A Gilded Cage: Sequel to Broken Wings, Part II of the Fallen Sparrows Trilogy
A Pirates of the Caribbean story by Merrie
Disclaimer: Jack, Norry, Liz, Lorelac, Barbossa and all others own me. I would never attempt to claim otherwise.
Summary: As a battle is waged for Jack's soul by all the angels of heaven and all the demons in hell with Barbossa as their warrior, will our Sparrow be able to see a way out of the gilded cage that surrounds him before all is lost?
Characters: Captain Jack Sparrow, Chief James Norrington, Elizabeth Swann, Hector Barbossa, Lorelac, Julian Rusgrove and various others.
Author's Note: I hope you like this chapter! Things are going to be getting interesting now.
Rating: R for violence and language.
Chapter 12: Leave-takings and Lies
Location unknown, 1678
"You can't be serious mate. The 'Knuckle's is our home! She's your bloody ship taken though force and you're just going to give it up?" Julian Rusgrove asked his captain and sometimes friend John Pardal also known as Edward John Corentin Alexandre Sperling also known as Jack Sparrow incredulously.
"She's not my ship, Julian. She never has been," Jack said with a shrug. "I've taken her, tis true, but I will always be her second master. You know this as well as I."
Julian nodded. "But you must admit you've broken her in right proper, mate. You've brought more fame and fortune to the 'Knuckles then Kruler ever did. You've made the world fear you," he acknowledged with a bloodthirsty grin, knowing that he was just as feared as his captain was.
Jack answered the grin with one of his own. Unlike what the public had known of Kruler during his tenure as captain, the rumours and whisperings surrounding Jack were all true; under his new name of course. Something else that bothered him. "John Pardal has outlived his usefulness. I think it's time to remind people of who I really am. I think it's time to make them fear me all over again," he said with a grin.
Julian let out an honest laugh at that. "You're insane mate, you do know that don't you?" For an instant, Jack grew very still and quiet and Julian thought he had overstepped his bounds. He had been about to draw his sword in preparation for a fight to the death-such things were a regular occurrence around Jack-when a sly grin broke out on his captain's face.
"There is a thin line between madness and genius, Julian. Never forget that," Jack said bemusedly.
"With you around, how could I?" Julian responded dryly. "You're really going to give her up? You're really going to just what…start over?" Jack nodded. "Start over where? Are you going to back to England?"
Jack leaned over the rail of his ship and stared out to sea thoughtfully. "I haven't been home in five years, Julian. I don't even think it is home any longer." He continued; his voice dropping off so that it was clear he was talking to himself. "I'm not sure it ever was home."
"And I'm sure the fact that you're to be shot on sight should you step foot on English soil is a pretty good reason to stay away," Julian murmured, moving to stand next to his captain against the rail.
"It wouldn't stop me," Jack said with a grin.
"No, I imagine it wouldn't. You'd take on the entire royal navy single-handedly if it came to that and we both know it."
Jack turned his head to look at his first-mate and sometimes friend askance. "Do we?"
"You've been mad almost as long as I've known you, Jack; mad and supremely confident. If you thought you could get away with it, you'd murder your way up to the throne of England itself." Julian paused and smirked to himself. "King Jack."
Jack smiled himself for a brief moment as the image presented itself easily in front of his eyes before growing serious. "You're the only member of the crew that still calls me Jack."
"I'm the only member of the crew that you don't kill for calling you Jack," Julian continued with a wry laugh.
"Naturally. And do you know why that is, Julian? It's because you're every bit as bloodthirsty as I am and I consider you more useful as an ally than a corpse."
Julian noticed Jack's usage of the word corpse instead of enemy signifying that Jack would be able to kill him before he had made an enemy out of him. Julian was a clever young man and therefore did not argue this outright. "I'm honoured," he said after a moment's thought.
"As well you should be," Jack said with a grin and a nod. "It's not everyone that can call the mad Captain John Pardal a friend let alone Jack Sparrow."
"You're going back to Jack Sparrow then?"
Jack shrugged. "The world does not yet know Jack Sparrow."
"But they will," Julian interjected with a wicked grin.
