The next morning, I was exhausted. I couldn't sleep at all through the night. It wasn't because of the sound of canon fire. That had stopped not too long after it started. No, I couldn't sleep because I was having nightmares from when I was younger. The scars on my back ached something fierce as though I was going through the torture all over again, and I was reluctant to even get up from the cold stone beneath me. Something made me though, when the door opened once again and familiar footsteps sounded on the stairs.
"Will." I muttered, sitting up and ignoring Jack as he stopped fiddling with the bone in the lock and flopped down beside me.
Sure enough, Will came down the stairs, not noticing me and simply staring at Jack. "You, Sparrow."
Jack lifted his head. "Ay."
"You're familiar with that ship. The Black Pearl."
Jack lowered his head back down. "I've heard of it."
"Where does it make birth?" Will demanded.
Jack seemed surprised. "Where does it make birth? Have you not heard the stories?"
Will didn't respond, so Jack plopped back down and waved his hand. "Captain Barbossa and his crew of miscreants sail from the dreaded Isla de Muerta. It's an island that cannot be found, except by those who already know where it is."
"The ship's real enough, therefore it's anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?"
"Why ask for me?" Jack questioned.
"Because you're a pirate."
I glanced back and forth between the two, opening my mouth to remind Will that I, too, am a pirate, but Jack went on.
"And you want to turn pirate yourself, is that it?"
Will did not look happy at that. "Never."
I knew there was something more to this and hesitantly spoke up. "What happened, Will?"
He turned to me with a glare, still not pleased about me lying I assume, and took a step back; putting a hand on his hip.
"They took Miss Swann."
"Oh!" Jack said, sitting up to lean on his elbows. "So it is that you found a girl. I see. Well if you're intending to brave all and hasten to her rescue and so win fair lady's heart, you'll have to do it alone, mate. I see no profit in it for me."
"I can get you out of here." Will bargained.
"How's that? The key's run off." Jack said, but I suddenly remembered something.
"Leverage." I muttered and Jack gave me a look.
"What?"
"Lark and I helped build these cells." Will explained. "These are half-pin barrel hinges." He grabbed a wooden bench and began propping it in-between the bars of the cell door. "With the right leverage, and proper application of strength, the door will lift free."
Jack gave him a look. "What's your name?"
"Will Turner."
"That would be short for William, I imagine. Good strong name. No doubt named for your father, ay?"
Will was quiet for a moment. "…Yes."
"Ah…" Jack hummed. "Well, Mr. Turner, I've changed me mind. If you spring me from this cell, I swear on pain of death, I shall take you to the Black Pearl and your bonny lass. Do we have an accord?"
Jack put forth his hand and Will shook it. "Agreed."
"Agreed. Get me out."
Will lifted the door off its hinges and threw it to the side, allowing Jack to climb out.
"Hurry. Someone will have heard that."
"Not without my things." Jack said, grabbing his weapons from off the wall and hurrying up the stairs.
Will went to follow, but stopped, looking back at me as I slowly shuffled out of the cell and retrieved my own things.
"Are you coming?"
I lifted my head before turning my eyes back down as I attached my sword to my waist.
"I didn't think you'd want me to. I'm a thief and a pirate at that. I'd understand if ya don't want me goin' with you."
He sighed, nodding his head up the stairs. "Come on, Lark. You may have a lot you need to tell me, but I'm sure it won't change the fact that we're friends."
I gave him a small grin. "Aye."
Jack poked his head around the corner. "Oi! Are you two comin'?"
Will and I smirked at each other before quickly hurrying up the steps, Will pressing something down on the top of my head.
"You forgot your hat at the shop. Thought I'd drop it off for you."
I chuckled, shoving him up the stairs. "Ah, I'd never go anywhere without my hat."
Will, Jack, and I had managed to make it to the Port and were currently hiding beneath a small bridge, watching as groups of soldiers marched around through the sand.
"We're going to steal a ship." Will said, stating the obvious, as he spotted the ship out on the waters. "That ship?"
"Commandeer." Jack corrected, pointing at another ship just off shore. "We're going to commandeer that ship. Nautical term...One question about your business, boy. One question or there's no use in going. This girl, how far are you willing to go to save her?"
"I'd die for her." Will said with not a hint of hesitation.
"Oh good." Jack said, before spouting out the craziest plan I ever heard.
It wasn't long before we were hidden under a small row boat and once a group of soldiers passed, we walked our way into the bottom of the ocean.
"This is either madness or brilliance." Will said.
"It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide." Jack replied.
I carefully stepped over a crab box, but a crack told me Will had stepped through it.
"Ah, Will. How many times have I told ya? You need to watch where you step."
He frowned. "You've never told me that."
I chuckled. "Yes, well. I'm tellin' ya now, aren't I?"
He groaned, just as we reached our destination, underneath the H.M.S. Dauntless. We easily managed to climb aboard and once on deck, the three of us made our presence known.
"Everybody stay calm!" Jack shouted. "We are taking over the ship."
"Aye! Avast!" Will shouted after and the crew laughed while Jack and I gave him a look.
"Really Will?" I muttered. "You're not very threatening."
"Really?" He questioned back, looking a bit put off.
The captain of the ship took a step forward. "This ship cannot be crewed by three men. You'll never make it out of the bay."
Jack smirked, pulling out his pistol and aiming it between the man's eyes. "Son. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. Savvy?"
Under the threat of a gun, the crew reluctantly followed our orders and prepared the ship along with mine and Will's help. Once we had the heavy work finished, we sent the sailors off in a small rowboat while I showed Will the ropes, literally.
