Chapter 11: A Gentleman's Agreement
Jack Sparrow could not believe it! The little, plotting, scheming, double-crossing, pouty-lipped little witch! How could she?! HOW COULD SHE?!
Jack should have seen it coming! He should have. It had seemed only too good to be true that bloody stupid Will Turner's lady love would fall head over heels for his charms after one night.
Granted, Jack could respect a woman using her feminine wiles to seduce and manipulate him. Women with intelligence always kept him on his toes.
But to burn the rum?!
THE RUM?!
WHY, OF ALL IN GOD'S BLESSED CREATION MUST SHE DESTROY THE RUM?
The one good thing in his life. One of the only things that made life worth living…and she just went ahead and burned it all to bits. And to top it off she called it a vile drink?! The woman had no taste for the good things in life.
All in the name of survival?! What was the point in survival if you didn't enjoy a good drink of rum at the end of it all?!
A loud explosion sounded behind him, and Jack turned his head to snarl as a cloud of fire and dark smog billowed up to join the massive smoke signal. Meanwhile, a woman in white picked up another crate of bottles.
The signal was massive now, the fire had grown big enough to set alight some of the palm trees and the grass. It would not be long till all the valuable shade and greenery would be burnt to a crisp, especially on a hot windy day like this.
"Must've been terrible for you Jack! Oh yes, it must have been terrible – WELL IT BLOODY IS NOW!" He shouted as he stormed up the beach and away from the object of his fury.
Gods never had he been more tempted to use that one shot he had left in his pistol. Not even Barbossa would do anything this vile.
He stopped in his tracks as he caught sight of something on the horizon.
A ship. A ship was sailing towards them…a ship with white sails.
"There will be no living with her after this." Jack sighed.
Commodore James Norrington stared at the horizon line from the bow of the Dauntless. There against the bright blue of the sky and the ocean was a long column of dark smoke.
It had been nearly six days and nights it had been since Elizabeth Swan had been kidnapped from Port Royal by pirates. Five nights since that fool William Turner and his accomplice Peggy Blake had freed Jack Sparrow from his prison cell, commandeered the Interceptor and left the Dauntless stranded. Four days since the Dauntless had been able to repair the damage to the rudder chain and set forth on its mission.
And now there was a fire signal from a deserted island.
As an officer of his Royal Majesties Navy, he knew he had a responsibility to help those in need when such an occasion arose, but he could not help but feel his frustration grow.
It was bad enough that Jack Sparrow, Peggy Blake and Will Turner had botched his rescue attempt and a nasty storm, however, with every passing day they sailed, the hopes of finding Elizabeth dwindled.
Dear sweet Elizabeth…well perhaps not quite so sweet, Norrington smiled fondly as he watched the men set up the rowboat for him and his men to take ashore.
He had known the Governor's daughter for long enough to know she had a sharp, cunning streak in her that reared its head when pushed. Most men, like Norrington's father, said such a trait was undesirable in a woman, but Norrington himself found it endearing and admirable. After all, some situations called for the ability to make tough decisions that seemed harsh, but ultimately they would bring about the greater good.
He just hoped such strength would be enough to see the young lady through. If only for her poor father's sake.
Norrington's eyes drifted to Governor Weatherby Swann who had just arrived on deck. The usually steady and calm, the kind nobleman had been nothing but frantic since his daughter's kidnapping, his eyes bearing dark circles and his face weathered by mounting nerves, though he did his best to keep a stiff upper lip.
Poor man. Norrington thought sympathetically as he strode up to his friend.
"Are you sure you do not wish to come ashore, Governor?" He asked quietly, softening his usually stern tones gently. "Even if we find nothing, a little step onto solid ground might do you some good."
"I am sure Commodore, but thank you all the same." Governor Swann smiled wanly, gazing over to the island in the distance. "You…you do not think she may be on that island?"
"I do not know." Norrington admitted, "But I dearly hope so."
"So do I. You are a good man James." Governor Swann nodded "My dear Elizabeth could not ask for a better husband should she accept your proposal."
Norrington felt his chest swell with pride and warmth but kept his composure. Such compliments from the Governor were not to be taken lightly, especially when it concerned the happiness of his only daughter.
"Commodore! The long boat is ready!" Officer Groves called from the lower deck.
"Excuse me, Governor. Duty calls."
"What on Earth are ye doin' lass?"
Peggy looked up from her spot on the floor.
She was in the captain's quarters of the Black Pearl, maps and pieces of paper and books all strewn around her, some in neat stacks and some in small, unsorted piles as she sat cross-legged on the floor.
Above her, Barbossa loomed, now completely human under the dim light of day. However, Peggy could not shake the memory of his undead skull-like face from her mind even as she forced herself to glower at him and his pet monkey Jack who was perched on his shoulders.
Gods she hated that primate. She usually loved animals, but she hated that monkey.
"Sorting out the mess." She sniffed nodding at the piles. "I needed something to do while I'm locked up in here."
It was silly she knew, but cleaning up was one of the few things that calmed her down when she was stressed. It was dull, repetitive, and so time-consuming that she did not have time to think about her awful circumstances. She certainly did not want to think about the light pounding in her skull, courtesy of the alcohol she had drunk last night, coupled with the fear of losing the man she loved.
"How long till we reach Isla de Muerta?" Peggy coughed as she rolled up a map into a tight scroll.
"A few hours. We'll be there just after sunset." Barbossa clipped, watching her cautiously though she ignored his presence at he back. Or at least, pretending to ignore him, he could see the tenseness in her shoulders even as he strode behind her to reach his desk.
What had once been an unusable mess was now clear and neat as a pin. All the stationery was sorted and swiped, and spare papers were tucked away in the appropriate drawers.
"Just like old times." He mused as he sat and propped his booted feet up on the desk.
"I just cleaned that," Peggy grumbled, unable to contain herself.
"Ye can clean it again after I'm done here." Barbossa waved her off dismissively. "Keep ye busy." He added enjoying the way she glared at him through the corner of her eye.
"And what are you doing here?" Peggy snapped as she tapped a small pile of sorted papers to even out the edges.
"I'm the captain aren't I?" Barbossa leaned back in his chair, as Jack the monkey clambered up onto a perch hanging above the desk. "Captain can sit in his quarters whenever he likes. However long he likes. For whatever reason pleases him."
