The ships lay silent in the water, still rolling gently with the waves as
the men took note of what had happened that day. Danielson was defeated,
those few left of his crew locked in the brig of the Dauntless. The Stella
Maris lay abandoned in the water, a ghost ship, there for anyone who wanted
her. A little way away lay the Pearl, battered from her struggle, but
easily repaired as the crew worked to stop up the holes near her waterline.
On board the Dragon, though, no work was being done. The pirates sat about, restless, aimless, staring helplessly out across the Caribbean. An air of eternal patience lay over the silent ship. No words were spoken, no celebrations made. Sorrow hung over them, from bilge to main top.
Elias lay back in his bunk, pale and listless as he watched Marin wipe the cold sweat from his brow. He smiled faintly at her, pleased to see that those he counted as friends had survived the battle. His wound throbbed dully, coursing white-hot pain through his limbs as he looked on those gathered around him.
Will and Jack hung back by the door to the great cabin, both unsure as to whether they were welcome in these dark moments. Neither could quite believe what was happening, convinced that the old pirate would be his old self again the next morning with a cheery laugh for their worries the night before. But it was a false hope, they both knew, and there was nothing anyone could do to prevent Elias from slipping away from them.
James stood a little closer to the bunk, his eyes fixed on the darkness outside, trying to ignore the pain in his heart as his cousin hovered between life and death. Bitter anger ran through him, chilled by the knowledge that he had found his family only to lose one half of it so soon. He could hear Marin's laboured breathing as she fought not to cry, knowing that he could not let her slip away without Elias' presence in her life.
The pirate reached up, pulling Marin's hands away from his face with a weak hand.
'Nay, lass, there's no need for that,' he said gently. 'I've been filthy all my life, I'd rather not meet my maker any other way. He might not recognise me.'
She couldn't laugh at his joke, her features twisting into a grimace as she held back the flood of tears that threatened to spill over. He smiled tenderly at his little girl, holding her trembling hand in his own even as he addressed the others about him.
'Master William.'
Will glanced up, stepping forward to stand close to the dying man as he looked up at him.
'My gratitude to ye,' Elias said softly. 'Ye spilt the blood that those others who share it wouldn't have to. 'Tis a good thing. Blood be thicker than water. Though he were a traitor, he were still my cousin, and it would have pained my heart to see his blood split by his own. My thanks to ye.'
Will nodded curtly, fighting not to let himself feel the sorrow in the cabin as keenly as he did.
'Anyone would have done the same,' he told the pale man. 'And I have a lot to be thankful to you for.'
Elias' smile was indulgent.
'If ye're referring to the incident with yer wife, ye ask her what she kept threatening me with while Jack was off looking for ye,' he said, amused. 'I wasn't keeping her safe for ye, I was protecting me own neck.'
Unable to reply to his joking attitude, Will nodded once again, turning to resume his place in the shadows.
'I'm not done with ye yet,' Elias said, his voice firm in the silence that shrouded them. 'Come closer, lad.'
Will moved to kneel beside Marin, touched deeply by the unshed tears that sparkled in her eyes.
'The Dragon is yers,' Elias told him softly, ignoring Marin's intake of breath. 'Ye've earned her, and now ye shall have her. No arguments, lad. I've no wish to leave this life with angry words on my conscience.'
The younger man was shocked, grateful to the old man for his generosity. The Red Dragon would never be anyone's but Elias', he knew, but he would captain her for the pirate as long as the crew wished him to. Elias reached into his shirt, withdrawing his locket and tugging it from around his neck. He dropped the heavy piece into Will's hand, silencing his protests with a gesture.
'This be yours now, Will,' he said solemnly. 'Begun by blood, by blood undone, as certain people would say.'
Will tensed, recognising the words of the blood ritual Barbossa had tried to put him through. Elias nodded, seeing the recognition in his eyes.
'There is sense in the words,' he murmured. 'Those of my blood began this and now I am to put an end to it. Ye did what I could not, boy. My share of the treasure is yers.'
Will frowned, once again silenced by Elias' pleading gaze. Unable to deny a dying man's wish, he closed his fingers over the locket, stepping away as Elias beckoned for Jack to take his place.
The irascible pirate was unusually subdued as he moved forward, his face blank for fear of showing just how much he felt for the pirate who had shaped him when he first ran away to sea.
'We've come a long way, Jack lad,' Elias rasped, hissing as a surge of pain ran through him.
Jack's hand closed over his as the old pirate sought something to grip to tide him through the agony that ripped through his suddenly frail body. He was shocked to find that the strength that had made Elias legendary in these waters was all but gone, seeping from him along with his spirit. Beside him, Marin watched in frozen grief, unable to tear her eyes from the man who had been her father and her friend for so many years.
