Part 2
He had failed in his attempt to dissuade Captain Ellison from pursuing Mr. Sandburg and, at sunset, the aforementioned Guide was due to return to the fort. As he was unable to stir a foot without Captain Ellison by his side, that meant that when Mr. Sandburg returned, he would be caught. James Norrington could only feel that he had failed in his mission...and he did not like that feeling.
Therefore, when sunset came and went with no sign of any Guide apart from himself, he was almost overcome with relief. Not that he showed it, of course. However, Sentinel abilities don't need a visual display in order for them to pick up on something, (which is why you should never play cards with a Sentinel).
"He was due back at sundown, wasn't he?"
James turned to look the Sentinel in the eye. "Obviously he saw us together and realised that to return would be dangerous."
"He has nowhere else to go, no one else he can turn to for help. He has to come back to you."
His gaze dropped as shame filled him. James knew that he had hardly been welcoming when Mr. Sandburg had turned to him for help, and hearing his stark situation put into words so bluntly brought that home to him. However, that would help neither of them at the moment. "He'd be a fool to come back here," he insisted.
"He's desperate. My men are watching the pier, there is nowhere else for him to go. He'll return."
~'~
Jim realised that he was attempting to reassure himself with that statement. He was not positive that Blair Sandburg would return, but he hoped that he would. Port Royal, while far from the den of iniquity it had been, was not a safe place to wander during the dark hours of the night. Dark creatures with black motives stalked the innocents abroad during those hours, and the thought of his Guide being attacked was a real enough fear to turn his stomach.
Surely Sandburg would return rather than risk being murdered? Surely, his reluctance to bond was not so great as to force him to spend a night hiding in an alleyway, prey to every thief or robber who passed his way?
He made a decision and stood. He could not risk his Guide's life for the sake of the bond. If his Guide were waiting for him to leave, then leave he would, and hope that he could catch his Guide before that individual fled from Port Royal.
~'~
Blair watched the main gate of the fort. He had seen, from as far a distance as he could, Captain Ellison escort Commodore Norrington into the fort but he had not seen the Sentinel leave. He sighed and leaned his head against the stone wall behind him. The commodore was the only one he could turn to, for he doubted if the governor would help him now, but with the Sentinel on guard, he could not approach without being captured.
However, lurking in alleyways after the sun had set was an open invitation to be mugged or murdered, therefore a decision had to be made, and quickly. He could attempt to spend the night in the alleyway and hope that the nearness of the fort would afford him some protection, he could go into the fort and be caught and bonded, or he could retire to an inn and hope that the Watch had not placed men in every inn in town.
He had finally decided upon the third course of action when the gate opened and Captain Ellison strode out. Feeling as though his insides had melted with the relief, he watched the tall, imposing figure walk away and waited until there was no risk of the Sentinel hearing him. As soon as the coast was clear, he ran from his dark alleyway to the safety of the fort and banged upon the gate for admission.
The gate opened and one of the first faces he saw was that of Commodore Norrington.
"Let him in!"
He grabbed at Norrington's arm, almost frantic in his relief. "I was surprised to see Captain Ellison leave! I was convinced he would stay until morning!"
"Wait! Not here." Glancing back he ordered, "Lock the gate!" before escorting Blair inside.
Once in the commodore's office, Blair dropped his bag, sank into the seat offered him and accepted the brandy he was given. "Why did he leave?"
"He believed that you would spend the night outside rather than approach the fort while he was here. He could not stay and put you in danger."
Blair felt his face redden.
"He is an honourable man, Mr. Sandburg. I urge you to reconsider your position on bonding with him."
He put the glass down and stood to pace over to the window. "I never thought he'd - I thought..." He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "What am I going to do?"
"Bond with him. He put your safety above his own needs and wants. You cannot ask for more."
"He's a Sentinel, that's what they do! It's...instinct - inbred!" Blair knew that he was arguing with his own conscience as well as the commodore. Yes, Captain Ellison was an honourable man and would undoubtedly treat him well as his Guide but was that enough to make him give up his own dreams?