Peggy had no answer to that. He was right, he was the captain and technically she was interfering in his space. The fact he was not stringing her up by her teeth for going through his private documents was downright surprising.
Then again, where was she going to go with this knowledge? None of the things she had read were personal, mostly notes and charts of far-off places and treasures. Many of them were Jack's notes from years ago, kept for their informative value. She had also found a worn copy of the Pirate Codex bound in black leather.
Funny that, the pirate code was rarely ever passed down in book form. Most pirates were illiterate, so the code was usually passed down via word of mouth.
"Ye'll be glad to know, yer whelp has been behavin' himself in the cells." Barbossa snorted as he took off his hat and folded his hands over his lap. "I don't know what ye said to him last night but if ye two have some plan to escape just know it will never work. The lads and I know those caves like the back of our hands, and we can follow ye under the water with our curse."
Peggy felt her lips tremble but stayed silent. He was trying to provoke her, trying to get a rise out of her for his sick amusement.
"God, that Turner lad has ye under his thumb doesn't he?" The old pirate chuckled scornfully. "Ter risk revealin' what yer truly is to save his skin so he can save another woman. Ye hid from me and ol' Jack after all the times we saved yer hide, but for this ungrateful brat you'd give it up so easy."
Peggy gritted her teeth but did not respond, the mark on her wrist tingling as if touched by embers.
"Perhaps it's a good thing I'm killin' him tonight." Barbossa picked up a letter opener and began picking at his grotty nails. "There are plenty o' other fish in the sea."
"You sound like Jack." Peggy snorted and was pleased to see Barbossa sneer at the mention of his old friend's name.
"Well, if a fool like Jack Sparrow can see how stupid and greedy that boy is then it only proves my point doesn't it?" Barbossa bristled. "The lad has a ruddy selkie devoting her bleedin' heart to him and somehow it's still not enough? He's not right in the head."
"If you're trying to butter me up because you think that will help get rid of the curse then I don't think it's working," Peggy grunted as she rolled up another map.
"Worth a shot." Barbossa snorted, shaking his head "My point still stands. A man who does not see a true treasure when it's right in front of him is a great fool indeed."
"Not unless his definition of treasure is different from yours," Peggy muttered. "For example, Jack's greatest treasures are this ship, his rum and his freedom. So long as he has those, he doesn't care much about gold or power…not like you."
"I suppose one could argue that," Barbossa conceded twirling something gold in his hand that caught the light. "Though that still doesn't disprove my point."
"And your point is?" Peggy snapped over her shoulder at him and saw him toiling with the cursed Aztec medallion in his fingers "If you've got something to say, Hector, then say it. Stop pussy-footin' around."
"My point is that yer still young, ye have plenty of life left ahead of ye to find a better man." Barbossa's lip curled "When I kill Turner, and I will, there be no point in grievin' for his soul. Ye might as well cut yer losses now and move on. It'll be easier than you think."
"Why?" Peggy scowled "Why is my grief and pain so important to you all of a sudden?"
"It would be a shame to lose the last selkie in the Caribbean to a broken heart," Barbossa grunted. "They say the ocean grieves the loss of every child born of its waters, and it wreaks its vengeance on those who take them away."
"Ahh…Of course, this is just you covering your rear end because you don't want any more bad luck from the ocean." Peggy chuckled hollowly, shaking her head as she returned to her sorting "You've never loved anything in your life have you, Hector? If you did then you'd know love is never easy. You can't just snuff it out like a candle. It sticks with you and burrows deep into places in yourself in ways you can never even imagine. Then when it's gone you feel how empty it is where it should be full, and it hurts so much. Of all the treasures I have seen, love is by far the greatest and the worst to have or to hold. I only pray that you never experience the pain of giving up someone you love beyond measure."
"Don' worry. That'll never happen." Barbossa scoffed, shaking his head with disdain. "Tch! And here I thought yer had outgrown yer childish fantasies."
"And here I thought you might have grown a heart in the last ten years." Peggy shot back waspishly.
"Ye certainly have not lost that unruly tongue of yers," Barbossa rolled his eyes. "How ye managed not to get hung for yer impudence by them civilised folk is beyond me."
Peggy stayed silent at that. It was true, her sharp tongue and hot head had gotten her into trouble in Port Royal a few times, but then most of those times she often had Will come and bail her out.
And here she had brought him into another mess because she had lost her temper.
It did not help that she remembered the tenderness in Will's eyes from the night before, all fixed on her and no one else as she had always imagined it would be.
But she knew it was not for her. Not really.
It was only the rum.
She might love Will, but she knew that if Elizabeth had been in the room with them she would have been tossed to the side and left to drown her sorrows by herself.
It had always been that way since she had first met him, and it always would be.
The sun beat down hard on the deck of the Dauntless as James Norrington led his men and his two new guests aboard the longboat.
What a twist of fate this is.
Jack Sparrow mused to himself as he was flanked at once by a pair of officers. To his amusement and astonishment, the men who grabbed and secured him were the same two landlubbers he had first met at the docks of Port Royal, Mullroy and Murtog. The irony of the situation was not lost on Jack or the two lummoxes though they all wisely chose to keep their mouths shut and not comment on the matter.
Instead, they all chose to watch as the dear Lady Elizabeth stormed after her very relieved and very anxious father.
The reason for her outrage, her request to save Will and Peggy from their fates aboard the Black Pearl had been very bluntly denied.
Well, would you look at that? Daddy dearest can say no to his spoiled brat after all. Jack smirked as he watched the young noblewoman desperately beg her father for a change of heart.
"But we have to save Will and Peggy!"
"No! You're safe now. We will return to Port Royal immediately not go galivanting after pirates." Governor Weatherby Swann shook his head as he strode over to where Commodore James Norrington was standing with his men watching the scene unfold and waiting patiently for the argument to finish.
"Then we condemn them to death!"
"Mister Turner and Miss Blake's fates are regrettable," Governor Swann admitted, and Jack was surprised to see genuine sympathy and sadness in the nobleman's eyes as he straightened up and maintained a stiff upper lip. "But so was their decision to engage in piracy, especially Miss Blake. Regarding her past, I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt because of the unfortunate circumstances of her youth, however, I am afraid I cannot overlook her more recent crimes."
"But she only followed Will to rescue me! To prevent anything from happening to me!" Elizabeth persisted doggedly.
