At dawn Elise was escorted from her chambers to the docks by four armed soldiers. By the furthest dock awaited her ship, the Wrath of Barinthus. She imagined Beckett must have instructed his men to sail out to her crew and inform them that she was held in custody.
Just across the narrow plank bridging the gap between the wood of the dock and the wood of her ship stood her first mate, Desiré, an escaped slave from France. He was a towering size with rippling muscles under his dark skin. He was a kind and compassionate man whose heart only grew with age, as he was beginning to grey and weaken with every rough year at sea.
Elise first met Desiré when she was aboard the Maiden's Treasure when she impersonated a young boy named Sean. Desiré was the only crew member who knew her true identity, stumbling upon her trying to hide her stained trousers from when she began menstruating. He helped her throw the garments overboard and lent his spare pair of trousers, hemming them to fit her shorter size. There was not a man Elise trusted more than her first mate.
"Bonjour Madame Elise." He said gruffly, eyeing the uniformed men surrounding her fiercely.
"Always good to see your face Monsieur Desiré. Have you had the pleasure of meeting our new friends?" She asked as the shackles around her wrists were unlocked.
"Yes, they boarded our ship last night… without permission."
Elise looked to the soldiers around her and clicked her tongue disappointedly, "How rude."
"Fortunately, they were taught some manners with a few broken noses."
Elise looked expectantly at her armed escorts and asked, "Now, since you have returned me to my ship and it does not look like Lord Beckett will see me off, will you kindly return my possessions?"
Without a word, a burlap sack was dropped at her feet with the audible sound of metal crashing together. Smiling she picked it up and draped it over her shoulder. "Thank you, men, you may return to your posts." Unamused with the pirate commanding them, they remained in place. Elise threw her hand to her forehead in a mocking salute before turning on heel and boarding her ship.
"So, we're working for lords now." Desiré mused.
"No, not working for. With." Said Elise as she dumped the weapons on the deck. "Think of it more as a temporary contract. We deliver, and we reap the rewards."
"Those rewards being…?"
"Not being strung up like a skinned rabbit," Elise stated, sheathing her sword in its strapped scabbard on her waist. She climbed the steps to the captain's wheel and shouted down to an older man tying rope to the side of the mast, "Smith, what have you heard?"
Smith's rough voice croaked back, "Word's that there's a ship with black sails sailin' to Tortuga Cap'n."
"All right men, let's get her on the seas."
And so, the crew flung into action. The crew of the Wrath of Barinthus was an odd one, composed of outcasts of every ethnicity and creed. Elise found that only a select few would agree to be captained by a woman, and all were deemed unfit for pirating by most. However, Elise found solace in this. Not only were these men grateful for the chance to sail upon the seas once more, she felt they provided advantages. Yes, many of the men were aged, but that only meant many years on knowledge about sailing and the seas, something that Elise lacked when first coming into the position of captain. The diversity of ethnicity allowed for the ability to converse anywhere, gaining information from the Spanish, French, and even native colonies within the Caribbean. Elise never claimed to have the fiercest of crews, but they made do.
Just as one of the crew members began to remove the wooden plank, a polished leather boot kept it in place. The pirate just stood and watched as a man cloaked in the colors of the crown strutted onto the deck. Soon the entire ship stared at the man with the powdered wig and elaborate navy-blue hat resting upon it. Elise noticed the failure of the crew to obey her commands and looked to see what had captured the attention of her men. Catching sight of the new body upon the deck she nodded to Desiré to take hold of the wheel as she descended the steps.
The man noticed the pirate captain and jutted his chin slightly upward, "Ah. Elise Sparrow. I am Commodore James Norrington. I am assigned to accompany you on this mission. You are to surrender the title of captain over to me and obey my orders."
