There are several songs in this – Phantom Ship is adapted from Lennie Gallant, Dawson's Christian adapted from Vixy & Tony, Rhys fading song is from Metallica's fade to black.
Rhys went quiet on my for a long time – he suddenly popped back up – hopefully he'll stick around long enough to get this thing done for anyone still reading since I've been working on it off and on for 20 years.
Blood of Avalon – Chapter 42 Stone Cold Hearth
"Ho!" called the lookout pointing north breaking up Rhys and Elizabeth's plotting about Norrington. I probably should have been eavesdropping but Rhys had lulled Revenge back to sleep and while he was dreaming dreams of slaughter he was much much quieter and I was enjoying the relative silence.
"Ho what?" Jack called back.
"Fire ship" came the shout back.
"Interesting – I wouldn't have expected him to be the first here."
Jack joined Rhys and Elizabeth "Care to elaborate?"
"I built 3 vessels, I cursed 8 – given the odds I thought having a few ships and sailors with….special skills wouldn't hurt."
"And when were ye going to share that tidbit?"
"I sent invitations, Sparrow, not orders – no need to speak of them if they chose not to sign on." Rhys tossed Jack his journal. Jack was surprised enough to nearly miss the catch. "Best you familiarize yourself with the Phantom's curse since you're going to be making terms and striking the accord. You already know her captain. And best hold the parley aboard the Pearl. While you're at it you might want to parse the Dutchman, the Horseman and the Lady in case they chose to show. Trend carefully with all of them. The Phantom, the Pride, and the Christian are definitely coming. Davy and his lady are arguing about it – even odds on if we'll see the Dutchman. The Celeste isn't. I'm not hearing anything from the Horseman and the Lady one way or the other." I guessed Pearl herself was the 8th. Jack nodded grimly and stalked off to his cabin.
"While Commodore Sparrow will command the action I would like some warning about what I'm about to be allied with" Norrington tried to make it a request but it came out much closer to an order.
Out of a night as black as a Raven's feather
Thunder clap like a slap of leather
Wind whips through the black spruce on the shore
Waves are pounding on the beaches harder
As the last of the fishermen races to safe harbor
And the wind turns cold, cuts through the core
Out on the wild Northumberland Strait
A ball of fire slips o'er the waves
Those who watch can't believe their eyes
There's a burst of flame and flash of light
There on the tide is a frightening sight
As the tall ship in flames lights up the sky
Tales of the Phantom Ship,
From top to keel in flames
She sails the wild Northumberland Strait,
It's the ship of fire they cry
Hard against the wind she sails,
No one can say why
They say she's a three-master square rigger
Four-hundred tons, maybe even bigger
With fire in every rope and spar and sail
Out of the east though the wind blows west
She plows the strait on an unknown quest
Cutting through the waves with the strength of a full-force gale
Of why she appears none can know
Some say it's nothing but a moon-lit glow
But those who've see her swear they tell no lies
They tell how her bow suddenly drops down
As in depths of the strait she's bound
And the wind goes wild with wailing, chilling cries
Some say she's an immigrant ship of old
Huguenots whose land was stole
And lost at sea while seeking the new land
But an old man sang a song to me
Of a ghostly American Privateer
Who plundered innocent harbors here
Cursed to sail the strait, forever damned"
"The forever is a bit overstated" Rhys allowed "only the Dutchman's curse is eternal and I'd set Davey free if I could. Not confined to New England either. It's just her captain's preferred berth. Phantom is the ship Culliford stole after he destroyed Kidd." He growled "I couldn't reach the lords in London but Culliford and his miscreants – them I had my way with. Mutineers are his permitted prey. I guess he's eager for any chance to be free. I really thought Jayme would be here first but he needed to wrap up a few things first."
Norrington started to comment but Elizabeth exclaimed "Jayme?! Dawson's Christian is REAL?!"
She looked at the circle of blank faces "You've never heard the song?"
She turned to Rhys "Surely you've heard the song?"
