A Gilded Cage
Chapter 6: Ravaging and Running
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A Gilded Cage: Sequel to Broken Wings, Part II of the Fallen
Sparrows Trilogy
A Pirates of the
story by Merrie
Disclaimer: They’re still not mine. Although if they
were…they’d probably all hate me for what I do to , so, so I suppose it’s just
as well.
Summary: Lorelac is seemingly
gone, Jack remains as one of the most wanted men in the known world,
Elizabeth’s still pregnant, Will still doesn’t know, Norrington’s still without
a job, and Jack’s still got more of his grisly past to share.
Characters: Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, Elizabeth
Swann, Chief James Norrington, Captain Zachariah Kruler
Author’s Note: How about that? I got this chapter up just
when I said I would for a change. Kudos to me! I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
It was fun to write.
Rating: R for violence and language.
Chapter 6: Ravaging and Running
Jack didn’t know how much time had passed while he had been
telling his story. He knew he probably wasn’t safe here-he was the most wanted
pirate in the ocean at present-but he couldn’t make himself leave, and even if
he did, he didn’t know where to go.
“I’ve heard that Captain Kruler
was renowned for his cruelty, but dear God, I never imagined. Did he really
tell everyone that you betrayed your ship?” Norrington asked with a deep frown.p>
p>
Jack nodded. “In every way he could. He made me out to be
some kind of ruthless criminal. Said I’d killed Sebastian
myself out of pure spite.”
“But…that wasn’t true. Why would he do something like that?
Why wouldn’t he and his crew just take the credit?”
asked slowly.
Jack fidgeted at the question, an indefinable emotion
passing across his face before he answered. “They did it to hurt me; to make be
come to believe what wasn’t true. They were trying to break me. And it was
working.”
“Why you? I mean, why didn’t they
just kill you?” Will asked tentatively. “Not that I’m
not glad they didn’t, but why didn’t they?”
Jack shrugged. “I don’t know why they sought me out at
first. Perhaps it was the way I was dressed; I was clearly better off than
anyone else on board. Maybe is ths the way I looked. I didn’t know then, and I
still don’t really know now.”
“What did they do with you?” Norrington was almost afraid to
ask.
Jack hesitated a long time before speaking, long enough that
Norrington thought he wasn’t going to answer. Just when he had been about to
tell him to forget he’d asked anything, Jack spoke up. “It wasn’t enough that
they broke my mind. That was important, but they had to break my body to before
I’d fully be theirs.”
WWW
Somewhere in the
pirate ship The Hangman’s Knuckles, Captain Zachariah Kruler,
1674
“How long have you been with us now, Jack?
trying to escape. You’re going to havebe pbe punished for that you know. It’s
not right that our little sparrow fly off now is it boys? You’d think he didn’t
want to be here with us, wouldn’t you?” The pirates surrounding Captain
captain.
“Why won’t you just let me go?” Jacanedaned wearily, not
bothering to wipe the blood off of his chin from the split lip he’d just been
given. There was no point when the rest of your face was bloodied to match.
The smile Captain Kruler sent him
at the question was nothing short of chilling, but Jack had become used to it
over time. “We’ve gone over this, little sparrow,” Kruler
said in an almost kind voice that chilled Jack even more than the smile did.
“You’re ours now. Your wings are clipped and you’ll never be let go. And truly
if you did go, where would you run? Your family has turned their back on you
for your betrayal. They know you sold out your family and crew, that you got
your friend killed. This ship is your home now. There is no where else.”
Jdidndidn’t bother arguing with such dogma. He had once, but
the argument had been beaten out of him until there was nothing left but grim
acceptance. A part of him still screamed out his innocence-that he hadn’t
betrayed anyone-but that part was slowly being drowned out by despair. What was
the use of fighting anymore? Kruler was right. Wasn’t
he? “Yes, Captain,” Jack said despondently.
Captain Kruler’s eyes narrowed and
the gathered crew surrounding him collectively held their breath. “Yes what,
little sparrow?”
