Norrington's Darling

The Brethren Court

POV: Zuri Norrington

The meeting is begun in dramatic fasion—a cannonball banged on the table to gather attention. And, of course, it's done by Barbossa so I don't waste the opportunity for an overdramatic eye roll. Everyone here already thinks Jack and I are overdramatic, anyway, so it won't hurt our cause.

"As he who issued summons, I convene this, the fourth Brethren Court." Barbossa's dramatic words gave way to discomfited mumbling amongst pirates. "To confirm your lordship and right to be heard, present now your Pieces of Eight, my fellow cap'ns."

Each pirate pulled their Pieces of Eight out and dropped them into the bowl Ragetti carried around. As always, I was disappointed not to see a single actual Piece of Eight in the mix. The only one that remained was Jack's, and I doubted he'd give that up so quickly.

"Those aren't Pieces of Eight," Pintel remarked, dismayed. "Those are just pieces of junk!"

"Aye, the original plan was to use nine Pieces of Eight to bind Calypso," Gibbs explained, "but when the first court met, the brethren were to a one, skint broke."

"So change the name!"

"To what? 'Nine Pieces of Whatever We Happened to Have in Our Pockets at the Time'? Oh yes, that sounds very piratey." Gibbs rolled his eyes and I bit back a smirk, crossing to my brother.

When it came time for Barbossa to give up the piece, he said, "Master Ragetti, if you will." He held out his hand.

"Do you plan on giving yours up?" I murmured to Jack.

"Not yet," he whispered. 

"Aye, ya have," Barbossa said. "But now I need it back." He smacked the back of Ragetti's head and his wooden eye popped out and landed in the bowl. So that was his Piece. I had been wondering.

"SPARROW!" yelled the pirate known as Villanueva. Jack and I grew up with him and our father lording over us, so it was no surprise Jack initially touched the Piece as if he were to give it up.

"Yes?" I said instead, interrupting before he could take it off, a reminder of what our plan was. Villanueva glared at me and I continued to smile sweetly. A quiet chortle was heard; I knew it was my father.

Jack cleared his throat. "Might I point out that we are still short one pirate lord, and I'm content as a cucumber to wait until Sao Feng joins us."

"Sao Feng is dead." 

Everyone turned and (ah ha!) there was Elizabeth.

When we continued to stare at her, she elaborated, "He fell to the Flying Dutchman."

Shouts rose up immediately. Anger boiled on the already-thick tensions in the room.

"He made you captain?!" Jack shouted incredulously over the noise. "They're just giving the bloody title away now!"

Angry shouting in different languages covered up many of the curses I spat, but they also drowned out Elizabeth's protests of "Listen!" until I shouted "SHUT UP!" at the top of my voice. Everyone shut up.

"Listen, listen to me! Our location has been betrayed. Jones is under the command of Lord Beckett." Quietly, she added, "They're on their way here." She looked at me and nodded. 

"You should have stayed away like James said," I whispered.

"I couldn't leave you all here to die," she hissed back.

"Who is this betrayer?" demanded Jocard, another Pirate Lord who I actually liked. He was nice once you got to know him. 

"Not likely anyone among us," Barbossa said quickly.