The Map

Almost there...

A/N: A big thank you to AniSparrow for checking this through for me. Usual disclaimer and I hope you enjoy it...

Chapter 24

Almost There.

Nell eyed the ropes in dismay. 

"How are we supposed to get the bridge from this side to the other?" she asked quietly to no-one in particular.

They had worked out the rope bridge quite quickly and secured it to one of the trees on this side of the bank. But this still left the need to take the entire bridge across the river and tie it that side to make it passable.

"We swim across," Jack slurred, already tying the ropes to another section of rope that he could tie around his waist.

"NO!" Nell stepped forwards quickly. "You can't go in there, you can't!"

"Nell, if I go across now they won't be bothering us." He didn't look up from tying the rope tightly. It would serve two purposes; it would save him having to carry it across and it would also serve as something to pull him back by if the current was too strong with the weight of the ropes around him.

"How can you know this?" she demanded. "It's been ages since... since..." she couldn't bring herself to say it and settled for grabbing Jack's arm tightly. "Please, Jack."

Jack sighed and took her hand from his arm, squeezing her fingers before letting go to carry on tying the ropes. 

"Nell, I've come across piranhas before. They only feed when they're hungry, a bit like people really; not that people eat other people - well, not all of them anyway. They won't be hungry now." He finished the ropes and looked up at her. "They didn't hurt us before when we were in there, did they?"

"Did you know? Did you know they wouldn't touch Beaumont?" she asked and Jack clearly heard the unspoken question in her voice.

"Yes, I knew." He nodded at her, neglecting to tell her that he'd been acting on intuition when he'd thrown Beaumont in. He'd been almost  certain that they wouldn't touch him; but what he was certain of, was that if they had been interested in Beaumont, they wouldn't then be interested in any of his group should they have to cross the river in the water, and that was all that concerned him.

"Please be careful," Nell said softly.

Jack nodded his head exaggeratedly and spread his arms wide, "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow; of course I'll be careful." He winked at her and swaggered down to the water, turning to look at her with a funny expression on his face. "We've still to be discussing this business about the monks," he said as he turned away, and began wading out into the water.

Nell bit her lip, as she clasped her hands together, missing her rosary, but muttering her prayers anyway. Hock and Norrington were stood to her side, pistols out and ready, although Nell knew that against the shoal of fish they'd be useless in helping Jack if he should need it.

Nell breathed out, sweat pouring from her, as she watched Jack swimming. The water had quickly become deep and was very fast flowing in the middle. He struggled to swim through the pull of the flow of water and Nell saw with dismay that he was getting further and further downstream. But just when she thought he'd be swept away he broke free of the flow and was swimming in quieter water until he clambered out of the water on the other side - he'd crossed safely, and Nell felt almost light-headed when he turned and waved at them. She heard Hock let out his breath on a curse as he slid his pistol into his sash, and she watched as they went to the ropes that were now dragging into the water and out the other side. They waited as Jack shinned up one of the taller trees, the ropes lifting out of the water as he climbed higher and higher. He secured the ropes tightly and then shinned back down, indicating for them to start crossing over.