The conditions at the Cape weren't permanent, however, and soon the ship was able to push west around the southern tip and northward. Gibbs, Will, and two other crewman who had fallen ill gradually recovered, and the weather once again grew warm and sunny as they headed straight for Singapore.
Rose continued to keep to herself, particularly making sure to steer clear of Elizabeth. Nowadays, the only person she trusted on board was Will, and even then she was confused by his behavior. Upon recovering, he grew darker and darker with each day that they grew closer to their destination, and Rose could not fathom why that could be.
They were about two days away from Singapore. Barbossa called a meeting to remind everyone of the plan he set in place over three months previous in the bayou. Not much had changed; They were to abandon the Company vessel in order to prevent being spotted by any enemies in the area, taking longboats into the docks. Pintel, Marty, Ragetti, Gibbs and Cotton were to lead a mission to provide artillery just in case things went awry when Barbossa and Elizabeth met with Sao Feng. All the women were to be decoys, planted to either attract attention and be brought straight to Sao Feng, in Elizabeth's case, or to be lookouts and extra artillery, like Tia Dalma as a blind street performer and Rose as a lady of the night. Will and Rose were to go ahead to take navigational charts that led to the Locker that Sao Feng kept in his family temple, then hopefully be granted a fresh ship and crew to take to the world's end.
That afternoon, disaster nearly struck. Someone had failed to properly secure one of the sails to the masts, and it came careening down into the water, causing the ship to tilt violently on its side. The crew scrambled to lift the opposite end to bring it upright again, Rose included. As they lifted, Rose tied off her rope, but her long, dark hair she hadn't tied up that day got caught in her knot, and as the sail took hold, it yanked her head downwards, the force almost strong enough to rip her scalp clean off. Rose, thinking quickly, grabbed a dagger that she kept on her belt and quickly chopped herself free. As she fell backwards from the force, she reached up and felt the lightness of her head. Her hair was cropped to about the length of her chin, and she touched the scored ends gingerly.
Barbossa marched on deck, furious. "What in the blazes have ye done?"
Rose was furious. "I just saved my own life, what does it look like?"
"Bloody fool!" he cried. "And how are we supposed to disguise ya now, pray tell?"
"Would you rather me without a head entirely?" Rose spat.
Barbossa only glared at her. "SWANN!" he cried out.
The next thing Rose knew, she was sitting inside Barbossa's quarters in front of a looking glass.
Elizabeth pawed at Rose's sliced hair. "I'm not sure I can do much with this," she reported to Barbossa.
He was seething in anger with what Rose had done. "Do somethin' to it. It won't buy us even a minute of disguise as it is now." He stormed out of the room, grumbling under his breath as he left, "Bloody Teagues…"
Rose could care less what he or anyone else thought. Her hair seemed to be the only thing in her own life that she could control anymore, and even though the cutting of it was a rash action made spontaneously, she liked the way it made her feel. Her head was lighter, there was something different and new in her life, and for once it wasn't something inherently bad. And deep down, she also knew that her actions had impacted Barbossa's elaborate plans for her disguise in Singapore, a plan she already had some major qualms about with an overall objective she didn't believe in. So what was she to care if her altered appearance was a setback?
Elizabeth grabbed a rough horsehair brush, the only thing close to a comb she could get her hands on, and began to untangle Rose's wild, dark hair. The tension was thick in the room. As the days of their voyage unfolded, Rose was making her disdain for Elizabeth less and less concealed, and she was certain at this point Elizabeth could feel it too.
Energized by her rebellious action of that afternoon, Rose sharply asked Elizabeth, "So when are you to be married?"
A cruel question. It was clear to anyone with eyes that Will and Elizabeth were barely holding on to basic human communication, let alone any semblance of a loving relationship.
Sullenly, Elizabeth replied, "I'm not sure as of now. Our main priority is to get Jack back."
Rose snorted. "I'm sure it's your priority."
She felt Elizabeth's brushing come to an abrupt halt at this. "…what did Will tell you?" was all she asked.
"Everything that mattered. I don't know what you wanted from Jack, but you're foolish if you believes in any sort of future with him. Jack wasn't the sort to-"
"I never thought any of that, I'm not a fool!" Elizabeth snapped, sharply changing her position so that she stood directly in front of Rose. "Don't pretend to know my reasons for doing anything I did that day, or any day for that matter. You don't know me!"
"Nor do I wish to, Miss Swann," Rose spat. "All I see you as is a spoiled little girl who's meddling in a world she doesn't belong in, using real people as toys that she tosses aside when she's done with them."
These words shocked even Rose as they left her mouth. They clearly hurt Elizabeth, for she seemed winded by the verbal attack. After a moment, she stood straight again and returned back to untangling and fiddling with Rose's hacked hair. Rose knew how little both of them wanted to be there, but they both feared Barbossa's already temperamental state if they didn't provide him with some sort of assurance that Rose could once again pull off her disguise for the following fortnight.
