lilitaliandragon: I was going to, but I sorta got hit with ideas, so I changed my mind...

Pretty Kitty: Savvy - I'll try and lower the level a bit

Siggy - whatever u want - u've already read ahead of everyone anyway!

BellethePhilosopher'sCookie: I forced my friends to stay there, so you're not the only one who's friends don't understand the obsession!

Chapter 8: And divided we fall

As the wife of a pirate captain, Elizabeth was not one to take chances. She knew the limits of the women in the village, and many of those limits went past the ability to murder. However, there were one or two of the women who Elizabeth classed as close friends. They'd grown up together in England, and were reunited on the island when their husbands joined Will's crew.

Walking to the spring at the back of her house to fetch water, Elizabeth always carried a concealed weapon, and this day was no exception. Two of the other women from the village were at the water's edge, two of the unmarried women, that is. Elizabeth felt the knife in her belt with every step she took, and she had more ability than most thought possible to use it.

Tania, the elder of the two, stood up from where she'd been kneeling on the ground near the spring, and stepped back. Margaret, the younger, didn't move at all. "Ladies," said Elizabeth by way of greeting. They answered in unison, "Elizabeth."

Then Tania spoke up, "I heard that Jack Sparrow is back in the caribbean, miss. An' he don't know our laws 'round 'ere - 'bout raisin' the black flag an' that sorta thing... Well, you know the punishment as well as I do - is Bootstrap gonna fire on his old captain like 'e's meant t'" Elizabeth smiled. "Tania, the whole idea of the trip they've taken now is to find the Black Pearl and bring Jack Sparrow and crew back here to the isle. There is a high chance that Jack has my daughter, Louisa, and I'm sure she'll tell him about the black flag rule. Now, if you'll excuse me...."

Tania made as though to walk away, but Margaret stood her ground. "I don't care what ye say, Tania, I reckon we should jus' get rid of her now, then Bootstrap will be forced to take a new wife from the village." She stepped forwards, revealing the short sword she held. Elizabeth stood to her full height, "Margaret, you do realise what happens to people who threaten me, around here? Bootstrap doesn't give mercy to those who threaten his own, and the laws are simple - you touch me, or threaten me, you'll get keelhauled like a common criminal. If ye step back now, I won't tell him, but if ye continue to stand there, you will be keelhauled for sure. You don't have a family to vouch for you, so the trial won't help much, will it?"

Tania didn't look very happy with her friend. "C'mon Margaret, let's just go. Elizabeth - I'm not part of this, I had nothin' t' do with it, I swear!" Margaret didn't move. "This was *your* idea, Tania! Now, Elizabeth, this won't take long if you don't struggle, so be a good sport and stand still so your husband gets a wife he can be proud of!"

Margaret lunged forwards at the same time Elizabeth side-stepped and pulled her knife from her belt, driving it into the other girl's thigh. Margaret dropped the sword and grabbed her leg. Blood stained the pale dress she was wearing, and she gasped. Elizabeth looked down to see her own arm bleeding, but the adrenaline was still running fast enough so she couldn't feel it. "Like I said, Margaret, the trial won't be very fair - even with Tania here to be a witness. Bootstrap doesn't ever break his own rules, and you will be keelhauled when he returns. Good day, ladies. Tania, it would suit you if you were never here, savvy?"

Tania nodded, and helped her friend to her feet. "Aye, miss. Understood." Elizabeth watched as they walked away before filling up her bucket. It was then that the adrenaline wore off, and the pain spread through her arm. Ignoring it, she picked up the bucket and headed back to the house. Maude, one of her old friends from England, saw her approach and ran over to help. "Elizabeth, you're going to get yourself killed one of these days, you do realise that, don't you?" Elizabeth laughed, "Not if I can help it, Maude. And Margaret will be keelhauled, no matter what I say - you remember what happened to Katherine when she threatened me in Will's presence, don't you?" Maude nodded, and took the bucket from her friend's hands. "I remember, but for now, let's get you inside and that arm looked at. Will can't be too far away - Roger says he should be back by nightfall tomorrow...."

Roger was the captain of one of the ships in the fleet, The Legacy, and once one of Will's highest ranking crewmembers. The Legacy had sunken a passenger ship, of which Maude had been a passenger. When it came time to leave the surviving passengers on an island, Maude had managed to sweet talk Roger into taking her with him. They'd been together ever since.

