15.
"Go on now" The crew jeered and hurled out shouts of malice as they coaxed Elizabeth down the plank. She walked hastily forwards, peering over the edge beneath her feet at the waters below. Land wasn't too far away and Lynn kept his gaze focussed solely on the little island, trying to calculate how long it would take a regular man to swim there on his own or with bounds on.
"Barbossa you lying bastard" Barbossa's men rushed forwards and clamped on to Will, effectively prohibiting him from scratching the man's eyeballs out. "you swore she'd go free" Will continued with anger as he fought against the men restraining him.
"Aye, I agreed she would go free but it was you who specified when and where" Barbossa drawled, "though it does seem a shame to lose something so fine don't it lads?" a chorus of shouts echoed in return, and Barbossa directed his attention to the lass who was about to go for a swim. "So I'll be havin' that dress back before you go" He spoke with a mocking smile.
Elizabeth frowned and looked like she was about to tell the man off, but refrained, glaring at anyone who looked at her wrongly as she shed her overdress. Catcalls and cries of false awe rang about the dead man's crew as they watched her undress.
"It goes with your black heart." Elizabeth spat out as she shoved the dress into the awaiting hands of the Captain. He held it up to his cheek.
"Ooh it's still warm" the crew laughed and Lynn just frowned in disgust.
"Off you go!" More cheers and taunts sounded throughout the watching crowd.
"Too long." one man, in particular, seemed fed up with her stalling and slammed his foot on the support where the plank met the ship, Elizabeth was sent flying off and splashed into the waters below. Lynn couldn't tell if she had emerged from the water yet as his feet were still bound and he would surely tip over if he tried.
Jack was next as the men restraining him shoved him towards the edge of the ship, his false smiles he so often used to cover up his frown turned into one of sorrow as he faced Barbossa, his back facing the waters beyond.
"I really rather hoped we were past all this" Jack spoke, attempting to make last-minute amends with a man who never forgave easy. His attempts were to no avail... useless.
"Jack, Jack! did you not notice that be the island we made you governor of on our last little trip?" Barbossa latched onto Jack like one might embrace a friend.
"I did notice" Jack grumbled out in reply, wearily eying the land within view.
"Perhaps you'll be able to conjure up another miraculous escape- but I doubt it" With those final 'reassuring' words, Barbossa drew out his sword and pointed the tip at Jack with a smug smile. "off you go."
"Last time you left me a pistol with one shot" Jack spoke hurriedly, locking eyes with everyone on board before they flitted back to the man in front of him.
"It appears your right." Barbossa hummed in realization, he turned to the crowd, "Where be Jack's pistol? bring it forward." One of them, a rather rough-looking lad, presented the sole pistol with a stoic expression before slinking back into the mast of men and watching from a distance.
"Seeing as there's two of us" Jack attempted to make light of the conversation and bargain with the pirate Captain. "A gentleman would give us a pair of pistols." He finished off with a suggestive tilt of his head and raise of his hands which were now bounded.
"It'll be one pistol as before and you can be the gentlemen and shoot the lady then starve yourself to death" Barbossa smiled at his remark and with that, he tossed the pistol into the depth below, earning a glare from Sparrow as if to say 'you bastards have it coming for you' and dove in after it. The crew just laughed as the bottoms of Jack's shoe fell out of view.
Lynn looked around once more, a task he seemed to be doing every few seconds. He studied the face of the remaining Captain, watching his movements and facial expressions for any signs of what he was planning on doing to Lynn. He wouldn't be thrown overboard or killed, he was worth too much but that never meant they could still rough him up a bit, the prime example still lingered whenever his knee throbbed. Remembrance of the events on Isla de Muerta flashing through the prince's mind.
"Lynn! I believe. It is your turn lad."
"Yeah? and what may you have in mind. Drown me?" he let out a mocking laugh which subsided as soon as one of the men around him tugged on the roped around his wrists, they stung as they dug further into his ruined flesh.
"Be careful about what you wish for boy, or we just might." He threatened lightheartedly "No, I told you before, we plan on givin' ye' a free ride to the special family reunion right after we take dear ol' Will here back to the island for his blood."
"You said Lynn would go free!" Will remarked from his position near Lynn. He had struggled and was slowly inching towards the prince little by little so the men holding him wouldn't suspect anything immediately.
"But again, that was never mentioned in the terms. Don't fret pretty boy, Lynn'll go free after he meets his father but- then again, that's not really up to us is it?" he finished with a smile that made Will struggle twice as hard. "but... I digress," he continued and scratched his chin as if in thought. "what do you say, boys? cut the losses, drown the prince and let Will rot in a cell or..." he turner from his crew to Lynn, wetting his lips once before finishing the proposal "we leave Will free and you come with us." He spoke to the prince who mulled the deal over.
"Come on then, we haven' got all day!" one of the men shouted out as Lynn opened his mouth to answer, catching eyes with Will who's eyebrows were scrunched in thought, thinking of a way to get out of this one.
"Done." Lynn's tone offered no emotions and Barbossa did a double-take. "You let Will free, and I come with you to wherever you desire," Lynn affirmed.
