((I don't own POTC, some creatures were adapted to my liking but I don't own them either. Bella the OC and the Heart of the Black Pearl pendant are my original ideas, so those are mine.))
Part I : the messenger
1. The ghost ship.
Light swayed above me. Rippled, twirled, swirled and surged, catching strands of my dark brown curls that floated freely and toying with them in the current. Light through the water is so pretty, if your beneath the surface, looking up, it all seems so beautiful. All that pretty light, tinted with color from being filtered through water and shining brightly on bubbles as they rise. I had loved that sight all my life, I always loved the water. The sea, the pure open freedom of it all.
But, knowing this sight for all of my life I knew how the light changed when you got further down and at this moment I'm under the impression that I'm at least several feet under and still sinking, and normally its not a problem.
It's not a problem because I'm a good swimmer, in fact, I'm an excellent swimmer. But right now, it's a problem. Because no matter how great a swimmer I am, that talent is tragically diminished when your hands are bound and there's debris all around you.
I floundered to the left as a barrel sank to my right, nearly crashing into me. My struggles were getting weaker as the minutes passed and I just kept sinking. My foot struck something and kicked off it, rising a little before continuing the slow decent into the blue-green abyss. Great, my luck is just amazing isn't it.
The water heaved and surged as something large and heavy crashed into the sea, probably a mast, from the displacement I felt. I kicked up again from another piece of ship debris and rose just high enough to find another object to kick off of. A shadow passed overhead as broken pieces of the ship floated across the surface. Not good, If they were above me I couldn't break the surface and my poor exhausted body couldn't take anymore not breathing. Bubbles plumed up as I let out my breath, unable to hold it in any more, and I struggled with another desperate kick and rose just as the plank above me drifted past. It was barely enough, but I managed to break the surface only to breath too soon, I inhaled the salty water, sputtered and sank. In the filtered light above me I caught glimpse of the shadow of a ship a mere moment before my eyes went to darkness. At that distortion, I thought it was an illusion.
/
Cool fresh water poured down my aching throat making me gasp and cough, taking a deep breath I relaxed as I felt oxygen bring relief to my lungs when a rough hand pushed me back down onto the bunk.
"easy there." a gruff voice growled.
I groaned at the soreness of my muscles and tried to sit up again on shaky arms, and again I was pushed back down. Now that my senses were coming back, I could feel a cold sheen of sweat coating my deeply tanned skin. My dark brown curls were damp and stuck to my face. My stomach was throbbing with pain, and my leg felt the same. The pain contrasted the numbness in my bones and made me feel weak. I had definitely screwed up this time.
"you'll want to stay lying down, miss, you've got a couple nasty wounds." the gravelly voice informed me. My blurry eyesight finally started to clear and I got a good look at him. His face was slightly gaunt, and he had dark, thin curled hair held under a black bandana. His dark, beady eyes stood in stark contrast against his pale face. over simple cloths he wore a long, dark brown duster and a knife was sheathed at his belt. A pirate. Better for me than a navy officer.
I glanced about the cabin and found nothing of interest. The room was bare wood walls and flooring, a few bunks lined the area with hammocks strung between them, and a few shelves cluttered with small items had been nailed to the walls. Oddly enough, the room seemed damp and small bits of moss or algae could be seen in the cracks and on bunk-post's. nothing stood out except the fact that I noticed I had been stripped down to my undergarments and my bloody cloths lay on top of a nearby table, along with a pile of bandages. Speaking of bandages, I had quite a lot of them wrapped around my stomach and left leg and I briefly remembered scraping my legs as I shimmied out of the brig and hitting some of the debris as I dived off the sinking ship and into the water, the injuries definitely hadn't been as painful then. Then again, when you have other things to worry about, injuries never are.
I turned my amber gaze back to the man.
"who are you?"
"Bill Turner. We found you afloat in the sea, almost took you for dead."
"glad you didn't, or I would be. Where are we?"
"aboard the Flying Dutchman ."
"I thought you said I wasn't dead?"
"you aren't"
"which Flying Dutchman? Last I heard only the dead could stand aboard the flying Dutchman."
