Hello, everybody. I'm getting this chapter up quicker, as you can see. I'm
sure everyone's glad to hear that. Thanks to, um, "Yet Another Stupid
Idiot" for reviewing.
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Commodore Norrington charged over to the wounded soldier, bleeding heavily from a knife thrust to the stomach. He didn't look in very good shape – he wasn't moving.
"Is he alright?" asked the commodore.
"Yes, he's still breathing," replied Captain Deacon.
"What of the two criminals, Sparrow and – Turner, was it?"
"They escaped, sir," said Lieutenant Burns stupidly.
"I can see that, Burns," snapped Commodore Norrington. "Where are they now?"
"They're still down by the front door," he said. "They're recuperating from the jump."
"Quickly, downstairs, all of you," ordered Norrington, following the flow of soldiers out of the doorway. "Captain, bring Private Marshall down, will you? I'm sure someone in this building can give him medical help."
"Right you are, sir," said Captain Deacon, who proceeded to lift the portly Ryans up with immense difficulty and carry him out of the room. Commodore Norrington had already gone.
As soon as they heard the door shut, Will and Elizabeth stood up from behind the chair they were hiding behind.
"That was close," said Elizabeth.
"Too close," Will added.
"They're gone now," Elizabeth sighed with relief. "But after Jack and Aragorn."
Suddenly came the faint sound of musket fire outside the building.
Will and his fiancée hastened to the broken window and looked out it. Jack and Aragorn wear tearing down the drive, musket balls exploding all around them. Neither of them was hit – yet.
When the second volley was fired, the soldiers had reached the gate to the driveway, and Jack and Aragorn had ducked milliseconds before they fired. They stood up, Jack pointed his pistol and fired. No one seemed to have been shot. Quickly, they charged through the final gate and onto the beach.
The soldiers fired their next volley. But someone in the group's aim was true; blood showered from where Jack was standing and he crumpled to the ground.
"Oh no," said Elizabeth gravely.
"No, no, it's alright," said Will. "He's getting up, look, Aragorn's helping him."
It was true – Aragorn was lifting Jack back up to his feet, and within moments they were running again. Running, going, gone. The barricade of soldiers followed with haste, loading as they went. When they reached the beach, they finished loading, and fired again. Both Will and Elizabeth were paralyzed with fear that one of them might have been hit. They had no way of telling.
"I've got to go," said Will. "I need to get them a ship. They won't have one, and I'll have more chance of getting one for them than they do."
He walked over to the door, which was suddenly flung open. In came a very weaselly soldier wearing a redcoat and bearing a musket. He had concealed Will behind the door when he opened it.
"Oh, Miss Swann, I am sorry," he said, when he caught sight of Elizabeth. "I do apologize but did you happen to see a – "
But he did not get to finish, for Will had approached him from behind and delivered him a powerful punch. He was out cold.
* * *
Ten minutes later, Will had struggled into the much too small uniform and come out the front door carrying the soldier's musket and wearing his tricorn. He bolted down the driveway and onto the beach, to find it deserted. The footprints of the soldiers led to the staircase leading into the town. Will could not see any trace of blood on the steps, and for that he was very thankful.
But that was not where he needed to go. He turned away from the footsteps and moved onto the nearest military dock, where was ported a multitude of fine ships. Some were huge with immense firepower, some sleek and small with very little firepower, but most were about in the middle. Will had his sights set upon one of the latter with the words 'Navis Fugacis' emblazoned on the back.
He marched onto the dock, his movement slightly restricted due to the tight uniform he was wearing. He approached the Navis Fugacis and began drinking in every detail of it. He needed to know whether it was the perfect one for their cause. It had a reasonable amount of firepower: eight cannons on either side. It looked to be lightweight and therefore fast. If they were followed by the British navy, they would have an advantage; they would be loathe to attack such a valuable ship.
"This is the one," said Will quietly.
"Excuse me, may I help you?" came a voice. It was a voice that was more high-pitched than usual, as though the man to whom it belonged had swallowed a balloon of helium.
Will turned to see who was saying it. There was a man in his twenties coming over to him. He had dark hair and a pointed face, and a long stitched scar on his left temple.
"Erm, yes actually," said Will, hoping his disguise was holding out. "A couple of colleagues and I are going out of a mission, and we need a ship. A fast ship, I might add."
"Well, this ship is the fastest you're going to get," said the man squeakily, "if you would like a good amount of firepower as well. If not, I would advise perhaps the Hornet, over there."
"No, no, we do need some firepower," said Will. "I mean, some good firepower. We're going to a very unruly place, and vicious natives have been sighted there." He sincerely hoped the man did not ask where he was going.
