Aztecs' Curse

Chapter 8

     When Victoria came to, she was devastated to find that her whole body throbbed--and she felt something of a migraine when she opened her eyes. She groaned as she sat up, cringing when Cassandra--who sat at a chair beside her bed--squealed at the sight of the woman waking up, and as she lifted a hand to wave her quiet, she blinked at the tightness of her arm, which was wrapped tightly, a thin line of blood along her forearm.

     "I'm sorry, miss," Cassandra whispered, one hand lifted to her lips, as she stared, wide-eyed, at Victoria. "The doctor predicted an endless sleep out of you--said that you had been hit rather hard in the head."
     She frowned, shoving herself to her feet, and was immediately bombarded by her friend, of whom she waved off, as she shuffled over to her vanity, where she peered into the mirror, groaning when she saw stitches where her original wound had been; it definitely explained why she was hurting so much. Suddenly, thoughts of Cyrus crossed her mind, and she cursed him silently as she stared at her wound, before remembering her sister.
     Victoria whirled around, turning to the concerned maid. "Where is Elizabeth?" When Cassandra's eyes widened before saddening and avoiding Victoria's gaze, she faltered, staring at the maid before turning to her window, which was across the room, her eyes on what little bit of the blue sky she could make out through the thick grey clouds and smoke. "Where is father?"

* * *

     As soon as she was dressed, Victoria had left the mansion, which was still disorderly from the night before, and headed straight for Norrington's office in Fort Charles. Along the way, she ran into Will, who looked to be on the way to the Swann mansion, the both of them greeting each other with warm embraces.
     "Victoria," he breathed, his face buried in the crook of her neck as he leaned down, tightening his arms around her before withdrawing, dark eyes on hers, concerned, and one of his hands lifted to her forehead as he withdrew, where he swept back her hair and cringed at the stitches, before he met her eyes. "I thought the worst--I thought you-"
     "They have my sister," she said in a rush, causing him to falter, his eyes widening as her own teared up. "Will, the pirates--they took her."
     Without another word, he nodded, grabbing her hand and leading the way to Fort Charles, obviously having had planned to go there next. "We'll make a plan of rescue--I'll even go myself-"
     "And me," Victoria said insistently, cutting Will off when he looked her way with a look of complaint. "She's my sister, Will. I should have been there to protect her."
     "I'm sure you tried your best," Will responded, though he looked defeated and unwilling to argue with her, eyes flickering away from her and concentrating on their goal.
     Victoria fell silent, feeling very much like she hadn't tried hard enough at all.

* * *

     Will and Victoria burst into Norrington's office, stirring the attention of the soldiers within, and before the woman had a chance to say anything, Will said, his axe still in hand, "They've taken her! They've taken Elizabeth!"
     The group stared first at him, and then at Victoria: Swann, Norrington, and Gillette among others, gathered around a map so large it draped over the Governor's desk, the far end supported by a chair.
     "We're aware of the situation," Norrington said, almost bitterly, as he stared flatly at Will before looking at Victoria with concern etched across his features.
     "Victoria, you should be resting," the governor said, eyes filled with pain, as he strode over to her and stretched a hand for her face.
     She swiped his hand aside. "I'm fine. I'm not the one you should be worrying about."
"We have to hunt them down," Will insisted, stepping further into the room. "We have to save her!"
     "Where do you propose we start?" the governor snapped, surprising Victoria, as he turned to Will, giving him something of a sideways glare. "If you have any information that concerns my daughter, then share it! If anyone does, tell me!" When Will said nothing, he turned away. "Leave, Mr. Turner. And, Victoria, for crying out loud...rest."
     "I've had enough rest, father," she muttered.
     "You've had enough when I say you've had enough!" he barked as he wheeled around, eyes cold and on hers, making her gape in surprise.
     "Mr. Swann," Norrington said quietly, eyes on Victoria, just as surprised.
     As the governor rubbed his eyes, one of the soldiers--Murtogg--stepped forth hesitantly, "That Jack Sparrow-" When Victoria's gaze snapped sharply to him, he seemed to falter, staring at her for a moment before his cheeks colored and he continued. "...he talked about the Black Pearl."
     "Mentioned it is more of what he did," Mullroy responded from the corner of the room.
     Murtogg almost looked offended. "Still-"
     "We can ask him where it is," Will said, and Victoria's stomach fluttered with both anticipation and excitement. "Maybe he can lead us to it!"
     "That pirate tried to kill my daughter?" the governor asked, scoffing, which irritated that exact daughter. "We could never trust a word he said!"
     "We could strike a bargain," Will began.
     "No," Norrington said from his spot at the table, earning a glare from Victoria. "The pirates who invaded this fort left Sparrow locked in his cell. Ergo, he is not their ally, and therefore of no value. We will determine their most likely course, and launch a search mission that sails with the tide."
     Suddenly, will slammed his boarding axe into the table, lodging it through the map, making everyone--even Victoria--jump. "That's not good enough! This is Elizabeth's life!"
     Norrington threw an arm around Will's back, this time the one to make him jump, and steered him towards the door, where Victoria quickly followed after them. "Mr. Turner, this is not the time for rash actions. Do not make the mistake of thinking that you're the only person who cares about Elizabeth." He pulled the door open. "Now, go home." He turned and went back to the table.
     "You dare?" Victoria said suddenly, drawing all eyes to her, and stopping Will from leaving--the man obviously having had given up on the rest of the men. She fumed, glowering eyes on Norrington and her father, of whom both looked at her guiltily. "Your attempt at trying to save my sister may very well take even longer than making a deal with a pirate--with or without the regard of him holding me hostage in that short amount of time--which could mean life or death for Elizabeth. You refuse to do something so damn simple just because--what?--you're supposed to be righteous or something?" When they opened their mouths to argue, she shook her head, cutting them off. "No. This room is filled with nothing but disappointments. I'm done just standing here, arguing with you; it's a waste of time." She turned, grabbing Will's arm and striding away with him.
     Even when she heard the desperation in Norrington's plea as he said her name, she did not stop.