((Aramel Elyanwe, would it be too much to have Angela Connery and Hector Barbossa know each other from breifly meeting in the past. Not as friends, but as 2 pirates who crossed paths.))

Angela noticed the group of women enter. She narrowed her eyes, surely they were not guests. She had been to parties such as this before, and no woman could get in alone, unless they had an invite, which was hard to gain. No, these women must have something planned. She turned to her date and excused herself after noticing the ladies dispan, she then took to wandering around the room, keeping a wary eye on the women. She studied them, trying to see them for who they really were.

Time went on, frustrated Angela approached one of them, the woman wore a black form fitting dress that hemed at a slant with red ruffles, her mask a read with black feather. "Would I be mistaken in saying your not here for the party, but for another reason?" She had to make sure these women were not after the map. It would be hers, and with her map she would find the fountain to gain eternal youth and beauty.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Jack wasn’t sure quite how long it had been since he had left Tortuga in the small dingy he had commandeered, but there was one thing he new for certain; his compass wasn’t working again. In fact, by sheer coincidence of course, his compass had stopped guiding him and started spinning aimlessly around at about the same time that his stomach had started growling at him. That was possibly a day ago, or was it a week ago? The rum, that was now empty, wasn’t letting his mind pin point times or dates. If he were in the right mind to, he would have scolded himself for not thinking about food; instead he simply shook his compass again, hoping to have fixed it. He hadn’t.

It was then that he heard distant shouts and a slapping of waves against the bow of a ship. The sounds grew closer and he turned round just in time to see the ship bearing down upon him, her name glinting upon her side in the setting sun: The Dowager Duchess. Before he had time to try and attract the attention of those aboard a rope was thrown to him. He just about managed to grasp the charts and his compass before he was hauled up and over the railings. He landed feet first on the deck and swayed in an attempt to get his balance back. His head lifted until he was staring into the neck and chest of an Amazonian sized woman. Said woman cleared her throat.

“Jack, my face is up here.” She said with a touch of annoyance. He lifted his head further until he was met by hard, dark grey eyes around which ashen blond hair curled like corkscrews. Plump, heart shaped lips curled into a smirk. “Hello again Jack.”

-

Alanna draped an arm around Jack’s broad frame causally. “So,” She started as she led him towards her cabin. “Just out for a leisurely sail are we or has that oaf stolen the Pearl again?” Of course she didn’t need Jack’s answer to know what had happened; The Duchess had passed the Pearl a few days previously and she had distinctively seen Captain Barbossa at the helm. “Honestly,” She continued, without letting Jack finish. “I don’t see why you boys can’t just share, that bloody ship is big enough for the both of you surely?”

Jack sniffed as if she had just insulted him greatly. “The Pearl’s mine.” He pouted. “I had her first, I’ll have you know. That belligerent cretin isn’t doesn’t understand her. I give you a week before he gets her sunk.”

Alanna rolled her eyes impatiently. “He’s been the Captain for ten years and there’s hardly been a scratch on her. You have her for five minutes and she’s already back in the locker. What’s that you’ve got there anyway?” She snatched the charts from him and unravelled them before he had even realised she’s taken them.

“Oi!” He exclaimed, desperately trying to reclaim them, but to no avail. “They’re mine!”

“Oh Jack,” Alanna said softly, in awe with the images in front of her. “Jack, the Fountain of Youth? Really?” She was mesmerised; this was something she had dreamt about since she fell in love with the sea and pirating. She looked down at the other Captain, her eyes sparkling with joy. “I promise you now, if you help me to find this, I will help you get the Pearl back.”

That was an offer Jack couldn’t refuse. “Deal.” He said, before shaking Alanna’s outstretched hand.

-

Zoë was definitely not uncomfortable in her surroundings; she was use to dimly lit, yet comfortable cabins, the gentle swaying of the sea and a good old pair of breeches. Not massive entrance halls, extravagantly designed ball rooms and dresses you could hardly breathe in, let alone dance. She didn’t even pay attention to what Andrea had dressed her in, she couldn’t wait to be rid of it, however it seemed to be attracting a lot of glances from the gentlemen of the party. She’d already been asked to dance by about five men and she would’ve turned down the sixth too, if it wasn’t for the glare she’d received from ‘Drea. She seemed to know how these things worked as she was currently surrounded by several men and women, engrossed in conversation and laughter.

