༺ T H E B A T T L E ༻
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The two women had some trouble swimming as their petticoats kept getting wrapped around their legs. Clara had to hang onto Will as she had never truly learned the art of swimming. But they somehow managed and made it back to the Interceptor. Elizabeth climbed up first, followed by Clara then Will. Clara bumped into Elizabeth's back as the girl abruptly stopped.
"Not more pirates," she said.
"Welcome aboard, Miss Elizabeth," Gibbs said, stepping out from the crowd.
"Mr Gibbs?"
"Hey, boy, where be Jack?"
"Jack? Jack Sparrow?"
"He fell behind," was all Will said. He took Elizabeth by the arm and lead her through the crowd. "Catalina, I need your assistance," he muttered as he passed her.
Glancing at her sister in confusion, she followed him, not putting up a fight.
The look on Gibbs's face struck Clara like an arrow through the heart. She should tell him what truly happened but to betray Will was beyond her character.
Taking a breath, Gibbs turned to the crew. "Keep to the Code."
"Weigh anchor!" Anamaria yelled. "Hoist the sails! Split-quick, you dibbies!"
Reflex kicked in and the crew dispersed.
Back in the Cabin the three were, and Catalina felt the wave of déjà vu as she dabbed a cloth on the cut on Elizabeth's hand. The girl hissed and roughly pulled back.
"Apologies, dear girl."
Elizabeth's shoulder relax and she gave her hand back to the woman. "Catalina is your name?" she asked, making conversation to take her mind off the sting.
"Yes."
"Where are you from?" Despite it being hard to make real progress in their conversation, Elizabeth continued asking about things - the woman's voice was soothing, like a melody to a lullaby.
Catalina looked up at her. "Everywhere." She went back to work, only to be interrupted again by her sister yelling for her. With apologetic eyes, Cata looked at the girl and then to Will who sat quietly nearby.
"Go, I can finish for you," said Will.
Smiling, she nodded her thanks and left, the cabin was brighter for a moment before it became dark once more.
"What sort of a man trades a man's life for a ship?" Elizabeth bit as she grabbed a piece of cloth to wrap around her hand.
"Pirates." She was struggling. "Here. Let me."
"Thank you."
"You said you gave Barbossa my name as yours. Why?"
"I don't know." She sharply gasped in pain.
"I'm sorry - blacksmith's hands. I know they're rough."
Elizabeth laughed. "No. I mean, they are, but . . . Don't stop."
The two locked eyes as he tied off the cloth, but he didn't drop her hand. "Elizabeth."
The girl took his hand, bringing it up to her neck before dragging it down to her chest, touching the medallion. Tugging it off, she placed it in his hand. "It's yours."
"I thought I'd lost it the day they rescued me. It was a gift from my father. He sent it to me. Why did you take it?"
"Because I was afraid that you were a pirate. That would have been awful."
"It wasn't your blood they needed. It was my father's blood. My blood. The blood of a pirate."
"I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. If it's any help, they will be looking for Clara, they think it's her now."
Will did not look at her and slammed his hand that held the medallion down on the table they sat at. He was upset that she would say such a thing, to sell out their friend like that, knowing this time they were looking to kill.
Not knowing what to do to fix what she just said, Elizabeth left. She made her way up to the main deck, finding chaos and Mr Gibbs.
"Hands aloft to lose ta'gallants! With this wind, she'll carry every sail we've got!"
"Elizabeth!" Clara yelled, running up to her friend to help pull her up.
"What's happening?!"
Clara pointed behind her. "Barbossa is right behind us!"
"This is the fastest ship in the Caribbean."
"You can tell them that after they've caught us," Anamaria shouted back from the wheel.
Catalina joined them up at the helm, a compass in hand. "We may still have a chance. Ana, turn to the draft, we'll lose them amongst the shoals. We don't have to outrun 'em long. Just long enough!"
"Lighten the ship!" Anamaria agreed, turning the wheel right. "Stem to stern!"
"Anything we can afford to lose, see that it's lost!" Gibbs shouted to the crew.
All had immediately taken up throwing barrels over the sides of the ship, leaving a trail but eventually lightening it. But it was to no avail. The Black Pearl was right behind them.
"It was a good plan, up 'til now," said Anamaria.
"Gibbs! We have to make a stand," said Will, having joined them. "We must fight! Load the guns!"
Ana looked at him in shock. "With what?"
"Anything! Everything! Anything we have left."
"Load the guns! Case shot and langrage! Nails and crushed glass! With a will!"
