Setting Sail

His snoring abruptly ceased to be as it was replaced by violets coughs due to him being poured over by rum. He glimpsed the silhouette of Captain Jack through his tear filled eyes.

"Damn you te the depths!" A cantankerous Mr Gibbs called out, and his tattered little teddy bear fell out of his grasp onto the floorboards of the deck on which he had been sleeping. The man looked up in bewilderment after he had struggled to sit, thence caught sight of the young man standing beside Jack; a lad which seemed awfully familiar.

"We shall set sail Mr Gibbs - and I need ye to be awake for it." He said with compass in his hand. "We're headed south!" He exclaimed.

"Aye – Aye..." Joshamee Gibbs articulated while closing his eyes since the loud noises seemed to be painful to his ears. "Who's the whelp?" he thence asked as he eyed the stranger.

"Name's Will." Jack revealed and saw no immediate reaction from his fellow pirate thus he continued. "Short for William... William Turner."

Now Mr Gibbs eyes widened in astonishment. "Blimey! You don't say..?" his eyes wandered between Jack and the young lad.

"You too knew my parents?" William asked.

"Aye." He responded. "I knew em..." his eyes narrowed a tad bit and a smile began to form on his lips due to his astonishment which grew further the more he looked at him. "Ye sure do look like ye father."

The boy grinned. "My mother tells me all the time."

"Really?" he raised his brows in a happily surprised manner. "Elizabeth? How is she these days?"

"She's been imprisoned."

"Imprisoned?!" Gibbs exclaimed.

"Yes, yes – and now we've got to rescue the damsel." Jack said as saw William about to respond eagerly, interrupting him before he could. He thought this to take far too much of his precious time. "that is the reason for waking you so that we can set sail at once."

"We're freeing her?" the rounded man asked.

"Aye" Jack said whilst feeling pained that he asked such a stupid question. "I just told ye so."

Hence he left the spot as he caught sight of Scrum which stumbled upon deck whilst rubbing his eyes from sustaining tiredness. "Mister Scrum!" he called and walked over to him. Scrum jolted slightly when hearing his Captain call so vividly.

"Aye' Captain?"

"Wake the remaining of the crew! We're setting sail."

"Now, Captain?"

Jack stared at him intently until Scrum understood and hurried below deck again to fetch the others. With a simple movement Jack turned, the trinkets in his hair dangling along with some of his dark dreads in the movement.

"Now..." he said as he turned his focus to young William. "You may disembark my ship and let'me do what you have asked of me, as the good fellow I am I will see to it."

"I'm not letting you go without me." William said in a confused manner.

"Do not worry, lad, I will find ye father and save ye mother for you."

"I'm coming along."

"How am I to put this?" he thought for a moment while gesturing with his hands before him in a way which William found to be rather odd. "I'm afraid tailor is your trade."

"I can sail!" he protested. "I can –"

"Your father was a pirate indeed, and I dare say your mother was an even better one" a smirk lingered on his lips as he said it and William did not like the sight of it. "Though, tell me honestly – for I don't think you've been sailing a day in your life -"

"I have!" he said and as he went quiet for a moment he saw both Jack and Mr Gibbs waiting. "I've... worked as a fisherman, in our village."

The two older men glanced at one another with raised brows and William hoped they would not decide to toss him overboard.

"Some nights we sailed through storms..." he mumbled, knowing, due to their looks, that they did not believe he had much to offer in the process of convincing them.

"The waves by the coast are far different than those who make their way out on the vast ocean, boy." Said Gibbs.

"Sorry, lad." Said Jack. "You'll be safer staying on the mainland."

"What if they take me then?" William said, his voice sounding more as a boy's than they had ever heard it. "The men who took my mother, the officers of the royal navy."

Jack said nothing.

"Besides, my parents are pirates, and good ones as well – you said it yourself." He continued, now once again eager. "I'm their son, their pirate blood runs through my veins – that has to count for something! I might not be as worthless as you think."

Jack hesitated still. Then they heard someone yelling from the mast. "Ready for sail!"

"I'm certain of that my mother would be thankful." William said.

Sparrow let his eyes wander about the boat. 'thankful' he thought, as in the meaning of being indebted; an appealing thought.

"Lad's got to learn sooner or later, eh?" Jack said, now rather merry and clasped his hands together.

The relief caused the young William to grin widely, showing a row of teeth which were white and even.

"I must say: Yer might not have all of those left once we are done with this resuess-s-sy... mission of yours."

William's smile faltered, and Jack turned to leave, shouting at the crew; "Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen!"

"Don't worry." Mr Gibbs told the boy as he put a hand on his shoulder consolingly. "I'm sure ye won't lose 'em all at once."

The now disheartened William let his tongue motion over his perfectly well grown teeth and saw Mr Gibbs sneering at him before he pounded him in the back as he scoffed.

"Welcome aboard, Missis Turner." Said Commodore Groves to the prisoner which was being escorted by two men, each in gallant uniforms fit for marines, whilst her simple dress came across as duskily filthy to the eyes.