Elizabeth's arm was only a flesh wound, nothing too major, and she claimed that wearing a corset was worse. "When are you going to tell Will about Margaret?" asked Maude as she finished bandaging Elizabeth's arm. Elizabeth smiled, "I won't have to. He knows these sort of things." Maude nodded grimly, "I know...."

*****

The Dauntless pulled into port, closely followed by the Black Pearl. Jack was impressed, even though he didn't say anything. When both captains were on land, they spoke. "Ye have made a place of it, Will. But where's the pretty Miss Elizabeth? She doesn't meet ye at th' dock?" Will shook his head, "Too many of the local unmarried girls would try t' kill her. I ain't so bold as t' ask fer her safety." Jack nodded, "Aye, fair enough."

Jack, Anamaria, Louisa, Jamie, Isabelle, and the two Will's reached the house on the hill at the same time Elizabeth started to leave. "Ye don't wait around t' see yer husband when 'e get's back t' land? Don't ye be givin' Anamaria any ideas now, Miss Elizabeth!" Elizabeth did a double take when she heard Jack's voice. "Jack? Jack Sparrow? It's been a long time!" Jack took off his hat and bowed low, "Aye, that it has, Elizabeth. You remember Anamaria?" Anamaria took off her hat, and smiled, before she pulled Elizabeth into a hug.

"T'is good t' see ye, again, Elizabeth!" Elizabeth was overwhelmed. She knew Will had set out to find the pirate captain, but she didn't count on him finding them so soon. Looking over Anamaria's shoulder, she was surprized to see Louisa standing behind her father. "Louisa? Why did you... why aren't you at Port Royal?" Jack started to answer, but the young man standing at his side cut in.

"That would be my fault, Mrs. Turner. Louisa found the life of a noblewoman to be rather... boring, I suppose. She helped me when I was washed up on the beach, and agreed to meet me at the tavern. When the Pearl turned up, she was with me, and called parley. You yourself know the rules of parley, ma'am, and by rights, she couldn't stay behind. If anyone's to blame, it should be me."

Jack turned and looked at his son, almost accusingly. Jamie shrugged, and grinned. Elizabeth smiled, somewhat hesitantly. "And you are...?" she asked, causing Jack to double take. No one had known, before the Pearl had disappeared, that Jack and Anamaria were involved. Now the secret was about to come out, and Jack wasn't too sure if it were a secret he'd divulge if given the chance.

Jamie glanced at Louisa, who shrugged, and pretended to be interested in something on the ground. Jack exchanged glances with Anamaria, and sighed before turning to look at Elizabeth. "This is Jamie... my son," he added to the end, as though that were self-evident.

Isabelle spoke up behind them, startling Elizabeth who hadn't known there was anyone else there. "And I'm Isabelle, Jack's daughter," she paused before adding, in a stage whisper, "Jack don't like people knowin' 'bout us, cause then we'd be tradin' under his name. That's why he dumped Jamie o'erboard, to show 'im that there'd be no family loyalties should somethin' go wrong, ye know what I mean?"

Jack turned and sent a friendly glare towards his daughter, who merely grinned slyly. "He was gonna leave me in Port Royal t' fend for meself, 'til I managed to barter a trip off, and to Tortuga. But he decided not t', because of ma'ma's temper - and the fact that he'd just lost an argument wi' her, 'bout Jamie!"

Isabelle sidestepped a friendly punch aimed at her by her brother, and ran into Will Jr. He steadied her, and she blushed, turning away. No one else saw it, because they were too busy watching the reaction Isabelle's comments about being left in Port Royal had on Anamaria. Jack was taking refuge behind Elizabeth, and Will was holding Anamaria back. "I knew it! I knew it, ye scurvy dog! Why else would ye want t' enter Port Royal wi' a *bang*? It'd be th' only way ye'd be able t' leave Bella withou' me noticin' til we got t' Tortuga!"

Jack looked out from behind Elizabeth, "It was only gonna be a... a character buildin' experience! She'd a'been fine!"

Jack moved quickly, and before any of them knew it, he had Anamaria by the arms and looked into her eyes. "Ye do realise I'd ne'er do anything t' hurt our children on purpose, don' ye?" Anamaria's eyes lost most of their fire. "Aye, Jack. Not on purpose, but ye do know what I can and cannae stand for!" Elizabeth looked at her husband, who was trying to keep from laughing, and indicated to the door.

