Doobee do. Instalment number 22. Usual disclaimer.
Thanky to all my wonderful reviewers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*Hands out sweets/chocolate/fruit*
Also, I'd just like to suggest that elven-elements should consider some kind of therapy.
***********************************************************
Chapter Twenty-Two – Curses and Cures
Another day had passed. At a guess Jack would say most of the crew were lying under tables in bars, staring with blurred vision at the man who'd just knocked them down. Either that or they had staggered as far as one of the numerous 'hotels'.
Not him though. Or Will, Ana-Maria and Elizabeth.
The four of them were having what could be loosely called a 'Quiet night in'.
Early on in the proceedings, Ana had opened a large keg of rum. Very soon after, they were all to unsteady to stand up straight, except Jack, who'd had years of practice commanding a ship under the influence of alcohol. Will had been allowed out of he cabin to drink for 'medicinal purposes'.
By an advanced hour in the evening, Jack and Elizabeth were precariously balanced on the railings of the ship, looking out to sea. Will was fast asleep, sprawled on deck. Ana had curled up beneath the mast.
Elizabeth was leaning on Jack's shoulder, her eyes threatening to close at any moment. The sinking sun threw out long, fat spears of light over the waves. It was beautiful, you could watch it every night, but it was still just as amazing.
"Jack, why didn't that strange woman shoot you?"
"Wha? Did you wan' 'er to?"
Even very drunk, Elizabeth managed to maintain some semblance to her upper class accent. Jack had long since let go of the consonants. Part of the joy of being drunk, he decided.
"No. But why didn't she jus' do it?"
Elizabeth fought bravely to regain her 't'. But, like all the memories of what she'd done two hours before, it was sliding away.
"S'a curse, luv."
"The Caribbean's s'got curses like Norrington's got wigs. How many, d'you think?"
Jack shrugged, and nearly fell of the rail. Elizabeth grabbed his arm with a slightly slurred giggle. However, Elizabeth had worse balance than Jack, so the result was they both landed with a loud thump on the deck behind them.
Under normal circumstances, the commotion could have woken both Will and Ana. But the two other occupants of the 'Pearl' wouldn't have heard a canon shot next to their ears at the time.
Jack looked up at the stars from his position on the deck boards. He felt Elizabeth rest her head on his chest. He began tangling his fingers in her soft golden curls. A very short time later, he heard light breathing. He could see that her eyes were closed in rum-induced sleep. Jack wrapped an arm round her waist, kissed her forehead lightly, and gave up the struggle to stay awake.
********************************
"Where is it?"
"I don't know, this was your idea!"
"Well it isn't here. What do we do now?"
"I can't believe we've lost him again. At this rate we'll be hiring assassins to do the job for us!"
"Don't be a fool, Hani!"
"I am no fool! You didn't finish him off in the first place, Milla!"
"Be quiet! You're both incompetent idiots."
"Loua!"
Loua scanned the empty bay of Port Royale. At least, it was empty of any pirate ships. Damn. Damn Sparrow and his crew to hell, and that interfering wench.
Hani lifted her black jewel from her cloak. It echoed long ago screams, of the dying and the wounded.
"Put that away!"
Hani replaced it hurriedly at Loua's raging voice.
Loua bashed her fist on the steering wheel. Where was he? Like a thorn in her shoe, his life haunted her dreams. She could rarely see where he was, but just him, still breathing. She refused to live like this. She would finish him. It was more than a job now, a request from one of Barbossa's bitter crew. It was a grudge. She was the best assassin in the Caribbean.
"We hide the ship round the outside of the bay. We go in by land. I'm going to try and find information from the Commodore."
"Why the commodore?"
"Because, he was trying to hang Sparrow. Might've seen which direction they took."
So 'The Raven' was sailed round, out of view of the town. The sisters then started the long walk back towards the town. It was dark, and they blended in well with their surroundings. Reaching the edge of town, the three women began a search for lodgings, where they could stay till daybreak. It was a fruitless search. Port Royale was far too respectable to be open at such hours of the night.