"Oh, I see," said the man. "Then, you'd best go with this one. Of course, I'll need to see your commanding officer to make sure this is legitimate."
"That would be me," said a woman's voice. They turned around to see Elizabeth walking towards them, disguised in a Nelson's navy uniform. Will secretly thought that it truly did not suit her.
"You? And who are you?" said the squeaky-voiced man.
"My name is Captain Rebecca N. Dispoas'd," said Elizabeth unblushingly in a very strange, false accent. "I am foreign, as you possibly assumed. I am the first woman to be admitted into the Port Royal navy."
"Let me just check that," replied the man, looking inside a small book he had extracted from his pocked. "Rebecca N. Dispoas'd?"
"Yes, that's right," said Elizabeth.
"Well, you seem to be in order," said the man. "When do you need to have the ship by?"
"Tomorrow, around noon," replied Will.
"Very good, I will keep this ship prepared for you," said the man, and walked away, writing something in his book."
As soon as he was out of earshot, Will let out a sigh of relief and said, "Elizabeth, you are a life-saver"
Elizabeth smiled. "I figured you might need some help," she said.
"How did you find out about that Dispoas'd woman?" asked Will.
"She has dropped by for tea with my father a couple of times recently," Elizabeth explained. "She's an officer in the navy. A foreign woman. Two unusual traits in a navy officer."
"But, how could you risk that? The real Dispoas'd could have come down the dock to talk to the man."
"No, she's seriously injured at the moment," said Elizabeth. "She is not expected to recover, actually. So we should not arouse suspicion."
"You are honestly one of the most brilliant people I know," said Will and hugged her. "But you have to get back to your home; you'll be too easily recognized. That man doesn't get out much, I take it. I've got some preparation to do."
"Beware of Commodore Norrington," said Elizabeth. "He'll recognize you right away.
"Yes, I will do so," said Will. "Now go. I have to find Jack and Aragorn."
He quickly learned that Jack and Aragorn had been captured and incarcerated in the Port Royal prison. They were under strict guard, owing to Aragorn's violent attack and Jack's 'slightly unclean record' as the pirate would come to put it later.
Will soon realized he would have to come up with another way of getting them their ship.
TBC...
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Hey, I got that chapter up fast for my standards, didn't I? Please review! I'll get chapter ten up quick.
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Commodore Norrington charged over to the wounded soldier, bleeding heavily from a knife thrust to the stomach. He didn't look in very good shape – he wasn't moving.
"Is he alright?" asked the commodore.
"Yes, he's still breathing," replied Captain Deacon.
"What of the two criminals, Sparrow and – Turner, was it?"
"They escaped, sir," said Lieutenant Burns stupidly.
"I can see that, Burns," snapped Commodore Norrington. "Where are they now?"
"They're still down by the front door," he said. "They're recuperating from the jump."
"Quickly, downstairs, all of you," ordered Norrington, following the flow of soldiers out of the doorway. "Captain, bring Private Marshall down, will you? I'm sure someone in this building can give him medical help."
"Right you are, sir," said Captain Deacon, who proceeded to lift the portly Ryans up with immense difficulty and carry him out of the room. Commodore Norrington had already gone.
As soon as they heard the door shut, Will and Elizabeth stood up from behind the chair they were hiding behind.
"That was close," said Elizabeth.
"Too close," Will added.
"They're gone now," Elizabeth sighed with relief. "But after Jack and Aragorn."
Suddenly came the faint sound of musket fire outside the building.
Will and his fiancée hastened to the broken window and looked out it. Jack and Aragorn wear tearing down the drive, musket balls exploding all around them. Neither of them was hit – yet.
When the second volley was fired, the soldiers had reached the gate to the driveway, and Jack and Aragorn had ducked milliseconds before they fired. They stood up, Jack pointed his pistol and fired. No one seemed to have been shot. Quickly, they charged through the final gate and onto the beach.
The soldiers fired their next volley. But someone in the group's aim was true; blood showered from where Jack was standing and he crumpled to the ground.
"Oh no," said Elizabeth gravely.
"No, no, it's alright," said Will. "He's getting up, look, Aragorn's helping him."
It was true – Aragorn was lifting Jack back up to his feet, and within moments they were running again. Running, going, gone. The barricade of soldiers followed with haste, loading as they went. When they reached the beach, they finished loading, and fired again. Both Will and Elizabeth were paralyzed with fear that one of them might have been hit. They had no way of telling.
