Chapter 11:
Jack untied his leg from the pole and got to his feet, he shook his head and stumbled slightly before he turned to Blake. He offered her a hand and she rose an eyebrow. She gave him her good arm and he yanked her to her feet.
"That's the last time I fall off a cliff for you." She said.
"Didn't you jump?" He muttered. She hit his shoulder.
They both paused however as there were shouts, coos and chanting. They both turned in time to see the Pelegostos appearing from between the trees.
"To the ship?" Blake muttered.
"Aye." Jack said before they both turned and flat out sprinted through the forest.
They sprinted through the trees, dodging and darting to not fall over, before the sound of the ocean reached them. Within a moment they could see it and they sprinted right for it. The Pelegostos continued behind them, shouting and shaking their spears around.
Blake shot through the trees first and her feet splashed sand and water everywhere as she ran along it before they hurried along the shore line to try and find the Pearl.
Blake had expected it to still be beached, but as they turned a corner she noticed the ship was in the water, floating upright and the crew were climbing up the side.
Jack noticed them too. "Oi!" He shouted and the crew turned towards them. They sprinted towards the ship as the Pelegostos came out from behind them. Will, who was grinning at them, lost the excited look.
"Time to go." Will decided.
"Cast off those lines!" Gibbs shrieked before he ran for the side of the ship, the rest of the crew doing the same, jumping the small waves. Pintel and Ragetti had found the ship beached, Ragetti looking over the rigging, ready to climb to boost the sail while Pintel, who'd been standing in the ocean, climbed onto the ship with the rest of the crew.
Jack looked back at the tribe and yelled as he ran, his arms waving around him. Blake cut across the water and towards the ship before she planted her feet, spun around and a huge wave went rushing across the sand and blasted into the pelegostos.
"Make ready to cast off!" Gibbs shouted over the water praying in his face.
Jack smirked at Blake before she grabbed his hand.
"Keep going or they'll leave us!" She snapped as she yanked on him towards the Pearl.
The pelegostos all were shaking their heads of the water and looking around. They spotted the two still running away from them and planning to board the ship. They began to get back to their feet but the two now had a substantial lead.
"Oi!" Jack shouted at his crew as they were preparing to leave. A dog was standing on the shore and he barked at Jack and Blake as they ran past.
"Good doggie." Jack said before turning to the tribe and shouting again. The dog barked at them as Jack jumped over the waves towards his fleeing ship while Blake jumped and one pushed her further towards it, ahead of Jack. The sails were down and the boat had completely left the beach, now sailing in the shallows.
The pelegostos stopped at the shoreline where the water washed over their feet. They didn't enter the waves or the water.
Blake jumped and a wave washed her right onto the edge of the Pearl where a lattice of ropes hung. She grabbed it and began to yank herself up as Jack reached his ship and grabbed the ropes also.
"Alas, my children," Jack waved his hand towards them. "This is the day you shall always remember as the day that you almost—" a wave came up and splashed Jack in the back, cutting him off. "Captain Jack Sparrow." He muttered before beginning to climb to the deck.
Blake heaved herself right over the railing and onto the deck before she heaved a sigh.
"Miss. Blake, you alright?"
"Jack fell off a cliff." She muttered. "I jumped off after him. Gimme a minute for me to catch my breath, and ask me again." She confessed as Gibbs looked sort of surprised.
Jack had climbed onto the deck behind her and she shot him a look, which he grinned too. Gibbs turned to him as everyone was running around the deck.
"Let's put distance between us and this island and head out to open sea." Gibbs decided as Pintel and Ragetti appeared behind Jack. Blake looked at them both.
"What the hell are you two doing here?" She demanded, recognising them. They shot her innocent grins as they put Jack's jacket over his shoulders. Blake could have sworn they were supposed to have been executed with everyone else of Barbossa's crew.
"Yes to the first and yes to the second but only so far as we keep to the shallows as much as possible." Jack responded to Gibbs, though he followed Blake's question, glancing at Pintel and Ragetti on either side of him confused. Pintel straightened up and saluted to him, Ragetti smiled when the captain looked at him also.
"That seems a little contradictory Cap'n." Gibbs thought.
"I have every faith in your reconciliatory navigation skills Master Gibbs now where is that monkey I want to shoot something." Jack said in frustration. A screech sounded and Ragetti's eye dropped onto the deck. He immediately crouched down to get it, spitting on it to clean it. The monkey screeched again as it climbed over the rigging and Pintel handed Jack a gun.
"Jack." Will said as Jack looked up as the beast screeched again.
"Eh?" Jack looked at him annoyed for an interruption.
"Elizabeth is in danger." Will admitted.
Jack simply turned and walked for the helm as Ragetti put his eye back in his empty socket.
"Yeah you want to tell us who locked her up?" Blake asked as she followed Jack and Will followed them both.
"Have you considered keeping a more watchful eye on her, maybe just lock her up somewhere?" Jack offered as he walked up the stairs.
"She is locked up in a prison, bound to hang for helping you two." Will snapped as he followed up the stairs.