To his phrase of welcome she did not reply with words, merely with a look in her eyes which reflected her greatest dislike for the man. The men holding each of her arms stopped in front of the Commodore, as did Elizabeth, for she had not much choice in the matter.

"As I do not wish to delay any further on this fine day, I shall want to know which course we will take." She did not answer him at once and he smiled vaguely, yet with a glimpse of tediousness in his eyes. "What is to be our heading, Mrs Turner?"

"What makes you believe I will actually be able to lead you to Jack? He could be anywhere."

"No time for second thoughts." He said austerely. "You will lead us to wherever Jack Sparrow may be at the moment, and if you do not or even fail to do so..." he took a step forward. "You can be certain of that you will watch your son hang."

The dislike lingering in her eyes altered to despise and she stared him right in the eye for a moment to let him become well acquaintance with it, so that he would remember it. "Tortuga." She said. "Is where we could start."

"So we shall." He said with a courteous little bow. Then he nodded for the men to take her away.

"Wait!" she exclaimed and turned her head to Groves. The Commodore seemed curiously surprised and gestured in an impeding manner; They stopped.

"Before we leave - could I see my son?" she begged, knowing this voyage would be long and there was a chance of that she would never return, at least alive. One moment with her son, if she could not have more, would mean the world to her.

Theodore Groves was quiet and looked away, letting his eyes take focus on the petite harbour.

"I will do what I must, Commodore Groves. However I would like a moment with my son before we leave." This was her début of being soft to him, she had not been this polite to him, ever.

It was with deep lament he answered her, knowing her soft words would be her first to him, and her last to him also. "I'd prefer it we set sail immediately. I am sorry, there is no time for it." He nodded once again to the marines.

"Please!" she begged as she felt herself being pulled.

Theodore Groves tried to ignore his plead and did a great effort in doing so judging by his facade, yet on the inside he felt rather at unease as he heard her protests whilst she was being dragged below deck.

"Set sail."

The following day Jack kept his hand on the helm whilst gazing out over the ocean. William stood by the railing, keeping a weathering eye on the horizon on the lower part of deck.

"We're not in... actuality searching for Will Turner, Capt'n?" Mr Gibbs suddenly said as he approached him.

"Why wouldn't we be, Mister Gibbs?" Jack asked, acting completely unknowing.

"Well... because he's on the other side? Is he not? Ferrying souls for all eternity."

"That is the, what you could say: unfortunate fate of Will Turner."

"I" Mr Gibbs said, nodding comprehendingly. "Then how d'you suppose we come in contact with Captain Turner? - without dying first."

"Well I have no intention of dying, Mister Gibbs." Said Jack.

"Then isn't it simply easier to go rescue Elizabeth by ourselves, without searching out Captain Turner?"

"The boy wants to meet his father, and thus he shall." Jack said delighted.

The other man with grey-white whiskers seemed uncomforted. "Yes, but...?"

"See those seagulls, Mister Gibbs?" Jack raised his voice, interrupting.

"I, Capt'n."

Mr Gibbs awaited his answer carefully whereas Captain Jack inspected them circling above the ship, on the lookout for fish.

"They are not in need of questioning why they are following our vessel, they simply are, since they are in need of fish and so they shall find it. – though not on this vessel."

The first mate was perplexed.

"Take the wheel Mister Gibbs!" Jack said and walked away. "and follow the horizon." He added before leaving. Mr Gibbs did not know what to think of the man and where he was headed, and did not allow himself in the matter for he had learned he would never be able to fully be able to foresee Jack's doings; So, he did better in keeping his hands on the wheel and shrug at the outcome.

They had been sailing for three days now. The black pearl rested upon the water as it glided forward. The wind was not to their advantage this day, as it had been for the previous two days which had passed by very slowly William thought as he strolled around the ship. As he was not entrusted with more important duties than cleaning the deck with a ragged mop, he decided to waste his time with exploring the ship, thinking that to be of more entertainment.

Deck below only seemed to consist of dark places and he did not find much there initially for amusement more than he had on deck where the sun was shining brightly. Here it was dismal and not at all pleasant at first glance. Though he did find himself to be fascinated by the canons as he took a closer look at them. He took another wander through the room in which the crew slept when able to, full of hammocks and other forms of which could be used as beds – that is to say: the floor. William himself had been assigned a spot himself in the room, far away from any of the more comfortable hammocks which hung from the ceiling.

While in there, taking another round, he found person trinkets to some of the crews men. Trinkets they did not keep on themselves, at least at the moment, as they foremost did with all which could be kept somewhere close to their own body. Mr Gibbs teddy bear was placed in one of the hammocks, appearing as if it had been tucked in there for the day whilst its owner occupied himself above. It could also have been simply tossed away without much though, as William thought about it. He found a shilling on the floor and left it there since he did not have much interest for it at the moment. An empty pocket flask laid on the floor and he took a longer step to avoid stepping on it. Then he went down the stairs to a further below situated department of the ship; It was the stash of rum, along with other barrels containing something of another sort. He let his eyes search the room and suddenly felt the ship make an uneven movement as it bobbed on the waves. It made him take a hold of the stairs behind him and soon heard a bottle fall to the floor, across the room from where he was standing. Thinking it only to be cause by the quite tumbling movement of the ship he went to pick it up before it rolled against the wall to smash. He placed it carefully on the shelf as the ship now rode the waves as consistently as it had before.