"If I may be so bold as to interject my professional opinion," Jack piped up from his spot, calmly and casually strolling past the arguing father and daughter and towards Commodore Norrington who was eying him with a mixture of suspicion and exasperation. "The Pearl was listing near to scuppers after the battle. It's very unlikely she'd be able to make good time. Think about it." He leaned in close in an almost conspiratorial whisper "The Black Pearl. The last real pirate threat in the Caribbean, mate. How can you pass that up?"
"By remembering that I serve others Mister Sparrow, not only myself," Norrington muttered coldly folding his hands behind his back as he began to stalk away.
Well, there goes that plan. Jack sighed to himself only to get jostled as Elizabeth shoved past him in a very unladylike manner to follow the Commodore's footsteps.
"Commodore, I beg you! Please do this! For me…as a wedding gift!"
Wait what? Jack's eyebrows rose as Norrington stopped in his tracks and turned his head to look back at the young noblewoman. For the first time since he had met the uptight Officer Jack could see true heartfelt emotion on his face. He looked hopeful like a man seeing water in a desert after nearly dying of dehydration. It was almost pitiable.
Norrington was not the only one surprised. Governor Swann was looking both astonished and overjoyed by the proclamation.
"Elizabeth? Are you accepting the commodore's proposal?"
"I am," Elizabeth said, and Jack had to admire how she held Norrington's gaze so firmly upon her.
Such a good poker face. Jack snorted. Oh, how he'd hate to face her in a game of cards.
"Oh weddings! I love weddings! Drinks all around!" The pirate cried out hoping his smirk had gone unnoticed. However, this only had the effect of making all those who surround him look at him with deadpan exasperation.
"I know." He coughed holding up his hands meekly "Clap 'im in irons right?"
There was a pause as Norrington looked him up and down before glancing at Elizabeth. When her expression did not waver, he began to step primly down the stairs to the helm hands folded neatly behind his back.
"Mister Sparrow…you will accompany these fine men to the helm and provide us with a bearing to Isla de Muerta. You will then spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all possible meanings of the phrase 'silent as the grave'. Do I make myself clear?"
"Inescapably, sir," Jack smirked forcing himself to relax as he felt the two lummoxes on either side of him grab him under the armpits and begin urging him towards the helm. As he was moved he kept his ears pricked as Governor Swann approached the Commodore, his joy now dulled by nervous apprehension.
"Commodore, I must question the wisdom of this ven-"
"With all due respect Governor," Norrington cut across his friend firmly but gently "Despite their recent crimes, Mister Turner and Miss Blake are still subjects of the British Crown and therefore under my protection."
"Rightly so." Governor Swann nodded with a small respectful smile.
Oh so NOW they're worthy of protection? Jack rolled his eyes as he was dragged up beside the helm wheel, though he did feel somewhat intrigued. So…Commodore Norrington and Will Bloody Turner could be manipulated using Miss Swann as a lever ey? Now this was useful.
If he played his cards right he might get his beloved Pearl back and get the jump off the Navy.
He glanced down at Elizabeth as she was taken aside by her new fiancé to have a small heart-to-heart chat.
Fooling me and now this poor guppy? Miss Swann, you are a dangerous creature.
Will Turner stood in a daze at the back of his cell in the Black Pearl's brig.
He had barely moved from his spot since he had been thrown in the night before. Captain Barbossa had ordered his men to chuck him in his special isolated cell opposite that which held the remaining crew of the Interceptor.
Among them were Gibbs, Annamaria, Marty, Cotton and even Cotton's parrot Paulie along with four other men. All the pirates looked as forlorn as he felt as they took turns standing and sitting in the very little available floor space.
Between the two iron-barred cells, two pirates named Pintel, who was short and had a bald spot on top of his head and Ragetti, who had a yellowing wooden eye, were swabbing the floors with grimy mops, occasionally pausing to chat amongst themselves or leer at their prisoners. Will did not understand why they would bother with such a task. The dreary brig looked like it had never been cleaned in a century.
He sighed as his gaze drifted to the ceiling above. He wondered what was happening with Peggy. From what little Pintel and Ragetti had dropped in their occasional spats, no one had made to hurt her while she was confined to the captain's quarters.
Or at least no one had made to hurt her physically. Will felt his gut clench almost painfully at the thought of his friend being the subject of Barbossa's vindictive vitriol.
Despite her stubborn streak and fierce temper, Peggy was always sensitive to criticism and harsh words. She tried to hide it, but Will could sometimes see how her shoulders hunched as she averted her gaze to the floor, her body flinching instinctively. It was like watching a small child expecting to be scolded with a beating. He hated seeing her in such a state, and he knew it frustrated her just as much.
He had wondered if such a harsh reaction was the result of her first few years on the Black Pearl. But then Will remembered the way she trembled as she spilled the beans about her father's treatment of her and her mother to Barbossa.
It was odd, Will thought. Here was yet another thing she had hidden from him all these years, however, this time he felt no anger or resentment for the omission. He and everyone else on deck had heard the grief in her voice during her rant. To have seen such an awful thing happen to her mother at such a young age, he could not blame her for never wanting to speak of her family.
Will's chest clenched as he remembered the state she had been in when he had walked into that dining room. Her copper hair had been such a mess, and her eyes were red and puffy from crying as she chugged hard at that rum bottle. He had never seen her look so utterly defeated before. Usually, there was a spark of defiance in her steely grey-blue eyes, but not then.
Had she lost all hope while she was up there now?
Will hoped not.
But more than that he wished she were down here with him, if only so he could hold her close once more. She had been so warm and soft in his arms, a balm against the chilling reminder of his impending death.
Will wondered if this was what his father had felt during those years he was at sea. Did he spend long cold nights missing his wife and child? Had he mopped this dismal brig or hauled on sheets during harsh storms while getting soaked to the bone by icy waves, wind and rain?
"Squwaaak! Shiver me timbers." Paulie the parrot squawked loudly, pulling Will out of his wallowing sharply.
"Cotton says you missed a bit," Gibbs smirked only to jerk back as Pintel thrust his grubby mop at the cell bars right before his nose.
"You knew William Turner?" Will asked softly as he leaned against the walls of his cell.
"Ol' Bootstrap Bill?" Pintel paused in his mopping to sneer at the young blacksmith with bitter contempt. "Aye, we knew 'im. Never sat well with Bootstrap, what we did to Jack Sparrow or Pegsy, what with the mutiny and all. He said it wasn't right with the code. That's why he sent off a piece of the treasure to you, as it were. He said we deserved to be cursed…and remain cursed."