Will and Elizabeth shared a look and rushed off to help.
"The Pearl's gonna luff up on our port quarter! She'll rake us without presenting a target!" yelled Gibbs.
Clara turned to the sisters. "Lower the anchor on the starboard side!"
Will tilted his head and looked at Gibbs. "It certainly had the element of surprise."
"You're daft, lady! You both are!"
Catalina placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ana, we have nothing else to try. Sometimes being daft is the only way!"
"Daft like Jack," said Gibbs, an idea forming. "Lower the starboard anchor! Do it, you gob, or it's you we'll load into the cannons!"
The anchor was dropped, dragging along the sea bed, before it struck a reef, yanking on the ship. Clara hung on the rail of the stairs for dear life, as the ship turned about. Anamaria let the wheel go and they bent to the left, coming upon the Black Pearl.
The cannons began to boom, both ships getting blown apart by the other. Clara ducked, following Elizabeth who was with Will. Men constantly fell overboard or fell to the deck as they now took over their guns and began to aimless shoot.
"We could use a few more ideas, lassies!" Gibbs said as he hid behind the railing.
"It's your turn!" Clara shouted back, she knew a bit about sailing but nothing about fighting.
"We need us a devil's dowry!"
"We'll give them her!" said Anamaria who had crept up behind them and was now holding a pistol to Elizabeth.
"She's not what they're after," Will counted.
"The medallion."
Will sprinted away, going back down into the ship without a word.
"Where the hell is he going?!"
Elizabeth looked at Clara - had she not heard a word that was said? "To get the medallion!"
"Your necklace thing?"
"Yes!"
"No wonder Jack was interested in it when I first met him."
A loud blast sounded and the main mast came splintering down, crashing on the Black Pearl. The pirates from Barbossa's ship surged forth, using the mast as a gangway to cross over as well as grappling hooks.
Elizabeth had taken up Will's musket and shot down a man who was about to attack Clara. Ducking before glancing at the man, Clara looked at her friend in shock. "Good aim!" The smile fell quickly as she saw someone swing over, and they were right in their path. "Get down!"
The two fell to the ground, watching as the man swung over them, only to swing backward and hit another man, making him fall into the water.
"Jack?!" Clara questioned as she shot back up.
He landed on his feet right beside Gibbs who also shouted his name.
The pirate took a flask from his belt and handed it to his friend. "Bloody empty!"
In the few minutes that the girls were distracted two men had snuck up on them. They each grabbed one of them, swords in their hands. Clara could not tell if they were going to kill them or kidnap them, but the thought did not linger long as she tried to punch her way out of the man's grasp.
Elizabeth had managed to knock out her assailant and had turned to help Clara when he lifted his sword to her. She slowly backed away, searching the ground for a weapon of her own when a hand grasped the man's wrist.
"That's not very nice." It was Jack.
Taking advantage of the man's distractedness, Elizabeth slammed the butt of the musket she dropped into the man's jaw, sending him overboard.
"Jack!" Clara grinned, going to hug him but he pushed her to the ground as bullets whizzed past them. The action knocked the wind out of her and it did not help that in the rush, Jack had toppled over her.
"'Ello, love," he said leaning over her. "Happy to see me?"
"Yes," she wheezed out. "Listen, about earlier in the cave-"
"No worries, no harm done." He sat up, taking her shoulder in hand, having her sit up. "Now, where's the medallion?"
"Elizabeth gave it to Will!"
Just behind the girl was a small figure climbing across the mast. It was that stupid monkey and it was holding the medallion. "Monkey!" said Jack, jumping up and dragging Clara along with him. But their grasp broke, as Barbossa's man overtook the Interceptor. Hearing a scream, Jack glanced back, finding Clara was being haggled by another man.
She looked up at him, eyes wide and chest heaving. "Go! Get the medallion!"
He hesitated before nodding in recognition and finally crossing the mast, determined to get it. But as he reached for the monkey, he found Barbossa standing before him, holding the medallion.
"Why, thank ye, Jack."
"You're welcome."
"Not you. We named the monkey 'Jack'."
Jack squinted his eyes at the two - very funny.
Barbossa lifted the medallion. "Gents! Our hope is restored!"
The Black Pearl's crew cheered, louder than all the other times they had. As quickly as possible, they marched their captives over to the Pearl and tied them up on the mast. The only one who seemed to have escaped was Jack. He met Clara's eye and quickly looked away, he had failed her.
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