Five
Looking back on the situation, Jack supposed it couldn't have ended any differently. After all, it was a man, a woman, and a boy against highly trained soldiers. The fight was still fascinating to watch, though the pirate was forced to observe the proceedings from the deck, with a soldier's knee in his back. Aragorn fought like a madman, and took many of his foes down with him, but couldn't stop the rush of men that at last threw him to the deck and wrenched the sword from his hands. Elizabeth and Blink had been overcome long before.
Tarleton marched out from behind his guard to where Aragorn lay, swords at his throat. "So, you defy me, eh? Who are you, and why do you help these pirates?"
Aragorn glared. "I'm not helping them. Why do you wish to hurt them?"
Tarleton ignored the last question. "If you're not helping them, why did you fight me?" He smiled, but it was all teeth. "I wouldn't have hurt you. My business is with the pirates, not their passengers. The traitors would have to be brought in, of course. And the pirates will hang. But you...You could have walked free. You have no ties to these people that I'm aware of. Why did you help them?"
"I already told you, I wasn't helping them." Aragorn looked to where Will lay. "You hurt Legol - Will. You hurt Will."
Tarleton glanced at the prone blacksmith and grunted. "He'll be fine. It's just a knock on the head. We want him alive for the trial." He searched his captive's face. "Who are you?"
Aragorn surged to his feet, and the swords jabbed in closer. "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn." He pointed at Will. "That is Legolas Thranduilion. He is my friend."
"You're quite mistaken." Tarleton laughed. "That's William Turner. Blacksmith, of Port Royal, married to the former Elizabeth Swann." His face darkened. "Rescuer of Jack Sparrow from his just reward."
Jack snorted. "Just reward! Did I ever hang anybody by the neck until they were dead? Ye'd think they'd let the punishment fit the crime!"
"And how exactly would it punish you to have someone else impersonate a cleric of the Church of England?" Tarleton demanded.
"Well, that was kind of my point, mate." Jack stated amiably.
Tarleton waved to his men. "Take them to the hold."
"What about my Pearl?" Jack demanded.
"Skeleton crew on the Pearl." Tarleton called. He turned to Jack, smiling. "She can still be put to honorable use."
"Honorable!" Jack's eyes widened in horror. He spoke quickly to the deck. "Don't believe him, darling. He didn't mean it!" He glared at Tarleton. "Give her nightmares, saying things like that."
But Tarleton was already gone, striding back to his ship. Jack didn't even struggle when the men dragged him into the merchant hold. He'd get out of this. He was Captain Jack Sparrow!
But even his name couldn't banish the memory of a noose with his name on it.
Tarleton marched out from behind his guard to where Aragorn lay, swords at his throat. "So, you defy me, eh? Who are you, and why do you help these pirates?"
Aragorn glared. "I'm not helping them. Why do you wish to hurt them?"
Tarleton ignored the last question. "If you're not helping them, why did you fight me?" He smiled, but it was all teeth. "I wouldn't have hurt you. My business is with the pirates, not their passengers. The traitors would have to be brought in, of course. And the pirates will hang. But you...You could have walked free. You have no ties to these people that I'm aware of. Why did you help them?"
"I already told you, I wasn't helping them." Aragorn looked to where Will lay. "You hurt Legol - Will. You hurt Will."
Tarleton glanced at the prone blacksmith and grunted. "He'll be fine. It's just a knock on the head. We want him alive for the trial." He searched his captive's face. "Who are you?"
Aragorn surged to his feet, and the swords jabbed in closer. "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn." He pointed at Will. "That is Legolas Thranduilion. He is my friend."
"You're quite mistaken." Tarleton laughed. "That's William Turner. Blacksmith, of Port Royal, married to the former Elizabeth Swann." His face darkened. "Rescuer of Jack Sparrow from his just reward."
Jack snorted. "Just reward! Did I ever hang anybody by the neck until they were dead? Ye'd think they'd let the punishment fit the crime!"
"And how exactly would it punish you to have someone else impersonate a cleric of the Church of England?" Tarleton demanded.
"Well, that was kind of my point, mate." Jack stated amiably.
Tarleton waved to his men. "Take them to the hold."
"What about my Pearl?" Jack demanded.
"Skeleton crew on the Pearl." Tarleton called. He turned to Jack, smiling. "She can still be put to honorable use."
"Honorable!" Jack's eyes widened in horror. He spoke quickly to the deck. "Don't believe him, darling. He didn't mean it!" He glared at Tarleton. "Give her nightmares, saying things like that."
But Tarleton was already gone, striding back to his ship. Jack didn't even struggle when the men dragged him into the merchant hold. He'd get out of this. He was Captain Jack Sparrow!
But even his name couldn't banish the memory of a noose with his name on it.