AUTHOR'S NOTE: My goal is to have this story done by the time POTC2 comes out. I know exactly what's going to happen with the rest of the plot and the last chapter and epilogue are already written, so hopefully that will come to pass. In the mean time, reviews are extremely appreciated!

Chapter 9

Legolas expected to be treated roughly when Governor Swann and his party came to take him back to the ship. What he didn't expect was a hard blow to his stomach the moment they appeared, which forced every ounce of air out of his lungs and left him sprawled on the ground. As Legolas struggled to regain his breath, still unsure of who had hit him and with what, Governor Swann and another person towered over him, emanating fury from every fiber of their collective being. It took Legolas a few moments to realize that the person next to the Governor was not a sailor, but Elizabeth. She was dressed in his own blacksmith's clothes, and her hair looked tousled as if she had recently been running.

"Who did you speak to?" she demanded. When Legolas - still dazed and unwilling to give the requested information anyway - didn't answer, Elizabeth's face contorted in anger and she jammed the too-large shoe on one of her feet into the elf's midriff. "Speak, scoundrel!"

Legolas clenched his teeth against the discomfort, then spat out, "I owe you nothing." He just prayed that Gibbs would hurry up and get to him - this fury as well as Elizabeth's presence could only be explained by Alaina's successful escape, or so Legolas hoped.

His ex-fiancée's lips curled in disgust. "Fine then." Air rushed back into the prince's lungs as the pressure on his stomach was removed, but the respite did not last. "Take him back to the ship!" Governor Swann ordered.

Legolas raised his head slowly, but before he was upright something collided with the place where his neck met the back of his head. Little black insects crawled into the air in front of his eyes, swarming in by the droves until they completely obscured his vision. Legolas's head fell limply to the ground even as two sailors hoisted him up and began transporting him back to the Lady Emilisa.

Gibbs motioned silently to his fellow pirates to keep coming forward. They were creeping through the backstreets of Tortuga, getting closer and closer to the spot outside the Blue Flamingo tavern where Gibbs had spoken to Will.

Gibbs could feel the adrenaline building up inside his limbs, the anticipation of the forthcoming fight - or failure. It had taken precious time to put a plan in place and find the crew members best suited for it. Jack and Anamaria would doubtless reach the girl in time, but a rescue of both prisoners was not necessarily definite.

It suddenly occurred to the pirate that he and his fellows must look strange slinking along the roads while many others loped loudly past in their drunkenness. He halted the group, then mouthed, "Act drunk." They swaggered along, closer now. Closer. Almost there. Gibbs found himself having a hard time keeping up the ruse of intoxication as his muscles tensed up. It was only a scant few more yards until the intended street came into view. Gibbs's heart was beating fast now, and it was as if he only remembered half of the process of breathing: despite the fact that he already had air in his lungs, he kept inhaling more and more.

This course of action was ended as he let out a sharp, quick breath. Will was gone, as was his guard and anyone else immediately distinguishable as being connected to Governor Swann. Gibbs stopped and turned to face his fellows. "We failed."

Jack paced impatiently along the deck of the Black Pearl. He'd easily made it back from the Lady Emilisa after the successful rescue of Will Turner's maid friend, whose name turned out to be Alaina. Jack had rather regretfully agreed to drop her off in Port Royal, which was going to be incredibly difficult since Elizabeth had seen him tying up the guard on the deck of the Governor's ship. Then again, risk and never deterred Captain Jack Sparrow in the past.

He really should be getting underway - who knew how quickly the Governor would hear of his escapade? - but Jack could not leave without his First Mate and the other crew members who were with him.

Just then, Jack noticed movement off to his right. A ship was slowly leaving its dock, heading out to the open sea. Jack looked past it. There was only one other dock on the other side. The departing ship was none other than the Lady Emilisa.

"Oh bugger. That can't be good."