Will found his eyes drawn to the floor. His father, his poor father had been cursed to be an undead just like the rest of the crew. Did that mean he was alive? If so then where had he been all these years? Why wasn't he on the Black Pearl?
"Stupid blighter!" Ragetti muttered.
"Good man." Gibbs and the rest of the Interceptor's crew nodded approvingly much to the disapproval of Pintel.
"But as you can imagine, that didn't sit too well with the captain-"
"That didn't sit too well with the captain at all!" his wooden-eyed friend giggled creepily, barely able to maintain his excitement "Tell 'im what Barbossa did-"
"I'm tellin' the story!" Pintel snarled irritably at the interruption, making Ragetti shrink in on himself with a meek little nod.
When Pintel turned back to Will, the pirate's sneer widened maliciously, poised to twist the invisible knife.
"So…what the captain did, he strapped a cannon to Bootstrap's bootstraps."
"Bootstrap's bootstraps." Ragetti giggled under his breath.
"The last we saw of ol' Bill Turner, he was sinking to the crushin' black oblivion of Davy Jones's locker." Then Pintel sighed almost insultingly casually "'Course it was only after that we learned we needed his blood to lift the curse."
"And that's what you call ironic." Ragetti shrugged only to start his inane giggling again, his friend joining in this time. It was awful, like listening to a pair of sniggering hyenas.
Will felt his eyes burn as grief welled up within him. He had always had an inkling that his father had met his end at sea. But to hear of the man's death being remembered so gleefully by such blackguards…
The two pirates stopped giggling as heavy booted feet descended the stairs into the brig. Will was almost glad for the sight of Barbossa flanked by several of his stronger men, if only because he felt he could concentrate his hatred on the man rather than the two snivelling cowards before him.
"Bring 'im!" Barbossa snapped tossing the keys at Pintel and Ragetti, who dutifully unlocked the door of Will's cell with frightened expressions.
Will stepped out, fists clenched as he allowed the burly forms of the Bosun and another strongly built man with a short crop of hair and a tattooed chest to grab him by the arms.
It took everything he had not to struggle against his captors as he was shoved and jostled roughly up onto the deck where he saw Peggy standing by the railing of the deck, flanked by a group of men.
She looked tired, but there was no sign of injury or manhandling. Indeed, it seemed to Will that the men were nervous to lay a hand on her, their grips not quite as tight as they should be for a captive.
Were selkies that revered by sailors? Or were they just afraid of her cursing them once more? Will still did not quite believe that Peggy was capable of such magic. Transforming from seal to human was one thing, but casting curses?
Whatever he believed, Will was relieved such superstitions kept her safe for the moment.
Still, that did not mean there weren't other ways she could get hurt.
Will kept a wary eye on Barbossa as he stalked towards the young woman, holding out something gold on a chain.
Peggy leaned back at the sight of the Aztec Medallion, her lip curling with disgust as she beheld its golden glimmer in the light of a nearby torch.
Will wondered at this. Most people who had held the medallion, himself included, had seemed drawn to its beauty and lustre. But not Peggy.
She recoiled from the trinket even as Barbossa quietly chided her and clipped it around her neck, so it hung over her bosom.
"Now ain't ye a fetching sight," Barbossa smirked as he trailed a grimy hand over her clavicle, the flesh of his fingers melting away to bone and tendons under the light of a moonbeam peeking out from behind a cloud from high above.
Will could not blame Peggy for shuddering as the pirate's face morphed from man to undead within the blink of an eye.
He had only ever seen Barbossa's cursed form from a distance. It was simply horrifying up close like this. That she could stomach being touched by the man in this state was almost impressive.
Will kept quiet as he was pushed into one of the longboats between his two jailors as Peggy and Barbossa made to sit in front of him with their backs towards him.
"Now, now lass. There be none of that." Barbossa hissed as Peggy tried sidling away from him discreetly only to be caught by a bony, rotting hand at her waist.
Will bristled as the Pirate Captain smirked back at him momentarily, his undead digits sliding to the small of Peggy's back. He did not grope or make any inappropriate move, but the threat was clear to Will as if the man had shouted it from the crow's nest.
One wrong move out of line, any escape attempt or move to fight back, and he would go to his death with the knowledge he had doomed someone he cared about.
Why didn't she run? She should jump over the side, transform and swim away. Swim far, far away. Why do you stay by me when you know it will only lead to misery?
Will's teeth clenched his eyes fixed on the coppery curls billowing in the chill night air before him, just within reach of his touch.
His fingers twitched in his lap, his entire body almost aching with the effort of reigning in his desire to thread his fingers through the ringlets until he memorised every strand's texture and scent. The usually warm tanned skin looked pale and ghostly under the combination of moonlight and lantern light.
As his gaze traced the shell of her ear and the slope of her freckled neck and shoulder, his mind wandered back to all those mornings he woke up and watched her fussing over breakfast as the gold morning sun peeked through the tiny window of their small dwellings. She was so good around the kitchen now, but he would never forget the amusing and terrible first attempts she had made when she had just started learning to cook. Even now the memory of the burnt black lumps at the bottom of the pot made the corners of Will's mouth twitch for a split second.
In a couple of hours, I will never see her again. he thought as his hands reached down to his waist where he had tied the blue sash she had been gifted at Tortuga. It hardly suited him, but at least when he died he'd have a piece of her with him.
Will was so focused on Peggy's back, that he did not notice Barbossa watching him closely through the corner of his eye.
God, just when he thought the lad could not get more disgustingly whelpish…ugh, it made the older pirate almost sick to watch. The lad was pining over the selkie before him like a stray puppy.
It did not help that Barbossa remembered how the pair had been all over one another in the dining room. He and his men had taken a small peek through the small windows on the port and starboard sides of the room, and it had almost made him throw up then and there.
I can't wait till we finally slit his throat. Barbossa rolled his eyes as their boat fell under the shadow of the caves.
Yes…once the whelp was dead he would never have to deal with his sickening displays of affection ever again.
"Land ho!"
Elizabeth looked out over the graveyard of ships. They had done it. Against all odds, the Dauntless had caught up to the Black Pearl at the Isla de Muerta.
However, their arrival did little to soothe Elizabeth's nerves.
Somewhere amidst those dark caves William was about to die or was already dead at the hands of pirates.