"I wrote the song - at Jayme's request."
"People you cursed asked you to write them a song?" I was very confused.
"It's only technically a curse – they asked me for it and they can be free any time they choose. They and the Pride both. I think Felix has a fiddle – I play you sing?" Rhys offered.
Elizabeth stood a few moments while Rhys tapped out the beat with a pair of clogs I had no idea where he found and tuned up Felix's fiddle. They nodded too each other and Rhys started playing in earnest.
"Jayme Dawson was the captain of the Christian and her crew
And he sailed and the Christian into the war in '72
Now the Christian was the finest sloop to sail upon the main
And the crew of Jayme Dawson was the same
On their seventh patrol, keeping watch on Barbary in the sun
They were jumped by three strong galleons, though they were no match for one
Though they were no match for even one
As they came to general quarters and they sent out the alarm
Jayme must have known they'd never escape without harm
Now they say that Jayme Dawson was no man to cut and run
And they say that when he fought he had the fury of the sun
But they say he made his bargain with some power of the night
That he sold his soul to win his final fight
No one living saw that battle, though the help was quick to leave
But at the site they found a scene no sane man would believe
Three heavy galleons cut to ribbons, wreckage scattered all around
But no trace of Dawson's Christian could be found
There are stories of the Dutchman, the Celeste and Barnham's Pride
There are stories of the Horseman and the Lady at his side
But the tale that makes my blood run cold, the more because it's true
Is the tale of Jayme Dawson and his crew
I was mate on Hera's Dream, a freighter to the line
Running loads of precious supplies to convey number nine
I was standing second watch as I squinted against the light
When the pirate ships appeared in my sight
Well I thought our fate was settled, for they had us four to one
And you can't fight bloody pirates when your freighter has no gun
So we stood by to be boarded by a party yet unseen
When another ship appeared upon the scene
First I thought she was a pirate, but the bearing was all wrong
Then I thought the fleet had found us, but for the song
And our hailing brought no answer, and I felt a sudden dread
For the stranger's sails were glowing red
Now the courage of that single ship is shown by very few
And I thought none but a madman would sail her as if she flew
She was outgunned, she was outnumbered, but a cheer came from our lips
When she swung to fire on the pirate ships
And the stranger's guns blazed stronger than any I'd seen before
And the stranger's will was harder than the heart of any whore
And the battle rent the air, as we watched and shook our heads
Four pirate ships she cut to bloody shreds
Four pirate ships were cut to bloody shreds
Just as quickly as it started then the fighting was all done
For the pirate ships were shattered and the stranger ship had won
She matched pace and lay beside us, and we watched her full of awe
And this is what we saw
There were thirty holes clean through her, and a blast along one side
And we knew that when it happened, every soul on board had died
Then she rolled to show her markings, and we read them and we knew
The fate of Jayme Dawson and his crew
She was the Christian... and a grave for all her crew...
Then she turned as if to leave us, but instead began to fade
First her hull, and then her bulkheads, as we trembled there afraid
But there are twenty men who'll swear with me, the last to slip from view
Were the bones of Jayme Dawson and his crew
Dead white bones of Jayme Dawson and his crew
There are stories of the Dutchman, the Celeste and Barnham's Pride
There are stories of the Horseman and the Lady at his side
But the tale that makes my blood run cold, 'cause I know that it's true
Is the tale of Jayme Dawson and his crew
Yes, the tale of Dawson's Christian and her crew
They're out there!
Jayme Dawson and his crew!"
I did actually remember now that I heard it again. Similar stories for both ships or I guess maybe boats – smallish sloops of war 10 guns on the Pride, 12 on the Christian both barely bigger than Peregrine – that had gone up against impossible odds in the Prides case to defend a town in the Christians a convoy of refugees. Both ships won sacrificing themselves in the process and disappearing without a trace never to be seen again – except for the stories – stories whispered in taverns that both boats were still out there patrolling. Still saving people against insane odds from certain death and then vanishing into mist. Dawson's Christian certainly hadn't saved us on the crossing. I'd chalked it up to a ghost story but apparently the Christian was out there and coming here.
