To Cheat the Hangman
folder
Pirates of the Caribbean (All) › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
4
Views:
1,530
Reviews:
5
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Pirates of the Caribbean (All) › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
4
Views:
1,530
Reviews:
5
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Of Losing the Pearl
To Cheat the Hangman (formerly “For Posterity”), by Hellborne
Pirates of the Caribbean - R
Copyright: Characters, not mine, See the Mouse. Story, mine, but I make no money. He does, but not on this.
Summary: It is horrible to lose a lover to murder. Worse to look back and know you could have stopped it with but a single command. Few men know the real story of the Captain Jack Sparrow legend, or the fate of Commodore Norrington. Fewer would be believed anyway, if they did have the nerve, or the heart to tell it. One man did, then, to set the record straight for posterity. He’d always had the nerve, and his heart already broken. Slash, Angst, Rape (as memory only – no details), Deathfic.
Archive: Fine…just let me know the URL.
Beta: The great, fantastic, most perfect BetaGoddess in the world and her pet jackal…Pendragginink!
N/A: Anyone who has read my story “The Makings of a Pirate” might recognize some of the happenings in this story. This is AU from that, as that story is not a slash.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Chapter 2 - Of Losing the Pearl
The pen started moving again.
"I worked various jobs around the ship for the next few years under different captains. I was smallish, but worked hard and tried to keep me nose clean, so I didn't get flogged very often. In 1696, Captain Norton made me his first mate and lover and taught me how to guide my Pearl through the sea; through reefs and into ports, and all the other places I'd have to know how to steer through.
"About a year later, one night, after we'd made love, he showed me a compass and told me a story about gold and Aztecs and curses. He gave me the bearings and told me that the compass would guide me when I was ready to go there. Then he made me promise that I'd never show the compass to anyone. Then he told me that he was retirin' from pirating, that he wanted to settle down in Tortuga and finish his life in peace. I was crushed, as he was the kindest Captain I'd sailed under. The next day, he announced it to the crew that he was proclaimin' me Captain, and that they should follow me as they did him, even though I was only 17.
"After we dropped him off, I was worried that the crew would mutiny, but they kept to their word and followed my orders as if I were their elder. For 13 years I Captained my Lady, and the treasure and rum flowed free. I always kept by the guidelines that Captain Norton gave me though. When we attacked, it was with the least amount of lives taken possible, and always offered them to surrender their goods without a fight. When punishment was given, I gave it, but never enjoyed the givin'. The crew knew that, so they worked harder not to be punished. We had many adventures, which I'm sure you've read about so I won't bother ye with 'em.
"It was in me 30th year that the Pearl met a fate that I wish she hadn't. There was a calm that had us rowing for close to a month. The sails hung limp, and the water was goin' bad. We lost all but five of the crew, Bill Turner, my first mate, and myself included. When the wind picked up, we barely made it to Tortuga, and we rested there for close to two weeks getting our strength back even before lookin' for a new crew. Durin' that time, the other three of the crew took their shares of the treasure and left us, as was their right. It was then that I decided to use the compass I'd been given, as I didn't believe in curses at the time."
The writing stopped. "Were you and your first mate 'close' like you and Captain Norton?"
"Closer. He'd heard my lady singin' t'him, too. So we shared our lady and our bodies with each other, thinking and acting almost as a single person."
The writing started again.
"Bill and I went to a tavern called the Boar's Head and let the word go round that we were lookin' for a crew. The next morning, when we surfaced from our cabin, we had a good hundred and forty people waitin' for us on the docks, led by a large man named Hector Barbossa. I should have smelled that rat from my cabin, but we were desperate. We offered them equal shares, and I told them the tale of the Aztec gold and the curse, and we all laughed it off as they signed aboard. Since he seemed able to control the rest of the men, I allowed Barbossa to be First Mate. Bill didn't mind. He didn't like to give orders anyway. Besides, Bill and I still shared the Pearl and each other, and Barbossa and the others kept to themselves.
"When we were three days out, Barbossa came to me and requested the bearings of the island, since there was no way for anyoo leo leave the ship anyway and that we'd be sharin' the treasure equally. I didn't see any harm in it, so I gave them to him. I did remember what Captain Norton said about the compass, though, and made sure that everyone thought it was a normal, North-pointing compass.
