The King and his men, Stole the Queen from her bed, and bound her in her bones'
'The Seas are ours and by the powers, Where we will…we'll roam'
It was like being under water, like his limbs were slowed down, an unseen force resisting his movements. Like a dream, as his foot landed on the rotten wooden deck. The young man, little more than a boy, recognised this ship. It was one he had dreamed about most of his life.
And yet, this time it felt different. Instead of the joy he felt when he had this dream, as it always played out, his long lost father stepping out from behind the mast to embrace him, it felt cold. Like the one time he managed to board this ship in the real world.
In his ears, the boy could hear his racing heart as he slowly walked across the deck, towards the mast.
'Some men have died and some are alive, and others sail on the sea.'
'With the keys to the cage, and the devil to pay, we lay to Fiddlers Green'
Someone was watching him. It was an eerie feeling and the boy knew that if he turned, he would not be able to find his observer. The boy was used to being observed. He had been watched all his life. And yet, this was unsettling. Dangerous.
He could feel the danger in the air, like a thick sea fog, almost thick enough to choke him.
He rounded the mast, hoping against hope that this would play out as it always had, with a smiling older man to greet him but there was no one there.
'The bell has been raised from its watery grave, do you hear its sepulchral tone?'
'A call to all, pay heed to the squall, and turn your sail towards home.'
There was a soft tapping from the aft of the ship, like the thud of a boot rhythmically hitting wood. The boy turning his head towards it.
Behind him, there was a series of soft sounds, sounds the boy couldn't identify. It felt like more eyes were on him now, like he was being followed. Like someone or something was standing behind him, following him. The young man didn't dare turn around. He did not want to see what was behind him as he slowly, fighting his fear, walked towards the tapping noise.
A soft voice started singing as the boy arrived at the foot of the steps.
'Yo, ho haul together, hoist the colours high'
The boy walked up the stairs, one hand gripping the rotten wooden railing as if it would protect him. He reached the top, peering into the gloom. At the aft of the ship, standing by the railing, was a dark figure. Its foot was tapping softly as the figure sung.
'Heave ho, thieves and beggers, never shall we die'
The boy froze, his muscles locking up, grip white on the railing as his body held him in place. Slowly, the figure turned, revealing a frightening face. A sea monster in the place of a man, with tentacles draped down its front and yellow eyes looking into his very soul.
The figure looked the boy up and down before stepping forward, towards the frozen child.
"The Heart of the Sea." The figure rasped as it stepped closer and closer, booted feet dragging on the deck as if the act of walking was difficult.
There was a sickening hiss of metal as the monster drew a sword out from the scabbard at its hip, a beautiful silver sword with a gold hilt.
"Welcome home….Turner."
The figure thrust the sword forward, stabbing through the boy's chest.
With a strangled gasp, Henry Turner shot up in his bed, grabbing at his chest. The exact spot where the sword had pierced him in the dream. Still breathing heavily, the young man, little more than a boy, grabbed at his shirt, pushing the material aside to see his pale skin.
In the faint moonlight streaming into his bedroom, Henry thought he could see a small, thin red mark on his chest, above his heart. He ran his fingers along the mark, attempting to rub it away. After a few seconds, he blinked before removing his hand. The mark was gone.
Still fighting for breath, Henry searched his skin further. In the dim, it was difficult to see, leaving him to wonder if the mark had even been there or if it was his imagination, brought on by the nightmare.
After a few minutes, Henry had finally gotten his breathing under control. He looked around at the room he was in. His bedroom from his childhood. He had grown up in this room, in this small house near the light house on the small island of Shipwreck Cove.
He had spent most of his life here until a few years ago when he had left the island to find the Trident of Poseidon, to rescue his father from the Curse of the Dutchman.
A curse which had only been broken a few days before, as his father had set foot on land for the first time a free man, finally able to reunite with Henry's mother.
Wiping the sweat from his face, Henry looked out the window.
It still felt like a dream, being able to embrace his father for the first time in years after his adventure on the Black Pearl, Carina, his friend, his ally, by his side. Meeting Captain Jack Sparrow, an old friend of his parents and battling Salazar, it all still felt so un-real.
Every time he woke, Henry had the fear that it had been a dream, that his father was still a prisoner to the Dutchman. That he had failed.
Still sitting on his bed, Henry's eyes narrowed as he spotted a figure through his window, a figure standing outside his house, looking towards the sea, the bright moonlight bathing the figure in an eerie glow. For a second, it looked like the figure of Henry's dream. Climbing to his feet, Henry made his way to the window to try and see the figure. Then Henry recognised it.
Recovering his britches and jacket from the floor, Henry shrugged them on as he left the room and walked lightly down the creaking stairs of his home, careful to avoid waking his mother or Carina, sleeping in the rooms by his.
Stepping outside, Henry slowly approached the figure, standing still as a statue in the light of the moon, except for one hand which was rubbing slow circles against his left breast, above his heart.
"Father?" He asked softly.
The figure turned to look at him, hand dropping to his side. Brown eyes gazed at Henry, so like his own.
"Henry?" Will Turners gravelly voice asked as the older man turned. "What are you doing up?"
"I came to see you." The younger Turner replied, stepping to stand by his father. For a brief second, Henry's eyes rested on the low collar of his fathers shirt where he could see a familiar scar, the scar from the knife that had cut out his fathers heart, before he met his fathers warm gaze. "Are you alright?" He asked.