Little
sparrow. How he hated that
name now. What had once been a kind pet name from his mother’s lips was turned
into a hateful moniker Cap Captain Kruler’s. The
crew had even started to call him little Jack Sparrow, laughing raucously as
they did so. Something black crawled along his spine as he thought of ways to
make them stop calling him that. Unfortunately, some of this hateful spite he
was feeling made its way to his face where Kruler saw
it and interpreted it as rebellion.
Jack’s world spun and darkened as he fell to the deck from
and it was in a daze that he reached up a roughly calloused hand to his mouth
and extracted a bloodied tooth into his palm. I just lost a tooth. Jack thought numbly, staring down at the
bloodied thing. He let it fall to the deck out of a limp hand and rose to his
feet. He had learned through much prior experience that if he cowered, cried,
or complained about the harsh treatment in any way, he would just earn himself
an even worse beating than he had already suffered.
“I asked you a question, little sparrow,”
tense; preparing to hit Jack again if it was deemed ‘necessary.’
Jack’s mind raced as he tried to remember what
wouldn’t get him hit again. “I won’t try and run away again. This is my home.”
Kruler nodded, seemingly appeased.
“Good, my little sparrow.” He turned to two of the pirates at Jack’s side-the
belled one that Jack had discovered was named Xavier, and a truly vicious son
of a French pox ridden whore named Alexander. “See that he gets ten lashes for
disobedience.”
o:p>
Jack’s world shifted as the men grabbed his arms and began
to pull him to the midmast where he would be bound
with his back bared to the whip to receive his ‘punishment’. “What? No! I did
what you told me to do! I didn’t disobey! Please!” Jack pleaded, desperate not
to feel the sting of the whip again. It was one of Captain Kruler’s
most favored past times. Jack had been lashed more times than he could count
over the course of his ‘stay’ onboard. Kruler himself
wasn’t the bearer of the whip, but Jack knew he watched the proceedings av.
<.
“Fifteen and saltwater.”
moaned and tried to struggle, but the pirate duo held him fast. “Would you like
to argue more, little sparrow? 15 lashes won’t kill you, but if you try my
patience I’ll have them give you enough to end your life aboard this ship right
now.”
Jack almost asked for more then and there, thinking that it
must be easier in death than in this hell in which he was currently living. But
he didn’t. He couldn’t. Not yet. Life hadn’t gotten bad enough for him to want
it to end now, not while there was still a hope that he might escape and see
his family again, no matter what he promised to Kruler.
He would never stop trying. This wasn’t his life. He wasn’t a pirate. He wasn’t
even a sailor for Christ’s’ sake. He was a scholar who had spent more time with
his nose stuck in a book than he ever had on the sea. But that was changing. He
no longer grew sick from the roll of the ship; the climb and descent of the
waves. He had learned how to move with the ship rather than against it almost
without trying. He didn’t like to think about such things, but it seemed as if
he had almost been born to the sea. Kruler no doubt
noticed this as Jack did.
“Bring him to my cabin when you’rnishnished with him,” the
Captain interrupted his thoughts. Jack shuddered. Time alone with Captain
“Yes sir,” the pirates holding him answered in tandem. Jack
put up a few more pathetic struggles, but with their combined bulk and strength
they managed to tie him to the mast without much effort after they had stripped
him of the dirty linen shirt that had once been white in another lifetime. Jack
hissed at that; his back was still horribly sore from the last time he had
undergone such torture. Xavier shoved a length of rolled cloth in-between his
teeth for him to bite down on so he wouldn’t chomp his own tongue off between
his already aching mouth.
“We’ll get the doc to fix you up a gold tooth later, Jack,”
Xavier whispered in Jack’s ear before he pulled away.
Jack just stared after him, his eyes black with hate. He
hated everyone aboard, it was true, but none more so that that fucking belled
pirate that made life just a little more horrid by patrong hig him with his
so-called ‘kindness.’ He hated them all. As his back was laid out before the
bite of the whip, he kept himself from screaming out by envisioning in
blood-drenched detail just what he would do to each and every man on this ship
before he killed them. He would wait; make them start to disregard their ‘little
sparrow’ and he would get his chance for vengeance.
