Sorry it's taken me so long to update. I'm juggling two other stories in radically different genres as well as "real" life. I'm sure you'll forgive me for not recounting all the events of each movie, especially since so much of the first two movies were Elizabeth/Will centric. I'm not trying to insert the OC into each event of every movie, only areas where it would make sense for her to be there, as if this story were happening behind the scenes of the movies anyway. In any case this has cut forward to the end of the first movie.
It had been a crazy idea to come back to Port Royal, but what about her life thus far hadn't been crazy in some fashion? Ashylnne shifted on her feet, her head momentarily swimming when past and present collided violently in her mind. Parlan nudged her side and she nodded, letting him know that she was fine—perhaps reassuring herself as well. She would need all the reassurance she could get if she was going to not only make it through this next segment of her life's journey alive, but also relatively sane. After another nudge from Parlan she sighed and together they edged further down the dock of Port Royal, near carried by the bustling crowd around them.
When the Pearl had limped into Tortuga's harbor days before, sans Sparrow, Ashlynne had known her life would get more complicated, and quickly. Gibbs had offered up a story of zombie sailors and epic fighting, resulting in Sparrow's capture, as well as inevitable execution at the hands of the Royal Navy. Ashlynne hadn't been as surprised as many might have been at the other worldliness of the story, she had a cursed medallion hanging around her neck after all. What had made her pause, though, had been the fact that Jack had been left with the sailors of the Royal Navy. No attempt had been made to retrieve him and his ship had this time been taken by friends instead of a former foe. Gibbs had cited his innocence in abandoning Jack as "sticking to the code" but it had only taken a few rounds of ale, and gentle prompting from Hope, for Gibbs to blubber up his confession of guilt at leaving behind such a fine man and capable captain—Ashlynne had her doubts on both accounts but kept them to herself. Gibbs had begged for help of any kind from them, reminding them not so subtly of their deal with Jack years previous.
Ashlynne and the others had had no choice in the matter, at least that's how Hope had seen it. Ashlynne didn't understand why Hope was always so quick to jump to Jack's aid, defending him and insisting upon helping him no matter how inconvenient it proved to be-or how likely their demise was assured from helping him. Youthful naivety that Jack was still a good man underneath the grungy exterior was a possible invitation for her to have such foolish fancies. But it had been Hope's demands that Parlan and Ashylnne help Gibbs rescue Jack, as well as Gibbs himself, that had finally pushed Ashlynne out the door. Hours later, Parlan and Ashlynne had sailed with Gibbs while Devlin had stayed back with Hope-she was never to be left alone after all.
The trip had not taken long due to good weather and during it Gibbs, as well as other members of the crew, further regaled them with stories of their previous they didn't come out and say it, via certain details of the story, Ashlynne got the feeling that Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann had developed an affection for one another and that was perhaps one of the largest incentives Will had had to help Jack in the first place. Ashlynne also had an uneasy feeling over the ease of Barbarossa's death. A man as formidable as he could not die so easily, at least not in her opinion. Thing were rarely as easy or straight forward as one would like. By the time they'd arrived near enough to Port Royal to disembark safely, and undetected, Ashlynne had a fairly good feeling that Jack Sparrow's adventures were far from over.
Presently, after registering with the port master as brother and sister newly arrived on the cargo ship Persephone, the pair of them quickly moved further into town. Parlan had a clear destination in mind, as well as an overall goal dictating their moves-it was up to Ashlynne to come up with actual plan of attack, but it was still like liquid in her mind. It had taken some fancy maneuvering to make it appear that Parlan and Ashlynne had indeed just disembarked from Persephone but the chaos Jack had caused with his escape-leaping from a cliff was hardly ingenious in Ashlynne's mind but whatever was successful was deemed ingenious in regards to Sparrow- had helped them immensely. Ashlynne supposed she would have to thank him the next time she saw him. His impulsive nature was both a curse and blessing it seemed.
She suddenly tensed when she spotted a group of naval officers coming down the cobbled road towards the docks. She'd momentarily forgotten how likely it would be to run into "him." Parlan immediately took her elbow and led her to the side, his hand settling protectively on the small of her back.
With little left in the world beyond her family, after reuniting with them years previous, she had felt no need to hide her encounters with Norrington from them. Hope had offered as much comfort as she could; her little sister had yet to understand on a personal level what it felt like to love someone in a romantic way. Devlin had called all sorts of curses down upon the man; he was still bitter after losing his brothers and the thought of nearly losing her had not set well with him. Parlan hadn't said much, only drained jugs of rum with her on the nights she woke with Norrington's name on her lips and tears drying on her cheeks.
"We don't know how long we'll be here, Ash," Parlan whispered by her ear as they as calmly as possible walked past the officers, "you're going to have to steel yourself against the prospect of running into him."