"Regardless, he did leave this fort in order to enable you to seek safety here."
Blair turned...to argue, to capitulate, to plead with the universe to not put him in this position, he was never sure what he intended to say. His words were disrupted by the sound of cannon fire.
"What on Earth -"
Blair followed Norrington as he ran to the door and threw it open to practically collide with Lieutenant Gillette on the step.
"Sir! Pirates are attacking the town!"
The fort was thrown into chaos with soldiers running through the gate in order to protect Port Royal. Blair ran after Norrington.
"You're a civilian - stay here!" The order was curt.
"I can fight!"
"I don't have time for this!" Norrington attempted to brush past Blair, a pistol in his belt and a sword in his hand, but Blair stopped him.
"You need all the men you can get!"
For a second they stared at each other then, "Give him a sword and a pistol." To Blair, "You get injured and Ellison will have my head!"
Blair took the pistol and shoved it into his belt. "A win-win situation then!" he grinned.
~'~
Outside, it was even more chaotic as soldiers, the Watch and civilians all fought in an attempt to drive back the pirates who were attacking them.
Soon, the area around the fort was clear, although that was mainly due to the amount of soldiers who had come pouring out of the fort.
"Do we know who they are?!" James shouted as he headed towards the sounds of the battle, one hand holding Mr. Sandburg's shoulder firmly in order to make sure that he didn't lose the civilian in the middle of the fight.
Lieutenant Gillette shook his head, a dazed look in his eyes as blood trickled down the side of his face. "From all accounts, they're retreating to the port, sir."
The commodore let go of his civilian and grabbed for his lieutenant's chin. "Go and see the doctor. Get patched up."
"I'm fine, sir!"
"Go back to the fort - that's an order!" For a second he thought that the lieutenant would disobey him but then he got a nod in return and the officer retreated. James watched to make sure that Gillette reached safety, although he doubted that there were any pirates near the fort now, and absently grabbed for Mr. Sandburg's shoulder again.
"I'm not going anywhere, you know."
His attention brought back to his present surroundings, James smiled grimly. "I have no intention of facing Captain Ellison alone and attempting to explain that I lost you on the way. Come on, it sounds as if they're on the run now."
They reached the port in time to join in the final push to rid themselves of their invaders. Two pirate ships could be seen at the pier, their black flags with the skull and crossbones flapping in the wind. A third ship could be seen at anchor a mile or so out, but she made no attempt to approach and was flying no flag at all, so James put it down to cautious civilians who were keeping their distance until the battle was over.
"Commodore!"
The cry of warning took him by surprise and he gasped with shock as a ball of fire seemed to engulf his shoulder. Looking down, he realised that he had been shot and staggered back to be caught by Mr. Sandburg.
A roar of fury dragged his fading attention back to the battle and he saw Captain Sparrow leap at the pirate who had shot him. "It's a delusion," he murmured.
"No delusion, he's out!"
"Fort. Back...fort."
The other Guide understood him and hurriedly helped him from the port. Although his men were there, they were engaged in fighting the enemy and James knew that Sparrow would have no difficulty in kidnapping him in the middle of the battle. His only chance for safety lay in getting back to the fort. Even Captain Jack Sparrow would think twice about storming a fort alone. He hoped.
~'~
Holding onto his companion firmly, Blair hoped that he'd be able to get them back to the fort without encountering any Sentinels at all. He still had not made up his mind what to do about Captain Ellison. Dismissing that Sentinel from his mind, he was determined to get the commodore to safety. Norrington had done his best to help Blair, and now it was Blair's turn to help Norrington.
He avoided the narrow alleyways as much as he could, preferring to stick to the empty moonlit streets, but they were only a short distance from the fort when he spotted a group of men in the distance. He knew that all the able-bodied honest men were at the port, so he suspected that these able-bodied men were not honest at all. Accordingly, he hurried down a nearby alleyway. They had not survived this far to be mugged and possibly murdered by a gang of opportunists.
