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Chapter Three
The Gifts of the Storm
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Daniel didn't emerge from his room again until it was time for dinner, and unfortunately between the time Serenity had brought him his lunch and the time that dinner was being served, one of their servants fell sick and Serenity had to help serve the inn's occupants their dinner. Surprisingly Daniel joined the rest of them at the large table that the Inn's guests ate at, and made an effort at conversation with a few of them. Serenity brought him his plate as she had the others.
"Thanks, Serenity," he said, grinning at her.
"It's my pleasure to serve you, Daniel," she replied lightly. Daniel laughed-a kind of grunting chuckle- and dug into the steak that was the meal that night. He ate as if he hadn't eaten in ages, as if there had been no food but rats and bones aboard whatever ship he had been on. Serenity tried not to stare at him as she left the dining room, not because of the strange way that he was devouring his meal but of the strangeness of his person, overall. He was fairly normal looking, he didn't have any long, jagged scars on his face or any tattoos or an eye patch, but there was this look in his eyes that you could tell something about his character. You just weren't sure exactly what you were seeing through those surprisingly dark eyes of his.
Serenity tried to shake the unsettling feeling that he left with her as she sat at her place in the kitchen and waited for her father to be through with grace. Those eyes filled with a feeling of disconcerting, empty incompleteness stayed in her mind and in her dreams long after the last traces of steak had been eaten from her plate.
The next morning, Daniel was gone, but he had not checked out of the Inn. Serenity expected a soon return and sat in the barn, hidden from sight, but watching nonetheless. After a while she grew weary, however, and went inside where she could only wonder of where the sailor had gone.
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Will found a stranger standing on the beach in his fishing spot. The stranger was looking out to sea, his eyes filled with an intensity, with a kind of watching, as if he was waiting for the storm or something else to come flying across the horizon to him, where it belonged. So Will set up his gear about a hundred yards down the shore, prepared for yet another long day of waiting for a bite, waiting for anything to bite. The sea had long since washed away the gifts of the storm that had littered the beach the day before, but by the looks of the sky it wouldn't be long before more interesting debris showed up on Port Royale sands. The clouds were tinted strange hues in the morning, and before long the sailors on the dock predicted that the clouds would turn the total red of a hurricane morning.
The stranger seemed to give up waiting and began to walk towards where Will was seated, barefooted, with a fishing rod stuck deep in the sands between his legs. As he drew closer Will could see the auburn streaks in his hair, and the form of well-toned muscles underneath his shirt- a sailor, most likely. His eyes held the depths of the ocean as he stared fixedly at Will as he drew closer.
"Hello," he said, his voice slightly deeper than Will had expected.
"Hullo," Will replied friendlily, scooting himself into a standing position, keeping an eye on his fishing pole as he extended his right hand towards the stranger. "I'm William Turner."
"I'm Daniel," Daniel said, taking the hand offered too him. He had a strong grip, and his skin was rough with calluses. "I'm wondering if you know something- have any ships docked here lately, or have any been spotted out to shore?"
"Not with this hurricane on the waves," Will said certainly. "I'm sure we won't have any ships dock here for a week at least, until the weather calms down."
Daniel squinted at him, almost a glare. Will shifted uncomfortably, the feeling of mistrust for this man growing by the second.
"It's very important that a ship comes in," said Daniel.
Will shrugged. "I haven't seen any."
Daniel looked at him as if he didn't know if he could trust his word, but the moment was interrupted by a very familiar voice calling from the top of the beach. "Daniel!" Will and Daniel simultaneously looked towards the speaker- it was Serenity, no doubt, scrambling down the dunes towards the two.
"Serenity!" Will called to her. Serenity looked from one face to the other, trying to figure what the two of them could be doing here talking to each other.
"Hello Daniel, Will," Serenity said.
"I didn't know you knew him," said Daniel.
"Nor did I," said Will, both of them looking at each other and then back at Serenity, who had a very bewildered expression on her face.
"Daniel, my mother wished me to find you and tell you that it's time for supper," she said. Daniel began striding up the beach, leaving her and Will behind.
"I don't like him," Will said quietly.
"Why not?" Serenity asked, tilting her head. "And what concern is it to you?"
Will was at a loss for words, and Serenity knew it. She raised her eyebrows at him. "Good day, Will," Serenity said kindly, and then turned to follow Daniel up the slope and back to the Inn.
He didn't know why he felt such a strong dislike for Daniel, who had scarce spoken ten sentences to him. Daniel seemed to represent, from that meeting, everything that William Turner distrusted in a man. He seemed like a scoundrel who had wandered drunkenly into town one day and decided to hurt everyone within a mile's radius.
Serenity also was wondering what the problem was with the two of them, and as she caught up to Daniel she cautiously asked why. "I didn't know you knew William," she said carefully.
"I don't, I just needed to ask him something."
"Something you couldn't have asked me?"
"He was there."
"So was I."
"Not at the time I needed an answer."
"Oh."
They walked the rest of the way in silence, and came upon the Inn, whose occupants were already halfway through their meals. They departed at the parlor and went into their two separate dining rooms.
"You found Daniel?" Mother inquired.
"Yes, he was on the beach, speaking to William Turner."
"Oh," said Mother, raising her delicate eyebrows and serving Serenity some rice.
By this time, Will had already returned to the workshop, lighted with candles that were burned down to globs of wax stuck to the candleholders. He lighted the charred wicks of the rest of them and then halfheartedly returned to his work, this time on the sword. The conch shell caught his eye from the windowsill as he worked, causing a slight smile to spread across his downhearted features. The shell seemed to remind him of someone- probably of Elizabeth. It was made of all the things that Elizabeth was made of- graceful lines, beautiful colors, and a pleasing appearance. He mentally shrugged off the thought and returned to carving an engraving into the blade. He had never tried such a task on this kind of blade before and was eager to see how it would turn out. As he felt the blade in his hands he knew that it would serve its owner well, for it was surprisingly light without the hilt. He placed it back onto the table and unsheathed another sword, also of his creation, from where it was hanging from a rack on the wall. He waved it into the air, jabbing at some imaginary pirate, pivoting on his heel and jabbing at another, and another-
The door creaked open, and a cloaked figure appeared in the doorway. Will stopped his movements, the sword still hovering in midair, as he watched the person lift the hood from their face. But it was only Serenity.
"Will," she said warmly, crossing the workshop to where he stood. She moved around a pile of scrap metal to come face to face with him, as he re-sheathed the sword. "I just needed to talk to you about what was going on between you and Daniel this afternoon."
"Who is he, for starters?" Will asked, offering Serenity a chair, which she took. He then drew another up close to her and placed a candle on a nearby table. Her features were illuminated in the glow as she answered his question.
"He came to the Inn and spent the night, that's all," Serenity said. "Why are you so defensive against him?"
"There's something about him that I don't trust," Will said simply.
"You only met him once," Serenity protested gently, shaking her head, which caused a strand of her brown wavy hair to fall loose from where it was bound on top of her head. "What has he done to offend you?"
Will sighed. "Nothing," he said honestly. "That's the strange thing about him."
"He is an interesting… character," Serenity said, "but he doesn't offend me really, or put me on guard against him. He's not…dangerous."
Will smiled. "I didn't say he was," he pointed out.
"But you're acting like I need to be protected from him," said Serenity. "I just want you to know that you don't have to worry about any of that," she continued, standing up and drawing her hood up against the rain, which had begun falling again about an hour ago. "I'll be fine. Goodbye, Will," she said, kissing his cheek and then walking to the door. "Try to be kind to my father's customers." She disappeared out the doorway and into the rain before Will could offer to walk her home.