Chapter 4 - Eronel the Young
It wasn't long until other officers had joined the captain and guard in the chase. Jack and Lissandra ran through the streets, ducking into dark back streets and hiding in the shadows. They came across a lonely lane, and stopped to catch their breaths.
'That was the cheapest trick in the books.' Lissandra said.
'Well, it worked.'
'Not for long.' Lissandra sat down. Her breath was heavy. 'You said Evan was alive?'
'Aye.'
'Where is he?'
'He's safe for now, but not for much longer.' Jack wearily pointed to the left of the battlement. 'The Black Pearl is anchored about a mile north of Bellport. Evan is waiting for us with two horses somewhere behind the battlement's left side. We're going to have to run from here to there, without being blown to bits.'
'It'd seem a bit easier though.'
'What would?'
'Being blown to bits.'
Jack smiled. 'Pessimist.'
'Are you labelling me? I'm a realist. We have no chance of getting here to there. I can see about a fifty guards as we speak. Each one has a gun ready. What do you expect to do? Walk to the other side with the Navy firing hundreds of bullets at us?'
'You should know me better, darling.' Jack smirked. 'I expect us to run to the other side with the Navy firing hundreds of bullets at us'
Lissandra sighed. 'I guess I should be thanking you, Jack.'
'I'm waiting.'
'But I'm not going to.'
'And why's that.'
'Because that's what you want.'
'No it's not.' Jack and Lissandra paused and caught each other's eyes. She knew what was coming. Jack leaned toward her and their jaws locked in an indelicate kiss. His fingers ran down her face and then clasped her hand tightly. Lissandra pulled away shaking her head.
'We can't. I'm sorry. I can't let you do this.'
'When will you let me?'
'Once we are dead. We cannot wait here any longer. We will go on your count.'
'Alright,' Jack held Lissandra's hand and they leaned forward. 'Three... two...' He glanced at Lissandra. She looked mystical. Her blood red and dark black hair was blowing off her face. Her deep blue eyes were clear like glass. She seemed sad to him, and cold. Once again he drew his gaze forward. She squeezed his hand tightly. 'Don't let go.' He whispered. 'One! Run!'
'Twas at this moment that Lissandra, daughter of the Cloud, took up her significant other's pistol. The Royal Navy, the guardians of the free peoples of Bellport, were defeated. Well, not quite. In fact, Sparrow's gun had no bullets in it and they were merely running from one end of the long street to the other. All the while, the Navy was shooting hundreds of bullets at them.
'Lissandra!' She could hear Jack yelling her name as they ran through the mine of bullets that were flying about them. She kept running, only to find that Jack's hand wasn't in hers. Where had he gone? The only thing she could see behind and ahead were more Navy officers shooting bullet after bullet. She couldn't stop, but couldn't go on forever. She was becoming weary and tired. She felt herself become limp and on the brink of collapse as dark thoughts took over. She stopped running, and was about to give in, but for a familiar cry. It was a young voice. Soon all thought was wiped from her mind and an image of a boy with dark locks of hair, sea blue eyes and a generous smile that revealed every tooth in his mouth came into her head.
'Eronel.' She said aloud. And even as the words were released from her lips a great stead galloped beside her.
'Your hand m' lady!'
Lissandra felt a smile break upon her face. 'Evan.' She whispered and their hands came in contact and she swung herself over the horse. The horse's speed increased with every step it took. Onward and onward through the crisp night.
But something happened then, that Lissandra did not intend; Evan was shot by the most unlikely person imaginable. Thomas Fiddle, of Bellport. For the time would soon come when Fiddle would shape the fortunes of all.
'Evan!' Lissandra held him tightly. The horse slowed its gallop. 'No!'
'Keep going! We cannot stop!' Jack yelled to her as he galloped past on his own horse. 'Com'on!'
Lissandra had no choice but to keep going on. She wouldn't let go of the poor boy. She could feel the warmth leaving his body, his hands becoming cold and clammy. His breaths were short heavy as he mumbled between them.
The Navy gave up after almost an hour of strait riding. Lissandra's white dress was covered with red stains from the blood of Eronel. At last the Pearl was in view of the riders and the urgency was lifted.
'We must stop!' Lissandra yelled. With no word or sign Jack did as she wished. They lay Eronel on the beach. His wound was deep and bled freely.
'Miss?' The boy whispered.
'I am here, Evan.'
'I am glad,' he choked, 'that you are safe.'
'Don't talk. You will be fine. You are a brave boy.'
'No m' lady. I did what any man would do.'
'Man?' Lissandra laughed. 'Evan, you are the bravest man of the Cloud and will be until the day you...' Lissandra stopped.
'...die , m'lady. 'Tis the word you're looking for.'
'Oh, Evan!' Lissandra came to tears, but Evan just smiled.
'Sing. Today I shall leave this world, but I would rather have you sing, than go in silence. Please sing.' And with that Evan closed his eyes and muttered, 'Lissandra, don't morn for me.' It was the first time he had uttered her name aloud to her, and it would be the last time.
Lissandra tasted the bitter salt of her tears as she lamented.
What will come?
After moon and sun
Those days I waited
What days befall?
And days bygone
That you departed
And left me lone and distant
Only to grieve existence
I shall wait
Under fading moon
Singing death and doom
When all is gone
And you besiege
From thought in me
I shall wait and lonely be
Until we meet beyond the sea
'Here lies,' Lissandra stood over the body, 'Eronel the Young. Pirate of the Silver Cloud, age of nineteen.' The only other soul to watch the death of Eronel was a skinny black cat, lying quietly underneath the cool shadows of the palm trees.
