Pirates of the Caribbean: Extinction of A Legacy
Author's Note: Thank you! Sleepingbeauty1988, LittleDragonGirl914, and Luineceau! You must be to be my favorite reviewers! ^^ I swear, every time I update I can always count on your opinion of it the next day! Here's a basket of goods! * Hands out baskets of various sorts of candy and two bottles of rum * !!! OH, I just remembered… I back out on my vow to not make another Pirate fic… I got an inspiration from my muse and she tells me once I'm done with this… I get to have another go… apologies to those who wish to read my OTHER stories… ^^ I'm afraid I got caught in the Pirate craze….
Careful not to waste yourselves on the rum!
Enjoy!
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Chapter VIII: Marooned on a god-forsaken spit of land
" Sorry, Jack," the bearded man said maliciously, " The Pearl deserves a better Captain, but don't think we don't love ye, mate… there's a wonderful little isle just waitin' to be governed by the likes o' ye."
Seagulls cawed as they flew by, watching as a lone figure circled the island for the fifth time. Jack had grown wiser over the past four years, not only that, he had added more trinkets to his hair and received a more notorious name for himself. His once tidy and clean clothes were now stained with rum, seawater and sweat. He had grown a beard over the years and had it made into two thin braids locked in place with a glass bead dangling from each end.
His brown, kohl rimmed eyes were dulled by hopelessness as he finally collapsed after hours of walking. He struggled to sit, cursing at himself for being so naïve. He should have listened to Bill, now two lives were in grave danger- his and Bill's. Jack wasn't one to believe in curses and fairy tales, but something nagged at him- telling him not to reveal the map of Isla de Muerta. His instincts were never wrong, but it was also his instinct to hire Barbossa in the first place.
Now all Jack could do; was wait and pray that Bill was faring better than he was. Jack's arm lay limp beside his body, his finger still on the pistol's trigger. He had thought of ending his torment, only to be fueled by rage to have revenge, and retrieve his beloved Pearl.
He unlatched the lock and repositioned his pistol on his belt. Taking a deep breath, Jack stood up and began to walk once more- only this time, he went through the forest, hoping to find food.
~*~*~
[Circa seven (7) years before Will meets Jack]
Will tucked in his guardian, felling a dull pain in his chest as he saw the tear that streaked down her tanned face. Sighing, he blew out the candle beside the bed and closed the doors, the letter still in his hand. Lily kept constant watch over the young woman, muttering prayers in Gaelic.
Will silently prayed for Marion's health, and sought to continue reading the letter. He knew it was a breech of privacy, but he couldn't help but feel curious as to Marion's past. He didn't know much about the woman's origins. Only that she had come from an island on the coast of the Spanish Main, had an old mentor named Mr. Briggs, who was a retired merchant and her mother had been under her mentor's care until she passed her state of shock.
Will sat on his table and lit two candles to better see the smudged letter. His brows knitted in concentration as he read its content.
Dear Raven,
I haven't called you that since you were a child, but then trying times call for good memories. We need you to be strong, little lady, for what I have to write will undoubtedly put you into foul mood. There's no need for me to prolong your torment further; I deeply apologize for your loss. Lady Norrington passed away not too long ago. Young Michael returned from his journey for her funeral, and every gypsy in the isle came to pay respects to her. I wish you could have been there, on her sickbed. She would have liked to say goodbye before she left. Before she passed, she asked me to give you a gift. It is all she had left; I am also enclosing a gift from myself for all those birthdays I missed. Again, I apologize for missing them.
You must be quite the heartbreaker, princess. Do keep healthy, the people here wish to see you again, so take care of yourself. I apologize for the short letter, but I have to admit, even I am at low spirits. Until the next time little one.
Mr. Carleton Briggs
"What are you doing?" a raspy voice asked from behind him.
Will turned around to see Marion looking at him. He tried to hide the letter only to find that a small smile creeping into her face. She sat down beside him and fingered the letter in his hands.
" No need to worry, sweet," Marion whispered, trying her hardest not to tear up, " I suppose it is my fault for keeping my family a secret."
Will kept silent, still feeling somewhat guilty for prying into her life. " I'm sorry, Marion…"
She nodded and placed her arm over Will's shoulder and wrapped him in a motherly hug. " Aye, so am I."
She began to tell Will of her adventures in Isla Del amor, and slowly, her eyes began to light up again. She explained how her mentor, Mr. Briggs had a son he often boasted about. Although his son was a notorious pirate, Mr. Briggs loved him dearly. Slowly, Marion's eyes went from the muddy gray hue it had been to the normal, sparkling brown eyes which held mischief and wisdom.
" Who is Michael?" Will asked as he stared at his guardian. Marion smiled as she recalled her childhood friend.
" Michael was- is- my best friend," Marion started a faraway look in her brown eyes, " He and I used to play pretend, he would be the pirate who saved me from harm, and I was the damsel who fell in love with him."
Will smiled, seeing the glint in her eyes, feeling as if he was reliving Marion's life. " What happened to him?" he asked tentatively.
Marion laughed sadly, " Michael lived our pretend life. Mr. Briggs informed me in his first letter to me, that Michael had set off to become a pirate the day that I had set sail for Port Royal," she said, " He tried his hardest to keep me from leaving, even threatened to kill me if I left!"
