INTO THE CARIBBEAN
CHAPTER TWO – Impressive Swordsman and Ships
"Aye, get back 'ere you lil' thief! That be mine!" A large, sweaty man yelled out, shaking his fist. The people outside stopped what they were doing and watched the young woman the fruit merchant was yelling at run and little children cheered her on without knowing what they were exactly cheering for. The man started on a run after her, but quickly grew tired and yelled out a long string of curses instead.
Alex ran until she reached the corner of the street, and turned around to face the angry merchant. With a smug grin, she used her index and middle finger to tip off a lazy salute from her forehead. She then turned the corner onto the new and similar looking street, and with a laugh, she observed the new treasure in her hand. It wasn't much, just a red juicy apple for now and a pouch of coins, and all that she had stolen from underneath Benjamin's nose. Alex laughed again, shining the red apple on the leg of her dark breeches.
As she took a large bite out of her apple, she decided to make a surprise visit to her old friend, Elizabeth Swann. Alex had heard that Elizabeth was supposed to attend Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony...or Commodore Norrington, as he was about to become. Alex was hoping to catch her before she left and tease her for having to go to such a boring event. Having to spend an entire afternoon with James Norrington and a bunch of other boring people would just ruin such a beautiful day.
Alex walked through the streets of Port Royal with a carefree step to her stride. Nobody would ever be able to make her go to some stupid ceremony. But thank God that would never even come to pass, since Alex didn't exactly 'properly know' the right people to actually attend one, being born into a more common family, nor did she have the proper reputation to attend such a thing.
The daughter of a sailor and his wife, Alexis Keller wasn't really like the rest of the young girls back in England. Mischief always sparkled in her dark chocolate brown eyes. She would play with the common boys and girls and always returned home dirty when the evening was up. She would sometimes even sneak out with her father to the docks in England to have another lesson about ships or listen to another new exciting story he himself had heard of or even encountered on one of his own voyages on the ocean.
At the age of seven, her mother began having trouble each time she asked her daughter to put on a dress, but it could not be done without a fight. Alex claimed that they were uncomfortable and hard to play in, so her father bought her a small pair of breeches for just that until one day her mother found them. That day ended with an angry Alex, and a scorning from her mother to her father, who just laughed with a shrug. Needless to say, Alex began loathing dresses at a young age.
Her mother disliked her behavior and the stunts she would pull, and she punished her before telling her to stop time and time again, but Alex never listened. Even though that would just place her in even more trouble, she always thought it was worth it to try it again. She did everything a young lady wasn't supposed to do, experience a freedom they weren't supposed to know, and she loved it.
Her personality was unique, and mostly like her father's: independent, humorous, mischievous, and always cunning and full of wit at the proper moments. Her black hair and dark brown eyes came from her mother. Even though she wasn't the prettiest girl in England, she was proud to be like her mother, whom she still loved dearly even when they had their disagreements. She equally loved and adored her parents and always felt proud to be a Keller.
She always had an interesting opinion about everything and nothing, and didn't mind voicing it. Some people who knew Alex would tell you that she was a lass who knew how to make you laugh, as her own laughter was sweet, and some would say she was never a boring person to be with. But they would always warn you that the only downfall to her personality was one thing: her anger. Sometimes it took a lot or not enough to make her mad, since it varied on what was happening, but it sometimes felt like a pain in hell when it finally happened. It was unknown to anyone who thought about it as to how long her fit of rage would last; again, it would vary.
When her mother died when she was ten from a harsh fever, her destiny to someday become like Aunt Caroline had dwindled into a teasing flame. There was nobody around to properly raise her like a young woman should be, with proper etiquette instead of mischief. True, she knew her manners well enough to get her by if ever she needed them and knew how to be polite, but to most English mothers it wasn't enough. She stopped wearing dresses altogether and her new attire consisted of breeches, a simple shirt, and possibly a few accessories, which were fine, such as the two piercings she had in each ear that she did herself in her later years. Her father didn't argue with his daughter as much as her mother did, and thinking that England wasn't the best for him or his daughter, Peter Keller decided to move to Port Royal, a nice new establishment in the warm, sunny Caribbean. A new start.
He sadly died four years later, when she was sixteen, leaving her with his eternal love, and passing on his knowledge of everything on a ship and his undying devotion and love for the sea.
So now, here she was, at the ripe age of twenty, sticking true to her personality and independently living in Port Royal. But even now, she wanted more. As she neared the docks, she nodded to a few friends and noted all of the different ships that were anchored in the harbor. She often thought with a sly grin of 'borrowing' a ship so she could finally sail all the waters of the world, wake up to a new horizon each day and see what life had in store. Alex sighed. She longed to be free. With nothing to give yet nothing to lose, her life now still seemed to be the closest to freedom as it could be. But why couldn't she just leave? She knew a few sailors well enough to ask them a favor of dropping her off at Tortuga, where she would be more accepted than in Port Royal. Nothing would stop her; nobody was there to hold her back.