She bit her lip as she pulled her red coat tight around her. After discovering there were no women's clothes aboard the ship, Norrington had asked for a spare officer's uniform to be found for her to wear, breeches and all.
Despite being foreign and less decent than society dictated entire outfit was surprisingly comfortable once she got used to it. Elizabeth could see why women like Annamaria and Peggy would favour pants aboard a ship. It made moving about much easier and the shirt was not as restrictive as a corset and dress would have been.
For a split second, Elizabeth found herself in the mind of her twelve-year-old self, wondering what it would be like to be a fearsome captain aboard a ship barking orders to a crew under her leadership as she pointed a cutlass towards an enemy ship on the horizon. It was a petty and childish fantasy she knew, but even after all these years somehow such dreams persisted.
Too bad she would never have the freedom to achieve such feats; she mused guiltily glancing back to where Norrington was busy giving orders to his lieutenants Grove and Gilette.
James Norrington was not a bad man. Indeed, had Elizabeth not been so in love with Will she might have jumped at the chance to marry the Commadore. Beneath his haughty exterior, he was honourable, clever and kind. He commanded respect from his men not because of his noble birth but because of his capability and leadership. And when it came to her wishes he was always devoted and respectful and would be a good provider to a family.
But he was not William. She thought glumly. She felt guilty for thinking it, but the fact of the matter was, was that for all his good qualities Norrington was too dutiful, too prim and proper. He was not passionate, spontaneous or as free-thinking as the young blacksmith. He always went by the rules. Even now he only bent his ways a little bit to appease her, and she had had to agree to marry him to make it happen.
He was the opposite of Jack Sparrow, a man who played by no one else's rules but his own. Even now he stood brazenly calm and casual at the railing of the Dauntless, whistling softly to himself as his eyes wandered over all the ruined ships they passed.
You would never think he was concerned about the fates of Will or Peggy. However, Elizabeth remembered the glimmer of fondness in the pirate's eye as he had raised a toast to the young selkie the day before. Even when he spoke her name in conversation with Norrington and the officers he occasionally slipped into using her nickname like it was second nature.
"You didn't tell him about the curse," Elizabeth muttered as she came to stand beside Jack, being sure to keep a short respectful distance from him. Even now she was unsure what he would do after her betrayal with the rum.
"I notice neither did you." Jack smirked smugly at her, "For the same reason I imagine?"
"He wouldn't have risked it." Elizabeth shook her head sadly. And there was the truth of it. What decent man would risk the life of so many men for two pirates when their enemy was cursed?
"You could have gotten 'im drunk." Jack's smirk widened and Elizabeth bristled at the sharp gleam in the pirate's eye "Don't get me wrong love. I admire a person who's willing to do whatever is necessary."
Elizabeth paused as she looked him up and down. It was difficult to tell if he was being sarcastic or sincere. Knowing him it could easily have been both.
The man was an enigma. Sometimes he did the right thing, sometimes he would betray you. His words were often double-edged, she did not know whether to take them literally or if he was being metaphorical. And yet despite all this, he drew people in. People followed him, their eyes drawn to him like a magnet whether it be in admiration or hatred.
He reminded her of the old Faerie tricksters her mother had read to her in her bedtime stories as a small child. Duplicitous to an almost scary degree, but also oddly alluring and beguiling.
She had never met anyone quite like him.
"You're a smart man Jack." She murmured folding her arms "But I don't entirely trust you."
"Peas in a pod darling." He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially.
Elizabeth felt her cheeks flush with heat, though she was not quite sure why.
Part of her felt angry at being compared to a deplorable rake like him. She might be willing to do whatever it took to save Will and Peggy but it was all for a good cause. Not like him, who only acted for his selfish desires.
But deep down, there was that thrill again. The thrill of breaking the rules, of acting like the pirate she used to want to be as a child. The fact that Jack Sparrow, one of the most notorious pirates of the Caribbean thought her his equal almost made her chest puff with a bizarre sense of pride.
I'm being silly. She chided herself as Norrington approached her and the pirate, doing his best to mask his worry and concern for her beneath his professional mask even as he tossed Jack's broken compass to him.
"With me mister Sparrow." Jack nodded meekly, but Elizabeth could see it was fake a badly counterfeited coin. The man was pleased with the outcome. Not only had he found his beloved ship again, but he had also gotten under her skin.
"Bloody pirate." She muttered under her breath.
Peggy stared at the approaching shoreline within the caves of Isla de Muerta, illuminated only by the dim lights of many lanterns that hung from all the longboats.
Here they were again. Twice in two days, back at this accursed place.
Hector's grip on her arm was tight as the rest of the men in the boats that had arrived before them leapt out onto shore to drag their vessel up onto the sand.
"Nearly there lads!" Barbossa called to his crew as he stepped out of the boat "Tie 'em up good and tight and make sure the oars are safe and secure." Barbossa added with a nasty sneer back at Peggy as he roughly tugged her forward.
"Yeesh, easy Hector you don't need to-ack!" She squeaked as she tripped out of the boat, nearly falling out of Barbossa's grip and into the water.
However, she was quickly caught by Will who had pushed off his captors to grab her tight in his arms.
"I'm fine." She whispered as he helped her find her feet on the giving sand.
"If you see an opportunity, run." He murmured into her hair, barely managing to press a small kiss into her temple before she was dragged away by a very exasperated Barbossa.
"Ugh! We'll have none of that now! Disgusting whelp." The older pirate grumbled as he pulled Peggy ahead with him.
Peggy stayed compliant but only because she was too focussed on the sight of the cursed golden chest at the far end of the cavern, illuminated by a ray of cold moonlight through one of the many shafts in the stony roof above.
She knew it was probably fruitless to escape, but maybe she could barter with Barbossa.
As awful as it must be to be an undead, the Curse of Cortez did come with some perks. For example, neither Barbossa nor his crew could be killed by conventional means, nor could they be drowned. Why give up such things permanently?
She was vaguely aware of Will being dragged behind her by Ragetti and Pintel, the latter of whom was saying almost conversationally:
"No reason to fret. Just a prick of the finger, a few drops o' blood-"
"No! No mistakes this time." Twigg intervened grabbing Will harshly by the back of his neck and shoving him forward. "He's only 'alf Turner. We SPILL it all!"
"Thas' right." Twigg's partner Koehler sneered at Peggy whose body swelled with wrath.
