Black
Pearl Tales
is the official archive of
Black Pearl Sails
and Black Pearl Library.
Pirates of the Caribbean
is the property of the
Disney Corporation.
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a Challenge:
Conversation
Without Words
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By AhiFame ~ Darkness ~ Darkness surrounded on all sides, a wet darkness; cold and crushing. Well, it would be if he could feel. But he was cursed—forced to live an eternal ‘life’ void of feeling. Small flecks of light that belonged to the creatures that lived in the deepest, darkest part of the sea shifted around him, attempting to identify him as a friend, foe, or food. They slowly drew closer in unspoken fascination. These were the only ‘friends’ he had. He silently vowed that he would one day get revenge on the man who had marooned Jack and done this to him.
By Eledhwen Jack took the helm, and the ship shuddered beneath his hands. He caressed the wood, soothing her, calming her, turning the wheel just a little so her sails caught the wind. She seemed to pause a moment, before leaping forwards. The waves foamed under the bow, the wind sang in the shrouds. He smiled. Across the deck, Anamaria looked at him, a sardonic quirk hovering on her lips. She caught his eye, shaking her head in mock exasperation. Jack grinned cheerfully at her, and patted the helm consolingly. It had been a long ten years, but he was finally back.
By Hereswith ~ Conversation Without Words ~ He looked up. Barbossa was standing in the doorway, plumed hat on his head, belt buckle shining. Jack frowned; thinking there was something he had missed. Some small, inconsequential fact, that kept the world from falling apart. Barbossa smiled, the corners of his lips lifted, ever so slowly and Jack's eyes narrowed, in response. It was a familiar smile. Death always followed. Jack reached for his pistol, but Barbossa stepped forward, gaze clear and steady, no hint of hesitation in his face. Cold fingers danced down the length of Jack's spine. He knew, before his first mate started to speak.
By Jackfan2 ~ The Dance~ Rising above the cresting waves, the Pearl lurched sharply in reply. They'd argued for days, her hull slapping loudly against the tempestuous sea, it responding in a crash of water and spray. With poise at the helm, he deftly brought her back. This was her joy, this was her dance, and this was her first love giving her life. Together they moved through the churning seas with the gale force winds snapping furiously at her sails. Anxious eyes turned to the man at the helm. Catching her gaze,
he offered a gold-toothed grin and her concern melted within its
grasp. With a thrill of excitement, she turned to the crew. "Snap
to, you ninnes!" her voice sang out. "Take whatcha can!"
and they chorused, "Give nothin' back!"
By Kayden Eidyak ~ Monkey Whisperer ~ The ship rocked sharply and the quill fell off the table, rolling
across the floor. Barbossa sighed, wondering if disturbing his
aching knee was
By Geek Mama ~ Heart to Heart ~ Which also addresses the Home theme, done the same week.
By Estelwolfe ~ Offering ~ She had been watching him for nearly two hours now. They were the only two souls on deck, one working, the other . . . What was he doing? Testing? Wondering? Fearing? He had stayed in the shadows the entire time, skirting any patch
of moonlight, diverting his eyes and shrinking back if any beam
came too Footsteps heralded the appearance of a third soul, and she gratefully
handed over control of the ship. She watched him for a moment, Instead she walked over to stand in front of him, bathed entirely in the ghostly light of the full moon, standing just outside his reach and extending a hand, an offer. For a moment she thought the moonlight would prove too strong a barrier as he hesitated. Then his hand was in hers and she drew him forward, still whole, into the light. She smiled as he examined his hands and grinned. He had simply been waiting. *****
Neither one of them spoke a word as they made their way to the bedchamber. None had been necessary. Nor did Will carry her, as she had heard some grooms did. They had walked side by side, acknowledging equality, mutual assent . . .love. Will's fingers were shaking as they undid her dress, his eyes downcast. Jack had seen more of her, drenched on the island, than Will had on this, their wedding day. A gentle touched brought them eye to eye. The trembling of his hands decreased. Elizabeth closed her eyes. For tonight, she was content to be led. *****
I brought them together, both of them loving me, serving me, knowing they cannot control me, trying anyway. One has always loved me, loved mine, been mine. One was won slowly, through patience, through loss and disappointment. Both within my keeping, hunters of different colors. I rock them gently through their ships, for my untempered touch would surely kill them. My wordless lullaby brings a smile to two faces. They are more similar than they know, these hunters, these lovers of mine. I have won them both, and for the moment I am content. They will see fair seas tonight. *****
William, don't you dare do anything stupid. He didn't actually say it, of course, not in front of Barbossa, but I could still hear the words in my mind as he was forced off the ship, off the one thing he had always loved. He really didn't have any right to talk, though, considering it was his idea to go after the cursed gold that got me into this fix in the first place. That was the first stupid thing, taking that gold. If it looks too good to be true, it usually is. The second stupid thing was letting Barbossa find out I sent that piece to my son. Sending it wasn't stupid, no . . .just getting caught. It isn't a crime unless you're caught, aye? The words are crystal clear again, as is the grin that would accompany them. The lad had a right to speak and grin. It had been burned into his flesh. Was he wrong? I would ask the fish that's been staring at me for the last twenty minutes, but I've discovered that vocal chords don't respond well to water. I wonder how long it takes for rope to rot . . . *****
Cotton was used to talking without words. Or, rather, attempting