Eventually, they found shelter in the recess behind a statue. It was of a man, holding a hammer above an anvil. The gap behind it was huge. Space enough to conceal three, lithe women at any rate.
**********************************
The sun rose without any fuss over the horizon. It was a simple enough exercise, it did it every day. It's light shone down on four people, with three painful hangovers.
Will sat up. His neck ached enough, let alone his head. His throat was still sore, yet his eyes felt as though they'd swollen in their sockets. His brain felt too big for his skull.
With a long moan, he stood. Immediately, he clutched at the side rail. He sat back down, resting his back against it. He watched as Ana fought her way into a sitting position against the mast. She clutched her forehead, rolled her eyes as if appalled at herself, and turned to face him.
"Bad head?"
Will attempted a hollow laugh. But due to his injuries, and probably the hang over, it came out as a half-hearted cackle. Ana didn't need to hear his opinion, though. It was stamped across his young face in large letters. The way he kept his eyes half-closed against the abrasive sunlight.
Yet another moan cut through the morning. This time it was a far more refined and feminine cry of pain. Elizabeth lifted herself from the deck on her elbows. Her first thought was of a dull but insistent ache in her head. The second was of Jack. Where was he? She'd fallen asleep, using his chest as a pillow, but she'd woken only to find rough wood.
She looked at Will and Ana. They looked back. Words were not needed. Or come to that, appreciated. As little noise as possible would be wonderful.
As they sat, nursing their wounds, and in Elizabeth's case, thinking of Jack, the infamous pirate Captain dropped down from the rigging. He looked bright, cheery and above all, hangover free.
"Mornin'!"
Three groans. Followed by a rasping whisper;
"Shut up, Jack."
Jack looked mournfully at Will. Will glared at him. Somehow, Jack shut his mouth with a flourish. Instead, he wandered slowly over to Elizabeth's side. He reached down, covered her ears, then kicked out at the ship's bell...
"AHHHHH!!!"
Jack watched with a grin as Ana and Will leapt up, and ran down to the lower decks, yelling blue murder at the scoundrel who tortured their ears.
Elizabeth lifted Jack's hands off her ears.
"I could still hear it."
"Well, not as bad. Tried me best, luv."
Elizabeth gripped her head as Jack helped her up. She blinked several times, trying to steady her dizziness.
"You don't know a good cure for this, do you? It's just you seem very awake."
"Practice. Don't affect me any more. Not good 'avin' a headache in the middle of a bad storm. I know a cure though, course I do."
He lifted her up in both arms, and carried her over to the back of the ship (A.N. Stem/Stern?). Too late Elizabeth realised his mischievous plan. With one smooth movement, he lifted her over the side, and dropped her. With a sudden scream, she shot downward. Will and Ana heard the splash. Rushing up on deck, they were just in time to see Jack remove his hat, and vault over the side.
Elizabeth felt her skirts weighing her down. It had been a game, but she had a nasty feeling it wouldn't finish as one. At least my head's clear, she thought. Fantastic, I'm going to die, but at least I don't have a hangover.
Her waterlogged dress carried on down. Elizabeth fought bravely, but the water closed over her. Looking down, she saw the depths of the sea. It was a sobering sight. I'll be down there soon.
Suddenly, a pair of strong arms caught her waist, and the lens of water that she had been viewing the sky through, became thinner. And thinner, until it was no longer there. With a gasp, Elizabeth felt air on her skin. Grasping for anything solid, her hands came in contact with something that felt like cloth. A shirt. A pirate's shirt. Jack.
However, just as Jack's face came into view, the water slipped back between them. Down again. Something tugged at her dress, and her various skirts, petticoats and other miscellaneous pieces of cloth sunk away beneath her.
Once again the air reached her.
"Got ye!"
"Thank you!"
