065: Horror

065: Horror

Alternate title: The Death of the Dauntless. Norrington watches in horror as the Dauntless is destroyed in the hurricane. Plus bonus ficlet for extra elaboration.

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"Commodore! I fear the storm is growing worse, sir!"

Norrington gripped the rail of the Dauntless, struggling to stay upright as the wind and rain lashed at the ship. He looked in the direction the voice had come and saw Gillette trying to make his way up the stairs to the helm.

"I highly advise we try to find an alternate course, sir!"

This voice came from his right. Turning slightly, Norrington saw Groves coming towards him, gripping the railing as he went.

"We cannot afford to break off the pursuit!" Norrington cried.

"But there has been no sighting of the Black Pearl for several hours! Surely they must have gone around this storm!" Groves retorted.

A massive wave crashed into the ship, covering the deck with water. Several men were swept off their feet and tossed into the sea in its wake. Some of the rigging broke loose from a sail.

"Secure the rigging!" Norrington called to the remaining men on deck. They struggled to their feet and attempted to get to the sail.

"Sir, this is madness!" Gillette cried as he finally reached the top of the stairs.

"Lieutenant, are you questioning my orders?"

"No sir! I am merely suggesting that we would be better served by going around the storm! As Lieutenant Groves says, the Pearl most likely went around it!"

In his heart Norrington knew Gillette and Groves were right. But his pride would not let him admit defeat. The quickest way to get to the Pearl was through the storm. And he would not lose that ship now. Not when he was so close to catching Sparrow.

Another wave hit the deck hard, scattering men, rigging, and even sails this time.

"Commodore, I fear the Dauntless cannot take much more of this!" Groves cried.

"We must get out of the storm!" Gillette added.

Norrington watched his crew scramble around the deck, tossed about by the waves, and he began to realize that he would have to give up. There was no way the ship would make it all the way through the storm. They would have to find another route.

"All hands! Change course! Turn the ship around! Make for--"

He never finished his command. Yet another wave washed over the deck, and an even larger wave crashed onto the upper deck. Norrington was swept off his feet. His hands slipped off the railing and he felt himself being tossed violently through the air. It wasn't until he hit the water with a heavy splash that he realized he had been thrown from the ship. Kicking vigorously, Norrington brought himself back up to the surface. He was not far from the Dauntless, and so he began to swim towards the ship. But he never made it.

Just as he was nearing the ship, another enormous wave smashed into it. This time, there was a sickening crack and Norrington watched in horror as the planks in the center of the ship began to split in two. Before his eyes, the Dauntless broke in half, and the remains slowly began to sink below the surface. Norrington heard the screams of crewmen as they were taken down with the ship. A great deal of them were also scattered about in the water, looking around for pieces of the wreckage to grab onto.

Seeing a piece of debris float by him, Norrington quickly grabbed hold of it, hoisting himself onto the wood. He looked around frantically to see what crewmembers had survived, particularly his officers.

"Gillette! Groves!" he called, "Can you hear me?"

"Here, sir!" came a reply.

Norrington looked in the direction of the voice and saw Groves swimming towards him. He had lost both his hat and wig, and his coat was badly torn. Groves grabbed another piece of wood and clung tightly to it, keeping his head above the still-rough water. For a few moments, Norrington continued to look for Gillette, but seeing nothing, he began to fear the worst. Finally, he ended up looking straight ahead--and was just in time to see the last remnants of the Dauntless disappear under the waves. He closed his eyes and lowered his head onto the wood. The churning waves lapped against his head, stirring the anguish coursing through his mind. How could he have let this happen? To lose the Dauntless, one of the finest ships of His Majesty's fleet, to lose so many crewmen, and to completely lose track of Sparrow on top of it all. He was a failure, a complete and utter failure--and now he had the deaths of all those men on his conscience. What was he going to do?

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Norrington (c) Disney
Basics of the story (c) Ted and Terry, elaboration on the event (c) me