-

Andrea had forgotten how much she hated these parties, but was soon reminded when she found herself caught in a political discussion with a few very opinionated people.
“It is absolutely ridiculous.” She listened to a new acquaintance, a Lady Elizabeth Hartford, complain. “And now this Septennial Act has been brought in you can certainly say goodbye to any sort of democracy.”

“Don’t be absurd!” Andrea found herself countering. “By no means does the Septennial Act rid us of any sort of democracy, it simply gives the elected party a fair chance to make changes and for those changes to have an impact before the next election.”

“My thoughts exactly.” A voice came from behind her. It was deep and the accent was a mixture of Welsh and Spanish. She turned to see a rather handsome man with eyes the colour of chocolate smiling at her charmingly. Remembering her manners she curtseyed slightly. He took her hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing it softly. “M’lady.” He bowed.

“Andrea.” She said smiling. “Andrea Costello.”

“Andrea,” He repeated, as if testing it. “Would you like to dance, Andrea?” She liked how her name rolled of his tongue in that most exotic accent.

“Of course.” She answered, before excusing herself from the group and allowing the charmingly mysterious man lead her into the middle of the room.

“It’s Lance by the way.” He said as they started to dance. “My name, that is. Lance Galahad.”

“Well I’m pleased to meet you then Lance.” The night had certainly started looking up, in fact Andrea had forgotten the reason she was at the party in the first place. That was until Lance whispered something in her ear that made her blood run cold.

“So.” His voice remained silky, even at its lowered tone. “What pirating is to be had at a party like this then?”

Andrea’s eyes widened but she tried to remain cool. “Beg pardon?” She asked, just about keeping the surprise and fear out of her voice.

“Your friends give you away Andrea. You may have the airs and graces of a noble woman, but they most certainly do not.” He spun her around before continuing. “Thankfully for your sakes no one else has noticed, you should also be thankful that I am one of you, otherwise the situation could be a lot worse.”

“In that case,” She said, turning the tables on him. “What exactly are you here for?”

“The same thing as you I wager.” He answered with a knowing smile. “The map.”

_________________


Illuminate the way to my heart,
It's twisting on a thread
+ COME RAISE THE DEAD +

_________________


~~Siggy by Lembas~~

[[Sure thing Misa. ]]

Edward wrinkled his brow as the other men went over to inspect the piece of paper. Sure enough this was the second copy to the map that Sparrow had stolen, the one that would lead them straight to the Fountain of Youth. “Cairbre’s right… that seemed far too easy for my liking…” The air seemed stagnant and unsuitable for breathing. He moved forward, eyeing the statue of a knight in the corner with caution, about to turn his back when the thing began to move. It was then that all chaos seemed to be let loose. The door to the study was flung open and rushing in were a band of redcoats with bayonets fully loaded. In the blink of an eye, Edward pulled his pistol and began shooting at the soldiers without a second thought.

“It be an ambush!” Hector cursed, trying to fight his way towards the door. He was successful in pushing the redcoats back, sending lifeless corpses tumbling down the grand staircase leading to the ballroom. Guests screamed in horror, scattering about the hall like disorganized ants, looking for any sort of escape - but each and every door had been locked and guarded.

Varianna’s concealed expression was one of slight horror as Angela spoke. How could they have been discovered already? Something about this situation wasn’t right. Vari glanced about the room, searching for Andrea and the others to make sure they were still in character as proper ladies. When she could not find them, her gaze settled back on Angela, mouth open as if about to speak. But suddenly anything Vari was about to say was forgotten as the bodies of fallen redcoats began rolling down the stairs, one of them landing by her feet. Vari jumped back slightly, her elbow coming into contact with a man’s chest. It was that of the newly appointed Commodore of Port Royal. “Da<b></b>mn it all,” the brunette cursed under her breath.

The Commodore tore the red mask from her face, revealing her true identity. “Varianna Pierce. I thought as much.” With an iron grip around her arm and gun in the other hand, he announced to the rest of the room, “To any pirates, swashbucklers or mutineers that are present, you are all under arrest under the jurisdiction of the government of Port Royal and of his majesty, the King!”

“Don’t think so, mate,” Varianna replied, pulling her pistol from the strap around her thigh and placing it to the Commodore’s head.

He simply scoffed at her futile attempts at escape, finding it rather amusing. “Shoot me and you will find yourself dead - my men do not hesitate to kill, unlike those of the previous Commodore.” He watched Vari’s hand falter at the mention of Norrington, seeing that he had in fact, struck a nerve in the pirate.

