Broken

Chapter10: Xian, The Priestess Of Singapore

A/N: Sassy Sparrow: Thanks for your reviews my dear! Glad you like the way the story is progressing! Hope the newest chapter doesn’t disappoint.

Addicted_to_Jack: Thanks for your reviews also my dear! Not to worry Barbossa will most definitely be wrong about Elizabeth! Hope you enjoy the latest chapter!

Disclaimer: Still don’t own POTC or Jack, they’re still Disney’s property so I’m not making anything off this story.

The Pearl docked in the harbor just off the coast of Singapore. Jack gathered a few men, including Barbossa to accompany them ashore. Mainly he was taking Barbossa because he didn’t trust him to keep his word to not steal the Pearl if given the opportunity. He had left Tobias in charge while they were at Xian’s hut. Stepping into the longboat Jack held out his hand for Elizabeth to climb in behind him. Once everyone was seated in the longboat they shoved away from the Pearl and began rowing up the narrow strait towards the pier that led into the small jungle village that was Xian’s home. Not a word was spoken while they were heading upriver. Elizabeth’s tea colored eyes darted all around taking in the sights and sounds and smells of the thick jungle that surrounded them on either side of the strait. She could hear monkeys chattering to each other in the trees and frogs croaking as well as birds singing. The jungle was teeming with the sounds and sights of life. As they neared the pier the shouts of villagers speaking in their native tongue to one another could be heard. Stopping at the pier Jack stepped out holding out his hand for Elizabeth to grab onto it. Pulling her up onto the pier he smiled down at her as she grasped his hand tightly not wanting to let go.

Barbossa, Gibbs, Pintel and Ragetti stepped out leaving Cotton alone with the longboat. Turning back to him Barbossa spoke.

“Mind the boat.”

Jack whirled around glaring at Barbossa as he snatched his pistol from his breeches.

“Captain gives orders mate an’ yer not the captain!”

“Fine…what say ye Captain Sparrow?”

“Cotton…mind the boat savvy?”

The white haired old man nodded as he sat back down in the longboat. Putting his pistol back in his breeches he paused to add one last thing.

“Jus’ so ye know…yer doing it because I said so. Savvy?”

Cotton nodded again making Barbossa roll his eyes as they began to walk down the rickety pier.

“Jus’ where be this witch of yers Jack?”

“She’s a priestess.”

“Witch…priestess…same thing.”

“No they’re not an’ she’ll be right angry if ye confuse the two round her.”

“Fine…jus’ where be this priestess of yers then?”

“Jus’ a mile up the road through the village. Xian lives in a bamboo hut on a hillside overlooking a lagoon. She uses the lagoon t’ project her visions.”

“Sounds ridiculous if ye ask me.”

“Well nobody asked ye so keep it t’ yerself.”

The group trudged through the narrow and winding street of the village as all the villagers stopped to watch them. The air was thick and damp making it a bit stifling. Elizabeth could feel her shirt starting to stick to her back as beads of sweat absorbed into it. Her palm was sweating something awful but she refused to let go of Jack’s hand. Finally they made it to the end of the village where they could see a good sized bamboo hut nestled on the top of a tall hill that sloped steeply down to a lagoon. Walking a bit faster now Jack led the group up the hill to Xian’s hut. Knocking on the bamboo door they waited. The door swung open quickly making them jump back a bit. A woman with long thick dark onyx colored flowing hair appeared in the doorway. She was dressed in a dark slate gray colored kimono with white stitching around the neckline and the cuffs of both sleeves as well as the bottom hemline. The obi that held the kimono closed was also white silk. In her left hand was a long iron staff that held a perfectly shaped sphere made of blown blue glass. Just by looking at her Elizabeth could not tell how old she was. She had perfect almond shaped chocolate brown eyes and plump lips that were painted a deep crimson. Her skin was the perfect shade of alabaster. A smile stretched across her pretty face when she looked at Jack.

“Jack Sparrow…I’ve been expecting you.”

Elizabeth looked at him with wide tea colored eyes as they followed the priestess inside the bamboo hut.

“Xian…ye look lovely as ever darling.”

“You always were such a charmer Jack Sparrow…tell me…is this your newest conquest?”

Elizabeth felt her cheeks burn from the blush that spread across her face at the priestess’s words. Jack chuckled as he caught Elizabeth’s gaze before speaking.

“Conquest? No…Elizabeth is…”

“Much more than that I see.”

“How did…never mind. Anyway…”

“You came here because you wish to help this Elizabeth…yes?”

Nudging Barbossa in the side Jack smirked as he commented.

“Told ye she was good mate. Yes Xian…Elizabeth needs yer help.”

They sat down at a round table Elizabeth finally letting go of Jack’s hand. She jumped a bit startled when Xian took her hands making her lean across the table. Staring down at her palms she traced the lines that ran across it before looking up at Elizabeth.

“You have suffered great loss Elizabeth…Swann.”

Elizabeth’s mouth fell open as she stole a glance at Jack before speaking barely above a whisper.

“Y-yes…my fiancee…”

“Was murdered right before your eyes.”

“How did you know?”

“Child I know everything.”

Elizabeth swallowed thickly her throat suddenly feeling very dry. If this was true then she would also know how Elizabeth truly felt about Jack. Another intensely hot blush swept across her face making her shift uncomfortably in her chair.

“You’re nervous.”

“Nervous? Why would I be nervous?”

“There is something that you do not want others to know…not yet.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Child the secret that you keep is clearly written on your face. You’re in love.”

“Of course…I love Will.”

“Yes you did love Will Turner…but that’s not the love I speak of.”

“There’s no one else.”

“There is someone else but you are afraid to tell him of your love for him.”

She jerked her hands out of Xian’s grasp and stared down at her lap refusing to speak. Jack came to stand behind her placing his hands on her shoulders.

“Xian…is there anything ye can do t’ make the pain of losing Will lessen?”

“There is…I can make an elixir of spring water and anise that she must drink.”

“An’ this is going t’ cure her?”

“Not cure her…but it will help her to realize her true destiny in life and to forget about the path that she intended on taking.”

Xian went to the back of the hut and mixed up the spring water with the ground up anise. When she had finished she brought out the smooth blue glass bottle. She handed it to Elizabeth and then turned to Jack for payment. Elizabeth noticed that the bottle was oddly cold to the touch. Standing up to leave she reached for Jack’s hand again but then stopped herself. That witch didn’t know the slightest thing about what she felt for Jack or anyone else. The group walked back to the longboat in silence Jack’s eyes never leaving Elizabeth as he tried to guess what she was thinking about. Elizabeth didn’t dare to make eye contact with Jack for fear that he might be able to see what she was thinking. The boat ride back to the Pearl was equally silent making the knots that had begun forming in Elizabeth’s stomach tighten even more. She didn’t like the way visiting that priestess of Jack’s had made her feel at all. But she wasn’t about to bring it up because she was quite certain he would see it as the priestess being right about her hiding something from him. The fact that she was hiding her feelings from him wasn’t anything that he needed to know about…at least not until she was ready for him to know.

A/N: Okay thought this was a good place to stop…hope you enjoyed the new chapter! Please read and review!