About to leave he took one last look at the shelf and began to turn only to be given the feeling of that he had caught sight of something unordinary behind of it. He turned again to look and saw something now move further down, a face turning away from him hastily and the body which it belonged to sank to the floor with it, pressing itself against the shelf. He saw a mass of black hair, now able to distinguish it in the darkness.

He bent down to look more closely and saw between the flasks, the bare arm of what seemed to belong to a girl. He opened his mouth in awe and saw the girl slowly turn her head, clearly hoping him to be gone by the look of disappointed fright in her dark eyes. She drew in an almost inaudible breath.

"It's you..." he breathed. Knowing he had seen her before. "You we're in Tortuga – that barmaid who worked there." He said while thinking back on that particular glance of boredom spun out of monotony he had been given by her.

He placed a hand on the old wood to support himself, which had moistened throughout the years, giving the sense of that it was rotting. Leaning closer he saw the well formed features of her face more closely.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"What is it to you?" she spat in a quite rude manner.

William narrowed his eyes in a hurt and also slightly confused manner; though sensed he should forgive her rudeness for the look in her eyes reminded him that she ought to feel cornered, and it was not his intention to exacerbate those feelings of dread.

"Does anyone know you're aboard?" he asked.

"Who're you then?" she enquired, perceptibly avoiding to answer his question.

"My name's William."

She kept the palm of her hands just about flat against the floor, ready to push herself up on her feet if suddenly needed to. "What is a mere boy doing on a ship as this?"

"I'm not a boy!" he said heatedly, whereupon her eyes widened as she gazed up, hoping no one had heard his exclaim and became curious to the extent of coming down here. William lowered his voice at this and continued: "I'm no older than you." He whispered, wishfully thinking her to be his own age as it would spare him some embarrassment.

"How'old are you then?" she asked in a quick manner, which seemed to be a customary way of hers.

"Sixteen." He said confidently.

"Pfthh." She chuckled. "From the way you look – I'd say ye were twelve."

He then realised her rudeness did not only belong with her desperation, it was even coming from her as she relaxed. With a smile on her face she saw his frustration and did not seem other than amused by it.

"How old ar'you then?" he asked.

"Almost seventeen." She admitted with a playful smile, though he barely caught sight of it for it quickly vanished as they heard unexpected noises.

The ceiling, which was the floor of the storey above them, creaked as someone walked on its tarred floorboards. Both of the young ones gazed up in tandem and William laid eyes on her again as her breathing became strained. Before she had exposed her age, he actually believed her to be older. Now however, as he saw her superior veil being pulled off in the blink of an eye, he could believe her to be even younger. Her eyes were once again wide, and as they interlocked with his she said:

"Do not tell them I am here." She pleaded. William hesitated to promise her anything as he considered his options for a moment. The ceiling above still creaked as someone moved across the floor - closer to the stairs it seemed.

"If you do not want to be seen by them, then why'd you sneak onto this ship?"

"I needed flight from Tortuga." She said while keeping her voice down, rather bitter when thinking of the place. "I could not stay there."

"Why didn't you go aboard a merchant ship or other which could take you freely wherever you wanted, instead of nestling your way in here?"

"Well thank you for telling me!" she said, her voice full of sarcasm. "You see there aren't many merchant ships in Tortuga, except those unlawful ones which're called pirate ships." She went on, making him feel as an idiot. "and even if I did come across a simple merchant ship would they take me freely? Sure, if I could pay em enough – which I did not earn enough in the tavern to do, but suppose I could. Then they would have taken me along... those many men, alone on their ship, for weeks, and me the only female in sight. Do you think they would be any better than pirates when the thought eventually, if not as once they lay eyes on me, crosses their minds?"

A wrinkle appeared between his brown eyes as he had been fully lectured, however there was more to come.

"So, whatever ship I would've sailed with, whomever it may have belonged to, I would have found it best to hide whilst aboard in order to avoid unwanted encounters."

"You don't trust anyone do you?"

"No." She replied briskly.

"Well..." he whispered. "Given that you asked me, you'll be enforced to trust me when I say that I'm not going to tell anyone of your presence."

Her eyes softened. "You'd do that?" she asked, feeling rather guilty now about being, perhaps, excessively rude to him than she had ought to.

"Aye." He said with a genuine nod. The girl was smiling now, she had a look upon her face which was the one he liked the most so far.

"Oi!" a hoarse voice of a man called from above. "Yeh down there boy?"

"I'm coming!" he called back and stood, as did she; Her frame not fully in sight as it was shielded by the shelf and its refreshments. He nodded to her, assuring her of his promise. She nodded back and he turned to leave, and then as he reached the stairs decided to walk back to her and was met by the confused look in her eyes.

"What's your name?" he whispered.

"Camilla." She whispered back, not afraid of revealing it to him as a gentle smile tensed her lips pleasantly.

The young lad smiled back and rushed over to ascend the stairs as the hoarse voice could be heard from upstairs for a second time.