Biting back an insult, Vari aimed the pistol and fired, shooting down the metal chandelier and watching as it fell on top of a group of redcoats, killing some and pinning others beneath it. The decorative glass shards shattered upon hitting the ground, sending pieces flying everywhere as smoke and dust filled the area. Vari pulled her arm free in the midst of the confusion and ran, pushing screaming women out of the way as she searched for an exit.

<i>The windows!</i>

Leaping onto a neatly polished table, Vari shot at one of the twelve-foot high panels of glass, turning her head away as splintered fragments sprayed over her. Glancing about, she spotted Guinevere not too far away. Grasping the woman’s hand, she breathed a hurried, “Follow me!” before pulling her out the window. As soon as Vari’s feet hit the ground, she took off running, never letting the grip on Guin loosen. Growing up here had proved useful for she knew the town like the back of her hand; they would reach the <i>Pearl</i> in no time, provided everything went smoothly.

Barbossa witnessed the chaos taking place below from over the side railing of the stairs. They had the map, but now the real task was escaping alive and unharmed. Calling back to the men he gave new orders. “Split up in t’a groups an’ meet back at th’ ship, lads!”

Soren’s attention was suddenly drawn from Dante as the sound of gunshots and breaking glass could be heard coming from within the mansion. Vari and Guin were making their way across the property, through the bushes and out of sight. It only took Soren a moment to register what was happening - the charade was over and now it was every man for himself. Pulling the raven-haired man away from the wall, he held Dante by the waist as he started running, only to stop suddenly in the dirt pathway outside of the mansion gates. “Should we go back for A-Rose?”

[[Picture THIS as the Chandelier, only about 1,000 times bigger ]]

Angela had almost smiled at the womans horror, but it never showed when the red coats rolling in. She cursed her luck and would have moved, maybe suggesting to the Woman thy leave, it is until the new Commandore spoke up. Angela cursed her luck again, how could she have missed seeing him, him of all people. She heard him announce the womans name,a name Angela had heard but that was all, and when he spoke out againest all pirates, Angel had to be thankful she rarely was taken for one. It was when the woman fired at the chandalier, Angela realised what she had to do, she ran, after she dodged the glass and everything else that came her way.

She saw Vari leap through the window the woman had shoy out, she went after her. Angela hated to admit it, but her survival of living through the night was to stick with this woman, so run after her she did. Soon, her praciced legs had her caught up to her. "You know . . ." she said breathing heavily. "I had hoped to get a certain map." she said taking her mask of, but kept it in her hand.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Christian simply shrugged his shoulders as the pirates in the small room looked at both him and the map with some concern. He too thought it was a very shoddy hiding place for a very important item but he wasn't the one who hid it. Who knew what these Redcoats were thinking as they went about their daily lives. "All I care about is if it is the real map, otherwise I'll keep looking." His voice held no anger or frustration, it was just a question.

Upon confirmation that it was the real deal he slid it out of the cabinet and handed it to Barbossa, good thing because moments later they were ambushed. It'd have been extremely bad if they had gone through all of this to turn up back on the ship empty handed.

"Things can never just be easy can they..." He said to no one in particular as he pulled out his own pistol and began to shoot, following the group of male pirates out of the room and down the stairs into the grand ballroom where a whole new tousle was starting with the deceivers.

-----

The moment Shiloh heard the gunshots from downstairs he was shoving his way through everyone, not caring who they were... although he did pay special attention to slice the throats of a few Redcoats as he made his way down the winding staircase.

Dark eyes immediately located a certain woman who seemed to be holding her own, not that he was surprised, but it was still good to see her safety in his own eyes.

----

"Too right you are Miss Delour. How ever did you get into the world of politics?" One of the boys by the name of Bradley asked her. This one boy she had singled out early and had been the target ever since.

"Well I---" Her sentence was cut off by the sound of bodies falling down the stairs, gunshots, and hurried steps. Many unlady-like words fell from her lips then seeing Varianna's mask being pulled off.

"Let's just leave that up to yer imaginations shall we..." A-Rose purred, grabbing Bradley by the neck and kissing him fiercely. His lips had the sweet taste of champagne mixed with the slight tang of strawberry, it was nice. The kiss was also effective in stunning the group of boys just as the chandelier came crashing down.

"I'll be off then..." Winking at the still shell-shocked group she tore off her own mask and quickly raised her dress to pull out one of the daggers that was placed firmly against a slender thigh.

Amidst the stunned men and women were some actual guards who knew how to handle situations such as thus and those were the men that A-Rose were now paying attention to.