Norrington offered no protest. Either he too had seen the men or he was too out of it to realise they had changed direction. Blair cursed himself for an empty headed fool. After infection, the main risk of being shot was blood loss. He propped the commodore up against the wall and thrust his hand inside his jacket. The blood he encountered was sticky. Sighing with relief, he realised that the bleeding had slowed and the wound was merely oozing blood; Norrington was lucky.
The brief pressure Blair had exerted on the wound had been enough to rouse the wounded man from his stupor. "What?"
"Just checking. I never thought of blood loss!"
"It's fine. The ball's still in there, so I'm only bleeding from one hole," he gasped.
"Oh. One hole. That's all right then." Blair slid his shoulder underneath Norrington's other arm. "Come on, we're almost there."
They had almost reached the end of the alleyway when a yowl rent the air and something ran up Blair's leg and leapt away, digging a thousand claws in as it went. He shrieked with the shock of it.
Norrington hissed with pain as Blair jerked to one side to escape the claws. "What are you doing? Sparrow is a Sentinel!"
Blair resisted the urge to grab at his perforated leg. "It wasn't my fault! I think I tripped over a demon."
"What would a demon be doing lurking in an alleyway?" The pain from his wound was evident in his voice and Blair hurriedly straightened up, giving the commodore more support.
"Waiting for me to trip over it, obviously! It must be in league with Sparrow!"
"Well, shhh...we don't want him hearing us."
Blair fell silent. He didn't want the Sentinel to find them either.
~'~
After disposing of the pirate who had shot Jamie, Jack swung around to look for his Guide but the spot were Jamie had been standing was empty. His eyes narrowed as he thought back. There had been another man standing with Jamie - another Guide; the one from the fort today. He fought his way past the last few desperate pirates until he reached where his Guide had been standing. Looking down, his sharp eyes spotted the drops of blood left behind when the two Guides had fled.
The hairs on the back of his neck pricked up and he spun to face the danger behind him. A Watchman was there! He sniffed. A Watchman...and a Sentinel.
For a few seconds the two Sentinels weighed each other up, ignoring the dying battle going on around them.
"The other one yours, is 'e?" Jack asked, a jerk of his head indicating the spot where the two Guides had last been seen.
The Sentinel nodded. "And Commodore Norrington is yours."
"That's right. Got a problem with that?" Jack watched carefully. If he had to fight this Sentinel for his Guide, he would.
There was a shake of the head. "As long as you leave my Guide alone, you can take yours and welcome to him."
Jack nodded. The Sentinel was telling the truth. "Let's go then."
~'~
As they followed the drops of blood away from the pier, Jim glanced at his temporary companion. He had not attempted to introduce himself and, if this was the Sentinel that Norrington had mentioned, he was supposed to be in jail. "I'm Jim Ellison, Captain Ellison, of the Watch."
The figure beside him tightened with tension. "Jack."
"Just Jack?"
"Just Jack, savvy?"
Jim nodded. He doubted if this Sentinel would remain in Port Royal once he had his Guide and that was fine with him. He did not know why the Sentinel was supposed to hang in the morning; he could not believe it was simply for being a Sentinel and wanting to bond with the commodore - Norrington had not struck him as being an unfair man. But, as long as Jack did not stop him from bonding with Sandburg, he was prepared to look the other way as the Sentinel collected his Guide. If Jack had been intending to hunt Sandburg, though, he would have handed him over to the nearest Watchman.
They passed a group of drunken men and Jim inhaled carefully, filtering out the smell of booze; he could not detect the scent of either Guide upon them. He heard Jack sniffing the men too and knew that he was searching for the same scents as he was. Fortunately for the men, they had either not encountered the Guides or they had given them a wide berth.
They were not far from the fort when the bloodstains veered off into an alleyway. Jack look puzzled for a second but his face cleared when Jim reminded him of the drunkards they had passed. Obviously Sandburg had taken care to avoid meeting them.
