Willa wasn't exactly comfortable in the tavern, but she knew she really didn't have a choice on the matter, she leaned against the wall, a short distance away from where Gibbs took a seat in a little nook, while Jack went to get the drinks. She kept a wary eye on her surroundings, most everyone in the tavern was drunk and people did stupid things when drunk, plus she was willing to bet these weren't the brightest candles around in the first place, making them drunk a very bad combination. Jack waltzed back over with two mugs of rum in his hands, "Keep a sharp eye out," he warned her quietly before he joined Gibbs in the nook and handed him one of the mugs, Willa rolled her eyes, like she needed to be told that. She kept her eyes on her surroundings, but she strained her hearing so she could hear what Jack would tell Gibbs, she was positive that Jack was keeping something very important from her about getting Elizabeth back and wanted to know what it was. Idly she scanned the tavern for any trouble, keeping an ear out for what Jack and Gibbs would say, whatever it was it was sure to be interesting, she nodded to one of the whores and a moment later the woman walked off with a sailor, she had found her some business.
"Now what's this venture of yours," Gibbs asked, taking his mug of rum from Jack, Jack sat down, "I'm going after the Black Pearl," Jack said quietly, instantly Gibbs choked on his drink, "I know where its going to be," Jack continued as if Gibbs hadn't choked, "And I'm going to take it." "Jack, its a fools errand," Gibbs reminded him, his reluctance clear, "Why you know better than me the tales of the Black Pearl," "That's why I know what Barbossa is up to," Jack told him, "All I need is a crew." "From what I hear of Captain Barbossa he's not a man to suffer fools, nor strike a bargain with one," Gibbs shook his head, "Well then I'd say its a very good thing I'm not a fool then," Jack grinned, "Prove me wrong," Gibbs challenged Jack, "What makes you think Barbossa will give the Pearl to you?" "Let's just say its a matter of leverage," Jack nodded toward Willa, who wasn't able to see it and wondered what kind of leverage Jack was talking about, "The kid," Gibbs said in disbelief, clearly not sure of what sort of leverage Willa would give Jack over Barbossa. "That is the child of Bootstrap Turner," Jack told Gibbs with a smirk, "His only child, savvy," "Is she now," Gibbs grinned, "Leverage says you, I think I feel a change in the wind says I, I'll find us a crew, there's bound to be some sailors on this rock as crazy as you."
"One could only hope," Jack grinned, lifting his mug, "Take what you can," "Give nothing back," Gibbs laughed as they clinked their mugs together, they both drained their drinks and got up, Willa was quiet as she thought over what she had just learned. Jack walked over to Willa, "I'll see about getting us some rooms for us," he told her, "Might have to share a room, though," "So long as you don't get any ideas that's find with me," Willa snorted, acting as if she hadn't heard a word he and Gibbs had said. Willa followed Jack over to the bar where he talked with the bartender, a woman who was clearly not a whore, "Arabella," Jack laughed, "See you took over for your father eh," "Aye I did Jack," the woman laughed, "Did enough pirating and decided to take over the tavern for me da, I wanted to settle down, even got married, though Dan is out of town at the moment, getting some supplies for the tavern, my mother likes him." "That woman never likes anyone in your life," Jack snorted, Arabella snorted in agreement, "Well she likes him enough to not kill him for marrying me," "Thats something at the very least," Willa muttered, "Well I have one room open for ya Jack," Arabella told him, "I'll take it," Jack grinned and started up the stairs Willa on his heels.
Elizabeth stared out the window of the cabin she had been placed in, wondering where things had gone wrong, she had bargained for the pirates to leave Port Royal alone, but in the process she had become a prisoner and it had something to do with Willa's medallion. She glared at the two pirated who walked into the cabin holding a red dress, "You'll be dining with the captain," Pintel, she thought his name was, told her, "And he requests you wear this," he held out the dress he was holding. "Well, you may tell the captain that I am disinclined to acquiesce to his request," she snapped, using the very words that Barbossa had when he refused to leave Port Royal, before he knew she had Willa's medallion. "He said you'd say that," Pintel grinned, revealing his half-rotten teeth, "He also said that if that be the case you'll be dining with the crew and you'll be naked," Elizabeth glared at him and snatched the dress from him, then kicked them out of the cabin. Once she was dressed she was escorted to Captain Barbossa, who was siting at a table piled high with food, types of food she would expected to see a high society dinner rather than something you would find on a pirate ship.