Norrington frowned and looked out at the fire ship that was no longer just a speck on the horizon. It was close enough we should be able to smell smoke but there was nothing but the crackle of the flames and the screams of his crew.
"The deepest level of hell is reserved for traitors and mutineers" Rhys smirked.
"There's no smoke" Elizabeth looked to Rhys.
"They aren't being consumed – smoke is a byproduct of combustion."
"Are you certain we can trust them?" from Norrington.
"I'm absolutely certain we can't. Sparrow will need to tread very carefully with Culliford." To my surprise Rhys put the fiddle back to his chin and played a spirted jig before handing the instrument back to Felix. "but I can think of quite a few uses for a fire ship and Culliford himself is"
"Clever" Jack offered as he joined us the Phantom pulled alongside.
"A two faced serpent" Rhys countered.
"How much leeway will you give me?" Jack asked passing the journal back.
"For the crew – if they'll swear to the Oath of Parole I'm willing to suspend sentence for Culliford – I'll release him only to let him make peace with his God before execution. I'll not let him loose on the world."
Jack frowned "Not sure I can strike the bargain I need to when I can offer hell or hell."
"He helped kill Kidd."
"Not because he wanted to. The lords backed him into a corner and ye know it. This is disproportionate to his crime."
"William Kidd helped me raise you, Sparrow. I thought he was a friend to BOTH of us" Rhys rumbled "How many times did Culliford make a fool of him?"
Jack's lips twitched fighting a grin "All in good" he started but swallowed at Rhys' expression "Please. I agree a fire ship will help but I can't send someone back to that. Please let him go after."
Rhys hands tightened on the rail as he took several deep breaths before nodding once "he takes the Oath and if you lose the Pearl to him I'll send you to captain the Phantom." Rhys retorted before stepping back out of sight.
"That was a joke right?" Elizabeth asked but I don't think any of us thought it was.
A blazing dory stopped just short of the Pearl's ladder.
"I was Called to parley" pain laced the man's gasping voice.
"And will you obey the rules of parley?"
"How do I know ye truly speak for Draco?"
"He's agreed that no harm will come to those who obey the rules o parley during the parley. Touch the ladder"
"I'll set it aflame." Was groaned in response.
"Trust me – ye won't."
Capt. Culliford reached out a trembling flame wreathed had and as it wrapped around the ladder the flame guttered out, blisters smoothed, and its owner scrambled up the ladder at a pace that would put Jack the Monkey to shame. He prostrated himself crawling to Jack mewing for mercy.
Jack shot Rhys a reproachful glance. Rhys gave the squirming Culliford the same disgusted look Elizabeth reserved for creepy crawlies in her kitchen, shrugged, pulled a slender file from somewhere and gave every impression of finding his nails far more interesting than anything else. It occurred to me that sometimes Rhys seemed more like a cat than a draig.
"And as a show of good faith for the duration of the parley that will extend to yer crew."
Rhys' head snapped up at that and the brothers glared at each other for several beats before Rhys rolled his eyes and acquiesced. Jack squatted down and tried to pull Culliford up but he was intent on kissing Jack's boots. They did a bit of a dance across the deck with Jack not letting him before Jack finally barked "Stop kissing my ship!"
Culliford froze like a frightened rabbit before letting Jack pull him to his feet this time.
"Jack?"
"Captain Jack"
"Commodore Sparrow" Rhys correction was little louder than a whisper but it held the promise of pain. Culliford froze a spreading puddle showing he'd lost control of his bladder.
"Ye'll be remembering me brother, Captain Mallory then?"
Culliford gaze flicked between them several times.
"I don't know if the Christian God's hell is out there" Rhys was still speaking at little more than a whisper "but if I did that because you betrayed my friend imagine what I could do to someone who crosses family?"