Running towards the broken glass that Vari had just shattered she made to jump out but was stopped and effectively falling to the ground by a man stepping on the tail of her dress.

"Not so fast Aurora-Rose." Huffing, A-Rose turned over her shoulder to look at the man who looked to be just a bit too old to still be a guard... did he really think he could capture her even with the gun pointed straight at her.

Twisting her upper body she grabbed the tip of the dagger and threw it with such precision that the blade embedded itself deep into the man's neck. She watched as his eyes widened and he grasped wildly for the blade only to deepen the cut even more... not long after did he fall, but of course he fell right onto her dress.

"I love this dress too." Taking the second blade that she kept handy, A-Rose began to tear the fabric of her dress until it barely reached mid-thigh. At least it would be easier to run with... now that she was free A-Rose pushed herself off of the ground, grabbed the dead man's abandoned pistol and began shooting over her shoulder while hopping through the window and landing next to some of the other pirates who had successfully gotten themselves out of the mansion.

Dante who had watched most of the scene unfold could only grin. "No, I think she's fine..." At Soren's questioning gaze he pointed to the woman who was running towards them, her long legs allowing her to quickly catch up with the rest of them.

_________________

The waves that C R A S H E D upon
The R O C K S that you were trying to step along

And in my head I heard them play a S O N G

Andrea’s heart pounded in her chest. Lance had thrown her to the ground as the chandelier fell, guarding her from the shards of glass that had flown everywhere. He now took her hand and helped her up. She must have hit her head when she landed on the floor as her vision was swimming. She felt a hand around her waist, steadying her.

“Come on.” She heard Lance say softly. “We need to find a way out.” With his hand still on her waist he guided her toward another window where most of the nobles were cowering. Her head became clearer and she removed herself from his arm.

“Wait.” She said, before hitching her skirts up and retrieving the pistol from where she’d strapped it to her thigh. Taking a moment to look around she spotted Hector on the staircase, fighting through the rabble of redcoats. She also saw what he didn’t; an officer aiming his flintlock at her captain’s head, about to pull the trigger. She pointed her own pistol at the officer. It was a tricky shot but she had faith in her own aim. Her bullet missed Barbossa’s head by mere inches and planted itself in the officer’s frontal lobe. She had no time to reload as the first wave of redcoats reached herself and Lance. They backed up, closer to the window but with no pistol to shoot out the class ‘Drea felt the pressure to think fast.

“Do you have any alcohol on you?” She asked Lance desperately.

“A small flask of whiskey, yes.” He said, passing her a flask with furrowed brows. “Why?” He didn’t have to wait long for an answer. Andrea snatched the flask from him and took a mouthful of the liquid inside, but she didn’t swallow it. Instead she grabbed the candelabra from a nearby table, held it in front of her and blew the whiskey into the flames. The alcohol caught immediately and ‘Drea was then breathing fire. The redcoats skidded to a halt but it was too late, the flaming alcohol caught them head on and they watched in horror as their naval issue uniforms went up in flame. From behind her ‘Drea heard the sound of breaking glass and turned to see Lance smashing out the window with a small table. She noticed the curtains were now also ablaze and the fire was rapidly spreading. Lance grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the window after him, as they jumped a searing pain shot through her upper thigh but it wasn’t until they hit the grass outside that she noticed the blood quickly seeping through the material of her dress.

-

Zoë fought as best she could through the rabble of redcoats, kicking here and head butting there. The sounds of gunshots and shattering glass surrounded her as she tried to find Shiloh. There he was; over by the staircase. She fought her way over to him and quickly embraced him. “We have to get out of here!” She exclaimed and looked around her. Over by one of the windows a fire had started it seemed and the redcoats were fast retreating from the area. “This way.” She called and took his hand, dragging him through the panicking crowds. She took a running jump through the window, clearing the jagged ledge easily, and landed just behind Andrea and another man. Said man, she noticed, was examining a nasty gash on ‘Drea’s upper thigh.

“Just leave it Lance, we don’t have time!” She heard Andrea cry before carefully getting to her feet and turning on Zoë. “We make for the forest and take the long way back to the Pearl. We need to make sure we’re not followed.”

Zoë nodded and watched as Lance helped a limping ‘Drea toward the tree line and turned to see what was happening with Shiloh.

_________________


Illuminate the way to my heart,
It's twisting on a thread
+ COME RAISE THE DEAD +

_________________


~~Siggy by Lembas~~

(Yay! I finally have a post for Christine. I went ahead and stuffed everything into one post. haha.