Elise strutted over to him, hazel eyes slightly narrowed, scanning his entirety. He had very masculine features: a strong jawline and sharp nose. The ocean blue coat accentuated the broad shoulders they were draped upon. The commodore stood in silence as she continued to survey him. Finally, her lips broke into a smile, "Of course Commodore. It is a pleasure to have you on board." She bowed deeply and the crew members watching the exchange chuckled. "You will have to excuse my men, they are not accustomed to a man of the Crown on board. In normal circumstances, a man wearing your clothes would be strung from the rafters." Her grin broadened as she saw Norrington visibly swallow. "Not to worry my dear sir. You will be shown the respect a captain deserves. Harold, Peter." She motioned to the twins from Havana standing nearby, "Will you please show Commodore Norrington to the 'Captain's Quarters'?" The two beamed with mischief as they grabbed the man by the shoulders and led him deep into the brig.
"Do you think that is wise?" Desiré questioned.
Elise stared after Beckett's man and replied, "You know what happens to those who question my authority. This is a kindness." She glanced to her first mate who clearly didn't believe this ruthless explanation. She looked back and admitted, "He'll be safest there. You know as well as I that our men have no love for soldiers let alone commodores."
After a moment of silence, Desiré changed the subject. "Tortuga, eh?"
"Tortuga." She confirmed. "Beckett believes a family reunion is overdue." Desiré suspected Elise was withholding information, but thought it best to not dig for it. He only nodded and went about ordering the men.
The night came and the crew was asleep beneath the deck in their hammocks woven out of hemp, filling the air with snores and the mutterings of senseless dreams. Within the Captain's Quarters sat Elise at the map splayed across her desk. She propped her feet upon the southeast corner and spun a small knife between her fingers, deep in thought. She wondered what would happen if she found Jack. Would he recognize her? Had he even thought about her since leaving her and her mother? Even darker questions began to surface. Would he agree to help her? Would he trust her? What if he thought her a traitor and tried to kill her? Elise did not know if she would be able to fight let alone kill her older brother.
Angered by these unanswered questions she stabbed the map with the knife and stood abruptly. She began to climb deep into the belly of the ship, past the slumbering men and the barrels of gun powder and rum. In the furthest corner, she found the single cell. Inside sat Norrington upon the suspended bench which he had cushioned with the loose straw scattering the cell's floor.
"Good evening Commodore." Greeted Elise gripping the steel cage, smiling down at him.
She had obviously startled him based on his expression, but he quickly regained his composure. "Captain Elise." He replied respectfully.
She raised an eyebrow. "Trying to earn favor Norrington? If any of the men ask you, this is your punishment for challenging my title, but, in truth, this is for your protection."
"I don't believe I need protection from old men and Spaniards." He scoffed.
"Half these men have death sentences issued by the crown for more crimes than piracy and the rest have yet to be identified for their terrible deeds. Be my guest to find out who is what." She replied seriously. She snatched the key dangling from her belt and unlocked the cell, the hinges squeaking as they swung open. The commodore stared in confusion. "Come, you will stay in my cabin."
It took several seconds for Norrington to acquire enough sense to follow her up the stairs. As they passed through the crew's quarters he whispered, "I don't think it is appropriate for us to sleep in the same bed."
"Sleep on the floor, then." She whipped her around to look at him, "unless you prefer the cell?" Norrington did not answer and continued to follow behind. When they reached the cabin, Elise handed him a woolen blanket to use where he saw fit, which turned out to be right beside her bed.
"Why would you sleep there? If I decide to get up I'll trip over you." She complained.
Norrington opened one eye to look at her, "You forget my purpose here. I am to keep an eye on you to ensure your side of the bargain is held."
Elise huffed, then rolled on to her stomach, peeking her head over the bed. "Can I at least call you James? I think that since we are living in such close quarters now we should be on a first-name basis."
"No."
"What about Norrie?"
"Definitely not." She chuckled at her own wit then rolled back onto her side, sighing a "goodnight James" with the soldier's silence as the only response.
Deep into the night Norrington awoke to find the blade of a dagger at his throat. Elise's soft voice spoke from the darkness, "You trust too easily Commodore. A smile and a false act of kindness and you let your guard crumble." She clicked her tongue, and pressed the blade further, a drop of blood forming at its sharp edge. "You must remember that you are now in the company of pirates."
"So, you're going to kill me?" he questioned.
"I would love to. But you, unfortunately, are vital to the bargain with Beckett, so, for now, you are under my protection. But remember, even a saint like myself has her limits." The pirate withdrew the dagger. "Do not test them."