Culliford crumpled back to the deck a groveling mess of a man.
"Do us a favor" Jack snapped "and don't say anything else."
Rhys gave his nails a critical look and switched to something I didn't recognize but was clearly meant to buff them to a sheen.
Jack eventually got Culliford back on his feet. Looked to be somewhere in his upper forties, well built, not likely to immediately turn heads but I doubted he had a hard time getting the ladies attention. Steel grey hair. Catching me sizing him up he returned the favor. His hazel eyes were wary but some of the blind terror was bleeding out of them.
"So you got the Pearl back" he mused and if his voice wavered a bit when his eyes strayed away from Jack to Rhys no one was blaming him. "What do you want of me and mine?"
"It's like this. It seems that the French have taken Port Royal and I and these Royal Navy gents"
"Jack! You've gone privateer?"
"Special case. Now I might be needing a fire ship" Jack swallowed "So for a just a little while during the battle ye might need te" Jack threw his hands up "but me brother and I have come to an accord if ye and yer crew will take the Oath te abide by these new Articles they'll be no more" another waving of hands "until the battle and no more after. Do we have an accord?" Jack was half begging as he passed a rolled up document. For all the time we'd spent with the journal Rhys had had a very long and eventful life. I was willing to bet my best sword watching the way they interacted that William Kidd and Rhys had been friends but it had been Culliford Jack was friends with. I was surprised Jack didn't need to read them to Culliford though he did have to squint and sound out a few of the longer words. I would have thought he would have merely snapped it up and agreed but he was clearly reading every word and giving them careful consideration.
"Hard but fair, just as I remember Capt. Mallory. A clarifier is this all for one and one for all? If one o me crew refuses or breaks his Oath will we all be punished?"
Jack threw a pleading glance at Rhys who flexed his fingers a few times before considering Culliford. "Prior to the successful retaking of Port Royal let the ship's company be judged as one but after let each man stand alone with instant death rather than flames as punishment for failing to abide by the Oath. Commodore Sparrow does that meet with your approval?"
Jack put his hands together and nodded his thanks "I make the adjustments" and pulled a quill from his hat. Culliford took at least four deep steadying breaths before addressing Rhys.
"I'm disappointed in ye" Rhys stopped fussing with his nails to glare at Culliford who fell back a step but continued. "I'll admit te save me own skin I helped put Will in that noose but ye and I and everyone but him knew it was a fool's errand he sailed on. Ye told him yerself. He told me ye told him. If someone deserved te burn for what happened te William Kidd it was the Lords o London and not us and ye know it. I've never like ye and never pretended te but I used te respect ye as a just man."
Rhys made no reply but the wind whirled around us "Bobert! Bobert!" a little girl's lisping voice, desperate, terrified.
Culliford went grey and he swallowed hard. Jack glanced back and forth between them. And it struck me Jack might hear Wind but Rhys was the one that listened. He nodded "For what it's worth if I had it to do over it never would have happened."
Rhys canted his head staring rather than glaring – undoubtedly checking his enaid for any hint of a lie. "Try and stay clear of me" he said then softer "fair winds and clear skies."
Culliford blinked in surprise and breathed a deep sigh. Whatever he might have said next lost to a hail from starboard.
"Capt. Jayme Dawson Called and requesting permission to come aboard."
It was just a flash but a genuine smile lit up Rhys face and eyes before recent events crashed back down on him but it had been there. Focused on the events that led to his troubles we'd skipped a lot which apparently included one Jayme Dawson.
Jack glared at the crewman in the crow's nest before calling "Will ye being obeying all rules o parley?"
"We're not pirates" was barked back "but we'll not break flag of truce."
"Then you may come aboard under flag o truce."
