This is another piece that originally was part of a bigger story but that one didn't quite work out. I still love this part anyway. In places the wording feels a little awkward, so any help would be much appreciated. Hope you enjoy it!
It was a summer night and he was waiting just under the fort wall. Elizabeth had promised to be there. It was the night before her 15th birthday and he had something to give her. He'd stayed up all the week before designing, crafting, sanding, and polishing. He took out of his pocket a swan, just large enough to sit coolly on his palm. The eyes were small pieces of amber that glowed warmly and freely, the feathers had been intricately carved and polished so that even in the low light they seamed to gleam smooth and white, and he couldn't believe that he finally had it here, that he finally could give it to her. It looked so perfect and fragile, but it wasn't. He had dropped it once and nearly cried out, but when he saw it; it was still perfect and hadn't broken.
He heard her rhythmically clatter down the hill (she still had trouble being quiet and not running head long into everything.) then, Clunk…clunk… clu-, then silence for a moment and stockinged feet running.
"Elizabeth!" he whispered.
"Will!" she responded and ran towards him.
"Well, how are you this fine night, Miss Swann? Does the weather please you or shall I find a parasol to shield you from the awful glare of the moon?" he said. Miss Swann was his old play name for her. When they were on board the Dauntless after she had rescued him he used to imitate the officers on board. It was really quite funny from the perspective of a ten year old and Elizabeth had laughed till she couldn't breath and had to sit down on his hammock. Of course then her father came in and ushered her away in a fit of abhorrence.
"The parasol, I think, Sir" She was glad he was lightening up even for a bit. He had been getting more and more strained lately. And more and more distant. "I fear the moon would ruin my hard earned complexion."
He laughed, she had purposefully spent enough time outside this summer that her tan rivaled his, much to her father's dismay. He also laughed because, lately, mostly just over this year he hadn't been able so see her much. His master's wife had died and he had taken to drinking himself almost to death. Will could understand his grief but he hadn't worked for ten months. Every single piece that came out of Brown's forge had been made by Will. Elizabeth's life had consumed her too. Each day this month she had to spend a couple of hours a day making polite conversation and drinking tea with Captain Norrington. At first Will hadn't thought that this was so bad but then he imagined himself spending two hours a day with the Captain, drinking the same awful tea, talking about the same boring subjects, with the same awful chaperone who ended up squirting tea out her nose any time anything pleased her horrific humor.
Will had spent so much time away from her that every time he met her again he found himself nervous that the person he would meet would not be the Elizabeth from last time, it would be an Elizabeth who didn't remember all the things they had been through. He was afraid he would meet an Elizabeth who didn't love him.
But now, with them both laughing in the middle of a warm summer's night, everything seemed perfect. He drew out of his pocket the swan and her face stopped. He drew her hand up and placed the swan in her palm. She pulled up the other hand and enfolded it in her elegant hands.
"Will, I, I love it."
"I made it for I swan that I love"
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