The Rise of Libertas
Leila_Data
* * *
James Norrington sighed as he leaned out on the railing at the front of the Black Pearl. He was very glad that the day was done, though he would have to go through all the work over again. Norrington rubbed his hands together, which were shaking both from the chill of night and his stray thoughts of Elizabeth and Jacqueline. It had taken everything he had to not say anything to Elizabeth. He gazed down into the dark water below him. In the moonlight, Norrington saw the rippling image of himself reflected in the water. He almost did not recognize the one-eyed man staring back up at him.
Norrington tore the black bandana from his face, clenching it in his fist. He should not be onboard this ship again. He should not be a pawn again…a pawn in Lord Beckett’s plans. Norrington looked up from his reflection and into the night.
“It’s strange,” a voice said from behind him. He turned quickly, fearing for a moment that the speaker was Elizabeth. But it was Robin who was walking toward him. “I remember how you would always look out into the darkness of night.” She came up beside him and learned on the railing. “Look out onto the endless ocean while everyone else was asleep.”
Norrington turned back to the sea. “So did you,” he said quietly. Out of the corner of his eye, Norrington believed that he saw Robin smile.
“Taking a bit of a risk, aren’t you?” she asked. Norrington turned questioningly to her, and she nodded towards his hand. “What if it was dear Lizzie who had come here?”
Norrington looked back down at the black cloth in his hand. “I hate this thing.”
Robin nodded understandingly. “Yes, I know. It cannot be comfortable, but I’m afraid it is necessary. We can’t have the crew finding out who you are.” Norrington dropped his gaze downward, towards his feet. Robin correctly interpreted what he was thinking about. “You should forget her, Admiral. At least your…feelings for her.”
Norrington looked at her in surprise. “You want me to forget?” he asked disbelievingly. “Do you really believe that I can simply…forget how I feel about her?”
“Yes,” Robin stated. “After all, you forgot your feelings…at least the nice ones…about me, have you not?” Norrington gave a hollow laugh.
“That woman is gone.” He sighed. “Apparently she never really existed.”
“So your love for Jacqueline caused you pain.” Once again, Robin seemed to be reading Norrington’s mind. “And what has your love for Elizabeth done for you?” Norrington said nothing. “She married another man,” Robin said. Norrington felt his heart tear. “A pirate, I believe?” Norrington turned away, hiding the tears that were coming to his eyes. “Anything I missed?”
Norrington sighed heavily and shook his head, but his mind was far away on another vessel…
“Go. I will follow.”
“You’re lying.”
“Our destinies have been entwined, Elizabeth…but never joined.”
Norrington felt a single tear gliding down his cheek. He wiped it quickly away, casting a furtive look at Robin, embarrassed, but she was gazing out at the sea and did not appear to have noticed.
“It’s a hard learned lesson, isn’t it?” Robin said quietly, almost as though speaking to herself. “That you can only count on yourself. That trust…that love…causes nothing but pain.”
Norrington was shocked to see a glistening tear escape Robin’s eye and run down her cheek. He reached out to brush it away, but Robin grabbed his wrist as it approached, vigorously wiping away the tear herself. Norrington knew better than to ask who she was thinking about, and the two stood in silence for a moment, both looking out onto the ocean.
“It’s late,” Robin said quietly, looking up at the moon. “You should get some sleep.” The moon glinted eerily in Robin’s eyes as she turned to him. “You need to put that bandana back on, though.”
Norrington had forgotten about the black cloth in his hand. He did not want to put it on, but knew Robin was right. He attempted to tie it behind his head, his fingers stumbling.
“Some pirate you make, you can’t even tie a bandana. Here.”
Robin took the cloth from him and took off his tricorne hat and handed it to him before she spun him around so his back was to her. She then carefully placed the bandana so it hid most of his face and began tying it rather tightly behind his head. Norrington stiffened as he felt her hands get entangled in his hair as she tried to tie the bandana beneath his ponytail. He closed his eyes, firmly reminding himself that this woman was not Jacqueline, but a heartless pirate. But he had just seen her cry…
“We are still bonded by the Oath, Admiral; you don’t have to worry about getting a knife in your back,” Robin said, this time incorrectly interpreting his body language. Norrington smiled slightly, glad to know that Robin could not actually read minds. “I can’t see anything…” she muttered. Robin turned Norrington so his back was in the direction of the moon as she took off the cloth to reposition it.
Norrington felt his heart nearly leap from his chest as he saw a flash of blonde hair vanish through the door to below deck. “Oh, my God,” he breathed.
Robin stopped tying the bandana, one hand jumping away from Norrington’s neck where it had just been brushing some of his hair aside. “What?”