Slowly the pain subsided, and Elias let out a derogatory chuckle for the interruption. His eyes fixed on Jack's once more, seeming to see deep into the younger man's soul.
'I know ye of old, Jack lad, I know yer moods and yer feelings,' he told him, seeing the kohl-rimmed eyes widen as Jack realised just what the old man was telling him.
Elias reached out to take Marin's hand gently, placing it firmly into Jack's out-stretched fingers. He closed his hand over them both, holding them together as Jack's hand tightened on the girl's trembling fingers.
'Take care of my girl, Jack,' he said, a note of question in his voice. 'Swear to me ye won't ever let her be alone again.'
Jack swallowed hard against the lump that had risen in his throat, feeling it settle over his heart as he nodded firmly.
'I swear, Fitz,' he whispered, glancing up at Marin to see a single tear roll forlornly down her cheek.
He longed to draw her into his embrace right then, but knew this was her time with Elias and he had no right to interrupt it. The old pirate transferred his piercing gaze to his little shipmate, feeling the sting of the good bye as she hiccuped back her tears.
'I want ye to promise me, lovely,' he told her tenderly. 'Promise me ye'll not push young Jack aside. Stay with him . . . for me, if not for yerself.'
Marin's lip trembled as she answered, her voice as steady as her shaking fingers.
'I promise.'
He nodded, satisfied, and glanced over their heads to where James watched in detached sorrowful silence.
'And ye, cousin,' he raised his voice, the tone commanding despite his weakness. 'Yer head of the family now. One thing I would ask of ye . . . don't let them break their word.'
James smiled, seeing the manipulation that was going on. He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Elias smiled, relaxing back against his single pillow with a grateful sigh.
'Tis done, then,' he murmured. 'Never let it be said I left my own untended.'
He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the coldness begin to creep over him. With a gentle wave of his hand, he dismissed them.
'I would like to spend my last moments with my family,' he said softly, and they obediently left. Elias grinned as the last of them reached the door. 'That includes ye now, commodore.'
Abashed, James stepped away from the door, leaving it open at Elias' request. He'd sailed with the same crew nigh on twenty years, he said, they deserved to be a part of his last evening with them. The candlelight flickered off the bulkheads, illuminating the sorrowful scene as Marin laid her head on her guardian's hand, longing for him to live and yet unwilling to hold him back.
Elias ran a tender hand over her hair, feeling her deep sorrow permeate into him as he thought back over his times with her. They had been among the happiest of his life, watching this little spark of a woman grow to maturity. He was glad he had been able to provide for her, even if it was just giving his permission for Jack to be her companion. He could think of no one better to look after his little girl.
'Marin . . .'
His voice was quiet, as if he had not the strength to speak louder. She leant close, ignoring the signs that told her his end was near.
'Sing to me,' Elias breathed, a fond smile on his lips as she blinked in surprise. 'The Parting Glass . . . to bring me safe into the next world.'
Drawing in a deep breath to steady her voice, Marin nodded, sitting back as James took a seat behind her. Elias held her hand lightly as she began to sing, her voice growing in strength as she continued.
'Oh, all the money that e'er you've spent,
You spent it in good company
And all the harm that e'er you've done,
Alas, it was to none but thee . . .'
The melody filled the cabin, swirling around the heart-breaking scene as Elias relaxed back into his covers with a contented smile. James felt tears of his own well up in his eyes, unable to hold them back as they flowed, unchecked, down his cheeks.
'And all you've done for want of wit
To memory now, I can't recall,
So fill to me the parting glass,
Good night, and joy be with you . . .'
Her voice cracked as her tears began to fall, constricting her throat mercilessly as she looked on Elias' pale face. His fingers tightened imperceptibly on her own.
'No tears, lass, ye've another verse to go,' he mumbled, his voice nearly inaudible as he spurred her on.
Marin took another deep breath, grateful as James reached out to grip her shoulder, the only thing he could think of to give her strength.
'Oh, all the comrades that e'er you've had
Are sorry for your going away,
And all the sweethearts that e'er you had
Would wish you one more day to stay . . .'
As she sang, a gentle chorus of voices joined her, and James became aware of the stillness of the night, as the crew of the Red Dragon bid farewell to her captain in the only way they could.
'But since it falls unto your lot
That you should rise and we should not . . .'
Marin felt the grip on her hand weaken, saw the head loll to one side in a sleep from which he would never waken. But Elias wanted her to sing him out, and she'd be damned if she was going to let him down, forcing the final phrase from her unwilling lips.
'You'll gently rise, and we'll softly call,
'Goodnight, and joy be with you' . . .'