Nobody except Will Turner.
She had a silent affectionate eye for him ever since they were children, and now together with Elizabeth, the three of them had grown up together as friends. And with each year that passed, it became more obvious to Alex the love that Will held for Elizabeth, who seemed blind to it all. All the long glances, shy smiles…even though she missed it, Alex caught it all – and it all wasn't for her. It couldn't be helped that Will seemed to love Elizabeth. One of her philosophies on life was this: if you can't change it now, you most likely can't change it later, so just move the bloody hell on and forget about it.
But why couldn't she just move on from the fact that Will loved Elizabeth, not her?
It was because she couldn't forget what she felt towards Will, no matter how hard she tried.
Alex finally stood before the large black gates that lined the Swann property. Tossing the core of her apple into the bushes, she wiped her hands on her breeches and looked up into the property as she ran a hand through her short raven black hair. The black horse-drawn carriage in front of the large white mansion indicated that the Swanns had not yet left for the ceremony, meaning that there was still time for Alex to visit her dear friend. But it appeared that Alex was not the only one who was planning to visit Elizabeth.
"Will," Alex murmured under her breath. He was waiting at the front door for someone to answer it and let him in, dressed in brown breeches and a matching small brown coat and vest. His slick brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a straight posture and usual serious face. A package held underneath his arm indicated that this wasn't a regular visit, but a delivery.
She started on a run to meet him, since she had not seen him for a while due to the amount of work Mr. Brown, the so-called 'black-smith', gave to his young apprentice. Alex scoffed. If that's what they called men who drank and slept all day without even striking metal, so be it, but Will would become much better than that. He already was. But before she made it up to him up the long private roadway, Will had disappeared inside.
"Bloody hell." Alex cursed. She slowed down her jog and reached the house, but only to squeeze behind the bushes and peak inside the window. She would have just knocked on the door, but she doubted her presence would be welcome at the moment. Besides, this was more interesting. So with a few grunts and groans, she managed to get a good view of the front room and Will.
Inside, she saw the butler say something, nod, then go up the flight of stairs to fetch Governor Swann, leaving Will behind to idly look around. Curiously, he looked around the room, studying paintings and sculptures. Soon his attention turned to the sconce on the wall, and he lifted a hand to touch it, but when he did it broke off. Alex snorted with amusement as she watched Will stare at it in surprise, and then quickly hide it in the nearby vase, which was holding canes and umbrellas, as another butler came by. Will gave him a nervous nod as Governor Swann descended down the stairs and greeted him.
Greetings were exchanged and Will quickly opened the case he held to reveal a sword, Alex saw that, but she wanted to hear what was happening, too. Narrowing her eyes at the window, she saw that it was unlocked, so with a satisfied grin she slowly and quietly pushed the window just enough to hear what was conversing between the people inside.
"Well," Governor Swann smiled approvingly as he unsheathed the sword.
"The blade is folded steel." Will explained with a proud grin. "That's gold filigree laid into the handle. If I may?" He extended his hands, Governor Swann nodded, and now Will was balancing the sword with his fingers. "Perfectly balanced. The tang is nearly the full width of the blade." He flipped the sword in the air, causing the elder man to yelp in surprise, and gracefully presented it to Governor Swann.
"Impressive. Very impressive. Commodore Norrington is going to be very pleased with this. Do pass my compliments on to your Master, hm?"
Will looked up at him, and Alex saw a look of hurt, but she knew Will was doing his best to hide it and be the obedient apprentice, when it really was his work. "I shall. A craftsman is always pleased to hear his work is appreciated."
Just as he finished his last words, Elizabeth appeared on the stairs. She was beautiful, as always, even more so for the ceremony today. Her hair was done wonderfully and the dress she wore – marvelous. Those were complements a lady would give, but Alex just snorted. She was going to be hot in this weather, for one, and even though Alex could think of a whole other set of insults to give to dresses, she wasn't going to waste her breath because she had to admit, Elizabeth looked beautiful. She saw that Will must have thought so, too, since his eyes went wide at the sight of her.
"Oh, Elizabeth, you look absolutely stunning!" Governor Swann complemented, smiling proudly at her.
"Will!" Elizabeth excitedly greeted, now rushing down the stairs. "It's so good to see you! I had a dream about you last night."
Alex quirked her eye. "About me?" Will replied in surprise.
Governor Swann shifted uncomfortably at his daughter's boldness. "Yes, well, is that entirely proper for you to–"
Elizabeth ignored her father's protests. "About the day we met, do you remember?"
"How could I forget, Miss Swann?" Will smiled.
"Will, how many times must I ask you to call me Elizabeth?"
"At least once more, Miss Swann. As always." Will's answer was full of innocence, but Elizabeth still frowned.