Maybe her plan was crazy but right now she'd take anything.
"Hector, a word if I may?" She asked as she watched the pirate captain toss a juicy green apple high.
"Oh so now ye want to talk?" Barbossa rolled his eyes as he caught the fruit in his hand and pocketed it.
"While we were rowing I had an idea-" Peggy snorted as she pulled him to a stop right next to a large pile of gold "Look I admit I don't know how to undo the curse I cast upon you, but maybe I can learn how to undo it from someone else."
Barbossa paused mid-step, interest piqued.
"And how would ye achieve this miracle lass?" he gestured to Twigg and Koehler to push Will towards the Cursed Treasure Chest at the end of the cavern without him. All around them, Peggy noticed the other pirates giving them a wide berth to keep their conversation private.
"I could find another selkie to teach me." Peggy straightened up, doing her best to keep her voice from trembling as he met his gaze head-on. "I might be the last selkie left in the Caribbean but there are others of my kind out there in Scottland or other waters that might be willing to help."
"And what about yer precious whelp hmm?" Barbossa leered down at her, a gnarly hand prodded the spot on the side of her head where Will's lips had touched mere moments before "I suppose one of yer conditions will be to keep 'im alive?"
"Yes." Peggy nodded. "Look, Hector. Look this Curse of Cortez might be a drag if you keep it for a long term, but it does have some perks, doesn't it? I mean…you can't be killed by war, famine or disease. What I'm trying to say is, why give it up permanently? You have the power at your fingertips to be invincible to your enemies whenever you want. Why not keep William alive? Then you can take blood from him to remove the curse any time you want. Also, I think I should point out he is a good blacksmith. Way better than Beauchamp. You could use his skills-"
"Ahhh poor Pegsy. Ye really must be desperate." Barbossa chuckled with derisive fondness, patting her cheek sharply "But ye see, we only need young Turner to rid us o' the curse this one time an' the only reason we need 'im now is that ol' Boostrap was cursed along with us ten years ago. Now once he and his brat are dead, we can take the curse on again and take it off without needing either 'im or his brat's blood. And I gotta say, while it be temptin' to get another blacksmith aboard, the lad is annoying. I'll be glad to be shot of him once and for all."
"So that's just it then?" Peggy felt tears spring to her eyes despite her attempts to stay strong. "You don't even need all his blood do you? You're just going to kill Will for the sheer bloody pleasure of it?"
"Aye, that be right." Barbossa shrugged, scoffing at her hurt expression as he gripped her cheek tight with his grubby nails "Tch! Ye are too soft-hearted for yer own good lass, always 'ave been. I don't know why Jack didn't beat it outta ye all those years ago. Then again, he always was too soft when it came ter ye." He added bitterly as he took a step back and whistled to two of his men.
"You two, hold onto 'er! And follow me."
"Hector you bastard!" she snarled as two grubby hands of men grabbed her roughly from behind and shoved her to follow Barbossa up toward the cursed treasure. Will was already in position, his hands now bound behind his back as Twigg and Koehler held him bent over the stone casket. His gaze was frantic as he watched Peggy be foisted up the pile of gold by two men to stand beside Barbossa who began making his grand speech.
"Here we are again, Gentlemen!" He smirked and the crew of the Black Pearl chortled "Now…now we can safely say that the time has come! Our Salvation truly is nigh!"
A chorus of cheers echoed around the treasure cavern along with the stamping of feet, the sound reverberating through Peggy's skull like a death rattle.
"Our torment is FINALLY near an end!"
Another loud cheer, even harder stamps as Barbossa whipped out the sacrificial stone knife from his belt, the red of Elizabeth's blood offering from the day before still staining the blade crimson under the moonlight.
"We have the medallion!" another loud cheer, the stamping now accompanied by splashing as several men accidentally stepped into the water flooding into the cave from the rising tide.
"We have the blood of Bootstrap Bill at our fingertips." Barbossa pointed at Will with the knife and with a grunt he found himself bent over so far forward that his nose was almost touching the cursed coins within the chest.
"And…we have the witch!" the shouts turned into sneers and jeers in Peggy's direction as Barbossa turned the knifepoint towards Peggy's throat. "Little Peggy thought she could run away from us? Fool! There be no runnin' from the Pearl. Ye were once one of us Lass and so ye will be again until yer can undo yer curse upon us."
There were hisses from the crowd as Barbossa reached forward to unloop the medallion from around her neck before stepping over to Will and looping it around his head.
As he did so, Peggy caught sight of something flickering in the corner of her eye in the distance.
Quickly she glanced around the cave, heart hammering as she caught sight of a familiar dreadlocked shadow growing larger against a distant stony wall. Oh how well she knew that outline…
No…no way…You lucky-lucky scoundrel… her heart raced in her chest. But he was too far away to stop anything…she'd have to stall for time. But how?
Fortunately for her Barbossa chose that exact moment to sneer back at her:
"Any last words for your precious whelp?"
"Just this." She glanced at Will her gaze softening for a fraction of a second as she beheld his fretful face "Sorry William, but I'm going to have to break my promise."
Before Will could even shout at her or Barbossa could even move, she shoved her arms back hard against her two captors, her fists aiming for their stomachs. One of the men, a weak drudge stumbled back and tripped down the pile of coins as her fist missed the mark and got him in between the legs instead. His mate however managed to keep hold of Peggy, though that did little to spare him her ire as her now free arm wrapped around him to grab the hilt of a cutlass holstered in his belt.
With a roar of fury, she pulled the blade from its owner, punching him square in the face as he let her go. Now he too tumbled down the mound of treasure, blood spurting from his nose where her knuckles had made impact. Several men below in the crowd of onlookers shouted in shock while others winced in sympathy.
"Look out Peg!" Will's heart almost flew from his gaping mouth in terror as Barbossa straightened up and drew his sword in a flash of steel.
Peggy met the blade with her own in a well-timed block, her grey-blue eyes flashing silver in the light of the moon streaming in from above as Barbossa aimed a couple of swipes at her. Will could see the nails on her hands had grown clawlike once more in her anger as her pupils narrowed to pinpricks.
He could finally understand why the men of the Black Pearl were so afraid of the children of the ocean. Her seal form might have been sweet and blubbery, but this snarling creature with claws and fangs looked downright ferocious.
The sight almost made him shiver, but he didn't. Even under this eerie beast, he knew his friend was still in there, he could see it in the way she held her sword, the way she moved around Barbossa's strikes.
