Chapter 7
The next day
Norrington was nowhere in sight. I had been waiting for 15 minutes for my promised tour, and he hadn't shown up yet. "Miss Fitzgerald?" said someone. A young officer stepped in front of me, smiling. "Yes?" "I'm Leftenant Gillete. Captain Norrington sends his regrets, and hopes that you might come back tomorrow." "Thank you, Leftenant." He bowed slightly, then left, hands behind his back. I was a bit puzzled, but started back the way I had come, towards the Governor's mansion. As I turned a corner, I ran into someone, literally. I teetered back on my heels, managing to grasp a doorway and regain my balance. The other figure stumbled back, then bent forward, and I reached out and caught whoever it was. Steadying ourselves, we backed away from each other. "Sorry," I said, getting ready to move on. "My fault entirely," he said. We passed each other, then it clicked. "Will Turner?" I asked, turning back. He whirled. "You know me?" "I met you the other day, in your shop. Elizabeth Swann introduced us." He gave me a blank stare. "Fiona." "Oh, yes, Miss Fiona, nice to meet you. I'm sorry that I didn't seem particularly gentlemanly yesterday." "It's all right, I understand. You two are quite smitten with each other, it's in your eyes." He blushed crimson. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. But she likes you, man. She told me about how you two met." "She did?" "Yeah. It's good that she has a friend. I don't know how long I'm going to be here, but apparently she thinks she's found another friend." "Her father doesn't approve, being the Governor and all. I think he has high hopes for her in terms of marrying well. I have a feeling he's pushing her in the direction of Norrington." "Really? That's news. Last time I heard she hated his guts. But don't tell anyone, especially Norrington, that I said that." We grinned. "I'm not keeping you from anything, am I?" "No, I was just returning to the shop." He paused. "Would you like to come, have a tour of the place?" "I don't have anything else to do." He nodded, and we sauntered off down to his shop. "Elizabeth told me you sing, but not the English songs. What did she mean?" "She means that I sing songs from where I'm from, the colonies. I'm from the future, don't you know?" "No you're not." "Yeah, I am. I'm very serious!" "Prove you're from the future." "Check out my clothes – who here wear's this kind of clothing?" "You've got a point." We came into the courtyard where the blacksmith's shop was. "Here we are." He pushed open the door, allowing me to go in first. There was a musty smell now, not as bad as it had been. The man was still asleep in his chair. A donkey was hooked up to some kind of contraption to the right of the door, with lots of swords hanging from what appeared to be a rotating wheel. "So what exactly do you manufacture?" I asked, squinting in the dark light. "I make swords," he replied, holding up a recently finished one. "Cool. May I?" He handed me the hilt, and I grasped it, remembering my fencing lessons from my uncle and his officers during their spare time. Swiping the sword through the year, hearing the hum of strong steel, I felt a zing of excitement and adrenaline go through me. "Do you know how to use the sword?" Turner asked. "Sure do. My uncle and his officers taught me all types of fighting styles." Turner grabbed another sword. "En guarde," he said. "Being inappropriate again, are we, Turner?" I grinned. "I could use the practice." He held up the sword, and I positioned myself. We saluted, stood en guarde, and began. Steel clanged, and we leapt over chairs, benches, around the wheel. I caught him on the wagon platform and wheels propped up against the stairs. "You're good," he gasped. "You're not too bad yourself," I threw back. "But you could be better." He lunged across the platform, and I parried off his attack. Making a few swift moves, I nicked his hand, the sword flew up, and I caught it. "Again?" I asked, offering him the hilt. Grabbing it with a scowl, he jerked it away and we went at it again, with more ferocity than the last time. I beat him back to the steps, watching his movements. He tripped up the steps, and I found a hole. Going in, I caught his free hand and, jerking him down, caught his blade under my foot while touching my blade to his chin. He immediately let his sword go, raising his hands in surrender. He rose, breathing heavily. I felt tiny beads of sweat trickling down my neck, and moped my forehead with my sleeve. I lifted the sword with my foot, catching it and handing both swords to Turner. "Well, that was certainly a fun addition to my day," I said. "Thanks for the lesson." "My pleasure," he said. "I suppose I should be getting back. Any message you'd like me to bring Elizabeth?" "Tell her...tell her that I can't wait to see her again." I grinned. "I'll see what I can do to make that happen." I bowed slightly, and left with a mission in mind to help unite the two young lovers.