Anyone who had been watching Jack’s face during the lashing
might have been a bit taken aback by the truly cold grin that crossed his face.
WWW
“I’ve still got scars from those bloody bastards and their
fucking whip,” Jack muttered darkly, looking across the room into his
audiences’ faces but clearly not seeing a one of them.
“How often did it happen, Jack?” Norrington finally spoke up “Every few weeks or so. Just long Will ran to the window and looked out, his face pressed up “Me,” Jack said with an air of resignation. “They’re “You can’t know that, Jack,” Will tried “Maybe I can go out and talk to them. Perhaps they’ll still “I’ll go with you,” “None of you bloody fools are doing anything of the sort. “Yes, you cheated, got knocked out by Mr. Brown, and “Yeah, well that drunken fool’s not here, and the “Not until you tell me where you’re going. Do you even know, “I haven’t bloody forgotten,” Jack said harshly, his voice Will faltered. “I’m…not, Jack. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have “I’ve been looking after myself for longer than you’ve been “You’re not going to be ‘bloody fine,’ Jack! Do you know the “If it’s so bloody much money then why don’t you just claim The argument went full steam after that, with each man “What in the name of god is going on “The island,” Norrington sighed, but nodded. The title still didn’t sit Will nodded gruffly, and Jack just pushed past Norrington “Leave that to me,” WWW “I say, Miss Swann was that entirely necessary?” Norrington “Was what necessary?” Will asked with a confused frown. “It got them to leave, didn’t it James?” “It, uh, certainly did, Miss Swann,” Norrington managed to Jack didn’t respond. He had seen stranger things in “Just what kind of crew have you currently assembled, Jack?” Jack sighed and glanced over his shoulder at The Pearl’s “One minute you’re cursing it for the trouble it’s brought Jack let out a wry snort of amusement at that and shook his “What? Was it somethingaid?aid?” Norrington asked with a perplexed “Whoever would have thought that you, Commodore James “Yeah, well I’m not a Commodore anymore, and perhaps your “Dear god, I hope not. There is enough of my special brand “You heard about that?” Norrington asked in a small voice, “Bloodiest funny thing I’ve heard in my life, mate. Wish I “Indeed,” Norrington said dryly. Jack just grinned at him again and rowed in silence the rest WWW Somewhere in the The sound of gunfire was deafening above him, so Jack Damn them all. Jack Jack was started out of his thoughts by the sound of some “Hello? Is anyone down here?” An unfamiliar voice called “I am here,” Jack called out softly, moving to stand away “Speak up, lad! I can’t bloody hear you!” The man called Jack nodded. “Savvy,” he said after a moment’s hesitation. “I thought as much,” the man said, unlocking Jack’s cell Jack clearly saw the man’s red coat for the first time and “Little Spar’s not a name I’ve ever heard, but to each his “My name is Edward John Corentin “Well-met…Jack,” the man said with a grin, offering his hand “Edward John Corentin “Traitor! I know who you are, you By all rights, Jack should have been killed then and there. “No, I didn’t do it. This isn’t happening. I’m not a killer. “My little sparrow, what have you done? I told you that you TBC A/N: Ok, I’m evil yes, but hey I got my chapter up on time! Reviewer Response FalconWing: Sorry Author Alert Holliday1081: Thankfully, you didn’t have to wait near as Ellenar: An update again! *Merrie OpraNoodlemantra: I updated again! iLuVrAiNeYdaYz: Neon Daises: *takes a bow* I’m very glad you like it. Thanks To anyone I might have missed, thank you for your reviews! -Merrie
after a few long minutes of silence. While his voice still held the clean and
even tones of his obviously rich upbringing, there was something clipped and
harsh as he spoke so causally about the gross mistreatment Jack suffsuffered at
the pirates’ hands. He had just been a boy, for heaven’s sake!
hunting again.
enough for my back to nearly heal before they did it again. But they had plenty
of other ways to punish me in the mean time, I assure you,” he said bitterly.
