Broken Wings
A Pirates of the Caribbean story by Merrie
Disclaimer: Only the voice, Jack's insanity, and Norry's illness are mine. I seem to have gotten the raw end of the deal, huh?
Summary: Captain Jack has lost his ship, his crew, nearly his life, and now his sanity to a horrible new curse. Will this Sparrow be able soar again after his wings have been broken?
Characters: Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, Commodore Norrington, and the hated voice that still remains mysterious.
Author's Note: Oh wooow, thank you soooo much to my lovely lovely reviewers!! I thought you guys would hate me after the last chapter!!! You guys rock!!!
Rating: This will be back to PG-13 again. As I mentioned last chapter, it was the only one that deserved an R rating, not the entire story.
Chapter 11: Natives and Norrington
Norrington shot awake, breathing heavily. "Will? Are you here?" he called out to the darkness. The fire beside him had almost died down completely, so with a pained grunt, he grabbed a long stick Will had left near enough for him to reach, and stirred the coals, making the fire blaze brightly once more. He leaned back to rest against the log, enjoying the fire's warmth, before calling out again, "Will! Answer me! Are you there?"
Something wasn't right about this. Will wouldn't have just left him there, would he? No, a man such as William Turner would never leave a man behind, especially one as sick as Norrington admittedly was. Something had happened to him, Norrington could feel it. He had learned to trust his instincts over the long years of chasing pirates, and right now they were screaming at him to get up and do something, anything, for Will's life was in danger.
Moaning with the effort, Norrington managed to sit upright against the log. His head spun, and his breath grew short as if he were about to pass out, but he would manage. If Will really was in danger, there would be no coming for him. No one but one incredibly sick and beaten down naval Commodore. Filled with determination, he managed to roll over to one side and prop his trembling body up on his hands and knees, the sword that had somehow unbelievably survived the storm hitting him in the leg from where it was attached to his belt. He didn't know how he had managed to hold on to it, but he sent a prayer of thanks to whoever might be watching. Because if Will truly was in danger, he would surely need it now.
Taking a few deep breaths to steady himself, he attempted to rise to his feet. Once he had his feet underneath him, it was only moments before he found himself crumpled to the sand again, his head spinning. "Bloody hell, this is just perfect. Will's in trouble and I can barely stand. Come on, you bloody fool. Will is counting on you. Get up!" he shouted, trying to motivate his rebellious body into doing what he told it to for just a little while longer. Using the long stick he had stirred the fire with as a crutch this time, he managed to get his feet underneath him once more and stayed upright. Panting from the effort, he wiped a hand across his feverish brow and took in the area surrounding him. He could see tracks dimly lit in the fire's light leading in the direction of the jungle, and Norrington knew that was where he had to go. He slowly leaned over the fire and pulled out a log he could use as a torch and set out.
***
Will awoke to find himself weightless. He started a bit at the sensation, and tried to struggle, but he found he couldn't move. His hands and feet were securely tied to a long stick that seemed to be carried by two men. He couldn't really make out their faces in the dark, but one wasn't usually kidnapped by friendly people. Well, Jack might have considered it now and again, but Will knew these people were undoubtedly not his friends. This realization deepened when he felt his sword belt missing from his waist. 'This can not be good,' he thought with a frown. 'Why do things like this always seem to happen to me? First pirates, now island savages. What next?' he sighed.
Unfortunately, the men carrying him had heard the sigh and stopped suddenly. Will tensed; afraid he was going to be dropped. The two of them did not drop him however, instead calling out in an unfamiliar language to someone near the front of their party from what Will could see. He relaxed after a few long minutes of remaining in the air, but he still didn't know who these people were or want they wanted.
He suddenly started when he noticed a rather imposing man standing silently over him. He hadn't even heard the man's approach! "What do you want with me? Let me go!" Will wanted to add that Norrington was back on the beach depending on him to get help, but he didn't dare. Until these people proved their intentions, the less they knew about Norrington and his condition, the better. Especially when that condition made defending one's self rather difficult.
The man didn't utter a word. Well, no word to Will anyway. He did however turn to the two men who were holding Will up and uttered a few short words to the both of them. What it was that he told them, Will didn't know, for the language was one he had never heard before. "Let me go!" he shouted again. "I have done nothing to you and your people!" If any of the men that made up the party understood him, they made no sign. 'Oh this is just bloody perfect,' Will thought with a grimace as the party started moving again. I've been kidnapped by savages while Norrington could very well be dying on that beach, and not only may they want to eat me, but they don't speak bloody English either!'
***
Norrington stumbled for what seemed like the hundredth time as he slowly but surely followed the tracks Will had left behind in the soft sand and earth. 'I'm lucky I lost my wig to the storm,' he thought with a rueful half-smile. 'Because I surely would have set it alight that time.' But he had no time to joke about such things. He hadn't even gotten beyond the sound of the ocean's crashing waves against the beach before he noticed more tracks in the dirt much different than Will's own; these seemed to be barefoot. Frowning, he moved further down the trail that someone had undeniably hacked out of the jungle and crouched down with a bit of a dizzy waver as he noticed a rather peculiar set of markings in the sand. 'Now what in the blazes could that be?' he asked himself, lowering the torch to the ground to see the image clearer. It almost looked as if someone had fallen to the ground here.
Norrington's already too pale face whitened even further as what he was looking at became apparent before his deep blue eyes. "Will," he muttered aloud, one hand immediately going to the hilt of his sword as his eyes darted around the dark jungle that engulfed him. Will had fallen here, right here. And from the looks of things, he had been taken by a large group of barefoot individuals. He had heard tales of groups of savage men living on unexplored islands throughout the Caribbean, men who were more likely to eat the flesh off your bones than look at you, but he hadn't relieve believed in such stories. His feverish mind chose that instant to remind him of all the unexplainable things he had seen in the last few years, undead pirates only being the most recent, and cannibalistic savages didn't seem all that unbelievable when compared with such a collection of unexplained events as his military career had undeniably been.
A rustling in the jungle started him out of his thoughts, and he shot to his feet, one hand on his sword. That turned out to be a mistake as the darkness shifted and spun, and his illness-laden body threatened to drop him onto the dirt in exactly the place Will had presumably fallen. Norrington willed himself to rest for a minute while his body heaved under the strain of shallow breathing before moving on. He had to follow the footprints. Someone had taken Will, and there was no one else to go after him. While a pneumonia-laden naval Commodore might not be the first choice of a rescuer, he was the only choice. Remembering why he had stood in the first place and cursing his wandering mind, he waved the torch in the direction the sound had come from and rolled his eyes as a particularly large spider monkey skittered away. 'As long as it isn't carrying a gold coin and answers to Jack, it can go about its way,' he thought with a wry grin.
Having caught as much of his breath as he was going to given the circumstances, he held the torch out at his side once more, and followed the trail of bare footprints, praying that he would find Will soon, and that they would both make it out of this alive.
***
Will was surprised to find that he was never dropped from his position tied to the long stick. Instead, his two bearers merely propped it up in the ground, allowing him to stand upright while leaving his hands and feet tied. It was difficult, especially considering that all the blood had left his hands and feet, causing his knees to buckle underneath him. He would have fallen had it not been for the two strong hands, one from each of his bearers that held him up under his armpits. In the light of the numerous torches that filled this.......camp, Will could see his captors clearly for the first time. To say they were exotic was putting it mildly. Every man was bare from the waist up, and covered in an elaborate swirl of dark black tattoos, contrasting starkly with their dark skin. Every man he saw had his head completely shaved clean, and this was the hardest to take in: what looked like pieces of bone through their nostrils, and earlobes hanging down to the tops of their shoulders if not longer.
