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Savarna	By : BrethlessM Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (All) > Het - Male/Female > Jack/Elizabeth Views: 5383 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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A/N: So it turns out I've got a viral infection, and I'm absolutely crazy with the aches. I managed to get chapter four out, but I can't attest to the clarity of it. Should be fine, although I didn't get where I'd planned to. That's okay - just means this fic will be longer! Next chapter will get us to Teague (I hope) and the one after that to Lizzie, so don't despair if you've been missing her. I've been having such fun writing William and Jack... are you all enjoying them? So now most of the secrets are out, and I've tried really hard to make it all work right, so tell me what you think! On another note, as most of you probably know, the final Harry Potter book comes out tonight, and I will read that before continuing to write, but fret not! It should only take me a day or two at the most! If I weren't sick it'd be even faster! Go enjoy book seven and let chapter four tide you over for a few days, and I look forward to hearing from you all again soon. Again, any mistakes in regards to the Malagasy people/culture/language, are mine and mine alone. On a final note... I have to give kudos to Madame Pudifoot who came so very close to figuring it out that I nearly pee'd myself with excitement. You ROCK! - Love, Kimberlee

Chapter Four

Jack ran through the village of his youth past huts he hadn�t seen in years, but he did not stop to reminisce. William�s scream echoed through his mind as he headed towards the only hut from which such sounds could emerge.

His desire to get to William was stilled by only one thing � the voice of his First mate calling out to him from one of the huts. Jack considered continuing on and coming back for them later as he�d planned to, but a second thought struck him and he stopped. With a powerful yank fueled by desperation, Jack opened the door to the hut in which his men were imprisoned and pulled Gibbs out by the collar of his shirt. �Get to the ship,� he ordered. �Prepare her to sail � I�ll be along shortly. If I�m not there within fifteen minutes after you�re ready, leave without us.�

�Where�s William?� Gibbs called after him in a harsh whisper, but Jack kept running, hoping his men wouldn�t do anything stupid.

The ombiasy�s hut was exactly where he remembered it, just on the western edge of the village. There were no guards outside, which surprised Jack until he burst through the door of the hut and saw the two men holding William against the wooden floor. The shaman had been kneeling over William, but had finished his work and sat back on his heels just seconds before Jack entered. All three men looked up in surprise.

Jack took one look at William�s back and felt bile rise in his throat. He pulled his sword from its sheath, grateful that it hadn�t been taken from him. He did not cry out his rage, but in one swift movement Jack struck the head of the nearest guard from his shoulders. The other guard and the ombiasy did not have time to react before Jack had slung William up over one shoulder and run from the hut into the surrounding trees.

William was still unconscious, and Jack hoped he�d remain that way until they were far from shore. All the bouncing around would not help his pain much, and Jack felt angry tears sting his eyes before he could wipe them away. There was no time for things like guilt. Instead he concentrated on dodging between low hanging branches and avoiding roots protruding up from the red earth. It was a long way back to the ship but it was a journey he had made almost daily, once upon a time - though not in many years.

His crew had maybe a ten-minute lead on him, but Jack had a feeling he might over-take them at the speed he was moving. As he thought this, he realized that those who would eventually pursue them � and pursue, they would � would be able to make much better time than his motley band of pirates ever could on land. Something would have to be done to both throw their pursuers off the trail and increase their speed back to the ship.

Calling on reserves on energy even he hadn�t known he possessed, Jack pushed on harder and faster, determined to catch up with his men before he himself was caught by the Islanders. Unsurprisingly, given their numbers, he only needed to listen carefully to follow their trail through the forest. Within twenty minutes he�d found them, and he saw the relief in their eyes as he came alongside Gibbs at the front of the group.

�They�ll catch us as this rate, Captain,� Gibbs said by way of greeting. �Long before we ever reach the Pearl.�

�I�m well aware of the perilous nature of our situation, Mr. Gibbs,� Jack huffed. �Follow me.� Curving off the path at an angle through the trees, Jack led his men closer towards the water, and the port of Toamasina.

It had the potential to be one of the worst ideas of Jack�s life, but it just as equally could be brilliant. He didn�t bother stopping to think about it any further � there was no better option. It would take only ten minutes to reach the beach, and if they were lucky, a way out.

Night had fully fallen by the time their feet sunk into sand, and Jack froze just before the line of trees ended, looking carefully around. As he had hoped, no one was in sight. It was often only the harbormaster who stayed down by the dock at all times, but given the heat of the day, the man had likely turned in early once it had cooled enough to allow sleep. Jack couldn�t help giving a wry smile; some things never changed.

