Double Drabble: Herb of Grace o’ Sundays

[honorat]

By Honorat
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Owned by mus musculus
Summary: For the “Sunday” Challenge at Black Pearl Sails. Finally, I’m within shouting distance of a drabble.

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He’s always been a man of the Enlightenment, a proponent of Reason, an admirer of Hobbes and Locke and Voltaire. He’s always smiled condescendingly and tolerated the small superstitions of the men he commands—the feather of a wren killed on New Years Day in the pocket, the sign against the evil eye, the horseshoe on the mast.

Even now he doesn’t quite believe his own memories. The blood has been cleaned from his blade and his uniform. The pirates in his cells are human and die as men do die. None of his officers speaks about that night. Perhaps it had been the bad air—the air had been most foul.

However, there are shadows in the corners that he has never noticed before. And when he sets foot on the quarterdeck of the Dauntless, the sea, his true home for all these years, is more unfathomable, more mysterious, more perilous than it has been since he was a child.

He is a rational man, a man of sense and courage. And yet . . . his hand in the pocket of his coat closes around the small sprig of blessed rue.

The End

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Rue--ruta graveolens the "herb of grace o' Sundays" mentioned in Hamlet, is an herb with small dense leaves and yellow flowers. Sprigs were dipped in holy water and used to sprinkle it on objects and places to be blessed. The plant was also reputed to protect against witchcraft and spells. Probably more to the point for poor Norrington, chewing a fresh leaf relieves tension headaches and eases palpitations and anxiety-related problems.

Comments

[galadhir.livejournal.com]

LOL! I like it! Mind you, as far as I can see, after an experience like that, carrying lucky charms would be an act of reason ;)

[honorat.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you, as the preeminent Norrington writer, like this. I think you're right--in the absence of reason, unreasonable measures become reasonable. That sounds like something Governor Swann would say. Thank you for commenting.

[captsparrow4evr.livejournal.com]

Reason's got nothin' t' do with it.:)

[honorat.livejournal.com]

And that would be Gibbs advice to Norrington for certain sure!

[dragonladyk.livejournal.com]

*laughs* This was so cute. And there IS reason to keep the ruta, dove -- it's very good for torn and twisted tendons when made into a homeopathic.

I very much like your Norrie. He's so tightlipped about everything, but nothing slips past him. He knows, if no one else does, that the supernatural isn't done with them yet. :)

DragonLady

[honorat.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you enjoyed this. I was quite blown away by all the information on how different herbs can be used.

Yes, Norrington has that ultimate scientific proof--his own experience. Who knows what strange things will happen next? Thank you for your comments.

[classics-lover.livejournal.com]

Nice! It fits in well with Norrington's character that he would question the supernatural elements of the movie's events - pity they never did so in the movie, but squee for us 'cos we get great fics like this!

[honorat.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much for the comments. I imagine that cursed pirates were utterly antithetical to a logical man like Norrington and that he would resist the implications as much as he could. But he can't quite argue with his experience after all. I'm thrilled you enjoyed this.

[felaine.livejournal.com]

Just how Norrington would respond to the event, IMHO. Still a man of Logic, but now wants a bit of additional insurance. I can hear him rationalizing to himself that the herb doesn't weigh much so won't interfere, probably has medicinal used... But we know the real reason, don't we? Also spending a bit of time around CJS would make anyone see unusual things in the corners.
Beautiful work, saved directly to memories.
Felaine

[honorat.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you think this fits Norrington's character--carrying an herbal insurance policy. I wonder what herbs protect a comoodore against pirates? I imagine the most unusual thing in any corner would be CJS himself. LOL. Thank you for commenting. I'm honoured that you chose to save this.