A man clad like all the rest came striding towards him purposefully, and Will tensed and felt an urge to grasp at a sword hilt that wasn't there with hands he couldn't move. Upon closer examination as the man drew closer however, Will saw that while he looked nearly identical in clothing and jewelry, he was not. A pair of half-lens glasses sat on the top of his nose, adding yet another touch of surrealism to this already overwhelming scene. "What do you want from me? Why have I been taken?" Will addressed the man, foolishly hoping that he would understand his words if the modern glasses on his face was any indication. The man stood silent just long enough for a gruesome image of stealing the glasses off a dead man's body made its way cheerfully through his mind before speaking,
"You have trespassed on our lands," the man said plainly, in a deep booming voice that was clearly meant to frighten the weaker willed.
"You understand me," Will blurted before fully paying attention to what the man had to say. "Wait, trespassing? I wasn't trespassing! I was shipwrecked here!"
"Yes I understand. I learned from trespassers like you," the man said, as if it were the most common thing in the world. "You say you were shipwrecked, but where is your crew? Surely you were not the only one to survive? And many men must sail a ship," the man said with a pointed look.
Will had no answer for that. What answer could he give? He had sailed out with two others in what was now seeming like a fool's errand, under the command of some force he did not yet understand, and now he had no idea if any of his three friends lived or died. Norrington might have died on the beach by now, for all he knew. And Elizabeth.......no, he would refused to believe Elizabeth was dead until he had undeniable proof that it was so. And even then, he'd doubt his own eyes. And as for Jack, Captain Jack Sparrow would outlive them all, he could feel it. The man seemed invincible. "What do you intend to do to me?" Will asked at last, not really wanting to know the answer, but unable to stop the query from passing his lips.
The man cast a glance to his fellow natives, a smirk crossing his face. The man translated Will's question to the other members of the tribe, and hearty laughter surrounded him from all directions once the man was finished. Will felt his blood chill in his veins at such a sound, but he held his ground and refused to look frightened. "There's only one way to deal with trespassers on our island," the man said slowly, clearly drawing out his answer for effect. "They are to be sacrificed," the man said at last.
Save for a slight widening of his eyes, Will made no movement at the declaration. He had heard tales of such things in Port Royal from sailors passing through, but he had not believed a word. To see proof in front of his very eyes was daunting, to say the least, but he would not give the man the satisfaction of seeing him quail.
What looked to be real shock and admiration slid over the man's countenance before he spoke, "You are a brave man. I am Kiquan. What is your name, boy?"
Will stiffened as much as his bonds would allow at the 'boy,' but gave his name as he had no reason to withhold it, "My name is Will Turner," he said, standing as straight and as proper as one could tied hand and foot to a pole sticking out of the ground.
"Will Turner. Your heart is full of courage. I will gain much from eating it."
***
Norrington's knees buckled underneath him as his walking stick snapped against a large rock under his increasing weight. It was becoming harder and harder to stay upright and conscious, but he had no choice. He had to find Will. And if he died in the course of that action, his death would have been honorable. Not that he intended on dying anytime soon. There was certainly too much left unresolved. Elizabeth was missing, perhaps lost to the ocean's cool embrace, perhaps washed up on an island somewhere like he and Will had been, all alone. And there was still Captain Jack Sparrow to consider as well, for it was for his sake that the three of them had set out in the first place. But if the danger the pirate was in was all one of Will's nightmares, not that he doubted Will's word when he gave it, he would hunt the pirate down and give him a sound thumping for all the trouble he had caused them. Of course, he would have to make it out of this little spot alive, first.
Norrington was so deeply involved in his own thoughts that he almost stumbled upon his destination without even realizing it. There was a large clearing in the surrounding jungle, filled with a group of half naked men gathered around the figures of two men. In the light of numerous torches, the scene looked surreal and nightmarish. It was the two figures they were gathered around that held Norrington's attention however, for one of them was William Turner. He looked to be alright from what he could see, but he seemed to be bound to the long pole sticking out from the ground in front of him, because he certainly wasn't moving. Squinting his eyes, Norrington noticed that Will seemed to be without his sword as well and let out a curse.
"Alright, what do I do now?" he grumbled to himself. There was no way he could take them all on, even if he was just barely keeping to his feet while the pneumonia that was angry at being ignored raged through his body.
"Will Turner. Your heart is full of courage. I will gain much from eating it." Norrington's already rice paper white face turned a little green upon hearing this line uttered from the man standing next to Will.
"Oh, that's bloody perfect. Not only are they savages, but they're cannibalistic savages as well," he sighed deeply, and pulled out his sword as quietly as he could, a whisper of steel and leather that seemed as loud as cannon fire to his ears. "Well, never let it be said that I was an intelligent man," he said to himself ruefully before dropping the torch to the ground and walking out into the clearing, his sword in hand at his side. "Good evening, gentlemen!" he called out to the group of savages, smiling as every eye locked upon his tattered and sweaty form.
"James! What are you doing here, you bloody fool! Run!" Will shouted to him from his position in the middle of the camp, looking just as shocked to see him as the natives did.
"I don't appreciate being called a fool, Will, even if I deserve that title. And no, I'm not going to run and let you be eaten by these savages," he said with an angry glower. "Who is in charge here?" he bellowed, using all the strength he could manage at the moment, which wasn't a lot.
"Who are you?" the man standing next to Will asked, a pair of half-lens spectacles glinting unbelievably in the torchlight on the end of his nose.
"I am James Christopher Michael Norrington III, Commodore of His Majesty's Royal Navy and I am here to negotiate the return of Mr. Turner here. And who might you be, now that we're giving the introductions? Are you the leader of this group?" he asked, with as much arrogant formality as he could muster at the moment.
The man hesitated to translate Norrington's name and demands before turning back to him. "I am Kiquan, speaker for my people," a loud commanding voice interrupted Kiquan's speech, uttering out few words in a language unknown to Norrington but were undoubtedly commands. Kiquan dropped his head in a bow before speaking again, "Rinikialyian, leader of our people wishes to know what right you have to stand before us and make demands," Kiquan said, as a large man with a brightly colored feathered headdress marking him out from the others moved to stand beside him, glaring at Norrington with cold dark eyes.
"Will is my friend, and while that gives me more than enough right, he is also a citizen under the British Crown, whom I am sworn to defend with my life if need be." Norrington answered, standing as confidently as he could under the circumstances, not looking at Will, but knowing the man was gawking.
"Then you will die," Kiquan spoke for Rinikialyian as the man stepped forward, hefting a spear taller than he was, moving to intercept Norrington.
"What part of 'I'm here to negotiate,' was unclear? There is no need for violence in this. Just let Will go and we will go on our way," Norrington spoke slowly, cursing his luck. He was in no condition to be fighting anyone, clearly someone as battle scarred as this Rinikialyian seemed to be, although it was hard to tell underneath all of the tattoos.
"There is no negotiation. You have made a challenge, and Chief Rinikialyian will meet it," with that, Kiquan and the rest of the tribe moved away from their Norrington and their chief, and with a bellow and a quick lunge, Rinikialyian charged at him and the battle was met.
With the ferocity of Rinikialyian's blows, Norrington was surprised the battle didn't end as soon at had begun, with him lying bleeding on the dirt, a spear through his chest. But no, somehow he managed to deflect all of the savage chief's frenzied blows, and remain untouched. Whether it was survival instinct or pure luck didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was keeping the long spear away from his fevered body. He liked to keep his blood inside him, thank you very much.
His inability to muster the energy to take the offensive in this battle inexplicably worked to his advantage. Rinikialyian seemed to be overconfident in his thrusts, convinced that he could beat Norrington with ease, when in truth he was only tiring himself out quickly. 'Doesn't this man know how to fight properly?' Norrington thought to himself with a frown, ducking a particularly vicious swing meant to take his head off. His life seem to depend on the man's ignorance, but it didn't seem right somehow fighting a man who didn't know how to pace himself properly.
"Yield, release Will, and we can end this right now!" Norrington shouted to the man, and Kiquan obligingly translated with a glare. When the translated words reached Rinikialyian's ears, he roared and rushed at Norrington, pushing him to the ground where the two men lay still.