As the final note of the mournful melody drifted out into the night, all that could be heard on board the Red Dragon was the sound of a single girl, sobbing for the man who had given her so much and taken so little, dead by the hand of her father's murderer.
On board the Dragon, though, no work was being done. The pirates sat about, restless, aimless, staring helplessly out across the Caribbean. An air of eternal patience lay over the silent ship. No words were spoken, no celebrations made. Sorrow hung over them, from bilge to main top.
Elias lay back in his bunk, pale and listless as he watched Marin wipe the cold sweat from his brow. He smiled faintly at her, pleased to see that those he counted as friends had survived the battle. His wound throbbed dully, coursing white-hot pain through his limbs as he looked on those gathered around him.
Will and Jack hung back by the door to the great cabin, both unsure as to whether they were welcome in these dark moments. Neither could quite believe what was happening, convinced that the old pirate would be his old self again the next morning with a cheery laugh for their worries the night before. But it was a false hope, they both knew, and there was nothing anyone could do to prevent Elias from slipping away from them.
James stood a little closer to the bunk, his eyes fixed on the darkness outside, trying to ignore the pain in his heart as his cousin hovered between life and death. Bitter anger ran through him, chilled by the knowledge that he had found his family only to lose one half of it so soon. He could hear Marin's laboured breathing as she fought not to cry, knowing that he could not let her slip away without Elias' presence in her life.
The pirate reached up, pulling Marin's hands away from his face with a weak hand.
'Nay, lass, there's no need for that,' he said gently. 'I've been filthy all my life, I'd rather not meet my maker any other way. He might not recognise me.'
She couldn't laugh at his joke, her features twisting into a grimace as she held back the flood of tears that threatened to spill over. He smiled tenderly at his little girl, holding her trembling hand in his own even as he addressed the others about him.
'Master William.'
Will glanced up, stepping forward to stand close to the dying man as he looked up at him.
'My gratitude to ye,' Elias said softly. 'Ye spilt the blood that those others who share it wouldn't have to. 'Tis a good thing. Blood be thicker than water. Though he were a traitor, he were still my cousin, and it would have pained my heart to see his blood split by his own. My thanks to ye.'
Will nodded curtly, fighting not to let himself feel the sorrow in the cabin as keenly as he did.
'Anyone would have done the same,' he told the pale man. 'And I have a lot to be thankful to you for.'
Elias' smile was indulgent.
'If ye're referring to the incident with yer wife, ye ask her what she kept threatening me with while Jack was off looking for ye,' he said, amused. 'I wasn't keeping her safe for ye, I was protecting me own neck.'
Unable to reply to his joking attitude, Will nodded once again, turning to resume his place in the shadows.
'I'm not done with ye yet,' Elias said, his voice firm in the silence that shrouded them. 'Come closer, lad.'
Will moved to kneel beside Marin, touched deeply by the unshed tears that sparkled in her eyes.
'The Dragon is yers,' Elias told him softly, ignoring Marin's intake of breath. 'Ye've earned her, and now ye shall have her. No arguments, lad. I've no wish to leave this life with angry words on my conscience.'
The younger man was shocked, grateful to the old man for his generosity. The Red Dragon would never be anyone's but Elias', he knew, but he would captain her for the pirate as long as the crew wished him to. Elias reached into his shirt, withdrawing his locket and tugging it from around his neck. He dropped the heavy piece into Will's hand, silencing his protests with a gesture.
'This be yours now, Will,' he said solemnly. 'Begun by blood, by blood undone, as certain people would say.'
Will tensed, recognising the words of the blood ritual Barbossa had tried to put him through. Elias nodded, seeing the recognition in his eyes.
'There is sense in the words,' he murmured. 'Those of my blood began this and now I am to put an end to it. Ye did what I could not, boy. My share of the treasure is yers.'
Will frowned, once again silenced by Elias' pleading gaze. Unable to deny a dying man's wish, he closed his fingers over the locket, stepping away as Elias beckoned for Jack to take his place.
The irascible pirate was unusually subdued as he moved forward, his face blank for fear of showing just how much he felt for the pirate who had shaped him when he first ran away to sea.
'We've come a long way, Jack lad,' Elias rasped, hissing as a surge of pain ran through him.
Jack's hand closed over his as the old pirate sought something to grip to tide him through the agony that ripped through his suddenly frail body. He was shocked to find that the strength that had made Elias legendary in these waters was all but gone, seeping from him along with his spirit. Beside him, Marin watched in frozen grief, unable to tear her eyes from the man who had been her father and her friend for so many years.
Slowly the pain subsided, and Elias let out a derogatory chuckle for the interruption. His eyes fixed on Jack's once more, seeming to see deep into the younger man's soul.