Several days upon the sea passed as they grew ever closer to the town of Tortuga. Commodore Norrington remained at the side of Elise at all times, rarely speaking but always watching her. The crew was uneasy with the man so constant in her presence, but none more so than Desiré. He found it hard to leave the two so that he may carry out his duties as first mate, but he would not dare disobey Elise. So, he worked hard at maintaining the ship, but always threw worried glances over to the helm.
It was during one of the rare occasions that Elise was able to coerce conversation out of the commodore that he began to reveal more about himself. Elise had begun to delve into the topic of ship names and their importance. "The name a ship bares reveals the character of her captain. Names such as the Duchess or the Wench's Skirt fail to present the captain as anything more than an old drunkard with a taste for uninterested women. Now, names like the Queen Anne's Revenge or the Black Pearl… those are names that'll strike fear into the hearts of the Crown's royal navy." She laughed.
"And why choose the Wrath of Barinthus?" the commodore questioned, looking out on the worn ship that Elise obviously procured second-hand.
"Barinthus is the Celtic god of the sea, who's wrath was thought to be untamable. Men and women alike would weep to the Dagda to restrain the god so that their sons at sea would return safely, for Barinthus himself could not be reasoned with or appeased. He craved only one thing, to enact revenge upon the men who sought to tame the ocean. However, legend has it that there was one thing that was able to quell the raging sea god…"
"Ah. The tale of Aileen and Iollan."
"You've heard it before?" Elise asked, looking mystified.
"My father was a ship hand for the British Fishing Company. He told many stories like this." Elise sat silent. "Isn't it that the tale goes that Aileen, the daughter of Irelands largest fishing trader, met Iollan at the docks of Dingle. Their love was instant, powerful and the two had planned to elope to the southern Isles to be together. However, Aileen's father discovered the young lovers and, due to his political position, had the boy exiled to the plantations of Havana." He paused and Elise nodded, encouraging him further.
"Aileen wept for a fortnight, collecting the tears within a glass jar. On the eve of the fourteenth night, she travelled to the cliffs overlooking the Celtic sea and poured her tears into the raging waters and prayed that she be taken to her love. She stole a fishing boat from her father's shipyard and began to sail towards the Caribbean. Her father had discovered her and the boat gone and sent his men after her. However, while the sea stormed more viciously than ever seen before, the waters around Aileen were calm and still. All ships following her were lost to the black depths of the ocean floor and Iollan and Aileen were reunited."
Elise looked impressed at the man's knowledge of Celtic mythology. "I did not choose the name the Wrath of Barinthus for its tale of love, Commodore Norrington."
"I would imagine not."
"Barinthus allowed a woman to sail upon the seas to find what she most desired. In an age of men, I would like to think I have the wrath of such a god on my side, for, as I said before, he wishes to inflict it on all men who seek to conquer the ocean. Not women."
The two stood quietly for several moments, each watching each other intently, attempting to decode what the other might be thinking. The silence was broken by Desiré's gruff voice shouting from across the deck. "Ship approaching! She looks like she wants to board us!"
"Load the cannons and fire a warning shot, we've dealt with pirate hunters before." Elise replied annoyedly.
Desiré bounded up the steps. "No, Madame. These are not pirate hunters, it is too big of a ship."
Elise whipped her head to the rear of the ship and quickly raised her spyglass to her eyes. Through its lens she could see a large frigate with billowing white sails. "Hell, looks like twenty-four cannons with two puckle guns at its fo'c'sle. We aren't gunned enough for a fight." Elise admitted.
"Sparrow you are not suggesting…" Norrington began.
"Captain Sparrow." Elise spat. "Do not question my orders or I'll have you on privy duty with the shovel mysteriously thrown overboard." She shoved him aside and placed her hands on the wooden rails and looked intently at the ship growing near. "Desiré, prepare to meet some old friends."
Norrington looked to the first mate for more understanding, but all the man did was press his lips together and then turn to shout, "Men, prepare to be boarded!"