***
Will couldn't believe his eyes. Norrington, clearly still fighting his pneumonia and barely able to stand from the looks of it, was holding his own against the savage's chief, Rinikialyian. Will's respect for the man, which had risen sharply upon seeing him come out from the jungle rose yet again at the scene. He had always known Norrington was a good man; this was just another example of that truth.
When the two of them finally fell, the chief's body crushing Norrington's to the ground beneath him, Will's breath caught in his throat. He didn't need to look around to see that it was the same with every man witnessing the fight. No one said a word or made any movement to separate the two. Finally, Rinikialyian rolled over on his back, coughing viciously, and Will could see bright red frothing from his lips. Norrington's sword was driven through the man's body at his stomach at such an extreme angle that Will didn't see the blade. 'It must have come out though his shoulder,' his swordsman brain supplied helpfully. "James!" he yelled, his wits finally catching up to the fact that Norrington was still lying motionless on the ground. Rinikialyian had finally ceased his coughing beside him, and now stared lifeless up into the night sky, his wide sightless eyes seeming to glow eerily in the torchlight.
It was Will's shout that seemed to bring life back to the gathered assemblage of men, for every one of them immediately began whispering to each other in their unknown language, every pair of eyes focussed on that of Norrington and their dead chief. Will couldn't care less. The only thing he cared about was the fact that Norrington still wasn't moving. "Damn it, let me go, you bastards!" Will cursed in his rage. He needed to get to Norrington, needed to see if he was alright. He pulled at his bonds, causing blood to well up around his wrists from where the rope dug into his flesh.
"Let him go," Norrington mumbled slowly from where he was now slightly raised off the sand. He looked even worse that he had when Will had left him unconscious on the beach, but he seemed unharmed. "Your chief is dead. I won't say I don't regret killing him, but that was his choice, not mine. Now," he was cut off by a series of hacking coughs that seemed to have returned with a vengeance. He had probably been forcing them down since he had entered the camp, and now they hit him all at once, leaving his body weak and shuddering from the strain. "Let him go. I met your chief's challenge, now let him go," he said at last, his voice growing weaker by the minute.
"I do not think you understand the consequences of what you have done." Kiquan whispered, but loud enough for both men to hear.
"What do you mean? What has he done? He only did what you forced him to do, now let me go!" Will shouted.
Kiquan shook his head, his eyes wide and unbelieving. "He has beaten our chief in a challenge, in single combat. He is now our chief," he said with a harsh finality.
Norrington let out a harsh laugh at this. "I am not your chief. Your chief is lying on the ground next to me. And I did not mean to kill him. He impaled himself on my blade when he pushed himself to the ground."
"You are our chief, whether you wanted it or not. This is our way and always will be. You will be chief until someone takes your life as you did Rinikialyian's," Kiquan said with a gesture to the men gathered around them.
"That's bloody perfect. I don't suppose I can just turn down the job either, can I?" Norrington muttered.
Kiquan didn't bother to answer the obviously rhetorical question; he merely grunted and went over to help Norrington to his feet. "What is your first command of us?" he asked once Norrington had gained his feet once more.
"If I am truly your chief now, I have only one command. Let Will go," he said softly. Kiquan nodded and directed a few of the gawking men to untie Will's hands and feet. They hesitated only for a second before doing what Norrington had commanded. Once Will was freed, he came running over to Norrington's side.
"James! Are you alright! Look at you, you can hardly stand!" Will whispered frantically, laying a hand on the military man's shoulder.
"What does he speak of, Chief Norrington? Are you injured?" Kiquan asked hurriedly, coming to stand beside Will. It certainly didn't take long for his loyalties to transfer. He had probably been through more than one chief's death in his lifetime.
Will looked at the man shrewdly as if to discern his intentions by a glance. The man seemed to fully give himself over to Norrington's rule in an unbelievable blink of an eye. No man's loyalties could shift that quickly, no matter how often it happened. But if help could be found, Norrington certainly needed it. "He is sick," Will said at last. "He shouldn't even be standing right now," he continued with a frown in Norrington's direction. "I don't know how he's standing right now."
"Sick?" Kiquan exclaimed before taking a long look at Norrington as if he didn't believe it. "Oh yes, I see. He has water inside his chest, yes? How ever did you manage to defeat Rinikialyian? No matter, sit down my chief, before you fall down. I am also a doctor for my people, and I can see that you are indeed greatly ill," Norrington let out an exasperated sigh but did as he was told.
"I'm fine. Don't fuss over me," he grumbled. The hacking cough he let out afterwards didn't help to convince anyone.
"You're not fooling anyone.......Chief Norrington," Will said with a smirk.
Norrington narrowed his eyes at him. "Don't start. I've got enough problems on my own as it is without you adding to them. How do these kinds of things always seem to happen to me?" he bemoaned.
"Oh? You become chief of a group of savages, er natives, often?" Will let out a short laugh that bordered a bit on hysteria, but it was a real laugh all the same. "You have Jack's own luck, I swear." Will's countenance clouded at the mention of his pirate friend.
"We'll find him. And Elizabeth too. I'm Chief James Norrington," Norrington said in an imitation of Jack's infamous 'Captain Jack Sparrow,' line, which made Will smile again if not laugh out loud this time.
Kiquan was confused as to what his chief and Will Turner were talking about, but he didn't bother asking. His chief needed strong medicine, or he wouldn't survive to meet his next challenge. He would find out what they were talking about in due time. It was his duty to know everything that went on in his chief's life and to serve him without question. A member of his family had been in this position as long as anyone could remember, and he wasn't one to discard traditions if the chief that the gods had chosen had been someone he wasn't expecting. He called out to two of the tribe's most loyal men, men he knew would back the new chief without complaint, to help him to his new hut where he could be given the medicines he needed to get better. "These men will take you and your companion to your new home, Chief Norrington," he said, gesturing to the two men. "There I will make up some medicine to cure your sickness."
Will eyed the two men warily before turning to Norrington. "I don't like this, but we don't have any choice. You need help, James. You need a doctor. And while I don't know if I entirely trust the man who was willing to eat my heart a minute ago," Kiquan had the grace to look embarrassed at this, "there is no one else."
"You're right," Norrington admitted after a long silence. He didn't like showing his faults and weaknesses in front of others, especially strangers, even though he was supposedly their leader, but he couldn't deny it any longer; he needed help. He looked up and nodded to the two men who were hovering beside him, apparently eager to serve their new chief. They grasped him under the arms as gently as they could and helped him walk to a large hut across the camp. Will followed closely behind. "Oh, be sure and give Will his sword back as well," he called over his shoulder to Kiquan before disappearing inside the tent.
***
"I'm sorry Jack, I can't seem to keep my eyes open any longer," Elizabeth said, her voice slurred with sleep.
"It's alright luv," Jack whispered. "You go ahead and sleep. But here, take this," he handed her a heavy pistol and a small silver dagger.
"Jack, I don't---" she started, but Jack cut her off with a wave of his hand.
"I've already," Jack started, before his voice caught and he had to start again. "I've already attacked you once, Elizabeth. Don't give me the chance to do it again. No matter what. You promise me." His dark eyes sought out hers and held them there.
"I-I promise Jack," she finally said, accepting the weapons he gave to her. She didn't think she would be able to keep that promise though. The thought of hurting Jack again make her sick to her stomach.
"It'll be alright luv, you just trust old Jack. We're going to get out of here, and get you back to your fiancé right quick, savvy?"
Elizabeth winced at the thought of Will, but forced a smile for Jack's benefit. "I believe you, Jack. I'm not worried."
"Good. There should still be some torches burning in the cave.......give me a minute and I'll go get them." Jack didn't want to admit that he'd rather shoot himself in the head, again, before going into that awful place. His hold on sanity was slippery at best, and he knew another trip into the cave where the nightmare that was now his life had begun would send him closer to the edge. He could feel the abyss of madness clawing at him to return, to go over that edge. But he wouldn't. He couldn't, for Elizabeth's sake.
