Thanks for all the amazing views!! This isn't mine, it belongs to the
*sigh* mouse. Oh By the Way any parts of Onslows speech that you recognise,
they probably come from either 'Braveheart' (I love that film!! Or Henry V
by Shakespeare!!) Anyway please review!! (They could also come from Robin
Hood)!!
Chapter Twenty
As all this was going on. Onslow was standing in their secret hideout of 'shush, no one knows where' the name given to it years after, when the idea of a long planned rebellion came to light.
He stood before the leaders of the various families who supported the cause.
"You will not fight?" He asked, for a final time, the weary showing in his voice.
One man stepped forward. "No we will run, and we will live."
"I will not pretend there are no risks involved. You speak rightly, if you fight, you may die, run and you may live, for a time. You will die years from now, warm in your beds still slaves, forgotten slaves of the Garter, worthless, meaningless, fading into nothing. But if you swap everyday from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance to be free. To hold your heads up high, as free people, own the land you work on, living free, rather then under the blackness of the Garter's shadow. If you would swap each day, for just the one chance, then fight with me today. Not for the thrill of the fight, or the glory of the victory, for I promise neither, but the chance, the chance to be free. Now who's with me?" He yelled.
Many of them cheered, and stuck their swords high into the air, shouting and screaming their support. But others were not so certain.
"We are vastly outnumbered!" he cried. "Many of us have never fought before, we cannot win this!"
"One free man defending his home is more powerful then a hundred paid soldiers." Onslow said, with a smile as he quoted Jo.
A few still remained unconvinced.
Onslow had one last trick up his sleeve, one last thing with which to stir the men. He pulled from his pocket the golden bangle of the harem. He held up high above his head, and the arguing stopped, a hush fell on the watching crowd. They waited with anticipation as to what he was going to say next.
"What is this?"
"A gold bracelet." A man from the crowd shouted, leeringly.
"A gold bracelet to you and me, maybe. But to one person it symbolises freedom from a lifetime of pain and terror, she has broke free her shackles of torture, risking her life to save another's. Now if a simple harem girl can risk everything for one man, a stranger, surely we can risk our lives to give our families a better one. If you do not fight for yourselves, fight for those you love. For everyone in this room has lost someone to the Garter's regime. Fight for those you have lost, and those you desperately want to keep safe from the harm and the pain. Those who don't wish to fight, let them leave now, we shall neither blame nor shame them. But the rest of us will fight, proudly with honour, side by side. And should we die in battle, as many of us surely will, we will be remembered, we will die with dignity, not slaves but free people. Now let us march to the fortress, and give the Garter a day he will ne'er forget!" Onslow screamed out, to the crowd. Those who were not convinced before were now cheering louder then the rest. Swords, spears, daggers, and the occasional gun were lifted into the air, in a way of union. The men were united, together they would fight, together they would die.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Jo stood up in the dingy cell, she smiled in surprise at the grimy face of Bootstrap Bill.
"I thought you weren't coming?" He said.
"I changed my mind. Hey, where is Jack?" Her eyes fell to the ground where Jack lay breathing heavily.
She knelt down beside him, and his eyes half opened to greet her concerned face. "C'mon Jack, you have to get up, we're countin' on you."
"What you talkin' bout?" He managed to say.
"There is a rebellion planned to take place, Onslow has amassed an army, a grand army to match that of the Garter's. They're coming to save us, we have to be ready to leave, and to fight." From under her dress she pulled a selection of small swords, the plan had been to make herself end up in the dungeons then she could get Jack and the others ready.
Bill took his sword, and made a few practice swings. "It'll do."
Jo pulled Jack up and propped him against the wall. "Do you think you can fight?"
Jack nodded, as he grasped the sword's hilt, he swung it strongly through the air.
Jo passed the remainder of the swords between Barbossa and his crew.
She sat beside Jack. He put his arm around her shoulder.
"I'm scared Jack." She whispered.
He kissed her head. "I only came 'ere to get some rum, an' now I'm goin' to war."
She smiled. "Bad luck for you when you met me in the market."
"Was it?" He leaned forward and kissed her lips.
She touched his head, and pulled her hand away, it was red. "Jack, your head." She ripped off a piece of her dress, and held it on Jack's head, pushing it down to try and stop the bleeding. "What happened?"