The empty beach was a blessing; everyone important would be out looking for them, and they might not even think of the docks until they were well away. The majority of the boats resting along the shore were dugouts or pirogues � they�d have to take a few of those to make it up and around to the other cove, but just as Jack began making his way towards the closest of the vessels, his eyes spotted something even better.

A larger boat of an Indonesian design � a layar tanjaq � sat intermingled with its smaller cousins. It was exactly what they needed; a boat with sails for speed, a large enough deck for the whole crew, and rare enough to piss off the Islanders by stealing it. Ignoring the frantic questions from Gibbs, Jack veered right and lay William down in one of the pirogues nearby.

Within seconds, the rest of his crew had begun helping Jack with the ship, pulling it towards the water. It was done relatively quietly, given the softness of the sand, and when the vessel was able to float out of the shallows, Jack returned to the beach to collect William. With great care, he climbed with the boy over his shoulders, making use of Gibbs� offered arms when he was high enough.

Silently, the crew began adjusting the sails to move them out of the harbor, Helmsman Frederic at the wheel. Moving much faster now that they were off land, Jack took a moment to examine William�s back. Just as he had feared, the ombiasy had inked the same tattoo into the boy�s flesh as the one he�d given Jack nearly thirty-two years earlier. The skin around it was an angry red, and Jack knew he�d have to treat it with oils once they were back on the Pearl and safely away from Madagascar.

He didn�t realize that Gibbs was standing over them until he heard him swear, �That barbarous bilge-rat!�

�Yes� and Mum always spoke so highly of him.�

Gibbs ignored Jack�s flippancy, �What happened back there, Jack? One moment we were stocked and on our way, the next � a great bloody band of savages are dragging us through the woods!�

�They�re not savages, Gibbs,� Jack said with an unintended sharpness in his tone. �They�re just religious.�

Gibbs didn�t understand, so he said nothing for a moment. Leaning closer to William to examine the tattoo, he furrowed his brow. �Why did they do this to the lad, Jack?�

Jack sighed. �Never mind why, Mate,� he said, getting to his feet. �For now, lets put our wits towards getting ourselves far away from here, and fast-like.�

They made good time to the beaches of Fenoarivo Atsinanana, and Jack had them slow the tanjaq as they entered the cove. He scanned the beach with sharp eyes, but saw no one waiting for them there. He was not fooled; his tribesmen were smart, skilled, men and women. They would not have been thrown off the trail so easily. They would be waiting.

�All hands,� Jack said quietly in the night. �Prepare for a stealthy boarding. Pistols and cutlasses at the ready.� He followed his own advice, taking his gun from his waist.

No one asked Jack if he was expecting trouble; if their Captain was worried, it was always a good idea for them to be also.

Floating slowly until they�d drawn up alongside their own ship, Marty dropped the anchor on the smaller vessel - slowly, to mask the sound. Jack threw the grappling hook with remarkable dexterity and was the first to climb aboard.

All was silent on the deck of the Black Pearl, and Jack made a signal towards his men before beginning a more through search of the vessel. Carefully he slunk towards the helm just as Gibbs and Marty arrived on deck. They followed Jack, swords drawn and ready for any hint of trouble. The large Forward, Noah brought William up in his arms and as they passed Jack�s cabin, the Captain motioned for him to take the boy safely inside.

With half the crew now onboard the Pearl and the other half still on the tanjaq, Jack nodded to Gibbs. The First mate immediately began whispering harsh orders to the men to make ready the ship. Lines were dropped down to the smaller ship and the two were linked together. A group of men waited beside the capstan for the order to raise the anchor, and black sails began billowing out as they were released to catch the evening breeze.

Jack, Pintel and Ragetti remained together, approaching the side of the ship that looked out over the beach. Ropes leading down into the water marked the places where his crew had secured the Pearl that morning before the tide had risen. The water looked to be waist-deep now, and they would need to release the ties and push the ship off of the beach before the tanjaq could take over and tow.

�Where are they?� Pintel asked in his gravely voice.

�Hiding in the trees� like arboreal spirits from ancient mythology!� Ragetti answered, gazing into the forest with wide eyes.

Jack resisted the urge to shoot one of them. Anyway, the Cyclops was likely correct. The beach was deserted, but the line of trees was close enough to serve as a convenient place for an ambush. Still�

He sheathed his sword. �All right� down you get!�

Pintel and Ragetti gaped at Jack until he grabbed one of the tie lines himself and did a neat flip over the railing. They were still staring as Jack shimmied quickly down the rope, but started moving before he reached the water. Moving as quietly as he could around the ship, Jack began loosening the ties that anchored her into the sand.