"Aye, they shall. They will know me and fear me soon enough."
WWW
"Jack? Jack! Calm down, you bloody pirate! Tell me what's wrong!" Norrington commanded, moving to Jack's side as the man lay pale gasping in sweat drenched sheets. Norrington hadn't known before why he had stayed to watch over the older man's rest as he would a small child, but now he was glad he had.
"A dream but not a dream. A nightmare," Jack gasped; his dark eyes wide and unblinking into the night. Norrington was suddenly very glad that there was no moon tonight for if Jack was forcibly reminded of his own state under the curse at this moment in time so soon after a nightmare had loosed its claws, Norrington had no doubt he would surely lose whatever sanity he had left to him. "But not a nightmare," Jack continued breathlessly. "Real. By all the gods in heaven and hell it was so real. He's coming."
"Who? Who's coming, Jack?" Norrington asked, laying a hand on the pirate's shoulder in an attempt to calm him. Jack shook off the touch but answered anyway.
"Barbossa. Barbossa's coming for me."
Norrington tried not to scoff but it was hard. "Barbossa's dead, Jack. He's been dead for over a year now. You know this. You killed him yourself."
"Aye, I put a bullet through his mutinous heart," Jack agreed. "He comes all the same."
"You can't honestly believe that, Jack. People aren't simply miraculously raised from the dead—" Norrington was cut off by Jack's sardonic glare. Norrington shook it off and continued. This was preposterous. "You were already cursed when you were killed, Jack. That is how you did not die. Barbossa died without the curses' influence. He died a man and mortal, Jack. There is no coming back from that. He's dead. It was just a nightmare."
Jack shook his head again. "No. The nightmare is just beginning."
WWW
Hector Barbossa wasn't sure of much in his new life, but he did know this: he had been given a reprieve out of hell and he fully intended to take advantage of it. He knew he had a job to do; he knew he was set forth to avenge his own death on his former captain, but that was secondary in his mind. Maybe he was supposed to have been a mindless zombie with nothing else driving him but the need to kill Jack Sparrow, but for him that wasn't the case. He had his own wants and desires. He had his own needs. For the first time in ten godforsaken years he was whole again. He was a living, breathing man once more after what had seemed an eternity. Perhaps it had been. He had no recollection whatsoever as to how much time had passed since he had lay dying on a blanket of gold and silver with a bullet lodged in his heart; he had no idea what Jack had done to anger such powerful gods during that time either although he wasn't surprised that the man had. Jack Sparrow could drive the pope to hell after he had damned himself by wanting to commit murder against him. Jack Sparrow was the stone in your boot, the water in your wine. Barbossa knew all this and more firsthand, and yet he didn't feel inclined to kill him. Not yet, anyway. He had far too much to do and far too little time to do it in.
"Do you understand what it is that you're to do, Barbossa?" a voice hissed at him from all sides.
Barbossa snorted. "I don't bloody care who you are! I'm not some snot-nosed cabin boy that needs to be told to tie his own boots every other minute!" he growled. He had been about to go on another tirade when he felt an unseen hand grip his tanned throat tightly.
"You belong to us, Barbossa. Do not forget it. You are but an insignificant worm compared to our might. We could crush you without trying. You are nothing but a means to an end." Barbossa was released and sent sprawling to the ground, rocks and sharp edges of gold coins digging into his palms as he braced his fall. He bit his lip until he could taste his own blood but he didn't otherwise do anything against the enemy he could not see nor touch. He simply regained his feet and stood up straight, ignoring the fact that blood seemed to be coating his fingers as his torn hands hung at his sides limply.
"Now we'll ask you again. Do you understand what we want from you?"
"Yes," Barbossa answered without hesitation.
Kill…
Sparrow…
For us…
He knew what he had to do.