"you have the Captains deal, you'll owe him a boon for this."
"great…just great, I owe something to Davy Jones." I muttered.
"Davy Jones is no longer the Captain of this ship."
"then who would be captain?"
"William Turner." a much younger voice replied from the door. I turned to see it's owner. He was a handsome man, with a tall, good build, broad shoulders, long, lean legs and slightly elfish features, and some resemblance to the older fellow next to my bunk. Odd. Not what you expect from the captain of the Flying Dutchman. I mean, you could almost call this guy beautiful, if it weren't for the cold expression in his dark honey colored eyes that didn't match the smile on his face.
" Good to see you awake, Miss….?"
"why the bloody hell would ye take Davy Jones place, ye look rather young to have been wantin' immortality, at such a price."
"It was the only way to save his life." Bill Turner replied, his voice grave and serious. I don't know what it was about the man, he just made you feel….I don't know quite how to describe it. It was a cold feeling, but a familiar one.
"ah, so how long had Davy been dead?"
"nearly two years now."
"hmph, no ones said anything about a change in captains aboard this ship, they all still refer to it as Davy Jones'. anyway, from stories tell I woulda figured it'd be Jack Sparrow to take Davy's place."
"he tried. Unfortunately he's a good man." William answered me this time.
"yeah, try tellin' him that. My name's…Bella."
"unusual name."
"I'm an …unusual person."
"well, what's an unusual person such as yourself doing with hands bound and sinking so far out in open water?" Will still hadn't moved from his place by the door, he just stood there, leaning against the wall and looking down at me.
"it-it's an occupational hazard."
"your occupation being?"
"all sorts of things not becoming of a lady."
"you a pirate?"
"of sorts"
He gave me a look of … it was almost indecision.
"how tall are you?" I asked him. He looked rather taken aback by the question, and for the first time, that hard glint left his eyes.
"never mind, do you have cloths that would fit me?"
Bill turner chuckled quietly as Will went to find me something to replace my bloodied clothing. I gave him a quizzical look before turning my attention to my roughly-done bandages. I un-wrapped the top layer only enough to shift and re-tie them more comfortably, then moved on to do the same with my leg.
"sorry bout that, these hands ain't made for gentle work." For being as gravelly as Bill Turners voice was, it was oddly quiet when he spoke.
"I don't mind, it was done well enough to keep me from bleedin' to death, for that I'm grateful." I had meant the words to sound sincere, but I don't think I achieved that affect through my gritted teeth as I shifted the bandaging. That simple effort let me feel just how bruised my body really was, my joints ached and my stomach churned, my throat didn't help the latter feeling either, as raw as it felt. I sighed and tried stretching out, one limb at a time.
A rapid knock sounded at the door and without hesitation a crewman walked in with a bundle of cloths, allowing his rudeness to be forgiven without a sound.
"Cap'n asked me to bring these for our guest."
Bill nodded and the man left, leaving the cloths on the table.
"now, if you don't mind..." I gestured towards the door and myself, and being cleverer than a fish he got the meaning and left the cabin while I changed.
/
Once dressed in a thin white tunic, brown breeches, my own boots and belt and a bandana to hold back my wild curls, I limped around till I found the creaky passage to the deck and took in a grateful breath of fresh sea air. Just before getting pushed out of the way by an irritated crewman for hanging about in his way too long. The ship swayed with the ocean and creaked as she went, water sloshing up against the sides as she broke through the waves. I could hear the hustle and bustle of the crew as the went about securing lines, running supplies and washing the deck and railing. Just like any ship. Out in the bright sunlight I could see nothing but the ship, as startling as it was, blue sky and clear open blue-green Caribbean sea.
Odd. It seemed….normal, and not, at the exact same time, it was normal, it just felt different than it should. This ship seemed wrong, the ship and the crew, they seemed like the clear reality of a fading era. They were the embodiment of it, a ship of the dead sailing the world of the living.
I found my way up to the helm, dodging a few crew members and a stray canon, to find Will.
"Captain." I addressed him and he seemed to shake out of a daze that he'd been in. Even will seemed wrong and I had to remind myself that he was missing a heart.