Having an entirely black ship was often beneficial, in that darkness rendered the Pearl invisible. However, three figures standing in front of her with varying degrees of color to their ensembles made Jack feel highly visible as they finished their task. No one came after them though, the night remained silent. Glancing around worriedly, Jack grabbed one of the free lines and quickly climbed up towards the deck.

This was it - they were ready to go. �Man the capstan and haul up the anchor! Make ready!�

Marty began directing the crew from his position atop the capstan, and the squeal of metal on metal announced the rising chain. They were on their way.

Jack didn�t even climb onto the deck to give his orders, and he was just about to slide back down to the beach to help Pintel and Ragetti push when a long familiar battle-cry sounded from all around them; the Islanders were not in the woods � they were hiding in the water.

Jack swore loudly. �Mr. Gibbs!� he screamed over his shoulder. �Prepare a welcoming committee for our guests!�

Pushing off the side of the ship, Jack swung on the rope out over the water and let go in time to land directly in front of the chief. The man looked surprised, but only for a moment. Still, a moment was all Jack needed to pull his sword and bring the edge down on the spear in the chief�s hand. As the wood shattered, the chief reached out and grabbed the point, letting the staff fall into the water.

Jack eyed the man as he raised the spear point before him like a dagger. �Don�t want to kill you, Mate,� he said in their native language.

�And legend says I cannot kill you � but I saw what the Caplatas� did to your mother, so I do not think that will pose too great a problem.�

Fury shone in Jack�s eyes, and he raised his sword only to thrust it swiftly towards the chief. His opponent was prepared, and blocked it with the stone blade from the ruined spear. All around them, Jack could hear the cries of those rushing forward to capture his ship and murder his crew, but he paid no attention to anything but the man before him.

�That reminds me,� Jack said with a grunt as he avoided the downward slice of the chief�s blade. �How was it the Caplatas� were able to get close enough to remove her from the temple? They couldn�t have come onto holy ground of their own accord.�

The chief spun and lashed out again, the stone of his blade meeting squarely with the steel of Jack�s. �They made an offer,� he replied through his teeth.

Jack froze, all of his weight was pressed against his sword just inches from the other man�s face. �You mean an offering,� he clarified in a low voice.

The chief pushed Jack away from him and in that instant, a shallow cut appeared on Jack�s arm. �No,� he said soberly. �An offer.�

Understanding rushed through Jack, and he heard himself screaming in rage. Three light steps through the water, a twist of the waist and a sharp punch forward, and it was over. The chief sunk to his knees in the water, Jack�s sword protruding from his throat. His eyes never had time to close.

Jack pulled his blade from his victim and wiped it on the leg of his trousers. He might have taken more time if Gibbs� voice hadn�t called him to attention. Whirling around, Jack saw the other Islanders had made it off the beach and were climbing ropes onto the Pearl�s deck.

Quick and agile as a monkey, Jack leapt through the water and grabbed hold of one of the ropes, scrambling upwards. The man above him barely had time to notice his arrival before Jack cut him down to crash back into the surf below them. In seconds he was over the side and searching for his First mate.

Gibbs was fighting two of the Islanders at once, but still noticed his Captain�s arrival. �It�s about time, Jack!� he shouted. �Mind lending a hand?�

Jack looked around and saw that they were outnumbered. Most of his crew were fighting two to one, and more Islanders were arriving over the sides every second. �Be right back,� he told Gibbs, who cursed at him colorfully as Jack fled, disappearing into the ship�s hold.

No lights were lit below, and Jack wasted a few precious moments correcting the situation. Finally able to see his way, he made for the deepest part of the ship�s belly where food and supplies were kept.

There was only one way they would win this fight, and it would not be through swords and pistols. It would take a brand of insanity with which Jack was uniquely familiar.

The freshly loaded foodstuffs they�d acquired that afternoon were sitting off to one side, but Jack headed towards the older items. From one barrel he pulled a few maggoty biscuits and crumpled them into a mug half full of water until it made a paste. Holding his breath, he smeared the wiggling mixture onto his face.

Removing his precious hat and bandana, and undressing to the waist, Jack quickly used two hunks of coal to smudge across his skin in swirling patterns, and finally, he used the juice of a rotting lemon to redden his eyes.

Grabbing his sword and pistol from the discarded belt, Jack headed back towards the stairs, but stopped one last time. Bending over the stair rail he grabbed a coil of cannon wick and cut two segments from it, each the size of his forearm. As he ran towards the top deck he quickly braided the lengths into his hair and tied them off at the scalp.