"That easy aye? very well" Barbossa flourished his arms in a large arc as his crew members cheered, dragging Will down into the cellars and Lynn by his armpits. He trailed helplessly behind them, the roped tied between his ankles offered him little room to walk and so he was dragged, across the deck, down the bumpy stairs, and into yet another dingy cell with Will.
Panting, Lynn pushed himself into a sitting position against the closest wall as Will went to sit beside him.
"You're a rightful idiot William Turner." Lynn huffed with no malice whatsoever as he offered a small smile in the direction of Will's figure. Toiling with the bounds on his wrists, Lynn made easy work in getting them off and tossed them to the opposing side of the cell. The ankles took longer but as they fell off, Lynn allowed himself a moment's rest, rubbing his raw flesh and shifting so his knee was perched on a spot on the iron bars that made up a door.
"I don't believe they'll honor our wishes so prepare lads" Lynn spoke up and eyed the rest of Jack's crew who were crowded in a separate cell. They all chorused grunts of agreements and bickered among themselves.
"Where are you hurt?" Will let his head loll to the side as he examined Lynn. It was better than asking if he was alright because even a blind man could tell that the prince beside him was hiding more pain than he let on. Lynn just waved a dismissive hand and gathered his bearings, trying to shift into a comfortable position. Lynn heaved a large sigh of relief and that's when Will knew the prince was finally at peace. Gathered, it wasn't much but neither of them could complain.
"It's none of your concern" Lynn numbered out, side-eyeing Will to see his mouth opening and closing like a gasping fish out of water. He was groping for what to say and came up short. So instead of speaking, he acted, gently clasping his hands around Lynn's forearm where the bandage covered up his crest.
"May I?" Will asked and Lynn thought about it for a moment, seemingly confused at what Will was asking about before his eyes widened a fraction in understanding and he nodded.
Slowly, Will started to unwrap the bandages Lynn wore on his arm and used a rather sharp end of one of the bars to cut the material in quarters. He used two of those parts to wrap them around the red angry skin around the prince's wrist and the other two around his ankles, taking extra caution as to not touch his skin in any way. Will didn't know why but he was scared to get too close to Lynn. He was messing up his feelings for Elizabeth and making him doubt himself. It was a new feeling and Will wasn't sure how he felt about it.
Doubt.
That word alone resided in Will's mind for the next half hour as he mulled it over, occasionally eyeing Lynn who had fallen asleep. His graceful form was leaned against the cold wall and his head rested on his bent knees, arms providing a semi-comfortable pillow of sorts.
"So, what comes next?" Will asked. Not necessarily to Lynn but to anyone who would listen. It was a parrot screech that came in reply and Gibbs who spoke next to interpret it.
"Exactly what you dealt Turner, we go free one way or another, Barbossa's crew uses your blood and Lynn gets to be reunited with his father." Gibbs forced out with a grunt, anger laced in during the last few parts of his sentence. Will hummed in reply, not sure if Gibbs could see Will's entire form.
"There's a way we can come back from this though?" He asked once more.
"Aye my boy there is always a way but it best is not to talk about it here." Came the response as Will threw his head back onto the wall he was pressed against. The heat from Lynn's figure was keeping him plenty warm and yet he still shivered. Not from the temperature but from the many possible outcomes. Thoughts raced through his mind and he felt a headache coming, he shook his head as to rid both the ache and plaguing thoughts that lingered.
"Did you know how I got to Port Royal in the first place?" Will broke the silence, something he couldn't quite stand anymore. The gentle rocking of the ship and the chorus of cheers that came from the above deck were significantly different than the familiar blade clashing and sharpening he would so often listen to back at the forge in Port Royal. This time it was a new voice that spoke up, a man that didn't voice his thoughts too much claimed to know and told him.
"You can from the Pearl, your father was a part of the crew there. Then one day, a fight gave way and you fell overboard... an English ship found you and hoisted you up. It must've been one of Port Royals fishing fleets for they took you in and brought you back." Will frowned, trying to remember such events the man claimed had occurred. It made sense, it fit the puzzle and he could just barely remember the faint outline of a girl, looking at Will from above. A younger Elizabeth?
Lynn shifted beside him and Will let his eyes shamelessly roll over his sleeping figure, absorbing the small features he wouldn't have been able to pinpoint if Lynn were awake. The way his fingers curled against his arm, the slight knot in his hair as it draped over his arms, his cloak that was surely slipping off its resting place on his broad shoulders, and the way the bottom part of his crest peeked out from its resting place. He must have let his eyes linger a moment too long for when Will looked up, he caught the gaze of Mr. Gibbs who had a small smile on his face. Will felt his face heat up and knew his cheeks must be red from embarrassment though there was really no reason why. He just made sure Lynn was okay and sleeping peacefully. Nothing worth being embarrassed about right?
Elizabeth must have reached the island by now.
Will thought, thinking of his love. It was a tactic he had picked up. To think about Elizabeth and how much he loved her when he found himself thinking too much about the pirate prince who resided beside him.
"You're looking significantly better William. The color has returned to your face." Lynn spoke suddenly and Will tore from his gaze on the far wall to Lynn who was staring intently at him. The redness just grew upon registering the words Lynn had spoken.
Why?
A/N For any Leigh Bardugo fans or not check out Shadow and Bone on Netflix. The series(es) and adaption are utterly amazing.
SBB