then, shouts could be heard from the beach behind them, and Will twisted in the pirate's grip so that he could see what was going on.
Standing on the banks were four soldiers, each reloading their guns and screaming for the pirates to turn around "immediately".
Will began fighting again. This was his last chance, before…he gasped as the long boats rounded a rocky bend. In front of them was a dark ship, its sails being lowered in front of his eyes.
"Oi!" the captain yelled towards the pirates on board the vessel. "Hurry it up, will you?"
His demand was punctuated by new gunshots from the shore. The captain staggered in surprise, causing his long boat to rock awkwardly in the water.
Will squealed in fear as the shots rang out all around him. The smelly pirate pushed him to the bottom of the boat, holding him there. "You - stay down," he ordered sharply. He looked up at the frightened oarsmen on the seat in front of them. "And you two - row, dammit! Row like yer being chased by yer bonny lass's father!"
None of them needed to be told twice. The boat began sliding through the water at an incredibly fast pace, and Will rolled himself into a fetal position in the damp boat bottom. He shut his eyes and wished for it all to be over.
Time stretched on into infinity.
Darkness.
Gunpowder.
Waves.
Shouts.
And then silence. The soldiers had given up.
Tears were falling again, and Will shivered as water was continuously splashed onto his little body from the frantic rowing. William the Great was…he began, in an attempt to calm himself down. William the Great is…is not afraid. He is not wet. He is not kidnapped. He is just fine. He is…Will shook out a sob. William the Great is not so Great. William is nothing more than a pathetic little boy. If only he was a grown-up. If only he had a sword…Will gasped, his eyes flying open.
My dagger! How could I be so STUPID?!
Cautiously, he felt down his side for his belt. Relief bubbled up inside him as the hilt made contact with his fingertips.
Should I use it now? Will debated with himself. He could save it as a surprise for later…but then there was the risk of someone discovering it between now and then. And there was also the matter of 'later' being on board a pirate ship out at sea, rather than a long boat near an island.
Now, then. He would use it now. He gulped. The thought of actually threatening another person with a dagger made Will's stomach flip uncomfortably. But what choice do I have? William the Great would do it.
With those thoughts in mind, Will pulled himself together, grabbed the dagger from its sheath, and bolted upright. The boy lunged forward, diving around the smelly pirate who captured him earlier. He climbed onto his back like a monkey and pressed the dagger to his throat. The man made a sound of surprise.
"Let me go!" Will said, in what he hoped was a threatening tone. "Take me back!"
"Whoa, there, kid," the pirate said, holding his hands up in surrender. "Take it easy, now."
The remaining pirates in the boat stared in shock at the pair.
"Turn the boat around, and take me back, or…or…" Will's eyes darted back and forth, nervously. His hand shook badly, forcing him to inch a little farther away from the man's neck so it wouldn't start nicking him.
Before he could finish his demands, the boat was bumped from behind, and Will turned to see the other long boat sidling up next to them. Suddenly, Will felt something circular and cold against the back of his head, and heard the sound of a pistol being cocked.
"Put down the knife, lad," a voice said, which Will recognized in an instant to belong to the captain.
Will was terrified. However, his fear was not as strong as his determination to escape, and so he held the dagger more tightly. "No. You won't shoot me," his voice held steady. "You want me alive, or else you wouldn't have kidnapped me. Let me go, or I will kill this man."
He could hear the captain sigh behind him. "Listen, son, we didn't kidnap you. Obviously Gibbs here did a pretty inadequate job of explaining the situation to you."
Will could see his kidnapper's cheeks color out the corner of his eye.
"I tried, Cap'n, but the boy wouldn't listen to me!"
Will frowned. "Of course I wasn't going to listen to you! You're a pirate! I'd have to be pretty stupid to believe a pirate's word over a soldier's."
"Oh God, not again," the captain said behind him. "Gibbs, please say I don't have to do this again. One Will Turner was enough to last me a lifetime. Or rather, two lifetimes."
"Sorry, sir," the man said, his voice unsteady due to the blade shaking near his larynx.
Will's mind raced. "What…what do you mean…one Will Turner was enough?"
"Like I was tryin' to explain, kid, we're friends!" the man called Gibbs said. "Friends of your parents!"
Will could just hear the captain mumbling behind them, "Speak for yourself, mate."
Will decided he did not like the captain very much.
"We were rescuin' you," the pirate continued to explain. Will began to drop the dagger from his throat without realizing it. "The soldiers, they were the ones wantin' to kidnap you. We were there to make sure that didn't happen!"