"I'll go with you, Jack," Elizabeth said quietly, guessing his thoughts when he hesitated. She didn't blame him for not wanting to go. But he had to face the place, or he would surely be haunted by it for the rest of his life. "I don't want to be left out here alone, anyway," she admitted after he gave her a long look.
Jack softened at her words. He could love Elizabeth for that. She had read his thought like a book, and he was more than grateful. It was selfish, but he definitely didn't want to go in there by his own. He had been about to ask her to come anyway before she had spoken. The knowledge that he wouldn't be alone didn't necessarily calm his troubled mind, but it did lend him a bit of confidence. "Thank you, Elizabeth," he said quietly.
Elizabeth merely nodded and the two of them made their way over to the entrance Jack had widened in able to move his crew member's bodies out with ease. She caught Jack staring at the cave, and over his shoulder at where the bodies still lie in neat rows on the sand, and laid a hand on his shoulder, startling him out of his thoughts. "I'm sorry, Jack. I can't imagine what you must be going through. But you're not alone, not now," she whispered.
Jack turned to face her, his voice cold in the flickering torch light. "I wasn't alone then either, Elizabeth. Never forget that. He was there with me," Lorelac, his name is Lorelac. "Lorelac, that's his name. He's told it to me. He's here still, Elizabeth. Inside of me. Don't ever forget that," he said sternly, frightening Elizabeth a little.
She shuddered, but nodded. "I won't forget, Jack. I-I don't think I could. Not after......." her voice trailed off.
Jack didn't say anything, didn't do anything. He simply let her regain her composure while standing still. He knew she would forget though. It was inevitable. Her worst enemy wore the face of a friend. How could she keep that in perspective? How could anyone? He didn't bother offering her his apologies either. She was convinced that he had played no part in.......what had happened to her. But he knew that wasn't true. He could have fought a little harder. If Elizabeth hadn't pushed his arm away, the bullet that had sent a path of fire through his teeth, he winced as it reminded him that it was there, would have been lodged in his skull and none of this would have happened. The irony that by saving him Elizabeth had damned herself mocked him.
"Let's go," Elizabeth said with more confidence than she was probably feeling at the moment, causing Jack to smile. She led the way through the cave opening, crawling on her hands and knees. Jack hadn't been able to move all of the rock out of the way by himself, but now that Elizabeth was here perhaps he'd have better luck. 'No, we're not staying here. As soon as dawn breaks, we're getting the hell of this godforsaken piece of rock!'
"What did you say Jack?" Elizabeth asked, now standing in front of him as he crawled into the cave.
"Uh, nothing, Elizabeth. Nevermind," he muttered. She looked wary, but nodded. 'Damn, I hadn't even realized that was out loud. I'm slipping,' he thought frantically. He hadn't taken another step before every muscle in his body sent a message of pain to his already overtaxed brain at once. He screamed, the sound echoing through the large room.
"Jack!" Elizabeth screamed, "What is it? What's wrong! Oh God, oh God," she muttered seeing his body fall limp to the ground. Blood spilling from his nose, a corner of his mouth, and the most horrific yet, the corners of his eyes. She didn't run to him, no matter how much a part of her was screaming to. She merely sank to the ground, hugging her knees close to her body and rocking gently back and forth. Jack convulsed on the ground a few times, but otherwise didn't move. "Jack," she moaned again, and finally, he made some movement. She let go of her knees and crept ever so slightly towards him, her fist clenched around the small dagger he had given to her. She didn't think she'd be able to use it, but she couldn't get her hand to let it go. He shuddered at his name, but at least it wasn't a convulsion. "Jack, talk to me. Are you still there?"
Jack rolled over and Elizabeth drew back in horror upon seeing his face. His eyes were thankfully not the pale blue of her nightmares, but they were.......blank, was the only way she could describe it. "Jack?" her voice wavered as she looked down at him. "Jack, don't do this to me. Answer me, please. You're scaring me," she pleaded with him, daring to shake him a little. He still didn't move, only stared straight up at her, not saying a word. "Jack please," she sobbed, her tears beginning to fall upon his prone form.
"It......." Jack mumbled slowly, causing Elizabeth to gasp. "It was......a bloody bad idea to come in here, Miss Elizabeth," he finally managed to say, causing Elizabeth to let out a little half laugh, half sob in her joy.
'Wait, Miss Elizabeth?' those words sent a chill through her veins. 'Had the name been just a slip of the tongue? Or, or,' she couldn't bring herself to think what else being called that again might mean. "No, not now," she murmured. "Jack, please tell me you're alright."
Jack looked up at her, a clearly confused look crossing his bloodied face. "Who's Jack, Miss Elizabeth?"
TBC
A/N: *evil chuckle* I am so evil. I hadn't planned that ending at all until the TBC was already written, how about that? But have no fear. I have already started on the next chapter. I couldn't just leave poor Jack like that, could I? Well, maybe I could.
Reviewer Thanks:
100 reviews!! I can't believe it!! You guys rock!!! Drinks all around!!!
Miss B: My wonderful, indispensable beta. What would I do without you? Well, I would post anyway, but it wouldn't be pretty. Thanks!!
Otherhawk: I'm glad you're liking the new levels of darkness. There are many more to come.
Halia: Everybody take note and give thanks to Halia on this one, she is the one who made me start the new chapter early.
BURN THE R.U.M.: Don't worry, Lorelac will burn........eventually. And don't take it out on your computer either!! Pillows are ok, down with pillows! I'm also sorry for your sake to say that the angst isn't going to end. Not with this story, and certainly not with the sequel, that is already forming in my evil little brain. As for whether or not Liz is pregnant? She hasn't let me know yet.
Estelio*Duredhel: Yes, it was horribly angsty, wasn't it? I hope this chapter wasn't as bad. Sure, the ending was a kick in the teeth, but how about the rest of the chapter?
Scarlett Burns: I'm glad you're still liking my story! I hope you liked the Will and Chief Norry scenes. They were fun to write. :-) As for how much more Liz and Jack can take? I'm sorry to say that it better be quite a bit more.
Savvyness: Well, that's a good way to look at it. As long as everything turns out alright in the end, everything's fine. I wish I could say that everything was going to turn out alright in the end, but I alas cannot. This story's going to be over in a few more chapters, and then the sequel will begin. And the only reason to write sequels is if you left something unresolved in the first story, right? Right.
jack_roks: I'm glad you liked the Jack POV's. There will be more of them in the next chapter.
Mistress of Destruction: Thank you so much for the lovely comment!! Chapter 10 was hard to write, and I'm glad you enjoyed my writing if not the content, at least. I didn't enjoy the content either. And I hope you liked the Will and Norry scenes in this one. They were loads of fun to write. I figured it was about time to give those boys their own story.
Lady Russell Holmes: Aww, I love you too Lady Holmes. And thanks so much for adding me to your favorites list!!
Jacklyn: Thank you so much for the compliment!! I'm glad you like my story!!
Mara: You get the virtual box of rum filled chocolates, because you were my 100th reviewer!!! *throws party in Mara's honor* I love having Norry be a good guy too, he's such a teddy bear!! Jack's decent was well, interesting to write. I didn't necessarily plan it from the beginning, but after awhile, it seemed the only course of action. As to the critique on the rape scene, yes I was aware of that. But, I had Liz begin to enjoy it for purely dramatic and angst-filled reasons, so when she finally has to face what happened to her, there will be that added little 'bonus' to deal with.
Again, thank you to everyone!! And as I said before, the new chapter is already started, a sequel will be on the way in a few more chapters, and if you haven't read my OUATIM fic, Darkness Rising, please do!! I figure that if you're reading both of my fics, it won't seem like such a long time in between updates for either of them. :-)
-Merrie
A Pirates of the Caribbean story by Merrie
Disclaimer: Only the voice, Jack's insanity, and Norry's illness are mine. I seem to have gotten the raw end of the deal, huh?