"Eat," Barbossa told her once she took a seat, she ate daintily, as she had been taught, the manner which had been drilled into her, "There's no need to stand on ceremony, nor call to impress anyone, you must be hungry." Elizabeth blinked as she realized how both Barbossa and the pet monkey had watched her eat, the look in their eyes telling her they were jealous or something, so she dug in like a pig, a moment later Barbossa handed her a gold goblet, "Try the wine," he told her, she drank it down, then he offered her an apple, "And the apples," he said, "I want you to try one of them next." Instantly Elizabeth put down the goblet, "Its poisoned," she said in dread, Barbossa laughed, "There would be no sense in killing ye Miss Turner," he told her, "Then release me," Elizabeth snapped, "You have your trinket, I'm of no further value to you." "You don't know what this is do ye," Barbossa asked her, pulling the medallion out of his pocket, "Its a pirate medallion," Elizabeth shrugged, "This is Aztec Gold," Barbossa told her, she listened to the story he wove, sure it was nothing more than something meant to scare her into submission, "One of 882 identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortez himself. Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wrecked upon them with his armies, but the greed of Cortez was insatiable, so the heathen gods placed upon the gold a terrible curse, any mortal that removes but a single piece from that stone chest shall be punished for eternity."
"I hardly believe in ghost stories Captain Barbossa," Elizabeth snorted, "Aye, that is exactly what I thought when we were first told the tale," Barbossa nodded at her, "Buried on an island of the dead, what cannot be found except for those who know where it is. Find it we did, there be the chest, inside be the gold, and we took'em all, we spent'em, traded'em, and the more we frittered'em away on drink and food and pleasurable company, the more we gave'em away, the more we came to realize the drink would not satisfy, food turned to ash in our mouths, and all the pleasurable company in the world could not slake our lust. We are cursed men, Miss Turner, compelled by greed, we were, and now we are consumed by it," he didn't noticed as she hid a butter knife in her lap, "There is one way we can end our curse, all the scattered pieces of Aztec Gold must be restored and the blood repaid, thanks to ye, we have the final piece." "And the blood to be repaid," Elizabeth asked, starting to see where this was going, "That's why there's no sense in killing ye yet," Barbossa laughed, offering her the apple again, "Apple," he then grunted in surprise and slight pain as she buried the knife in his heart.
"I'm curious," Barbossa said as he calmly removed the knife from his heart, "After killing me what was ye planning on doing next," Elizabeth ran from the cabin, but once she was on the deck she screamed in terror, instead of the crew being human, they were skeletons. She ran all around the deck as they chased her and terrorized her, finally she ran back into the cabin only to stop as Barbossa grabbed her and forced her to stare at the crew, "Look," he yelled, "The moonlight reveals us for what we really are. We are not amongst the living and so we cannot die, but neither are we dead, for to long I've been parched with thirst and unable to quench it, for to long I've been starved to death and haven't died, I feel nothing, not the wind on my face, nor the spray of the sea, nor the warmth of a woman's flesh." He forced her back on the deck and threw her down, she screamed as she scrambled to her feet as Barbossa turned into a skeleton like his crew, "You best start believing in ghost stories Miss Turner," he told her as he uncorked a bottle of rum and drunk from it. Elizabeth scream as she watched the rum flow from his mouth, Barbossa grinned at her, "You're in one now." She dashed around him and ran back to the cabin, while Barbossa and his crew laughed at her fear and terror, then Barbossa broke the bottle of rum by throwing it against the door, glaring at his crew, "What are ye looking at," he roared "Back to work," and walked back to his cabin.
The next morning Willa and Jack went to the docks to see if Gibbs had managed to find them a crew, Jack was grinning like a fool, while Willa was blushing from embarrassment, this morning she had woke to find she had cuddled up against Jack during the night, she knew he would never let her live that down. Thankfully Gibbs was waiting for them at the docks with a group of people, Willa looked them over and wasn't that impressed with them, but she guessed that looks might be deceiving, but she was reserving judgment until further notice. Gibbs walked over to them, "Feast your eyes Captain," he told Jack waving at the men, "All of them faithful hands before the mast, every man worth his salt, and crazy to boot," "So this is your able-bodied crew," Willa muttered to Jack. Jack ignored her and walked down the line of men, looking over his crew, he stopped at the man who had a parrot on his shoulder, "You sailor," he barked out, "Cotton sir," Gibbs supplied the name, "Mr, Cotton, do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death," Jack asked. They waited a moment and there wasn't an answer, "Mr. Cotton," Jack snapped, "Answer man," "He's mute sir," Gibbs spoke up again, "Poor devil had his tongue cut out, so he trained the parrot to talk for him, no one's yet figure out how," Cotton opened his mouth and showed them that he had no tongue, Jack and Willa grimaced, it was not a pretty sight.