Norrington was nowhere in sight. I had been waiting for 15 minutes for my promised tour, and he hadn't shown up yet. "Miss Fitzgerald?" said someone. A young officer stepped in front of me, smiling. "Yes?" "I'm Leftenant Gillete. Captain Norrington sends his regrets, and hopes that you might come back tomorrow." "Thank you, Leftenant." He bowed slightly, then left, hands behind his back. I was a bit puzzled, but started back the way I had come, towards the Governor's mansion. As I turned a corner, I ran into someone, literally. I teetered back on my heels, managing to grasp a doorway and regain my balance. The other figure stumbled back, then bent forward, and I reached out and caught whoever it was. Steadying ourselves, we backed away from each other. "Sorry," I said, getting ready to move on. "My fault entirely," he said. We passed each other, then it clicked. "Will Turner?" I asked, turning back. He whirled. "You know me?" "I met you the other day, in your shop. Elizabeth Swann introduced us." He gave me a blank stare. "Fiona." "Oh, yes, Miss Fiona, nice to meet you. I'm sorry that I didn't seem particularly gentlemanly yesterday." "It's all right, I understand. You two are quite smitten with each other, it's in your eyes." He blushed crimson. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. But she likes you, man. She told me about how you two met." "She did?" "Yeah. It's good that she has a friend. I don't know how long I'm going to be here, but apparently she thinks she's found another friend." "Her father doesn't approve, being the Governor and all. I think he has high hopes for her in terms of marrying well. I have a feeling he's pushing her in the direction of Norrington." "Really? That's news. Last time I heard she hated his guts. But don't tell anyone, especially Norrington, that I said that." We grinned. "I'm not keeping you from anything, am I?" "No, I was just returning to the shop." He paused. "Would you like to come, have a tour of the place?" "I don't have anything else to do." He nodded, and we sauntered off down to his shop. "Elizabeth told me you sing, but not the English songs. What did she mean?" "She means that I sing songs from where I'm from, the colonies. I'm from the future, don't you know?" "No you're not." "Yeah, I am. I'm very serious!" "Prove you're from the future." "Check out my clothes – who here wear's this kind of clothing?" "You've got a point." We came into the courtyard where the blacksmith's shop was. "Here we are." He pushed open the door, allowing me to go in first. There was a musty smell now, not as bad as it had been. The man was still asleep in his chair. A donkey was hooked up to some kind of contraption to the right of the door, with lots of swords hanging from what appeared to be a rotating wheel. "So what exactly do you manufacture?" I asked, squinting in the dark light. "I make swords," he replied, holding up a recently finished one. "Cool. May I?" He handed me the hilt, and I grasped it, remembering my fencing lessons from my uncle and his officers during their spare time. Swiping the sword through the year, hearing the hum of strong steel, I felt a zing of excitement and adrenaline go through me. "Do you know how to use the sword?" Turner asked. "Sure do. My uncle and his officers taught me all types of fighting styles." Turner grabbed another sword. "En guarde," he said. "Being inappropriate again, are we, Turner?" I grinned. "I could use the practice." He held up the sword, and I positioned myself. We saluted, stood en guarde, and began. Steel clanged, and we leapt over chairs, benches, around the wheel. I caught him on the wagon platform and wheels propped up against the stairs. "You're good," he gasped. "You're not too bad yourself," I threw back. "But you could be better." He lunged across the platform, and I parried off his attack. Making a few swift moves, I nicked his hand, the sword flew up, and I caught it. "Again?" I asked, offering him the hilt. Grabbing it with a scowl, he jerked it away and we went at it again, with more ferocity than the last time. I beat him back to the steps, watching his movements. He tripped up the steps, and I found a hole. Going in, I caught his free hand and, jerking him down, caught his blade under my foot while touching my blade to his chin. He immediately let his sword go, raising his hands in surrender. He rose, breathing heavily. I felt tiny beads of sweat trickling down my neck, and moped my forehead with my sleeve. I lifted the sword with my foot, catching it and handing both swords to Turner. "Well, that was certainly a fun addition to my day," I said. "Thanks for the lesson." "My pleasure," he said. "I suppose I should be getting back. Any message you'd like me to bring Elizabeth?" "Tell her...tell her that I can't wait to see her again." I grinned. "I'll see what I can do to make that happen." I bowed slightly, and left with a mission in mind to help unite the two young lovers.