Chapter 3: Captain, Friend, and Foe
"Worthless scum! I ought to run ye through! Thinking ye could just show up? What did ye think ye'd say? 'Hello, love. Remember me? I need a place to sleep for the night an' I'll be gone again come morning"? I should have you keenhauled under ye're own ship!"
Elizabeth stared at the cup that she held in her hands. She and Will sat at the kitchen table while Jack tried to defend himself from the mysterious woman named Lacey, doing a pitiful job of it.
"Ye're not but a scurvy swab! Why should I waste my time with the likes of ye and yourn?"
There was a long pause before Jack replied. "You should waste your time because of what we once had."
Nobody moved, waiting for another one of the woman's outbursts. Jack dropped into a vacant chair, crossed his arms, and glared at the woman, daring her to say anything. She sat down across from Elizabeth and smiled at the younger woman.
"I'm sorry 'bout all that, love. Jack's been a royal pain in my arse for some odd years, ever since I left his command and the Pearl behind me." She took a swig from her mug. "Now, who are ye?"
"Mine name's Elizabeth Swann, and this is Will Turner." Elizabeth didn't know what to make of this woman in front of her.
"Swann? Hm. ah, yes! The Governor's daughter from Port Royal, although I'd heard ye was engaged to that damned Commodore. He's the reason that me crew's afraid to go for a sail."
"I was to be married, but circumstances changed," Elizabeth replied, sipping her drink.
"And you, Will Turner. I though ye were not but a tale told to explain the disappearance of our Barbossa. good riddance!" In a quieter voice, she said, "Ye finished what that father of yourn started. He'd be proud of ye, Will. Mighty proud indeed."
The four of them grew quiet with the memories of old. It was Elizabeth who spoke first.
"Excuse me, but what are we drinking?" she said, breaking the silence.
"It's Chai tea," the woman replied. "Me crew brought it back from India on our last voyage."
"Your crew?" Will questioned. "You're a captain?"
She eyed Jack with a pure disgust. "Ye brought them here an' didn't tell them anything?"
Jack shrugged. "They didn't ask, I didn't tell."
"What a load of sailor piss." She turned to Will and Elizabeth. "I am Captain Lacey Morgan of the Sea Serpent."
"Morgan?"
"Yes, Elizabeth, as in the granddaughter of Captain Henry Morgan who set down the Code of the Brethren. Gods, don't people ever wonder about anything else?" She sighed at the look on Elizabeth's face. "It's not ye're fault for wondering, love. It's not ye I'm talking 'bout, so don't be taking anything I said to heart." Turning to Jack, she continued, "As for ye, I don't know where ye're loyalties lie, but know this: cross me, Sparrow, and ye'll taste me steel. Savvy?"
"Aye." Jack stood and rummaged through the cabinets. He laughed at his victory when he found a bottle of rum. "Aha! You say all you drink now is this. Chey. Caihin. Chan. Chin."
"Chai," Elizabeth supplied.
"Chai! That's the one. Chai tea, but I knew the rum would not've gone far."
"No, the rum is not gone and it'll never be. Sometimes we all need a drink, and I think such a time is now."
Lacey poured the drinks and in no time at all, everyone had forgotten their worries and began to become friends.
Although they had been up until the stars had gone to bed, Lacey had suggested and Jack had insisted on not being up not long after the sunrise to buy provisions. Will, nursing a hangover unlike anything he had ever felt, took the better part of an hour trying to rouse Elizabeth. She had taken it upon herself to try and match Jack in drinking rum the night before. Once Elizabeth was dressed and presentable, the foursome headed out into public.
The market was bustling with an activity completely opposite from the previous night, Shops and stalls were opening for business, owners eager to sell their wares. Smells filled the air with fragrant aromas. Elizabeth took in everything, savoring every minute detail.
The first stop was the tailor's. Lacey badgered Elizabeth into buying a couple of men's shirts and breeches.
"They feel so weird!" Elizabeth complained, tugging at the material.
"Trust me," Lacey replied; "when ye've been on a ship for a couple of weeks, ye'll be grateful you have them."
Elizabeth finally agreed to the shirts, downing a pair of breeches and letting the tailor dispose of her torn and tattered everyday dress that she had been wearing. After paying, the group spread up. Jack and Lacey headed to the butcher's while Will and Elizabeth drifted through the streets.
"Come in here with me," Will said, pulling Elizabeth into a shop whose window was filled with jewelry.
The owner was a short, stocky man with a giant smile. "Good morning and welcome to Bandwith's Jewels and Gems. My name is Bandwith. How may I help you on this fine day?"
Will took out his change purse. "I would like to buy a gift for my companion here."
"What sort of gift did you have in mind, my good sir?" Bandwith's eyes were honest, not fake like most shop owners.
"A ring."
Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Will?"
"If I'm wrong, Elizabeth, please tell me now," Will said.
"You're not wrong," she replied, throwing her arms around his neck.
He kissed her like he would never let her go, ignoring Bandwith's gawking. When they were finished, Bandwith sized Elizabeth's finger and showed the couple his selection of rings.
Only a few moments later, Elizabeth had a delicate emerald sparkling on her left hand and was stepping out into the warm, morning sunshine. Will soon followed, his purse significantly lighter, but having a heart full of love. They hadn't gone ten paces when Elizabeth stopped dead in her tracks, causing Will to walk into a mud puddle.
"What is it?"
She couldn't answer him. Instead, she just pointed. In another doorway, partway down the street, stood a guard dressed in red and white with the crest of the Royal Navy on his arm.