"That night, Bill and I were woken up by Barbossa and his boys. I was marooned, and the last I saw of Bill, they were haulin' him off to the brig. I heard he joined them after that, but I know that it was only to stay with our Lady. I didn't blame him. He done wot's right by him. I'd 'ave done the same thing if things were reversed.
"Anyways, I found myself on a little island that took no more than an hour to traverse completely there and back again, so I started looking for food. As I was walkin' beneath some coconut trees, I noticed that there was much too much spring in me step, so I started digging. There was a trap door, and a lot of rum. Bein' as upset as I was over losin' me Lady, I could only do the most sensible thing to do in that situation. I got drunk.
"I stayed drunk for nigh on three days, when a ship came and found me. It was the rum runners, come to get stock from their cache. Bein' a bit under the weather, as you might say, I welcomed them to my little kingdom of the sea. They were not amused, and I thought I'd had it right there till they heard who I was. I managed to barter me way off the island with them then, and got back to Tortuga safe and sound with naught but a hangover to show for it."
The writing stopped. "What did you barter with? You had nothing."
The old man studied the younger one. "I've a mind not to tell, but no matter." The writing started again. "Since I had nothin' but me body and me compass, and I wasn't about to give them the compass, I offered me body. They agreed, and kept givin' me rum thinkin' I needed it to give them what they wanted. So there I was, safe in Tortuga."
The writing stopped. "You seem to have been a pirate for half your life, and a whore for the other."
"No, lad. I've been a pirate AND a whore for me whole life. Can't help it, really. I was brought up as one, and the instincts and urges are STILL there to tell ye the truth, even at my age."
The writing started again. "Where was I? Oh yes...Tortuga. Wonderful place for bein' on dry land. I stayed there for nigh on three years before I heard anything of the Pearl."
The writing stopped. "How did you make a living?"
"I just told you, lad. I've been a whore me whole life, and many of the men there didn't care where they put it, really, as long as it had a comely face to wake up to in the mornin'."
The writing stopped. "So that's when you started wearing the eye makeup?"
"No, lad. I started wearin' the kohl when I first started navigating. I almost got blinded by the sea, and found that the kohl helps the reflection of my face from getting into me eyes. Not that it hasn't served as more..." The old man winked. He groaned and stretched, and looked very tired. "Boy, I need another bit of rest if ye don't mind. Me life is long enough that I can't just spill it out in one breath anymore."
The boy nodded and put down the pen, waiting patiently while the old man napped again.
* - * - *
TBC
Pirates of the Caribbean - R
Copyright: Characters, not mine, See the Mouse. Story, mine, but I make no money. He does, but not on this.
Summary: It is horrible to lose a lover to murder. Worse to look back and know you could have stopped it with but a single command. Few men know the real story of the Captain Jack Sparrow legend, or the fate of Commodore Norrington. Fewer would be believed anyway, if they did have the nerve, or the heart to tell it. One man did, then, to set the record straight for posterity. He’d always had the nerve, and his heart already broken. Slash, Angst, Rape (as memory only – no details), Deathfic.
Archive: Fine…just let me know the URL.
Beta: The great, fantastic, most perfect BetaGoddess in the world and her pet jackal…Pendragginink!
N/A: Anyone who has read my story “The Makings of a Pirate” might recognize some of the happenings in this story. This is AU from that, as that story is not a slash.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Chapter 2 - Of Losing the Pearl
The pen started moving again.
"I worked various jobs around the ship for the next few years under different captains. I was smallish, but worked hard and tried to keep me nose clean, so I didn't get flogged very often. In 1696, Captain Norton made me his first mate and lover and taught me how to guide my Pearl through the sea; through reefs and into ports, and all the other places I'd have to know how to steer through.
"About a year later, one night, after we'd made love, he showed me a compass and told me a story about gold and Aztecs and curses. He gave me the bearings and told me that the compass would guide me when I was ready to go there. Then he made me promise that I'd never show the compass to anyone. Then he told me that he was retirin' from pirating, that he wanted to settle down in Tortuga and finish his life in peace. I was crushed, as he was the kindest Captain I'd sailed under. The next day, he announced it to the crew that he was proclaimin' me Captain, and that they should follow me as they did him, even though I was only 17.
"After we dropped him off, I was worried that the crew would mutiny, but they kept to their word and followed my orders as if I were their elder. For 13 years I Captained my Lady, and the treasure and rum flowed free. I always kept by the guidelines that Captain Norton gave me though. When we attacked, it was with the least amount of lives taken possible, and always offered them to surrender their goods without a fight. When punishment was given, I gave it, but never enjoyed the givin'. The crew knew that, so they worked harder not to be punished. We had many adventures, which I'm sure you've read about so I won't bother ye with 'em.