Outside of Marty Capt. Jayme Dawson was easily the shortest man on the Pearl "RHYS IT'S BEEN FAR TO LONG YE SEA DOG!" with the biggest voice. He had the reddest hair and outside of Rhys the greenest eyes I'd ever seen. I breathed a sigh of relief. I'd been expecting a bone white skeleton not a stocky ginger whirlwind in sturdy fighting leathers. He set a rucksack on Pearl's dark boards before throwing his hands out and giving Rhys an overjoyed smile showing bright white teeth in the middle of a sea of mustache and long intricately braided beard. His deeply tanned face didn't look a day over twenty-five I was willing to bet that '72 in Mallory's song had to be 1672 at least and maybe even 1572.
Rhys tossed out his own hands grinning nearly as hard "There's nothing but you keeping you in the Med. Welcome to the Caribbean mate." Rhys had shifted his Shadow again looking closer to Jack's age and while not in full coronation glory very much the impeccably fashionable courtier. So enough pride left to NOT let Jamye in on what was going on. A good sign? Or a bad one?
Jayme looked out "It's fair enough but it's not haem."
"You were born in Scotland" Rhys reply was decidedly pointed.
"Sometimes haem is where ye find it" Jayme was looking away so he didn't see Rhys' flinch or the way the light faded in his eyes. "But te business – ye Called so I'm taking it there's bloody mayhem being planned and plotted?"
Rhys waved with a flourish to Jack, "Commodore Jack Sparrow will be commanding this particular engagement."
Jayme's gaze whiplashed between them "YOU'VE A SON?!" He'd wrapped Jack in a bear hug at a speed that Rhys would have had a tough time matching "Please te meet ye laddie" he roared as Jack staggered. Jayme more than made up in brawn what he lacked in height "and glad te see ye aren't as techy about being touched as yer da. Now I'm even gladder I stopped by yer villa" Rhys had a villa? He dropped Jack and pulled a beautiful jeweled bottle and a finely worked chalice out of the rucksack. He poured a full chalice and raised it and boomed "Health to the Company!" He took a pull and passed it to Jack with a slightly less vigorous "Let us drink and be merry all out of one glass" Jack took a gulp, grinning an approval and passed it back.
He topped it up and handed it to Rhys with a "Let us drink and be merry all grief to refrain" Rhys started to take one of those polite not sips he'd been doing since his arrival. But he let out a little sigh after that barely touching the glass to his lips fake drinking thing and abruptly drained it dry, throat working desperately, nearly dropping the goblet as he breathed deep, swaying as if he might swoon right there. Jayme gave him a concerned look but refilled it passing it to me this time "A health to the dear lass I love so well" I could always drink to Elizabeth's health. I took a gulp, light, if I hadn't seen him pour liquid I would have thought we'd drunk air, but a warmth flowed out from my innards and I quite simply just felt better from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet. Not drunk like with liquor nor the floating feeling that Rhys felt on chocolate. My faculties were fully intact I just felt better. Much better. I nodded and passed it back. He passed it to Norrington next but I was watching Rhys and missed what the lines where for the rest of us.
He rubbed low on the RIGHT side of his chest and swallowed a cough. Rhys didn't cough. I wasn't in the habit of watching other people breath it was only after reading the journal it really became noticeable that he was breathing wrong. He'd been breathing wrong. And not just when I'd carried him to Peregrine a few nights ago. Something had happen with the Malevolence. It wasn't the pattern it had tried to force on him but it wasn't the one he'd had before the massacre either. I glanced up at Jack who was watching Jayme with clear jealousy. I groaned just what we DIDN'T need.
"Jack" I whispered hoping Rhys whose brow was furrowed in confusion didn't notice. I nodded at Rhys panted high and fast, did the weird Malevolence pattern, did Rhys regular one then looked at him. Jack straightened. Once you saw it you couldn't unsee it. I thought back over the last few days. Not once had Rhys drawn a proper breath in my sight. Too fast. Not that pant when it had been actively drowning him but still much faster than he ever usually did. Like he still wasn't getting enough air. That thing wasn't just in his head still it was in his lungs at the very least.