"No, Will! You can't just swing them around and pull! You need to untwist them first!"
"I am untwisting them!"
"No you're not!" I said, pointing up. "You're just making it worse! Untwist the other way!"
"Lark!" Jack shouted from the wheel. "Disable the rudder chain!"
I nodded and hurried over to the rudder, working hard to get it dismantled, but all the while with a grin on my face. I'd missed the sea in my years land bound, and I had to say, I was glad to be back. Not soon enough, Will and I went back up to where Jack was, eyeing the other ship heading towards us.
"Here they come." Will said, but I just smirked along with Jack.
As soon as the ship pulled up next to us, hooks were thrown onto the railing and soldiers climbed aboard searching for us as Norrington shouted orders. Too bad they wouldn't find us. I thought, following Jack and Will as we swung over onto the H.M.S. Interceptor. As soon as we were aboard, I pulled out a dagger and cut all the lines to the hooks while Jack steered the ship away. I did my best to chuck the wooden planks off the ship without scratching it and I was thoroughly amused when the soldiers finally discovered our plan and one even attempted to swing onto our ship but missed.
"Thank you Commodore for getting us ready to make way!" Jack shouted, looking back and waving his hat about. "We'd 'ave had a hard time with it by ourselves."
As we sailed off, I grinned to myself and headed to the front of the ship, allowing my coat to sit on my shoulders without feeling the need to actually wear it despite the cool breeze.
"When I was a lad, living in England, my mother raised me by herself. After she died, I came out here. Looking for my father." Will told Jack, sharpening my dagger for me after having bandaged my arm wound.
"Is that so?" Jack said, uninterested.
Will didn't like that response and hurried after Jack as he climbed up the stairs to fix a few knots. "My father? Will Turner? At the jail-It was only after you heard my name that you wanted to help. Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the matter. I'm not a simpleton, Jack. You knew my father."
Jack sighed and faced Will. "I knew him. Probably one of the few who know him as William Turner. Everyone else just called him Bootstrap, or Bootstrap Bill."
Jack walked back downstairs and I turned to watch. I wasn't worried about Will. I knew he was getting into something better left alone, but I knew Jack wouldn't kill him or anything as long as I was aboard.
"Bootstrap?" Will seemed confused.
"Good man." Jack said, removing the ropes from the wheel. "Good pirate. I swear you look just like 'im."
I sighed, as Will gave Jack and angry look. "It's not true. He was a merchant sailor. A good, respectable man who obeyed the law."
Jack rolled his eyes and turned around as I made my way up the stairs. "He was a bloody pirate. A scallywag."
Will drew his sword. "My father, was not a pirate!"
"Will." I said, tiredly. "Put it away."
"No! I will not!"
Jack gave him a look. "Best listen to him, wouldn't want you to get beat again."
"I was not beat. You ignored the rule of engagement. In a fair fight, I'd kill you."
"That's not much incentive for me to fight fair, is it?"
Jack spun the wheel, nearly knocking me off balance, as we both ducked and Will was hit by the main boom and forced to hang over the open water. Jack picked up his sword and pointed it my way, but kept his eyes on Will.
"Now as long as you're just hanging there, pay attention, and don't try anything, Lark."
I just held up my hands in mock surrender, a bored expression on my face.
"The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do, and what a man can't do. For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man, or you can't. But pirate is in your blood boy, so you'll have to square with that someday. Now me for example, I can let you drown and kill your friend here."
I raised an eyebrow and Jack pressed the tip of the sword against my throat.
"But I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by me onsie, or twosie if I convince him to stay." He gestured to me. "Savvy? So…" Jack turned the wheel again, drawing his own sword to point at Will's neck once he fell onto the deck. "Can you sail under the command of a pirate?" Jack sheathed his sword and removed Will's from my neck, flipping it and handing it back to Will. "Or not?"
Will took the sword. "Tortuga?"
Jack smirked. "Tortuga."
"Hm, I haven't been there in years." I hummed, remembering the time I had in the pirate infested town.
"You've been there?" Will questioned.
I simply raised a brow and leaned against the railing with my elbows. "Aye. I'm an ex-pirate, remember?"
"Ah…right…How long have you been a pirate, actually?"
"Since I was a kid. Ten maybe?"
"Inherited the trade then?" Jack asked, curious.
I winced, a frown marring my features. "You could say that."
Will, ever clueless, came forward. "What's wrong, Lark?"
I sighed, rubbing my face. "Nothing. Just never cared for my family is all."
"Why not?"
I looked off at the see, watching as the sun began to set. "Mother was a whore. Father of course, wasn't pleased and kicked her out. Heard she died not long after. And father…he was a rip old bastard." I growled.
"Oh…"
No one seemed to know what to say after that, so I broke the silence, remembering something.
"Ah, there's something else I got to tell ya."
I reached up and removed the wig, shaking my short hair loose and looking up at a surprised Jack and a shocked Will.
"Y-Your hair!"
I nodded. "Yup. Seemed to be something that grabbed people's attention. Both good and bad, so I kept it hidden."
"W-Whoa."
Will came over and pulled his hand through it, making me laugh and jab at him.
"Hey! Stop playing with it!"
"But it's so soft! A-And it's gold!"
Even Jack managed a chuckle, waving towards the deck. "Why don't you two start lighting up the lanterns. All right, lion boy?"
"Oi! I'm not a boy!" I scoffed back, heading down the stairs nonetheless.
He just waved me and Will off, leaving me to light the lanterns with one thought still running through my head. When should I tell them I'm a girl?
