"Steady as she goes, boys!" Gibbs called out as he steered the Gull around the outer perimeter of the island. Cotton and Marty had released the foresails, but it was difficult to manage the fore and aft lines with just two people crewing it (one of them being a dwarf) despite the ship's diminutive size.
Soon, a gust of wind came blowing hard against the Gull, causing the ship to rock violently because of the sails that were loosened. Gibbs struggled to keep the ship in one consistent direction because the wind was only getting stronger and the ship more cumbersome.
"Give me less sail! Step lively, lads!" Gibbs ordered, and Cotton and Marty started to climb the rigging to tie down the sails, "Reef the foresails!"
As Cotton and Marty made an effort to tie the foresails down to reduce the pressure of the winds, Cotton's parrot was flying through the air and squawked "Shiver me timbers!"
Another sharp gust of wind blew against the ship, rocking it further. This motion caused Marty to lose his grip on the beam that he and Cotton were on and he started to fall off, but Cotton reached out and grabbed onto his arm at the last second.
"Much obliged!" Marty thanked the mute as he hoisted him back up onto the beam. Cotton nodded and they resumed tying the foresails down.
However, another sharp gust of wind blew against the Gull, and Gibbs struggled to keep the ship straight. They had to reach the other end of the island so they could pick up Jack and the others on time.
By the time they had reached their destination, yet another sharp wind blew against the pirate ship, and it was too strong for Gibbs to counteract it. He tried hard to steer the ship against the pressure of the wind, but what happened was that the rudder chain ended up snapping from the force being exerted upon it. The Gull was at the mercy of the winds, and they blew the ship right into the shallows of the island and it ended up crashing onto the beach. Gibbs collapsed onto the deck from the crash, and both Marty and Cotton fell from the beams onto the deck and groaned in pain.
"Everyone alright?" Gibbs asked, getting up off the ground using the Gull's wheel as support.
"We're fine," Marty answered, picking himself up, "I think we've run aground."
"You don't say?" Gibbs replied sarcastically. Afterwards, all three pirates got off the Gull so they could inspect the damage and do what they could to get the ship back in the water. But by the time they got down onto the beach, they saw massive breaches in the bow and the stern. The Dying Gull wasn't going anywhere.
"This looks to be a problem, gentlemen," Gibbs made note.
"Now how are we supposed to get out of here?" Marty complained.
"We'll worry about that later," Gibbs told the dwarf, "Right now we need to find Jack and the others."
The pirates retrieved their weapons and possessions from the Gull, and made their way into the tropical forest to find Captain Jack.
"RAWK! Wind in your sails! Wind in your sails!" Cotton's parrot squawked.
Barbossa and his men had made it to shore, and they formed a tight group so that they could best defend themselves in the event they came across any British soldiers. Barbossa was leading the group at the front, brandishing the Sword of Triton in his right hand and pacing quickly with his blunderbuss cane in his left hand. Murtogg and Mullroy flanked him, their own swords and pistols drawn, volunteering to serve as their captain's vanguard in their search for Jack Sparrow.
"So the plan is to find Captain Sparrow and then bring him back to Salazar, yes?" Mullroy asked Barbossa.
"Aye, that be the plan, Mr. Mullroy," Barbossa replied, but as he continued walking along, he wasn't sure if he could follow through. Part of him still had reservations about pursuing Jack, despite all the bad blood between the two of them over the years. Nevertheless, he would do as he was requested by Salazar, because Barbossa knew that this was the only way he would be able to live through the Spaniard's wrath and keep his control over the seas, just like he had always dreamed of. Besides, if it were the other way around Jack would do the same to him, right?
"But sir, forgive my asking, but what makes you think that Salazar will keep his word that he won't kill us?" Murtogg inquired.
