Author's Note: Thanks for the great response to the last chapter. Sending out an update email does help. Personally I know I get lazy and forget to check when some of the fics I am reading are updated. And if you don't get the email from me telling you it is updated, leave your email address at the bottom of your review and I will add you.

Chapter 4

"Delivery for Governor Swann," the maid said as she handed a long parcel that had just arrived by postie, to the Governor. Governor Swann took it, a pleased look in his eyes. The sword had arrived only seven days after he had sent the order which pleased him.

The Governor sat down at the breakfast table where Commodore Norrington and Elizabeth were already seated. The Governor moved aside his plate and cutlery and lay the parcel on the table.

Elizabeth looked at her father weirdly and ceased eating to watch her father unwrap what was apparently another sword.

The Governor delicately took off the brown paper and was presented with a dusty case. Ignoring this he opened the case. Inside was a sword magnificently crafted. Rubies, sapphires and diamonds the size of stones glittered in the hilt and the blade was perfectly and symmetrically crafted. A fine rope of black and gold tassels hung from the bottom. The governor picked up the sword.

"A fine piece of work. I must say he certainly does possess Will's talent for craftsmanship," the Governor approved. It was then he noticed the small, folded and somewhat dirtied piece of parchment that was still in the box. Carefully placing down his sword he picked it up. "Elizabeth, it's addressed to you," the Governor said in shock.

Commodore Norrington frowned. Why would this man be writing to Elizabeth.


Elizabeth stood and took the piece of parchment from her father's hand. The script in which her name was written seemed familiar to her but she could not place it. She unfolded it and read the letter. The frown with which she started when she read the opening line of 'Mrs. Norrington' was quickly replaced with a look of horror as she read further. Tears welled in Elizabeth's eyes and she put one hand to her mouth. The piece of paper shook violently in her hand then fell to the floor as tears streamed down her face and she gave a small cry and ran to her room.             

The Commodore and Governor watched in amazement as Elizabeth ran out of the room. Whatever could have upset her so much?

The Commodore walked over to where the piece of parchment lay forgotten on the floor. He bent, picked it up and read the letter. His eyes went wide and he dropped the letter on the table. He lifted his head slowly and looked at the Governor.

"Governor, Will Turner is dead," he told him sadly. The Governor frowned.

"I don't understand?"

"Jack Turner is the cousin of Will. He said Captain Sparrow visited him not long ago and brought back the body of Will. He was killed in an attack on their ship."

"Oh how horrible!" the Governor remarked and a hand covered his mouth. "Oh poor Elizabeth. Commodore please bring my daughter down here." The Commodore nodded and followed the path Elizabeth had taken upstairs.

He found her sitting in her customary place at the window overlooking the ocean. Her whole body shook as she cried her heart out. Her face was in her hands. The Commodore approached her silently.

"Elizabeth?" he asked quietly. She turned around with a look on her face that made the Commodore step back in shock.

"This is all your fault," she hissed at him, voice shaking with emotion. 

"Elizabeth? Why is it-"

"If you hadn't been so selfish and forced me to marry you, Will wouldn't have left and he would still be alive!" she cried at him, still crying. The Commodore hung his head.

"Elizabeth I am sorry for your loss but Will was only-"

"Only a blacksmith? Is that right Norrington?" Elizabeth's voice was filled with hate. She turned around as she choked on her tears and looked at Will's ring on her finger. Why was life so cruel? She had always secretly hoped that maybe some day she and Will would be reunited. But it was impossible now. Commodore Norrington left without a word. Elizabeth rested her arms on the sill, lay her head on her arms and cried.                 

*

Six months passed and as Jack Turner became more widely known Elizabeth tried to come to grips with the fact that Will was dead. She had become more distant from Norrington and incredibly cold towards him. She felt she could never forgive him.


Will in the meantime was continually fighting with himself about whether he had done the right thing or not, telling Elizabeth he was dead.

He was also yearning for the ocean, something which had only become apparent in about the last year. Every time he looked at the ocean he felt it calling to him. Part of him wanted a sensible life as a blacksmith with an assured income, but the other half yearned for the life he had glimpsed that summer so long ago. To be free and go wherever he wanted when he wanted. If Captain Sparrow turned up in Corgula by any chance, Will thought he just might possibly leave with him.