A shriek of pain caught both of their attentions and the two Sentinels sped into the alleyway. Jim recognised the voice of his Guide and relaxed slightly as he heard him bickering with Norrington. He couldn't be badly hurt if he was able to argue.
The scent of Norrington's blood reached them far more clearly now, and the two Sentinels quickened their steps. Jim thanked God that it wasn't his Guide who was bleeding, but he ran faster anyway. Jack would not be interested in getting to Sandburg, therefore his Guide might escape while Jack's was caught.
The sound of a scuffle greeted him as he rounded the corner two steps behind Jack.
~'~
Blair was horrified when his fellow Guide was firmly grabbed by his Sentinel.
"Easy there, Jamie, I've got you."
Norrington recovered from the shock quickly, although his voice sounded forced, "It's Commodore Norrington to you, and you can let go of me!"
Valiantly, Blair threw himself forward, intending to wrench the Sentinel away from his wounded companion. However, his best laid plan went astray when two strong arms encircled him mid-leap and yanked him back to rest against a taller, stronger body.
In the moonlight that was flooding the alleyway now, Blair saw the gold flash of a grin that the pirate Sentinel sent his way. "You've got your Guide, Ellison, I've got mine. I suggest we part company now."
"Agreed!"
The voice was terse and Blair could hear the Sentinel scenting him, snuffling at his hair.
"Let go!" Blair wriggled, but was dragged away in spite of his struggling.
The last he heard from his fellow Guide was a muffled curse that was half a cry of pain, followed by a soothing, "Now, now, Jamie, just relax. I'll get you back to the Black Pearl in no time."
Held securely by his own Sentinel, Blair had no chance to escape as he was taken back to the nearest inn. The fighting had long ceased in this quarter of town, and the inn was quiet and looked relatively undisturbed.
"A room!"
Blair's breath quickened as his panic grew. His struggles were getting him nowhere, and the leering look the landlord had sent him promised no help even though the landlord had quite the wrong idea.
"You can't do this! I won't - you can't!" Blair's earlier doubts were lost in his terror as he kicked at the stairs, pushing the man behind him back although the grip around his torso never loosened.
"Settle down, Guide."
Unsurprisingly, he refused and continued to keep them from the stairs, and the private rooms upstairs, by the use of his feet.
The Sentinel growled warningly in his ear, then suddenly released him. Before Blair could do anything with his brief freedom, he was spun on the spot and upended over the Sentinel's shoulder.
Half-dazed at his change in position, he grabbed at the back beneath his face, trying to ground himself somehow. He realised that his position had worsened, although he wouldn't have thought it could. Held over Ellison's shoulder, he was even more helpless than before, and they were going upstairs. Blair wriggled frantically from side to side, hoping to tip himself free in spite of the arm that was hugging his knees, but the Sentinel remained steady and they continued along the hall.
"I'm afraid the bridal suite is occupied...gentlemen, but I'm sure this room will be to your liking." The oily voice of the despicable landlord made Blair feel sick. The man believed that he was leaving him to be raped and wouldn't raise a hand to save him.
"This will suffice. Thank you." From the clipped tones of the Sentinel, he had no more liking for the landlord than the Guide had, although that was small comfort in his present circumstances.
"No!" Blair kicked and wriggled some more as he grabbed for the doorframe. This was not going to happen to him! His hands were wrenched free as the unstoppable force that was the Sentinel continued into the room then turned to slam and lock the door.
There was silence for a few seconds, then his world tipped again and he was flat on his back on the bed. Horrified, he rolled to one side, but the Sentinel was quicker than he was, and two long arms wrenched him back and pinned him to the unsanitary mattress.
Since he couldn't run, Blair went for his second line of defence and tried to talk his way out of it. "Look, this mattress is probably years old - who knows what it'll do to your senses!" He stared up into the Sentinel's face, half-fascinated by the feral look, and half-terrified as that feral look was aimed at him. "Feathers, bedbugs...you should complain!"
The face above him tightened as the Sentinel inhaled. The mouth opened too as his scent was tasted and Blair's fears grew. Forget fascination, all he was feeling now was panic.
