The Tolling of the Bell

Author: Pilgrim
Title: Tolling of the Bell
Rating: NC-17 by the end possibly sooner depends on how the story progresses
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the PotC characters or movies (unfortunately); anything you recognize isn’t mine (god damn them to hell!) Before anyone asks yes, Oria is mine, who else could have thought up such a creature?
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! VERY FRIENDLY PERSON WILL NOT KILL ANYONE FOR BEING POSITVE OR NEGATIVE! JUST TELL ME!

Chapter 3 – Little Stowaway

Jack bounced the bag of silver in his palm with a widening grin at the wonderful weight of the coins. He strutted proudly through the main street of Tortuga towards the dock. His every intention being to drag Oria away from the ship and into the town to celebrate the haul with several mugs - scratch that - bottles of rum he quickly corrected with a broadening grin. Possibly a room as well if the coins would spread far enough after the rum, he chuckled to himself.

Jogging up to the deck of the Pearl he paused as Oria raised her eyes to meet his solemnly. Her arms folded over her chest as she watched him for a few seconds from the barrel she was perched on. He glanced about the deck warily, unsure as to why she was regarding him in such a way. “We’ve got a problem.” She proclaimed quietly with a cautious, almost apologetic smile.

“Problem being?” Jack winced and began to picture various alternatives on what could possibly go wrong, what these would entail, and their solutions. The money still clasped in his palm was no longer a great source of pleasure but representing the exact weight of worry that they may soon be departing from his palm and into someone else’s in order to solve said problem. His fingers tightened about the bag as he rattled through the various options and how willing he would be to part with the coins for those solutions.

“We’ve just gained another crew man.” Oria pointed behind her; a small face peered bashfully around her side and Jack’s grip slowly relaxed on the crushed coins. A small Indian boy sat on a second barrel behind Oria, a nervous smile plastered onto his face. “Sneaked aboard when we attacked that transport. Claims he was a slave and wanted to escape from his Master so he skipped ship hoping to go ‘missing’ at the next port. Only I spotted him and hence ruined his plan.” Jack side-stepped around her and raked his eyes over the boy suspiciously as if evaluating an opponent. He tied the money bag to his belt securely, his eyes continuing to graze over the lad.

“What’s your name then lad?” Jack questioned with an unforgiving gaze. The boy opened his mouth several times without making a noise.

“S…S…Sagar.” He finally blurted out and blushed, casting his eyes back down on to his clasped hands. Jack glanced at Oria with a raised eyebrow, she shrugged in what Jack considered an unhelpful manner though he wasn’t quite sure what he had been expecting.

“Well, Sagar, what experience have you of pirate ships or ships at all for that matter?” Jack queried in an authoritative tone, standing taller and hoping he looked more imposing than he felt. The boy glanced up at him with wide eyes, full of fear.

“N…n…none Sir. I’m sorry.” He began to burble random words and phrases in his fear, his slight frame trembling as if chilled.

“Alright STOP!” Jack shouted, waving his hands in an attempt to stop the cascade of random words that fell as a waterfall from the lad’s mouth. The boy stumbled to a halt in surprise. “I’m not going to hurt you lad. Relax. Just wait there and don’t move,” Jack commanded before gripping Oria’s elbow and dragging her a discrete distance away. “What do we do with him?” Jack demanded causing Oria to glance back at the hunched figure, biting her lip in thought.

“I was thinking of Will. He’s got a bed and a place in his heart for a lost soul after Sara. Can’t think of a better solution than to pair them up, after all the lad’s clearly not fit to work on the ship and we can’t just leave him here.” Oria whispered, careful to not let the boy hear her words.

“William? Are you sure he’d take the boy in ‘cos I’m not too keen on lugging a dead weight around eating up our resources for no purpose other than to eat without repayment.” Jack glanced around Oria at the boy suspiciously as if expecting him to gain two heads and leap at them with bared teeth. Oria grasped his chin and forced his attention back to her.

“He was a slave Jack; remember when you were branded a pirate for releasing slaves. This is no different, he’s just a boy.” Oria chided, surprised at his resistance to the idea. “It’s only a two day trip. Don’t you dare tell me you can’t spare two measly days either in movement or food on him.” She accused, waiting for him to resist and preparing her argument for the lad. Jack slowly nodded his agreement at the idea, not looking impressed. Oria smiled satisfied at having got her way for quite possibly the first time in several weeks and went to tell the boy the news, assuring him repeatedly that he would not be a slave again.

Jack glared at the boy, how dare he steal her attention from him. He knew all too well what was going to happen, the boy would grow attached to Oria, the boy would ask to stay and the boy would somehow manage to coerce Oria onto his side. Jack considered this soft spot for wayward children a definite anomaly in Oria’s otherwise terrifying person, first Will, then Sara, and now this urchin. Thus, leaving Jack with the impossible task of either refusing her and losing her or accepting and risking losing her anyway and all over the little stow-away.
Damn the boy, Jack cursed mentally while watching him sulkily as the boy chatted away as free as a bird to the wind. Finally the lad stopped talking and went away to the crew’s quarters with a wide yawn and grin at Oria and Jack.