WWW
Botany Bay, England 1678
Hector Barbossa was not an ordinary man. He had known this simple fact ever since he had been a boy. He was destined for great things. This, he knew without a doubt. His ambition had always outsoared his common sense, but that's not to say he didn't have a good dose of that as well. He knew when to bet and when to fold; he knew when to show his hand and when to play things close to the vest. One thing he did not know however at 30 years of life on this earth was where he was going next. He had initially wanted to go into politics or the like-the mantle of power sat welcomed upon his shoulders-but as the second son of a mere goldsmith he had learned the hard realisation that your station in life was all you had. If you wanted to get anywhere then you had to learn to do things for yourself; learn to look out for yourself. This was why, at age 30; Hector Barbossa had decided to become a pirate.
Anyone he considered worthy enough to hear of his ambitions called him a fool. You're too old, they'd said. You'll get yourself killed or hung within a month. Become a goldsmith like your father and grandfather. That's who you are, Hector. You're no pirate.
He told himself not to listen; not to doubt his own worth, but it was hard. What did he know about being a pirate anyway? Surely he would make a comfortable living following in his family's footsteps even if his older brother was already doing the same? In fact, he had been working the trade so long with no other option in sight that he knew for a fact that he could become a successful goldsmith. In fact, some would say he already was one. But that wasn't what he wanted. He longed to travel to distant lands and see incredible things. He had lived in England all of his life and had tired of it when he had still been a boy. He had tried to run off then but his father's iron grip and his mother's sorrowful pleadings had kept him where he stood. But now he was more than a grown man he would no longer be stopped. He had wanted to leave years ago, but his mother's illness had kept him here just as her worry for her youngest son had all those years ago. But now she was dead and it was time to leave. He would find his way onto whatever ship that would take him, and he knew that he would become the greatest pirate the world had ever known.
WWW
Kenworthy, England 1678
Five years. Five years it had been since he had stepped foot on the familiar shores of his home town. Jack marveled at utter lack of change in the quiet town around him. It was as if no time had passed at all. Everything was exactly as he had remembered it, from the smell of the shipyards to the calls of the fish wives trying to sell their wares. The town may not have changed but I have, Jack thought, pulling his cloak more closely around his face. He knew he shouldn't be here, but he hadn't been able to stay away. The Hangman's Knuckles was gone, handed over to his first mate Julian Rusgrove without fuss. The men would take to him as they had their former captain, and Jack had no doubt in his mind that Julian would make his own stories; bring forth new fears. Jack did not begrudge him that. In fact, he knew that if and when he heard of the dark tales of the Hangman's Knuckles under her fierce captain Rusgrove, he wouldn't be able to keep a smile from his face. That was Julian's story to write now. Jack was ready to start a new chapter for himself somewhere else, and what better place for a new beginning than the place of his beginning?
Jack was staring so aptly at the seemingly unchanged place of his birth that he nearly ran a man through without thinking as he startled him out his thoughts by bumping into him. In fact, Jack had the man's shirt front in a fist and a dagger already in his hand before he froze as he took in the man's startled features. It can't be.
"I'm-I'm sorry, sir. Do forgive me for being clumsy. It won't happen again, I assure you," the man hastily stuttered, his green eyes growing wide as he took note of the dagger out of its sheath at Jack's side. It was funny; the sight of it seemed to bolster his confidence. "You young ruffian, do you have any idea who I am?"
"Magistrate Donnellson," Jack whispered absently, still completely confounded as to just who had nearly run him over mere moments after he had set foot in town. "Richard," he further murmured.
Magistrate Donnellson looked at him askance as if trying to see through the scarf Jack had wrapped around his face. "Why yes, that is who I am. Now I would consider putting the knife away young man before I have you arrested. I understand that I startled—" the man was cut off as Jack held the blade at his throat.
"Now you listen hear, Magistrate. I don't bloody care who you are. Deign to tell me what to do again and you'll be breathing your own blood, savvy?"
The man blinked at the use of the unfamiliar word but got the gist of what Jack was trying to say. "I understand," he said grudgingly, wanting to argue but at a clear disadvantage with a naked blade held tightly against his throat. Then he thought of his beautiful wife Eva and their two children Edward and Eliza and held his tongue. He would do what this young brigand ordered, but not before marking his face for later judgement. From what he could see above the dirtied rag covering the majority of his face his antagonist had rich brown eyes and a noble forehead. Richard could also make out a lock of hair as black as pitch curling around the young man's cheek as well. As he was taking in what he could of the young man's features, something sparked in his mind. Some fragment of memory dusty and worn from disuse was suddenly forced into working again. "Edward?" the name was past his lips before he had time to think upon it. "Is it you?" He longed to reach and pull the mask away but as the knife blade pressed even harder against his throat he didn't dare.