As Jayme swung back Rhys did that 'nothing at all is wrong with me how could you ever have such a silly notion' straighten up of his. He offered Rhys the goblet again but he shook his head.
"Jayme have you heard aught of the Horseman and his Lady?"
A shake of the head "Barnham and I occasionally cruise together but I've never had much use for Corwin or Cerwyn. Why?"
"I Called all of you, Celeste refused"
"No surprise" Jayme muttered
"You and the Pride are chomping at the bit" Jayme preened a little "Phantom jumped at the chance. Davey got overridden by his lady"
"She's had his balls in her purse for as long as I've know 'im" Jayme shrugged "and she hates yer guts."
Rhys didn't counter either observation "But I flat can't FIND the Horseman or the Lady."
Jayme nearly dropped the goblet "That can't be. Mere mortals might think we vanish – but ye know better. Ye hold our Articles. Y'er sure they just didn't square their debts?"
"Still deep in the red. Both of them. Either someone has found a way to hide my own magic from me. Or someone has found a way to destroy my curses. Jayme"
"Ye know better than to tell me te be careful."
Rhys swallowed just that so hard you could hear it going down and settled for "Please."
Jayme frowned "for ye and only for ye." And then grinned again "It's been far te long."
"Hey I've been out here for DECADES" there was more than just a trace of a sour undertone in Rhys retort.
Jayme sighed "There was a time we were banned from half the ports in the Med."
Jack's ears twitched but were held tight by his sash and the jealousy went a turn tighter. By all reports Mallory had been dower as a monk with Jack and here was an old friend he'd gone rampaging through an entire sea with.
"That was your doing" Rhys shot back.
"Not all o it" Jayme protested "Alexandria?"
"Absolutely you."
"Damascus?"
"That was Mr. Thorn"
"Piraeus?"
"You, thrice I might add."
"I know ye got us banned at least once" Jayme tapped his rapier hilt.
"Once and only once and I was nearly innocent. The rest of them were you lot getting me into trouble."
"I notice it didn't stop ye tagging along" Jayme grinned back. Another flicker of a real grin from Rhys.
"MARSEILLE" Jayme thundered actually Jayme pretty much always spoke like he was trying to get the attention of the hand in the crow's nest when his boat wasn't big enough to have one "it was Marseille when you stole that entire herd o white ponies. That one was all you" I noticed the pointing finger stopped perfectly just shy of Rhys' Shadow.
"They asked me to" Rhys shot back. I was reasonably certain that was the ponies and not the owners asking to be stolen.
"Horse thief" Jayme sniffed.
Rhys shrugged "hardly the worst thing I've been called."
"Come back te the Med, just for a bit" Jayme half begged "we could hae such fun again."
"Mardeths and Wild Hunts are waiting for me and you know it."
"BRING IT ON" Jayme crowed "Venice! I know ye love Venice. And ye were IN Venice and didn't stop in for so much as a hello. Pained us it did, the entire crew would hae loved te clap eyes on ye."
"As much as it pains, me" Jack broke in. The jealousy practically oozed off of him. Rhys' jaw clenched. "to break up this wonderful reminiscing" I wanted to slug Jack. Granted Rhys' ability to lie you couldn't be entirely certain but I was positive he'd truly been enjoying Jayme being around at least a little. "We need to plot and plan the retaking of Port Royal as it were. So I'll be needing te know what it is ye do."
"Ned and I are Hope te the Hopeless, Defenders of the Defenseless, Protectors of Powerless. We are the Good Guys"
You could actually hear the capital letters in that Jack looked at him cross eyed with his nose wrinkled in confusion.
"We is Ned Barnham, Captain of the Pride and my lads on the Christian. Together we save those who would otherwise be lost to the ravaging wolves of the sea. We swoop in when all hope is lost to fight impossible odds to save the innocent. We are invulnerable when rescuing others."
"So if fer some reason we were te fall completely inte the mercy o the Frogs ye could plunge in and and save us all."
"Yes" Jayme beamed and Rhys stopped breathing entirely.
