Aurora Barbossa (A Pirates of the Caribbean Story)

Chapter 24 Prepare for Battle

Chapter 24
Prepare For Battle

    I sat beside my mother in a lifeboat, accompanied by Beckett, Will, Mercer, and Davy Jones, without a clue of where we were heading. Clearly, my new stepfather did not trust me, not that I gave him any reason to. I still felt weakened and drained from my wounds, which have still not healed since the whipping. I know Becket is purposely withholding his physicians from me, despite Mother’s persistence. He does not want me to heal to fast to keep me weak and under his control.

    The boat approached a small deserted island. On the other side, the Black Pearl positioned.

    “What is going on?” I demanded, looking straight at Beckett.

    “Only a mere negotiation,” Beckett answered casually, brushing his hands together as he stood up.

    He motioned for Will and Jones to follow. I saw that barrels of water have been placed on the land for Jones to walk on. From the other side, I could barely make out Elizabeth, Barbossa, and Jack heading in our direction. I stood up to follow, but Becket shook his head.

    “You are to remain here, Aurora,” Beckett ordered, nodding towards Mercer, who held a pistol. “I will not yet need your assistance.”

    I began to protest, “But…”

    “Just do as he says, Aurora,” Mother commanded, sharply, grabbing hold of my arm.

    Confused, I slowly sank back down, and turned to my mother. “What are they doing?”

    “Just as Beckett says,” she answered, “a negotiation.”

    I shook my head in disbelief. “He plans to kill them all, am I wrong?”

    “Aurora,” she tugs my arm, forcing me to look at her, “I just need you to do what he says to stay alive.”

    I turned my head back towards the island. “I wonder what they are discussing.”

    The group spoke for long passing moments. I could not pick up a word. I then saw Jack and Will trade places. Jack the monkey grabbed something off the ground and then snatched something else from Beckett’s pocket.

    I stood up, ignoring the click of Mercer’s weapon. “Beckett is taking Jack!”

    “Of course, he has wanted to capture Jack Sparrow for years,” Mother breathed out in exasperation. “Now, sit back down, Aurora.”

    I feigned compliance, but instead of sitting, I used up all my energy to grab one of the oars and whack Mercer across the face. Without any hesitation, I jumped off the boat and darted away. I heard Mercer stumble up, once again clicking his gun, but Beckett turned and shook his head. Instead, he held out his hand to me as though to welcome me to the group. I slowed my pace.

    “Ah, Aurora.” He smirked, grabbing my arm. “Perfect timing.” Beckett turned his head to Barbossa. “Now, if you give me what I want, Captain Barbossa, I will return to you, your daughter.”

    I looked down by his pocket to see that the monkey had snatched the compass. Knowing how Beckett needed this for his goals, I looked desperately at Barbossa and shook my head. My father looked back and forth between Beckett and I, unsure of what to do.

    “It seems as though you are having difficulty with this decision,” Beckett taunted as he grabbed me, pointing a pistol to my throat. “Let me make it a bit more simple. Give me the compass and I will not shoot her.”

    “Aurora!” I heard my mother scream from the distance.

    Barbossa briefly glanced past us to her as he gradually raised his hand with the compass.

    Beckett snatched it, and then whispered in my ear, “Die with them instead,” before shoving me into my father’s arms.

    Barbossa took a moment to look at my back, muttering ‘what happened,’ before the four of us turned to head back to the Black Pearl. Will and Elizabeth walked ahead, while Barbossa and I remained behind. He still had a firm grip on my upper arm.

    “You should not have let Beckett regain that compass,” I stated, firmly, letting out a breath. “Now he has even more of an advantage.”

    “He already had the advantage,” Barbossa growled. “No thanks to whatever you and Turner were plotting.”

    I turned my head to look at him sharply. “I had nothing to do with Will’s plans! He acted alone, or maybe with Jack. Just not me. You have to believe me.”

    “Do I now?” He lifted his eyebrow. “And what about the last time you expected me to believe you and the time before that?”

    “I…”

    Before I could finish, Barbossa pulled out a coin from his pocket and said, “We already have what we need.”

    I immediately recognized the coin from the string attached. “That’s Jack’s.”

    “Aye,” he confirmed as we boarded the Pearl. “This is his piece of eight.”

    The moment Barbossa released my arm I felt a loss of balance. All this movement seems to be reopening my wounds.

    He retook my arm, trying to look at my back. “What happened?”

    “Nothing,” I muttered trying not to sound weak.

    “It does not appear as nothing,” he barked. “What did they do to you?”