Jack froze. Edward? I haven't been called that since… He didn't entertain the thought. It was in the past. He shouldn't have come here. He should have kept away. "Edward is dead, Richard," he hissed. "He has been since he left this accursed place." With that, Jack ran, leaving his stunned brother-in-law to gape in his wake.
WWW
"You've been silent for some time now, Jack. What are you thinking upon?" Elizabeth asked him softly, Norrington turning to hear Jack's answer as well.
"I'm remembering things I do not care to remember," Jack murmured, walking past them both to the waters edge and staring out into the sea.
"Tell us, Jack. Don't keep such things to yourself when they are clearly weighing heavily upon your soul," Elizabeth whispered. She and Norrington had been trying to convince Jack all morning that Barbossa remained dead and rotting in the Isle de Muerta, but Jack would hear none of it, insisting that he was coming. And now, Jack would not leave the shore, looking for something they did not believe was coming.
"Did you know that I captained Kruler's ship after I killed him?" Jack asked to the sea itself although clearly addressing the both of them as well.
Norrington frowned. "If I remember correctly, someone by the name of Pardal captained the ship after Kruler's death." Norrington hesitated, realisation dawning. "Pardal. That was you."
Jack shrugged. "I never was one for originality," he murmured in self-depreciation. "Pardal is sparrow in Portuguese."
"If…memory serves, you were only captain of the ship for 3 years," Norrington said delicately.
"You…were Captain John Pardal?" Elizabeth asked incredulously, not believing her ears.
"Yes. I was. Earned quite a reputation for myself under that name as well," Jack said bitterly, glaring out into the sea as if it were her fault all these things had happened. Perhaps it was.
"You were worse than Kruler ever was," Norrington said distantly, and if Jack's ears weren't tricking him, the former commodore pulled his sword from the sheath at his belt. Jack didn't turn.
"It won't do any good, son," Jack whispered. "I'm already dead, remember? Stabbing me in the back isn't going to solve anything. But you're more than welcome to try if you think it will make you feel better."
"James, don't," Elizabeth pleaded gently, laying a hand on Norrington's arm. "It's in the past."
Jack's eyes drifted shut at her words. "Elizabeth. My wronged champion. You shouldn't defend me, love. I don't deserve it."
"Do you regret the things you've done?" Norrington asked many minutes later. Jack hadn't heard the sword slide back into its sheath, so it must have remained in his hand as he asked.
"Every day of my existence," Jack whispered fervently. "The things I've done… I deserve to be damned."
"That is not for me to judge," Norrington answered him, sliding the sword back into the sheath at his belt with quick rasp of metal on metal.
Jack did turn to look at him then, not believing his ears. "So says Commodore Norrington, scourge of pirates everywhere."
"I'm no more Commodore Norrington than you are Captain Pardal," Norrington insisted softly. "I'm just a man, Jack. I should have never allowed myself to become judge, jury and executioner. I have my own sins to atone for."
Jack snorted and turned back out to sea. "I wouldn't be too hard on yourself mate. Most of the men you hanged bloody deserved a hell of a lot worse."
"Most of them. Not all," Norrington continued. "There were men I killed who didn't deserve it. I won't call them innocents because I don't believe there are any true innocents in this world, but many of them did not deserve the death I handed them."
"Say what you like. We can compare sins until Judgement if you want. I'll not stop you, only say this; you would have never done the things I've done, James. You're far too honourable for that."
"And if you were as dishonourable as you claim, you wouldn't be regretting your sins now, Jack," Norrington refuted.
