"Ah, Master Gibbs, short we are, a map. Perhaps you'd be so kind as to provide us a heading," Barbossa implores, his tone laced with smugness and false propriety as he looks down as Gibbs who is slowly rising from where he was thrown to the floor by the naval officer.
Mr Gibbs flashes his eyes at the compass on the table, looking reluctant, before he turns to the map table to get a good view. He turns his head gently to the side, addressing one of the naval men beside him, "be a gem n'pour me a gulper."
"We be privateers, not pirates Master Gibbs. And in the kings name, we behave as such," Barbossa retorts, dismissing Mr Gibbs request.
"Aye... Captain," Mr Gibbs replies, his tone laced with disgust. He returns his focus to the maps and begins to trace the map with his pointer finger slowly.
"Be we on the proper course, Gibbs?" Barbossa barks, displeased with the slowness of the man. His eyes burn with anger and impatience, showing his true self for a moment.
"Aye, it be proper," Mr Gibbs nods, before smirking gently and raising his finger to point behind the Captain, "there's your proof."
Barbossa and his two minions turn in the direction Mr Gibbs points to and immediately leap into action. Barbossa's stick and wooden leg thud loudly on the wooden deck as he races to the bow to get a better look into the horizon. His officer, Groves, is just a few steps behind him and appears quickly at his side, extending his spyglass to look at the 'proof'.
There on the horizon are three Spanish galleons, sailing onwards on the same course. The galleons dwarf the H.M.S Providence in size, being only a two masted frigate class sailing ship.
"A Spaniard!" Barbossa curses, his voice low as he immediately bursts into movement.
"All hands, battle stations! Turn windward. Move the cannons! Gunners take posts!" He exclaims, spitting out orders as he accelerates across the deck in fury. The crew around them scramble, frantically running to their posts and preparing for the incoming battle.
"Await orders!" He calls out as the men look between themselves, preparing to shoot.
"Guns armed, awaiting orders sir," another officer affirms.
The ship falls silent as they anxiously await further instructions from Barbossa who has since stopped barking orders and has began to stare blankly into the horizon, looking out at the three passing ships.
"Sir, orders sir?" Groves inquires, puzzled by the captain's sudden silence.
Barbossa gulps, unable to take his eyes off the image presented before him.
The unmistakable glare of shining red hair can be seen from aboard the first ship, the same exact colour that Lily's used to be. It takes him by surprise; the sudden shame, guilt and heartbreak circulating through him and landing deep in his gut. His throat closes up and he finds it impossible to speak as he looks out at the fiery red glow in the background. He's drawn to it like a siren's call, an unfathomable pull.
He suddenly returns to his senses a few moments later and rips the spyglass out the hands of his officer and extends it to his own eye, desperate to get a better look himself.
He looks out and finds no Lily... and no one with red hair. A sense of embarrassment washes over him then, realising how foolish he had been. Lily was dead and would remain so. He curses himself and focuses in on the Spanish men, realising that despite them being aware of their presence, they pay no mind to them.
"Never so much as turned his head," Mr Gibbs comments as Barbossa retracts the spyglass, thrusting it into Groves' hands with renewed anger.
He casts one last glance at the Spanish ships before he stalks off, cursing under his breath as he storms into his cabin, the wooden door pounding shut behind him with a resounding thud.
YOU ARE READING
Fathoms Below: Captain Jack Sparrow
Fanfic"Jack was like a Chinese finger trap most of the time, you had to carry on playing, delve a little further and accept your fate before you were able to pry yourself away." Jack/ OC reader pairing, following the course of the movies with mini-inserts...