"hmm, yes?" the words were an average reaction, but he seemed sad. Lost.
"mortals aren't allowed in the netherworld."
He looked confused for a moment, so I elaborated.
"I'm mortal, how am I in the netherworld?"
"your not."
"then…why not? Aren't you supposed to be ferrying souls?"
"right now I'm ferrying a certain mortal to Tortuga. Unless there's a problem with that?"
I pondered his logic, and deciding he was in the right, I went against it.
" I could just stay on the ship…I'm waiting to cross paths with a certain other mortal myself, he tends to get mixed up in unusual things."
"you'd have a better chance in Tortuga, besides, I've enough crew already."
"Seen that for myself. It just….holds a certain allure, doesn't it? Sailing on the Flying Dutchman…on strange waters…such a legendary ship..."
He gave me a hard stare, and, a little affronted, I turned back towards the railing. The rough would was worn smooth from decades of sailing, discolored and battered. I stared at it and longed to see a different railing, a darker one with about as much wear and tear.
"How are you going to make port in Tortuga?" I asked.
"I'm afraid that's not possible." he sighed.
"thought so. I'm taking a swim aren't I?"
"aye."
"wonderful."
I watched the waves sway across that blue-green surface soothingly. The sea was always the same and yet always new. You could never see a wave twice. Never the exact same.
"so whose your lady love?"
"excuse me?"
"Mister Turner, I've been around men enough to learn a few things. Whose the girl who got your heart?" literally and figuratively, by the look of him.
"….Elizabeth….."
"is she pretty?" I turned once more to watch him.
"beautiful…" he leaned against the wheel, a far away look falling over his face, and again I saw that rare moment when his eyes warmed up and softened.
"and she loves you back?"
"I'll assume that's why she married me…"
"Oh, your married….hm…lucky girl…"
"lucky me…." his voice was so sad, it almost hurt.
"not really…. Ye only get to see her one day of every ten years. Such a price." it seemed cruel and horrible to me now, and yet he endured it. How could he possible endure it?
"it depends on the one day."
"you'll have gone two years without seeing her now. Are you still happy with your decision?"
"yes. Elizabeth said I have a son….he'll be a little older than a year now …and Elizabeth….I may be stuck on this ship for ten years at a time….but I'd do it for an eternity for them, just to see them…it's worth it. Compared to the alternative." Compared to death. He would endure this torture to see them for a single day rather than never see them at all. I had to admire the mans resolve. Admire and envy it.
"oh you are love struck aren't you?" I laughed, or tried to.
"yeah….why am I telling you this?" the soft light left his eyes and the cold creeped back in.
"it entertains me, by the way, we've been going a bit off course due to your lack of steering."
"quit distracting me then." he snapped.
"please, I was just striking up a conversation, ye distracted yourself."
He shot a funny look my way before returning his attention to steering the ship.
"your father said I'd owe you a boon? I could find your family and give them word, would you take it as even?"
The look in his eyes then could have killed me. So that's what his love is.
"Captain! Land ho!" a crewman shouted from below.
I looked to the horizon to see the murky shadow that was apparently land.
"this ship's fast." I remarked in surprise.
"it's legendary, it's suppose to be fast isn't it?" he answered quietly.
"aye, I suppose your right." I mused.
"as we seem to be nearing our destination, how far can you swim?"
2. Tortuga.
I jumped out of the way as a bottle smashed into the wall near my head as I made my way to the bar. I dodged through the crowd of drunks, dancers, prostitutes, and others as I attempted to reach the bar in hopes of relieving my empty stomach.
"watch it! Ye' damn drunkards!" I shouted over the brawlers as a stray elbow caught me in the side, my voice easily lost under the boisterous noise of the pub.
I ducked under a ledge as someone was thrown off the balcony above and clutched the bottle under my coat.
Will had written a letter to his family and placed it in an old rum bottle, sealing it with wax so the thing wouldn't get wet. It was my job to deliver the bottle to miss Elizabeth Turner, along with her husbands love.
It was by unknown fault that he had failed to mention where his family lived. So for now, all I could do was eat and avoid the brawl amassing behind me.
