Darkness descended on Hilling and held the small town like a thick fog. Light spilled out of a few of the windows onto the muddy road and the only sound to be heard was the wind moving through the trees and the sound of Imbalech's hammer as it fell in the smithy at the far side of the island. Jack Smiled his knowing smile and pulled the shutters closed on the top floor of the main house. He turned expecting Lorna to be there in the doorway. She was.

"He's asking for you," she said. There was something in her voice that Jack didn't understand. It sounded at first like anger but then mellowed into a great sadness. He nodded and followed her into the next room. Minya was lying in bed struggling to keep his eyes open. Jack sat down beside him and Lorna lingered at the door.

"Hey there," he said stroking the child's face "What are you going to dream about tonight?" Minya looked at him sleepily.

"Daddy, will I grow up to be a pirate like you?" pain flashed through Jack's face. He took the small hand into his and was silent for a moment, just concentrating on the warmth emanating from the tiny fingers.

"Daddy?"

"You're going to be the best pirate there ever was," Jack said looking into Minya's fluttering eyes. Jack kissed him and stood up.

"I want to be just like you..." Minya said as he drifted off to sleep. Jack looked at him one more time and then walked out the room shutting the door quietly. Lorna looked at him and he quickly rubbed his sleeve across his face wiping away the treacherous tears. She put her hand on his chest.

"You were quite convincing today," She said. He wrinkled his brow. "I just hope they can be trusted." Jack touched her hand.

"The crew wont talk," he said intertwining their fingers.

"I meant them," she said motioning to the stairs. Down below beds had been made up for Frodo, Sam and Imbalech.

"I'll watch 'em," he said softly.

"When they notice me and Minya are gone- they'll susp-," Jack cut her off with a kiss. He couldn't bare to think about them leaving- not yet. He wrapped his arms around her and took in the salty smell of her hair and the rhythm of her breathing which had greatly increased. She took his hand and led him to their room.

*** The moonlight spilt onto the bed casting strange shadows across their bodies. He held her now, her head on his chest letting his heartbeat do the talking. He ran his hand up and down her back.

"Where will you go?" he asked quietly. She knew the pain she heard in his voice would haunt her dreams for weeks to come.

"It's better you don't know," she answered quietly. She felt his body tense underneath her. He let go of her and slid out of bed. She sat up and watched him pull on his pants. He didn't look at her. He walked to the balcony and threw open the shutters. The wind off the water caused her to shiver. She reached for her clothes and crept up beside him. His eyes seemed lost in the night. The stars glistened overhead and the roar of the crashing waves comforted him.
"please talk to me, just watching you hurt like this- is unbearable," She said. He looked at her and took her into his arms.

"I'll be there..." He said looking down at her. In a moment she was lost in his eyes. For elves eyes are like windows into one's thoughts and in his she saw the ebb of a blue-green tide on a golden beach.

"Why...?"

In his mind she shot beyond the sea to a vast rocky desert.

"I'll be waiting...there..." he said again,

She saw Jack standing on the deck of the Xandiar, his sword drawn. Then she saw herself standing in a field of flowers and then his mind took her back to the desert.

"For what?" she felt herself say. She saw a fleet of ships moving, and then saw Jack and a man in black with swords locked... and then she saw Minya's face, he seemed to be sleeping and then she saw Jack's sword get knocked from his hand. A crooked smile crossed his face and then he went pale. In his eyes the desert changed to the flower field.

"I'll be waiting...for you...so...if you come there..."

She was in the field of flowers again, they were red and pink and blue.

"You'll find me."

