So, here is chapter 4. I have the feeling that I'm concentrating too much on Zaehra and making her more of a main character than Elizabeth and Will, so give me your thoughts on that.
You know the drill. Please review.
Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own PotC…I swear! Search me!
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Norrington looks through his spyglass and turns to Beckett.
"The Seductress. It appears that they've spotted us, but they are not fleeing. In fact it looks as though they are slowing down and setting anchor," he reports to Beckett.
"The Seductress, where have I heard that?" Beckett says more to himself than to Norrington.
"It's an all-women pirate ship, famous for just that," Norrington says.
"Ah, well, I wouldn't want to miss out on a chance to go aboard the legendary ship crewed by women," Beckett says.
Norrington hesitates for a moment.
"Do you have a problem with ambushing a pirate ship?" Beckett asks.
"No, it's just…" Norrington begins.
"Pirates are still pirates, even if they are women," Beckett says sternly. "Besides, now I have the key to controlling these waters, so really they don't have much of a choice," Beckett says.
"Yes sir," Norrington says and walks off.
"Well, well, well, I guess that now everyone can see what power I really have…" Beckett says with a laugh.
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The Dauntless, pulled up along The Seductress, and Beckett and Norrington accompanied by a few men board quickly.
Zaehra, Will and Elizabeth go meet them.
"Elizabeth…Will Turner," Norrington says surprised.
"Miss Swann and Mr Turner! Once again cavorting about with pirates, I see," Beckett says with a smirk.
"Excuse me, Lord Beckett, but what made you assume that we're pirates?" Zaehra asks, putting on a very convincing high-society voice on, still in the very classy gown.
"You sail under no colors," Norrington says.
"They don't suit the décor,"
"The Seductress is a known pirate ship,"
"I'm renting it,"
"And foremost, this ship is crewed by all women,"
"Are you indicting that my crew are not men?"
"Miss, you have a smarter mouth than…" Beckett begins before pausing and looking at Zaehra. "What is your name?"
"Zaehra," she says coolly, holding her fan by her hip.
"Zaehra what?" Beckett asks.
"Now, sir, we do not know each other. I've been raised to not talk to strangers," Zaehra says,
"Well then, we'll be getting to know each other soon," Beckett says. "Men! Escort these people aboard our ship. We'll be taking this ship, Miss Zaehra,"
"Zhu shou!" Zaehra says. Everybody looks at her strangely. She quickly takes a deep breath. "Your men take another step, and I will have to disregard the laws of hospitality,"
"Hmh, really? I'd love to see," Beckett says. He motions for the guards to come aboard. Zaehra looks at them and then to him with fury. Elizabeth and Will both glare at him too.
"Lord Beckett, what have we done to receive this kind of treatment?" Elizabeth asks.
"Let us see, you helped a pirate escape death, you stole from the Royal Navy, you defied orders, what else?" Beckett says.
"Well excuse me for doing the right thing," Elizabeth says.
"Miss Swann you will not stand between the law and crime any longer. Men!" Beckett calls.
"Don't you dare, Beckett. I swear you lay a finger on her-" Will says.
"Or what?" Beckett says. He once again gestures for the guards to come forward, this time really stirring the three's anger.
"Right, you were warned," Zaehra says and quickly grabs a nearby soldiers sword form the scabbard and points it at Beckett's throat just as Norrington has taken out his pistol and points it at Zaehra's head.
"I wouldn't if I were you, Commodore. You even touch that trigger, and I will slit this slime's throat," Zaehra says.
"Go ahead. I don't even like him," Norrington says. Beckett grimaces.
Zaehra smirks. Then Elizabeth also grabs another soldier's sword, and Will knocks Norrington's pistol out of his hand. A fight quickly breaks out aboard the ship, and there's soldiers fighting against crewmembers. Will and Norrington against each other, and Zaehra was taking on Beckett who had unsheathed his sword.
"Commodore again?" Will says to Norrington.
"Obviously," Norrington says and the two clash swords loudly.