"I've got to go," said Will. "I need to get them a ship. They won't have one, and I'll have more chance of getting one for them than they do."
He walked over to the door, which was suddenly flung open. In came a very weaselly soldier wearing a redcoat and bearing a musket. He had concealed Will behind the door when he opened it.
"Oh, Miss Swann, I am sorry," he said, when he caught sight of Elizabeth. "I do apologize but did you happen to see a – "
But he did not get to finish, for Will had approached him from behind and delivered him a powerful punch. He was out cold.
* * *
Ten minutes later, Will had struggled into the much too small uniform and come out the front door carrying the soldier's musket and wearing his tricorn. He bolted down the driveway and onto the beach, to find it deserted. The footprints of the soldiers led to the staircase leading into the town. Will could not see any trace of blood on the steps, and for that he was very thankful.
But that was not where he needed to go. He turned away from the footsteps and moved onto the nearest military dock, where was ported a multitude of fine ships. Some were huge with immense firepower, some sleek and small with very little firepower, but most were about in the middle. Will had his sights set upon one of the latter with the words 'Navis Fugacis' emblazoned on the back.
He marched onto the dock, his movement slightly restricted due to the tight uniform he was wearing. He approached the Navis Fugacis and began drinking in every detail of it. He needed to know whether it was the perfect one for their cause. It had a reasonable amount of firepower: eight cannons on either side. It looked to be lightweight and therefore fast. If they were followed by the British navy, they would have an advantage; they would be loathe to attack such a valuable ship.
"This is the one," said Will quietly.
"Excuse me, may I help you?" came a voice. It was a voice that was more high-pitched than usual, as though the man to whom it belonged had swallowed a balloon of helium.
Will turned to see who was saying it. There was a man in his twenties coming over to him. He had dark hair and a pointed face, and a long stitched scar on his left temple.
"Erm, yes actually," said Will, hoping his disguise was holding out. "A couple of colleagues and I are going out of a mission, and we need a ship. A fast ship, I might add."
"Well, this ship is the fastest you're going to get," said the man squeakily, "if you would like a good amount of firepower as well. If not, I would advise perhaps the Hornet, over there."
"No, no, we do need some firepower," said Will. "I mean, some good firepower. We're going to a very unruly place, and vicious natives have been sighted there." He sincerely hoped the man did not ask where he was going.
"Oh, I see," said the man. "Then, you'd best go with this one. Of course, I'll need to see your commanding officer to make sure this is legitimate."
"That would be me," said a woman's voice. They turned around to see Elizabeth walking towards them, disguised in a Nelson's navy uniform. Will secretly thought that it truly did not suit her.
"You? And who are you?" said the squeaky-voiced man.
"My name is Captain Rebecca N. Dispoas'd," said Elizabeth unblushingly in a very strange, false accent. "I am foreign, as you possibly assumed. I am the first woman to be admitted into the Port Royal navy."
"Let me just check that," replied the man, looking inside a small book he had extracted from his pocked. "Rebecca N. Dispoas'd?"
"Yes, that's right," said Elizabeth.
"Well, you seem to be in order," said the man. "When do you need to have the ship by?"
"Tomorrow, around noon," replied Will.
"Very good, I will keep this ship prepared for you," said the man, and walked away, writing something in his book."
As soon as he was out of earshot, Will let out a sigh of relief and said, "Elizabeth, you are a life-saver"
Elizabeth smiled. "I figured you might need some help," she said.
"How did you find out about that Dispoas'd woman?" asked Will.
"She has dropped by for tea with my father a couple of times recently," Elizabeth explained. "She's an officer in the navy. A foreign woman. Two unusual traits in a navy officer."
"But, how could you risk that? The real Dispoas'd could have come down the dock to talk to the man."
"No, she's seriously injured at the moment," said Elizabeth. "She is not expected to recover, actually. So we should not arouse suspicion."
"You are honestly one of the most brilliant people I know," said Will and hugged her. "But you have to get back to your home; you'll be too easily recognized. That man doesn't get out much, I take it. I've got some preparation to do."
"Beware of Commodore Norrington," said Elizabeth. "He'll recognize you right away.
"Yes, I will do so," said Will. "Now go. I have to find Jack and Aragorn."
He quickly learned that Jack and Aragorn had been captured and incarcerated in the Port Royal prison. They were under strict guard, owing to Aragorn's violent attack and Jack's 'slightly unclean record' as the pirate would come to put it later.
Will soon realized he would have to come up with another way of getting them their ship.
TBC...
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Hey, I got that chapter up fast for my standards, didn't I? Please review! I'll get chapter ten up quick.