In his mind her vision seemed to pull back so that she was looking down on herself in the field. There were petals flying in the sky like stars at night. One of the petals began to dance in the wind and as it passed in front of the sun it changed into a beautiful feather. It started to fall back down to earth and as it did it began to spin. Once again it changed- this time into Jack's sword. She heard Jack speak again,

"I promise." As the sword crashed onto the deck of the Xandiar she felt an overwhelming wave of pain go through her entire body.Grief stung her heart. She shut her eyes. ***
when she opened them the image was gone. She was in the dark in his bed. She could hear him breathing faintly beside her. She sighed and expected the tension to leave her- but it didn't. She knew what she had to do. She crept out of bed and dressed. She covered her hair with a black scarf and was about to open the door when she remembered the hideous image of Jack's crooked smile and then the color leaving his face. She looked back at him. He was sleeping soundly and she wondered at that. He didn't sleep well when he was troubled. Then she saw the bottle cradled in his arm. She went over to him. She reached down into her bag and brought out the shell Minya had given her. She turned it over and ran her finger along the scrapes and scratches that formed the shape of a fleet of ships. She marveled at how diminished her enemy seemed but knew that in a few hours those scratches and scrapes would be here to take her son. She reached down and picked up the bottle.

"Empty." He stirred slightly and she froze. Then she put the shell in its place. She hoped he would understand the meaning and escape himself. She should wake him and warn him. Shake him till he promised to run now and far. But it was all she could do to leave him when he was sleeping, when his eyes were shut so she didn't have to see the tears, when his mouth was quiet and she didn't have to hear the good-byes, when his heart was beating quietly and she didn't have to admit how much she loved him. She ran out the room and shut the door behind her. Soon she would be on a boat with Minya asleep in her arms, slowly making for the mainland. ***
"I don't want to go- where's daddy?" Minya whined.
"Shh," She hissed "We've got to be quiet, my darling." She led the sleepy child down the stairs to the door. She pulled the door open.
"Where are you going?" a small voice said from behind her. She started and turned. Sam Gamgee lay propped up on one elbow in his bed on the floor.
"Out, I um... have to make sure some things are in order," She fumbled with her words. Sam stood up and walked to her.
"Might I be of any service to you- I could help?"
"No. No, no, please just go back to sleep- didn't mean to wake you," She said quickly. Sam looked at her closely. He eyed her satchel and the sleepy child at her side.
"You're leaving." He said dramatically. She put her hand to his mouth.
"Please... please be quiet...and let us go." He looked at her and he wondered if she were leaving Jack because of well- he's Jack and that alone seemed reason enough- but his heart told him no. She didn't want to leave- she had to escape.
"Where will you go?" He asked.
"I don't know," she found herself saying. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. She dropped her bag to the ground and cried into her palm.
"Mommy, what's wrong?" Minya said tugging on her sleeve "Is it the ships, Mommy? Are they coming for us?" Sam's eyes widened with fear.
"Are ships coming for you?" Sam asked.
"I saw them," Minya said distantly "In one of my awake-dreams." Sam looked to Lorna. She nodded.
"I know some place you could go," He said hopefully. "You could go to Hobbiton, You just fallow the East road from the Havens," Lorna looked at him with wild eyes.
"When you get there find Bag-End, and ask For Rosie Gardener. She'll help you, bless my Rosie."
"Is she-,"
"My wife," Sam answered. Lorna nodded. For a moment the two felt a strange connection. Both had to leave the one they loved.
"Thank you, Sam. I hope you find your little girl," and with that she flew out the door and into the darkness with Minya behind her. Sam stood at the door for a moment. The thought of Rosie and his little Frodo and the baby that was coming ripped his heart apart. He glanced toward Frodo and Imbalech where they slept on the floor. Then his hidden strength of heart stirred and Sam clenched his fist.
"That's the wife o' my Captain," He said "She's not going alone!" He then rushed to Imbalech's bedside and carefully pried open her hand. Out fell a small pouch. He opened it without thinking and pulled out a ring set with a diamond like a flower.
"I'm gonna need this," He said and shoved it in his pocket. He was almost at the door when he thought of Frodo. But his heart answered this question as well.