"I don't," Barbossa told him honestly. He didn't know if he could trust Salazar to uphold his end of the bargain, for he and what was left of his crew had only managed to escape through pure luck of the Royal Navy arriving when they did. Still, he had to maintain confidence in his decisions for the sake of his crew, and continued "But Captain Salazar is a man of honor, and he will honor his end of the deal if we bring him Sparrow."
"But we're pirates," Mullroy inserted, "What's to stop him from killing us all?"
"I've considered that already, gents," Barbossa answered, "Considered the possibility that Salazar will have our guts for garters once he gets what he wants. But all we can do right now is do as he says. It be the only way we can ensure we survive what's to come."
Murtogg and Mullroy both exchanged worried glances with each other, but nevertheless did as their captain commanded as they trekked deeper into the forest.
Musket in hand, Henry ran through the forest with the speed of a cheetah away from the Redcoats. Jack was following closely behind as the both of them tried to avoid the shots being fired at them as they ran. Henry was still numb with emotion after having killed for the first time, and so he didn't feel winded in the least bit after so much running. The adrenaline was surging throughout his body as he struggled to keep himself together while trying not to get shot.
Jack, on the other hand, did not have the energy of the young Turner. He struggled for breath as he tried to keep the pace with Henry, but his legs and lungs would simply not allow it. He never remarked it aloud, but Jack hated getting old and not being the spry younger man he had once been.
"After those pirates!" one of the soldiers had shouted.
Jack did a double take and observed the soldiers chasing them, and he took notice that the one Royal Navy officer from St. Martin, Captain Scarfield, was among them. The British officer held his sword in hand as he kept the pace with his troops, and Jack could see in his eyes a very raw sort of ambition that reminded him of another officer he once knew, but Scarfield looked to possess none of that man's nobler qualities.
And then it occurred to Jack that he had not given thought to James Norrington in twenty years.
"Fire at will!" Scarfield shouted at his men, and the few that had their weapons loaded started popping off shots at Jack and Henry. The two ducked their heads down to evade the incoming fire.
Jack raised his head up a moment to see a diverging path in the woods ahead, one left and one right, and then with haste made his way up to run alongside Henry and said "Split up! Divide their attention!"
Henry looked over at Jack with a perplexed expression. If they got split up then it would be almost impossible to find each other again in this forest, "But Jack-"
"Henry, just do it!" Jack shouted, and when they came to the point where the path in the woods diverged, Henry took off on the right path while Jack took the left.
Scarfield and his troops came to a halt in the intersection. Quickly, he darted his head left and right, deciding on who to pursue.
"Lieutenant! Take half the squad and go after the boy!" Scarfield ordered, "The rest of you, follow me! The pirate's mine!"
Scarfield and six of his troops took off towards the path Jack was heading down, while the rest went after Henry.
Henry kept on running, panting heavily as he weaved his way around the trees and exposed roots along his path. He could still hear the Redcoats pursuing him, and he was even more terrified now that he was all alone without Jack for support. He was outnumbered, outgunned, and even if he did manage to lose the soldiers currently pursuing him, Henry didn't know if he'd ever find Jack through all this forest again. Since the both of them had been searching for Carina all morning with no luck, He was wondering just how big this island really was. In fact, what even is the name of the island?
Henry had no time to ponder these questions as he kept avoiding the incoming shots of the Redcoats. He knew he couldn't keep running forever, so he had to make another stand. After running through a thicket of dense leaves, breaking the line of sight of the British for a few moments, Henry came across a small, shallow creek that ran horizontal from where he was, with a small waterfall coming down the modestly-sized rock wall to his left. Directly across the creek bed, a fallen tree was lying on the ground along the way of the creek, and Henry suddenly got an idea. He quickly darted over to the log, stepping through the creek water with haste, and leapt over the log and rolled onto the ground behind it, landing on his stomach. As he did so, Henry heard the sounds of muskets firing and covered his head with his arms as the balls struck the fallen tree. Collecting himself, he quickly got off of his stomach and sat with his back against the log as he prepared to load another cartridge into his rifle. As he did, Henry saw that he only had four shots left on his person, so he had to make them count.