Ashlynne nodded, "I realize that Parlan. I just, well, I didnae expect to ever come back here or to ever see him again. In his mind I'm most likely dead so that helps our cover but just in case would ye please stick to the plan and call me Brigit?" She tossed her head, the artificially dark curls hanging down her neck bouncing from the movement. "Those chestnuts were expensive and sadly the dye willnae stay in my hair fer long but fer the time bein' I ken I donnae look at all like when he last saw me."
"Of course dear Birdie," Parlan winked at her and she sighed, it was inevitable that he'd create a nickname for her, even in disguise, "now do you remember where that inn is? I think we should scout it out and see if we can procure the dagger without having to stick around too long."
Ashlynne kept her doubts to herself but led the way. It was unlikely that the innkeeper would recognize her, so long as she kept the medallion hidden and her accent covered. It was a foolhardy plan, a desperate one, but after listening to Gibbs' tale of breaking curses she'd come up with her own plan. Perhaps the dagger was the key to ridding herself of this medallion. While the medallion itself hadn't been a curse, it was the fact that it was keeping her from dying that didn't sit well with her. By all accounts she should've died twice over by now but obviously due to the magic of the medallion, she had remained unharmed. She wasn't one to fight fate and having a cheat hanging around her neck spelled out more trouble than she desired.
Her doubts proved true when they found that the innkeeper was away visiting relatives, his niece uncertain when he would return exactly, but most likely it would be within a few months time. With no other option, Ashlynne and Parlan had retreated to her second line of defense. The blacksmith's shop had been where she had left Will all those years before. If he was still there, and she explained their mission, he might perhaps give them shelter and aid. It was a much better option than taking up residence in the inn itself or attempting to hide out in the surrounding jungles until the opportune moment.
"Hello?" Parlan called out when they reached the smithy's. "Is anyone here?"
Ashlynne pushed further into the shop, ignoring Parlan's attempt at propriety. There didn't seem to be any sign of life, aside from a tired mule napping in the corner, and the constant hum of snoring coming from somewhere in the back. She tentatively picked her away around the tools and contraptions of the smithy trade until she found herself staring down at the blacksmith, still just as drunk as when she'd last seen him.
"I donnae see Will but I found the ol' blacksmith." She nudged his leg with her foot and wasn't surprised when he responded with louder snoring. "Just as sloshed as ever."
Parlan came closer and frowned. He jerked his head to the side and Ashlynne nodded, understanding his silent signal for further investigation of the premises. It didn't take long to look over the whole shop, though they didn't bother exploring the small cottage attached to the shop, it was clearly deserted. They were just about to turn and leave when the door behind them opened.
"Will!" Ashylnne smiled at the newcomer. He was decked out in what she believed to be his finest clothes, a long feather in his hat nearly getting caught in the door as he shut it behind him.
Will frowned at them, "Do I know you?" He kept one hand at his side, near his sword hilt, as he moved further into the shop towards them.
"We have a mutual friend." Parlan stepped forward only slightly, just enough to place himself between Will and Ashlynne. "Captain Jack Sparrow."
Ashlynne rolled her eyes at her friend's attempt to shield her. She looked past Parlan back to Will and smiled.
"I was in Tortuga when ye came with Jack on the Interceptor. I helped Gibbs assemble yer crew." She watched as vague recognition between to take shape on his face. "We were also with Gibbs when the Pearl sailed back this mornin', though we had nay a hand in helpin' Jack escape. I do believe that stunt was entirely his." As she watched him move closer to them, his hands settled firmly against his belt, she mentally sighed; she still had troubles not seeing him as a boy.
"I'd wondered why Pearl had so advantageously appeared for Sparrow, if what you say is true then that explains much." He gestured towards the side door. "Please, shall we adjourn to someplace more suitable for conversation? I'm afraid the noise in here can get tiresome." He spared a pained glance towards the blacksmith and Ashlynne smiled while Parlan nodded.
They followed Will into the cottage and waited until he indicated before they seated themselves around the small table situated in the kitchen area of the building. Will removed his hat, Parlan followed suit, and Ashlynne reached up to remove hers but then smiled at her own moment of forgetfulness when she realized she wasn't wearing one, due to her female garb she only had a small cap pinned to her hair. Parlan shook his head, already perturbed at her lack of concentration.
"What is your history with Jack?"
Ashlynne smiled and leaned forward, her elbows resting lightly on the table, "Ye mean, are we pirates as well he?"
"Well, yes, I suppose I am asking that." Will barely avoided stuttering over his words and Ashlynne continued to smile at his attempt to cover up his double speak. "I believe I have a right to know, considering the events that brought Jack to Port Royal."
