AN// You guys rock! I love reviews. When Things Change finishes, I miss
ya'll. Haha.. Does this tell you anything about where we are in the Things
Change lifespan?
Jacks Bandana, I'm not gonna miss you though. *laughs* Don't take that the wrong way! I'm just saying, you already transferred interest to "Prophecy". I still got a good six months ahead with you! *laughs*
Christina! Thanks for the feedback. I love reviews. You oughta do it more often. *grin*
Chapter 20:
"I go after her," Will announced jumping to his feet. His eyes were so cold that almost no one had the courage to try and stop him... Almost... There's always Jack.
"Oh no you don't," Jack said, grabbing Will's arm as he tried to pass him.
"Get off your high horse, Sparrow," Will snapped. "You might have made yourself Captain of the Rouge but we're not ON the Rouge. On the sand, you don't have any control over my actions."
"You think this is about my want to demonstrate my ability to manipulate you?! I'm not that shallow." For once, the drunken daze was gone from Jack's eyes. For once, he seemed deathly serious.
"Then what is it about?"
"That girl gave up her freedom so I can keep mine... You go after her, you'll get caught and Patricia could very well be killed by those bastards along with YOU," Jack reasoned. "If you love her so much, the least you can do for her is not do anything INCREDIBLY stupid to try in save her."
"Then do you expect me to just stand here and wait for the damn commodore to prance about with his stupid soldiers?!" Will shouted, though he was a bit surprised by what Jack had said.
"Who said anything about THOSE poncy gits?! They can't even swim!" Jack muttered. "I... and you, since you feel so up to it, go inside... We travel at night and see if we can find where those natives live."
"Just the two of us?" Will asked, skeptically.
"They'll follow after some time for backup," Jack answered. Will's apprehension was written all over his face. He didn't know whether to trust these men with Patricia and, not to mention, HIS life in this mission but he knew he had no choice. He needed anyone who was offering their hand in saving Patricia.
"Fine..." Jack nodded, and turned away to survery the damage done by the impromptu attack. Will, on the other hand, began his silent countdown till darkness fell.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Nightfall finally arrived and Will was more restless than even in his life. He waited while Jack was supervising the last boats' trip to the Rouge. It made sense that Jack didn't want his crew to stay on the island with any attacker having the cover of darkness but Will was worried. He and Jack had no escape route. If caught... No... he couldn't of that now.
In the shadows, Elizabeth came up to him. Neither had spoken to the other throughout the day's work. Elizabeth avoided Will's eyes, her unreasonable guilt at not being able to stop the man from taking Patricia eating away at her. The only one who had more on his mind was Will. Now she stood in front of him, unsure of what to say.
"Get Patricia back for me, Will," Elizabeth murmured. Under her words was an unspoken apology and he nodded in understanding. On impulse, Elizabeth threw her arms around her old friend. "And you get yourself back here in one piece as well..." Will returned the hug gratefully.
"You better come back with the others as reinforcements," Will grinned. Elizabeth laughed as she stood back and nodded.
"You know I will..." She walked away, boarded a boat and drifted out into the ocean. Jack stood a little away, making sure that the boat was ging out into safety before retuning to Will.
"Let's go then, lad," Jack ordered, taking his sword in one hand, the other poised over his gun. As they entered the forest, a nagging question escaped Will's mouth.
"How do we know where we find her, Jack? Especially in the darkness."
"The rocks by the spring... They pile up high enough. We go on them and look for light," Jack replied.
"Light?! You expect there to be some sort of light at the end of the tunnel?!" Will scoffed, almost betraying his screams at what he thought was wishful incompentence in Jack's part. "There won't be any light, Jack! It's not like the Lord will be shining some beam of radiance from the Heavens to pinpoint where Patricia is!"
"The fire, stupid!" Jack hissed, stopping at the spring, positioned to start climbing the rocks. "They may be bastard devil spawns but those men were human. They need fire to see around themselves much like we do now." Will was appropriately silenced. "Look, if you feel like I'm such an idiot that doesn't know what the hell he's doing, then I suggest that you head back to shore and swim your ass back to the bloody boat and I can save Patricia all in me onesies, savvy?"
"I apologize," Will muttered, feeling his pride bruise.
"Accepted," Jack replied. He climbed higher, stopping every few feet to look around. Just as he reached the top, Will saw his silhouette point. "Will!"
"What?"
