Captain of the Rings
Chapter 2 - The Answer
That night the ship was lit with music and drink. Lanterns were hung on the deck and instruments were brought forth. Roux strummed on a guitar and Vim beat on a large Dwarven drum. Minya had a small flute that fluttered in and out like a butterfly. The rum was tapped and roast meat and ripe fruit was brought forth. Jack was no where to be seen so the three companions huddled on the outskirts of the party, drinking and eating little. Except of course Sam, who was ravenous. Frodo felt his heart prick up again, sensing some disturbance and he studied his friends. The cause came out before he had a chance.
"Frodo, I don't know how you can misuse such a beautiful gift," Imbalech said quietly. Frodo looked up,
"He needs my help and I know the way," Frodo said. Imbalech's countenance darkened.
"But for what purpose does he venture into the forbidden land? To claim an ancient city-that was rightfully condemned!" Imbalech's voice rose over the music and the pirates started to look in their direction. Regret crept in Imbalech and she turned.
"Frodo-," She began but he was gone.
******
The music wafted over the deck and onto the forecastle where Jack Sparrow and Lorna embraced. Shadows cascaded across their faces and the melon colored light warmed their skin in the cold sea air. They moved slowly, swaying ever so slightly to the music. He nuzzled her gently and she rested her head on his shoulder. The night seemed to wrap around them keeping out the boisterous party below and the foreboding sea all around them. She looked up slowly and kissed him even slower. He wrapped his arms more closely around her and she allowed herself to feel encased and sheltered by his the strong, yet wiry figure. A thought flickered through her mind, like a bad taste and she tried to extinguish it but it gathered fuel and she pulled away.
"Love?" He asked.
"That's just my problem," She said turning away. He wrinkled his brow (He had thought the evening was going well) and moved toward her.
"What problem? I don't understand."
"How could you- all you ever think about is- is.... Oh I don't even know what I'm saying," she said almost laughing. She came closer and leaned on his chest.
"I wanted to say you only thought of your ship, or your next hit, but," she looked up at him " You've never disappointed me," She paused and relished the moment and then moved on "but...I," she swallowed and took his hand.
"What's wrong?" He said looking into her eyes. He watched her for a second and she grew uncomfortable in his gaze.
"Minya, I never should've brought him here." Jack looked toward the party.
"The boy is happy, he was made for the sea and the sea for him."
"It's not that," she leaned in closer "I feel something moving, something stirs on this ship," She looked from side to side and then met his eyes. He had an expression of wild fear.
"You have felt it too?" she asked. He looked down at the deck.
"I can't tell you what I've felt." She brought his hand up to her face. He gently caressed her face and smoothed back her hair exposing her ears. They were terribly scarred.
"You've been running all this time," he said gently touching where the elvish point had once been "from who you are and who he's supposed to be." She grew tense.
"What would you have me do?"
"Stay with me," He smiled faintly "But I know that's not to be. You must leave." She looked up afraid.
"I'll drop you and Minya at the next port, you can find shelter- shelter till this storm passes," a tear trickled down her face.
"Do you remember the day I came to you, and told you I wanted a son?" he asked. She nodded. "I couldn't believe it, here all this time I had been haunted by the prophecy- that I should bear Feanor back into middle earth, the master of the simarils, and the man I love, asks me for something I could never deny him," She smiled beneath the tears.
"Then promise me you'll protect him," he said the his voice wavering. She locked eyes with him.
"I'll lose more than my ears, if need be," she said firmly. He held her to him once more and she walked quietly down toward the party. Jack watched her go and then looked off into the black sea.
Frodo had left the party in search of Jack and answers. A rage should've filled his mind and blinded it but it was more complicated than that. A fear, sharp and piercing- like a morgal blade made it's way through him. Why did Jack need his help to reach the West? Had he lied when he said he had seen Undying land? Had he lied when he said She had stolen his heart? Had that moment in the galley been imaginary? Frodo had felt Jack read his heart and soul. He had seen Jack search his mind and find the answers to his questions.
"Surely that had not been another trick?" Frodo's mind became frantic. Perhaps he had gone too far. Perhaps this was the same mistake- the same mistake he had made with Gollum. In Smeagol Frodo had seen a dark soul- yes, but he had thought there had been hope. Was that not his same reasoning with this pirate? Now Frodo was almost in hysterics. He raced up the stairs and caught sight of Jack, his back turned to him. He was just about to call to him when Jack started to sing quietly.
With elvish eyes
I long to look at thee.
Your hair like wisps of foaming sea.
Never has, nor will there be,
someone who is fairer to me.
The haunting melody he had heard at the jail soothed his mind and his fears seem to drift out to sea.
"Elbereth," he whispered. He continued slowly up the steps and without knowing why he felt his voice carried away.
The grass would glisten,
The trees would wake and listen,
If my voice could soar,
Like eagle risen.
Jack turned as Frodo put his small hands on the gunwale beside him His eyes were lost in the dark water and the hobbit's voice faded in and out like the ebbing of the tide.
The notes would be clear,
Like a silver mirror,
Or an elvish tear.
His melody was slightly different. It was more desperate and it filled Jack again with the thought of one thing and he resumed his song.
The eyes of the fair folk have seen,
The rise and fall of ages,
And watched the dark one,
Escape from countless cages.
But their eyes look
Most to thy face,
They see it in all of space.
Often as green or blue,
It thy body's hue.
But sometimes thy light,
Hides all from view,
But thy sweet voice,
Reveals it is still you.
Jack finished his song the stood in silence listening to the roar of the waves below. Frodo looked up at the dark man beside him and yet he couldn't ask any of his questions. His answer was before him and his eyes reflected the cold the glow of the moon.