Will found in depressing that he knew he could never see Elizabeth again. HE knew that by leaving her he had resigned himself to being a bachelor for the rest of his life but it was better than living within a five minute walk of Elizabeth. Who knew what might have happened then. 

Will was going to Tortuga that day. There was a shortage of feed in Corgula and Will's supply for the donkey (whom he had named Mr. Sparrow) had dwindled to nothing. Will had to bring the poor beast along to carry the feed.

Will walked up to Mr. Sparrow who was in his paddock. There was not much grass left; there had been no rain for weeks. He clipped a lead rope onto Mr. Sparrow's halter and led the donkey down the street. He nodded to one of the young boys by the name of Richard. Will had kindly taken on the boy as an apprentice. The boy of only 14 had been keen to start as a blacksmith to help with his family's money problems and Will had generously offered to teach him.


"Where are you going Mr. Turner?" Richard asked.

"Richard please call me Jack. You make me feel old when you say that." Richard smiled at Will.


"Alright then, Jack. Where are you going?" Will had now become accustomed to being called Jack.

"I'm going into Tortuga to get some feed for Mr. Sparrow." Richard nodded, waved goodbye and Will went on his way.

*

Elizabeth swung the sword and drew it up to eye level, facing the point towards the door. She then placed the weapon on the table.

The forge was still a mess. She hadn't really cleaned it up because she only needed it to practice. It wasn't like Will was ever coming back to it either……………….. Elizabeth was still incredibly depressed. The pain which she had felt when Will had left had returned two fold when she learned of his death. Though he had died fighting for the ship like he would have liked, that was still no comfort to the fact that she would never see him again in this life.


Sure he would be waiting for her in the next life, where Norrington wouldn't be able to get in the way, but that was still a long way off for Elizabeth. She was after all only just twenty one.

Elizabeth swallowed and walked out of the forge. She looked down the dusty street. A couple of chickens wandered across the road, but scattered quickly when a black cat ran out from under a parked cart and tried to pounce on them. Elizabeth gave a small smile.

She walked down the central road heading back to her house.

*

Will reached Tortuga at about 2.00 that afternoon. He gave a small smile as he looked around. Woman in corsets so small they were turning red with flirting with men that had missing teeth, straggly hair and beards and a bottle of rum in each hand. Will shook his head. And it was only 2.00 in the afternoon? What would they be like by the time night fell? Will came to the decision that he had to be out of town as quickly as possible, given that he still had to walk home.

But first things first. Half the reason he had come to Tortuga was to see if Jack had been in town recently. He tied up Mr. Sparrow at the hitching post outside a bar and carefully walked inside.

As he entered the bar a man went flying past him and was quickly followed by a man with a resemblance to a maddened bull. Will stepped over an unconscious someone just in front of him and seated himself at the bar, casting a wary eye around to make sure he wasn't about to be kidnapped.


Will could see why Jack liked this place.

"Hello there Jack," came the barman's voice. Will turned around.

"Afternoon," Will remarked.

"What can I get you today? We got rum on special?" Will smiled weakly.


"No thanks. I just came to ask a few questions."

"Oh you did? Like?"


"Like has Jack Sparrow been in town lately?" Will asked. The barman mused.

"Cap'n Sparrow? One that has coal on his eyes and a broken compass?" Will nodded.

"That's him."

"Nope. He ain't been round here for almost a year and a 'alf almost." Will sighed. Disappointing.


"Alright well thankyou." Will then exited quickly from the bar before some overeager prostitute tried to seduce him.


*

Elizabeth wandered past her father's sword cabinet. More than twenty beautifully crafted swords (only two not by Will) were lined up in order of simplest to most beautiful. At the very end was the sword Jack had crafted. Elizabeth frowned. The sword looked incredibly familiar from somewhere else.


Then she clicked. It was the beautiful sword she had found the first time she had been down to Will's old forge. She pulled the sword out and inspected it. It was customary for a blacksmith to engrave their initials just above the hilt in tiny barely visible letters. Elizabeth looked for some.


Nothing at first. But upon closer inspection she saw something. Squinting hard and looking incredibly weird Elizabeth found it. A tiny almost invisible W.T. Elizabeth's eyes went wide and she peered harder trying to make sure she hadn't confused the W with a J. But no. It was there, as plain as day.

