Wings of a Sparrow

Isla de Muerta

Indeed, the faint outline of Isla de Muerta was in the distance on the port side. Will stood, excited, and jumped onto the rigging for a better look.

The Isla De Muerta was, in a word, terrifying. It was desolate and shaped like a skull. In other words, it was a pirate's paradise. But apparently not Jack's. Again, only Cora noticed that his hands were shaking pretty badly, but then again, he hid it well. He walked over to the rail and said, "They'll be anchored on the lee side. Haul your wind, and keep to the weather of the island. Young Mister Turner and I are to go ashore."

When they began to get the longboat ready, Cora marched up to Jack, tying her hair back with a piece of leather. "I'm coming with you."

Jack laughed. "Very funny, love."

Cora raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"

Jack rolled his eyes."Darling, I won't let you kill yourself. These men... you recall I told you they are nigh unbeatable? If you engage, which I know you will, you will die. And what then, eh?"

Cora clenched her teeth. "Fine." But then, quieter, "if you don't bring both Will and Elizabeth back, don't bother returning yourself."

Jack chuckled and placed a hand over his heart. "Love, you wound me!" Before she could even blink, Jack wrapped a hand around her waist and dipped her low, laying his other hand on the side of her face. "Have I given you no reason to trust me, m'lady? Or do you still think of me as just a filthy pirate?"

Cora in turn whipped out her knife and held it to his throat, a smile creeping across her face. "Forgive me, Captain. I still think it wise for me to keep my friends close to vest, and I'm not certain I consider you one quite yet."

Jack grinned and leaned into the knife, breathing into her ear, "Well, you know what they say, darling. Friends close, enemies closer."

And suddenly Cora was once again upright, heart beating like a drum in her chest and knife still clutched. Jack and Will got in the longboat as if nothing had happened, and began to row toward the rocky shore. Just before they were out of earshot, Cora heard Will snarl, "If you ever lay a hand on my sister again you will cease to have hands."

The duo approached the island, and the rush of water grew louder. Will looked: ahead of them was a black cave mouth, right at water level. He looked back at Jack. "What's that sound?"

Jack shrugged. "Depends."

"On what?"

"On whether the stories are all true. If they are, that's a waterfall that spills over at high tide, with a short drop to an underground lagoon. If not..."

By now, the moving water had tugged on the longboat, and they were sucked in. Jack gulped. "Well, too late."

The boat rushed forward and plunged into the darkness. The longboat took a harrowing drop over a short waterfall... but then landed safely in a gorgeous lagoon, and began to float lazily toward a sandy shore.

Once they hit shore, Jack got out of the boat and promptly threw up. "Ugh." He groaned, wiping his mouth. "Chalk that one up for the stories." He threw up again as Will pulled the boat ashore.

Will shook his head and laughed. "I didn't think a pirate could be seasick."

Jack spat the bile to the ground and glared. "I hide it EXTREMELY well. And we just went over a damn cliff. AND if you tell a soul your tiny little brain will find its way out of your thick skull straight through your nose." And he walked away, Will close behind. They crept behind a rock outcrop and began to watch as a grusome scene unfolded. The pirates from the Black Pearl were all gathered below a mound of gold. Atop it sat a big chest, also filled with gold. The surrounding cavern was also filled with treasure, but they didn't seem to be interested. Because right next to the chest stood Barbossa with a bound:

"Elizabeth." Will breathed.

Jack swiftly clamped a hand over his mouth. "Listen, lad. It's about to begin, and I need to find the opportune moment to save your bonny lass. Now stay here, and don't do anything... Stupid."

It was at that moment Barbossa began his speech. "Here we stand before the cursed treasure of Cortez himself. Won by blood, it demands blood in return."

All eyes turned onto Elizabeth. Elizabeth shrank back, but she was bound and couldn't get very far. A pirate, Pintel, walked up with an evil smile.

Meanwhile, Jack was slowly making his way around the rear of the cavern when Will struck him from behind with a large rock, effectively knocking Jack out. Will continued on the same path, leaving Jack to lie.

Once Elizabeth saw the knife she began to struggle more frantically. Pintel raised the knife and...

Very daintily put a thin slice in the palm of her hand. Elizabeth's eyes went wide, surprised, while Pintel dripped a bit of blood onto the medallion. "That's it?"

Pintel shrugged. "What did you expect? We're all gentlemen here, right and proper."

The crew laughed. He passed the medallion to Barbossa, who grinned at Elizabeth. "You know the first thing I'm going to do when the curse is lifted? Eat a whole bushel of apples."

Barbossa approached the chest, shining in the beam of light. "Begun by blood, by blood undone." He tossed the gold medallion onto the others. The pirates tensed, waiting, expectant.

A long beat. They all looked at each other, looked at themselves. Nothing happened.

Another pirate, Ragetti, patted his chest and legs. "I don't feel no different. 'Ow do we know it worked?"

Barbossa rolled his eyes, drew his pistol, and shot him straight in the chest, making the man let out a squeal. A moment passed, and Ragetti let out a sigh of relief before the realization hit him and the rest of the men.

Barbossa turned to Elizabeth and grabbed her. "You. Maid. Your father. What was his name?! Was your father William Turner?!"

Elizabeth took the time to smile before answering, "No."

The pirates cried out in alarm. Barbossa gathered himself, getting his rage under steely control. He grabbed the medallion and held it in her face, screaming, "Where's his child? The child that sailed from England eight years ago, the child who is the real owner of this medallion, the child in whose veins flows the blood of William Turner?! Where?"

When she stayed silent, he slapped her, making her fall off the back of the pile. The pirates began to argue loudly over what to do with her.

Elizabeth sat up, watching the pirates argue, for a moment unnoticed. Suddenly, a sword came down, right above her. Startled, Elizabeth closed her eyes, waiting for the blade to pierce her flesh. But it never came. Instead, her bonds fell away and there above her was Will, holding a finger to his lips and a hand outstreched. The crew meanwhile, was still arguing.

Barbossa finally banged his fist against the chest. "If any coward here dare challenge me, let him speak! Any more talk, I'll chain ye to a cannon and send ye to the watery depths!"

A sound caught his attention... coins falling. He looked up, and saw Will and Elizabeth on the path headed out of the cavern. They quickly ran back to the longboat, and rowed back to the Pearl, leaving the pirates to stumble across a groggy, very unlucky Captain Jack Sparrow.