"There comes a time when one must take responsibilities for ones mistakes." Jack said simply. Will stopped at a crew member who was pulling some rigging.
"Jack, you're alive because of her. If not for her you, me and Will would have hung." Blake reminded him. "Her status freed us."
"So?"
"So Will needs your compass for her, you don't even have to go near Port Royal."
"It's my compass." Jack agreed.
"Which hasn't worked for you for months." Blake snapped back. "Need I remind you that you have the Pearl because of Will and Elizabeth also and you owe them."
"Pirates don't give favours."
"You're in their debt Jack, that you must abide by."
"I don't think I'm in the mood." Jack said as he stepped towards her.
Will suddenly drew the sword of the crew mate beside him and placed it against Jack's neck. Blake looked at it surprised as it went over her shoulder and she took a step back as she rose an eyebrow at Will.
"I need that compass of yours Jack." Will said looking at him. "I must trade it for her freedom." Jack eyed Will and glanced at Blake. She gave him a look, her arms crossed, before Jack moved the sword to his other shoulder and turned to Gibbs who was at the wheel. Will looked confused.
"Mister Gibbs," Jack began.
"Cap'n." Gibbs responded, glancing towards him.
Jack moved to stand right behind Gibbs, at his shoulder, as Blake and Will watched.
"We have a need to travel upriver." Jack said leaning close to him.
Gibbs looked at him surprised and uncertain, not liking the idea. Blake's eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"By need, do you mean a trifling need, a fleeting, as in a passing fancy?" Gibbs wondered hopefully.
"No." Jack answered. "A resolute and unyielding need." Gibbs sighed at the answer, having not wanting to hear it as Jack stood at the railing looking over the ship.
"Which river are we going up?" Blake demanded as she moved to stand beside him.
"Would you know it?"
"Very likely, which one?"
"I have a voodoo priestess to see." He muttered and she looked surprised before she grinned.
"Seriously?"
Jack looked surprised. "No one's ever excited to see her." He muttered.
"I am." She grinned.
"What we need to do is make sail for Port Royal with all haste." Will said as he stood on Jack's other side.
"Oh, Will, we can give you the compass, but I don't think going back there is smart." Blake said. "You want us dead? That'd make all this worthless."
"They don't want Jack dead." Will said and the two looked at him confused.
"And me?" She asked.
"Can you die?" Will asked.
"Depends who wants me."
"Does it matter, we have to save Elizabeth."
"So her life's more important than ours?" Blake asked casually. Will pursed his lips as he stared at her.
Jack sighed. "William, I shall trade you the compass if you will help me to find this." Jack pulled out the cloth with the key on it to show Will.
Will looked at it, stepping closer. "You want me to help you find this?" he asked, tapping it as the ends fluttered in the wind. Blake's eyes narrowed as she looked at Jack.
"No. You want you to find this." Jack corrected, looking at him. "Because the finding of this, finds you incapacitorially finding and/or locating and you're discovering the detecting of a way to save your dolly belle ol'... what's-her-face." Jack rambled. "Savvy?" Jack said, grinning. Will stared at him before he grabbed the cloth from Jack.
"This… is going to save Elizabeth?" Will asked, looking at the key.
Jack shuffled slightly closer to Will. "How much do you know of Davy Jones?" He wondered cautiously. Will thought it over, his forehead furrowed.
"Not much."
"Yeah, it's going to save Elizabeth." Jack nodded. Gibbs smirked from behind them as WiIl glanced back at the key. Blake grabbed the bone that hung in Jack's hair and yanked it closer to her, causing a gasp from the Captain.
"What are you doing?" She demanded quietly.
"We need the key."
"You're going to get him killed." She whispered as they moved away from Will.
"You said I needed someone who didn't have a contract with Jones."
"So you're going to take advantage of Will's care to do so!?" She demanded.
Jack glanced at the boy. "Will's father is on Jones' ship." He said.
Blake rose an eyebrow. "Oh, so you're cruel as well as untrustworthy. Will cannot save his father!" She snapped.
"He can if he has the chest."
"You want the chest!" She snapped.
"Doesn't mean it can't be used for all sorts of purposes." Jack shrugged.
"Jack, this is a bad plan, trust me."
"Seems to be working so far." He grinned. "Are you with me on this or not?"
"Do you intent to leave Will on Jones' ship?" She asked.
"No." He nodded.
"Do you intent to trade me onto that ship?" She asked.
"Why would I do that? You're my weapon against Jones." He muttered.
"He also happens to likely want me more than you." She returned.
"Hadn't thought of that, maybe I will." He smirked.
Blake glared at him, her blue eyes turning as grey as thunder clouds. Jack took a step back.
"Kidding." He muttered.
"Jack, do not toy with me about this. Remember, I am the reason that kraken wont drag you, this ship and your crew down this afternoon. This is one danger I will not let you trifle with." She said darkly. Jack grinned at her, his forehead furrowed in fear before she stalked off past him and down the steps to the deck.
"What's up wth her?" Will questioned as Jack stared after her.
"Daddy issues." He muttered back.