AN: Okay, guys, I changed Rosalyn's name to Arianna, so don't let that confuse you. Other than that, I didn't change anything from the first chapter. But please, please, review this chapter! I need more than one review to keep me happy.

Times of Courage

by Lady Dawson

Chapter Two: Ten Years Later . . .

Brushing out her dark curls, Arianna pulled it into a braid with only once glance at the mirror before she headed downstairs. She smiled vaguely as she heard the banging from the room adjacent to the loft that she shared with her brother and the blacksmith, John Brown. However, the blacksmith was hardly ever sober and left most of the work in the shop—or vertically all—to her brother.

Opening the door that led to the shop, Arianna stepped down as Will glanced up at her. "How long have you been up?" she wanted to know as he put the finishing touches on the sword that he was working on.

"A few hours," Will said with a shrug. "I wanted to get this finished. Governor Swann ordered it for the ceremony this afternoon."

"For Captain Norrington?" Arianna asked, frowning slightly. Despite that the man had rescued them at sea eight years ago, she had never liked the captain. Oh, he was a good soldier, she would give him that, but unless she had a good reason for talking to him, she ignored all contact with the man.

"Well, Commodore Norrington," Will corrected, sliding the sword into its sheath. "I'm going to go wash up."

"Seems that you're making a great deal of effort getting yourself presentable to go to the governor's house," Arianna teased as she watched her brother attempt to get all of the dirt off of his hands.

"I'm going to the governor's house, Ari," he pointed out, though he had started to turn an interesting shade of red. Arianna giggled slightly, making him turn even more red, and shook her head. He glared furiously at her, and turned away from her, trying to regain his composure. "Miss Swann and I are just friends."

"Right, which is why you take every opportunity you can just to go up to the governor's house or at some social that you know she'll be at, just to spy on her." Arianna patted her brother on the back. "And when are you going to start calling her 'Elizabeth'?"

"Probably never."

"Hmm." Arianna grinned at her brother. "Are you going to have some breakfast before you go? Will?"

She turned back around and saw that her brother was already disappearing up the stairs, undoubtedly to exchanged his working clothes for his good ones.

"Brothers," she grumbled as she headed towards back towards the shop, retrieving the sword and heading back towards the kitchen, where she set the weapon onto the table and went to go make the two of them breakfast. She was just setting it down on the table she heard the sound of footsteps approaching down the steps.

"William Turner!" she warned as she heard him about to head out the door. He retreated a few steps. "For goodness sake, sit down for two seconds together and have some breakfast."

"But . . ." Will began as he saw the food on the table, already waiting for them.

"You can wait ten minutes before heading off to the governor's," Arianna retorted. "Besides, you've been working yourself ragged for day's end trying to finish up that order for him." She gave him the look that was so reminiscent of their mother's that he immediately sat down at the table and started eating.

"You sound like Mother," he said with his mouth full of food.

"I know. Don't talk with your mouth full," she scolded, eating her own meal. "I'm going to head off to the grocery later, is there anything that you need?" she asked.

Will shook his head as he finished. "There, happy now?"

"Yes. Go ahead," she told him, a small smile tugging at the side of her mouth, amused. "Tell Elizabeth that I said hello." Will shook his head and picked up the sword, dashing out of the house. "Don't know why you're in such a hurry to make a fool out of yourself again," she muttered, cleaning up the dishes.

--

"I think that should be everything," Arianna said to the shopkeeper, counting out her money. She handed the proper amount to him, which he readily accepted, handing her the bags.

"Here you are, miss, have a good day," he said with a small nod to her. She smiled as she took her bags and started heading back to the blacksmith's, her thoughts drifting up towards the governor's, where she was certain that Will probably had made a fool of himself.

"Don't know why he keeps on fooling himself," she muttered. "Everyone can see that he loves her. The only one who can't see it is Elizabeth herself." She sighed, running her free hand over her sea-blue eyes.

