She stumbled, consumed by the seemingly ever growing darkness. The treads of her dresses skidded upon the dirt as her grip upon them loosened. To her, it mattered lesser as she neared her destination of preference. Had it not been for the changing direction of the unsteadily growing, fast-paced winds, those which she mumbled beneath her breath as 'the winds of change,' the air would've been silent, untouched by the movement of the flags bearing both the noblemen and the pirate.
With the immaculately placed curls bobbing upon the tips of her shoulders, the gait of a walk transformed to that of a run. In a whirl, they now flew behind her, tangling amongst each other, yet fighting to be freed. The gravel crunched beneath her feet with steady rhythm now, pounding in unison with her heart. For vengeance, for absolution, for reasons she still had failed to decipher, her feet carried her onward. Whether her heart or her head guided them, she did not know, for thoughts raged within her.
It was only as she tripped, the impact causing her to tumble upon the ground, that she noticed the sails marked towering in the sky. The moon shown in the rips between them, the mere sign her target had been, in fact, reached. And as she took in the sites, direct, now, before her eyes, the black leather reflected in her eyes as they continued upward. A white sash, a revealed muscular chest, a heavy cloak, a red patterned bandana, a three corned hat; it all concluded he had expected her return- whether between days, weeks, or months, he knew it to be definite.
A hand, claimed by the sea's nature and difficult ways, extended out to her. She denied its request and heaved herself to the level of his eye. She threw her pail arms around his neck as his name escaped her lips, so subtly, so innocently, so longing to be free- "Jack." He caressed the small of her back as a small smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. Her grip tightened upon him as he then stated words that, to him, were so carelessly pronounced, yet hidden by a twinge of care at her expense, "Liz."
She backed away, though only to stare at the kohl rimmed eyes as if for the first time. "I missed you a lot, Jack." She ran her hands upon the buttons of his cloak, down the arms of its leather several times, and rested them finally upon his shoulders. "You haven't changed have you?"
He seemed as content as can be, yet distant, removing his eyes from her several times. Always in the distance he was at this meeting. Even as his eyes were fixed upon her he never fully seemed with her in that moment. He ignored the last remark as though anticipating the next statement. "I know you did. No need to tell me. For I already know, I already know." His voice trailed as the last sentence lingered, the wind carrying his words aloft.
Her face lit into a soft smile as she, yet again, buried her face in the area where his neck and shoulders coincided. Never had she known happiness so much as before she had been in his arms again, as though every past memory had been waiting, waiting for her to experience such bliss. The intake of the salt of the sea with rum, with sweat, she savored. The feeling of his arms encircled around her once more lifted her beyond what simple explanation could entail. He ran his hand upon her side, still further to her waist. Then, doing just the opposite of the last action he found her shoulder, and therefore followed that until he reached her fragile hand.
He took it, releasing his other hand and they walked a bit, reaching the edge of the dock. They had been finding their thoughts lost within the star-filled skies, and they had occasionally stolen glances between each other. Continuously he switched the way, the hold of her hand until, as he swung it back, he finally released it sternly, glaring at her.
She glanced at him, yet the instant it had taken had seemed to have lasted for years beyond this point. She nodded faintly, and his eyes told her what she had needed to be told. She swiveled in the opposing direction, and her feet lightly patted at the ground as she returned to the vicinity she had came from.
Her thoughts spread for miles within her, racing. Secretly, she had known. By throwing away your pride, she had once figured, and taking action by what means most to you, the path you lead shall change, and a certain other will have realized that they had needed her as well. "The path will change," she recounted out loud. "No, the people will change."
She understood and her mind evolved- evolved into an ocean of memories which she shall never forget.