"are ye' gonna be wantin' somthin' there darlin'?" the bartender asked, he was a chubby man with excessive amounts of facial and body hair and doing to much leering for his own good, but at that moment, I didn't care much.
"Rum and somthin' to eat, if you have it." I tossed a few coins on the counter and scanned the rest of my immediate area. More filth coated drunks and a few well adorned ladies of questionable taste packed the area, shouting, groping, throwing punches, dancing, drinking, screaming and laughing.
Ah, Tortuga, it's been awhile. So many memories here. It never changes. different people, different times, yes, but the atmosphere was still the same as it had always been.
My rum and food arrived and my thoughts quickly turned to simpler matters, such as my empty stomach.
/
You can get just about anything in Tortuga. A ship, a crew, forgeries, stolen goods, information, anything, as long as your not picky about it's condition or exactly were it came from. What you can't find in Tortuga is a quiet place to sleep. Tortuga has no understanding of the word quiet. The 'quietest' place here is the docks, so that's were I headed. After all, no use starting journey without a good nights rest, or something similar.
The creak and sway of boats and the quiet disturbance of the water was soothing when compared to the roaring clashes of noise in the town. A couple laughed and giggled as they hurried off to some place quiet of their own, though I doubted they'd be sleeping, and a couple of pickpockets compared the days spoils under a nearby lantern. I walked on, the chill clinging to me and caching my breath as it rose. I studied the ships as I passed them, grading them as I went.
" 'ello miss." a filthy dockhand greeted me, register in hand. I guess fate had other plans than allowing me to sleep, after all, this was a prime opportunity to get started.
"Hello, could ye help me with somethin' ?"
"d'pends, are ye' lookin' fer a sp'ific ship?"
"no, it's no ship I'm lookin' for."
"then what would ye' be search's fer' , miss?"
"a name I may find on that list there." I gestured to his register, pulling a coin from my pocket as I did so.
"an' tis' name w'ld be?"
"nothin' you need to know." I traded him the coin for the book and flipped through the pages. The person in whom I was looking for would not have his name on a list, but someone who would know his whereabouts might be.
I mumbled to myself and found a few names of interest, but not quite what I was looking for. Oh well, at least it might entertain me for a little while, she was always a good person to see. I slammed the book closed and traded the man his(my) coin for the book once more and headed back into town.
/
"She won't see me?"
"not without yer name."
"tell her 'the bells are ringing'."
The crewman ran off again, lost from view in the crowd of the inn. The smell of smoke, rum, cheap perfume and sweat hung in the air, and the playful tunes of the band danced through the smog and was accompanied by drunken singing and the shuffle of dancers feet. The Inn was even rowdier than the pub, with a little less fighting but a lot more bad dancing and an equal amount of drunks. I took a swig of rum(my favorite) and subconsciously touched the pendant around my neck just before the crewman came running back on his stubby little legs.
"she'llseeyouimmediately, she'supstairs, I'llleadtheway." he spat the words out so fast I was lucky to understand them. I just nodded and followed as he took me to the upper area, which was filled with tables for the less active guests, mainly those who made shady deals and couples deeply engaged with each other. Scanning the room I spotted her in the far corner, sitting proud and confident as always, Anamaria. Firelight danced of her dark skin and raven hair, and her keen eyes found mine quickly, a wary amusement in their depths. Just like always.
3. Unpaid favors.
"ye needed help?" she asked, her voice low and smooth.
"you remembered." I beamed.
"who would forget something as idiotic as that. Although, I admit, at that time it was rather clever."
"yes it was. Now to business," she lifted her head to look me in the eye at the mention of business. If Anamaria was anything, she was straightforward.
"and business would be?"
"Jack."
"as always."
"as always." I agreed.
"what particular aspect of Jack would business be this time?"
"Jacks missing."
"and ye've taken it upon yourself to find him have you?"
"no. I have a message to deliver to him. Lately I seem to be everyone's messenger."
"who would be sending Jack messages?"
"that's irrelevant. Point is, no one has seen Jack in awhile, so how do I find him?"
"find Davy Jones, he may know."
Of course, why the hell didn't I ask Will? I groaned.