"Note where I'm pointing... I see their fires..." Doing as Jack asked, Will kept his eyes looking at the distance. The captain climbed down hurriedly and motioned their path towards where he knew Patricia would be.
When Will thought he might have noted the wrong direction, he saw the glow of distant embers ahead. It looked like there was a whole village there. They neared the border of the huts and saw that there was a whole community deep in the jungles of the island. Children were running to and fro, attempting to catch each other around the huts. Men seemed to be scarce now and women were scattered about, gossiping, most pointing at the same direction.
Will looked at Jack when he noticed their pointing and saw Jack looking at him as well. Both realized that something must be going on and that something just might have something to do with Patricia. They snuck around trying to find a way to see the event but the crowds were gathered too tightly at the borders and couldn't see the court in the inside. Though it was a tremendous risk, Will and Jack stealthily made their way through an emptier section of the village to the the center. They passed one last hut and saw that they entered a circular space of the village. Towards the middle was a giant pole, towering twenty, maybe thirty feet into the air.
At the base of the pole, surrounded by onlookers, guards and who looked like "the leader of the pack", someone was thrown on the ground like a rag. Knees were bent and her body was curved into a fetal position as if the person, clearly unconscious, was bowled over in pain. Arms were pricked with dots, bleeding into the dirt. Will could see one hand and saw the identifying feature of the girl on the floor. A gaping cut was sliced across the palm, bleeding freely but slowly, a small puddle underneath her hand.
"It's Patricia!" Will gasped in horror. He almost made a lunge towards the open but Jack held the cuff of his collar. "They're bleeding her to death! We need to go to her NOW!" His eyes were riveted on the girl, his heart beating so fast it was painful.
"They're all here..." Will felt a nudge on his shoulder, pushing him forward slightly.
"Don't bloody push! We'll fall in!" Another nudge went to both his shoulders. "Stop!" A final push sent him flying into the open, his body sliding with the power of the arms behind him. "What the..." Will coughed as dust flew into his lungs and burned his eyes. He twisted and saw Jack lying beside him, coughing as well then up to their hiding place. Three men, dark as night and decorated with markings across the neck and shoulders, stood over them. The crowd was silent.
"I think we're in trouble," Jack muttered to Will as the guards took them by the arms and led to the leader watching over Patricia. The old man took up a spear, using the head to nudge Will's head up. "Yea... in trouble..."
AN// Please read and review, you guys!
Jacks Bandana, I'm not gonna miss you though. *laughs* Don't take that the wrong way! I'm just saying, you already transferred interest to "Prophecy". I still got a good six months ahead with you! *laughs*
Christina! Thanks for the feedback. I love reviews. You oughta do it more often. *grin*
Chapter 20:
"I go after her," Will announced jumping to his feet. His eyes were so cold that almost no one had the courage to try and stop him... Almost... There's always Jack.
"Oh no you don't," Jack said, grabbing Will's arm as he tried to pass him.
"Get off your high horse, Sparrow," Will snapped. "You might have made yourself Captain of the Rouge but we're not ON the Rouge. On the sand, you don't have any control over my actions."
"You think this is about my want to demonstrate my ability to manipulate you?! I'm not that shallow." For once, the drunken daze was gone from Jack's eyes. For once, he seemed deathly serious.
"Then what is it about?"
"That girl gave up her freedom so I can keep mine... You go after her, you'll get caught and Patricia could very well be killed by those bastards along with YOU," Jack reasoned. "If you love her so much, the least you can do for her is not do anything INCREDIBLY stupid to try in save her."
"Then do you expect me to just stand here and wait for the damn commodore to prance about with his stupid soldiers?!" Will shouted, though he was a bit surprised by what Jack had said.
"Who said anything about THOSE poncy gits?! They can't even swim!" Jack muttered. "I... and you, since you feel so up to it, go inside... We travel at night and see if we can find where those natives live."
"Just the two of us?" Will asked, skeptically.
"They'll follow after some time for backup," Jack answered. Will's apprehension was written all over his face. He didn't know whether to trust these men with Patricia and, not to mention, HIS life in this mission but he knew he had no choice. He needed anyone who was offering their hand in saving Patricia.
"Fine..." Jack nodded, and turned away to survery the damage done by the impromptu attack. Will, on the other hand, began his silent countdown till darkness fell.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Nightfall finally arrived and Will was more restless than even in his life. He waited while Jack was supervising the last boats' trip to the Rouge. It made sense that Jack didn't want his crew to stay on the island with any attacker having the cover of darkness but Will was worried. He and Jack had no escape route. If caught... No... he couldn't of that now.