Summary: Captain Jack has lost his ship, his crew, nearly his life, and now his sanity to a horrible new curse. Will this Sparrow be able soar again after his wings have been broken?
Characters: Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, Commodore Norrington, and the hated voice that still remains mysterious.
Author's Note: Oh wooow, thank you soooo much to my lovely lovely reviewers!! I thought you guys would hate me after the last chapter!!! You guys rock!!!
Rating: This will be back to PG-13 again. As I mentioned last chapter, it was the only one that deserved an R rating, not the entire story.
Chapter 11: Natives and Norrington
Norrington shot awake, breathing heavily. "Will? Are you here?" he called out to the darkness. The fire beside him had almost died down completely, so with a pained grunt, he grabbed a long stick Will had left near enough for him to reach, and stirred the coals, making the fire blaze brightly once more. He leaned back to rest against the log, enjoying the fire's warmth, before calling out again, "Will! Answer me! Are you there?"
Something wasn't right about this. Will wouldn't have just left him there, would he? No, a man such as William Turner would never leave a man behind, especially one as sick as Norrington admittedly was. Something had happened to him, Norrington could feel it. He had learned to trust his instincts over the long years of chasing pirates, and right now they were screaming at him to get up and do something, anything, for Will's life was in danger.
Moaning with the effort, Norrington managed to sit upright against the log. His head spun, and his breath grew short as if he were about to pass out, but he would manage. If Will really was in danger, there would be no coming for him. No one but one incredibly sick and beaten down naval Commodore. Filled with determination, he managed to roll over to one side and prop his trembling body up on his hands and knees, the sword that had somehow unbelievably survived the storm hitting him in the leg from where it was attached to his belt. He didn't know how he had managed to hold on to it, but he sent a prayer of thanks to whoever might be watching. Because if Will truly was in danger, he would surely need it now.
Taking a few deep breaths to steady himself, he attempted to rise to his feet. Once he had his feet underneath him, it was only moments before he found himself crumpled to the sand again, his head spinning. "Bloody hell, this is just perfect. Will's in trouble and I can barely stand. Come on, you bloody fool. Will is counting on you. Get up!" he shouted, trying to motivate his rebellious body into doing what he told it to for just a little while longer. Using the long stick he had stirred the fire with as a crutch this time, he managed to get his feet underneath him once more and stayed upright. Panting from the effort, he wiped a hand across his feverish brow and took in the area surrounding him. He could see tracks dimly lit in the fire's light leading in the direction of the jungle, and Norrington knew that was where he had to go. He slowly leaned over the fire and pulled out a log he could use as a torch and set out.
***
Will awoke to find himself weightless. He started a bit at the sensation, and tried to struggle, but he found he couldn't move. His hands and feet were securely tied to a long stick that seemed to be carried by two men. He couldn't really make out their faces in the dark, but one wasn't usually kidnapped by friendly people. Well, Jack might have considered it now and again, but Will knew these people were undoubtedly not his friends. This realization deepened when he felt his sword belt missing from his waist. 'This can not be good,' he thought with a frown. 'Why do things like this always seem to happen to me? First pirates, now island savages. What next?' he sighed.
Unfortunately, the men carrying him had heard the sigh and stopped suddenly. Will tensed; afraid he was going to be dropped. The two of them did not drop him however, instead calling out in an unfamiliar language to someone near the front of their party from what Will could see. He relaxed after a few long minutes of remaining in the air, but he still didn't know who these people were or want they wanted.
He suddenly started when he noticed a rather imposing man standing silently over him. He hadn't even heard the man's approach! "What do you want with me? Let me go!" Will wanted to add that Norrington was back on the beach depending on him to get help, but he didn't dare. Until these people proved their intentions, the less they knew about Norrington and his condition, the better. Especially when that condition made defending one's self rather difficult.
The man didn't utter a word. Well, no word to Will anyway. He did however turn to the two men who were holding Will up and uttered a few short words to the both of them. What it was that he told them, Will didn't know, for the language was one he had never heard before. "Let me go!" he shouted again. "I have done nothing to you and your people!" If any of the men that made up the party understood him, they made no sign. 'Oh this is just bloody perfect,' Will thought with a grimace as the party started moving again. I've been kidnapped by savages while Norrington could very well be dying on that beach, and not only may they want to eat me, but they don't speak bloody English either!'
***
Norrington stumbled for what seemed like the hundredth time as he slowly but surely followed the tracks Will had left behind in the soft sand and earth. 'I'm lucky I lost my wig to the storm,' he thought with a rueful half-smile. 'Because I surely would have set it alight that time.' But he had no time to joke about such things. He hadn't even gotten beyond the sound of the ocean's crashing waves against the beach before he noticed more tracks in the dirt much different than Will's own; these seemed to be barefoot. Frowning, he moved further down the trail that someone had undeniably hacked out of the jungle and crouched down with a bit of a dizzy waver as he noticed a rather peculiar set of markings in the sand. 'Now what in the blazes could that be?' he asked himself, lowering the torch to the ground to see the image clearer. It almost looked as if someone had fallen to the ground here.
Norrington's already too pale face whitened even further as what he was looking at became apparent before his deep blue eyes. "Will," he muttered aloud, one hand immediately going to the hilt of his sword as his eyes darted around the dark jungle that engulfed him. Will had fallen here, right here. And from the looks of things, he had been taken by a large group of barefoot individuals. He had heard tales of groups of savage men living on unexplored islands throughout the Caribbean, men who were more likely to eat the flesh off your bones than look at you, but he hadn't relieve believed in such stories. His feverish mind chose that instant to remind him of all the unexplainable things he had seen in the last few years, undead pirates only being the most recent, and cannibalistic savages didn't seem all that unbelievable when compared with such a collection of unexplained events as his military career had undeniably been.
A rustling in the jungle started him out of his thoughts, and he shot to his feet, one hand on his sword. That turned out to be a mistake as the darkness shifted and spun, and his illness-laden body threatened to drop him onto the dirt in exactly the place Will had presumably fallen. Norrington willed himself to rest for a minute while his body heaved under the strain of shallow breathing before moving on. He had to follow the footprints. Someone had taken Will, and there was no one else to go after him. While a pneumonia-laden naval Commodore might not be the first choice of a rescuer, he was the only choice. Remembering why he had stood in the first place and cursing his wandering mind, he waved the torch in the direction the sound had come from and rolled his eyes as a particularly large spider monkey skittered away. 'As long as it isn't carrying a gold coin and answers to Jack, it can go about its way,' he thought with a wry grin.
Having caught as much of his breath as he was going to given the circumstances, he held the torch out at his side once more, and followed the trail of bare footprints, praying that he would find Will soon, and that they would both make it out of this alive.
***
Will was surprised to find that he was never dropped from his position tied to the long stick. Instead, his two bearers merely propped it up in the ground, allowing him to stand upright while leaving his hands and feet tied. It was difficult, especially considering that all the blood had left his hands and feet, causing his knees to buckle underneath him. He would have fallen had it not been for the two strong hands, one from each of his bearers that held him up under his armpits. In the light of the numerous torches that filled this.......camp, Will could see his captors clearly for the first time. To say they were exotic was putting it mildly. Every man was bare from the waist up, and covered in an elaborate swirl of dark black tattoos, contrasting starkly with their dark skin. Every man he saw had his head completely shaved clean, and this was the hardest to take in: what looked like pieces of bone through their nostrils, and earlobes hanging down to the tops of their shoulders if not longer.