That night the ship was lit with music and drink. Lanterns were hung on the deck and instruments were brought forth. Roux strummed on a guitar and Vim beat on a large Dwarven drum. Minya had a small flute that fluttered in and out like a butterfly. The rum was tapped and roast meat and ripe fruit was brought forth. Jack was no where to be seen so the three companions huddled on the outskirts of the party, drinking and eating little. Except of course Sam, who was ravenous. Frodo felt his heart prick up again, sensing some disturbance and he studied his friends. The cause came out before he had a chance.
"Frodo, I don't know how you can misuse such a beautiful gift," Imbalech said quietly. Frodo looked up,
"He needs my help and I know the way," Frodo said. Imbalech's countenance darkened.
"But for what purpose does he venture into the forbidden land? To claim an ancient city-that was rightfully condemned!" Imbalech's voice rose over the music and the pirates started to look in their direction. Regret crept in Imbalech and she turned.
"Frodo-," She began but he was gone.
******
The music wafted over the deck and onto the forecastle where Jack Sparrow and Lorna embraced. Shadows cascaded across their faces and the melon colored light warmed their skin in the cold sea air. They moved slowly, swaying ever so slightly to the music. He nuzzled her gently and she rested her head on his shoulder. The night seemed to wrap around them keeping out the boisterous party below and the foreboding sea all around them. She looked up slowly and kissed him even slower. He wrapped his arms more closely around her and she allowed herself to feel encased and sheltered by his the strong, yet wiry figure. A thought flickered through her mind, like a bad taste and she tried to extinguish it but it gathered fuel and she pulled away.
"Love?" He asked.
"That's just my problem," She said turning away. He wrinkled his brow (He had thought the evening was going well) and moved toward her.
"What problem? I don't understand."
"How could you- all you ever think about is- is.... Oh I don't even know what I'm saying," she said almost laughing. She came closer and leaned on his chest.
"I wanted to say you only thought of your ship, or your next hit, but," she looked up at him " You've never disappointed me," She paused and relished the moment and then moved on "but...I," she swallowed and took his hand.
"What's wrong?" He said looking into her eyes. He watched her for a second and she grew uncomfortable in his gaze.
"Minya, I never should've brought him here." Jack looked toward the party.
"The boy is happy, he was made for the sea and the sea for him."
"It's not that," she leaned in closer "I feel something moving, something stirs on this ship," She looked from side to side and then met his eyes. He had an expression of wild fear.
"You have felt it too?" she asked. He looked down at the deck.
"I can't tell you what I've felt." She brought his hand up to her face. He gently caressed her face and smoothed back her hair exposing her ears. They were terribly scarred.
"You've been running all this time," he said gently touching where the elvish point had once been "from who you are and who he's supposed to be." She grew tense.
"What would you have me do?"
"Stay with me," He smiled faintly "But I know that's not to be. You must leave." She looked up afraid.
"I'll drop you and Minya at the next port, you can find shelter- shelter till this storm passes," a tear trickled down her face.
"Do you remember the day I came to you, and told you I wanted a son?" he asked. She nodded. "I couldn't believe it, here all this time I had been haunted by the prophecy- that I should bear Feanor back into middle earth, the master of the simarils, and the man I love, asks me for something I could never deny him," She smiled beneath the tears.
"Then promise me you'll protect him," he said the his voice wavering. She locked eyes with him.
"I'll lose more than my ears, if need be," she said firmly. He held her to him once more and she walked quietly down toward the party. Jack watched her go and then looked off into the black sea.
Frodo had left the party in search of Jack and answers. A rage should've filled his mind and blinded it but it was more complicated than that. A fear, sharp and piercing- like a morgal blade made it's way through him. Why did Jack need his help to reach the West? Had he lied when he said he had seen Undying land? Had he lied when he said She had stolen his heart? Had that moment in the galley been imaginary? Frodo had felt Jack read his heart and soul. He had seen Jack search his mind and find the answers to his questions.
"Surely that had not been another trick?" Frodo's mind became frantic. Perhaps he had gone too far. Perhaps this was the same mistake- the same mistake he had made with Gollum. In Smeagol Frodo had seen a dark soul- yes, but he had thought there had been hope. Was that not his same reasoning with this pirate? Now Frodo was almost in hysterics. He raced up the stairs and caught sight of Jack, his back turned to him. He was just about to call to him when Jack started to sing quietly.
With elvish eyes
I long to look at thee.
Your hair like wisps of foaming sea.
Never has, nor will there be,
someone who is fairer to me.
The haunting melody he had heard at the jail soothed his mind and his fears seem to drift out to sea.
"Elbereth," he whispered. He continued slowly up the steps and without knowing why he felt his voice carried away.
The grass would glisten,
The trees would wake and listen,
If my voice could soar,
Like eagle risen.
Jack turned as Frodo put his small hands on the gunwale beside him His eyes were lost in the dark water and the hobbit's voice faded in and out like the ebbing of the tide.
The notes would be clear,
Like a silver mirror,
Or an elvish tear.
His melody was slightly different. It was more desperate and it filled Jack again with the thought of one thing and he resumed his song.
The eyes of the fair folk have seen,
The rise and fall of ages,
And watched the dark one,
Escape from countless cages.
But their eyes look
Most to thy face,
They see it in all of space.
Often as green or blue,
It thy body's hue.
But sometimes thy light,
Hides all from view,
But thy sweet voice,
Reveals it is still you.
Jack finished his song the stood in silence listening to the roar of the waves below. Frodo looked up at the dark man beside him and yet he couldn't ask any of his questions. His answer was before him and his eyes reflected the cold the glow of the moon.