"So you handed the Heart over to Beckett," Will says, parrying.
"I have a duty to serve the King," Norrington says.
"Oh, please. You did it for your own personal gain!" Will says through gritted teeth
"My loyalty is to the crown," Norrington says.
"So turning to piracy, that was, what, honor?" Will says.
"You know nothing of honor," Norrington says.
"Who are you to say?" Will says as he tried to attack Norrington, and fails, and Norrington then cuts him on the arm, leaving a deep gash. Norrington raises the tip of his sword to Will's face.
"I will not let you take my life away again," he says
"Go ahead. I'd rather die than live in a world where people like you have control over the place I have come to love and adore," Will says defiantly.
Norrington smirks and is about to stab him, when he is interrupted by Beckett.
"Back to the ship, men!"
"You're fighting a lost battle, Miss Zaehra," Beckett says blocking Zaehra.
"Pardon me sir, but obviously you have not heard of me," Zaehra says, and steps back, before attempting to attack Beckett again.
"Really?" Beckett says cockily, then he knocks Zaehra's sword out of her hand with a flourish. Zaehra's face flashes with a moment of panic, before her usually cool expression returns.
"Yes. I am the Dragon Lady," she says and in one swift movement leaps into the air, and kicks Beckett across the face, and he falls back. She gracefully catches Beckett's sword and holds it at his throat.
"Order your men back to your pathetic little ship, and we can forget this ever happened," Zaehra says.
"And give you the satisfaction of victory?" Beckett says.
"My Lord, do it or you will regret it," Zaehra says. Beckett looks at her in amusement, clearly not relenting. "Lord Beckett," she says again warningly.
Beckett breathes out in defeat, a hint of irritation, and glowers at her.
"Back to the ship, men!" Beckett orders. Norrington unwillingly drops his hand, but his grip still tight around his sword. Beckett glares at him, so Norrington reluctantly makes his way back to the ship.
"Now, if you attempt to follow us, you will regret it," she says, and pushes him back to the Dauntless.
"This is not the end, I will win!" Beckett screams, slightly manically.
"Set sail, Fowler!" Zaehra says ignoring him.
"Aye, Cap'n," Fowler says.
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Jack sits outside Vivienne's hut. Vivienne walks out holding a mug of rum.
"Here," she says soothingly.
"Thanks, love," Jack says nonchalantly and taking the mug, downing the liquid in one swallow.
"Are you alright?" Vivienne asks.
"I'm fine, lovie," Jack says.
"You don't seem fine," Vivienne says.
Jack turns abruptly and opens his mouth to say something, making some quirky hand gestures before sighing. "Forget it,"
"Tell me. I mean, who else can ye talk to?" Vivienne asks.
Jack shakes his head. "After everythin' I've been through. The East India Trading Company, cursed Aztec gold, losing the Pearl, you'd think this island would be a piece o' cake,"
"I know what its like. Its worse than gaol," Vivienne says.
"Yeah, love. Ye don't know what I'd give to get off here," Jack says, almost glumly.
"I'm sure you will soon," Vivienne says also dolefully.
Jack turns to look at her. "How long have ye been here?"
"Do ye really want to know?" Vivienne asks with a small smile. Jack nods.
"123 years," she says
Jack nods his head casually, before registering what she'd said. "123 years?"
"Yes," Vivienne says with a sigh.
"What? How come no one came to rescue ye?" Jack asks.
"I don't know," Vivienne says, a hint of distress in her voice. "We're sent here to be saved, and its is predestined that each person should be, but no one ever came for me. And by now, everyone who could possibly care enough to rescue me, would have already died…I guess I was never important enough to be returned to the living," tears glisten in her eyes, her throat hoarse.
Jack looks at her compassionately, at a loss for words.
"I'm sorry, love," Jack says.
"Its OK, I guess," Vivienne says. "I'm sure that there's someone out there who cares enough to come for you,"
Jack suddenly has a look of revelation. "Miss Vivienne, I swear by me right hand that I will rescue you from this island-y fate," Jack announces.