Smoke was beginning to fill the air on-deck as his men began using their pistols to thin the enemy�s numbers. Jack ignored everything, heading directly to the mizenmast. Grabbing one of the grappling hooks as he passed it, Jack slung the loop over one shoulder and began climbing as high as he could go.

From his perch, Jack had a clear view of everything going on, but he spared the action little thought. Tying the end of the grappling hook securely around the highest yardarm, Jack attached the pointed end to the back of his trousers, praying it wouldn�t rip. It was only then that he took stock of the situation below him, and took a deep breath. His idea was more than daft; it was insane.

Lifting the lantern he�d kept with him, Jack lit the fuses tied into his hair. He leapt from the yardarm, pistol in one hand and sword in the other. Arms spread wide, he unleashed the most vicious, blood-curdling cry he could muster as he descended on the masses beneath him.

For a moment he feared he�d misjudged the length of the rope, but it suddenly jerked him upwards about ten feet from the deck and his body swung out over the fighting men.

As his crew and the Islanders looked up to see what was causing such an unearthly sound they saw what looked like a demon straight from hell. Its face writhed, glowing white in the moonlight, looking as though it would either melt or crawl off the bones. The torso was scorched black, and no wonder � flames shot off from the devil in great sparks that turned the eyes into deep, empty pits of nothing.

Even worse, as it flew over them in its terrifying glory, the blade in its right hand struck the heads off of three of the Islanders, and an explosion from the left hand threw two more overboard with melon-sized holes in their chests.

The Islander�s ran. Many didn�t even bother stopping to use the ropes to get down to the beach, just tossing themselves over the side. The momentum from Jack�s swing began to cease, and those crewmen who�d run with the Islander�s suddenly understood what had happened. Still, they continued to follow their foe, just in case they happened to notice that the devil was now hanging in mid-air and looking quite pathetic as he struggled to get down.

Jack heard a cheer rise up from all around him, and Gibbs was laughing somewhere nearby. The First mate was closer than he�d thought, Jack realized as he went crashing to the deck � the man had climbed the mizenmast to cut the rope attached to Jack. Gibbs was still laughing as he helped Jack to his feet, but he recoiled when he saw the goop on his Captain�s face.

�Er� quite a colorful plan, Captain,� he said, eyes twinkling.

The deck beneath their feet lurched suddenly as the men on the beach began pushing and the Pearl began to float. A number of the crew clambered back onboard as Gibbs began shouting orders that would get them underway.

�Just a moment, Mr. Gibbs,� Jack said with as much dignity as he could muster. Removing his trousers � which did indeed have a large tear in them � he handed the item to a bewildered Gibbs and stepped up onto the nearest railing. Taking a step forward, he plunged head over heels into the water, and emerged a minute later shaking hair out of his face.

Gibbs lowered another rope for Jack to ascend, and the moment he had the First mate asked, �where to, Captain?�

Pulling the charred fuses from his hair and tossing them aside, Jack strode proudly towards the hold, ignoring the stares from his crew. �Shipwreck Cove � no more stops. Either we get their before the supplies run out, or we starve trying.

Noah had not stayed in the Captain�s cabin with William during the fighting, but he had stayed right outside the door, killing or injuring anyone who came within five feet of it. The boy was still unconscious when the Forward returned to check on him, and he stayed that way when Jack entered � nude, but carrying a pile of discarded clothing. Noah was a stoic man; he didn�t react.

Jack�s shoulders slumped a bit from their proud posture when he saw the child in his bunk, but there was no tremor in his voice when he asked, �report?�

Noah shook his head. �De same, Captain.�

Jack nodded and began to dress as the Forward left the two of them alone. Once clad in undamaged clothing, Jack removed the tatters of William�s shirt as gently as he could and rummaged around in a bag he kept under his bunk until he found the jar he was looking for.

Inside it was an oily substance with a yellowish tint. The smell was not welcoming as Jack unscrewed the lid, but he knew from experience that it would cut the pain considerably. Deftly, he took up two fingers full of the unguent and spread it thinly over the reddened scar on William�s back.

The boy inhaled sharply, and Jack forced himself to continue; the sooner he finished, the easier it would be to bear. He�d just wiped his hands clean on a spare bit of cloth when William came to and said his name softly, �Jack? What�s happening?�

� �s�all right, Mate,� Jack said comfortingly. �We�re back on the Pearl and on our way to Shipwreck Cove.�

William tried to sit up and gasped at the ache the motion created. Then he remembered. �What happened to me?� he asked steadily.

Uncertainly fluttered behind Jack�s eyes, and he said �It�s a long story, Mate. You sure you�re up for it tonight?�

William wasn�t sure, but he set his jaw firmly and nodded anyway.