"Mr. Cotton's . . . parrot, same question," Jack looked at the parrot, apparently slightly embarrassed to be talking to a parrot like this, "Wind in the sails, wind in the sails," the parrot answered, "Mostly we figure that means yes," Gibbs shrugged. "Of course it dose," Jack agreed and glanced at Willa, "Satisfied," "Well you've proven their mad," Willa muttered, "And what's the benefit for us," a voice demanded, Jack traced it back to a sailor who's large brim of his hat hid her face from view, "Anamaria," he said in recognition as he flipped up the brim. Anamaria was a woman and fairly beautiful at that, she promptly slapped Jack, "I suppose you didn't deserve that one either," Willa couldn't help saying, "No that one I deserved," Jack admitted. Anamaria glared at him, "You stole my boat," she yelled at him, "Actually," Jack started to say, but she just slapped him again, Willa couldn't help smiling she could really learn to like this woman. "Borrowed," Jack squeaked out, trying to keep from being slapped again, "Borrowed without permission, but with every intention of bring it back to you," "But you didn't," she snapped, "You'll get another one," Jack said quickly, "I will," Anamaria growled and pointed her finger at him, "A better one," Willa said, taking pity on Jack, "A better one," Jack agreed, "That one," Willa continued pointing at the Interceptor.
"What one, that one," Jack yelped, then realized that Willa was pointing to the Interceptor, but realized if he didn't go along with it Anamaria would probably kill him, "Aye, that one, what say you?" "Aye," the new crew all years and ran to board the ship, Willa gave Jack a look before she followed them, "Anchors away," said Cotton's parrot, "No, no, no, no, no," Gibbs complained to Jack, "Tis frightful bad luck to bring a woman on board, much less two of them." "It'd be far worse not have them Gibbs," Jack informed him before getting into the boats and started to row out to the Interceptor, Gibbs was complaining the whole way, but he did so under his breath once Willa and Anamaria gave him evil looks once they realized what he was complaining about. Gibbs might believe that having women aboard was bad luck, but he wasn't stupid enough to piss of Anamaria, plus he knew Willa could hold her own in a fight, otherwise Jack wouldn't have left her side when they reached Tortuga.
Willa yelped as she lost her footing and slid across the wet deck of the Interceptor because she had been hit by a rather strong wave, she crashed into Gibbs and grabbed the rope Gibbs had been trying to tie down and pulled it tight, between the two of them they tied the rope down. It was night and they were in the middle of a storm, which was making their job rather hard, "How can we sail to an island that nobody can find with a compass that doesn't work," she yelled the question to Gibbs over the storm. "Aye, the compass doesn't point north," Gibbs agreed, "But we're not trying to find north," he scrambled over to Jack who was at the helm, his compass in his hand, "We should drop canvas sir," he yelled to Jack, who shook his head, "She can hold a bit longer," Jack told Gibbs. Willa scrambled to stand with Gibbs as lightning flashed, illuminating Jack's face, he was grinning like a mad man, "Whats in your head that's put you in such a find mood Captain," Gibbs yelled, "We're catching up," Jack answered.
"Time to go Poppet," Pintel cooed to Elizabeth as he and another grabbed Elizabeth and forced her to the deck of the ship, instantly she was surrounded by the crew, Barbossa walked up behind her and latched the medallion around her neck. Elizabeth was not happy with her situation, they would discover soon enough that she wasn't the child of this Bootstrap Turner, she just hoped that help would arrive before that, but she had to wonder what exactly was Willa's connection to this. She had managed to figure out that Bootstrap had been Willa's father, but Willa had always said that her father had been a merchant sailor, but she didn't think her friend would lie to her about something like that, she guessed that the truth had been kept from Willa by her parents.