A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. My mom's kinda... angry with me at the moment. Anyway, there's been a slight change concerning the fic. I decided to let my beta reader (Kayden Eidyak) write with me... so this fic is somewhat joined between us two. I supply her with what happens in the movie and the lines, she fills in the rest and sends it to me, and I check it over, make some edits, and send it back to her. Isn't that cool? Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter, I fence so I tried to make it sound as realistic (in terms of the vocabulary) as possible, and then let Kayden write in the rest.
Kayden: You had all better enjoy the swordfight because that was a bloody nightmare!
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
By: Savvy Jack Sparrow
-
British soldiers came running down the stairs, past a brass statue and around the corner.
"Search upstairs! Look lively, men!" One called as the hunt for the pirate continued.
Jack slowly pulled his sword out from the statue's hand and stepped out from behind his hiding place. He glanced around quickly, before hurrying into the nearby smithy.
The wooden sign that read "J. Brown" and depicted blacksmith tools swayed slightly as the door slammed.
Once inside, Jack looked around cautiously. He noticed the donkey that stood placidly to his right and the cart and hot furnace on his left. Deciding that the place was empty, he jumped off the step and headed to the furnace where various tools lay about. He put his hat down and grabbed a hammer so he could attempt freeing himself from the shackles.
A heavy clank from behind caused him to whirl around in alarm.
He saw a man slumped in a chair, a bottle lying on the ground beside him. Jack cautiously walked over to the sleeping old man and poked him in the chest. The man in the chair didn't stir and only continued to snore. Jack slowly turned away but spun back around with a sudden, loud "Whoa!" in effort to wake the drunk who continued to remain oblivious.
Satisfied that the man wasn't going to wake before he was finished, Jack went back to the issue of breaking the chain links that bound his hands. He made an attempt to separate them with the hammer that he still held, but the chain wasn't long enough. He looked around in annoyance for anything else that might work. As he spotted the donkey that was hitched to a collection of gears and the iron poker near the fire, a sudden thought occurred to him.
Heating the poker to a bright orange, he touched it to the donkey's backside with a smirk. The donkey let out a squeal and began trotting around the circle to which it was attached. The gears began to move and Jack got the chains between the spaces and his hands were free in a matter of seconds.
No sooner was this accomplished then he heard the door creak. He looked over, panic setting in and searched for a suitable hiding spot.
******
Will Turner entered the smithy and quietly closed the door behind him. Noticing the donkey, still trotting about in a circle, he jumped down to stop it. He gave it a comforting pat on the nose before taking off his jacket and going over to Mr. Brown.
"Right where I left you," he said with a sigh.
He looked around the smithy and noticed the hammer that Jack had been using.
"Not where I left you," he murmured, somewhat confused as he threw down his jacket. He saw the triangular hat sitting near the hammer and he reached for it. He had only barely touched it when his hand was slapped with the flat side of a sword. He looked up with surprise and saw Jack standing there with his sword out. He slowly backed away as Jack moved forward.
"You're the one they're hunting. The pirate," Will said with sudden realization.
Jack looked closely at Will. "You look somewhat familiar. Have I threatened you before?"
"I make a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates," Will replied indignantly.
Jack nodded. "Ah. Well, then it would be a shame to put a black mark on your record. So if you'll excuse me –" He turned to get his hat and began to sheath his sword.
Thinking fast, Will grabbed his own sword and pointed it at the pirate.
"Do you think it's wise, boy... crossing blades with a pirate?" Jack asked slyly, sauntering forward.
"You threatened Miss Swann," Will said, extending his sword further in Jack's direction.
Jack ran the blade of his sword down Will's. "Only a little," he replied with a feral grin.
Jack moved forward and beat Will's blade. Will stepped back and parried. Jack advanced and beat him again, Will again stepped back and parried, but this time reposted, by slashing at Jack. Jack drew back to avoid being hit.
Will smiled with satisfaction and advanced. He hit Jack's sword and Jack retreated. He did it again and Jack moved back further. Jack caught Will's blade with his own and twisted it downwards, lowering his sword.
"You know what you're doing, I'll give you that," Jack announced, with a note of amusement. He walked forward and Will eyed him suspiciously. "Excellent form," he added as he raised his sword again and narrowed his eyes.
"But how's your footwork?" he asked softly. "If I step here..." he began, crossing his left foot over his right. Will followed suit and they circled each other. Jack slashed at Will and he met Jack's blade and they both withdrew their swords.
"Very good," Jack said pleasantly, "Now I step again." Jack crossed his feet moving in the opposite direction this time, trying to get himself between Will and the door. He thrust towards Will. Will brought his sword up and parried every strike.
Finally, Jack lunged at Will, to be blocked again. "'Ta," he said with a smile and turned towards the door, sheathing his sword and climbing onto the stone ledge.
Will set his face with determination and threw his sword into the door, securing it so the handle could not be lifted.