Jack looked across at Bill, he winked. "Put it this way, don't ask Bill what he's up to."
"I'm sorry Jack." Bill said, hurriedly.
"We'll sort it out later." Jack said, which marked a clear end to the conversation.
"I think your head has stopped bleeding now." Jo said, taking her ragged cloth away. "Yes. Can you stand up?"
Jack nodded, and pushed himself up from the stone ground.
Jo stroked the hair away from his eyes, and smiled. "See, right as rain."
At that moment, someone appeared at the door, it began to open. From the flickering torch light Jack saw the figures of ten guards. It was time to go. The swords were concealed quickly and as best as possible, as the group were dragged from the dungeons. Jack shielded his eyes, as he was brought into the bright sunlight from the bible-black gloom of the dungeons. Bill clutched his ribs, with one hand, and steadied himself with the other as he almost slipped down the steps, the sun blinding him.
Jo closed her eyes, not because of the sun, but due to fear. Now that she was here, about to be hung along side Jack, would Onslow come? Would the men follow him?
The soldiers led them to the gallows, a rope was placed around each person's neck. "I told you I'd make a better captain!" Barbossa grumbled. It was typical that Barbossa's last words would be to blame someone else.
Bill turned to Jack. "I'm sorry Jack."
"Forget it."
"Jack."
"Honestly Bill forget it."
Then it was Jo's turn, and her choice of last words were in Jack's words 'interesting'.
"Thanks Jack."
"For what?"
"For setting me free."
The Garter appeared from the building, his timid son followed behind him. Tuleus Garter was about twenty four years of age, and just like the people of Rhydon, he lived in his father's vast shadow. His father was carried on a stretcher, he could walk of course, but only common people walk. His son walked by the side.
"Hang them." The Garter said, with a wave of his hand. They set the stretcher down, and the Garter stood up. The soldiers and spectators bowed instantly. Even Tuleus fell to the floor as a sign of respect.
"Not quite setting you free." Jack muttered.
The Garter stared at Jo with an evil smile. "My harem girl will not bow to her master."
Jo turned away, avoiding his gaze, all the time praying for Onslow.
"She is not your slave, none of these people are. You abuse your power! Only I'm allowed to do that!" Jack called out. Jo turned to him in amazement.
Chapter Twenty
As all this was going on. Onslow was standing in their secret hideout of 'shush, no one knows where' the name given to it years after, when the idea of a long planned rebellion came to light.
He stood before the leaders of the various families who supported the cause.
"You will not fight?" He asked, for a final time, the weary showing in his voice.
One man stepped forward. "No we will run, and we will live."
"I will not pretend there are no risks involved. You speak rightly, if you fight, you may die, run and you may live, for a time. You will die years from now, warm in your beds still slaves, forgotten slaves of the Garter, worthless, meaningless, fading into nothing. But if you swap everyday from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance to be free. To hold your heads up high, as free people, own the land you work on, living free, rather then under the blackness of the Garter's shadow. If you would swap each day, for just the one chance, then fight with me today. Not for the thrill of the fight, or the glory of the victory, for I promise neither, but the chance, the chance to be free. Now who's with me?" He yelled.
Many of them cheered, and stuck their swords high into the air, shouting and screaming their support. But others were not so certain.
"We are vastly outnumbered!" he cried. "Many of us have never fought before, we cannot win this!"
"One free man defending his home is more powerful then a hundred paid soldiers." Onslow said, with a smile as he quoted Jo.
A few still remained unconvinced.
Onslow had one last trick up his sleeve, one last thing with which to stir the men. He pulled from his pocket the golden bangle of the harem. He held up high above his head, and the arguing stopped, a hush fell on the watching crowd. They waited with anticipation as to what he was going to say next.
"What is this?"
"A gold bracelet." A man from the crowd shouted, leeringly.