A man clad like all the rest came striding towards him purposefully, and Will tensed and felt an urge to grasp at a sword hilt that wasn't there with hands he couldn't move. Upon closer examination as the man drew closer however, Will saw that while he looked nearly identical in clothing and jewelry, he was not. A pair of half-lens glasses sat on the top of his nose, adding yet another touch of surrealism to this already overwhelming scene. "What do you want from me? Why have I been taken?" Will addressed the man, foolishly hoping that he would understand his words if the modern glasses on his face was any indication. The man stood silent just long enough for a gruesome image of stealing the glasses off a dead man's body made its way cheerfully through his mind before speaking,
"You have trespassed on our lands," the man said plainly, in a deep booming voice that was clearly meant to frighten the weaker willed.
"You understand me," Will blurted before fully paying attention to what the man had to say. "Wait, trespassing? I wasn't trespassing! I was shipwrecked here!"
"Yes I understand. I learned from trespassers like you," the man said, as if it were the most common thing in the world. "You say you were shipwrecked, but where is your crew? Surely you were not the only one to survive? And many men must sail a ship," the man said with a pointed look.
Will had no answer for that. What answer could he give? He had sailed out with two others in what was now seeming like a fool's errand, under the command of some force he did not yet understand, and now he had no idea if any of his three friends lived or died. Norrington might have died on the beach by now, for all he knew. And Elizabeth.......no, he would refused to believe Elizabeth was dead until he had undeniable proof that it was so. And even then, he'd doubt his own eyes. And as for Jack, Captain Jack Sparrow would outlive them all, he could feel it. The man seemed invincible. "What do you intend to do to me?" Will asked at last, not really wanting to know the answer, but unable to stop the query from passing his lips.
The man cast a glance to his fellow natives, a smirk crossing his face. The man translated Will's question to the other members of the tribe, and hearty laughter surrounded him from all directions once the man was finished. Will felt his blood chill in his veins at such a sound, but he held his ground and refused to look frightened. "There's only one way to deal with trespassers on our island," the man said slowly, clearly drawing out his answer for effect. "They are to be sacrificed," the man said at last.
Save for a slight widening of his eyes, Will made no movement at the declaration. He had heard tales of such things in Port Royal from sailors passing through, but he had not believed a word. To see proof in front of his very eyes was daunting, to say the least, but he would not give the man the satisfaction of seeing him quail.
What looked to be real shock and admiration slid over the man's countenance before he spoke, "You are a brave man. I am Kiquan. What is your name, boy?"
Will stiffened as much as his bonds would allow at the 'boy,' but gave his name as he had no reason to withhold it, "My name is Will Turner," he said, standing as straight and as proper as one could tied hand and foot to a pole sticking out of the ground.
"Will Turner. Your heart is full of courage. I will gain much from eating it."
***
Norrington's knees buckled underneath him as his walking stick snapped against a large rock under his increasing weight. It was becoming harder and harder to stay upright and conscious, but he had no choice. He had to find Will. And if he died in the course of that action, his death would have been honorable. Not that he intended on dying anytime soon. There was certainly too much left unresolved. Elizabeth was missing, perhaps lost to the ocean's cool embrace, perhaps washed up on an island somewhere like he and Will had been, all alone. And there was still Captain Jack Sparrow to consider as well, for it was for his sake that the three of them had set out in the first place. But if the danger the pirate was in was all one of Will's nightmares, not that he doubted Will's word when he gave it, he would hunt the pirate down and give him a sound thumping for all the trouble he had caused them. Of course, he would have to make it out of this little spot alive, first.
Norrington was so deeply involved in his own thoughts that he almost stumbled upon his destination without even realizing it. There was a large clearing in the surrounding jungle, filled with a group of half naked men gathered around the figures of two men. In the light of numerous torches, the scene looked surreal and nightmarish. It was the two figures they were gathered around that held Norrington's attention however, for one of them was William Turner. He looked to be alright from what he could see, but he seemed to be bound to the long pole sticking out from the ground in front of him, because he certainly wasn't moving. Squinting his eyes, Norrington noticed that Will seemed to be without his sword as well and let out a curse.
"Alright, what do I do now?" he grumbled to himself. There was no way he could take them all on, even if he was just barely keeping to his feet while the pneumonia that was angry at being ignored raged through his body.
"Will Turner. Your heart is full of courage. I will gain much from eating it." Norrington's already rice paper white face turned a little green upon hearing this line uttered from the man standing next to Will.
"Oh, that's bloody perfect. Not only are they savages, but they're cannibalistic savages as well," he sighed deeply, and pulled out his sword as quietly as he could, a whisper of steel and leather that seemed as loud as cannon fire to his ears. "Well, never let it be said that I was an intelligent man," he said to himself ruefully before dropping the torch to the ground and walking out into the clearing, his sword in hand at his side. "Good evening, gentlemen!" he called out to the group of savages, smiling as every eye locked upon his tattered and sweaty form.
"James! What are you doing here, you bloody fool! Run!" Will shouted to him from his position in the middle of the camp, looking just as shocked to see him as the natives did.
"I don't appreciate being called a fool, Will, even if I deserve that title. And no, I'm not going to run and let you be eaten by these savages," he said with an angry glower. "Who is in charge here?" he bellowed, using all the strength he could manage at the moment, which wasn't a lot.
"Who are you?" the man standing next to Will asked, a pair of half-lens spectacles glinting unbelievably in the torchlight on the end of his nose.
"I am James Christopher Michael Norrington III, Commodore of His Majesty's Royal Navy and I am here to negotiate the return of Mr. Turner here. And who might you be, now that we're giving the introductions? Are you the leader of this group?" he asked, with as much arrogant formality as he could muster at the moment.
The man hesitated to translate Norrington's name and demands before turning back to him. "I am Kiquan, speaker for my people," a loud commanding voice interrupted Kiquan's speech, uttering out few words in a language unknown to Norrington but were undoubtedly commands. Kiquan dropped his head in a bow before speaking again, "Rinikialyian, leader of our people wishes to know what right you have to stand before us and make demands," Kiquan said, as a large man with a brightly colored feathered headdress marking him out from the others moved to stand beside him, glaring at Norrington with cold dark eyes.
"Will is my friend, and while that gives me more than enough right, he is also a citizen under the British Crown, whom I am sworn to defend with my life if need be." Norrington answered, standing as confidently as he could under the circumstances, not looking at Will, but knowing the man was gawking.
"Then you will die," Kiquan spoke for Rinikialyian as the man stepped forward, hefting a spear taller than he was, moving to intercept Norrington.
"What part of 'I'm here to negotiate,' was unclear? There is no need for violence in this. Just let Will go and we will go on our way," Norrington spoke slowly, cursing his luck. He was in no condition to be fighting anyone, clearly someone as battle scarred as this Rinikialyian seemed to be, although it was hard to tell underneath all of the tattoos.
"There is no negotiation. You have made a challenge, and Chief Rinikialyian will meet it," with that, Kiquan and the rest of the tribe moved away from their Norrington and their chief, and with a bellow and a quick lunge, Rinikialyian charged at him and the battle was met.
With the ferocity of Rinikialyian's blows, Norrington was surprised the battle didn't end as soon at had begun, with him lying bleeding on the dirt, a spear through his chest. But no, somehow he managed to deflect all of the savage chief's frenzied blows, and remain untouched. Whether it was survival instinct or pure luck didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was keeping the long spear away from his fevered body. He liked to keep his blood inside him, thank you very much.
His inability to muster the energy to take the offensive in this battle inexplicably worked to his advantage. Rinikialyian seemed to be overconfident in his thrusts, convinced that he could beat Norrington with ease, when in truth he was only tiring himself out quickly. 'Doesn't this man know how to fight properly?' Norrington thought to himself with a frown, ducking a particularly vicious swing meant to take his head off. His life seem to depend on the man's ignorance, but it didn't seem right somehow fighting a man who didn't know how to pace himself properly.
"Yield, release Will, and we can end this right now!" Norrington shouted to the man, and Kiquan obligingly translated with a glare. When the translated words reached Rinikialyian's ears, he roared and rushed at Norrington, pushing him to the ground where the two men lay still.