His arms were pinned to the mattress so he bucked, trying to force the Sentinel away from him. "You're not going to do this!" Bucking again, he realised his mistake when his throat was exposed briefly, but that brief second was all it took.
He gasped at the bite to his neck, then moaned as endorphins rushed through his brain and the resistance left him, his mind melting into acceptance. Slowly, his eyes drifted shut as the sensations of bonding over-ruled everything. He tilted his head back into the still-unsanitary mattress and eagerly welcomed the mind that was flowing into his with a determination to possess, to own, that would have terrified him only a few short seconds ago.
~'~
James gasped with shock as a gold-toothed Sentinel loomed up out of the darkness of the alleyway and grabbed hold of him firmly.
"Easy there, Jamie, I've got you."
"It's Commodore Norrington to you, and you can let go of me!"
As he had expected, Sparrow ignored him, instead flashing a smile at Captain Ellison. "You've got your Guide, Ellison, I've got mine. I suggest we part company now."
"Agreed!"
"Let go!" Mr. Sandburg struggled but it was obvious to James that the Sentinel was far stronger, and the pair quickly disappeared out of sight.
Hoping that Sparrow was distracted by the other Sentinel, James attempted to wrench himself free, but only succeeded in causing a flash of pain to run through his shoulder.
"Now, now, Jamie, just relax. I'll get you back to the Black Pearl in no time."
James gritted his teeth against the pain and against the annoyance of having such a soothing tone used towards him. If only he hadn't been injured! However, he had and, in spite of his struggles, he was forced to submit to being helped along the alleyway by the Sentinel who was determined to claim him. "Where are you taking me?"
"Back to the Black Pearl, Jamie. Once I've got you tucked away, safe and sound, I'll fetch a doctor for you."
"The fort is closer." James didn't think that Sparrow would fall for it, but he had to try.
"They'd never let me in the gate...or rather, they'd never let me out again." Sparrow flashed a grin at him. "Your Sentinel's too wily a bird to fall for that one, mate, though I don't blame you for tryin'."
The pain was making him feel sick but he had to keep talking. Surely he could dissuade this pirate from such a foolish course of action. "A bond between us is impossible!"
"Nothin's impossible, Jamie, if you put your mind to it." There was a pause as the Sentinel inhaled then, "And your scent tells me our bond is very possible. So don't you worry about that, savvy?"
James tried once more to wrench himself free but Sparrow had taken his good arm and was holding it across his shoulders, another strong arm wrapped around his waist, making any struggle of his ineffective. Nevertheless, he continued to try, and gritted his teeth against the nausea that was rising in him. He swallowed and hoped that he wouldn't be sick - then hoped that he would if there was a chance it would put the Sentinel off!
As the lights of the pier came in view, James increased his struggling. They were not close enough for any cry for help to be heard, but surely, if he could break free, he could get close enough.
Sparrow seemed to know what he was thinking and they veered away from the port down a narrow path that led them to a small beach. The lights of the pier could still be seen in the distance but only a Sentinel could have heard him shout from where they were.
"Jack! What are you up to now?"
James turned his head at the impatient tone and stared in astonishment at the man who had spoken. "Mr. Gibbs!"
"Commodore Norrington!" Almost by instinct it seemed, Gibbs straightened up and saluted.
"I see you two know each other," Sparrow said, another grin shining out in the moonlight.
James gazed blearily at the man then turned his head to look at the lights on the pier. So near, yet so far, from safety. They danced in front of him, taunting him with their beckoning haven, as the blackness grew deeper around them.
"Jamie? Jamie?" There was a sigh. "'Elp me get 'im in the boat, 'e's almost out of it."
"You can't kidnap the commodore, Jack. 'Eap o' trouble, kidnappin' an officer."
James would have agreed with him but the darkness surged up and swept him away.
~'~
By the time James regained consciousness, he was flat on his back and he wished he hadn't bothered waking up. His head was aching, he felt hot all over, and someone was poking at his shoulder with a red hot iron.