'I know ye of old, Jack lad, I know yer moods and yer feelings,' he told him, seeing the kohl-rimmed eyes widen as Jack realised just what the old man was telling him.
Elias reached out to take Marin's hand gently, placing it firmly into Jack's out-stretched fingers. He closed his hand over them both, holding them together as Jack's hand tightened on the girl's trembling fingers.
'Take care of my girl, Jack,' he said, a note of question in his voice. 'Swear to me ye won't ever let her be alone again.'
Jack swallowed hard against the lump that had risen in his throat, feeling it settle over his heart as he nodded firmly.
'I swear, Fitz,' he whispered, glancing up at Marin to see a single tear roll forlornly down her cheek.
He longed to draw her into his embrace right then, but knew this was her time with Elias and he had no right to interrupt it. The old pirate transferred his piercing gaze to his little shipmate, feeling the sting of the good bye as she hiccuped back her tears.
'I want ye to promise me, lovely,' he told her tenderly. 'Promise me ye'll not push young Jack aside. Stay with him . . . for me, if not for yerself.'
Marin's lip trembled as she answered, her voice as steady as her shaking fingers.
'I promise.'
He nodded, satisfied, and glanced over their heads to where James watched in detached sorrowful silence.
'And ye, cousin,' he raised his voice, the tone commanding despite his weakness. 'Yer head of the family now. One thing I would ask of ye . . . don't let them break their word.'
James smiled, seeing the manipulation that was going on. He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Elias smiled, relaxing back against his single pillow with a grateful sigh.
'Tis done, then,' he murmured. 'Never let it be said I left my own untended.'
He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the coldness begin to creep over him. With a gentle wave of his hand, he dismissed them.
'I would like to spend my last moments with my family,' he said softly, and they obediently left. Elias grinned as the last of them reached the door. 'That includes ye now, commodore.'
Abashed, James stepped away from the door, leaving it open at Elias' request. He'd sailed with the same crew nigh on twenty years, he said, they deserved to be a part of his last evening with them. The candlelight flickered off the bulkheads, illuminating the sorrowful scene as Marin laid her head on her guardian's hand, longing for him to live and yet unwilling to hold him back.
Elias ran a tender hand over her hair, feeling her deep sorrow permeate into him as he thought back over his times with her. They had been among the happiest of his life, watching this little spark of a woman grow to maturity. He was glad he had been able to provide for her, even if it was just giving his permission for Jack to be her companion. He could think of no one better to look after his little girl.
'Marin . . .'
His voice was quiet, as if he had not the strength to speak louder. She leant close, ignoring the signs that told her his end was near.
'Sing to me,' Elias breathed, a fond smile on his lips as she blinked in surprise. 'The Parting Glass . . . to bring me safe into the next world.'
Drawing in a deep breath to steady her voice, Marin nodded, sitting back as James took a seat behind her. Elias held her hand lightly as she began to sing, her voice growing in strength as she continued.
'Oh, all the money that e'er you've spent,
You spent it in good company
And all the harm that e'er you've done,
Alas, it was to none but thee . . .'
The melody filled the cabin, swirling around the heart-breaking scene as Elias relaxed back into his covers with a contented smile. James felt tears of his own well up in his eyes, unable to hold them back as they flowed, unchecked, down his cheeks.
'And all you've done for want of wit
To memory now, I can't recall,
So fill to me the parting glass,
Good night, and joy be with you . . .'
Her voice cracked as her tears began to fall, constricting her throat mercilessly as she looked on Elias' pale face. His fingers tightened imperceptibly on her own.
'No tears, lass, ye've another verse to go,' he mumbled, his voice nearly inaudible as he spurred her on.
Marin took another deep breath, grateful as James reached out to grip her shoulder, the only thing he could think of to give her strength.
'Oh, all the comrades that e'er you've had
Are sorry for your going away,
And all the sweethearts that e'er you had
Would wish you one more day to stay . . .'
As she sang, a gentle chorus of voices joined her, and James became aware of the stillness of the night, as the crew of the Red Dragon bid farewell to her captain in the only way they could.
'But since it falls unto your lot
That you should rise and we should not . . .'
Marin felt the grip on her hand weaken, saw the head loll to one side in a sleep from which he would never waken. But Elias wanted her to sing him out, and she'd be damned if she was going to let him down, forcing the final phrase from her unwilling lips.
'You'll gently rise, and we'll softly call,
'Goodnight, and joy be with you' . . .'
As the final note of the mournful melody drifted out into the night, all that could be heard on board the Red Dragon was the sound of a single girl, sobbing for the man who had given her so much and taken so little, dead by the hand of her father's murderer.