This is her dress: http://www.dolby.com/uploadedImages/Ass ... d-Wood.jpg)


Christine was delighted to be back amongst society once more. She was no longer dirty and begging for money, and she was no longer a spoiled little thing who cared for nothing but jewels and frills. Her life had gained perspective, and although she was no longer young she found herself to be wealthy none the less.

She had gone through thirteen years on the pit that was Tortuga and finally saved enough to buy passage back on a ship. When she arrived she was horridly tan, skeletal and quite awfully sick, but she was home. When she stepped on land the next few weeks were spent with her family, which - to her everlasting joy and thankfulness - accepted her with open arms and many tears.

When she was young she had been the gem of her father's house, the bright red spot in a room full of pale blondes. Her father gave her that and because she was youngest as well, and the only girl she was favoured.

Her brothers had been delighted that their sister had returned home, and her father immediately set to getting her health back up. They never asked what happened, though they often guessed. Unlike other wealthy families, Christine found that her mother and father were always very keen to see their children happy as opposed to rich. They were lucky to have enough of their own money to provide for all their children.

The woman had taken her time in dressing and it was well worth it. A few years after her return were quite enough to restore her previous beauty. Her skin was pale and creamy again, her unsightly freckles had faded into near non-existence, but her eyes had retained a sort of weight that they had not held before. Tonight she wore a dress of pale mint green and a cream mask accented by the same color with amber jewels that matched the choker about her neck – it had been a return gift from her oldest brother and his family. Her fire colored locks curled as they always did, but she had pulled half of them away from her face. The mask did nothing for her hidden identity as she the color of her hair always gave her away, but it was still fun. All together she looked beautiful.

The party passed as parties always do, Christine drank and talked and danced until her feet were sore. When they began to ache and she felt she might do with a break she exited to the garden. Her exit cued the entrance of the pirate crew that she had known for several years. It was lucky for them that she had not seen them first as her surprise might have caused her to accidentally give them away.

Her lovely walk through the garden silence was shattered when the doors behind her flew open and several of the women guest ran out in fear. Christine’s eyes widened in fear, not because of the terrified yells of “Pirates!” or “thieves!” but because of the redcoats rushing in and the glass above her shattering as a familiar form jumped to the ground.

“Vari!” She yelled over the fray, “Aurora?” Unconsciously the woman was thrown into her own fleeing mode and she made the decision to follow the two women. She huffed as her dress weighed her down. And just like that Christine seemed to have accidentally signed herself up for another adventure.


“It was never this difficult before, was it?” She thought absently as she sprinted after the pirate women. It as Vari she finally fell in step with. “What in the name of Davy Jones are you lot doing?” She questioned more loudly than needed.

_________________
Heavens no. Hell Yeah.


Set 1: Nurr | Set 2: Me

[[Maeth, Vari and A-Rose aren’t together in this part, but your post is still fine. ]]

Vari shot an angered glance in Angela’s direction as the group flew through the neatly pruned hedges. Not ten minutes ago this woman was willing to blow their cover and now she was talking as though they had been best mates for many, many years. <i>You know. . . I had hoped to get a certain map.</i> Varianna almost stopped dead in her tracks, but the adrenaline racing through her veins would not allow her to slow down. “<i>Maldígalo todo</i>,” she hissed in her second language, “There is no time for that. We first must focus on getting out of this mess alive. The others know how to take care of themselves.” It was mostly a reply to Guin, but part of her found it as a reassurance to herself that Edward would be okay.

With the redcoats close on their tail, Vari reloaded her pistol and fired blindly behind her, hitting one of the soldiers in the abdomen and another straight through the throat. The two men fell onto the darkened cobblestone street, becoming a hazard for other redcoats who weren’t paying attention. Several soldiers tripped and fell over their fallen comrades, while others were actually smart enough to go <i>around</i> the bodies. “Fire!” One of them commanded, and a barrage of thunderous gunshots and smoke filled the night air.

“Bug<b></b>ger!” Vari cursed, feeling one of the bullets graze her shoulder and another fly just past her ear. This was getting entirely too dangerous. Glancing backwards, she noticed that there were seven soldiers in pursuit - they were somewhat outmatched, but that didn’t upset Vari in the least. As a matter of fact, she was grinning ear to ear, having spotted something that might aid in their escape. She hung back, letting her fellow pirates run forward, waiting for the opportune moment. <i>Three… two… one…</i> With a swift kick, the shoddy wooden display fell over, releasing an avalanche of green apples into the street. Each and every redcoat slipped and lost their balance, some falling down and others fighting to stay on their feet.