"Are you two quite finished?" Elizabeth interrupted, "Because if you are, I would like to participate in the discussion as well. I think you are both two of the most foolish men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. You both spend so long bemoaning your past sins that you look right past the good you both have done. James, how many people have you saved in preventing those men you've brought to justice from walking the earth? Have you even considered that? And Jack—"
Jack cut her off with a bitter laugh. "Don't be saying that I was actually doing good when I killed all those innocent people just to further my own name. I already told you I don't deserve you defending me. And after what I did to you, you should be the first in line to send me to the noose, Miss Swann."
"You saved my life, Jack," Elizabeth said firmly, disregarding Jack's attempts to make her hate him once more. "In the cave, when Barbossa was going to shoot me. You hardly knew who I was and yet you saved my life."
"Don't lie to yourself, Elizabeth. I was taking my revenge against Barbossa. Saving you was merely a coincidence."
"I don't believe that," Elizabeth argued. "You could have let him kill me before you took your shot. There was no risk to you. You killed Barbossa mere moments before he could have killed me. That's more than a coincidence."
Jack shook his head, his eyes once more following the rolling of the ocean waves and the way his beloved Pearl rode upon them. "Believe what you like, Elizabeth," he said softly. It was too late to convince her that he wasn't a good man. She had already paid the price for that delusion.
WWW
Kenworthy, England 1678
"I am telling you Eva, it was him. It was Edward," Richard insisted, the backs of his ears flushing as his wife refused to believe him.
"And I still stay I don't believe you. John would never do something like that," Eva Marie Lynette Donnellson, only sister to Captain Jack Sparrow, argued.
"He held a knife to my throat!" Richard argued. "He's not your brother any longer!"
"Richard, hush! You're disturbing Mother," Eva hissed at him.
"Oh don't worry yourself, dear. I'm fine," Katrina Sperling insisted softly. "I don't know who you ran into today Richard, but like Eva I don't believe it was Edward. My son is dead, Richard. He was killed with his cousin Sebastian when their ship was taken. I don't care what people say about him. He died an innocent; a good man."
Richard shook his head. "I know you like to think that, Mother, but I assure you I saw him. Now it might have been a misunderstanding, he might have only threatened me because he felt threatened himself, but I do not believe so. He acted as a man used to treating others in such a manner."
"Come now, Richard. You can't honestly believe that. You known John almost as well as I do. Surely you don't believe that he could do such things," Eva argued with a frown.
"I known only this, Eva darling, I intend to find out once and for all what really happened to your brother with or without your consent. I do not wish to anger you or your mother, but I need to know what happened to him, and if need be bring him to justice. It is my job, Eva."
"Your job is to help hold our family together, Richard. How can you possibly do that when you're speaking of arresting my brother?"
"He's a wanted man, Eva! I know you don't like to hear these things, but Edward has been condemned a criminal almost as long as he's been gone. You've heard the stories as well as I."
"And yet you're the one who is so eager to believe them. Why is that, Richard? What do you have against my brother?"
Richard took a calming breath and ran a hand over his shoulder length red hair. He loved his wife very much and did not want to fight with her, but she was blinded when it came to her brother. "I'm going to find him, Eva, Mrs. Sperling. I'm going to find out what has happened to him. I will give him a chance to explain his actions, but I'm still going to confront him."
"And what of us? What of your children while you're away chasing a brother who I have already accepted as lost? What then, Richard? Would you just leave us to look after ourselves?"
"What would you have me do, Eva? He threatened me, a magistrate and his brother-in-law. He held a knife to my throat knowing just who and what I was! Do you understand that? It didn't stop him in the least! How many other people has he threatened, or killed since he's been away? He needs to be stopped, Eva."
"He's my broth—"
"Stop this, both of you," Katrina's firm order halted her warring children. She turned to her daughter first. "You know how much I love your bother, Eva. You know how much it devastated me to find that he had…died like your father."
"Of course I do, Mama," Eva whispered. She did know some of what her mother felt for she felt it too. Although she had only been two years old when her father had been lost at sea, it had still been a crushing blow.