Will noticed the change of tone in her voice, and found that she looked much like his mother did when she told stories about her father. Realization hit Will like a brick wall- Marion must have loved Michael, at least enough to make her look love-struck.
"You loved him didn't you?" Will asked, suppressing his laughter at the indignant look on her face.
"William Turner!" Marion cried, with false anger, " That is not the type of conversation you have with a proper lady!"
She laughed, and soon Will laughed along with her and finally folded the letter in his hand. " Thank you for sharing your life," Will said honestly, giving her the parchment. Marion took it gingerly and took out the unopened box.
" Would you like to see what they sent me?" Marion offered her young ward.
Will smiled and nodded, " If you want me to."
Marion laughed and opened the box, marveling at the golden serpent hanging on a golden chain. It looked heavy, but as Marion placed it on her neck, she was surprised to find that it was as light as air. Will couldn't help but stare at the pendant, feeling odd as he looked at the small rubies placed as its eyes.
" It's captivating, that's for sure," Will said breathlessly. " Was this from Mr. Briggs or your mother?"
Marion looked at the inscription behind the serpent, feeling confused at how odd they were. " Not sure…but look at this"
Will turned the serpent over and saw the inscription as well. " Wonder what it means…"
Marion shrugged in an un-ladylike manner. She eyed another object at the bottom of the box and smiled. " This necklace is mother's…"
"How do you know?" Will asked. Marion took out a ring from the box and gave it to Will. He examined the silver ring and realized that it was a signet ring, one used to seal envelopes or parcels to indicate who sent it. " It's a sparrow…"
Marion smiled, " It's Mr. Brigg's signet ring. He said that his great grandfather was royalty of some sort, and their signet was of a sparrow. I don't believe him, but it's a wonderful story that I will have to tell you someday!"
Soon, the two parted for the night. Marion took her ring and placed it on the index finger of her left hand. She went back to her room and laid on the bed. She still grieved for her mother, but for some reason, she felt as if a load was lifted from her shoulders. She no longer had to keep her life in the Isle of love a secret. She now had someone to confide in.
As she crawled into her bed, she hoped Will did not notice she left his question unanswered. Truth be told, Marion had no clue what she felt for her dashing childhood friend. She hadn't seen the boy in three years, perhaps he had already forgotten about her.
'Nevertheless,' she thought, 'I will continue in saying he is my friend, for I have great hopes in seeing him again'
~*~*~
[Circa ten (10) years before Will meets Jack]
Jack took a swig of his rum, feeling happy that he found food. After nearly eight hours of walking on the island, he had stumbled upon a cache underneath the sand. He found near endless supplies of non-perishable food and alcohol.
He made a large bonfire and laid on his back, looking up at the stars. He began to wonder how his father was faring. It had only been four years since he sailed away from a small island, waving as his father became smaller and smaller in the distance. He could only imagine what his father felt as he watched his son sail away with his pride and joy.
For once, Jack thought he had his father figured out. Ever since Jack had been a cabin boy in his father's ship, he had wondered what truly lied in his father's head. One decision after another seemed so trivial to Jack, until something would happen and all his father's decision-making would pay off. The crew had no qualms about their captain, and they had never mutinied.
'So why me?'
Jack sighed as he took another swig of his rum. Mutiny was never an issue with his father. The crew was disciplined, yet still managed to be pirates. They worked together as a team, unlike the crew he had picked up in Tortuga.
'Well lads, if ever those coins be cursed, you brought it upon yourselves.'
Jack remembered how strangely his father began to act after hearing news about his mother's death. Jack's mother was a whore from Tortuga, and he never liked her much, but his father seemed to love something about the woman. In fact, he even tried to marry the wench, but she had refused. Jack sneered at the memory, wondering why marriage was important to his father.
They were pirates! They had no need of a wife, sure, they needed women to satisfy their carnal desires… but they had no need for a permanent wench…
But Jack's father knew something he didn't. Even if 'Blackjack' was a pirate, he had integrity that would put a hero to shame.
"The Pearl may give you freedom, son… but the only thing it can't give you- is love."
"Love," Jack scoffed, " Who needs love when you've got the Pearl?"
The skies began to lighten up, the stars were vanishing and Jack could see the top of the sun reflecting in the waters. Sighing, he slowly closed his eyes, staring out into the horizon… where the silhouette of a ship was quickly getting closer.
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Author's Note: Don't worry, soon, Jack's time and Marion's time will cross. I won't have to keep going back and forth through periods. Just to clarify things okay?
Marion is now 21. Three years has passed since she 'adopted' Will. Will is now 13. Elizabeth is 11. In Marion's time … I shall write [circa # of years before Will meets Jack]
Jack's age… I will not reveal until Marion meets him. But when I start his scenes, I will write [circa # of years before Will meets Jack] And as I said… they'll meet after all it IS a Romance/Action-Adventure story!
Answers to questions in reviews:
Ruby Heart: Well, I don't know if I'm going to expound on the subject, but just in case I don't… Will lives in the Norrington estate and learns about becoming a blacksmith. But once he's of the right age, he no longer has to live in the Norrington estate.