“But such things are better left not talked about,” he said after a long moment
of silence. He had been about to speak again when a loud knocking sound
interrupted him. He jumped immediatto hto his feet, his hand searching out a
sword off of a nearby table without thought.
against the glass as he tried to discern what was going on. “Oh bloody hell.
It’s the local guards, Jack,” he said with a worried frown, pulling away and
looking to his friend. “They seem to be going door to door and searching for
someone.”
searching for me. They must have spotted The Pearl.”
to insist, but his argument sounded hollow even to his own ears.
recognize my authority even if I’m…not in charge any longer,” Norrington said
firmly, moving across the room to go out and talk to the guards.
s up up softly, moving to stand next to Norrington. Will moved to protest, but
she held up a hand. “I’ll be alright. They won’t harm me, Will. I’m the
governor’s daughter, remember?”
I’m leaving out the back way so you might as well stay where you are,” Jack
spoke up with loud irritation, moving to leave by the other door. Will
yours, Will. Once more you are between me and my way out. You rememwhatwhat
happened last time, don’t you?”
arrested by Norrington,” Will said dryly.
Commodore’s on my side now.” Jack sent a considering glance Norrington’s way
which Norrington acknowledged with a nod. “So if you would kindly move, I’ll be
on my way.”
Jack?” Will asked with a frown. “If they’re really searching
for you, then they’ve no doubt got someone keeping a close eye on The Pearl.
You won’t be ableget get to it, Jack. And even then, where would you go? You’re
the most wanted pirate in the ocean at present, Jack. Or had you forgotten?”
like cold steel. “I haven’t forgotten a single bloody thing that bastard did
while he had control over me and I never will for the rest of my godforsaken
life, so don’t you dare start insinuating that I have.”
said that. But you’re not safe out there.”
alive, lad. I’m Captain Jack Sparrow, remember? I’ll be bloody fine,” Jack said
with a grin that looked more than a little forced.
bounty on your head now? Do you?” Will shouted. “Every man on this island is
going to be out for your head! They already are!”
the fucking reward? You could obviously use it, you dimwitted
calling out curses and insults to the other. Norrington and Elizabeth could
just stand and watch utterly dumbfounded as these two so-called friends tore
ks oks out of each other with the sword-sharp tongues. The argument had been
about to come to blows when Norrington stepped in, forcefully separating the
two combatants.
here?!” Norrington roared over Jack’s string of what he assumed to be
curses since none of them were in English. “The bloody guards are on their way
and you two are arguing like schoolchildren! Stop it, right now!” He wheeled on
Will. “You, Mr. Turner are going to stop acting like such a hotheaded young
upstart and get us all out of here.” Will tried to protest, but Norrington cut
him off with a sharp glare before turning to Jack who had been smirking smugly
at Norrington’s berating of Will. “And you, Captain Sparrow are going to stop
acting the fool and use your brain for a change! Now granted it must not be a
very good one since you’re wasting time by arguing now, but surely you must
have one! Now both of you shut the hell up and let’s get out of here!”
spoke up for the first time, looking just as angered with the two men as
Norrington did. All three men turned to her; matching expressions of confusion
on their faces. “James’ island,” she elaborated. “We’ll be safe there, won’t
we? James is the chief after all.”
well, but it looked to be the only one he had left. “Kiquan
will look after us if I tell him to. And we have no other choice.” He turned to
the two men before him. “Are you two going to stop fighting and remember you’re
friends again or am I going to have to drag the both of you out by your ears?”