"Jamie?"
The red hot iron was removed and he opened his eyes slightly. There was a man bending over him, a man he didn't recognise, although he'd definitely heard Sparrow's voice.
"It won't be long now, Mr. James. Just hold still."
The prodding resumed although the man did not appear to have a red hot iron in his hands, instead he was wielding a scalpel.
Of course...he'd been shot. This man must be a doctor. James regretted his decision to wake up even more as the doctor probed inside his shoulder. He groaned.
Instantly, the probing stopped and the doctor could be heard spluttering indignantly. James opened his eyes to see the doctor being shook back and forth by an irate Sentinel.
"You're hurting 'im!" Sparrow looked feral.
"Please, Captain Sparrow! It can't be helped; the ball must be removed."
Finally, the doctor was released and allowed to turn back to James.
James gritted his teeth. He was an officer, a commodore, he could deal with this pain. He dug his fingers into the mattress beneath him and held on as the doctor investigated his shoulder again. Surely the man could not take much longer!
"Ah! I have it!"
The probing stopped for a second then he felt a tug deep inside his shoulder. The pang of pain it sent through him was stronger than any he'd had before and he gratefully fell into the approaching blackness again.
This time when the darkness receded, James came around enough to be more aware of his surrounding. To his surprise, the doctor was still there, as was Sparrow, although James wasn't surprised about that in the slightest. He'd barely opened his eyes before Sparrow moved forward to lean over him solicitously.
"Welcome back, mate. Your shoulder's all bound up now and once you've drunk this potion the doc's made up for you, you can go back to sleep."
James forced himself to talk. "Fort."
"No, Jamie, just relax. You ain't going nowhere for a while yet." Far more gently than James would have expected, Sparrow slid an arm under him and lifted him slightly. "Come on, mate, drink this. It'll put 'airs on yer chest."
James tried to turn his head away as a glass was held to his lips. He did not doubt that the potion was a sleeping draught and he had no intention of sleeping. He needed to talk to the doctor, possibly enlist his help - at the very least get him to carry a message back to the fort for him. However, his hopes were dashed as Sparrow far too easily held his head in place and tipped some of the noxious mixture into his mouth. He struggled weakly but was forced to swallow or choke.
"That's the dandy, Jamie. Just a bit more now!"
He glared at Sparrow as more of the awful stuff was poured in. He'd like to see the Sentinel drink this stuff - it'd be hell with his enhanced sense of taste. Finally, the glass was empty and James sighed as he was laid down again. Through the swimming in his head, he heard the doctor speak.
"I presume one of your sailors will be able to row me back to Port Royal, Captain Sparrow?"
"Back?" The pirate sounded surprised.
"Of course. I have patients to tend to."
"You 'ave a patient to tend to 'ere, mate, and you ain't goin' nowhere until 'e's well!"
James smiled as he slid into the depths of a drugged sleep. Perhaps he and the doctor would be able to help each other after all.
~'~
Blair sighed and snuffled his face into something soft as he slowly came back to consciousness. Memory, however, flooded back and his eyes shot open, dispelling the last wisps of sleepiness.
The room was filled with a dusty light as the sun struggled to break through the dirt on the windows. Remembering the state of the mattress, Blair leapt off the bed hurriedly. If he hadn't been too tired to move after bonding, he would never have slept on that bed. He relaxed as he realised that he had actually been sleeping on Captain Ellison's coat, and the large garment had lain between him and that mattress. He guessed he had his Sentinel to thank for that. Talking of whom....
With perfect timing, the door opened and his Sentinel walked in, a large jug of water in his hand. "Good morning, Chief."
"Hello." Blair hovered, uncertainly, at the other side of the bed. He had no idea of the etiquette of these situations as, while there were whole stacks of books that covered the etiquette for every occasion, Sentinel and Guide etiquette rules were unwritten. Part of his mind followed that train of thought, wondering why, and whether he should write a book about it, while the rest of his mind shrieked in unremitting panic about his situation. If he had been by the door and not trapped on the other side of the room, he would have bolted.