What did that mean? Why was Jack using his cousin's initials? Unless…….. Elizabeth wouldn't dare to believe it. But then again Jack Sparrow had been practically Will's best friend. It seemed fitting that if he changed his name it would mean something. But then why the letter informing her of his death? Why would Will want her to think him dead?

A horrible thought crossed her mind. What if Will had met someone else and forgotten her? Then again, she reasoned, she was married whether it was her will or not. And Will had the right to be happy.


Elizabeth shook her head. It was all too confusing. But a little piece inside of her was overjoyed that Will might still be alive and her heart began to beat rapidly at the possibility of seeing him again.

But she reminded herself, it could be that Will did have a cousin named Jack and that Jack was just crafting under Will's name. Maybe for more credit. It was then Elizabeth decided she would have to find out. She would go and see Mr. Turner in Corgula and learn for sure whether or not Will was dead.

"Elizabeth?" came Norrington's voice. Her husband entered the room she was in and came up to her. "Elizabeth I have received word that Jack Sparrow is in Tortuga. A crew and I are leaving tonight. I just thought you would like to know." He turned to leave when Elizabeth grabbed his arm.

This was her chance.

"May I come? I wish for a chance to be on the sea again. It has been so long," she told him. Norrington was visibly shocked by her words but nodded.


"If it is alright with your father by all means you may come. He will probably agree. He did mention something about sending someone to Corgula to see if the blacksmith Jack will move to Port Royal so he is able to help Jack set up a business. Your father apparently has a erm soft spot for this blacksmith given who he is related to." Elizabeth outwardly kept up the look of just being happy she was allowed to go but inside she was rejoicing.


This was perfect. She would be able to go and see Jack/Will without any questions. She would just offer to go and find him because she had nothing to do.

"Thankyou very much – James," Elizabeth said, calling Norrington by his first name since they had been married. She kissed him on the cheek. Norrington smiled at the use of his first name and the kiss. The poor guy thought she was finally becoming close when in actual fact he was dangerously close to losing her forever. Not that he ever really had her………..

"I'm going to get some of my things," Elizabeth told him. Norrington nodded.

"Meet me at the docks at seven o'clock." Norrington left without another word

*

Will lugged out the two huge sacks of feed and tied them to the donkey like saddle bags. The donkey said nothing as will unhitched him and lead him along the main road out of town. It was around 3.00 and he still had a six hour walk ahead of him. Sighing, Will took the donkey and trudged home.

Will reached his forge at around half past nine that night. He was aching like nothing imaginable and the poor donkey was stuffed. Will gave him an extra big feed that night and even let the donkey sleep in the forge due to the sub zero temperatures outside.

He locked up the forge and made his way back to Madam Roosh's where the kindly older woman had left him a hot bath. Sighing in contentment, Will quickly discarded his clothes and slipped into the hot water.

*

Elizabeth stood, waiting for Norrington in the freezing cold. He had escorted her down to the dock and onto the Imperial where she now stood at the bow of the ship.

"Elizabeth?" Norringotn asked. Elizabeth pulled her coat tighter around her small body and turned to face the Commodore.

"Thankyou for letting me come, James," she smiled. Norrington smiled.

"It's my pleasure Elizabeth. Now if we're starting to move in a minute so you might want to go below-" He was cut off by a reproachful look from his wife.

"Commodore Norrington. I have been on a ship before. I have been kidnapped by pirates and fought a high seas battle I do not think I need to go below," she told him indignantly. The Commodore nodded.

"We will be in Tortuga by sunrise. We plan to spend one full day looking for Mr. Sparrow. I wanted to ask if you would go and ask Jack Turner to return with us. Otherwise you will have to stay on the ship while we hunt for Jack." Elizabeth smiled.

"I will go and find Jack. After all he was an acquaintance of Will's." Norrington nodded.


"Very well then. We have the top cabin just over there so if you feel like sleeping, that's where you may." Elizabeth nodded and gave Norrington the first kiss on the lips that she had improvised.

"Thankyou so much," she smiled. Norrington nodded and left to attend to other matters.

Elizabeth watched the approaching ocean as the boat sailed out of Port Royal. She sighed and headed inside to sleep.

*

Next Chapter: Will Elizabeth and Will meet? Not if I have my way.

Author's Note: Not much to say (again) read and review I guess!