With a sigh, Jack stood up from the bed and began pacing the floor. His eyes landed on his mother�s shrunken head, sitting on his desk, and he picked it up and handed it to William. The boy hesitated only a moment before reaching to accept it.

�Me Mum�� he paused. �It�s important I explain this to you, so that you fully understand what�s happened, alright?� Jack looked to make sure William was following. �I told you Mum was special, but I didn�t say how, or why. I�ve never told anyone. When Mum was a girl, no older than you are, she was taken from her home in Bengal, India to Toamasina. It was for her own protection � to keep her away from those who knew about her, and who would use her to gain power.

�But what I�ve found over the years, is that there are people who can always see the truth of things where other�s can�t, and that�s what happened in Toamasina. Mum was recognized straight away for what she was, but they didn�t want to use her, you see, they wanted to worship her.�

�Worship her?� William asked. �Was she a queen? Are you a prince?�

Jack smiled grimly, and shook his head. �No, Mate. Much worse. Mum was a goddess.�

William felt his mouth open as though he had something to say, but no words came out. He just stared.

�Well, not exactly a goddess, but like enough. Her mother was a goddess bound in human form, and she fell in love with a powerful Indian Lord, or some such person, and my Mum� Savarna, was the result.� He paused. �She wasn�t an all-powerful deity, but there were things I saw her do�.� He looked at William and re-focused on what he was saying. �The Islander�s marked her so that she could never leave the island and they set her up in a temple where people from all over Madagascar came to pay tribute to her daily.� His mouth curved bitterly.

�She once told me how miserable it was before I was born; how lonely.� Jack remembered his dream from the island � of his dead-souled mother awakening at a glance from Captain Teague. �I don�t know how she and my father met, but I do know the only time she tried to leave Madagascar was on the night I was born � the night of the typhoon.�

William nodded, wide-eyed, and Jack continued. �They knew she couldn�t leave, but they thought, maybe somehow�. They were halfway to India when the storm hit, and if anyone but Captain Teague had been at the helm, all would have died that night, including meself. As much as he loved my mum, Teague never returned much after that. I guess if he couldn�t have her completely�
�So I was born, only Mum wasn�t expected to have a child, so that made me something of a wonder to the people. I was expected to be a powerful god myself, despite my father being a pirate. They waited until me twelfth birthday to mark me as their god � the tattoo in the center of my back.�

William gingerly reached around until he touched the greasy unguent coating the place over his spine. Jack nodded. I couldn�t leave the island� didn�t want to until I was fifteen and began wondering about me father. Then I found a way around it and left my old life behind.� He crouched beside the bed so that he was eye-level with William. �I have never had children, and believe me, I�ve had opportunity. I�ve taken extra measures to ensure that I would not pass on this burden to anyone, but that doesn�t matter anymore, does it?�

William frowned, and looked down at his lap. �But I�m not� I mean� you told them I wasn�t your son.�

Jack gave him a lopsided frown. �You remember the Pelogostos? They tried to eat me?�

William was confused, but he nodded. �They made you their chief because they thought you were a god trapped in� wait��
Jack nodded. �I�ve actually been their chief twice, but that�s another story � and I�m still here to tell it, thankfully. I told you there are people who can always see the truth of things, and they�re always the ones who live closest to nature. I don�t understand it, but that is the way of it. You may not be my blood, but they saw us and heard us talk to one another, and though they couldn�t understand a word we said, they knew the truth.�
William waited, holding his breath.
I�m no more your father than you are my son, but apparently some things are greater than blood, and that tattoo on your back proves that. They couldn�t have given it to anyone for whom I didn�t feel a familial bond� savvy?�
He couldn�t speak, due to the lump in his throat, but he nodded and eventually croaked, �Savvy.�
They were both silent for a time; unable to look at one another or anything else. William fought the hot tears that threatened to overwhelm him, but then he realized something, and frowned. �Jack� I left the island. How did I do it?�
Jack frowned. �You can leave, but I expect we�ll be facing rough waters soon enough � which means I�m going to have to take the helm for the entirety of our journey. With a little help from Mum,� he stood and William saw him clutch the mermaid-shaped bead attached to the chicken�s foot at his waist, �and me own considerable skill, we might just make it.�
�You always were de cocky one, weren�t you, witty Jack?� a voice from the corner of the cabin laughed.
Both Jack and William spun towards the sound as a woman with long hair in dreadlocks stepped towards them, her grin stretching from ear to ear.
He�d never seen her before, but William knew who she was. �Tia Dalma?� he whispered.
�Grandmother,� Jack corrected.
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Savarna