Claudia Norrington: POTC

Dinner with the Captain

Claudia's POV

Elizabeth woke up not long ago and is pacing the room. While I kept my eye on the door while flipping the knife over in my hand. Bored and slightly hungry. Just then Pintel and Ragetti appear with two dresses. I hide my knife eying them warily.

"You'll be dinin' with the captain. And he requests you wear these" Pintel tells us.

"Well, you may tell the captain that I am disinclined to acquiesce to his request" Elizabeth tells him.

"Likewise" I state.

"He said you both would say that. He also said if that be the case, you both will be dinin' with the crew. And you both will be naked" Pintel tells us. Elizabeth snatches the dresses from them. "Fine" he says and leaves with Ragetti.

"I'm not wearing a dress" I tell Elizabeth.

"But you heard them" she tells me as she puts the maroon one on.

"I won't be intimidated by a bunch of low life pirates" I tell her. "I'll wear whatever I want and dine with whoever I want" I state. "Now lets go see the captain" I tell her. We exit the cabin to be greeted by Pintel and Ragetti. "I invoke Parley, I wish to speak to Captain Barbossa" I tell them. They grumble and lead us to his cabin.

"Miss Smith, did you not like the dress?" Barbossa asks me.

"It was fine, but I'm fine in my current attire" I tell him. "Also I challenge you" I state. "If you can beat me in a sword fight with blades alone. Then I shall do as you say. But if I win, you set Elizabeth and I free" I tell him.

"I shall consider your proposal, for now lets ate" he tells us. Th two pirates leave. He pulls out a chair for Elizabeth. I sit down myself. He tells us to dig in. We do so. I grab a bread roll. "So Miss Smith, are you ever going to tell me your name? At least your first name?" he asks me.

"No, that is earned" I tell him. "All you need know is that I was going to be Elizabeth's sister in law before you kidnapped us. My brother won't rest until we're found" I state.

"Fair enough, try the wine" he tells us. Handing a goblet to me. I take it with a polite smile as Elizabeth takes a zip from hers. "And the apples, one of those next" he says holding an apple out to Elizabeth who stops eating.

"It's poisoned" she states.

"There would be no sense to be killing ye, Miss Turner" he tells her.

"Then why aren't you eating?" I ask him.

"Then release us, you have your trinket. We are of no further value to you" Elizabeth tells him.

"You don't know what this is, do yeh?" he asks her. Holding up a medallion. I gasp.

"Is that what I think it is?" I ask him.

"If you think it's a piece of Cortes' treasure, then yes" he tells me.

"Who?" Elizabeth asks.

"You've never heard the legend of the Cortes' cursed aztec treasure?" I ask her.

"This is Aztec gold. One of 882 identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortez himself. Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies, but the greed of Cortez was insatiable. So the heathen gods placed upon the gold...a terrible curse. Any mortal that removes but a single piece from that stone chest shall be punished for eternity" Barbossa explains to her.

"I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore, Captain Barbossa" Elizabeth tells him.

"I do, there's always some truth in all the old myths and legends" I state. "So you found the treasure?" I ask Barbossa.

"Aye" he says before looking at Elizabeth. "That's exactly what I thought when we were first told the tale! Buried on an island of dead what cannot be found, 'cept for those who know where it is. Find it, we did" he states. "There be the chest. Inside be the gold. And we took 'em all. We spent 'em and traded 'em and frittered 'em away on drink and food and pleasurable company. The more we gave 'em away, the more we came to realize, the drink would not satisfy, food turned to ash in our mouths, and all the pleasurable company in the world could not slake our lust. We are cursed men, Miss Turner. Compelled by greed, we were, but now we are consumed by it" he explains to us.

"But now you are trying to get all the pieces back. How does that help?" I ask him curious.

"There is one way we can end our curse. All the scattered pieces of the Aztec gold must be restored and the blood repaid. Thanks to ye, we have the final piece" he says looking at Elizabeth.

"And the blood to be repaid?" she asks him scared.

"That's why there's no sense to be killin' ya, yet. Apple?" he says offering it to her. She knocks it out of his hand and jumps to her feet with a knife. They run around the room before she stabs him in the heart. I gotta give it to her, I didn't think she had it in her. I'm liking her more by the minute. My brother made a fine choice.

"I'm curious, after killing me, what did you plan on doing?" he asks her as he removed the knife. She runs out the door. "What about you?" he asks me.

"I'm not dumb, though I am curious to why you're keeping me around" I tell him. I grab an apple and take a bite out of it. "You had better go get her, before your men do" I tell him and he left. Soon Elizabeth reappears looking terrified. "What's wrong?" I ask her curious.

"They're skeletons" she mutters looking at me. "They turn into skeletons under the moon" she states. I nod my head and toss her an apple telling her to eat. She does so reluctantly. I go back to my meal. Trying to come up with an escape plan. Also while trying to think about what Barbossa could possibly want with me?

A/N

Picture above of Elizabeth and picture on the external link of Captain Hector Barbossa with Jack the Monkey.