Within minutes the ship was side by side with the Wrath of Barinthus, a long wooden plank bridging the gap between the two. Several men dressed like Spanish traders crossed the threshold. Behind them strode their captain, a stocky man with greying hair and a groomed moustache curling upward with the help of styling balm. His buckled shoes clacked against the wood deck and stopped before Elise, with Desiré standing protectively at her right side. The two captains stood in silence for a beat, the heat of their gazes holding hostility.
"Captain Gomez." Elise said, finally.
The Spanish captain looked at her ship with distaste and brushed a phantom speck of dust off his white and gold overcoat. "Hola, I do believe this is the ship of Captain Sparrow, is it not?"
"It is." Stated Desiré.
"I wish to speak with the captain." The man spoke apathetically as he cleaned underneath his nailbeds, as though he had already grown tired of this conversation.
Elise spoke this time, "You are speaking with her."
The man's eyes darted up, his interest sparked. "Ah. I remember you." Norrington furrowed his eyebrows, unsure on the nature of this interaction. "I'd never forget a pretty face such as yours." Elise did not even attempt to mask her revulsion of the man's lurking stare. "However, I don't remember such long hair… It was Sean was it not? Always wearing oversized clothes and a little hat." Captain Gomez shifted his attention to the soldier beside the pirate. "I see you've acquired a pet." Norrington stood unfazed but his hand twitched unnoticeably to his sword strapped to his hip. "Now tell me, girl, why was it when I asked for the ship of Captain Sparrow was I directed toward this…" He looked around at the splintered wood railings and fraying rope and left his sentence unfinished.
Desiré answered for his captain, "You are speaking to Captain Elise Sparrow, demonstrate some respect."
Gomez smirked at the heat of Desiré's conviction. "Ah, Desiré. I miss having you on board the Maiden's Treasure. You always had a way of keeping our cargo in line. I never quite understood it. Perhaps it was the unspoken language between beasts of the jungles." Desiré clenched his jaw together but otherwise showed no reaction to the little man's jabs at his origins.
"Captain Gomez is a slave trader for the East India Trading Company." Elise explained to Norrington. "Desiré and I were a part of his crew before leaving for better company." She raised an eyebrow at the stocky little man still smirking at his wit.
"Yes, but that does not explain what he is doing here." Norrington stated.
Elise stood silently awaiting Gomez's explanation. After a few moments, the slave trader finally returned his attention to the conversation and proclaimed, "I was commissioned by an anonymous investor to reclaim a possession from one Jack Sparrow." Elise furrowed her eyebrows, trying to understand the implications of this.
"Wait, but-" Norrington began but was quickly interrupted.
"I do not have time for this." Captain Gomez waved his hand dismissively. "My investor grows ever more impatient and my ship's provisions grow thin. We will take three fourths of yours and twenty men." He looked at the aged and weathered crew surrounding them, "I'm sure I can find some kind of work for them, like scraping the scum off the bilge."
"And for what reason would I provide you with this?" Elise asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"You forget. You are pirates. I could turn you in to the nearest English port and acquire a great reward. You should thank me for asking so little of you, my precious." Elise felt the urge to vomit once more but regained her composure enough to spit profanity that would shame even the hardest of seamen. "How dare you insult the great Captain Gomez!" he cried furiously.
Elise narrowed her eyes and took a step toward the man, Desiré's muscles tensing, preparing to jump into action if needed. The pirate spoke in low voice, "And what would your men think of their great captain if they knew about that night in your chambers? How you sent for me in the dead of night, poured me wine," she took more steps forward and the man retreated as she grew nearer and nearer. "how you tried to bed me, but as soon as you found what really was in my pants you realized your mistake." The two men accompanying Gomez looked in disbelief upon their captain. "Would your crew really respect a man who lures young boys into his cabin and fills them with wine to do with them what you want?"
Elise was inches from the man's face. So close, she could smell the waxing balm upon his moustache, which was now quivering in rage. Her voice came so quietly, so that only Gomez could hear her whisper, "Get off my ship." The man, shaking in anger, turned heel and marched back to his frigate, barking at his men to follow. The wooden plank bridging the gap was slid away and the Maiden's Treasure began to sail away.
Elise retreated to the helm of the ship with Norrington following close behind. "What the hell was that?" questioned Norrington, his mind still reeling from the previous encounter.
