Taming A Dragon

Author: Pilgrim
Title: Taming A Dragon
Rating: NC-17 by the end possibly sooner depends on the story progresses
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the PotC characters or movies (unfortunately); anything you recognize isn’t mine although that shouldn’t be much in this fan fiction.
Feedback: Please! First time fan fiction writer and desperate for tips, tricks, advice, stuff me full of info please! I want to improve and take over the world with my genius mwhahaha! Lol, only kidding but feedback would be fantastic, send it to raukarwen_deomene@yahoo.com!
Notes: So far unread, so really need feedback on it.

Chapter 11 - Road To Recovery

The gentle lapping of the ocean stirred her from her dream and she shifted away annoyed that the sea was getting her as well. It followed her licking at her forehead.

“For the love of God.” Her eyes opened to glare at the water only to find that there was no water, instead it was a rag dabbing away at her from over her shoulder judging by the fact that she was facing a wooden wall. She turned stiffly to glare at whoever was holding the offending object just in front of her eyes. A slight quirk of the lips was the first thing she noticed.

“Hello love.” Turning over fully she stared at the person frozen with their arm still outstretched.

“Jack?” His grin deepened.

“Well at least you remember me, that’s a good start. Took quite a beating out there from the looks of ya.” Oria stared, this was not expected at all, she turned away and cursed her mind for playing tricks on her. Jack heard her mumblings and leaned over, “I’m not a mirage or a figment of your imagination, pinch me, look, go on pinch me.” Jack held his arm out in front of her nose, she glared at it but pinched anyways just for good measure, “Ow! Not that hard, you’ve got sharp nails remember!”

Slowly she rolled back over to face him well aware that there wasn’t much of her that wasn’t aching or throbbing, “Took us a fair while to find you, you know. Floated away from the main explosion on your little raft thing, took us a day of scouting till the lads in the crows nest found you.” He grinned proudly as if he had done it all himself. Oria just let her confusion show not really knowing what else to do.

“Why were you looking for me?” Jack looked taken aback at the question obviously expecting praise.

“Why wouldn’t we? You’re part of me crew whether you like it or not and I’m not about to abandon anyone, man, woman or child… should one ever appear on this ship, doubtful but not impossible.” He grinned down at her, “Besides, you’d have done the same for me.” Her gaze met his sharply.

“I need to sleep.” He nodded and stood up.

“Jack?” He paused and glanced back, she was peering over her shoulder at him.

“Aye?” She avoided his gaze and laid back down.

“Thank you.” Jack smiled and nodded before heading back up deck and shouting at the crew to get back into action.

:/

Several hours later Oria woke to the gentle glimmer of a candle and an even gentler shake of her shoulder, she stirred slowly and turned over. Jack grinned down at her.

“Need to change those bandages.” He pointed to the expanse of cloth covering her arms and hands. His hand grasped her shoulder and helped her to sit upright; she swung her legs over the side and saw they were also bound up. The britches had been cut away at the knee rather than stripped and her shirt no longer had sleeves.

Jack sat next to her on the right and began to unwind the various pieces that accumulated the whole thing; no scrap had been large enough to cover the whole area. The mess underneath was still a bright crimson, Jack winced slightly at the sight of the tattered and burnt skin. He bent down and picked up a bowl, the bottom was coated in thick lumpy liquid which was a bright iridescent yellow. He scooped some up into his fingers, “Might sting a little but cook said it was fantastic at healing burns and stops stuff like the bandages from sticking to it when it’s healing. Ready?” Oria glanced at him and nodded, gently as possible Jack began to rub the salve in, she winced, “Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, but you’re right, it does sting. A lot.” Oria flexed her fingers gently feeling the stiffness of the joints as if everything had been baked; this was going to take a long time, “How bad are my legs?” He focused on the salve with a sigh, “Jack what are my legs like?”

“You won’t be walking for a while or even standing for that matter.” He began to wrap up her right arm before standing and walking around to her left and giving it the same treatment, “I’m assuming you didn’t have boots on.” She nodded.

“They took my clothes; I stole these from one of the guards.” He wrapped the left and knelt down to unwrap her left leg, he paused and scowled.

“Now that’s interesting.” Oria leaned forwards curiously.

“What?” He pointed to her shin.

“The bone was showing last night, now there’s nothing but a bloody dent.” He raised an eyebrow and gazed up, “Tell me, is there something I don’t know or I am just hallucinating?” Oria gave him a slight lop sided grin.

“Part of the curse, in a fortnight’s time there won’t be any evidence at all of this. As if it never happened. He wants me perfect all the time so that when I return I can still tempt men to his crew. He knows it drives me insane.” Jack looked surprised.

“I’d have thought it was a blessing, especially if you’re used to getting injuries like this! Hell, I’d be glad if I had it as a back-up!” Oria snorted and shook her head.

“No evidence of anything. No tales to relate because there’s no proof. Who’s going to believe me if I said I was attacked by a shark and had half my stomach torn out when there’s not even a scratch on me.” Jack moved on to her right leg.

“So will this help at all?” Oria watched him carefully.

“It’ll speed it up.” He met her gaze again.

“So when will it no longer be raw?”

“Tomorrow, then it’ll turn to scarring, another three days and there’ll just be red lines, and they’ll take about a week to fade. I’ll be fit to return to the deck the day after tomorrow.” Jack stood up and pushed the bowl under the bed with the toe of his boot, “You’re bleeding.” He glanced down to the chest wounds.

“Oh bugger.” A small pool of blood was seeping into his shirt, he quickly tugged it off and went over to his desk, he tugged the bandages off his own wounds and began to redress them. He cursed quietly as the bandages refused to co-operate. Oria watched as he flexed and stretched and tried to move his stiff shoulder in order to get the bandage around properly. He wasn’t a heavily tanned creature but a nice golden colour and there was the definite god like quality to him, “Ah! Bootstrap did this for me last time.” He headed for the door.

“I could do it if you want. Would save you wandering around the shirt topless… I mean around the ship without a shirt… like a… common sailor.” She fumbled; he nodded hiding his grin.

“Alright then, I tend you, you tend me.” He sat down on the bed and watched quietly as she wound the bandage around his shoulders and chest lightly. Every time she leaned over him there was a scent of Indian spices and jasmine combined with the natural tang of the ocean, it was intoxicating. Oria came to the end and tied it off neatly if slightly clumsily with her own bandaged digits forced to lean across him slightly as the bandage had ended on his left.

“Done.” She paused catching a look in his eyes she hadn’t seen before, he was staring at her and it wasn’t in hatred, “Jack?” A hand brushed a fallen braid from her face and back behind her ear, she didn’t move. He licked his lips his eyes on her own, Oria didn’t pause for a second thought but leaned forward to meet him half-way, their lips just brushing.