Oria stepped up to Jack with a smirk, as if she knew the thoughts flipping nonchalantly through his mind. “Stop complaining.” She whispered, mildly amused at the jealousy that was so obviously displayed in his pose by folded arms enhanced by a sulky hunch and glowering eyes. Slowly he dropped the complaint as she kissed him softly, but her eyes trailed past him in distraction. Jack instantly lost the smile and scowled once more assuming it was the boy till her eyes began to open with surprise. “Jack,” He turned around sharply at the echo of cannon fire.

A small armada of HMS ships was floating just outside the bay and they were closing in, “Oh bugger.” Jack whispered and glanced about the bay nervously. There was no escape except straight through those ships. Oria tugged his sleeve till his attention returned to her.

“We need to warn the town.” She shouted over the roar of a second cannon ball both instinctively ducking slightly. Jack gave her an incredulous stare and she shrugged.

“Which part of their drunken minds is going to register the fact that we are telling the truth? Tortuga is best left to Tortuga’s devices and we are best to go and find the crew and slip away before this becomes a right royal mess.” Jack stated as he began to jog down the boarding plank towards the dimly glittering town. Oria followed silently, her gaze drifting over the harboured ships and she stumbled to a stop.

“Jack, the Pearl’s the largest ship here. It’s their best defence. We should stand and fight.” Oria declared, Jack cast her comment aside absently and continued into the town. She glared at his back in annoyance at being ignored once more but continued to follow.

“No point deciding on whether we should stand and fight or flee till we know what kind of a crew we’ve got. If they’re drunk beyond recognition and contempt then I doubt the Pearl will be doing anything more than swaying in the water with them.” Jack quipped over his shoulder as he twisted through the streets towards the Faithful Bride, the favoured tavern of the Pearl’s crew.

“Where there’s a will there’s a way.” Oria shouted back, matching his pace over the various litter of drunken bodies stumbling as one swayed upright, startled by the echo of a cannon.

“Aye, fair enough in theory but where there’s slight way and little hope there’s even fewer will and those willing to invest in it.” Jack retorted holding the door open and ushering her inside while casting a wary gaze about the streets. Every shadow appeared as a soldier or marine stalking towards them with primed rifle, with a grimace Jack ducked inside.

Oria had already located Gibbs and was in the process of separating him from his bottle of rum, a nigh on impossible task as the man argued vehemently and held it away from her. Listing all one hundred and one reasons with a slight slur as to why he should stay there and drink the problematic rum. Jack began to chivvy the rest of the crew, and slowly some headway began to be made as the message began to spread.

Oria’s patience snapped as Gibb’s reached his thirtieth repetition of the second point and she drew her flintlock, slamming the hammer back and aiming at Gibbs rum bottle without a second thought. It shattered with a resounding crackle after the thunder of the shot and the tavern fell into a deathly silent, Gibbs and the majority of pirates looking appalled at the shattered glass and spilled rum. All attention turned swiftly to her, including Jack’s who looked equally horrified at the destruction of the poor and completely innocent rum bottle. Oria continued regardless, mildly soothed by the explosive destruction of the rum that was the source of so many problems. “Finally, now listen and listen well ‘cos I will NOT repeat this. There are HMS ships in the bay and…” A pirate burst through the doors with a scream.

“MARINES!!!” He bawled at the now astounded and extremely puzzled drunken crowd. They glanced back at Oria dumbly, as if awaiting confirmation and she waved a hand at the pirate.

“What he said.” She verified with a rejected shrug. The pirates gave shouts of indignation and unrest and began to drag their various swords, daggers and pistols from their sheaths and headed for the square. Seconds later the first firearm went off as the Marines knelt and took aim at the rowdy crowd.

“Think we’d be best staying put till they get into closer combat, eh love.” Jack stepped up behind her and whispered in her ear as they listened to the screams and groans of the pirates as the bullets ripped through their ranks. Oria nodded, glancing around the corner of the doorway warily.


AUTHOR'S NOTE:

HEY TO ALL MY WONDERFUL READERS, GET READY BECAUSE THIS CHAPTER IS JUST THE LULL BEFORE THE STORM. PRIOR WARNING, YOU WILL BE ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEATS, BECAUSE IT'S A 'BIG' CLIFFHANGER.

CAN'T REMEMBER IF I'D ALREADY MENTIONED THAT A CHAPTER WILL BE POSTED EVERY FRIDAY UNLESS OTHERWISE MENTIONED HERE. I'M A BIT ILL AT THE MINTUE SO CAN'T BE BOTHERED TO GO BACK AND CHECK IF I HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED IT, SORRY IF I HAVE.

ANYWAY, THANKS TIME!!! THANKS TO Michelle FOR HER WONDERFUL REVIEW AND I AGREE, THAT SCENE IS ALSO ONE OF MY FAVOURITES! DON'T GET TOO COMFY AS SEA'S CAN GET AWFULLY ROUGH.

THANKS ALSO TO WHO EVER RATED THE STORY, LOVE FEEDBACK AS IT LETS ME SEE WHAT PEOPLE THINK I'M DOING 'RIGHT' AND WHAT I'M DOING 'WRONG'! OBVIOUSLY THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. ESPECIALLY HELPFUL AS I WORK ON POTC STORIES WITHOUT A BETA.