His Sentinel looked him up and down and Blair had no doubt that his extreme nervousness was being picked up on.
Considering the situation, the conversation was amazingly banal. "The service in this inn is abysmal." Captain Ellison poured some water into the cracked bowl on the washstand. He swilled it around for a few seconds then carried across the room and attempted to open the window with one hand, then, "Here, hold this."
Blair automatically took the bowl and looked down into it. He wasn't surprised the captain wanted to clean it out before washing in it as disturbed dust was floating on top of the water, changing its clarity into a murky grey.
He watched as Captain Ellison struggled with the window, then crossed to the washstand and put the bowl down. Returning, he ignored the sudden stillness that had filled his Sentinel, and leaned in to put his hands on the window frame itself. "Now try."
Between them, they managed to force the window open, the protest from its rusty hinges showing that it had been many a day since it had been opened last.
"This must be the worst inn in Port Royal!" Blair exclaimed.
Captain Ellison paused, the bowl in hand, "I didn't exactly look it over before asking for a room." A faint redness crept up his cheeks and he turned back to the window and poured the dirty water out.
An outraged cry was heard from below and Blair dived forward to see who it was, then giggled like a loon when he realised that the wet 'gentleman' below was the landlord of this fine establishment.
Laughter shook the large frame of his Sentinel and, as the landlord looked up and shook a fist at the open window, the two of them hurriedly ducked back out of sight.
"Serves him right!" Blair said, grinning widely. "It's probably the first bath he's had this year."
"You mean the first bath he'd had this past decade!" Captain Ellison retorted, laughter still in his voice. "Get washed quickly and we'll get out of here. I do not want to stay and taste the food."
Blair shuddered. "I doubt if we'd survive it."
The sounds of washing broke the awkward silence that had filled the room after their momentary alliance against the window and, as Captain Ellison took his turn at the washstand, Blair moved over to the bed and gathered up the thick coat that lay there.
He waited until the captain had finished then held out the coat. "Thank you, Captain," he said, hoping it was obvious what he was thanking him for.
"You're welcome, and it's Jim."
"Jim."
"C'mon, Chief, I'll buy you a breakfast at the King's Arms."
One warm hand rested on his shoulder and guided him into the passageway. Blair smiled at the thought, his stomach rumbling in approval. That had been the inn he had briefly visited originally and their cooking had smelt divine, although he had never had a chance to taste it. The only time he'd come back to town had been to see Norr - "Oh, Lord!"
"What?"
He looked up into Jim's concerned face. "Commodore Norrington! We have to go to the fort and tell them what happened. Lieutenant Gillette will probably clap us in irons!"
Jim was smiling again. "Don't worry, Chief. I'll protect you."
~'~
By the time they reached the fort, the excellent breakfast his Sentinel had insisted he eat was lying heavily on Blair's stomach. Getting in to see the authorities posed no problems at all as Governor Swann was at the fort and saw them approach.
Blair kept his eyes on the ground when he saw him coming. He really didn't want to have to deal with the governor right now. While his irregular birth didn't bother him, he knew that there were far too many people ready and willing to make a fuss about such a commonplace thing.
"You're bonded then!"
Blair looked up in surprise as Governor Swann came to halt in front of him. He sounded pleased.
"Capital, capital!" The governor enthusiastically shook hands with them both before continuing, "I shall be able to boast that I had Captain Ellison's Guide staying with me when they first met. I shall, you know! I've already had Lady Denby asking if it were true. Just wait until the news gets around the town." He paused and leaned in closer to murmur confidentially to Blair, "I've never met a Sentinel and Guide before, so it's just as exciting for me!"
Blair felt a laugh begin to bubble its way up into his throat. Only the governor could be this excited about that chain of events. "Oh...your vase...I'm truly sor-"
"Think nothing of it! What's a Ming vase compared to the excitement of seeing a Sentinel and Guide meet for the first time? Lady Denby was positively green with envy - I swear she was!"