***
Will couldn't believe his eyes. Norrington, clearly still fighting his pneumonia and barely able to stand from the looks of it, was holding his own against the savage's chief, Rinikialyian. Will's respect for the man, which had risen sharply upon seeing him come out from the jungle rose yet again at the scene. He had always known Norrington was a good man; this was just another example of that truth.
When the two of them finally fell, the chief's body crushing Norrington's to the ground beneath him, Will's breath caught in his throat. He didn't need to look around to see that it was the same with every man witnessing the fight. No one said a word or made any movement to separate the two. Finally, Rinikialyian rolled over on his back, coughing viciously, and Will could see bright red frothing from his lips. Norrington's sword was driven through the man's body at his stomach at such an extreme angle that Will didn't see the blade. 'It must have come out though his shoulder,' his swordsman brain supplied helpfully. "James!" he yelled, his wits finally catching up to the fact that Norrington was still lying motionless on the ground. Rinikialyian had finally ceased his coughing beside him, and now stared lifeless up into the night sky, his wide sightless eyes seeming to glow eerily in the torchlight.
It was Will's shout that seemed to bring life back to the gathered assemblage of men, for every one of them immediately began whispering to each other in their unknown language, every pair of eyes focussed on that of Norrington and their dead chief. Will couldn't care less. The only thing he cared about was the fact that Norrington still wasn't moving. "Damn it, let me go, you bastards!" Will cursed in his rage. He needed to get to Norrington, needed to see if he was alright. He pulled at his bonds, causing blood to well up around his wrists from where the rope dug into his flesh.
"Let him go," Norrington mumbled slowly from where he was now slightly raised off the sand. He looked even worse that he had when Will had left him unconscious on the beach, but he seemed unharmed. "Your chief is dead. I won't say I don't regret killing him, but that was his choice, not mine. Now," he was cut off by a series of hacking coughs that seemed to have returned with a vengeance. He had probably been forcing them down since he had entered the camp, and now they hit him all at once, leaving his body weak and shuddering from the strain. "Let him go. I met your chief's challenge, now let him go," he said at last, his voice growing weaker by the minute.
"I do not think you understand the consequences of what you have done." Kiquan whispered, but loud enough for both men to hear.
"What do you mean? What has he done? He only did what you forced him to do, now let me go!" Will shouted.
Kiquan shook his head, his eyes wide and unbelieving. "He has beaten our chief in a challenge, in single combat. He is now our chief," he said with a harsh finality.
Norrington let out a harsh laugh at this. "I am not your chief. Your chief is lying on the ground next to me. And I did not mean to kill him. He impaled himself on my blade when he pushed himself to the ground."
"You are our chief, whether you wanted it or not. This is our way and always will be. You will be chief until someone takes your life as you did Rinikialyian's," Kiquan said with a gesture to the men gathered around them.
"That's bloody perfect. I don't suppose I can just turn down the job either, can I?" Norrington muttered.
Kiquan didn't bother to answer the obviously rhetorical question; he merely grunted and went over to help Norrington to his feet. "What is your first command of us?" he asked once Norrington had gained his feet once more.
"If I am truly your chief now, I have only one command. Let Will go," he said softly. Kiquan nodded and directed a few of the gawking men to untie Will's hands and feet. They hesitated only for a second before doing what Norrington had commanded. Once Will was freed, he came running over to Norrington's side.
"James! Are you alright! Look at you, you can hardly stand!" Will whispered frantically, laying a hand on the military man's shoulder.
"What does he speak of, Chief Norrington? Are you injured?" Kiquan asked hurriedly, coming to stand beside Will. It certainly didn't take long for his loyalties to transfer. He had probably been through more than one chief's death in his lifetime.
Will looked at the man shrewdly as if to discern his intentions by a glance. The man seemed to fully give himself over to Norrington's rule in an unbelievable blink of an eye. No man's loyalties could shift that quickly, no matter how often it happened. But if help could be found, Norrington certainly needed it. "He is sick," Will said at last. "He shouldn't even be standing right now," he continued with a frown in Norrington's direction. "I don't know how he's standing right now."
"Sick?" Kiquan exclaimed before taking a long look at Norrington as if he didn't believe it. "Oh yes, I see. He has water inside his chest, yes? How ever did you manage to defeat Rinikialyian? No matter, sit down my chief, before you fall down. I am also a doctor for my people, and I can see that you are indeed greatly ill," Norrington let out an exasperated sigh but did as he was told.
"I'm fine. Don't fuss over me," he grumbled. The hacking cough he let out afterwards didn't help to convince anyone.
"You're not fooling anyone.......Chief Norrington," Will said with a smirk.
Norrington narrowed his eyes at him. "Don't start. I've got enough problems on my own as it is without you adding to them. How do these kinds of things always seem to happen to me?" he bemoaned.
"Oh? You become chief of a group of savages, er natives, often?" Will let out a short laugh that bordered a bit on hysteria, but it was a real laugh all the same. "You have Jack's own luck, I swear." Will's countenance clouded at the mention of his pirate friend.
"We'll find him. And Elizabeth too. I'm Chief James Norrington," Norrington said in an imitation of Jack's infamous 'Captain Jack Sparrow,' line, which made Will smile again if not laugh out loud this time.
Kiquan was confused as to what his chief and Will Turner were talking about, but he didn't bother asking. His chief needed strong medicine, or he wouldn't survive to meet his next challenge. He would find out what they were talking about in due time. It was his duty to know everything that went on in his chief's life and to serve him without question. A member of his family had been in this position as long as anyone could remember, and he wasn't one to discard traditions if the chief that the gods had chosen had been someone he wasn't expecting. He called out to two of the tribe's most loyal men, men he knew would back the new chief without complaint, to help him to his new hut where he could be given the medicines he needed to get better. "These men will take you and your companion to your new home, Chief Norrington," he said, gesturing to the two men. "There I will make up some medicine to cure your sickness."
Will eyed the two men warily before turning to Norrington. "I don't like this, but we don't have any choice. You need help, James. You need a doctor. And while I don't know if I entirely trust the man who was willing to eat my heart a minute ago," Kiquan had the grace to look embarrassed at this, "there is no one else."
"You're right," Norrington admitted after a long silence. He didn't like showing his faults and weaknesses in front of others, especially strangers, even though he was supposedly their leader, but he couldn't deny it any longer; he needed help. He looked up and nodded to the two men who were hovering beside him, apparently eager to serve their new chief. They grasped him under the arms as gently as they could and helped him walk to a large hut across the camp. Will followed closely behind. "Oh, be sure and give Will his sword back as well," he called over his shoulder to Kiquan before disappearing inside the tent.
***
"I'm sorry Jack, I can't seem to keep my eyes open any longer," Elizabeth said, her voice slurred with sleep.
"It's alright luv," Jack whispered. "You go ahead and sleep. But here, take this," he handed her a heavy pistol and a small silver dagger.
"Jack, I don't---" she started, but Jack cut her off with a wave of his hand.
"I've already," Jack started, before his voice caught and he had to start again. "I've already attacked you once, Elizabeth. Don't give me the chance to do it again. No matter what. You promise me." His dark eyes sought out hers and held them there.
"I-I promise Jack," she finally said, accepting the weapons he gave to her. She didn't think she would be able to keep that promise though. The thought of hurting Jack again make her sick to her stomach.
"It'll be alright luv, you just trust old Jack. We're going to get out of here, and get you back to your fiancé right quick, savvy?"
Elizabeth winced at the thought of Will, but forced a smile for Jack's benefit. "I believe you, Jack. I'm not worried."
"Good. There should still be some torches burning in the cave.......give me a minute and I'll go get them." Jack didn't want to admit that he'd rather shoot himself in the head, again, before going into that awful place. His hold on sanity was slippery at best, and he knew another trip into the cave where the nightmare that was now his life had begun would send him closer to the edge. He could feel the abyss of madness clawing at him to return, to go over that edge. But he wouldn't. He couldn't, for Elizabeth's sake.