After he finished loading his gun, Henry quickly popped out from behind his position of cover and quickly scanned the surrounding area for a hint of red. His finger rested on the trigger as his eyes rapidly darted from left to right, trying to locate a hostile. Out of the corner of his right eye, he saw a Redcoat pop out from behind the tree, and without a second's hesitation Henry thumbed back the hammer, aimed small, exhaled deeply, and fired off his shot at the soldier, who was struck by the bullet and fell to the ground dead.
The second time was considerably easier than the first.
"Sergeant!" Henry heard one of the soldiers shout, and he quickly ducked back behind cover as he prepared to reload.
"Over the creek bed! To the right! To the right!" another one shouted, but by then Henry had loaded another shot, peeked up again, and fired, killing another man.
It kept getting easier, but the more he did it the worse he felt.
"Behind the log!" the lieutenant leading them shouted, "Fire at will!"
Henry knew his position was compromised, so he quickly ran out from behind the log and over to an adjacent tree. He loaded his gun yet again, and saw that there were only three men left, two soldiers and the officer. He stepped out from behind the tree and fired another shot, striking and killing the officer, leaving only the two soldiers left. As Henry reloaded, he realized that he only had one shot left, so he would have to get up close if he wanted to stop them from pursuing him further.
"Kill that bastard!" one of the soldiers shouted, and Henry stepped out from behind the tree and fired off his shot quicker than before, and in his haste he failed to kill either of the two soldier but managed to wound one in his left shoulder, causing him to fall onto the ground and his hat to come off.
Now that he was out of ammunition, Henry knew that close-quarters combat would have to be employed. He ran out from behind the tree and started to charge across the creek at the last soldier standing. The soldier fired at Henry, but missed as he drew closer to him. Henry raised the butt of his gun and attempted to strike at the soldier, but the soldier was prepared and blocked his incoming attack with the barrel of his own musket. After recovering from the attack, the soldier attempted to pierce Henry with his bayonet, but the young Turner quickly managed to avoid his blow before it could prove fatal. The soldier recoiled, bringing his weapon back up for another strike, but Henry was prepared this time and parried the attack. More parries and strikes ensued, the two men continuously fighting each other as the soldier forced Henry against the back of a tree, pinning him to where he stood as their muskets grinded against each other. The two locked eyes with gritting teeth and their audible grunts from exertion, before finally the soldier pulled back from the stalemate. Henry attempted to recover, but the soldier was quicker and used the delayed recovery to strike at Henry's weapon, causing the gun to fly from his hands.
The soldier looked right at the now-defenseless Henry and prepared to pierce his chest with his bayonet. Time slowed down in that moment, and thinking quickly, Henry ducked down beneath the soldier's strike, reached into a hidden sheathe in his left boot, and pulled out a knife. He quickly raised the knife, got behind the soldier, and stabbed him in the back.
The soldier let out a small grunt of pain as he fell to the ground dead, and Henry pulled the knife out. Once the soldier fell to the ground, Henry took notice of the now-bloody knife. It was a black knife of a simple design, and it had been a gift from his father for his tenth birthday. He said that it had belonged to Henry's grandfather before he gave it to Will, and that it would be passed down from father to son yet again. Henry never once thought he would actually need to use it for anything, even when his father insisted he keep it with him for self-defense.
Henry's thought-process was cut short when he heard the noise of a man yelling from behind him, and he turned to see the wounded soldier had gotten up off the ground and was prepared to strike at him with a detached bayonet. Eyes widening in fear, Henry dodged the sharp weapon and backed up from where he was, raising his own knife in a defensive position.
The soldier had a look of pure rage in his eyes, as he too raised his bayonet in a defensive stance. The two men stood still for a moment, waiting for the other to make a move, until finally the soldier attempted to swing his weapon at Henry, who narrowly avoided each blow. After ducking from a strike at his head, Henry started to swing back, missing the soldier by centimeters. He continued to do so until the soldier caught his arm, pulled him close, and head-butted him, causing Henry to lose his balance and fall into the creek bed, getting water all over his back.