"but otherwise ye can't do a thing"
"Right. Sort of as long as someone in the battle is in a hopeless position we can sweep in te help until the tide tips and then we have te leave. There's a bit o leeway te it."
Norrington sidled to block Jayme's view and gave Rhys a subtle jostle while whispering fiercely "you couldn't Call them. You couldn't bespeak Sea or Wind."
"Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy" Rhys muttered as he ripped at his ears til they bled.
"You. Could. Not. Reach. Them." Norrington hissed in a tone that could send an entire ship of the line's crew scurrying for cover.
Rhys looked at him aghast "I never even thought to try. It was Sparrow's Ill-Wish and Sparrow's Malevolence and he was closest but if they'd have heard they'd have come. It's what they asked to become undead to do. They gave up being among the truly living to be better heroes. It's what they DO."
"Do you really think the Ill-Wish or the Malevolence would have ever let those Calls get out?"
"There were lesser wishes that might have" Rhys whispered.
"If they could have they likely would have" Norrington tried.
"Lesser wishes aren't very smart. Sometimes you have to give them a nudge in the right direction" Rhys was ever so subtly rocking and his eyes had slipped away from all of us. "I'll never know now."
Focused on Rhys I didn't even notice that Jack had somehow hustled Jayme off the ship.
As Jack started to join us both brothers froze for a breath before Jack start frantically shushing what had to be either Wind or Pearl.
"You heard me" Rhys' sounded as stunned-hollow as he'd been on the beach right after the slaughter of the Shamatari. "Every time I screamed for you, you heard me. You heard me. EVERY. TIME. And you ignored me." I realized then that Rhys had been assuming that that the Ill-Wish had done exactly what Norrington had suggested. That Jack hadn't actually heard him. Or at least whatever he'd heard had been too late for it to matter. Rhys who may well have never before in his life called anyone for help had swallowed his pride and screamed more than a score times for his brother in hopes of saving the Shamatari. Given up precious chances to breathe when being actively and repeatedly drown in hopes of saving the innocent islanders. Had swallowed great gouts of sea water when he'd been shoved under mid call. "you won't let Pearl come. SHE tried and YOU stopped her."
Jack had frozen. I wasn't feeling terribly friendly to Jack Sparrow right this minute and I doubted Norrington was any happier with him. I expected rage out of Rhys but he just sounded….lost. Broken. I'd known Jack had heard something but that he'd heard every call – AT THE TIME? I hadn't even dreamed that.
"Not enough of an audience for you then - Jack?" still no anger and Rhys should be FURIOUS. "And here we are with every living soul left I care about all on your ship. I taught you a lot of things through the years. I guess I missed pyrrhic victories. You won Jack. You broke me. I hope you're pleased with yourself. You've managed what a literal legion have tried and failed to do. And then you arraigned for all the kings horses and all the kings men be here to watch you put me back together again. You don't get to fix me. You don't get to do this to me and make some grand gesture to make me all better while you preen. I promised I would help you retake Port Royal. I promised I would protect you and I will. But you are not seen. You are not heard. Send your orders via Pearl."
"Life, it seems, will fade away Drifting further, every day"" he whispered and the green went out of his eyes leaving nothing but pupil and white.
"Getting lost within myself, Nothing matters, no one else" the Shadow faded showing the shrunken skin wrapped tight over his starved skeleton.
"I have lost the will to live. Simply nothing more to give. Growing darkness, taking dawn I was me, but now he's gone" I felt what had been left of Rhys flicker out. The whites of his eyes vanished leaving nothing but crushing black pits in his face. Dark as the depths with no light at all. There had still been hot coals burning and maybe we could have gotten him back until he'd blown out himself to spite Jack. The hearth fire was now ice cold.
Jack finally seemed to shake himself loose "It's not like that! It is NOT LIKE THAT!" He reached out to grab Rhys as he started walking in the direction of the Revenge but Rhys walked right through him. He was visibly fainter with every step.
11