For a man of his age, the pirate captain was deceptively fast and vicious. Will could tell from the way he fought he would be a difficult opponent even for him. Jack was poised and elegant and did not like to kill, but Barbossa…he showed no quarter not even to a woman.
"Enough of this silly nonsense." Barbossa snarled at Peggy as they unlocked swords "Put that sword away lass! We don't have time for this-"
"Why should I?" Peggy spat raising her sword into a guard position "What's the matter ye old codfish? Getting tired already? Need a nap?"
"Peg," Will groaned softly to himself, head hanging low over the cursed gold. Of all the times she had to pick a fight it had to be now.
"I still have yer whelp's life in me hands," Barbossa leered at her torn between smugness and frustration "and I cannae die until the curse has been lifted so I don't know what you're trying to achieve-"
"Excuses, excuses!" Peggy cut across him sharply with a roll of her eyes. "What's the matter, Hector? Too much of a cockless coward to take me on? I suppose you would be, after all the reason you threw me overboard in the first place was because I was too much of a threat to your position. That's what you said right?"
"No Peg!" If Will's hands had been freed he would have facepalmed. He had no idea what put it into Peggy's head to pull a stunt like this, but it was nearly suicidal. Even HE was not this reckless.
There was a collective "ooooh" from the crew of the Black Pearl as they watched the challenge with bated breath. As much as they wanted to be rid of their curse, the prospect of a duel was exciting and entertaining. No one had been brave enough to follow through on challenging the captain in single combat so brazenly, not even the Bosun, who in addition to being Barbossa's second hand was also one of the strongest men in the crew.
Peggy watched Barbossa's face closely as he considered her challenge. He had every right to refuse. Indeed, refusing would have been the smartest move for him. Even without the immortality and invulnerability the curse had gifted him, he was the more experienced swordsman. He was bigger than her, more vicious and he also had Will's life to dangle as a hostage.
However, she had insulted his manhood and his bravery in front of all his men and such offences could not go unpunished. Also, she was right. He had admitted she was a threat to his position as captain the night before. If he backed out now, it would just confirm to his men that they had another option to replace him as captain, an option who was a lot younger and had the magic of the ocean on her side.
Then there was the chanting. Peggy's breath caught in her chest as she felt the crew of the Black Pearl's chants of excitement resonate through the caves, bouncing from floor to ceiling over every coin and chest of gold and silver.
It was a heady sound, eerily in time to the pounding of her own heart in her ears as she did her best to maintain her composure. Something of her nerves must have shown on her face, for Barbossa's sneer widened mockingly.
"Ye sure ye want to do this lass." The old pirate hissed raising his sword tip to glide against the side of her blade, but not striking. Not yet. "I ain't like ol' Jackie. I won't go easy on ye. Indeed I'll give ye such a hiding yer will wish ye had never been born."
Peggy gulped, a familiar childish fear creeping into her veins as memories of sparring against Barbossa on the deck of the Pearl flooded her mind. Though Jack had been her main teacher in the art of the sword, Barbossa had on occasion sparred with her on deck if he was not around or too unwell.
Well, Barbossa had called it sparring. Truth be told, it was just an excuse for him to brutally beat her arse to the ground without Jack intervening. In hindsight, it had toughened her up quickly to the harshness of battle and taught her to never turn her back on an opponent. On the other hand, she still flinched at the memory of the flat of his blade smacking hard into her backside, leaving large welts and occasionally small cuts if the sharp edge of the blade 'accidentally' dug into the flesh.
The chanting grew louder and faster as the eagerness of the sailors grew.
"Blood, blood, blood, blood." The chant was disturbing and frightening even to Peggy's ears.
All this bloodlust from so many men and she was outnumbered.
"Begun by blood" Barbossa raised his sword eyebrow quirking at her "By blood un-" he stopped abruptly as his gaze froze over Peggy's shoulder.
"'scuse me. Pardon-excuse me. Thank you-" A voice wafted into Peggy's ear.
Will strained his head up and his eyes widened in shock.
"Jack!"
"'s not possible…" Barbossa breathed; eyes comically wide as he lowered his sword.
"Not probable" Jack corrected him as he stumbled over a pirate's foot "Oh sorry mate."
Peggy kept her blade raised but turned her head to look back.
There he was. Unharmed and unblemished as the last time she had seen him.
Jack Sparrow.
This man…this man has the luck of the devil himself…either that or he is the devil himself. Peggy could have wept for joy at the sight of his goatee as he meandered his way to the front of the crowd of bewildered pirates.
"'ello love. I see you've started the party without me." He grinned at Peggy only to frown at the sight of the sword in her hand. When he caught sight of the sword in Barbossa's hand he sighed heavily "Seriously mate I can't leave the two of you alone without a fight breaking out?"
"Where's Elizabeth?" Will asked, managing to straighten up as his two captors' grips loosened in surprise.
"Oh her? She's safe just like I promised." Jack grinned "She's all set for marrying Norrington just like she promised and you get to die for her just like you promised. And darling Pegsy here gets to hit anyone she wants for hurting a hair on your head just like she promised. So we're all men of our word really. Except for Elizabeth and Peggy who are in fact, women."
"Shut up! Yer next!" Barbossa snapped raising his sword to Peggy's neck only to be met by her blade coming back up defensively.
"You don't want to be doing that mate." Jack frowned.
"Nah I really think I do." Barbossa sneered angrily at Peggy who returned the wrathful expression with interest. "This selkie pup of yers is long overdue fer a lesson in manners."
"…your funeral." Jack shrugged.
There was a pause in which Peggy could see the gears turn in Barbossa's head. As annoyed as he was at the interruption, he also could not leave a question unanswered. His curiosity always won out in the end.
"Fine. And why don't I want to be doin' it?" the older pirate rolled his eyes at Jack.
"Oh because – oy gettof mate!" he slapped away the large dark hand of the Bosun as it tried to hold him back. "Because the HMS Dauntless, the pride of the Royal Navy, is floating just offshore, waiting for you."
And let me guess you led them right here? Peggy mused silently as many of the pirates around them murmured. Some were worried, but some were itching for a fight, their appetites for violence wetted by the earlier promise of a duel.
"Look let's just put the swords away and hear me out, mate." Jack strode up to Peggy and took her sword from her, stashing it in his belt for safekeeping with one hand while the other looped casually around her waist to hold her to his side as if she were a wench from a Tortugan brothel.
