Chapter Six~ Sombra
Disclaimer~ Sorry I've been forgetting these. Anyway, I don't own anybody that you saw in PotC. I do own the guy with the eyepatch.
Elizabeth squinted in the fading light. Yes, she was sure she could see it. A hazy line of green on the horizon. Puerto Rico.
The land drew slowly nearer for what seemed like years. Elizabeth was sick of being on the ship. It wasn't the ship that bothered her- she was never seasick or dizzy- but the crew. And, of course, the captain.
"Drop anchor!" shouted Jack. "All hands on deck! We're going ashore!"
The ship slowed to a stop. Elizabeth, Will, Jack, and Anamaria set off towards the shore in a rowboat.
"Where exactly are we going, Will?" asked Elizabeth coldly. Will shook his head
"I don't really know. Jack?"
"Well, I imagine we'd better start with the places where people like... you know... the kind of people who would know about old pirates of legend and such."
"Where would we find them?" asked Will.
"You'll see." Jack smiled secretly.
When they had reached the shore and hidden the boat in a clump of weeds, Jack led the group to a small town called Sombra. The streets were dingy and dark, and the majority of the shops lining them seemed to be closed, even though it was around six o'clock on a Thursday evening. A young girl carrying a lumpy package hurried past them and vanished down an alley. Will instinctively put his arm around Elizabeth as a group of men who appeared to be very drunk appeared from around a corner.
"Hey! You sirs!" called Jack, running up to them. "Can you tell me where I can find the nearest tavern?"
"I could, aye, but why should I?" said the largest of the men gruffly. He and the others laughed loudly before staggering away. But one of them, an old looking fellow with a Q branded on his forehead, hesitated, and eventually turned around to face Jack.
"Go that way," he whispered, pointing in the direction from which he had just come. "Third alley on the right will lead you right to it. Called the Turtle's Bite. Keep them close to ye," he added, nodding towards Elizabeth and Anamaria. Jack nodded.
"Thanks to ye Mr...."
"Never you mind," he muttered and turned to follow his friends.
"'Ey, Quirk, 'urry up there!" yelled a voice from around the corner. The old man jumped and scurried away after it.
Jack watched Quirk until he turned a corner and disappeared. Then he snapped back into reality and spun around.
"This way," he said, pointing down the alley. Elizabeth shook Will's arm off her shoulder, but when he took her hand, she didn't protest. It was nice to feel safe. Especially when the Turtle's Bite came into view. It was crowded and noisy, contrasting to the dreary stillness outside. Will was strikingly reminded of Tortuga. Though the mayhem inside had not yet escalated to the free-for-all fistfight that it had in Tortuaga, there were several smaller fights breaking out all over the tavern, and no one seemed to take much notice. Women in revealing dresses and smudged makeup began to follow the little troupe, eyeing Jack and Will hungrily. Elizabeth clutched Will's hand tighter, and even Anamaria moved a bit closer to her captain.
Jack shoved his way to the bar.
"I'd like to order four pints of rum," he asked. The man nodded and shuffled away.
"Aren't you going to ask him if he knows Bootstrap?" Will hissed.
"No," Jack answered bluntly. Will glowered.
The bartender came back with the drinks. Jack began to walk away, followed by Anamaria, but Will (and therefore Elizabeth) didn't move.
"You, bartender!" Will shouted above the noise as the man scuffed away.
"Aye?"
"Have you heard of a man named Bootstrap Bill?"
The bartender glanced at Will strangely, as though sure he had already had something to drink. He was no the only one to look Will. A shabbily dressed pirate who was sitting all alone in a shadowy corner eyed him as well, unnoticed. He lifted his drink to his lips and took a long swig, never taking his eyes of Will. Or his eye, as it were. His left eye was covered by a strip of gray cloth tied around his forehead.
Disclaimer~ Sorry I've been forgetting these. Anyway, I don't own anybody that you saw in PotC. I do own the guy with the eyepatch.
Elizabeth squinted in the fading light. Yes, she was sure she could see it. A hazy line of green on the horizon. Puerto Rico.
The land drew slowly nearer for what seemed like years. Elizabeth was sick of being on the ship. It wasn't the ship that bothered her- she was never seasick or dizzy- but the crew. And, of course, the captain.
"Drop anchor!" shouted Jack. "All hands on deck! We're going ashore!"
The ship slowed to a stop. Elizabeth, Will, Jack, and Anamaria set off towards the shore in a rowboat.
"Where exactly are we going, Will?" asked Elizabeth coldly. Will shook his head
"I don't really know. Jack?"
"Well, I imagine we'd better start with the places where people like... you know... the kind of people who would know about old pirates of legend and such."
"Where would we find them?" asked Will.
"You'll see." Jack smiled secretly.
When they had reached the shore and hidden the boat in a clump of weeds, Jack led the group to a small town called Sombra. The streets were dingy and dark, and the majority of the shops lining them seemed to be closed, even though it was around six o'clock on a Thursday evening. A young girl carrying a lumpy package hurried past them and vanished down an alley. Will instinctively put his arm around Elizabeth as a group of men who appeared to be very drunk appeared from around a corner.
"Hey! You sirs!" called Jack, running up to them. "Can you tell me where I can find the nearest tavern?"
"I could, aye, but why should I?" said the largest of the men gruffly. He and the others laughed loudly before staggering away. But one of them, an old looking fellow with a Q branded on his forehead, hesitated, and eventually turned around to face Jack.
"Go that way," he whispered, pointing in the direction from which he had just come. "Third alley on the right will lead you right to it. Called the Turtle's Bite. Keep them close to ye," he added, nodding towards Elizabeth and Anamaria. Jack nodded.
"Thanks to ye Mr...."
"Never you mind," he muttered and turned to follow his friends.
"'Ey, Quirk, 'urry up there!" yelled a voice from around the corner. The old man jumped and scurried away after it.
Jack watched Quirk until he turned a corner and disappeared. Then he snapped back into reality and spun around.
"This way," he said, pointing down the alley. Elizabeth shook Will's arm off her shoulder, but when he took her hand, she didn't protest. It was nice to feel safe. Especially when the Turtle's Bite came into view. It was crowded and noisy, contrasting to the dreary stillness outside. Will was strikingly reminded of Tortuga. Though the mayhem inside had not yet escalated to the free-for-all fistfight that it had in Tortuaga, there were several smaller fights breaking out all over the tavern, and no one seemed to take much notice. Women in revealing dresses and smudged makeup began to follow the little troupe, eyeing Jack and Will hungrily. Elizabeth clutched Will's hand tighter, and even Anamaria moved a bit closer to her captain.
Jack shoved his way to the bar.
"I'd like to order four pints of rum," he asked. The man nodded and shuffled away.
"Aren't you going to ask him if he knows Bootstrap?" Will hissed.
"No," Jack answered bluntly. Will glowered.
The bartender came back with the drinks. Jack began to walk away, followed by Anamaria, but Will (and therefore Elizabeth) didn't move.
"You, bartender!" Will shouted above the noise as the man scuffed away.
"Aye?"
"Have you heard of a man named Bootstrap Bill?"
The bartender glanced at Will strangely, as though sure he had already had something to drink. He was no the only one to look Will. A shabbily dressed pirate who was sitting all alone in a shadowy corner eyed him as well, unnoticed. He lifted his drink to his lips and took a long swig, never taking his eyes of Will. Or his eye, as it were. His left eye was covered by a strip of gray cloth tied around his forehead.