"We are not pirates, though we have both participated in actions that could be deemed as illegal, depending on you look at them. We have aided Jack a number of times over the years in repayment for his help to Ashlynne's family, my dear friends. Ashlynne has known Jack longer than I and their history began on the island that Jack was marooned on by Barbarossa. For my part, my history with him began the moment I arrived in Tortuga, after Ashlynne was able to return to Scotland and retrieve myself, her cousin, and her sister from the clutches of a madman."
Ashlynne watched Will's face scrunch up in confusion as he listened to Parlan's explanation. As an insider on the events, his explanation made perfect sense, but she supposed that to an outside his sparsity of details would leave a listener more than a little confused. Before Will could interject his confusion Ashlynne went back over Parlan's tale and added a few details here and there, just enough to waylay his confusion and perhaps put aside his fears that Ashlynne and Parlan had nefarious plans in store.
"Fascinating," Will looked between the pair of them and shook his head, "I never would've guessed that Jack had a helpful bone in his body."
"Oh he doesnae, he helped us because I helped him and demanded that he help us and now we play this game, back and forth, back and forth. I'm sure ye understand the gist of how the game is played." Ashlynne leaned back in her chair. "Now I'm goin' to ask ye to play that game with us while we are here."
"I beg your pardon?"
Ashlynne suddenly stood from the table, "Do ye mind if I make us some tea while we discuss this? I find that I'm parched." She didn't give Will time to answer before she moved to the pantry of the cottage and set about readying things for making tea. "Years ago, ye were brought aboard the Dauntless after ye were found floatin' in the wreckage of a pirate attack. I'm sure ye remember wakin' up to Miss Swann's face, as she and her father were there as well, sailin' for the gov'nors new position here on Port Royal."
"How do you know all this?" Will's voice was strained, due to mistrust.
Ashlynne returned to the table while the kettle was set to boil over the fire she'd lit in the stove, "Because I was there too, Will. I had disguised myself as a man and so was on the ship when we rescued ye. I'd like to claim yer placement here as my doin' but I cannae say that fer a fact. In any case, I was there and I helped take care of ye while ye were on board."
"So you're inferring that I owe you a favor?" His eyes were hard as he watched Ashlynne stand and move back to the stove where the kettle had started whistling. "You want me to do something for you don't you? Well I will not do anything illegal or that could harm my relationship with Elizabeth."
"We have no intention of asking you to do either." Parlan interjected while Ashlynne poured the tea. "What we are doing is neither legal nor illegal. We are seeking the end of a curse, much as you and Jack did, though we hope our journey will hold less undead sailors."
"So where are you planning on staying while you're seeking an end to this curse?" Will accepted the tea Ashlynne handed him. "Where do I come into this quest of yours?"
"Well," Parlan rubbed his chin, "we were hoping we could stay with you. Use you and the shop as a cover. If we stay at the inn then we could alert the innkeeper too soon of our intentions. If we try to purchase a house or seek lodgings elsewhere then we may bring more attention to ourselves from the authorities and that, as I'm sure you realize, is not at all what we need."
"I'm engaged to the governor's daughter." Will frowned at the pair of them. "I don't see how staying with me will keep you out of the authorities sights. If anything they'll be even more aware of you. Also, how am I supposed to explain who you are? Everyone knows I don't have family and, for all intents and purposes, am an orphan."
Ashlynne sat down across from him, her own steaming cup in hand, "What if we say we bought the shop from ye? Now that yer engaged to Elizabeth we can say that ye were desirous of more money and the freedom to pursue better prospects in yer efforts to provide a comfortable life for her. "
The three of them were silent for a few moments. Before any of them could speak further, however, the blacksmith staggered in. He stared at them bleary-eyed for a moment before he stalked past them. A resounding crash from the adjoining room signaled to them that he'd fallen onto the settee, asleep again.
"Do either of you know anything about smithing?" Will spoke up once it was silent again, save for the smith's snores.
"Ye'd be surprised at the various vocations we can adapt to." Ashlynne smiled. "Parlan has forged more than a few swords in his time, and I can wield a hammer and stoke a fire with the best of them." Parlan choked on his tea, obviously catching a double entendre in Ashlynne's words. She glared at him but continued as if he hadn't reacted. "I think we can fit in fairly well. Also, the closer we are to the gov'nor the less suspicion I think will fall on us. People rarely look under their noses for answers."
As Will had little else to argue with them with, as he most likely understood he surely did owe Ashlynne in a way, it was settled. It took only a few more minutes of convincing Will that they would in no way put Elizabeth in danger. They soon after went to the town office and registered the "sale" of the shop into Parlan's assumed surname of Devonshire and made out a plan of "attack" for how they would conduct business until the innkeeper returned. Ashlynne only hoped that her luck would hold out and, in the few months they were stuck in Port Royal, she could manage to avoid Norrington altogether.
Of course, the luck of the Irish had never been in her favor.