“Farewell boys!” Vari winked, blowing a kiss at the men before running to catch up with Guin, Cairbre, Eve, Christine and Angela. “Turn left,” she directed from the back of the group, “we can cross through the back of the boatbuilding shop and get to the docks from there.”

She couldn’t help the grand smile that made its way to her face, closing her eyes momentarily as the wind whipped loose curls about her neck. It was nights like this that Vari truly felt alive and proud to call herself a pirate. Even in the midst of danger and certain death, beautiful moments could still be found.

“Nice of ye to join us, Christine,” Vari said through bouts of laughter, joining her arm with the newcomer’s. “It be a long story, to be honest, which I’d be more than happy to relay to ye so long as we live to see another day.”

---------------------

“If things were easy, they wouldn’t be as much fun,” Grant replied, suddenly appearing next to Christian as though he were an apparition. The events unfolding in the ballroom didn’t seem to phase him as he stared into the blond’s eyes.

“We have to get out of here before the entire place goes up in smoke,” Edward interrupted, stabbing a redcoat who had gotten too close for his liking. Pulling his dagger from the man’s throat, he turned quickly, just in time to see Andrea and Lance escaping through the broken window.

“Aye, the boy’s right,” Hector nodded in agreement with the emerald-eyed man, his heart beating like a drum within his chest after such a close call. Even through the chaos and confusion, he knew it had been Andrea who ultimately saved his life. He made a mental note to repay her, if they were lucky enough to make it back to the ship in one piece.

With the mansion in a state of uproar, someone had managed to break open the front doors and the entrance remained unguarded. Grant, Edward, and Hector made their way down the last few stairs, the Captain with map tucked carefully in his vest, and ran like hel<b></b>l into the dirt road. It was Grant who caught sight of Soren, Dante and Aurora-Rose not fifteen feet ahead, and took off to catch up with them.

Soren looked over his shoulder to find the rest of the men following, but where were the women? There was no time to consider their friends as they were closing in on a bricked wall covered in moss. Looking right, looking left, Soren found that on either side of them redcoats were charging forth, and so forward was their only option.

Adrenaline racing, the blond leapt up onto the crates stacked neatly and propelled himself over the wall, landing on the other side with a <i>thud!</i> as his boots hit dirt once more. From the edge of town, the moon glistened over the sea and the <i>Black Pearl</i> was anchored not far away in the calm waters. They were almost there.

[[Vari said, “Curse it all” or “Da<b></b>mn it all” whichever way you want to read it as. ]]

Shiloh didn't need to be told twice, there was nothing more they could do here in the mansion and their best chance of survival now was to run. Keeping his pistol handy he continued to reign fire on the redcoats while his other hand was preoccupied with surrounding itself with Zoë's own. Any other time he may have enjoyed the touch but for right now the only thing on his mind was getting out of the chaotic filled mansion safely.

Once they had cleared the jagged glass from the broken window Shiloh came into contact with Andrea and Lance, the former having a very gruesome cute on her thigh.

Andrea was right though, they didn't have time to linger and worry about their wounds. For now they just had to make it back to the Pearl before any of the redcoats caught up with them.

Staying just a step behind, Shiloh continually threw gazes over his shoulder, shooting down any redcoat that got too close with a quiet precision. He had shot three down when the small group made it to the edge of the forest. "I think we've outrun the rash... now all we have to worry about is the intelligent ones." Shiloh said to Zoë with a small smile, he was just glad she was alright.

-----

The familiar voice beside Christian had him smiling. He hadn't seen Grant all night, the man having gone a separate way into the mansion. "That is very true, what is a night without a little fun..." He said simply turning to face the fellow blond, giving him a small nudge before turning his attention to Edward.

Listening to the brunette and the Captain speak, he found sanity in their words and knew that their fun had come to an end and it was time to think logical. All that mattered was that they had the map and that they returned to the Pearl with said map, preferably unscathed.

Following Grant out the front door that had been thrust open with brute force the group of male pirates ran into the dark of the night. "Too bad we couldn't stay longer, more of a scene could have been made if things ended more civilly." His words directed towards Grant as the group caught up with the trio of Soren, Dante, and A-Rose.