Norrington’s expression was utterly serious, but
couldn’t stifle a small laugh at the image such a scene would have made.
and headed towards the back door as he had been in the first place. “I don’t
know where this bloody island of yours is, Commodore, and I don’t care. Anyplace
is better than this bloody town right now. We just have to get to The Pearl.”
offered. The men nodded after varying lengths of hesitation, and the group was
on its way.
asked slowly, his fair skin bright red in a vivid blush as they rowed out to
the cove where The Pearl was anchored.
had done something to get the small group of guards they had encountered to
leave them alone, but he hadn’t seen nor heard of what it had been.
responded with a bit of coquettishness in her voice. Or maybe Will was just
imagining that.
choke out after clearing his throat rather loudly.
had just pulled off. It was a shame Will hadn’t seen it. Although if he had, he
might have felt honour-bound to run each of the guards through and that would
have only slowed them down. He decided it was better to just keep his mouth
shut on that count, and kept his mind on his rowing.
Norrington asked suddenly while Will was busy trying to get
to tell him what she had done. “Are they to be feared or will they follow you?”
looming shape as it grew in the distance. “My last crew…
to make his way here. There aren’t a lot of them, and each one’d
be more likely to piss himself than stand up to anyone I say is under my
protection,” he said softly. “A reputation’s a funny thing, init?”
you, and the next you’re relying on it to get you out of that same trouble. I
sympathise, Jack,” Norrington said with a small smile.
head slowly.
look on his face that just made Jack laugh.
Christopher Michael Norrington III, the world’s most
well-known and successful pirate hunter would sympathise with me; the most
dreaded pirate in the known world. It boggles the mind, mate,” Jack said with a
short laugh again.
insanity is catching,” Norrington returned dryly but with a hint of humor in
his blue eyes.
of madness going around already for you to be adding to it now,” Jack said with
mock severity. “Just look around. I’ve turned you all into accomplices to a
known fugitive fleeing the law. Not to mention you commandeered a ship to come
rescue me on our last little ‘adventure,’ Father Norrington.” Jack’s grin was
practically splitting his face now. It hurt-his missing tooth was crying out to
be recognized-but he had had worse, and he couldn’t pass up this opportunity to
smile. With the way things were going, he might not have another for quite a
long time.
his face going red again as he looked side to side surreptitiously to as if to
ward off other listeners.
could have been there to see it.” Jack laughed again before pausing. “’Course,
if I had been there, there wouldn’t have been need for such dramatics, so it’s
probably best for humour’s sake that I wasn’t.”
of the way. His grin faded away into nothingness when they approached The
Pearl’s hull. “We’re here.”
ship The Hangman’s Knuckles, Captain Zachariah Kruler,
1674
covered his ears and prayed that a well aimed cannon blast would sink this
godforsaken ship he was imprisoned on. He was currently locked within the cell
he had come to know as home, left alone to his musings while the pirate crew
above him warred with whoever they set their greedy sights on now. He had been
about to offer up a brief prayer for their souls but stopped himself. Why should
he care if the pirates killed them all? It wasn’t his problem. Such a thought
might have troubled him once, but whatever caused the ache in his chest that
made him care for the lives of the crew’s victims-whether it be God or his
conscience-had faded with each ship they sacked and each man that didn’t
survive to come rescue the captive held within The Hangman’s Knuckles’ bowels.
thought to himself bitterly. No one is coming
to rescue me. Not my family, not anyone. I’m on my own. Like always. He was
a bit taken aback at how bitter his own thoughts sounded, but he had a right to
be bitter, didn’t he? His family had turned their backs on him for his
betrayal-No, you didn’t do it! Remember!
It wasn’t you!-and now he was on his own. And what was more, with each man
that was killed above, Kruler and his crew seemed to
take less interest in killing him. And if the swag they took from the ship was
good, that would keep them otherwise occupied even longer. “Kill every last one
of them,” Jack said fervently, thinking about the times he had suffered when
the ‘Knuckles’ Captain and its crew had been in foul moods. Moods they had
taken out on their ‘little sparrow.’ Jack received more near-death beatings in
those thankfully brief periods of time than anytime else he had been here.
one or some thing falling down the stairs and into the brig with him. He rose
from his dirt-covered cot to his feet and pressed his nose up against the bars
to get a better glimpse of just who or what was coming after him. He didn’t
dare call out in case it was one of the crew, they would punish him for such an
action just because they could, but that didn’t dampen his curiosity.
out. By reason that each man of the Hangman’s would have known he was down
here, Jack assumed it must have been a man from the victim ship. How had he
managed to make his way down here?
from his cell door.
out, rubbing his ears. Jack assumed they must have been ringing from all the
gunfire on deck. “Prisoner or pirate?” the man asked, standing in front of
Jack’s cell with a ring of keys that Jack heard the sound of and recognized
before he saw them. “And if you lie to me in any way, I’ll slit your throat,
savvy?”