As Henry attempted to prop himself on his hands so he could get up, he looked forward to see that the soldier was now pointing a pistol at him (presumable belonging to the now-deceased officer), and a sneer was formed upon his face. Henry's eyes widened in fear as he quickly scooted himself backwards away from the soldier, but he kept going forward as he pointed the gun directly towards him. When he was about a foot away, Henry closed his eyes and turned his head away, bracing himself for what was to come.
But it never came. Instead, Henry heard an audible thunk sound make impact against bone, and then he opened his eyes to see Pintel and Ragetti, swords brandished, standing before him, with what looked like Pintel using the hilt of his sword to hit the soldier on the back of his skull causing him to fall unconscious.
"'Ello, chum," Pintel greeted with a smile, which Henry wasn't certain if it was sincere or not, "Figured you could use a hand."
"I think I was managing quite alright on my own, thanks," Henry replied sarcastically. Pintel offered his hand and Henry took it, pulling the boy onto his feet.
"Sure you were," Pintel replied, "Now you owe us one, mate."
"Actually, two if you count the hanging," Ragetti inserted.
"Oh yeah, that's right," Pintel realized, "Two it is."
"I'll buy you a drink when this is all over," Henry said, placing his knife back in its sheathe, "but right now, we need to find Jack."
"Wasn't he with you?" Ragetti asked.
"We got separated, there were too many Redcoats," Henry answered, picking his musket off the ground and grabbing a cartridge box off of one of the soldiers, "Jack could be anywhere on this island."
Suddenly, there was rustling in the vegetation surrounding them. Henry, Pintel, and Ragetti looked rapidly around them to see what was coming, and it seemed to be coming from all sides. With no discernable escape route, the three of them stood together back-to-back, with Pintel and Ragetti holding their swords firmly and Henry pointing his rifle forward. Their eyes kept darting to the bushes all around them, anticipating any threat that may come.
"More British?" Pintel asked.
"Don't think so," Ragetti responded.
All at once, at least a dozen or more figures emerged from the vegetation, wearing ragged clothing and armed with various assortments of swords and guns. It wasn't British soldiers or Salazar's ghost crew, but they seemed no less a threat. These men looked to be pirates of their own sort.
"Jack?" a voice spoke in a deep Irish accent, "As in... Jack Sparrow?"
"Captain!" Henry, Pintel, and Ragetti shouted at the same time.
"Please, I don't want ta make a mess o' things, so I'm gonna ask ye fellers once to lay down ya arms, alrighty?" the voice spoke again, seemingly belonging to their leader.
After a moment's hesitation, the three laid their weapons carefully on the ground, and some of the pirates came and snatched them from where they lay.
"Now, where was I? Oh yes!" the Irish voice spoke again, and the three turned their heads to see a balding middle-aged man with a red beard pointing a pistol at them, "Jack Sparrow, the biggest con and swindler across these seven seas. He owes me a plunder o' silver, ya see. Life's harder when ya don't have the coin ta live it well."
"Who are you?" Henry asked.
"Me manners, I sincerely apologize," the Irishman said, taking a bow, "Pig Kelly's the name, and welcome to Hangman's Bay."
Before Henry, Pintel, or Ragetti could really process what Kelly had said, some of his men had come forward and knocked the three men unconscious.
A/N: Hey guys! Sorry about the long wait. It's been over two months, but I'm here with another chapter for you. Not really a whole lot of character moments here, and not particularly long, but there's action here that I hope you enjoy. I was going to put in the section where Jack confronts Scarfield in this chapter, but I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer. I promise that there will be more to come soon. And don't worry, there's going to be plenty more character moments/action in the upcoming chapters. Please be sure to read, review, and share this story, and as always, stay classy!
-Spent