"Frodo serves Jack now. My duty to Frodo- is my duty to Jack. He is the Captain of the Rings after all!" and he flew out the door after Lorna. Sam would never know but in his excitement he had been speaking out loud and had awoken Frodo. He sat up with an inexplicable look on his face.
"My dear Sam!" A shout from the Watch set in the harbor caused him to pause in his thoughts. Then the warning bell began to sound. Frodo jumped and roused Imbalech.
"Where's Sam?" she cried.
"No time, he's where he should be. We've got to get Jack."
"Yes, he might be very- unconscious." They ran up the stairs and flung open the door to his room. Jack was sitting on his bed, fully dressed with sword in hand- holding Minya's shell. He looked up at them and they could see the freshly applied kohl dripping down his face in black tears. The warning bell sounded again and Frodo became anxious.
"Captain, we must leave!" Jack sighed and looked down at the shell. Frodo put his hand on Jack's shoulder and leaned in close.
"I know where they've gone." Jack's eyes became keen. Just then a loud crash was heard down below and the sound of many voices cut the air. Jack stood up on the bed.
"It's Leo! Come on!" He yelled and he reached for a rope hanging from the thatched roof. He climbed up the rope and pushed aside a small plank revealing an opening on to the roof. Leo's soldiers were clamoring up the stairs. Imbalech grabbed Frodo and hoisted him up to the rope. He only had to climb a few feet before he was in arms reach of Jack. Jack slung him up onto the roof. Frodo gave Jack a look of astonishment.
"Thought I'd given up?" He asked with a wry smile. Imbalech pulled herself on to the roof. Just as the soldiers broke down the door.
"it's a good thing you hadn't, captain- as the enemy is now in your room," Imbalech said standing up.
" Consider it their tomb," Jack said as he struck a match and grabbed some of the hay off the roof. The handful of hay became a flaming torch just as Jack dropped it through the hole onto the bed. He watched just for a second as his and Lorna's bed went up in flames causing the soldiers to flee. The irony was not lost on him.
"I'm probably the only man in the world who can truthfully say 'he can set his lady's bed on fire'" Frodo gave him a remonstrating look.
They ran to edge of the roof and looked over to the roof beside them. Behind them the fire was licking the edges of the roof.
"Are we gonna-," Frodo stopped as Jack leapt to the roof adjacent to them barely making it leaving him clinging to the edge, "Jump?" Frodo finished.
"Come on, Frodo," Imbalech said as she knelt down. Frodo followed her lead and jumped onto her back wrapping his arms tightly around her neck. "Not too tight- okay?" Imbalech groaned. Frodo could feel the heat from the fire on his back. He shut his eyes as Imbalech sprang nimbly to the other roof landing on both feet. With out even putting Frodo down she rushed over to where Jack was struggling to pull himself up. Just as she pulled him up they turned and saw the roof of the Jack's room cave in. Imbalech let Frodo down from her back.
"Sparrow!" a harsh voice yelled from below. Jack froze.
"Come out good captain, we have your ship and your crew. Every second you delay we'll either kill one of your men or chop down a mast." Imbalech and Frodo weren't sure which threat brought him out but Jack walked toward the other edge of the roof, they followed him.
"Raziel, I should've known," he sneered back. Below a thin and wiry figure dressed in black with long white hair and yet a face of no more than twenty years stood motionless.
"I'm sorry if you're expecting my father, but it seems that Leo is well- indisposed at the moment," Raziel made a slight motion with his hand and one of his soldiers brought forward Leo's head. Jack swallowed hard. His thoughts went to Lorna and his son.
"So you see, I'm the King of Harad now," Raziel said taking Leo's head from his soldiers. He looked at it for a moment.
"Alas poor Leo, I knew him Sparrow, not as well as I would've like though considering he kept me in his dungeon since I was seven!" he burst into a rage and heaved the head at Jack who barely ducked.
"Keep it, he would've wanted you to have it. Oh and one more thing Sparrow, I don't intend to let you make a mockery of my court like you did my father, I'm taking you and your crew to Gondor and am finally cashing in." Within moments soldiers had climbed to the roof and bound the pirates hands. They were brought down before the king of Harad.
"Don't think too hard of me, Sparrow- I'm not heartless- I saw your bitch leaving you high and dry I presume," Jack's heart raced. "In boat with your two children,". Jack was suddenly confused but was quick to cover his wonderment.
"And I let them go, as I remember the price for her in the White city was nothing worth a king's attention- but so you see- you owe me," Raziel leaned close to Jack. "And don't think I wont collect."