Will turned away, eyes looking towards the sea again.
"I am fine son." He replied.
Henry watched him for a moment before following his gaze to the sea.
"Is it different? Being on land again? Being free?"
Slowly, Henry felt his father's arm reach up to rest on his shoulder, a re-assuring weight, anchoring him back from his nightmare.
"It's like nothing else." Will replied.
The two men stood in silence, watching the horizon as slowly, the inky black receded into a brilliant red.
"Red sky at morning." Will muttered.
"Sailors, heed this warning." Henry finished the rhyme. The one his mother and her court had taught him long ago.
Almost absentmindedly, Henry started to hum, a distant song caught in his head as he lent against his fathers side.
"Yo, ho." He muttered. "Haul together. Hoist the colours high."
Wills hand tightened on his shoulder, the older man suddenly stiffening.
"Henry. Where did you hear that?" Will said suddenly, turning to face him, using his hand to push Henry's body abound so the two were face to face.
"What? I…" Henry trailed off, unsure what his father was referring to. Suddenly his father's hands were on his face, holding him steady as his father studying him.
"Henry. Who sang that song?" Will demanded.
"….It was a monster. In a dream I had." Henry replied, stunned by how quickly this quiet moment had turned. Suddenly the world felt dangerous.
Will looked down, eyes wide, his breath suddenly coming in gasps.
"It's the summons for the Brethren."
The former Captain's hands left his sons face. Then the older man was running back towards the house.
Stunned, Henry turned and ran after his father, seeing Will kick open the door ahead of him and shout into the dim.
"Elizabeth! Elizabeth, get up!"
Henry made it to the door to see his father disappearing up the stairs towards the room where his wife slept. Running up, Henry narrowly avoided crashing into Carina as the young woman stepped from the bedroom she had been given by Henry's mother on their arrival on the island 3 days before, shawl wrapped around her nightgown.
"What is it?" She asked as Henry grabbed her arm to prevent her falling to the ground. Already, at the other end of the landing, they could see Henry's parents, his mother, also in a nightgown, listening to her father as he spoke in a hushed voice.
For a second, Henry saw his mother turn a wide eyed look of shock on him before she disappeared into the bedroom, returning a few seconds later with something golden in her hand.
Henry knew without looking what this was. His mother's Piece of Eight, one of the nine pieces of gold which appointed its owner a Pirate Lord. Both his mother and father looked at the piece of gold for a moment before looking up at each other.
"You need to get to the Court." Will muttered.
Without question, Elizabeth ducked back into the room while Will turned, striding towards Henry and Carina. Without hesitation, Will grabbed his sons arm and dragged the younger man into the bedroom, Carina only a step behind them.
"Henry, tell us exactly what happened in your dream when you heard the song." Will demanded.
Henry opened his mouth, surprised by his father's urgency. He turned to look at his mother for help but was forced to cover his eyes in horror as his mother stripped off her nightgown, grabbing clothes out of a chest.
"Henry!" Will demanded.
"It was just a dream." Henry said weakly. "I was on the Dutchman. Like when I was a child and tried to see you. There was a man standing on the bridge, singing it."
"What?" Elizabeth asked, shooting her son a fierce look. She had managed to shrug on a black dress in the Chinese style, gold embroidery at her neck and sleeves.
"The man? Describe him." Will demanded as Henry finally lowered his hand from his face.
"I can't." Henry replied.
"Henry!" Elizabeth barked at him as she rummaged in the chest, unearthing two swords. She tossed one to Will who caught it without looking.
"What's going on?" Carina asked behind the family.
"The man. He wasn't a man. I can't describe it any better. He was a monster. He was singing it." Henry tried. "I can't remember any more." He lied. Henry could remember the dream all too well, as if he had actually been there, the cold, the eyes on him, the monster approaching him, sword raised. It un-nerved him how well he could remember the dream.
Will and Elizabeth turned to face each other.
"It can't be. He's dead. Calypso would never allow it."
"She would. She hates the Court." Will replied flatly.
"We need to get to the Court." Elizabeth replied. "Teague might know what's going on. I will send out a call to Jack. If he is back, we will need Sparrow. " She turned to where Henry and Carina were still standing. "Get dressed, both of you." She ordered as she raised a black hat and placed it on her head.
Swallowing, Henry nodded and grabbed Carina's arm as she looked on in shock.
It was something not many people got to see, the transformation of Elizabeth Turner. The former governor's daughter and single mother to her lost husband's child, transformed into the Pirate King, Lord of the South China Seas and Captain of The Empress. Although she had long since retired from physically leading her men and women, Elizabeth Turner was still the authority of all pirates and was often called to sort out matters, plan raids and lived well off the booty owed to her by all Pirates.
Henry managed to drag Carina out of the room before the girl regained her senses.
"Henry, what is going on?" She snapped, pulled her arm away from him.
Henry looked at the young woman, his friend, his ally and dare he imagine, something more.
"I don't know." He looked back towards his parent's room. His parents, two of the most feared pirates in the seven seas. The Pirate King and the former Dutchman. "I think we are at the start of an adventure."
So this is a story I have been working on over at AO3 and decided it might be fun to put it here for those who don't use AO3. I have been really interested in a few of the plot holes I have found through out the POTC movies and I want to fill them.