to talk without words, as most of the people he had met didn't
seem It made for some interesting one-sided conversations. It had also gotten him into some rough positions. Not that much qualified as overly rough compared to having your tongue removed. He sometimes wished that he could sit in the taverns still and tell them what it felt like. That tale would need no exaggeration to make it suitably horrific. He couldn't, though, not for all the wishes in the world. Much as he loved the parrot, you couldn't say much with only a handful of nautical phrases. There wasn't much need for more here, though. This captain, showy and eccentric as he might be, hid a quick intelligence behind the dark kohl and permanent slur. For the first time in a long time, even without words, there were two-sided conversations. For an old pirate who had managed to convince himself he'd have
to make do with simply following orders for the rest of his days
to stay *****
There hadn't been any need for words between them. Each already knew the other's fighting tactics as well as they knew their own. Between the fight in the shop and the fight in the caves, it would have taken a good deal of effort not to learn the other's strategy. There had also been something else, though, a deeper connection . . .the same type of connection he had had with Bootstrap, when they guarded each other's backs. It was instinct, trust, understanding of what the other would do on a primitive level that could rarely be learned. It was a feeling that he had sorely missed for the last ten years, and that he would miss again. Hell, truth be told, which it thankfully usually wasn't, he'd miss both the lad and the lass in their entirety. It was rare to find a well-bred woman with a spirit as wild and unbroken as Elizabeth's was, who would forsake status and wealth for matters of the heart. It was rare to find a man innocent as Will Turner who wasn't either hopelessly naïve or completely stupid. Jack smiled and raised his tankard toward Port Royal, silently wishing them the best. *****
We had to go back. His Pearl needed fixing up—-badly, if we were going to do any pirating, weather any storms. That cost money, though, and given he wasn't going to risk her in a fight . . .well, there's enough swag here to finance a whole fleet of ships, and only one decaying body as guard. I wasn't sure what I expected him to do. Curse, maybe, or kick
the body, defile it some other way. Dead or not, Barbossa gave
the lad He didn't, though. Just gave orders, made sure everyone was working,
then went and sat across the water from his dead first mate and I'm not sure what the lad was saying in his head, but he eventually seemed to find some sort of peace, his hands halting in what, for him, was an almost unnatural stillness. That was when the monkey decided to get involved. *****
Norrington's stance and eyes alone were all that was needed to
convey the message. Delay and hesitancy marred the sure military
stride. No one had wanted this duty. He didn't have the heart to send someone else with this message. It would be cruel to both the messenger and the intended recipients. Will's face was easy to read, two simple questions, how and who. Elizabeth's was even simpler to read, pure grief and sorrow. Sparrow would be missed. By Sylvia ~ Accord ~ Alone on the deck the two faced off, swords hanging limply after their practice session. Her eyes were bright with emotion; her cheeks flushed as she stared at him, mouth slightly parted, as she caught her breath. Jack hadn't seen her this excited since before he had sailed off with her boat, effectively ending their friendly arrangement. Strange how he had missed her. Her cheeks were still warm from their staged battle; her eyes still shone like beacons - was he really reading the signs correctly? He tilted his head a fraction, his scarred brow raising in enquiry. Her eyes shifted from his for a moment, then came back to meet his, bolder than before. He let his smile loose upon her, remembering the effect it had always had on her and was rewarded with the slightest of smiles from her in return. This was a bad move, he knew it, she knew it, but damn it he missed her warmth and her inventiveness and the connection he had severed. He held out his hand in silent invitation and held his breath. Her eyes never left his as she moved a little closer to settle her small callused hand in his. By Otherhawk ~ Fickle ~ All his life she had spoken to him. He had understood her soft
whispers in a way that few other men could claim to. She had rewarded
Somehow he had failed her. His heart had been ripped from him and now he lay on the beach, sand scouring his back. Had there been some warning, some sign that he had missed? Had she fallen out of love with him? There was no explanation. He could hear the sound of the tide but her voice was gone from him. ***** ~ Endings ~ Disbelief. That came first. The question; unasked and unanswered. They had too much past and not enough time. Then - acceptance, perhaps even amusement. Acknowledgement of a winner in this, their game that was no game. Who had won and who had lost was not as obvious as it might appear. Lastly there was a kind of gratitude... I feel … or maybe it was a request for forgiveness? Either. Both. None. …Cold. He didn't know. He couldn't see but neither could he close his eyes. When you kill your friends you owe it to them not to look away. By Rennie ~ A Perfect Day~ Creak of masts and yards, By Kelsey ~ Conversation (Or Lack Thereof) ~ You’re well on your way to becoming a pirate. Jack’s
words echoed in Will’s head and bothered him. It was true;
Jack knew that Will knew that it was true. What concerned Will
was that Jack said anything about it. Though the two men
hadn’t known each other long, they had quickly discovered
that conversation was extraneous to their communication. They
sensed each other’s movements and understood with glances
what would take volumes to say. Verbal communication was rare.
Jack’s classification of the pirate comment as worthy of
stating aloud caused Will to worry for his future.
~.~
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