"It was in me 30th year that the Pearl met a fate that I wish she hadn't. There was a calm that had us rowing for close to a month. The sails hung limp, and the water was goin' bad. We lost all but five of the crew, Bill Turner, my first mate, and myself included. When the wind picked up, we barely made it to Tortuga, and we rested there for close to two weeks getting our strength back even before lookin' for a new crew. Durin' that time, the other three of the crew took their shares of the treasure and left us, as was their right. It was then that I decided to use the compass I'd been given, as I didn't believe in curses at the time."
The writing stopped. "Were you and your first mate 'close' like you and Captain Norton?"
"Closer. He'd heard my lady singin' t'him, too. So we shared our lady and our bodies with each other, thinking and acting almost as a single person."
The writing started again.
"Bill and I went to a tavern called the Boar's Head and let the word go round that we were lookin' for a crew. The next morning, when we surfaced from our cabin, we had a good hundred and forty people waitin' for us on the docks, led by a large man named Hector Barbossa. I should have smelled that rat from my cabin, but we were desperate. We offered them equal shares, and I told them the tale of the Aztec gold and the curse, and we all laughed it off as they signed aboard. Since he seemed able to control the rest of the men, I allowed Barbossa to be First Mate. Bill didn't mind. He didn't like to give orders anyway. Besides, Bill and I still shared the Pearl and each other, and Barbossa and the others kept to themselves.
"When we were three days out, Barbossa came to me and requested the bearings of the island, since there was no way for anyoo leo leave the ship anyway and that we'd be sharin' the treasure equally. I didn't see any harm in it, so I gave them to him. I did remember what Captain Norton said about the compass, though, and made sure that everyone thought it was a normal, North-pointing compass.
"That night, Bill and I were woken up by Barbossa and his boys. I was marooned, and the last I saw of Bill, they were haulin' him off to the brig. I heard he joined them after that, but I know that it was only to stay with our Lady. I didn't blame him. He done wot's right by him. I'd 'ave done the same thing if things were reversed.
"Anyways, I found myself on a little island that took no more than an hour to traverse completely there and back again, so I started looking for food. As I was walkin' beneath some coconut trees, I noticed that there was much too much spring in me step, so I started digging. There was a trap door, and a lot of rum. Bein' as upset as I was over losin' me Lady, I could only do the most sensible thing to do in that situation. I got drunk.
"I stayed drunk for nigh on three days, when a ship came and found me. It was the rum runners, come to get stock from their cache. Bein' a bit under the weather, as you might say, I welcomed them to my little kingdom of the sea. They were not amused, and I thought I'd had it right there till they heard who I was. I managed to barter me way off the island with them then, and got back to Tortuga safe and sound with naught but a hangover to show for it."
The writing stopped. "What did you barter with? You had nothing."
The old man studied the younger one. "I've a mind not to tell, but no matter." The writing started again. "Since I had nothin' but me body and me compass, and I wasn't about to give them the compass, I offered me body. They agreed, and kept givin' me rum thinkin' I needed it to give them what they wanted. So there I was, safe in Tortuga."
The writing stopped. "You seem to have been a pirate for half your life, and a whore for the other."
"No, lad. I've been a pirate AND a whore for me whole life. Can't help it, really. I was brought up as one, and the instincts and urges are STILL there to tell ye the truth, even at my age."
The writing started again. "Where was I? Oh yes...Tortuga. Wonderful place for bein' on dry land. I stayed there for nigh on three years before I heard anything of the Pearl."
The writing stopped. "How did you make a living?"
"I just told you, lad. I've been a whore me whole life, and many of the men there didn't care where they put it, really, as long as it had a comely face to wake up to in the mornin'."
The writing stopped. "So that's when you started wearing the eye makeup?"
"No, lad. I started wearin' the kohl when I first started navigating. I almost got blinded by the sea, and found that the kohl helps the reflection of my face from getting into me eyes. Not that it hasn't served as more..." The old man winked. He groaned and stretched, and looked very tired. "Boy, I need another bit of rest if ye don't mind. Me life is long enough that I can't just spill it out in one breath anymore."
The boy nodded and put down the pen, waiting patiently while the old man napped again.
* - * - *
TBC