“I’m a prisoner, sir.”
without pause. “You’ve just been freed by a member of the British Royal Navy.
What is your name, son?”
nodded. “Little Spar—” Jack paused and frowned.
own I say,” the man said wryly.
your thanks,” Jack said quickly. “Most people call me John or Jack, sir.”
to shake. Before Jack could grab it to shake it however, the military man
pulled it back and used it to pull out the sword he had just sheathed. “What did
you say your name was, lad?” the man asked with narrowed eyes.
understand—” Jack was cut off by a blade pressed against his windpipe.
bloody Judas! Everyone in
does! You’re the one who betrayed his family and crew to pirates! I ought to
kill you where you stand!” The man spat hatefully. “I think I bloody will! Do
the world and your disgraced mother a favour! Die,
you dog!”
As the military man fell, clutching at his bloodied chest, Jack could only
stare in confusion and try to discern what had happened. The man had been
lunging for him, about to run him through, and then what? Had he really grabbed
at the knife on the man’s belt or had that been a dream? Was that the same
knife in his hand right now?! Dear god,
it’s got blood on it still. Jack dropped kni knife to the ground as it were
hot to the touch and backed away from the man he had just killed.
I’m not!” Jack muttered to himself as he pressed his body against the curve of
the ship behind him and sank to the ground. He stayed in that
done until a voice interrupted his thoughts once more.
were a killer. You believe me now, don’t you? Welcome to the family, sparrow.”
Captain Kruler’s laughter drowned out the sound of Jack’s
cell door once more. Jack didn’t even notice it over the sound of his own
denial. He wasn’t a killer. Kruler was wrong. He
hadn’t killed anyone. He wasn’t a killer. He wasn’t! The dead
man that Kruler had left to rot just outside his cell
spoke otherwise.
That’s got to count for something, right? Right?
didn’t work. But I’m glad you found the chapter anyway! No, the Hangman’s is
definitely not a good place to be. But Jack doesn’t really have a choice at the
moment. :-) And see? I actually updated within a week! Go me!
long for this chapter. :-D Thanks so much for the review! Yes, I love
Norrington and truly believe that there’s more to the man than the uniform. I
figured that if anyone could understand Jack best, it would be him. And
nice. ;-) Ahh Liz. Well, Liz is definitely
conflicted. She didn’t seem as much this chapter, but believe me, it’s there.
Just wait til she can’t hide her pregnancy anymore
and then see what kind of “fun” we get! ;-)
rejoices* And when I said I was going to, too! :-D I
really do owe the gang something after this fic’s
done, don’t I? Hmm, maybe I’ll write a piece of fun fluff in between this
boys drunk and Norry tattooed. :-D
Double yay! :-D Yes indeed, poor poor
Jack. I’ve really been rather mean to him, haven’t I? In
Broken Wings too. Hmm, I make no apologies. ;-) Yes, I’m not sure
whether to slap or console Liz these days either. She’s being difficult.
Understandable, but she needs to cut it out. :-) She probably won’t, but I
guess that’s just as well. I hope you liked this part of Jack’s past. It’s
going to get much darker soon….
Goodness, that was hard to type out. Lol
you like. I know I have. ;-)
for betaing this chapter by the way! :-D Yes, I do
find myself missing Halia’s angst. (I didn’t almost
call her Aida, that seems to be your problem. ;-)) She had a way of inspiring
me to do my worst. Ah well. There’s plenty of angst in store, I assure you.
*insert evil laugh here*
See you in about a week or so with the next chapter! :-D