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The Cutlass
BY: HMC*** Yo ho, Yo ho, a Pirate's life for
me...
No, no, dammit. He would *not* sing that song. He wouldn't even think it. Will Turner pulled on his boots with some difficulty. They were rather new and not all that worn-in yet. The hammock gave him little leverage, and he damn near flipped completely over trying to pull them on. He'd acquired them from one of their recent plunders. Jack had brought the finely crafted leather boots back for him, swinging them from one hand, and had remarked teasingly, `pretty things for a pretty thing' as he handed them over with an over-dramatic sweep of his arms. The crew had guffawed, but Will played along, pretending to go into a faint and hanging on Ana- Maria, over the shock of receiving a gift. He fanned himself like a swooning girl and couldn't remember a time when he'd felt so carefree as the crew hollered with laughter. Once his boots were on, he pulled his hair back into a tight pony- tail and paused a moment to think. Getting up in the morning on this ship seemed like the most natural thing in the world now. The gentle sway of the boat was almost imperceptible, whereas during his first few weeks on the Black Pearl, it had been so jarring that it had sent him into a dizzy hysteria that confined him to his cabin until Jack could talk him down from it. That had been a harrowing experience. `The shock o' the sea' Jack had called it. Now, however, Will couldn't imagine being anywhere else. The overload on his senses had eventually faded away, and was replaced by a love of the open air, the salt stinging his face when the warms winds were particularly high. The bright Caribbean sun overhead.... There was a knock at his door, but the visitor didn't wait for an answer. Jack opened the door, a grave expression on his face. "Morning, Jack." Will said, cheerily, not adjusting his shirt and not noticing his captain's face. Jack put on a face of cheer as best he could. "Fine mornin' tis, lad." A silence followed, and silence was not something the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow was known for. Finally, Will glanced up and saw right through the phony expression Jack was putting up. "What's wrong?" Jack closed the door to Will's cabin behind him and strode over to the small window, glancing out at the sea as he took a deep breath. "A ship was spotted on the horizon early this morning by Gibbs. Course, at the time it was too far away to be making any judgments. It's now six hours later and that ship is gaining fast. I estimate it'll be on us in two hours. Maybe less." Will leveled his gaze at Jack. Just what was he getting at? "*On* us? A hostile ship. Is it Norrington? Jack, you know we can take them, we've done it before...." Jack held up a hand to silence him. He still did not so much as look at Will as he spoke. "No, lad. S'not Norrington. No.... man on that ship, the ship that is presently catching up to us, God knows how.... is an old `acquaintance' of mine." He seemed to choose the word with great caution. "An acquaintance I'm not too keen on seeing ever again. Don't look like I have much say in the matter though." None of this was making sense. What had gotten into him? "Jack...." "Captain." He interrupted, more out of habit than anything else. He still gazed out the window, his eyes fixed on a single point in the horizon. "Captain.... I don't see the problem. This crew is the finest on the seas. This ship, the fastest. This.... this acquaintance of yours will take none of your crew, nor your ship." "You don't know the Captain of that there vessel, lad. He don't be wantin' my crew or my ship." Jack clenched his hand distractedly. "He be wantin' me." *** Will contemplated Jack's statement for a moment. "You, Jack? You're saying, he seeks revenge." A statement, more than a question. Jack said nothing. He didn't need to: Will knew he was right. "Who is this man, Jack? And why are you down here, explaining this to me?" His brain tried feebly to work out the mysterious details of this story Jack was feeding him. The older man sighed and sat on the bed below the window. Retrieving a flask from the inside of his vest, he took a swig and began explaining the story. "About eight years and a few months back, my crew on this here ship mutinied on me. Leadin' that mutiny was me first mate, Barbossa. They stormed my cabin in the night, beat me into submission and left me in the brig until they reached that spit of land where they would eventually strand me." Jack's register of voice dropped; he obviously didn't like going back to that place, even if only in his mind. "Lad, if your father hadn't tended to me injuries those last few nights, I think it's quite safe to say I would have succumbed to the great beyond. But even William couldn't stop Barbossa's brother." The older pirate connected eyes with Will as he said this, gauging