Katrina nodded sadly. "Yes, but I must also confess that since his death I have…doted on Edward more than I should. He is my only son and as his mother I…may have turned a blind eye to some things." She hastened to raise a hand to override Eva's objections. "Let me finish, my dear. I'm not saying that I believe all the horrible things that have been said about your brother; that he has turned pirate himself and captains a ship of murderers and thieves, I just don't believe that. I don't believe someone can change that much in only five years. But I need to know for sure, Eva. Do you understand that? If your brother really is alive, then why hasn't he come home to us? Why has he been gone all these years? Has he been a prisoner? Has he…done the things people have said about him? We can't know until we've seen him or proved him dead. I need peace one way or another Eva, please try and understand that."
Eva nodded after some hesitation. "I understand, Mother."
Katrina continued. "That is why I want to allow Richard the chance to go through with his plan. I need you to find my son, Richard. Please. Bring him back to me if he lives, and bring me back proof of his passing if he doesn't. A mother must know what has befallen her only son. Find him for me, Richard."
"I'll do my best, Mrs. Sperling. You have my word," Richard answered solemnly. He knew what he had to do.
WWW
Hector Barbossa couldn't help but frown to see that the Black Pearl hadn't changed in the least since he had been…away. He had hoped that somehow she had gone under some magnificent undertaking; that she had become whole once more with her deck polished and her dark sails whole and clean. But this? She looked exactly as she had under the curse. Surely Captain Jack Sparrow of all people would have taken better care of her than this.
He pushed such questions aside. He would be sure to ask his former captain and friend the question before he killed him.
TBC
A/N: Whoa, I'm not kidding I wrote this chapter in oh, four days. Heh. I hope you liked it despite that! Lol
Reviewer Response Section
Neon Daises-First of all, thanks for going over the chapter before posting! Yeah, hidden story lines…those are a bother. Like this one with Richard. Where the heck did that come from? You know what? I have no idea either.
FalconWing-Yeah, poor Jack's in a bit of a bind. It seems that everyone's after him in some way or another. Oh well. I'm sure he'll come out on top. Or dead. Just kidding! Probably…
Otherhawk- Oh, it's ok that you haven't reviewed in awhile. As long as you're still reading that's almost good enough for me. ;-) As yes, I did kill the whelp. Yeah, well he had to die. I didn't necessarily want to do it, but I felt I had to. His place in the story was becoming redundant and I wanted to find out how the dynamic would shift with him gone. I still haven't made my mind up about that last one. Thanks so much for the lines about Gillette. I knew he had to die, and I didn't want to go into too much detail because honestly, I really just wanted him dead. lol. Sorry this couldn't be up sooner for you!
Holliday1081-I am having a lot of fun writing the flashbacks. Tell me if I start to go overboard. ;-) I'm having even more fun writing Norry. I love him to pieces. -D It is incredibly crowded in Jack's head, but not so much in this chapter. I think they were all taking a day off and letting the flashbacks run free. Hee I'm having fun writing Barbossa too. Heck, I'm just plain having fun! I'm glad you are too.
AJB-More Barbossa for you. Hope you know what you're asking for. ;-)
Lynx-Ok, I love your reviews. Have I said this enough lately? You're the best. -D And yes, I am the Angst Queen.
JohnnDEPPmaniac-Oh I think it's possible. I live for complications. Lol
Jigglykat-Lori and Barbie –SNARF- Ok, I cracked up for about a full minute after that one. Thanks for the review! I'm sorry this couldn't be updated sooner.
Padme17-Lol. Well I'm sorry I couldn't get this up sooner. Barbossa did come to me however, and told me to write him into the story even more than what I had been originally planning. And there you have it.
Brave Symbol-Seriously, deliciously twisted eh? –beams- Thanks-D Sorry you couldn't have a holiday between the posting of this chapter too. Sorry.
xkohleyesx-Wow a new reviewer! I think. Thank you so much for the review! I'm glad you're liking my story!
Arenas-I'm glad you like where this is going, you cookie fiend you. Oh wait, or is that me? Anyway, thanks for the review!
Mistress of Destruction-Oh no, I love comedy almost as much as I love angst. I love…angsty comedy. Yeah, that's it. Glad you like the chapter! There will be more of the dynamic bumbling pirate duo next chapter!
WOW. 13 reviews? You people spoil me. Thank you so much!
-Merrie