Together they swam back to the docks. Elizabeth hauled herself onto the wood, closely followed by Jack. Elizabeth didn't think much of walking about in her under-dress. Her last pirate adventure had taught her that big dresses were not a good idea. However, last time, she hadn't been in Tortuga. Jack spotted several evil looking men, loitering suspiciously by the nearest pub. Elizabeth, apparently blissfully unaware, began to walk back toward the ship.
The men began a leisurely saunter toward her. Elizabeth saw them out the corner of her eye. Flashes of her last time here came back to her. But that had been at night, this was bright day. They wouldn't dare attack her, would they?
Again, she felt Jack lift her up in both arms. This time, he leant her backwards, and started a long, passionate kiss. When he finally let her back on her feet, the men were walking off, muttering darkly.
Elizabeth looked shyly at jack's face. Very quietly she said:
"Thank you, again."
Then her voice returned, with her emotions.
"It's still your fault though. I nearly drowned!"
"Ahh, but you didn't! And it cured yer head."
She gave up. Arguing with Jack was like trying to better Will at sword making: time consuming and utterly pointless. He always won.
They carried on walking back to the 'Pearl', leaving a trail of drips and puddles behind them. Ana and Will could only look confused as they stepped on deck, grinning, but soaked.
"What did ye do, Jack?"
"Showed Miss Swann our special pirate hangover cure."
Ana burst out laughing, despite her headache. Will, on the other hand, didn't know what Jack meant. Anything vaguely resembling a cure would do for him.
"What is it?"
"Well come over here, and I'll show you"
Elizabeth and Ana followed as Jack wrapped a brotherly arm round Will's shoulders. He lead the slightly naïve blacksmith to the rail. Jack held a hand out behind him, counting on his fingers to three. Ana rushed forward, and on one, grabbed Will's arm. Jack caught the other, and together, they threw the surprised Will Turner into the ocean.
***********************************************************
Gosh, a v.v.v.v.v.looooooooooong one!!!!!!
REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanky to all my wonderful reviewers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*Hands out sweets/chocolate/fruit*
Also, I'd just like to suggest that elven-elements should consider some kind of therapy.
***********************************************************
Chapter Twenty-Two – Curses and Cures
Another day had passed. At a guess Jack would say most of the crew were lying under tables in bars, staring with blurred vision at the man who'd just knocked them down. Either that or they had staggered as far as one of the numerous 'hotels'.
Not him though. Or Will, Ana-Maria and Elizabeth.
The four of them were having what could be loosely called a 'Quiet night in'.
Early on in the proceedings, Ana had opened a large keg of rum. Very soon after, they were all to unsteady to stand up straight, except Jack, who'd had years of practice commanding a ship under the influence of alcohol. Will had been allowed out of he cabin to drink for 'medicinal purposes'.
By an advanced hour in the evening, Jack and Elizabeth were precariously balanced on the railings of the ship, looking out to sea. Will was fast asleep, sprawled on deck. Ana had curled up beneath the mast.
Elizabeth was leaning on Jack's shoulder, her eyes threatening to close at any moment. The sinking sun threw out long, fat spears of light over the waves. It was beautiful, you could watch it every night, but it was still just as amazing.
"Jack, why didn't that strange woman shoot you?"
"Wha? Did you wan' 'er to?"
Even very drunk, Elizabeth managed to maintain some semblance to her upper class accent. Jack had long since let go of the consonants. Part of the joy of being drunk, he decided.
"No. But why didn't she jus' do it?"
Elizabeth fought bravely to regain her 't'. But, like all the memories of what she'd done two hours before, it was sliding away.
"S'a curse, luv."
"The Caribbean's s'got curses like Norrington's got wigs. How many, d'you think?"
Jack shrugged, and nearly fell of the rail. Elizabeth grabbed his arm with a slightly slurred giggle. However, Elizabeth had worse balance than Jack, so the result was they both landed with a loud thump on the deck behind them.
