Chapter 29
"Control"
I stood next to Jack who was at the helm. We hadn't spoke two words to each other in the last half hour. I watched behind us as the ships approached in choppy waters. The Mistress and Dauntless had docked on the right side of The Pearl, The Dauntless in the middle. However, Sweet Revenge had slowed down and was still a good ten minutes away. I watched the crews put out make shift ramps so they could easily move about from ship to ship. I noticed Will who was wearing a white shirt, half covered by a brown vest. He wore black breeches and a large brown hat sat on his head. Elizabeth followed Will's quick pace. She was wearing a long flowing dark green dress, her long brown hair tied into a large bun. They both came running onto the deck of The Pearl. Easily spotting Jack and I as we walked down the stairway and set foot on deck.
"Jack." Will said, shaking hands with Jack. "Ravenica." He said, nodding toward me.
"Hello Ravenica, hi Jack." Elizabeth smiled, pulling me into a hug.
"What are ye doin' so far from home?" Jack asked dropping Will's hand.
"We came after Lydia, to make sure she is safe. She is safe isn't she?" Elizabeth asked, looking to me for reassurance before pulling fully away.
"Aye, she's fine. What 'appened?" Jack asked.
"That's the least of our problems." I stated, standing up straighter. "Why is Sweet Revenge just wading out in the waters not far from 'ere?"
"I don't know." Elizabeth shrugged.
I looked to Will for some answers but came up short when he replied. "I don't know." with a shrug of his own. I then looked to Jack, hoping he could reassure me with a better answer. He only shrugged and mustered an "I don't know" of his own.
"Well who the bloody 'ell knows?!?!" I yelled becoming frustrated. "So, ye 'aven't 'ad any contact with them at all?" I asked, feeling a growing of concern in my gut.
"No, we passed Sweet Revenge when we came to Hell's Mistress and you weren't there. So, we pressed on to find The Pearl. Your first mate, James filled us in on what happened." Elizabeth informed me.
"They wouldn't be stupid to attack three ships at once, would they?" Will said, looking from Jack to myself.
"Not when they are going after something they want." I said, looking to Jack.
"They aren't goin' to try it, it would be a death wish." Jack reassured, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"I'm lost, want to fill me in?" Will asked as James came running over to us.
"It's a long story, mate." Jack said, looking to James who was fast approaching.
"Captain." He said with a half smile.
"James, what's goin' on?" I asked looking into his light blue eyes. I watched his short hair blow in the small breeze that flowed over the deck.
"I don't know, Sweet Revenge 'as been on our tail for some time now. They 'aven't attacked, they've been more of stalking us than anything." James said, giving a nervous smile as he looked from me to Jack.
I sighed in thought. "This makes no sense. Why stalk ships? Nothing comes of it…"
"None of us know what they're planning." Will piped in.
"It could be nothing." Elizabeth added with a half smile but bit her bottom lip as her long brown hair flowed in the breeze.
"Or it could be everything." Jack muttered.
I looked from one person to the next. Valencia was dead, I knew this, and after all I saw her die. I tried to put myself in Geoffrey's place; after all he would have been the one to take over after Valencia's passing. I watched Jack stroke his beard in thought as his brown eyes went up. My brows furrowed as I too tried to figure things out. Silence ran over the deck of all of the ships as every last one of us contemplated what was going on.
"Where's Lydia?" Elizabeth asked, breaking the silence and my concentration.
"She's below, come I'll take you to 'er." I said, walking past Will as Elizabeth followed closely behind me.
"How are you?" Elizabeth asked as we walked toward the stairway that lead downstairs.
"I'm fine." I stated simply, walking down the short stairway.
"So, why would they want revenge on you?"
"Because not to long ago I killed their Captain. Should 'ave killed them all but, Jack wouldn't let me." I said.
"Yeah, he is kind of a softy isn't he?" Elizabeth asked with a half smile.
"More than ye know." I said, walking down the short hallway toward the cabins.
"I want to know the whole story, please share it with me." Elizabeth pleaded.
I stopped in mid stride and turned to look at her. She had a caring smile on her face as she looked back at me through large brown eyes.
"I'll tell ye after we visit Lydia, she doesn't need to 'ear the tale." I told her, placing my hand on the doorknob to Lydia's cabin. I quietly knocked and waited for her reply.
"Come in." I heard her small voice call from the other side. I turned the doorknob slowly and pushed the door open. Lydia sat on her small bed, playing with a few dolls. Her almost black hair covered her face as she looked down at her toys. She quickly looked up, a big cheeky smile crossing her face as she looked to Elizabeth. "Lizzy!!!" she practically screamed, jumping up from the bed. She dropped her toys to the bed and rushed over as Elizabeth and I entered the small cabin.
"She can't pronounce Elizabeth." Elizabeth commented in a whisper as she kneeled down to meet Lydia in a warm hug.
I smiled for a short moment as I contemplated exactly what I was going to tell Elizabeth. Should I give her the straight facts and hope she could handle it or sugar coat it as much as possible? I only then decided that what I chose to tell her would come out of the spur of the moment. "I'll be on deck, I'm sure ye both 'ave some things to talk about." I said, turning around and entering the hallway. I slowly walked down the small hallway and entered the galley. The smell of rotting food entered my nose as I passed through.
"Captain, can I talk to ye a moment?" I heard a voice interrupt my ever-flowing thoughts.
"Aye." I said, looking to the short gray haired man who sat at the large table.
"What be yer course of action given these circumstances?" he asked.
"Well, I think we should prepare for what ever maybe 'appening. Jack on the other hand, well 'e sees no reason to prepare and well, we may become sitting ducks." I said truthfully as I looked at Gibbs.
Gibbs only nodded in thought as his eyes danced around.
"Any other questions?" I asked, anxious to make it back to deck.
"No." he said, motioning with his hand for me to be on my way.
I nodded and began to climb the short stairway. I set foot on deck and watched the men scurry about.