"forgot to ask him."
"you met Davy Jones?"
"no. who might know where Jack is?"
"last I heard, he was heading for the fountain of youth."
"Jack wants immortality." it was a statement, not a question.
"aye."
"great, so in order to find Jack, I have to find the fountain of youth?"
"that going to be hard since Jack has the map."
" why am I never given easy tasks?" again, rhetorical.
"yer own bad luck."
"yeah." my horrible always present bad luck.
"why are you delivering this message in the first place?"
"I owe unpaid favors. And I gave him my promise."
"gave who?"
" ye don't need to know."
"then why the hell did you seek me out?"
"because you were there to be sought."
"you are the only person who can annoy me as much as Jack."
"of course, that's what I'm here for."
"I hate you."
"love you too, Anamaria."
"so what now?"
"I need you to take me to open water and let me kill someone."
"who would ye be killing?"
"doesn't matter, as long as they die there."
"can I ask why?"
"that's the only way to summon Will turner."
"Summon who?"
"never mind, can ye do this for me or not?"
"fine" she sighed. "when?"
" tomorrow night would be good."
"you'll owe me."
"no I won't. last I checked, ye had some unpaid favors of your own."
"trust you to remember."
"always."
I love my conversations with Anamaria, brief and to the point, she always entertains me so much.
4. Things needed doing.
Pale moonlight gleamed off the dark ocean, giving light in an otherwise black night. It bathed the deck and sails and reflected wickedly off my dagger as I held it beneath some drunken oafs throat. Lucky for him, he was dead drunk and wouldn't feel a thing. A chill night breeze tugged my dark curls away from my face and the only sounds were my own heartbeat, the drunks ragged breathing, and the smooth sway of the ocean beneath us.
"you don't need to be doing that, Bella." His voice was cold, unkind.
I turned slowly to face an angry and sinister looking Will Turner.
"didn't know how else to call you." I smiled politely.
"I didn't take you to be cruel." he murmured.
"me? Cruel? I'm not cruel, Will, I'm cold, I do what needs to be done, and right now I have things that need doing."
"like murder?" he spat.
"well, now that you're here there is no need to kill him, is there?" I snapped back.
"what did you want then?" He asked, angry. The angles of his face were sharp in the silver light, making his eyes darken and his face pale. He looked now like the captain of the Flying Dutchman, he looked malevolent and eerie. For the first time while looking at William Turner, I felt the cold claws of fear grip me in my core and I shivered involuntarily.
" I need two locations from you, first, ye failed to mention where your family lived."
"Elizabeth has taken residence in a small village near Singapore. The second location?" he asked stiffly.
"I need to find Jack Sparrow."
"Captain Jack Sparrow?"
"so ye do know him?"
"unfortunately."
"no, no, anyone who meets Jack is rather fortunate, that man is one of a kind, a dying breed, as it were. Then again, we're amongst the dying breed, aren't we?"
" I happen to rather dislike Jack at the moment, why do you need to find him?"
"I have a message to deliver."
"are you everyone's messenger?" his anger faded slowly and he retained his aloof manner.
"apparently, do you know where he is or not?"
"I do believe he is still at war with Barbossa over the Black Pearl. Both of them want the ship so they can beat the other to the Fountain of Youth."
"of course they're both after immortality. You know, for as similar as their goals are all the time, you'd think they'd be friends."
"pirates."
"yeah, lovely bunch aren't we?"
He nodded in agreement, the corner of his mouth turned up in an amused smirk.
"so were exactly be the Black Pearl ?"
"somewhere around the Devils triangle."
" the Devils triangle?" I whined in alarm.
"of course, who else would go there?"
"None but Jack." I sighed.
He chuckled darkly and started to walk away, into the deep shadows cast around us.
"wait, any advise? Words of wisdom?"
"hmm….for you? Die slow." And he thought I was cruel.
"what in the name of Davy Jones is that suppose to mean?"
My only reply was his echoing laughter as he melted into the shadows and disappeared.
I learned then that it's best to stay on the good side of Captain William Turner.
I left the drunk to lay were he fell and quietly slipped down to the Captains quarters, letting myself in.