Under normal circumstances, the commotion could have woken both Will and Ana. But the two other occupants of the 'Pearl' wouldn't have heard a canon shot next to their ears at the time.
Jack looked up at the stars from his position on the deck boards. He felt Elizabeth rest her head on his chest. He began tangling his fingers in her soft golden curls. A very short time later, he heard light breathing. He could see that her eyes were closed in rum-induced sleep. Jack wrapped an arm round her waist, kissed her forehead lightly, and gave up the struggle to stay awake.
********************************
"Where is it?"
"I don't know, this was your idea!"
"Well it isn't here. What do we do now?"
"I can't believe we've lost him again. At this rate we'll be hiring assassins to do the job for us!"
"Don't be a fool, Hani!"
"I am no fool! You didn't finish him off in the first place, Milla!"
"Be quiet! You're both incompetent idiots."
"Loua!"
Loua scanned the empty bay of Port Royale. At least, it was empty of any pirate ships. Damn. Damn Sparrow and his crew to hell, and that interfering wench.
Hani lifted her black jewel from her cloak. It echoed long ago screams, of the dying and the wounded.
"Put that away!"
Hani replaced it hurriedly at Loua's raging voice.
Loua bashed her fist on the steering wheel. Where was he? Like a thorn in her shoe, his life haunted her dreams. She could rarely see where he was, but just him, still breathing. She refused to live like this. She would finish him. It was more than a job now, a request from one of Barbossa's bitter crew. It was a grudge. She was the best assassin in the Caribbean.
"We hide the ship round the outside of the bay. We go in by land. I'm going to try and find information from the Commodore."
"Why the commodore?"
"Because, he was trying to hang Sparrow. Might've seen which direction they took."
So 'The Raven' was sailed round, out of view of the town. The sisters then started the long walk back towards the town. It was dark, and they blended in well with their surroundings. Reaching the edge of town, the three women began a search for lodgings, where they could stay till daybreak. It was a fruitless search. Port Royale was far too respectable to be open at such hours of the night.
Eventually, they found shelter in the recess behind a statue. It was of a man, holding a hammer above an anvil. The gap behind it was huge. Space enough to conceal three, lithe women at any rate.
**********************************
The sun rose without any fuss over the horizon. It was a simple enough exercise, it did it every day. It's light shone down on four people, with three painful hangovers.
Will sat up. His neck ached enough, let alone his head. His throat was still sore, yet his eyes felt as though they'd swollen in their sockets. His brain felt too big for his skull.
With a long moan, he stood. Immediately, he clutched at the side rail. He sat back down, resting his back against it. He watched as Ana fought her way into a sitting position against the mast. She clutched her forehead, rolled her eyes as if appalled at herself, and turned to face him.
"Bad head?"
Will attempted a hollow laugh. But due to his injuries, and probably the hang over, it came out as a half-hearted cackle. Ana didn't need to hear his opinion, though. It was stamped across his young face in large letters. The way he kept his eyes half-closed against the abrasive sunlight.
Yet another moan cut through the morning. This time it was a far more refined and feminine cry of pain. Elizabeth lifted herself from the deck on her elbows. Her first thought was of a dull but insistent ache in her head. The second was of Jack. Where was he? She'd fallen asleep, using his chest as a pillow, but she'd woken only to find rough wood.
She looked at Will and Ana. They looked back. Words were not needed. Or come to that, appreciated. As little noise as possible would be wonderful.
As they sat, nursing their wounds, and in Elizabeth's case, thinking of Jack, the infamous pirate Captain dropped down from the rigging. He looked bright, cheery and above all, hangover free.
"Mornin'!"
Three groans. Followed by a rasping whisper;
"Shut up, Jack."
Jack looked mournfully at Will. Will glared at him. Somehow, Jack shut his mouth with a flourish. Instead, he wandered slowly over to Elizabeth's side. He reached down, covered her ears, then kicked out at the ship's bell...