It wasn't long until other officers had joined the captain and guard in the chase. Jack and Lissandra ran through the streets, ducking into dark back streets and hiding in the shadows. They came across a lonely lane, and stopped to catch their breaths.
'That was the cheapest trick in the books.' Lissandra said.
'Well, it worked.'
'Not for long.' Lissandra sat down. Her breath was heavy. 'You said Evan was alive?'
'Aye.'
'Where is he?'
'He's safe for now, but not for much longer.' Jack wearily pointed to the left of the battlement. 'The Black Pearl is anchored about a mile north of Bellport. Evan is waiting for us with two horses somewhere behind the battlement's left side. We're going to have to run from here to there, without being blown to bits.'
'It'd seem a bit easier though.'
'What would?'
'Being blown to bits.'
Jack smiled. 'Pessimist.'
'Are you labelling me? I'm a realist. We have no chance of getting here to there. I can see about a fifty guards as we speak. Each one has a gun ready. What do you expect to do? Walk to the other side with the Navy firing hundreds of bullets at us?'
'You should know me better, darling.' Jack smirked. 'I expect us to run to the other side with the Navy firing hundreds of bullets at us'
Lissandra sighed. 'I guess I should be thanking you, Jack.'
'I'm waiting.'
'But I'm not going to.'
'And why's that.'
'Because that's what you want.'
'No it's not.' Jack and Lissandra paused and caught each other's eyes. She knew what was coming. Jack leaned toward her and their jaws locked in an indelicate kiss. His fingers ran down her face and then clasped her hand tightly. Lissandra pulled away shaking her head.
'We can't. I'm sorry. I can't let you do this.'
'When will you let me?'
'Once we are dead. We cannot wait here any longer. We will go on your count.'
'Alright,' Jack held Lissandra's hand and they leaned forward. 'Three... two...' He glanced at Lissandra. She looked mystical. Her blood red and dark black hair was blowing off her face. Her deep blue eyes were clear like glass. She seemed sad to him, and cold. Once again he drew his gaze forward. She squeezed his hand tightly. 'Don't let go.' He whispered. 'One! Run!'
'Twas at this moment that Lissandra, daughter of the Cloud, took up her significant other's pistol. The Royal Navy, the guardians of the free peoples of Bellport, were defeated. Well, not quite. In fact, Sparrow's gun had no bullets in it and they were merely running from one end of the long street to the other. All the while, the Navy was shooting hundreds of bullets at them.
'Lissandra!' She could hear Jack yelling her name as they ran through the mine of bullets that were flying about them. She kept running, only to find that Jack's hand wasn't in hers. Where had he gone? The only thing she could see behind and ahead were more Navy officers shooting bullet after bullet. She couldn't stop, but couldn't go on forever. She was becoming weary and tired. She felt herself become limp and on the brink of collapse as dark thoughts took over. She stopped running, and was about to give in, but for a familiar cry. It was a young voice. Soon all thought was wiped from her mind and an image of a boy with dark locks of hair, sea blue eyes and a generous smile that revealed every tooth in his mouth came into her head.
'Eronel.' She said aloud. And even as the words were released from her lips a great stead galloped beside her.
'Your hand m' lady!'
Lissandra felt a smile break upon her face. 'Evan.' She whispered and their hands came in contact and she swung herself over the horse. The horse's speed increased with every step it took. Onward and onward through the crisp night.
But something happened then, that Lissandra did not intend; Evan was shot by the most unlikely person imaginable. Thomas Fiddle, of Bellport. For the time would soon come when Fiddle would shape the fortunes of all.
'Evan!' Lissandra held him tightly. The horse slowed its gallop. 'No!'
'Keep going! We cannot stop!' Jack yelled to her as he galloped past on his own horse. 'Com'on!'
Lissandra had no choice but to keep going on. She wouldn't let go of the poor boy. She could feel the warmth leaving his body, his hands becoming cold and clammy. His breaths were short heavy as he mumbled between them.
The Navy gave up after almost an hour of strait riding. Lissandra's white dress was covered with red stains from the blood of Eronel. At last the Pearl was in view of the riders and the urgency was lifted.
'We must stop!' Lissandra yelled. With no word or sign Jack did as she wished. They lay Eronel on the beach. His wound was deep and bled freely.
'Miss?' The boy whispered.
'I am here, Evan.'
'I am glad,' he choked, 'that you are safe.'
'Don't talk. You will be fine. You are a brave boy.'
'No m' lady. I did what any man would do.'
'Man?' Lissandra laughed. 'Evan, you are the bravest man of the Cloud and will be until the day you...' Lissandra stopped.
'...die , m'lady. 'Tis the word you're looking for.'
'Oh, Evan!' Lissandra came to tears, but Evan just smiled.
'Sing. Today I shall leave this world, but I would rather have you sing, than go in silence. Please sing.' And with that Evan closed his eyes and muttered, 'Lissandra, don't morn for me.' It was the first time he had uttered her name aloud to her, and it would be the last time.
Lissandra tasted the bitter salt of her tears as she lamented.
What will come?
After moon and sun
Those days I waited
What days befall?
And days bygone
That you departed
And left me lone and distant
Only to grieve existence
I shall wait
Under fading moon
Singing death and doom
When all is gone
And you besiege
From thought in me
I shall wait and lonely be
Until we meet beyond the sea
'Here lies,' Lissandra stood over the body, 'Eronel the Young. Pirate of the Silver Cloud, age of nineteen.' The only other soul to watch the death of Eronel was a skinny black cat, lying quietly underneath the cool shadows of the palm trees.