With a final disdainful glance in Jack's direction, Barbossa turned back to the more eminent discussion. "I ne'er claimed t' be trustworthy; any opinion ye have of my character an' morality are based on your observations alone. But, nonetheless, I've currently no need nor desire to cause any of ye harm, an' therefore there's nothin' to worry about."

"And yet you yourself admit that your word is not always dependable," Aragorn pointed out. "You have lied to us once; what is to stop you from doing so again?"

Meanwhile, Gandalf stood there silently appraising the man before him. He couldn't help but sense that there was still more to this situation than met the eye. Very little happened by chance, in his experience. "And what is to stop him from telling the truth?" he said at length. "It is not as if he has anything more to lose. His secret is out; what more cause does he have to lie to us?"

Aragorn looked over at Gandalf in surprise. "Surely you are not taking their side?" he asked quietly, pulling the wizard aside.

"I am taking no one's side, Aragorn. I am merely looking at the situation objectively."

"He lied to us about this," Aragorn argued. "What else has he lied about?"

"I do not know," Gandalf replied. "But I do know that there is a reason for everything, and my heart tells me that these 'pirates,' have a role to play before the end. Do not dismiss a man simply because he does not divulge his darkest secrets to a complete stranger. Would you tell every man you met in the wilderness of your lineage?"

Aragorn started to reply, then closed his mouth and conceded the point with a slight nod. "You would have me trust them, then?"

Gandalf merely turned back to the group. "Hurry and pick up your packs; we cannot wait until morning to depart from this place. I fear the wargs will be back, and in far greater numbers."

Barbossa looked up in surprise. "Then ye've decided..."

"You will still accompany us as far as Lorien, as planned," Gandalf explained shortly. "Do not make us regret this decision."

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Recognizing the signs of this conversation spiraling speedily out of the realm of reason, Elizabeth caught at Will's sleeve. "We thank you for your hospitality," she said very pointedly to Gandalf, hoping against hope that those idiot pirates took the hint. "I assure you on my part you will not regret it."

"Stoppit, Pip!" hissed Merry in his companion's ear. "'E's a wight, or whatever it is! If he wants to call us dwarves he can!" Despite his cautionary words, the irrepressible hobbit rather wanted to see if the pirates really were the undead beings they said they were. Though, upon further reflection, he decided they'd need another attack in order for him to see that - something he could live without.

Sam was looking more and more alarmed by the minute. "Meanin' no offense, Mr Gandalf," he said earnestly, stepping forward, "but oughtn't we to be a little careful? What with...what with..." he gestured vaguely at Frodo, "that?"

Legolas, having spoken his piece, stood in silence - but it was evident from his expression that these new companions had a long way to go before they earned his trust.

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"We are still being cautious, Samwise," Gandalf assured the young hobbit quietly, placing a hand briefly on his shoulder. "But we cannot simply allow strangers to our land to wander about in the wilderness. They know nothing crucial to our quest yet, and we will likely part ways at Lorien anyway. For now, we cannot deny them our aid."

"We must move quickly," Aragorn urged, addressing the others. "With haste, we may reach the entrance to Moria by afternoon." Slinging his pack onto his back, he realized that Barbossa had not yet moved from his position up against the boulder. "Are you planning on accompanying us?"

Barbossa glanced up at the sky and frowned. Of all the... Uncharacteristically hesitant, he nodded and cleared his throat to speak. "I think, as long as we're sharin' secrets, there be one more thing ye ought t' know..." he said slowly. "But not before promisin' that there'll be no shoutin', attackin', or other forms of undesirable reactions."

"Just tell us and be done with it," Gandalf replied impatiently. "We have no time to waste."

Waiting until the rest of the Fellowship at least appeared to be in agreement, Barbossa looked up at the sky again. The moon was still shining. "As Miss Swann said, we are among th' undead. By day we appear relatively normal, but by moonlight..." He slowly stepped out from the shade of the boulder, the moon's light revealing a skeletal form with rotting flesh and strips of clothing still clinging to it.

Aragorn took an involuntary step backwards in surprise. "What new devilry is this?" he muttered.

Sam instinctively stepped back, closer to Frodo. He was aghast at this transformation, horrified at the skeletal vision before him. "I still say he's a wight!" he muttered only for his master's ears. "Shouldn't trust 'em, Mr. Frodo."

Merry found himself simultaneously horrified and oddly drawn to the apparition. A thought struck him, and was voiced before the hobbit had time to reconsider its possible ramifications. "Is it 'ard to eat, then?" This was entirely expectable from the food-loving hobbit, but still a peculiar question under the circumstances.

Legolas froze as a deer freezes in the sights of a crossbow, hand already halfway to his quiver in the sudden shock of Barbossa's transformation. He slipped unconsciously into his native tongue in his shock, stepping forward and exclaiming vehemently, "Ai! Ceno! Sa farn palan, Aragorn!"*

*Ah! See! This is far enough, Aragorn!

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Barbossa didn't immediately respond, instead opting to glare at both Sparrow and Turner as each spoke with increasing stupidity. He wasn't sure what Sparrow expected to hide, seeing as everyone present had already learned of his condition, but then again there was very little that he did understand of the man's logic, for which he was grateful. "Aye," he finally said in response to Boromir's interruption. "If we all be done gawkin', I advise we get movin'."

"Agreed," Gandalf said with a short nod, picking up his staff once more. "There is little more to be discussed tonight. Perhaps a more in-depth explanation can be given later when our lives are not in imminent danger. For now, however, what we know will have to suffice. Now come quickly. We have no time to delay."

Legolas fell in at the rear, behind the four hobbits, as the party departed among carcasses of wargs and orcs. With unnatural ferocity he pulled an arrow from the throat of a grimacing goblin, and replaced it in his quiver.

Elizabeth's expression was not unlike that of the hostile elven prince behind her. "Jack," she began in a low voice, quickening her stride to catch up with him. "What are you doing? You could have gotten us all killed!" There were many instances in which she could not fathom what Jack was doing, but here his antics seemed, if not practically suicidal, than certainly not contributing to the trust they were trying to acquire from the Fellowship.

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"Jack, don't be an idiot!" Elizabeth fought to keep her voice low, glancing uneasily back and forth. "At least when I almost got myself killed it had a purpose behind it! You're just being - being - " she groped for the word " - stupid!" She narrowly resisted the impulse to add a cutting comment illuminating the fact that Barbossa was, in fact, behaving in an almost rational manner compared to Jack. "I know you don't care," she continued, in a hiss, "but what you do reflects on the rest of us. And I can guarantee you Will and I do not intend to be left alone in the middle of some other world because of your stupidity."

"Watch them, Sam." The elf's voice was almost inaudible, alike to a wisp of breeze past Sam's ear. He started, half-turning, but Legolas' hand on his shoulder stopped his mid-movement. "Watch your master especially. We cannot know these men are not foul servants of the Dark Lord." The elf withdrew, but Sam cast a look at the pirates up ahead.

"I'll watch 'em, aye," he muttered to himself, hoisting his pack higher on his shoulders. "Not one of 'em's going to get past Sam Gamgee, mark my words."

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