Fight For The Right

47~ The Brethren Court

*Maddie's P.O.V*

It is very dark now. Nearly everyone aboard the Black Pearl is holding a torch, lighting our ship up as we sailed into Shipwreck Cove. Even I could not keep my jaw closed at the mere size and beauty of the structure. No wonder not many people outside the pirate life know about it; the place looks like it could take a raid and still be standing.

It was incredible.

Grapple was standing beside me as we all stood at the railing, and I think everyone has goosebumps or at least felt a shiver run up their spine. This is it. This is the time when we either decide to take a stand with everyone else... or run for our lives. I know which I'll be choosing.

"Look at them all!" Pintel gasped from the other side of Barbossa, who stood on my left.

Barbossa was resting his hands on the handle of his pistol, looking remotely impressed at the sight before us. "There's not been a gathering like this in our lifetime," he said, sounding almost joyful but I know he will never admit it. He was too proud for that.

Jack approached the small gap between me and Barbossa, and muttered, "And I owe them all money." Simultaneously, Barbossa, Grapple and I glanced at Jack, rolling our eyes. Of course he would...

*

We were all crowded inside a large room with a long table in the centre with many chairs, and a huge anchor overhead with candles serving as lighting along with the many torches around the room. Crew members of many shapes and nationalities were standing around the room, it made me wonder how we all fit.

I was standing off to one side of the table beside Gibbs with Grapple at my shoulder. Barbossa was on my left and on the other side of Gibbs were Pintel and Ragetti. Barbossa had a cannonball in his hand and knocked it three times upon the table, attracting the attention of everyone in the room.

"As he who issued summons, I convene this the fourth Brethren Court," he announced, and I watched along with everyone else as six pirates stepped forward, five males and one female and they all looked fairly important. As they sat down Barbossa waved his hand at Ragetti, who nodded and moved away, and continued, "To confirm you lordship and right to be heard, present now your pieces of eight, my fellow Cap'ns."

I spotted Ragetti weaving his way through the crowd and around the table to each of the pirate Captains, who each placed something in the wooden bowl.

"Those aren't pieces of eight," I heard Pintel mutter. "They're just pieces of junk."

Between us, Gibbs explained. "Aye, the original plan was to use nine pieces of eight to bind Calypso, but when the first Court met the Brethren were to a one, skint broke."

Pintel frowned at him. "So change the name."

"What? To 'nine pieces of whatever we happen to have in our pockets at the time'? Oh yes that sounds very pirate-y." I smirked at how sarcastic Gibbs sounded, but it doesn't sound like a bad idea.

By now Ragetti had reached the head of the take by Barbossa, who held out his hand. "Master Ragetti, if you will."

"I kept it safe for you, just like you said when you gave it to me," Ragetti answered.

"Aye, ye have. But now I need it back." Barbossa whacked him on the back of the head and Ragetti's wooden eye dropped in Barbossa's hand, who then popped it into the bowl. Gross, but clever way of hiding it.

"Sparrow!" A pirate lord with a rather large hat growled, and everyone turned to Jack.

He was standing behind Barbossa at a globe of the world with several swords sticking out of it. Jack raised his hand and fiddled with something hanging over the front of his red bandana, a charm of some sort. That must be his piece of eight.