A few minutes of tense silence passed, until finally Elizabeth quietly stated, "I want to tell you why I did it."
"Did what?"
"Why I kissed Jack. I did it to distract him. I never loved him. I just…had to make it look that way."
Rose furrowed her brow. "Why?"
Elizabeth had been tying Rose's hair into what felt like a small, low bun at the nape of her neck. She stayed silent until she had tied together the finished product, then carefully walked around to face Rose. She had her hands clasped in front of her and her eyes on the ground, almost as though she was a guilty servant confessing a crime to her master.
She began, voice shaking, "You know how the curse worked. It wasn't the Pearl the Kraken wanted, it was Jack. If he came with us, it would mean our doom as well. It…it wasn't an easy choice…"
Rose's eyes widened and her heart began to race. "What are you saying?"
Elizabeth's gaze remained on the ground. "I had a pair of shackles in my hand…"
Rose stood so quickly that she knocked the stool upon which she had been sitting across the room. Elizabeth jumped at the movement. "You didn't," she said, voice furious. "Tell me you did not do what I fear you are saying you did."
Even still, Elizabeth couldn't look at her. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, tears now falling down her cheeks. "I didn't think I had a choice."
Rose too was crying, though her tears were full of rage. "So the Kraken only did the deed. You were the one who killed my brother."
"I didn't know about you. I didn't know he had family waiting for him, I—" she stammered, now nearly hysterical. "But what choice did I have? He was cursed, the Pearl was in pieces, and we had to get away or all perish. I didn't know at the time Jack could be brought back."
"And you still don't know it," Rose said sternly. "If we all succeed, he will return. There's still a chance we may all still die trying to save him!"
Elizabeth finally looked Rose in the eyes. Earnestly, she murmured, "I have to try. Getting him back is the only chance we have."
Looking at this young woman directly in her eyes revealed much to Rose that she had previously never seen. Elizabeth looked truly exhausted, guilt-ridden, and incredibly stressed. Rose felt herself starting to soften, especially after Elizabeth added one final plea for her understanding: "I didn't want to kill him, Rose. I'm so sorry."
It was true. If Elizabeth hadn't forcibly made Jack stay with his ship, they would have all made a break for shore and the Kraken would have swallowed all of them up immediately. Suddenly, Rose realized something she hadn't before: Will was an inhabitant of that longboat.
"You were willing to do what was necessary to save Will, even if it meant you losing him forever?" Rose asked in disbelief.
Elizabeth nodded, shedding still more tears. "He needs to save his father," she whispered. "He needs to survive."
"You know what he's thinking as of now, don't you?" Rose asked.
"Yes," Elizabeth answered demurely. "He thinks I'm a murderer."
Rose was about to correct her, informing her that no, Will didn't think that Elizabeth had killed Jack at all, but instead mistakenly thought that Elizabeth was in love with Jack. However, she was interrupted from doing so when Barbossa stormed in once more. He glanced at Rose, grumbling, "Looks hideous, but it'll suffice. Now come. It's time to abandon ship."
The two women silently moved to obey, following after him, but Rose stopped Elizabeth's progress by laying a hand on her shoulder and turning to face her. She spoke in a hushed, hurried voice, but she felt an unexpected sense of peace wash over her as the words she never thought she'd say fell out of her mouth: "I will never condone what you did, Elizabeth, but I see your reasons, and I have misjudged you. Just…please talk to Will. There's much you need to discuss."
There was nothing more to be said between them. Elizabeth only had time to nod and wipe the tears from her face, and then they had to hurry along after their Captain.
"I feel ridiculous," Rose said, wandering along Singapore's winding city streets. She was wearing heavy layers of makeup to look less like herself and to blend in, but she felt the effect to be completely unconvincing. Although she wore a hooded cloak, the overall disguise seemed to be completely unnecessary, and she felt as though everyone was watching her. She and Will had gone along ahead of the rest of the crew to steal the charts to the Locker from Sao Feng's uncle, and therefore were still in daylight. If anything went awry however, and Rose was left in darkness, she wasn't convinced that she could find her way in such a large, complex city back to the rest of the crew with her night blindness.
"You're fine," Will assured her. "I just need you to be my lookout, I'll do all the work."
"That's what concerns me most," Rose said with a sly smile. "I don't know if I trust you to pull this off."
Will gave her a sidelong glance. "Was that a joke I detected? Could it be that your spirits are improving?"
Rose snorted cynically. "Hardly. I think I'm just relieved to be off that bloody ship."
"Well, don't get too comfortable," said he. "As soon as we get these charts and a new ship, we're off again."
Rose rolled her eyes. "Aye. Off for yet more danger with little promise of payoff."
Just then, Will shot his arm out in front of her. "Stop!" he whispered. That's when Rose saw what he had seen; A large troupe of East India Trading Company officials, led by Beckett's man Mercer, had just landed in Singapore and were patrolling the streets.