    “Nothing, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it!” I jerked my arm away and looked at the coin. “Now, what are you planning with that piece of eight?”

    Barbossa gripped the coin within his palm. “To free Calypso.”

    At the very sound of this plan, there were instant protests throughout the ship. Despite the rebellion, Barbossa insisted that this goddess was our only lingering hope.

    “I think he is right,” I said over the protest. “We should free Calypso.”

    Barbossa looked at me apprehensively. “You actually be taking my side on this?”

    “Yes,” I stated firmly. “One of the things making Beckett more powerful now is his control over the Flying Dutchmen. Maybe we can get Calypso to release Davy Jones from his control.”

    “What good would that do?” Barbossa demanded. “Jones will not come to our aid.”

    “Well, he will not help Beckett,” I pointed out.

    Gradually, more and more crew members seemed to agree, desperately clinging to our last hope against Beckett.

    Barbossa then motioned for Tia Dalma to be brought forward, tied up.

    As the ritual was performed, I took a step back behind Barbossa, lifting up my long gown I was given while on Beckett’s ship. When my father attempted the phrase it did not work, yet for some reason, it did for Regetti. 

    Tia Dalma’s body grew to giant’s size as the goddess within her was released. I remained behind Barbossa, unsure of how frightened I should really be at the moment. The captain then began to bow, insisted that everyone to the same. I slowly sank down, beginning to regret my part in this.

    Once Barbossa finished his plea for Calypso’s assistance and for the Pearl to be spared, she shouted something I did not understand before exploding into hundreds of crabs. I immediately ducked. Barbossa put his arm over me as the little creatures fell on to us.

    “Now what?” Pintel demanded, pulling out the last crab from under his shirt.

    “We fight,” Elizabeth answered simply.

    “We would not stand a chance,” Barbossa protested, harshly.

    “What other choice do we have?” I demanded, looking him in the eye. “If we flee, Beckett will only hunt us down.”

    Ignoring me, Barbossa accused Elizabeth of only wanted revenge for her father and he refused to die for that. She did admit he was right, but then gave an inspiring speech on why we shall fight, gaining nearly everyone’s support. I must admit she is a pretty good choice for Pirate King.

      “So I suppose we are going to fight after all,” I commented in a heavy breath to Barbossa.

    “So it would appear,” he grumbled in response and then looked back to me, concerned. “Are you sure you are alright?”

    “Yes,” I breathed, even though my body felt weaker than before. “It must be the dress. They make them extremely tight.” I turned towards the inside of the boat. “I am going to go change.”

    “Barbossa!” Will called as he tilted his head, beckoning him to come.

    As Barbossa met up with him, Will looked at me and whispered something in his ear. My father then appeared to let out a gasp, turning his eyes to me. I looked over to both of them sharply. What could they be talking about?

    As Barbossa returned to me, I demanded, “What did Will tell you?”

    Instead of answering my question, he muttered, “You should not be here now.”

    “What are you talking about?” I demanded, placing my hands on my hips.

    “You cannot fight with us,” he insisted in a soft breath, looking downward.

    “Why not?” I asked, taken back. “You are going to need all the help you can get. I will fight.”

    “You can’t because…” Barbossa lifted his head and gave me a complicated look as he took in a deep breath, “because you cannot be trusted.”

    “What?” I looked at him sharply as the fury began to fuel within me. “You cannot be serious!”

    “You betrayed me before,” he muttered, turning his head. “Who is to say it will not be happening again?”

    “So?” I shouted in rage, pointing at Will, who only looked down, sadly. “He betrayed all of us and you are still letting him fight with you!”

    Barbossa sharply whirled his head back in my direction. “And you expect me to believe you played no part in his betrayal?”

    “I had nothing to do with it,” I insisted and then demanded, “What did he tell you?”

    “Never mind that,” he growled as he motioned for Pintel and Regetti to restrain me. “You should not be up here.”

    “No!” I tried to pull free from their grasp, but lacked the strength.

    “Do not struggle, Aurora!” Barbossa raged and then tilted his head and mumbled, “It’d be for your own good.”

    All the struggling, screaming and even shouting the word, ‘father,’ did me no good. I was still taken below deck and locked up in one of the cells.

    “Sorry, Aurora,” Regetti muttered. “You are probably better off down here, anyway.”

    They both walked back up the steps, shamefully, leaving me trapped in this prison. I never felt so helpless. While I remained down here alone, I would likely listen to everyone die above me. I could not have that. I have to escape.