Will fell silent, processing this new information. They could be lying, of course. But they did know his name. And they had not hurt him at all. And Master Hobbins was pretty strict about not trusting soldiers…Somewhere in the back of his mind, another memory surfaced.
"Will, this may sound strange, but I need to ask you something," his mother had said, about two years prior. "Have any soldiers ever approached you when you were out with your aunt or cousins?"
"Soldiers? No, Mum. Why?"
She had seemed relieved, Will remembered. "Just…checking. Let me know if any ever do."
"Okay, Mum. But, why?"
"Because, Will. Just because. Don't worry so much about the why. We talked about this. Sometimes you just have to trust me."
Will let the hand holding the dagger fall all the way to his side, and he slid off the pirate's back. "How do you know my parents?" he asked, sitting down next to the man, and turning part way around to also address the captain, who had long since lowered his pistol.
The captain's eyes were distant momentarily, until he remembered himself and turned his expression into a friendlier one. "Will and Elizabeth? We all go way back."
Will gasped. He knew his mum's name, too! Maybe they really are who they say they are. But…why in the world would my parents have a bunch of rowdy pirates for friends?
The captain slid his pistol back into his belt and gave Will a salute as his long boat pulled ahead. Will noticed that all eyes were looking forward and up, and he turned instinctively. They had arrived at the ship.
Ropes were being tossed down and slung around the long boats. Will watched the process in interest, until the pirate man nudged him to stand up, handing him one of the lines.
"Can yeh climb, kid?" he asked, offering his hands as a way of hoisting the boy up.
Will sheathed his dagger and clutched the rope. He nodded, still not trusting himself to say much at all. There was just too much swirling about in the child's mind to bother formulating more words.
He shimmied up the rope, and soon found himself on the deck of the mysterious ship. The pirate named Gibbs followed him, and Will could tell the man instantly felt more at ease as soon as his feet had hit the deck.
The captain climbed up farther down the ship, and immediately began barking orders. "Full canvas! Lamps out! Steer her straight out until we get this damned island well behind us!"
"Aye aye, Cap'n!" Will heard several men shout, as the ship quickly filled up with its crew.
Will sat himself down on a crate near the stairs. It appeared he had been temporarily forgotten by the pirate crew.
At least, so he had thought, until the captain walked over towards him. He had a very funny way of walking, Will noticed. He wondered if the captain had been drinking. He certainly smells like he has been, Will thought, crinkling his nose at the dark-haired man who had just taken a seat on the crate next to Will's.
"So." The captain stared at Will. "You're it then, eh?"
Will felt puzzled. "I'm…what?" he managed to ask, despite the inner war raging inside him. These people may be friends of his parents, but there was something about the captain that Will really did not like. Still, he figured he owed it to the man to speak to him, if he had in fact been part of a rescue mission for him.
The captain seemed to ignore his question completely. "Tell me, William. Ever have any thoughts of mutiny?"
Will shook his head slowly, not sure what the captain was getting at.
"Ever declared war on an innocent stockpile of rum?"
He shook his head again. The captain is really…strange.
"Never fed anyone to the Kraken, either, eh?"
"No," Will said, confused. "Mum said the Kraken died a long time ago."
The captain cracked a grin. "And she is absolutely right about that, mate. That Beastie is long gone." His eyes twinkled happily, and despite his initial dislike for the man, something about his smile made Will feel oddly safe.
"Anyhow. It's about time I made a proper introduction," the captain said. He took his hat off, held it over his heart, and gave a seated version of a bow towards Will. "I'm the one and only Captain Jack Sparrow."
Will gasped.
"Heard of me, have you?" the captain smiled even larger and set his hat back atop his head. "Of course you have. I'm sure your mother must talk about me all the time. Probably with a dreamy look in her misleadingly sweet and gentle eyes, eh, mate?" He winked and nudged Will in the ribs a bit.
The words went in one ear and out the other. Captain…Jack Sparrow…is a pirate?
"You…you're Captain Sparrow?" Will asked, mouth hanging open.
The captain spread his arms wide. "At your service, little Turner."
"But Mum…Mum said I was supposed to trust you. She told me to come to you if anything ever happened!" Will tried to process this. "But you're…a pirate!"
The captain's face became more serious. "William, where is your mother?"
Will looked up at the man and saw real concern in his eyes. Maybe it had been too early to decide to hate him. "Gone," he said, and suddenly found himself sobbing. An awkward moment passed between them. Then, surprisingly, the captain's arms were wrapped around him, rocking him in time to the roll of the waves under the ship.