"It was an issue that is now resolved. It is best to forget it and move on." Elise replied without looking at him.
Norrington, unsatisfied by this answer, grabbed her slender shoulder and turned her to face him. "What did he mean by his "investor"? It can't be Beckett could it?"
"I suppose your lord doesn't have complete faith in us after all."
Norrington looked over her shoulder to the large ship sailing away from them and furrowed his brow in confusion. Suddenly, an audible crack of gunpowder filled the air and the commodore's eyes widened as he shouted, "Get down!" He wrapped his arms around the pirate and slammed them both to the deck as a cannonball hurled over them.
Elise, who was lying flat upon Norrington's chest, looked up to see more cannonballs being fired at her and her ship. She scrambled to her feet and shouted the crew to their stations. "Hoist the anchor, ready the sails, get us the hell out of here!"
Norrington, after managing to stand up, cried after her, "What? We need to load the cannons!"
She whipped her head around and glared at him, "We can't take them, we're completely outgunned. If we stick to the coast and maneuver around rocks, we can lose them. We're smaller and faster."
"But we-"
"I will not risk my ship and my men!" Norrington heard the conviction in her voice and saw the fire in her eyes and shut his mouth and nodded, running to help the men. "Desiré prepare for shallow sailing!"
"Aye Captain!" he replied.
Elise spun the wheel towards the cliffs of the Caribbean island nearby. She casted a glance behind her to see the Maiden's Treasure gaining speed on them. She pushed the ship closer to the edge, swinging the ship's hull back and forth to avoid collisions with the sharp rocks jutting out of the blue water. Several times the ship came too close and Elise could hear the snapping of wooden planks as the rocks tore through. "Get some men below to patch up the holes!" she shouted above the commotion.
After several moments Desiré came running up the stairs. "We're taking on too much water, we have to dock Captain!"
Elise shook her head. "We have to lose them!"
Desiré pointed to a small island nestled within the midst of a large ring of rocks. "There! They won't be able to get through. We can stay the night and repair the ship."
The pirate captain grimaced and then after a moment spun the wheel towards the beach of the island. "Prepare to drop anchor! Ready the boats!" The men obeyed her commands and just as the sun was beginning to dip beneath the water, the entire crew was paddling their way toward land.
Elise watched their pursuers circle the island, and, once realizing they could never sail through without shredding their hull, turned and began to sail away. Most of the crew looked relieved, but Elise still felt uneasy.
As nightfall approached, men took on several duties for the night. Some built fires, some carved at wooden sticks to spear for fish. Others went on an exhibition for lumber to repair the ship. Desiré took lead of that group as he knew of trees that would provide tree sap to aid in the patching of the holes. Several hours later, the entire crew was asleep with only Elise, Desiré, and Norrington awake by the dying fire.
"I'll take first watch." Said Elise.
"No." said Desiré. "You must sleep." Elise looked ready to protest, but felt the ache of fatigue in her bones and decided not to fight it. She repositioned herself against the palm tree she leaned on and soon was fast asleep. The first mate looked to Norrington, "You should sleep too." The man shook his head and Desiré did not insist.
After an hour of silence, the two listening to the waves of the ocean and the soft breathing of Elise, Norrington spoke. "Why did you choose to serve under her?"
He was met with silence. "I mean, you joined her in leaving Gomez, and then choose to be captained by a woman." More silence. "You could have sailed under anyone, but you choose this."
Desiré finally replied, "I swore to protect her."
"Why?"
The man sat silently for a moment, then said, "Back in France, when I was a slave, I had a daughter." Desiré's face suddenly grew wistful. "Her name was Collette. She was beautiful, more beautiful than her mother or any woman in France. She was smart and kind, even through slavery." His expression grew dark. "When I escaped, I could not bring her with me. I do not know where she is now." Desiré looked towards sleeping Elise. "I will never get back my daughter, Elise is the closest thing I have to one now. I promised myself I would do right by her, especially if I cannot for my Collette."
Norrington looked into the dimly glowing embers and felt nothing but sympathy for this man. He knew true loss, but chose to find purpose within Elise. Norrington shifted his gaze to the woman and, for the first time, began to see something else than a pirate.