"I'll go with you, Jack," Elizabeth said quietly, guessing his thoughts when he hesitated. She didn't blame him for not wanting to go. But he had to face the place, or he would surely be haunted by it for the rest of his life. "I don't want to be left out here alone, anyway," she admitted after he gave her a long look.
Jack softened at her words. He could love Elizabeth for that. She had read his thought like a book, and he was more than grateful. It was selfish, but he definitely didn't want to go in there by his own. He had been about to ask her to come anyway before she had spoken. The knowledge that he wouldn't be alone didn't necessarily calm his troubled mind, but it did lend him a bit of confidence. "Thank you, Elizabeth," he said quietly.
Elizabeth merely nodded and the two of them made their way over to the entrance Jack had widened in able to move his crew member's bodies out with ease. She caught Jack staring at the cave, and over his shoulder at where the bodies still lie in neat rows on the sand, and laid a hand on his shoulder, startling him out of his thoughts. "I'm sorry, Jack. I can't imagine what you must be going through. But you're not alone, not now," she whispered.
Jack turned to face her, his voice cold in the flickering torch light. "I wasn't alone then either, Elizabeth. Never forget that. He was there with me," Lorelac, his name is Lorelac. "Lorelac, that's his name. He's told it to me. He's here still, Elizabeth. Inside of me. Don't ever forget that," he said sternly, frightening Elizabeth a little.
She shuddered, but nodded. "I won't forget, Jack. I-I don't think I could. Not after......." her voice trailed off.
Jack didn't say anything, didn't do anything. He simply let her regain her composure while standing still. He knew she would forget though. It was inevitable. Her worst enemy wore the face of a friend. How could she keep that in perspective? How could anyone? He didn't bother offering her his apologies either. She was convinced that he had played no part in.......what had happened to her. But he knew that wasn't true. He could have fought a little harder. If Elizabeth hadn't pushed his arm away, the bullet that had sent a path of fire through his teeth, he winced as it reminded him that it was there, would have been lodged in his skull and none of this would have happened. The irony that by saving him Elizabeth had damned herself mocked him.
"Let's go," Elizabeth said with more confidence than she was probably feeling at the moment, causing Jack to smile. She led the way through the cave opening, crawling on her hands and knees. Jack hadn't been able to move all of the rock out of the way by himself, but now that Elizabeth was here perhaps he'd have better luck. 'No, we're not staying here. As soon as dawn breaks, we're getting the hell of this godforsaken piece of rock!'
"What did you say Jack?" Elizabeth asked, now standing in front of him as he crawled into the cave.
"Uh, nothing, Elizabeth. Nevermind," he muttered. She looked wary, but nodded. 'Damn, I hadn't even realized that was out loud. I'm slipping,' he thought frantically. He hadn't taken another step before every muscle in his body sent a message of pain to his already overtaxed brain at once. He screamed, the sound echoing through the large room.
"Jack!" Elizabeth screamed, "What is it? What's wrong! Oh God, oh God," she muttered seeing his body fall limp to the ground. Blood spilling from his nose, a corner of his mouth, and the most horrific yet, the corners of his eyes. She didn't run to him, no matter how much a part of her was screaming to. She merely sank to the ground, hugging her knees close to her body and rocking gently back and forth. Jack convulsed on the ground a few times, but otherwise didn't move. "Jack," she moaned again, and finally, he made some movement. She let go of her knees and crept ever so slightly towards him, her fist clenched around the small dagger he had given to her. She didn't think she'd be able to use it, but she couldn't get her hand to let it go. He shuddered at his name, but at least it wasn't a convulsion. "Jack, talk to me. Are you still there?"
Jack rolled over and Elizabeth drew back in horror upon seeing his face. His eyes were thankfully not the pale blue of her nightmares, but they were.......blank, was the only way she could describe it. "Jack?" her voice wavered as she looked down at him. "Jack, don't do this to me. Answer me, please. You're scaring me," she pleaded with him, daring to shake him a little. He still didn't move, only stared straight up at her, not saying a word. "Jack please," she sobbed, her tears beginning to fall upon his prone form.
"It......." Jack mumbled slowly, causing Elizabeth to gasp. "It was......a bloody bad idea to come in here, Miss Elizabeth," he finally managed to say, causing Elizabeth to let out a little half laugh, half sob in her joy.
'Wait, Miss Elizabeth?' those words sent a chill through her veins. 'Had the name been just a slip of the tongue? Or, or,' she couldn't bring herself to think what else being called that again might mean. "No, not now," she murmured. "Jack, please tell me you're alright."
Jack looked up at her, a clearly confused look crossing his bloodied face. "Who's Jack, Miss Elizabeth?"
TBC
A/N: *evil chuckle* I am so evil. I hadn't planned that ending at all until the TBC was already written, how about that? But have no fear. I have already started on the next chapter. I couldn't just leave poor Jack like that, could I? Well, maybe I could.
Reviewer Thanks:
100 reviews!! I can't believe it!! You guys rock!!! Drinks all around!!!
Miss B: My wonderful, indispensable beta. What would I do without you? Well, I would post anyway, but it wouldn't be pretty. Thanks!!
Otherhawk: I'm glad you're liking the new levels of darkness. There are many more to come.
Halia: Everybody take note and give thanks to Halia on this one, she is the one who made me start the new chapter early.
BURN THE R.U.M.: Don't worry, Lorelac will burn........eventually. And don't take it out on your computer either!! Pillows are ok, down with pillows! I'm also sorry for your sake to say that the angst isn't going to end. Not with this story, and certainly not with the sequel, that is already forming in my evil little brain. As for whether or not Liz is pregnant? She hasn't let me know yet.
Estelio*Duredhel: Yes, it was horribly angsty, wasn't it? I hope this chapter wasn't as bad. Sure, the ending was a kick in the teeth, but how about the rest of the chapter?
Scarlett Burns: I'm glad you're still liking my story! I hope you liked the Will and Chief Norry scenes. They were fun to write. :-) As for how much more Liz and Jack can take? I'm sorry to say that it better be quite a bit more.
Savvyness: Well, that's a good way to look at it. As long as everything turns out alright in the end, everything's fine. I wish I could say that everything was going to turn out alright in the end, but I alas cannot. This story's going to be over in a few more chapters, and then the sequel will begin. And the only reason to write sequels is if you left something unresolved in the first story, right? Right.
jack_roks: I'm glad you liked the Jack POV's. There will be more of them in the next chapter.
Mistress of Destruction: Thank you so much for the lovely comment!! Chapter 10 was hard to write, and I'm glad you enjoyed my writing if not the content, at least. I didn't enjoy the content either. And I hope you liked the Will and Norry scenes in this one. They were loads of fun to write. I figured it was about time to give those boys their own story.
Lady Russell Holmes: Aww, I love you too Lady Holmes. And thanks so much for adding me to your favorites list!!
Jacklyn: Thank you so much for the compliment!! I'm glad you like my story!!
Mara: You get the virtual box of rum filled chocolates, because you were my 100th reviewer!!! *throws party in Mara's honor* I love having Norry be a good guy too, he's such a teddy bear!! Jack's decent was well, interesting to write. I didn't necessarily plan it from the beginning, but after awhile, it seemed the only course of action. As to the critique on the rape scene, yes I was aware of that. But, I had Liz begin to enjoy it for purely dramatic and angst-filled reasons, so when she finally has to face what happened to her, there will be that added little 'bonus' to deal with.
Again, thank you to everyone!! And as I said before, the new chapter is already started, a sequel will be on the way in a few more chapters, and if you haven't read my OUATIM fic, Darkness Rising, please do!! I figure that if you're reading both of my fics, it won't seem like such a long time in between updates for either of them. :-)
-Merrie