“Elizabeth…” Norrington whispered. “Elizabeth…”
“What about Elizabeth?” Robin asked, sounding both annoyed and nervous.
“She…she was right there,” Norrington said, pointing to the door he had seen Elizabeth disappear through.
Robin quickly finished tying the bandana and turned Norrington back to her. “She was here? Did she see you?” Robin gave him a little shake when he didn’t respond. “Did she recognize you?”
Norrington nodded. “She must have.”
“Damn,” Robin swore under her breath.
“What do we do now?” Norrington asked hesitantly.
Robin turned away from him. “We don’t do anything. It’s her play.”
* * *
Jack Sparrow was unable to concentrate on the map with Barbossa reading over his shoulder. Jack glanced around the room. This had been his room, his cabin, and it should be his cabin still. A bottle on the desk caught his eye and he reached for it, but Barbossa hit his hand with the flat side of a cutlass. “Not until you can provide a bearing.”
“I’ve already told you, I don’t know how to read this,” Jack said angrily, his eyes still on the bottle of rum. “This map isn’t exactly clear, as you may recall. ‘Up is down’? This map is just annoying unhelpful.”
“Then why don’t you use your fancy little compass, Jack?”
Jack froze for a moment as Barbossa smiled at him. Of course he would have found out about the compass; it seemed like everyone knew about it nowadays. Jack reluctantly pulled the compass from a pocket deep inside his jacket. Jack saw Barbossa eye the compass greedily, but he did not try to take it. Jack turned and looked at Jack the Monkey nervously, but the monkey was entertaining himself by biting a gold coin. Jack was about to open the compass when there was an urgent knock at the door.
Barbossa growled in annoyance as he went to see who was interrupting them. As soon as he opened the door, Elizabeth slipped inside and shut the door behind her. “What can I do for you, Mrs. Turner?” Barbossa asked, attempting to sound polite. Elizabeth briefly scanned the room before sitting down without waiting to be asked; however, she still did not speak. Her face was white.
Jack stood and approached her, bringing the bottle of rum with him. Barbossa glared at Jack as he knelt by Elizabeth. Jack uncorked the bottle and offered it to her. He was surprised when she accepted it, and even more surprised when she took a large swig. “My shrewd sense of women is telling me that you’re upset, love.” Barbossa rolled his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“That man with Robin,” Elizabeth began. “Last night I saw…but he couldn’t be…” Jack and Barbossa exchanged a concerned look before she continued. “I saw…but it is impossible.
“Not to pry, love, but who did you see?” Jack asked.
Elizabeth looked up at him like she had just realized that he was there. She shook her head. “Never mind. It couldn’t have been him.” She stood and went to the door, but Barbossa blocked her path.
“Mrs. Turner, if you be knowing who the man is, I’d suggest you tell me,” Barbossa said. “That’s not a threat, Mrs. Turner,” he added quickly.
Elizabeth looked at the bottle of rum in her hand. “James,” she said quietly. “It was James.”
Jack quickly searched his mind for the name “James” and was not too happy about what he found. “James? As in James your first fiancé?” Elizabeth nodded shakily. Jack remembered James Norrington far too well. Norrington had given the heart of Davy Jones to Beckett, nearly causing the complete destruction of piracy. Jack shuddered. He was glad that episode was over and that Cutler Beckett was dead. Beckett was one “old friend” Jack did not want to run into again. Jack automatically grabbed his forearm.
“But it can’t be,” Elizabeth continued, pulling Jack back to the present. “James is dead.” Elizabeth sat down again. “He died to save me…”
“Perhaps the moonlight played a trick on you, Mrs. Turner,” Barbossa offered.
“You died,” Elizabeth said, ignoring Barbossa’s suggestion. “You both died and came back.”
“Very few do, Mrs. Turner,” Barbossa said with what was probably supposed to be an encouraging smile. “After all, a goddess brought me back to life.”
“And we saved Jack from Davy Jones’ Locker,” Elizabeth added with a nod. “I know.” She took another sip of rum. She made a face at it and handed it back to Jack, who eagerly drank deeply from it. Barbossa frowned.
“Mrs. Turner,” Barbossa said. “We are a bit busy at the moment, so if you don’t mind…” He made motions toward the door.
Elizabeth sighed, standing to leave. She went to the door, which Barbossa opened for her. Elizabeth hesitated and looked back towards Jack before she left. Barbossa shook his head as he closed the door behind her. “Now, Jack.” Barbossa grabbed the bottle of rum and tried to take a drink, but found it empty. He tossed the empty bottle aside. “The compass.”
Jack frowned as he sat back at the desk, slowly opening his compass.
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