He took the hint and followed. Elizabeth bumped the door with her arm, completely by accident, and grasped her wound in reflex. "What's wrong? What happened? Who was it?" he asked without giving her time to answer any of the questions. "Margaret... but it's nothing, really! We just had a... a... misunderstanding! That's all, I swear!"

Will didn't listen; he headed back outside, and stormed down the stairs. Elizabeth followed after him, leaving the small crowd on the doorstep to watch them head towards the village. Will Jr. took charge and showed them all inside, again causing Isabelle to blush.

At the village, Will shouted orders to the first few men he saw, "Williams! McDuff! Get the Dauntless ready for keelhaulin'! NOW!" The two men jumped to it when they saw the face of their captain. Even though they sailed on another ship in the fleet, they (like every man in the village) had originally sailed on the Dauntless under Will, and didn't dare to disobey direct orders.

Will stormed into the small hut on the edge of the village. By this time, his presence had managed to draw most of the villagers from their homes to see what the commotion was about. He emerged from the house pulling Margaret along by her arm, wearing only very few undergarments. It made no difference that her thigh was visibly bandaged and bloodstained. Rules were rules, and punishments were always obeyed - even if no one wanted them to be.

He pulled Margaret onto the dock, who was by this time crying almost hysterically, and shoved her onboard the Dauntless. The crowd stayed on land, and several of the older members of the crew pushed forwards to see what was happening. Will pushed Margaret to the deck; Williams and McDuff automatically took her from Will and tied her hands and feet, attaching the rope to be used for the keelhaul to the ropes at her feet.

Will stood at the edge of the ship, "Everyone here knows the laws concerning mine, and everyone else's families! If a woman endangers the life of a taken woman, the husband has the right to try the offender to the punishment of keelhauling!" The crowd was deathly silent, the only sounds were Will speaking, and Margaret still crying. Will continued, "Margaret Evans threatened and wounded my wife! Does any husband or boyfriend stand forward to take her punishment?"

There was no answer from the crowd - Margaret was single, and always had been. She was stuck on the fact that once Elizabeth was gone from the picture, Will would choose her as his next wife. Elizabeth herself stood on the deck, but at the back, and Margaret continued to send sharp glares in her direction. Elizabeth steeled herself for what she knew was still to come - keelhauled victims were never pretty to look at.

Will continued, "There is evidence that Margaret wounded Elizabeth, and since no one stands forwards - you men! Get your scurvy selves up 'ere! NOW!" he yelled, pointing at the group of men who'd pushed forwards. They nodded, and ran to board the ship. They cast off, and waited until they were twenty feet offshore, before Will spoke again. "Let this be a lesson t' all of ye who even think about threatening another's wife in the future!"

McDuff stood Margaret on the edge of the ship, and pushed her into the water. There was no way she'd be able to swim away, as the rope was attached to her feet; she started to cry again. The people on the shore could hear her cries clearly; "Please! It was an accident! I didn't mean it! Please don't do this to me! I love you, Bootstrap! Please don't do this to me!" Will stood on the edge and called down, "I don't care who ye love, Margaret, and I sure as 'ell exists don't love ye in return! Let this be a lesson to ye, if ye survive it. Threaten what one has, an' ye will pay the price!"

He stepped back from the edge, and looked to where the seven men onboard has assembled themselves, each holding onto part of the rope. Will stood up on a box, and looked at the men. "Pull away, men!" he yelled, loud enough for the people on the shore to hear clearly. They nodded and, without hesitation, began to pull the rope. The eighth person to be called, a young man of about fifteen who was also the cabin boy on the Dauntless, coiled the rope as the men heaved it onboard.

From the shore, all the people could see was Margaret still crying, before she disappeared under the water. For about five minutes, all that remained to show that there was indeed a person underwater was the men pulling the rope. Finally, her feet appeared above the surface of the water on the other side of the ship, followed by her limp body. She wasn't moving, and the little undergarments she had on were ripped and bloody.

The men onboard pulled her up, and untied her, before Will ordered the ship back to the shore. Two of the men escorted her to the care of Tania, who was beside herself. She said, continually, "I told you what would happen! Why did you? Oh, Margaret! Why did you...?" Will escorted Elizabeth through the crowd, and back to their house.

Jack was standing in the crowd, at the back, and he stepped aside with everyone else to allow Will and Elizabeth through. Will, as angry as he still was, said nothing, and didn't even notice Jack. Jack grinned to himself, "So, that's how he keeps order? That's... interesting." Raising his eyebrows in thought, he turned and followed his friends back to the house.