In the shadows, Elizabeth came up to him. Neither had spoken to the other throughout the day's work. Elizabeth avoided Will's eyes, her unreasonable guilt at not being able to stop the man from taking Patricia eating away at her. The only one who had more on his mind was Will. Now she stood in front of him, unsure of what to say.
"Get Patricia back for me, Will," Elizabeth murmured. Under her words was an unspoken apology and he nodded in understanding. On impulse, Elizabeth threw her arms around her old friend. "And you get yourself back here in one piece as well..." Will returned the hug gratefully.
"You better come back with the others as reinforcements," Will grinned. Elizabeth laughed as she stood back and nodded.
"You know I will..." She walked away, boarded a boat and drifted out into the ocean. Jack stood a little away, making sure that the boat was ging out into safety before retuning to Will.
"Let's go then, lad," Jack ordered, taking his sword in one hand, the other poised over his gun. As they entered the forest, a nagging question escaped Will's mouth.
"How do we know where we find her, Jack? Especially in the darkness."
"The rocks by the spring... They pile up high enough. We go on them and look for light," Jack replied.
"Light?! You expect there to be some sort of light at the end of the tunnel?!" Will scoffed, almost betraying his screams at what he thought was wishful incompentence in Jack's part. "There won't be any light, Jack! It's not like the Lord will be shining some beam of radiance from the Heavens to pinpoint where Patricia is!"
"The fire, stupid!" Jack hissed, stopping at the spring, positioned to start climbing the rocks. "They may be bastard devil spawns but those men were human. They need fire to see around themselves much like we do now." Will was appropriately silenced. "Look, if you feel like I'm such an idiot that doesn't know what the hell he's doing, then I suggest that you head back to shore and swim your ass back to the bloody boat and I can save Patricia all in me onesies, savvy?"
"I apologize," Will muttered, feeling his pride bruise.
"Accepted," Jack replied. He climbed higher, stopping every few feet to look around. Just as he reached the top, Will saw his silhouette point. "Will!"
"What?"
"Note where I'm pointing... I see their fires..." Doing as Jack asked, Will kept his eyes looking at the distance. The captain climbed down hurriedly and motioned their path towards where he knew Patricia would be.
When Will thought he might have noted the wrong direction, he saw the glow of distant embers ahead. It looked like there was a whole village there. They neared the border of the huts and saw that there was a whole community deep in the jungles of the island. Children were running to and fro, attempting to catch each other around the huts. Men seemed to be scarce now and women were scattered about, gossiping, most pointing at the same direction.
Will looked at Jack when he noticed their pointing and saw Jack looking at him as well. Both realized that something must be going on and that something just might have something to do with Patricia. They snuck around trying to find a way to see the event but the crowds were gathered too tightly at the borders and couldn't see the court in the inside. Though it was a tremendous risk, Will and Jack stealthily made their way through an emptier section of the village to the the center. They passed one last hut and saw that they entered a circular space of the village. Towards the middle was a giant pole, towering twenty, maybe thirty feet into the air.
At the base of the pole, surrounded by onlookers, guards and who looked like "the leader of the pack", someone was thrown on the ground like a rag. Knees were bent and her body was curved into a fetal position as if the person, clearly unconscious, was bowled over in pain. Arms were pricked with dots, bleeding into the dirt. Will could see one hand and saw the identifying feature of the girl on the floor. A gaping cut was sliced across the palm, bleeding freely but slowly, a small puddle underneath her hand.
"It's Patricia!" Will gasped in horror. He almost made a lunge towards the open but Jack held the cuff of his collar. "They're bleeding her to death! We need to go to her NOW!" His eyes were riveted on the girl, his heart beating so fast it was painful.
"They're all here..." Will felt a nudge on his shoulder, pushing him forward slightly.
"Don't bloody push! We'll fall in!" Another nudge went to both his shoulders. "Stop!" A final push sent him flying into the open, his body sliding with the power of the arms behind him. "What the..." Will coughed as dust flew into his lungs and burned his eyes. He twisted and saw Jack lying beside him, coughing as well then up to their hiding place. Three men, dark as night and decorated with markings across the neck and shoulders, stood over them. The crowd was silent.
"I think we're in trouble," Jack muttered to Will as the guards took them by the arms and led to the leader watching over Patricia. The old man took up a spear, using the head to nudge Will's head up. "Yea... in trouble..."
AN// Please read and review, you guys!