Had this been any other time, Peggy might have slapped his grip away but something about the way he glanced at her gave her pause. He had a plan. The bastard had a plan up his sleeve he was waiting to spring. She was not quite sure what it was, but the little ten-year-old girl in her was screaming at her to trust him once more as she had done all those years ago.
"Trust me," he said, eyes moving deliberately to Barbossa though his fingers gave her side a gentle but reassuring squeeze. "I'll make this worth yer while."
"…I'm listening." Barbossa sheathed his sword on his belt and folded his arms, eyebrows raised expectantly. Even if Jack was going to speak total codswallop at least it would be entertaining.
"You order your men to row out to the Dauntless, they do what they do best – "
This earned Jack a titter of chuckles from the crew.
"- Robert's yer uncle, and Fanny's yer aunt. There you are with two ships. The makings of your very own fleet. 'Course you'll take the grandest as your flagship and who's to argue. But what of the Pearl…name me captain. I'll sail under your colours, I'll give you ten per cent of me plunder, and you'll get to introduce yourself as Commodore Barbossa, savvy?"
Peggy's eyebrows rose. This was interesting…if there was one thing Hector Barbossa always wanted it was a fleet under his command. He was a powerful and infamous pirate in his own right, but he had never truly loved the Pearl like Jack had. The only reason he had taken the ship was that he needed a vessel to be captain of, and secondly, because he wanted to torment Jack by taking away the thing his heart treasured most.
However, the Dauntless was more Barbossa's style. She was nowhere near as fast as the Black Pearl or the Interceptor, but she was hardier against rougher seas and could pack a powerful punch in a fight. She was a beast of a ship and with a fresh lick of paint, she'd be a very fearsome sight to behold on the open ocean.
And to top it all off, Jack was offering to put himself under Barbossa's thumb as a loyal stooge.
It was a tempting offer.
"I suppose in exchange you'll be wantin' me not ter kill the whelp?" Barbossa snarled at the young blacksmith beside the casket.
"No, no, no not at all." Jack waved him off casually ignoring Will's flaring nostrils and flashing eyes of fury. "By all means kill the whelp! He's bloody annoying and he's ruining this one for me -" He added pinching Peggy's waist to silence her before she could open her mouth " - Just not yet…wait to lift the curse until the opportune moment."
Jack gave a pointed look at Will who felt his body relax as understanding dawned on him. Jack did not care about this deal; he was just stalling for time…for Will's time. He was using Norrington and his men to lure all the other pirates out of the caves and lower Barbossa's defences.
But what about Elizabeth? Wouldn't she get caught in the crossfire? Yet somehow, Will had a feeling Jack had already thought about Elizabeth's safety. Even with Barbossa sending most of his men out, Jack needed backup. He knew Will and Peggy would not fight for him if they did not think he had their interests at heart.
Will glanced up at Peggy to see if she had caught on yet. She was scowling at Jack but her eyes were not as sharp as before even as her captain pulled her in a little closer to his side. To Will's surprise, and slight annoyance, she did not protest the gesture and indeed, seemed to relax a little into the pirate's touch as he picked up a handful of golden cursed coins from the stone casket.
"For instance…" Jack muttered fingering the coins absentmindedly as he held Barbossa's gaze steadily in his own. "…after you've killed Norrington's men. Every-" he tossed one coin into the chest "-last-" another coin dropped in "-one."
There was a final plink of metal, yet Peggy caught sight of a small glimmer of gold between Jack's fingers as he pushed a single stray coin up his sleeve.
Sly old crook. It took everything she had not to smirk. Instead, she forced her nostrils to flare, pursing her lips to hide her retreating fangs so Barbossa would not notice.
"You've been planning this from the beginning. Ever since you learned my name." Will growled.
"Yes," Jack smirked at Will who snarled, and Peggy thought it would have been a rather convincing act had it not been for the lack of that special cold gleam that usually possessed his eyes when he had lost his temper. She just had to hope that Barbossa had not noticed either of their tells.
It appeared not, for even as she looked at the pirate she could see he was busy mulling over Jack's proposition.
"I want fifty per cent of yer plunder." Barbossa snorted, chest puffing out with an air of importance.
"Fifteen!" Jack countered.
"Forty!" Barbossa argued only to get shot down just as swiftly.
"Twenty-five! I'll even buy you a new hat," Jack said amiably before another figure could be shouted. "A really big one. Commodore." He added with a tiny wink.
"Good, it can match his inflated head." Peggy rolled her eyes. "Seriously if that thing gets any larger he'll cause a solar eclipse-OW!" she winced as Jack cuffed her on the back of the head.
"Manners love." he scolded her, much to Barbossa's delight and to the crew's fond amusement.
"We have an accord." He reached out and shook Jack's hand firmly.
"All hands to the boats!" Jack gestured grandly, arms spreading so wide he almost knocked Peggy backwards into the cursed chest.
"Sorry love." He patted her down as he helped her right herself on her feet, his expression turning sheepish as he caught sight of Barbossa's annoyed scowl upon him. "Apologies." He meekly bowed his head to his old first mate "You give the orders."
"Gents!" Barbossa turned back to the men, shoulders back, spine straight. "Take a walk."
Oh, Jack Peggy gulped as she and Will both glanced at one another, then at the back of Jack's dreadlocked head.
I hope you know what you're doing.
There we are, Chapter 11 is up. We're almost at the end of Curse of the Black Pearl.
Nearly at the juicy action parts. Looking forward to writing Jack and Barbossa's fight when it comes ;) I really enjoy getting to write more Peggy and Barbossa scenes. I feel like Barbossa was the grouchy parent who reluctantly let Jack take in a stray cat (Peggy) but ended up somewhat fond of them in his own grumpy way.
I also really enjoy the Elizabeth and Jack scenes. I kinda feel that Elizabeth is an interesting character to write. I always had a headcannon that she didn't just want to meet a pirate as a young girl but she always wanted to BE a pirate and that's why she adapted so quickly to the pirate way of life. She's always been colder and more ruthless than Will and was always good at manipulating. She just never had the opportunity to explore that side of her because it was never expected of her as a woman in that society. But now she's on her way.
If you enjoyed this chapter, please fave, follow or add a review. Your feedback is always welcome (so long as it's constructive).
Thanks and see you next time.
FuzzyBeta