Arianna glanced up when she heard the sound of gunfire in the harbour. Slightly startled, she turned around towards where it was coming from, her curiosity getting the better of her. "What is going on?" she muttered, seeing soldiers run around the corner, almost running into her.

"Excuse us, miss," one of them said, not stopping as her packages fell out of her hands.

She glared at their backs. "Watch where you're going next time, why don't you?" Bending down, she began to pick up her packages when someone knelt down next to her, helping her gather them up.

"Just like those soldiers, isn't it?" a pleasant voice asked. "Not caring if they're in anybody's way?"

Arianna looked up. Standing next to her was a young man around her own age with sandy-blond hair that was the same length as her brother's. His eyes were a bright that were the colour of emeralds and just as bright. He stood taller than Arianna and strongly built.

"I'm sure that they had someplace important that they needed to be," she said dryly. "Sounded like gunfire down at the harbour."

"Didn't you hear?" He looked vaguely surprised. "Jack Sparrow has escaped. They had him in custody a few minutes ago after saving Miss Swann."

"That's nice. Save a girl and you get arrested."

He laughed. It was a nice pleasant laugh, she thought as she smiled back. She liked the sound of it.

"Well, he won't get to far, by the sound of it." He stood up, helping her to her feet. "With those soldiers trailing him so close behind, he'll be lucky if he gets to the other end of town."

Arianna smiled slightly, thanked him for his help, and started heading back towards the blacksmith shop. Doubtlessly, Will would already be there, probably recovering from his wounds of whatever he'd done while at the governor's.

"Hey, wait!" She stopped and turned, looking at him curiously. Those green eyes stared straight into her sea-blue ones, making her knees tremble slightly underneath her. "What's your name?"

"Arianna. Arianna Turner," she answered.

He smiled. "Well, Arianna Turner," he said softly, but the sound of it made Arianna shiver with pleasure. "I'm Finley. Well, Finn, actually. Warren. Finn Warren."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Warren," Arianna said politely just as she heard the sound of banging in the distance. She turned, her eyes widening. The sound of it was coming from the blacksmith's. "Will," she muttered, hurrying away quickly, leaving a confused Finn behind.

She found the door to the forge blown off of its hinges and soldiers crowded all around an unconscious man. Her brother was standing nearby with a sword in his hand and the forge looked like it had taken a beating.

"What happened?" she exclaimed, hurrying towards her brother to make sure that he was all right. Aside from a few bruises and cuts and looking like he'd been doused in dirt, he was all right.

"I'm fine," Will muttered, glancing towards the soldiers.

"Take him away," Commodore Norrington ordered and the soldiers hauled up the pirate lying unconscious marched him away. "Mr. Turner, I will leave you to your sister's tender mercies."

Without another word, he turned and followed his men out the door, the door slamming behind them. Arianna shook her head. "I still don't like him," she muttered, turning back towards her brother. "Will, are you sure that you're all right?"

"It's just a few bruises, Ari, I'll be all right," he assured her. Arianna sighed, but let it go as she set the packages on the table. "How was town?"

"Don't think you're getting out of it that easily, William Turner!" she warned him. "What possessed you to fight a pirate? You know that they fight dirty or do you not remember?"

Will winced slightly, his mind obviously flashing back to the day they'd been attacked on the voyage to Port Royale. Arianna could still remember the fear when that pirate had pulled out his gun, intent on killing her.

"I remember," he said softly, turning away. "He threatened Miss Swann, Ari," he said almost pleadingly.

Arianna softened at that remark. "That explains it, then," she said quietly, wrapping an arm around her brother. She may tease her brother about it now and again, may be exasperated by the painting he drew of her, but she knew that he loved her. And she longed for the love that he felt for the governor's daughter.

"I'm not going to scold you," she said quietly. Will smiled slightly. "You know, she loves you, too, Will. I've seen the way that she looks at her when she thinks nobody else is watching." Her brother looked slightly surprised by her statement. "I hope one day that someone will look at me the way you look at Elizabeth, Will."

"Maybe one day."

"Yes," she agreed, her thoughts drifting to Finn for a moment. "Maybe one day."