"A gold bracelet to you and me, maybe. But to one person it symbolises freedom from a lifetime of pain and terror, she has broke free her shackles of torture, risking her life to save another's. Now if a simple harem girl can risk everything for one man, a stranger, surely we can risk our lives to give our families a better one. If you do not fight for yourselves, fight for those you love. For everyone in this room has lost someone to the Garter's regime. Fight for those you have lost, and those you desperately want to keep safe from the harm and the pain. Those who don't wish to fight, let them leave now, we shall neither blame nor shame them. But the rest of us will fight, proudly with honour, side by side. And should we die in battle, as many of us surely will, we will be remembered, we will die with dignity, not slaves but free people. Now let us march to the fortress, and give the Garter a day he will ne'er forget!" Onslow screamed out, to the crowd. Those who were not convinced before were now cheering louder then the rest. Swords, spears, daggers, and the occasional gun were lifted into the air, in a way of union. The men were united, together they would fight, together they would die.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Jo stood up in the dingy cell, she smiled in surprise at the grimy face of Bootstrap Bill.
"I thought you weren't coming?" He said.
"I changed my mind. Hey, where is Jack?" Her eyes fell to the ground where Jack lay breathing heavily.
She knelt down beside him, and his eyes half opened to greet her concerned face. "C'mon Jack, you have to get up, we're countin' on you."
"What you talkin' bout?" He managed to say.
"There is a rebellion planned to take place, Onslow has amassed an army, a grand army to match that of the Garter's. They're coming to save us, we have to be ready to leave, and to fight." From under her dress she pulled a selection of small swords, the plan had been to make herself end up in the dungeons then she could get Jack and the others ready.
Bill took his sword, and made a few practice swings. "It'll do."
Jo pulled Jack up and propped him against the wall. "Do you think you can fight?"
Jack nodded, as he grasped the sword's hilt, he swung it strongly through the air.
Jo passed the remainder of the swords between Barbossa and his crew.
She sat beside Jack. He put his arm around her shoulder.
"I'm scared Jack." She whispered.
He kissed her head. "I only came 'ere to get some rum, an' now I'm goin' to war."
She smiled. "Bad luck for you when you met me in the market."
"Was it?" He leaned forward and kissed her lips.
She touched his head, and pulled her hand away, it was red. "Jack, your head." She ripped off a piece of her dress, and held it on Jack's head, pushing it down to try and stop the bleeding. "What happened?"
Jack looked across at Bill, he winked. "Put it this way, don't ask Bill what he's up to."
"I'm sorry Jack." Bill said, hurriedly.
"We'll sort it out later." Jack said, which marked a clear end to the conversation.
"I think your head has stopped bleeding now." Jo said, taking her ragged cloth away. "Yes. Can you stand up?"
Jack nodded, and pushed himself up from the stone ground.
Jo stroked the hair away from his eyes, and smiled. "See, right as rain."
At that moment, someone appeared at the door, it began to open. From the flickering torch light Jack saw the figures of ten guards. It was time to go. The swords were concealed quickly and as best as possible, as the group were dragged from the dungeons. Jack shielded his eyes, as he was brought into the bright sunlight from the bible-black gloom of the dungeons. Bill clutched his ribs, with one hand, and steadied himself with the other as he almost slipped down the steps, the sun blinding him.
Jo closed her eyes, not because of the sun, but due to fear. Now that she was here, about to be hung along side Jack, would Onslow come? Would the men follow him?
The soldiers led them to the gallows, a rope was placed around each person's neck. "I told you I'd make a better captain!" Barbossa grumbled. It was typical that Barbossa's last words would be to blame someone else.
Bill turned to Jack. "I'm sorry Jack."
"Forget it."
"Jack."
"Honestly Bill forget it."
Then it was Jo's turn, and her choice of last words were in Jack's words 'interesting'.
"Thanks Jack."
"For what?"
"For setting me free."
The Garter appeared from the building, his timid son followed behind him. Tuleus Garter was about twenty four years of age, and just like the people of Rhydon, he lived in his father's vast shadow. His father was carried on a stretcher, he could walk of course, but only common people walk. His son walked by the side.
"Hang them." The Garter said, with a wave of his hand. They set the stretcher down, and the Garter stood up. The soldiers and spectators bowed instantly. Even Tuleus fell to the floor as a sign of respect.
"Not quite setting you free." Jack muttered.
The Garter stared at Jo with an evil smile. "My harem girl will not bow to her master."
Jo turned away, avoiding his gaze, all the time praying for Onslow.
"She is not your slave, none of these people are. You abuse your power! Only I'm allowed to do that!" Jack called out. Jo turned to him in amazement.