'Help!' she croaked quietly, the water that encased her stealing her voice. She gripped the boy who could be no older than she as they floated further and further away from the flaming wreckage on the precariously unstable wooden board. Hope was fleeing from her fast and all that filled her was hatred - hatred for whoever had claimed the lives of the crew she had come to adore, for whoever had planted her and the unconscious boy, William, on this unforgiving board without a hope, for whoever had made her truly hate the sea she usually loved more than anything.

She didn't see much of whoever had done this for she was told as soon as the first cannon fired to stay with the young boy and they were to protect each other as their own. Curious about what was happening to what had been their home for the past days, they had been trying to catch a glimpse of the opposing ship however as they leaned against the railing, the ship jerked under canon fire causing the boy to fall into the water. Before thinking, she had thrown herself in after him, and noticing he was unconscious, pulled him onto the small board of wood which had come from her now sinking ship along with everyone that had been on it – everyone she loved.

Her ears pricked as she thought she heard a small girl shout 'Look! Children! There are children in the water!' followed soon after by deep shouts of 'Men overboard!'

Her eyes slid shut as the effort of keeping them open was too great but they soon opened, a panic set deep into her dark brown eyes, as she felt the young boy being pulled away from her hands. She was then pulled up onto the dark deck, her salvation, before a blanket was quickly wrapped tightly around her.

A young man who must've been around twenty, with concerned hazel eyes crouched next to her. 'Are you alright, Miss?' he asked with a clipped, formal voice.

Trying to swallow without causing her aching, raw throat any more damage, the young girl replied, 'Y-yes I am fine. T-the boy though, he's been unconscious for a while.'

'He's being seen to,' he replied before a shout of 'Lieutenant Norrington!' came from behind them.

He stood up to rush to the caller, but not before saying, 'Your name, Miss?'

'Lettice, Lettice Evans,' she coughed, her body shaking under the violent cold.

As the men cleared the deck to the railings to look at the flaming wreckage Lettice was doing her best to avoid the sight of, she could see the boy, William, lying unconscious still, on the floor. Pulling the blanket with her, she scrambled across the deck to him and, pulling his hand into her own, small ones, held onto him for dear life.

A small girl knelt beside her and stroked the hair back from his peaceful face. Suddenly, his hand jerked out of Lettice's to grip her arm as he inhaled rawly, his eyes lit with panic and confusion.

The girl gasped before regaining composure and softly replying 'It's okay, my name's Elizabeth Swann.'

'W-Will Turner,' he shook out. His eyes glanced up at Lettice and realisation poured into them. 'Y-Y-You saved me?'

'Yes, we were told to protect each other. I'm here Will,' she said softly, glad her companion had awoken, 'you need to rest, I'm here to take care of you.'

'I'm watching over you, Will,' Elizabeth said beside her, and Will closed his eyes to enter unconsciousness.

'Miss Evans, you are hurt. Please, follow Governor Swann, you need medical attention,' James Norrington said from behind them.

Lettice looked down at herself and noticed the blood stains on her hands however shook her head in resistance and grasped William's hand. 'I am fine, Sir, I must stay with the boy.'

Norrington raised his eyebrows in surprise but quickly regained his composure to say, 'I must insist, Miss Evans. The boy will be safe here.'

Lettice stood up warily, concern filling her eyes as she wondered whether the unconscious boy would be okay in Elizabeth's hands. She heard the girl, still knelt beside him, gasp and murmur something, however before she had time to see what had happened she was being pulled into a cabin in which a man, who she presumed to be a doctor, sat.

She hissed in pain as the doctor pressed a cloth soaked in something strong smelling on to the gash on her head but she did not resist, knowing the sooner she complied, the sooner she would be by the boy she had sworn to protect's side.

Norrington soon reappeared and took her down below deck to a small room in which William laid, Elizabeth hovering over him.

'Miss Swann, your father requests to see you. Let them rest now,' Norrington said to the girl, still stroking William's hair.

Lettice watched as she left quickly, noticing something gold shining in her hand. She had seen the same thing around William's neck, and anger filled her for a second that the girl had the audacity to take his possessions, however, remembering the skull and cross bones that the trinket featured, she feared it best that it was not on William's person when they were surrounded by these military men.

She walked to where he lay, his breathing laboured, and curled next to him, her hand stroking the strands of wet hair stuck to his face. 'I'm here to look after you, Will,' she whispered, 'we're going to be okay.'

This chapter is pretty bad, but in all honesty I am itching to write the next one and to get this one out of the way! New Tides is being postponed until I've finished having my kicks with this once, but bare with me, I will finish it eventually. :-) (Reviews are always nice xx)