"Thank God you all made it, I presume you have the map..." The first words spoken A-Rose when she turned to see the men, a wide grin on her face at Barbossa's nod. It would have been quite tragic if they had had to leave without this most important item. Turning back to face Soren and Dante she watched with wide eyes as the blond scaled the crates and the brick wall as if he were some superhuman force. She wasn't the only one staring in awe, Dante couldn't take his eyes off of the man even when he disappeared on the other side of the wall.

He only stopped when fingers were placed under his chin and a feminine voice whispered into his ear. "Save your undressing with the eyes later... we still have ship to return to..." A-Rose kissed Dante's cheek, turned and bowed to the other men before following Soren's lead.

Aurora-Rose was glad that she had cut her dress earlier, hopping from crate to crate would have been a lot more difficult with all the unnecessary fabric. Long limbs and agile fingers aided the lithe form over the wall and rolling across the dirt before standing next to the blond.

"I'll make sure the coast is clear..." Aurora-Rose informed Soren while she grabbed the single dagger she had left, the other still embedded in the neck of some redcoat, and ran towards where the shipped was docked.

Dante was the next over the wall followed by a few others with Christian being the last to make the jump, but not before placing a bullet in the head of a redcoat who had unwisely followed them.

_________________

The waves that C R A S H E D upon
The R O C K S that you were trying to step along

And in my head I heard them play a S O N G

Angela nodded. She had decided to run with them, lest more soilders follow. And unlike them, she had her ship and crew stay further away. Once she had arrived at the ship of these other Pirates, she would contact her own. As they ran she saw a spark in Vari's eye and smirked herself.

They were running toward in the direction of the docks when she saw more Red Coats. "Oi, Red Coats ahead." She alarmed the group, grabbing a stone and cloth as she ran, and created a sling attacking the Men. A the rocks hit she grabbed more and more pebbles sending them flying.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

They had almost reached the tree line, Andrea desperately trying to ignore the intense pain that shot through her upper leg as she ran, when three horse mounted officers caught up with them. Although they had the advantage in height, the officers were struggling to keep their panicking steeds under control. Taking advantage of this, ‘Drea reached for the knife she had hidden in her bodice and forced it into the redcoat’s leg before pulling him from his horse. She quickly grabbed a hold of the reins to stop the frightened animal from bolting and managed, with some difficulty it had to be said, to hoist herself into the saddle. After a small struggle both Lance and Zoë had mounted the other horses and Zoë had pulled Shiloh up to sit behind her.

“I warn you.” She whispered to him. “I’ve only ridden a few times so if you know what’s good for you; hang on for dear life.”

Despite the pain she was feeling and the severity of their current situation, Andrea couldn’t help but feel at peace upon the beautiful equine. He, or at least she was sure he was male, stood at around seventeen hands (not that it phased her, she was use to handling the taller horse) and was a stunning chestnut in colour. He was very strong and ‘Drea had to use a lot of energy just to keep him in check.

“Come on!” She called to the others, trying to keep the pain out of her voice. “We need to leave before anymore redcoats reach us.” She applied the slightest amount of pressure to the horse’s girth but it was enough to excite him, he half-reared before quite literally springing into action. He leapt into a disorganised fast trot, then sped into a canter then into a frenzied gallop. Using a series of half halts, ‘Drea managed to regain control, whilst retaining the break neck speed. She turned her head to see Lance coming up beside her, catching up with a mischievous smile gracing his lips. He spurred his grey steed on and before they knew it they were racing. As they galloped down the dirt track they saw a high wall approaching, topped with moss. It was about six foot high and caused Lance to hesitate. Andrea however urged her chestnut gelding forward, adrenaline pounding through her veins, the gash on her leg forgotten. She readied herself for the jump; pushing her heels toward the ground in the stirrups and lifting herself out of the saddle so she was pretty much standing with her back bent, leaning over the horse’s neck. She felt the power of his hind quarters as he flew over the wall, front legs tucked up underneath his breast as he cleared the wall with inches to spare. She made sure to keep her forward position as his front hooves hit the dirt and didn’t retake her seat until they had completely cleared the wall and were galloping forward again. Ahead of her she could see the rest of the pirates running toward the Pearl’s silhouette down in the docks. She slowed her horse down to a canter and then down to a trot as she reached them. She made sure the steed picked his hooves up in a military style collected trot which she sat to elegantly.

“Evening all.” She called out jauntily, trying to ignore the pain that was returning to her leg and her thoroughly blood soaked dress. It was then that Lance and a very pale Zoë caught up to her, panting heavily.