Anamaria sat at a small table, a book in hand. The Cabin was filled with extravagant things such as rare jewelry, exotic furs, strange clothing, expensive chairs and fine works of art. Anamaria definitely had an eye for things, and like any pirate, she took what that eye tended to fall upon. As a thief myself, I had to admire her handiwork.
"so, did ye get what ye needed?" she asked without looking up.
"sort of."
"sort of? I've never seen you do something half-heartedly."
"Jacks in the Devils triangle."
"I am not helping you get there."
"thanks so much for the support." I remarked sarcastically, pulling a chair up to the table for myself.
"I mean it, I'm not risking me ship and me crew."
"no…I have to go to Singapore first."
"I can get ye to Singapore."
"it would be appreciated."
"will it pay off me unpaid favors?"
"aye…I suppose." I sighed.
"well ,don't get all excited now." she commented dryly.
"why does Jack have to be so far away right now?"
"he's Jack."
"yeah, well Jack needs to remember why he became a pirate lord." I growled.
"what?"
"nothing'. just nothing'"
"if ye say so."
"I do."
And that was the final word on the matter.
5. The storm.
"Hold it steady men!" Anamaria yelled, the sheer force of the winds tearing her voice away. The raging sea gave no mercy as it crashed wave upon wave onto the deck, thunder booming above up. The sea spray was so thick I could hardly sea half the crew, salt water soaked everything and everyone, chilling me to my bones and weighing me down.
Crack!
Lightning lit the sky and bathed the ship in eerie grey light. The ropes slipped from my hands and slithered across the wooden planks.
"thrice damned over!" I screeched, diving for it. I caught it and attempted yet again to secure the line. My wet fingers slipped over the coarse rope, the numbness making my fingers fumble as I went about the task.
"hold on!" the call came just before the crash, as another frigid sheet of water rose and fell upon us, threatening to sweep men overboard and into the icy sea. I slipped from my place near the mast and was swept across deck, cursing everything I could think of as I slid towards the side. Finally my foot caught under me and I grappled for the rigging as I was nearly thrown overboard. I caught the rigging just in time and swung around, unfortunately, while I hadn't slipped to the icy water below, I was still hanging on the outer edge of the ship. I dug my hands through the netting and tangled my feet into it as well. Then I hung on for dear life itself. The cold water battered against my already frozen body for hours on end, my hands throbbed from the effort of clenching them around the course rope. But I held on. Listening to the booming of the thunder and the crack of the lightning and the crashing of the waves and the shouts of men. I couldn't help it. The feeling bubbled up inside and I couldn't stop it. I laughed. I clung there to the side of Anamaria's ship and laughed through the storm. Through the howling of the wind and raging of the sea and roaring of the storm and the spitting of the rain, I laughed like a madman. Some would say that I was.
/
The storm calmed just before morning, as the pale grey light on the horizon slowly faded to a pale blue and chased the dark curtain of night away from the pristine sky. The twinkling of stars slowly waved there last rays goodbye and disappeared into the calm morning.
"where the bloody blazes be Bella?" Anamaria shouted over the deck.
"here!" I called, my voice hoarse and strained.
I heard the clip of her boots across the deck as she made her way to my call.
"having fun, luv?" she asked, her large hat flopping over and shading her face as her hair fell to her shoulders when she looked down at me and my predicament.
"I'm bloody lucky to have caught the side and not met a watery end. Help me up."
"how long ye been there?"
"how long have ye ben hearin' me insane laughter?" I grinned.
"you're a crazy one, Bella." she grunted as she heaved my water-logged ass onboard.
"thank you."
She barked with laughter and turned back to the helm.
"we should reach Singapore 'marrow eve. Rest up, Bella."
"aye"
" Loose the sails, we have the wind on our side, move it ye filthy dogs!" she shouted orders to the crew.
I limped across deck to the captains quarters and let myself inside. Stripping off my salt-soaked cloths and tugging my boots off my feet. My hands were callused and cracked, pain steadily burning through my palms. With a well earned sigh I let myself fall onto Anamaria's bed, asleep by the time I hit the mattress.