William blinked in the light of the fire. He lifted his free hand to dry the sweat away from his forehead with his sleeve. He puffed, grabbed the tongs and carried the sword over to the bench. He let it down with a high slam and took a deep breath while he stretched his back.

He was so tired, it was late and he wanted to just pack up the stuff and leave. But the sword had to be finished in the morn, and it wasn't so much more to do.

He looked at the door. He would have taken a break, if it wasn't so cold outside. The fire in the forge made the coldness to stay out, and even if it was arctic right outside the door Will didn't even notice.

He decided to pause for just a couple of minutes, he had been working four hours straight and his entire body protested. He sat down the chair next beside the bench and rested his head in his hands. He hated working this late, even if he found the job quite amusing. He could create and do what he was skilled for, without anybody complaining of him.

The Governor had suggested some of his money to him and Elizabeth, but Will had refused. He wanted to provide his own family with his own hands, and both Elizabeth and the Governor had not begged him to give up his wish. Instead Weatherby had offered him a job as a captain, and Will had not told him an answer yet.

He was insecure. These latest months together with Elizabeth had been wonderful. Finally they were married and could love each other without any obstacles. No more wild, crazy adventures with pirates or angry commodores, no more looks.

Well, their life turned to normal. But none of them were normal, they both wanted adventures and wild hardships. As married in the town they just went to fine parties and such.

And the pirates. Well, they had totally ended. No more Black Pearl sailing away with them, no more Jack Sparrow forcing them into dangers bigger than life. His best friend was lost and gone forever, but even if Will missed him, Elizabeth mourned the pirate captain even more.

Will didn't want to press her; he didn't want her to not like him anymore. Even if she did love him, he knew that if he should make just a mistake she would fall apart. But he wanted her to talk, tell him about what she felt. Jack had meant much to them both, but Elizabeth had left him. It wasn't her real intent, Will knew that. But she blamed herself, and Will wanted her to cry it all out. Whatever it meant for his part, he wanted her to be happy.

She tried not to show it, but she was so frail. He could see it in her eyes, sometimes they were like glass. Looking far beyond the horizon.

Was there any idea to get this fancy job if they wouldn't make it anyway?

Will shook his head and sat up. He didn't like to leave her alone; he wanted to be there for her if she needed him. He decided not to wonder more about these things, and to continue with his work. The sooner he made the sword, the sooner he could return home.

He got on his feet and grabbed the tongs to proceed, when he felt a terrible cold down the floor. He frowned and looked at the door. How come the cold found its way in now?

He put the tongs down and walked over to the door, kneed and held his hand near the spring. The icy air gushed in and made his fingers go numb. He pulled his hand away, staring at the spring. All of a sudden he saw some mist press itself in under the door. He rose without taking his eyes away from it. His toes froze in his thin leather shoes, and he felt the coldness tickle on the back of his neck.

This wasn't any ordinary cold. He got surprised when he shivered, and he moved closer to the fire. It did barely help.

"I have a bad feeling about this," he murmured to the tongs at the bench. He bit his lip and threw a look at the unfinished sword. Maybe he should go home to Elizabeth…

He knew he was silly. It was just some weather changes, nothing to worry about. But he couldn't help feeling suspicious. He looked at his tools and smiled.

"Well, Elizabeth should be fine," he said. "I have to finish this tonight, or else I'll get…"

Suddenly he heard footsteps just outside his door. He snatched and stared at it. The sound was heavy and hard against the stones. He grabbed the hammer and held it above his shoulder, ready to defend himself. But the steps just kept on, slow and weighty, passing his door. Will took a deep breath to calm down. William, for Christ sake! It's just a beggar or something. Don't be so silly!

He let go of the hammer, left it on the bench and went to the window. It was like someone else was steering him when he opened the shutter and leaned out the window opening. But he immediately returned to his body when he felt the terrible cold and saw the men just a couple of metres from the forge.

"What the…?"

ooo

Mullroy stared straight ahead, perfectly aware of the man behind them. Murtogg stayed close to his companion, both to feel secure and keep the worst of the cold off.

No one had said a word since they'd left the port. The both marines walked with straight backs and didn't dare to move. The coldness was unbearable, not to mention scary. The man seemed to spread it as he walked on, and the mist seemed to gather around them as they walked towards the Governor's house.

It was a couple of minutes since they left the harbour, and Murtogg couldn't ignore the curiosity. It had grown stronger than the fear, and he gathered the courage to lean even closer to Mullroy and whisper, "I recognize him."

Mullroy took a deep breath, blinked and gave his partner an angry look. "It's Jack Sparrow," he hissed. "The pirate!"

"Jack Sparrow?" Murtogg said a little bit louder, and Mullroy hushed him like crazy.

"Shut up! He can hear us!" Murtogg looked over his shoulder. Mullroy grabbed his arm and shook it. "Cut it out!"

"But wasn't it Jack Sparrow that we almost caught…"

"Yes it was! Can you please shut up now?"

Behind them Jack watched their motley conversation, but he didn't listen. His thoughts were somewhere completely else, a place where he kept the memory of the wife to his best friend. He presumed that they were married now. He had disappeared, sunken into the deep seas, and there was no reason for them to wait any longer. He could imagine her now, always smiling with rosy cheeks and a big belly full of all those bloody beasts that marked Elizabeth as William's.

He looked down in the ground. What was he thinking? He wasn't here to blame Will for marrying his own fiancé. It was his and Elizabeth's choice right from the beginning, and Jack shouldn't tell them how wrong they were. He had just been a person with a non-speaking part, making their marriage more than obvious.

He suddenly abrupt himself in his thoughts, and looked to the right. There was a worn out door in thick wood, and out from the building came the smell of smoke and iron. Under the door he could see the worm and bright light of the fire, and he looked above it.

Yes, they just passed the forge of Port Royal. Infamous for their good swords and weapons that were all needed in all the fancy ceremonies that were held to all those pansy-dressed men with all those damn wigs.

Then he thought about the light he saw under the door. William must be working, but really this late? Was he leaving his wife at home at the evenings, just to work? Well, if Jack knew the young laddie right, he wanted to feed the ones of his own. He could imagine that the Governor wanted to give him money, or at least a new job. Well, William was just too good a man to spend his life powdering his wig. And had too good hair, too.

Jack looked forward, feeling the heat of the forge disappear behind him. Maybe someday he would meet William again, and then he would ask for a swordfight. The boy knew how to handle his work, and Jack could never forget the first day they met.

But he guessed that that day would not come for a long time.

He felt kind of relieved. William was at the forge, which meant that Elizabeth was alone at the Governor's residence. Then he wouldn't have to fight with his good old friend, just have a little chat with his bonnie lass.