"Worthless scum! I ought to run ye through! Thinking ye could just show up? What did ye think ye'd say? 'Hello, love. Remember me? I need a place to sleep for the night an' I'll be gone again come morning"? I should have you keenhauled under ye're own ship!"
Elizabeth stared at the cup that she held in her hands. She and Will sat at the kitchen table while Jack tried to defend himself from the mysterious woman named Lacey, doing a pitiful job of it.
"Ye're not but a scurvy swab! Why should I waste my time with the likes of ye and yourn?"
There was a long pause before Jack replied. "You should waste your time because of what we once had."
Nobody moved, waiting for another one of the woman's outbursts. Jack dropped into a vacant chair, crossed his arms, and glared at the woman, daring her to say anything. She sat down across from Elizabeth and smiled at the younger woman.
"I'm sorry 'bout all that, love. Jack's been a royal pain in my arse for some odd years, ever since I left his command and the Pearl behind me." She took a swig from her mug. "Now, who are ye?"
"Mine name's Elizabeth Swann, and this is Will Turner." Elizabeth didn't know what to make of this woman in front of her.
"Swann? Hm. ah, yes! The Governor's daughter from Port Royal, although I'd heard ye was engaged to that damned Commodore. He's the reason that me crew's afraid to go for a sail."
"I was to be married, but circumstances changed," Elizabeth replied, sipping her drink.
"And you, Will Turner. I though ye were not but a tale told to explain the disappearance of our Barbossa. good riddance!" In a quieter voice, she said, "Ye finished what that father of yourn started. He'd be proud of ye, Will. Mighty proud indeed."
The four of them grew quiet with the memories of old. It was Elizabeth who spoke first.
"Excuse me, but what are we drinking?" she said, breaking the silence.
"It's Chai tea," the woman replied. "Me crew brought it back from India on our last voyage."
"Your crew?" Will questioned. "You're a captain?"
She eyed Jack with a pure disgust. "Ye brought them here an' didn't tell them anything?"
Jack shrugged. "They didn't ask, I didn't tell."
"What a load of sailor piss." She turned to Will and Elizabeth. "I am Captain Lacey Morgan of the Sea Serpent."
"Morgan?"
"Yes, Elizabeth, as in the granddaughter of Captain Henry Morgan who set down the Code of the Brethren. Gods, don't people ever wonder about anything else?" She sighed at the look on Elizabeth's face. "It's not ye're fault for wondering, love. It's not ye I'm talking 'bout, so don't be taking anything I said to heart." Turning to Jack, she continued, "As for ye, I don't know where ye're loyalties lie, but know this: cross me, Sparrow, and ye'll taste me steel. Savvy?"
"Aye." Jack stood and rummaged through the cabinets. He laughed at his victory when he found a bottle of rum. "Aha! You say all you drink now is this. Chey. Caihin. Chan. Chin."
"Chai," Elizabeth supplied.
"Chai! That's the one. Chai tea, but I knew the rum would not've gone far."
"No, the rum is not gone and it'll never be. Sometimes we all need a drink, and I think such a time is now."
Lacey poured the drinks and in no time at all, everyone had forgotten their worries and began to become friends.
Although they had been up until the stars had gone to bed, Lacey had suggested and Jack had insisted on not being up not long after the sunrise to buy provisions. Will, nursing a hangover unlike anything he had ever felt, took the better part of an hour trying to rouse Elizabeth. She had taken it upon herself to try and match Jack in drinking rum the night before. Once Elizabeth was dressed and presentable, the foursome headed out into public.
The market was bustling with an activity completely opposite from the previous night, Shops and stalls were opening for business, owners eager to sell their wares. Smells filled the air with fragrant aromas. Elizabeth took in everything, savoring every minute detail.
The first stop was the tailor's. Lacey badgered Elizabeth into buying a couple of men's shirts and breeches.
"They feel so weird!" Elizabeth complained, tugging at the material.
"Trust me," Lacey replied; "when ye've been on a ship for a couple of weeks, ye'll be grateful you have them."
Elizabeth finally agreed to the shirts, downing a pair of breeches and letting the tailor dispose of her torn and tattered everyday dress that she had been wearing. After paying, the group spread up. Jack and Lacey headed to the butcher's while Will and Elizabeth drifted through the streets.
"Come in here with me," Will said, pulling Elizabeth into a shop whose window was filled with jewelry.
The owner was a short, stocky man with a giant smile. "Good morning and welcome to Bandwith's Jewels and Gems. My name is Bandwith. How may I help you on this fine day?"
Will took out his change purse. "I would like to buy a gift for my companion here."
"What sort of gift did you have in mind, my good sir?" Bandwith's eyes were honest, not fake like most shop owners.
"A ring."
Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Will?"
"If I'm wrong, Elizabeth, please tell me now," Will said.
"You're not wrong," she replied, throwing her arms around his neck.
He kissed her like he would never let her go, ignoring Bandwith's gawking. When they were finished, Bandwith sized Elizabeth's finger and showed the couple his selection of rings.
Only a few moments later, Elizabeth had a delicate emerald sparkling on her left hand and was stepping out into the warm, morning sunshine. Will soon followed, his purse significantly lighter, but having a heart full of love. They hadn't gone ten paces when Elizabeth stopped dead in her tracks, causing Will to walk into a mud puddle.
"What is it?"
She couldn't answer him. Instead, she just pointed. In another doorway, partway down the street, stood a guard dressed in red and white with the crest of the Royal Navy on his arm.