Will and Rose darted behind a market vendor as not to be seen. Upon fully recognizing them, however, Rose heard Will whisper, "Excellent!"
Rose furrowed her brow. "What could possibly be excellent about this?" Rose whispered back. "This is yet another threat to our success, as if the odds weren't already insurmountable."
"Nothing," he quickly deflected. "Never mind."
They waited until the officers passed, then continued on their way. Tia Dalma had given them instructions on where to find the charts, and no one dared contest her information. They were instructed to follow the river to the temple stairs, then ascend. Rose was to wait outside the gates, hooded with a fan over her face as to remain inconspicuous.
After a time, they finally landed at the gateway. Will drew his sword and was about to ascend, when Rose grabbed his arm. "If we don't succeed," she said, "Thank you for all you have done."
He laid his hand atop hers reassuringly. "I promise, Rose, we're going to succeed. Jack and the Pearl will return. …I need it to."
Rose cocked her head to the side in confusion. "You need the Pearl?"
He quickly corrected himself. "No, I…I need…order restored just as much as any of you. On my life, I vow."
Rose frowned. "That's exactly what I fear," she said. "'On your life.' If something goes awry, I will follow you and help you as I can. But if I am the one to fall behind, don't wait for me."
"Don't say that," he replied.
"I mean it, Will," she said, her voice high with desperation. "You all have to get away. I won't have nine more lives on my hands. …I've already done enough damage already. If you must get away, keep to the Code. 'A pirate who falls behind gets left behind,' isn't it? I'll…figure something out." He said nothing to this, so she added, "Promise me!"
He hesitantly replied, "I promise." Then with that, he began his journey up to the temple.
Rose pulled out her fan and held it so that all but her eyes were covered from passersby. Much like Tripoli, Rose wished that she could have the time to explore this place someday when there wasn't a very real need to obtain an objective, then flee. Singapore was another unfamiliar place with intriguing aromas, beautiful colors and textures, and winding roads Rose would have otherwise loved to get lost down. It was also a prominent pirate port, and Rose feared for the sake of the locals now that she and Will had seen Company men arrive on the scene.
Minutes passed. Rose began to notice a thick layer of fog roll in as the afternoon passed by. This fog grew thicker with every passing moment, and Rose began to grow more and more uncomfortable with the fact that Will hadn't returned. What was keeping him? she wondered.
A few more minutes delivered her a response, for suddenly she heard a commotion coming down the stairs. First out of the gate came a man holding a rolled up bamboo mat across his back, surrounded by two armed guards. The map! Rose thought in horror. Will must have been unsuccessful. These men were then followed by Will himself, tied by his wrists to a long pole that forced his arms to be spread out wide from his body, being pulled along by four other pirates. Rose's eyes widened in horror. As he passed, Will glanced intently at Rose and muttered, "Bath houses!"
She was quick to follow them, her heart pounding. But by this time, the fog was extremely thick, and Rose's vision soon faded to include only shadows of passersby. She was making her way along the streets by touch only, running her fingertips along building and stone exteriors. This took her ages, and the complete panic kicked in when the sun set, and she was no longer able to see a thing. She couldn't get to the bath houses, she couldn't even get to the docks. She couldn't just stay there, however. Surrounded by unfamiliar sensations, Rose continued her way towards what she thought were the docks, walking blindly ahead through the crowded streets of Singapore.
Hours passed like this, and Rose wanted to cry she was so frustrated. She cursed her night blindness for doing this to her yet again, and continued stumbling her way towards the sound of the ocean. Finally, the sound of gunfire and commotion came from her left.
She picked up her pace and raced down the westward streets towards the noise. Fleeing people began to crash into her as she pushed upstream towards the danger. Just then, her vision was temporarily restored by explosions and fireworks that were going off as a result of a large fight between what looked like Singaporean pirates and the East India Trading Company. Rose drew her sword, which she had kept hidden inside her cloak, and raced towards the action, energized by her faint vision. Just then however, Rose heard the click of a gun right at the back of her head.
"GET DOWN!" an East India Trading Company officer yelled at her, pushing her to the side with another group of captured Singaporean pirates. Before she even knew what was happening, she was clapped in irons and chained to the other prisoners, then marched towards the docks. A burning fire in the town as a result of the explosions allowed her to see only a few, last things. Most notably, as she was being pushed into a longboat and put out to sea, she saw the unmistakable image of Elizabeth, Will, Barbossa, and a group of Singaporean pirates race along a far off dock into a brand new ship.
Though her heart was in her chest and her head spun with the distorted shadows created by her poor eyesight and the broad mix of languages in the boat as they cast off towards a Company ship, Rose couldn't help but feel a sense of joy at knowing that the crew got away and had listened to her final wishes that they keep to the Code. What did she care of her own life? All that mattered was that while the crew would most likely perish on the next leg of their journey anyways, at least she would not be to blame.