"AHHHHH!!!"
Jack watched with a grin as Ana and Will leapt up, and ran down to the lower decks, yelling blue murder at the scoundrel who tortured their ears.
Elizabeth lifted Jack's hands off her ears.
"I could still hear it."
"Well, not as bad. Tried me best, luv."
Elizabeth gripped her head as Jack helped her up. She blinked several times, trying to steady her dizziness.
"You don't know a good cure for this, do you? It's just you seem very awake."
"Practice. Don't affect me any more. Not good 'avin' a headache in the middle of a bad storm. I know a cure though, course I do."
He lifted her up in both arms, and carried her over to the back of the ship (A.N. Stem/Stern?). Too late Elizabeth realised his mischievous plan. With one smooth movement, he lifted her over the side, and dropped her. With a sudden scream, she shot downward. Will and Ana heard the splash. Rushing up on deck, they were just in time to see Jack remove his hat, and vault over the side.
Elizabeth felt her skirts weighing her down. It had been a game, but she had a nasty feeling it wouldn't finish as one. At least my head's clear, she thought. Fantastic, I'm going to die, but at least I don't have a hangover.
Her waterlogged dress carried on down. Elizabeth fought bravely, but the water closed over her. Looking down, she saw the depths of the sea. It was a sobering sight. I'll be down there soon.
Suddenly, a pair of strong arms caught her waist, and the lens of water that she had been viewing the sky through, became thinner. And thinner, until it was no longer there. With a gasp, Elizabeth felt air on her skin. Grasping for anything solid, her hands came in contact with something that felt like cloth. A shirt. A pirate's shirt. Jack.
However, just as Jack's face came into view, the water slipped back between them. Down again. Something tugged at her dress, and her various skirts, petticoats and other miscellaneous pieces of cloth sunk away beneath her.
Once again the air reached her.
"Got ye!"
"Thank you!"
Together they swam back to the docks. Elizabeth hauled herself onto the wood, closely followed by Jack. Elizabeth didn't think much of walking about in her under-dress. Her last pirate adventure had taught her that big dresses were not a good idea. However, last time, she hadn't been in Tortuga. Jack spotted several evil looking men, loitering suspiciously by the nearest pub. Elizabeth, apparently blissfully unaware, began to walk back toward the ship.
The men began a leisurely saunter toward her. Elizabeth saw them out the corner of her eye. Flashes of her last time here came back to her. But that had been at night, this was bright day. They wouldn't dare attack her, would they?
Again, she felt Jack lift her up in both arms. This time, he leant her backwards, and started a long, passionate kiss. When he finally let her back on her feet, the men were walking off, muttering darkly.
Elizabeth looked shyly at jack's face. Very quietly she said:
"Thank you, again."
Then her voice returned, with her emotions.
"It's still your fault though. I nearly drowned!"
"Ahh, but you didn't! And it cured yer head."
She gave up. Arguing with Jack was like trying to better Will at sword making: time consuming and utterly pointless. He always won.
They carried on walking back to the 'Pearl', leaving a trail of drips and puddles behind them. Ana and Will could only look confused as they stepped on deck, grinning, but soaked.
"What did ye do, Jack?"
"Showed Miss Swann our special pirate hangover cure."
Ana burst out laughing, despite her headache. Will, on the other hand, didn't know what Jack meant. Anything vaguely resembling a cure would do for him.
"What is it?"
"Well come over here, and I'll show you"
Elizabeth and Ana followed as Jack wrapped a brotherly arm round Will's shoulders. He lead the slightly naïve blacksmith to the rail. Jack held a hand out behind him, counting on his fingers to three. Ana rushed forward, and on one, grabbed Will's arm. Jack caught the other, and together, they threw the surprised Will Turner into the ocean.
***********************************************************
Gosh, a v.v.v.v.v.looooooooooong one!!!!!!
REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!