The Battle of the Brethren

Chapter 4 - Blood Red Roses

They had finally set sail in search of the Singapore fleet. The wind had whipped through Will's hair, almost blowing his new hat off into the ocean, never to be seen again. Luckily Anamaria had managed to grab it before it disappeared over the railing.

"Is that how you treat my gift William?" She had teased, before turning back to bark orders at the crew. Will had blushed and pulled the hat on more firmly, wedging it over his ears.

But now they were well into their journey and the crew had settled into what was clearly a well-oiled routine. They worked easily with one another and the air was often filled with the sailors' somewhat discordant voices as they sang songs that their fathers had sung to them, as had their fathers before them. Will sat in the Crow's Nest keeping watch for any sign of Huang, or anyone else who might pose a threat, when a tune drifted up to him on the cool morning breeze. Soon more voices joined the first and Will began to make out a word here and there. He didn't recognise the tune but clearly it was a crew favourite and eager voices lifted it to his ears;

"My dear old mother wrote to me,

Go down, you blood red roses, Go down,

Oh, son, dear son come home from sea,

Go down, you blood red roses, Go down

Oh , you pinks and posies,

Go down, you blood red roses, Go down"

The sailors worked to the steady beat of the song and Will caught himself humming along with the chorus. Soon he was joining in with the words, singing out to the cloudless sky and feeling more positive about this ridiculous mission than he had in days.

"Now one more pull and that will do,

Go down, you blood red roses, Go down,

For we're the boys to pull her through,

Go down, you blood red roses, Go down,

Oh , you pinks and posies,

Go down, you blood red roses, Go down"

"Aright Will?" came a deep voice from his right and a dark face appeared over the edge of the Crow's Nest. Diel was the ship's mate, apprentice to the boatswain Jimmy, who reported directly to Billy.

"Cap'n told Billy to tell Jimmy to tell me to tell you to, an' I quote, 'get his arse on deck, Cap'n Sparrow be wantin' a word', or tha's what I were told." He grinned and rubbed his nose. "According to the Cap'n we be close to Huang an' his fleet."

"Thanks Diel, I'll be right down," Will replied, his earlier light-heartedness gone and replaced by a queasy sinking feeling in his gut.

"Right you are," Diel rubbed his nose and disappeared again, only to immediately reappear and say with a cheeky smile, "Lovely voice you got there mate, if yeh don' mind me sayin'." He was gone down the rigging before Will could even formulate a reply and all he could do was follow him down, grumbling and blushing the whole way.

When Will had made his way back down onto the deck he watched as the Pearl drew level and three figures swung across. Jack Sparrow swaggered across the deck and came to stand in front of Anamaria. However, for all his posturing, his expression was strangely serious, darker than Will had seen him thus far. The importance of Huang's support to Jack and his mission struck Will like a hammer on an anvil and another layer of dread settled in his stomach.

Behind Jack stood two men, one short and stocky, the other tall and scrawny. The tall one was constantly fidgeting, for which he received numerous prods in the ribs from the first man and in return he stood on the shorter man's foot, causing him to stifle a howl and grumble under his breath. Jack didn't seem to notice their bickering but if he did he paid it no mind. He was deep in conversation with Anamaria and apparently oblivious to the snickering and huffing from behind him. What really drew Will's attention, however, were the tall man's eyes. They were pointing in different directions, but what was more curious was a slight glaze in the man's right eye. Will peered for a closer look, forgetting to be subtle. He was just about to step closer when the short man suddenly turned to him and snapped,