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Illuminate the way to my heart,
It's twisting on a thread
+ COME RAISE THE DEAD +

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~~Siggy by Lembas~~

[[Two new additions, the first being Blackbeard and then I’m going to introduce mah newest charrie, Alejandro <3 Bio can be found on my thread (it’s being revamped at the moment but should be available for you to read over) ]]

Amidst the darkness of nightfall it was easy to miss the grand ship moving stealthily through the waters off the cost of Tortuga. The <i>Queen Anne’s Revenge</i> had caught sight of its newest prey and was swiftly and silently closing in. The captain stood like a statue at the helm, smoke puffing from the ends of his lit beard, creating even more of a mystery around him. Dark eyes squinted as he gave the signal to begin boarding the smaller ship - the <i>Dowadger Duchess</i>. “Maria, my dear daughter, I have a feeling that tonight our troubles will be amended,” Blackbeard chuckled, his ringing laughter carried upon the wind.

He waited for the crew to swing over on ropes and land on the deck before joining them himself, moving to glance around at the crew of the <i>Duchess</i>. His eyes landed on an all-too-familiar face. “Well, well, well… if it isn’t the <i>great</i> Captain Jack Sparrow,” Blackbeard mocked, circling around the man and making him quite uncomfortable. “A little birdy tells me you’ve gotten your hands on a map to the Fountain of Youth. If ye know what’s good for you, you’ll hand it over without so much as a squeak.”

---------------

Hector was taken aback at the sight of Andrea on a horse with a wide gash on her thigh, but he did not stop to stare. He put a bullet through the head of a redcoat, finishing off the last of the accursed soldiers that were pursuing them as if their lives depended on it - which, in a sense, they did. “Hurry up, then!” he called, finally setting foot on the wood of the docks.

----

Varianna fell behind once again as they started to leave the boatbuilding shop, bending to the floor to pull up one of the creaky floorboards. She had memorized the spot from her teenage years, and with a bit of struggle, pulled the loose board from its place, reaching inside to snatch two of the bags of coins stashed there. Making sure they were secured in her dress, she exited the shop just in time to see Andrea come flying over the brick wall on a terrifyingly large horse. She had no time for shock, simply letting her body guide her as she fell in step with Aurora-Rose, the crew racing across the dock to where Alejandro waited impatiently at the top of the gangplank.

“Took you long enough!” He shouted at the group of men and women as if they had taken time away from his precious, precious schedule. “Looks as though you managed to acquire some fine jewels regardless…” He smirked darkly at each of the women’s chests, eyeing Vari like a ravenous creature with no concern of being related by blood.

Edward shot him a glare, having to bite down on his tongue to refrain from cursing him out on the spot. He had a feeling that Alejandro was the one to alert the Navy of their little charade, but did not voice his concern as Barbossa ordered the crew to get the ship sailing.

“Ye lot know what t’ do, so make to it!” Hector said, glancing over the map that had been folded away in his vest pocket. He motioned for Zoë to take the ship’s wheel, seeing as Andrea was injured and very few others could be trusted to take command of the <i>Pearl</i>. “I need ya t’ follow this path,” he instructed, pointing to the red dots forming a path around Cuba and ending at the tip of Florida.

[[Used this screencap from the movie to navigate -- http://screenmusings.org/AtWorldsEnd/im ... E_3744.jpg ]]

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[[Warning - do not read if Man on Man offends you!!! Panneth, I think we’re going to need to take the four boys to a PM session ]]

“There’s still time to make a scene luv,” Grant purred into Christian’s ear when they had gotten aboard the ship, pressing him up against the railing of the ship for the entire crew to see. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do in front of an audience, including showing what should remain behind closed doors. Hot breath against Christian’s neck, moved up to his ear and nibbled at the lobe with desire.

Soren was helping Dante aboard when he caught sight of Grant and Christian across the deck. “Well… that certainly looks inviting…” he winked to his lover suggestively. “What do you think?” Of course he wouldn’t just get involved in something like that without Dante’s consent; the raven-haired man meant far too much to Soren and he didn’t want to place him in any situation he was uncomfortable with.

Angela followed the group on board and smirked as she saw Barbossa. "Hector Barbossa, I should have know it would be you behind this." she said ridding herself of her charms and leaned on the rail of the ship. "I shoulda reconized the Pearl. Don't recomize yer crew though." She smirked wider.

SHe had come across the man about 4 years before. She had just become a captain and was after her first real treasure. Turns out he was after the same, there being rumors about it containing certain cursed coins.

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Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)