"Jack…" Vivienne says with a sigh, but when she sees Jack's determined face, she stops. "You are so kind," she says almost inaudibly.
Jack looks at her curiously, and notices that she is hiding something, but lets it pass, for the atmosphere was already gloomy enough as it was.
"C'mon, love, let's go to the shore," Jack says getting up and offers Vivienne his hand, and she smiles at him, taking it.
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"Lord Beckett, are you alright?" Norrington asks.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine," Beckett says.
Norrington hesitates for a moment.
"What, Norrington?" Beckett asks with a hint of annoyance.
"How come you let them kick us off, for lack of better words?" Norrington asks. "You said with the Heart, we have complete control of the seas,"
"I, have complete control, I, not we," Beckett corrects him.
"I apologise," Norrington says.
"Hmh. Commodore, sometimes, having people believe you are weak, gives you the upper hand," Beckett says a malicious glint in his eye. Norrington nods and walks off quickly.
"We will meet again, Miss Yanzi," Beckett says with a laugh.
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Elizabeth leans against the ship's rail, watching the sun set, her hair whipping about and her eyes glazed with thought.
Zaehra had told them that they were nearing the Underworld. Which meant they were halfway to Jack. How she longed to see him again, hear his half-drunken voice and witty comments. She longed to speak to him, and apologise profusely and beg his forgiveness.
Will cradled his bandaged arm, and winces slightly in pain. He spots Elizabeth and contemplates talking to her. He decides that he should and approaches her warily.
"Elizabeth," Will says.
"Will. How is your arm?" Elizabeth asks snapping out of her reverie.
"It's fine," Will says.
"So James is Commodore again," Elizabeth says.
"Yes, because we trusted him," Will says.
"I am taking that's not a good thing," Elizabeth says.
Will just nods.
"Will, is everything OK?" Elizabeth asks.
"No it is not," Will says.
"What is wrong?" Elizabeth asks.
"Elizabeth, if you cannot see, then I cannot tell you," Will says,
"Will, tell me," Elizabeth says.
Will shakes his head in disbelief at her. Elizabeth looks at him with her big eyes. "Alright. Hypothetically, let's say, a man is in love with a woman. And for a long time, he thought she was in love with him. But then he saw her kiss a man he almost actually considered a friend. Now he's not so sure about her feelings for him anymore. In fact, he's not sure of anything at the moment," Will says.
Elizabeth falters. "Will…"
"Yes, Elizabeth?"
"I…I did it to save us. I chained him to the mast. I killed him," she says. "He did not go down willingly, as I had lead you to believe. It was because of me that he is gone. It is because of me that we are on the most perilous journey of our time. It is because of me that we are not married and happy. I sent him to his death,"
"Elizabeth, don't you think I know that already?" Will says to her, no angrily, but with a look of disappointment.
"Then-" Elizabeth says, before being cut off by Will.
"I saw you. You kissed him, and not just to chain him to the Pearl,"
"What are you-"
"Don't, Elizabeth. Don't. Just tell me. Do you love me?" Will asks.
"Will…I…" Elizabeth stammers.
"Do you love me?"
"I…" Elizabeth says. She then closes her mouth, eyes averted.
"Then do you love him?"
She doesn't answer.
"Do you love Jack Sparrow?" Will yells fiercely.
"Will! I…I hope not…I don't know," Elizabeth says.
"Elizabeth. I love you. But if you can't give me an answer, I'm not going to hang around forever. I would like to think I would do anything for you, but I fear I am not capable of waiting for someone, whom I'm not even certain loves me," Will says, and with that, he turns on his heel and walks off.
Elizabeth watches his departing form, tears glistening. She falls to her knees, and unable to hold back the tears, the salty liquid cascade freely from her eyes, her sobs silent and laments the loss of her first love…
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Whaddya think? Tell me what you think. And take a guess at who Zaehra is, and whom she represents.
Please review, it'd make me ever so happy.