Jack froze and stared at the sword that vibrated just inches from his face, eyes wide. He glanced over at Will with a smile then looked back at the sword, grabbing the handle to still its movement. Taking the handle in both hands he pulled on it. Nothing happened. He placed a foot against the door and wrenched on it with all his might but the sword held fast. He shook it vigorously in agitation but achieved moving nothing except the door. Giving up, he turned to look at Will.
"That," he remarked as he stepped onto the cart. "is a wonderful trick. Except once again you are between me and my way out," he said, pointing to Will. "And now," he began, once again unsheathing his sword as Will took a step backwards, "you have no weapon," he finished with a smile.
Will spun around a snatched up the still hot iron poker from the fire and Jack's smile faded.
The donkey noticed the reminiscent of his previous run around the circle and began to repeat the act all over again.
Jack jumped behind the wooden post and Will followed, jumping on the opposite side. They parried behind the post, sparks flying and Will moved out again. Jack retreated then slashed forward. Will grabbed Jack's hand and threw it and his sword back.
Will dropped the burning iron and leapt over to the wooden post carrying the swords he had made and grabbed one in time to meet Jack's blade.
Jack looked at all the swords in amazement. "Who makes all these?!" he asked incredulously.
Will hit Jack's sword and jumped down. They switched places. "I do!" Will shouted, gripping onto the posts and moving to his left. "And I practice with them," he panted as he blocked Jack's sword, and moved back to the right of the post, "three hours a day!"
They switched places again and Jack held onto the post. "You need to find yourself a girl, mate," he said with a grin, ducking Will's slash and jumping off to grab an extra sword.
Will picked up the iron he dropped on the ground and they met with double blades.
"Or, perhaps the reason you practice three hours a day is that you've already found one, and are otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet." Pause. "...You're not a eunuch, are you?" Jack asked with a frown. He glanced down.
Will glared at him. "I practice three hours a day so that when I meet a pirate... I can kill it!"
"Ah," Jack smiled. Will slashed at Jack's stomach, who moved back onto the cart. Will followed him onto the cart as well. As the stones keeping it balanced fell away, the platform started to move. Both struggled to keep their balance while beating at each other's swords.
Will thrust forward and Jack dodged it easily but the broken links of his shackles got caught in Will's sword. Will threw the sword up to the wooden rafter where it stuck tight and kept Jack's left arm secured.
Will smiled and Jack made a rather futile attempt to hit Will with his other sword. Will moved back slightly. Jack continued to flail around his foot stepped on a loose board that flew up and hit Will, throwing him to the ground.
Will shook his head, slightly dazed. Jack pulled up on his trapped arm and hooked his legs around the rafters, trying to pull himself free. Will stood up and watched him curiously.
Jack's eyes widened suddenly as he felt the sword come free. He began to fall. He landed on the cart just as Will stepped on, catapulting him onto the rafters. Jack got quickly to his feet and looked around. He grinned when he saw Will on the rafters, though it faded quickly as Will cut a rope that held an assortment of heavy objects. They fell on the end of the cart opposite Jack and it launched him upwards as well. Jack grabbed the rafters and quickly pulled himself up.
He jumped onto a rafter parallel with Will. Will jumped onto the beam Jack had occupied at the same moment Jack jumped to the one Will had just been on, tying to catch each other on the same beam so they could resume their sword fight. Will feinted a move to the opposite rafter and Jack, falling for the trick found himself face to face with Will on the same beam. He teetered dangerously and grabbed a rafter for balance. Will took the moment to knock the sword out of Jack's hand.
Jack stared at Will for a moment before flipping off the rafters back to the ground. Will followed quickly. As a last resort, Jack took a bag of sand and shook it at Will causing sand and dust to fly into his eyes, blinding him momentarily. Jack seized the opportunity to kick the sword out of Will's hand.
Will struggled to clear the sand from his eyes as he picked up his sword. He stood upright, to continue the fight, only to find himself looking down the barrel of Jack's pistol.
"You cheated."
"…Pirate!" Jack replied with raised eyebrows as if that would explain all.
The front door rattled suddenly and soldier's voices could be heard outside. Will quickly stepped in front of the opposite door, barring the way out.
"Move away," Jack commanded.
"No," Will said, shaking his head and glancing at the rattling door.
"Please move?" the pirate pleaded, becoming desperate.
"No! I cannot just step aside and let you escape," Will said, looking uncertainly at the pistol.
Jack cocked the pistol. "This shot is not meant for you."
Will noticed something behind Jack and paused, squinting in confusion.
There was a dull clank and the shattering of glass as Jack fell to the floor, unconscious, revealing Mr. Brown standing behind him with the broken neck of a bottle in his hand.
The soldiers finally managed to break through the door. "There he is!" one shouted and they ran down the steps to the still form of Jack Sparrow, their bayonets poised over his body.
"Excellent work, Mr. Brown," Norrington remarked, with his pistol in the air. "You've assisted in the capture of a dangerous fugitive."
"Just doin' my civic duties, sir," Mr. Brown said with a drunken slur.
Will raised his eyebrows in slight annoyance and glanced down at Jack.
"Well, I trust you'll always remember this as the day that Captain Jack Sparrow almost escaped," Norrington said. He turned around to leave.
"Take him away."