Glancing up at Jim, Blair could tell that he was on the verge of laughter too.
"Oh my goodness, I completely forgot!" The governor looked dismayed. "Have you come to help search for Commodore Norrington? He's missing you know - heat of the battle. No one knows where he is at all!"
"Actually, sir, we believe we know where he is." Jim's voice was calm.
"Already? I say, you fellows don't waste any time, do you? Well, come in, man, come in. You too, Blair. Lieutenant Gillette will be more than happy to see you both."
Following on the heels of his Sentinel, Blair muttered, "I doubt that."
It seemed that the lieutenant doubted it too. Upon hearing that his commodore was a Guide who had been claimed by the Sentinel hunting him, speech deserted him for a full three minutes. Finally, after a gulp of brandy, Gillette managed, "He was claimed?! Well...we have to get him back!"
The frown on Jim's face was obvious, as was the warning tone in his voice. "Commodore Norrington was claimed by his Sentinel. 'Getting him back' is not an option."
"He's a Commodore in the King's Navy - not some...some..." one hand waved vaguely in Blair's direction, "writer for a newspaper!"
The growl that erupted from Jim's throat got all of their attentions and even seemed to dim the governor's excitement for a few minutes.
"No disrespect intended to Mr. Sandburg, of course!" Lieutenant Gillette hurriedly added. "I just meant that he has a certain position...and duties - he can't just abandon them!"
"He hasn't abandoned them!" Blair put in indignantly. "We were on our way back to the fort when Captain Sparrow -"
"That pirate?!" The lieutenant hastily took another gulp of brandy.
"That pirate is a Sentinel," Jim growled. "He found and claimed his Guide. As you know, Lieutenant Gillette," he advanced to stand over the shorter man intimidatingly, "Sentinel law supercedes civil law. He has claimed Commodore Norrington as his Guide and there's nothing you can do about it."
"Well, I know that but...." The lieutenant's voice trailed off.
"I'm quite sure that Commodore Norrington will wish to return to Port Royal, if only to assure you of his well-being," Jim continued.
"Oh yes! Norrington's a good man - he'd never leave us all hanging!" the governor said. Then added hastily, "In a manner of speaking."
Lieutenant Gillette looked as though he were about to add another protest but Jim overruled him firmly.
"It's done. Captain Sparrow will take good care of his Guide, you may be sure of that. Now, I have to find Captain Banks. Chief."
Blair allowed Jim's hand to draw him to the door. In truth, there were a few uncomfortable thoughts buzzing around his own head and he wanted time to sort them out.
"Good day to you, Governor, Lieutenant."
It wasn't until they were outside the gate that Blair spoke again. "What will happen if Captain Sparrow is captured? He's a pirate - they'll hang him, then what will happen to Commodore Norrington?"
"It's not as simple as that, Chief. Sparrow's a bonded Sentinel now. While he may be wanted for piracy under the King's law, as a bonded Sentinel he can't be hanged for it as it would be condemning his Guide to death too. As his Guide is a Naval Officer and not a pirate, that would never be tolerated."
"You don't think Captain Sparrow bonded with Commodore Norrington just to save his neck, do you?" Blair was furious at the thought. While he was rapidly coming around to the idea of being bonded, not that he'd had much choice, the idea of a Sentinel bonding for ulterior motives was a repugnant one.
"No!" Blair was pulled to a halt as Jim stopped in the middle of the street. "Sparrow was free; he could have escaped from Port Royal with no one the wiser. He deliberately went looking for his Guide. And I wouldn't be surprised if Sparrow came here looking for Norrington. It's possible that he knew his Guide was in Port Royal."
Jim started walking again but Blair stayed still. "How would he know? Did you know I was here?" He blinked at the wide grin he got in reply.
"I knew you'd arrived although I wasn't sure where you were. I had an itchy feeling."
Blair allowed himself to be escorted along the street, a half-indignant look on his face. "You could have got a lotion from the doctor for that, you know. Just think of all the trouble you'd have saved yourself!" Itchy feeling indeed!