the former blacksmith's reaction, which was of course, shock. Jack continued. "Everyone just called him `Cutlass.' Fierce man, he was. Younger than his brother, but much bigger. Fists like barrels. He was struck violently ill before they left me, so Barbossa, being the kind and caring brother that he is, paid a handsome sum of money to a passing ship to bring him to the mainland. Cutlass escaped the curse. That was the last I saw of him. But Will, before he left..." He trailed off and fell silent, his eyes watering. He swallowed the rest of whatever was in the flask and threw it at the small mirror hanging on Will's wall, hitting it dead on and shattering it to tiny shards. He couldn't continue. Will approached slowly and sat next to him, placing his hand on the pirate's leg. "Jack.... what did he do to you those years ago?" He feared the answer, but needed to know. Jack's rage grew like fire to dry tinder as he mustered up the courage to answer, somewhat forcefully. "Use yer God-given imagination, lad. He beat me and fucked me and left me fer dead." If not for Gibbs' screaming Jack's name from the deck, Will was certain he could have heard his heart shatter into a thousand pieces. His mouth hung open in utter disbelief. No words came, no witty remarks or philosophical thoughts to help Jack through his memories. No clichés, no words of advice.... there was just this intense feeling of sorrow and complete despair. He threw himself forward and captured Jack in a hug, pulling him closer, placing a tender kiss on his temple. Jack surrendered and clutched at his lover's shirt, errant tears escaping through kohl- rimmed eyelids. He'd never told anyone about that night, no one except for William Sr., who had seen the whole thing anyway, but was helpless to stop it; Cutlass had seen to that. Gibbs was still shouting for the captain and had come down to Will's cabin to investigate. He threw open the door, not even paying attention to the fact that Jack was caught in a tearful embrace. "Captain, it's hell's work it is, the damned ship is right on us, they'll be within range of canons in a few minutes! We need your leadership sir." Jack pulled himself from Will and stood up to gravely face Gibbs. "Tell the crew to prepare for battle. If a time comes when I can find a better way out of this than fighting them.... just be sure to follow my orders, is that clear?" Gibbs shook off his initial look of confusion and quickly stuttered out a, "yessir" before he hustled out the door, shouting orders to the crew. "Jack, what other way than fighting them is there?" Will asked meekly from the bed, half knowing what Jack was cooking up in that dreadlocked head of his. "We give them what they want and cut the ships losses, of course, Will. When they only want one specific thing, no use wasting energy and ammunition in senseless killing once they've got it." Will sprang from the bed and gripped Jack by the shoulders. "Don't you dare talk like that Jack Sparrow!" He shook him hard, moving his hands so that they cradled Jack's head, forcing the older pirate to look him in the eye. "We fight. We fight and we stand together. I'm not losing you, especially not to save myself." He release Jack and stalked over to his cot, where he picked up his sword and unsheathed it. Whirling around, he approached and stopped within a mere inch of Jack's face. "No one can take you from me. I'll not see you hurt just to save my own hide." The look in Jack's eyes was some hybrid of sadness, wisdom, and love. A moment passed between them and somewhere in the distance, canon fire was heard. "Aye lad." He said softly, kissing Will tenderly for just a moment. "Nor will I lose you to save my own hide." In a swift movement, Jack brought the butt of his pistol back and clobbered Will in the temple catching him completely off-guard. The blacksmith's eyes widened in shock and pain, shot Jack a look of betrayal. Barely clinging to consciousness, he croaked, "What have you done?" and then his eyes rolled back into his head, knees buckling and sending him pitching forward, the sword clanging to the ground. Jack caught the young man in his arms before he could hit the floor. Tears continued to slip down his cheeks as he placed Will on his cot. "I won't deliver you into the hands of Cutlass." Jack whispered fiercely, getting no response other than Will's still face and quick, steady breathing. "If he wants me.... anything he wants to keep him away from you. Damn me to the fiery pits of hell, I just love you too much.... Forgive me, lad." "All hands on deck!" Came Gibbs' desperate cry, and the distant shouts of unfamiliar pirates could be heard. Jack unsheathed his sword and stormed out the room, fire blazing in his eyes. With Will unable to do anything stupid in his defense, Jack slammed the door of the cabin closed and charged up to the deck, prepared to lead his crew against Cutlass. Tbc (3) |