"There," Governor Swann started in satisfaction. "See? At least the boy has a sense of propriety. Now, we really must be going." He handed Elizabeth a parasol. "There you are."
Elizabeth looked up at Will, giving him an emotionless stare. "Good day, Mr. Turner." She coldly said. Will looked back in confusion, but it was clear to Alex that Elizabeth did not like his recent answer.
"Come along." Governor Swann began heading towards the door, causing Alex to quickly jump out of the bushes to appear that she had just arrived instead of eavesdropping in the bushes. She made it in time as the door opened.
"Hey, Lizzie." Alex grinned.
"Alex, hello," Elizabeth faintly smiled. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay…I'll be gone for the afternoon."
"I understand, Norrington's ceremony and all...have fun, though." She chuckled.
"Oh, yes, if I can breathe." She laughed before gasping and holding her hand to her chest. She nodded her goodbye and disappeared into the carriage.
"Governor Swann." Alex greeted with a grin as he came down the stairs from the porch.
"Miss Keller, good day." He replied with a smile, passing her towards the coach, followed by two or three official looking men. Will followed, but stopped when he reached the end of the porch to watch the carriage drive off, unaware of Alex's presence.
"Good day…Elizabeth." Alex heard Will say. She rolled her eyes and approached him.
"You've always been the polite one, Will. Loosen up." Alex smirked as she pat him on the back.
"Alex, what are you doing here?"
"Well, I came here to see our Lizzie, but it seems that'll have to wait." She shrugged. He gave a simple "oh" in response, looking back down the private drive with that same confused look on his face.
"What's wrong, Will?"
"Nothing."
Alex rolled her eyes. "C'mon, William, I've known you for such a long time, I think I could tell when something is up."
Will sighed. "It's Elizabeth…she doesn't seem to be too pleased with me."
"Yeah, I know, I heard." Alex replied, and it was Will's turn to roll his eyes at her.
"I'm afraid I may have said or done something." He frowned, and Alex just shrugged as she began to walk back towards the main road. Will followed. "But I don't know what."
"Forgedaboutit." Alex waved her hand in a dismissive manner. "She's probably in a pissy mood from wearing that dress of hers. I swear it's not right."
"I thought it looked beautiful on her." Will quietly replied.
"Yeah, well, maybe so, but that won't change my opinion."
"Oh, Alex." Will shook his head with a laugh, causing Alex to smile in turn.
As they walked back towards town, Will gave Alex an update on his life, and she with hers. She was enjoying this time she was spending alone with Will, which were rare to come by since his work at the smithery had been in much demand lately. There was no Elizabeth to steal all his attention away from her. They had a heartfelt conversation about swords, and Alex managed to make him laugh a few times. And what a laugh…she thought.
"Well, I should finish some errands before returning to the smithery…" Will started.
"Why so soon? Browns is probably sleeping on his drunk ass, why not come along with me for some rum?" Alex hopefully suggested.
"First rum, then you'll think of some chaotic thing to do to the redcoats. Remember last time you got bored?" He needn't remind her what happened, since they both knew full well what he spoke of. After a night of drinking, she and her friend Thomas decided to sneak aboard one of the Navy's ships and mess around. They alarmed the soldiers, making them think they were pirates trying to steal their ship.
In the end, she earned a night in jail and a slap on the wrist. But it was all good, clean, drunk fun…
"Yeah, well, they're too uptight for their own good. I have more useful things to do with my time now." Alex innocently grinned.
"Right." Will looked down at her in doubt. "Anyways, I don't drink. You know that."
"Aw, you're such a wimp."
"At least I'm not a menace to society." Will joked. "You're lucky that Commodore Norrington hasn't locked you up as much as he really should."
"It's because he knows that Elizabeth would get on his case if he laid a finger on me, though she never verbally told him so." Alex chuckled. "I'd be happy to let him know, though..."
"Why would he do that for Elizabeth?" Will quizzically asked. Alex looked at him with a quirked brow. The poor lad – he didn't know that the ice-cream Norrington fancied Elizabeth? She inwardly shrugged. He'd find out sooner or later.
"Because…she's the Governor's daughter, that's why." Alex explained.
"Oh, that's understandable. Just don't take advantage him and his hospitality, alright? One day you just might actually put him over the edge."
"Never!" Alex replied, feigning innocence. Will laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, giving her a half-hug, which she tried not to melt into.
"Stay out of trouble."
"But that's not fun!" Alex laughed. When he broke the friendly hug, much to her disappointment, she worked up the nerve to ask him the question that was a fog in her mind all afternoon. "Say, if you aren't busy tonight, maybe we could do something since Elizabeth ditched us?"
Will gave it some thought. "Not tonight I'm afraid, I have a large list of orders that need to be made…" Alex nodded in understanding, and tried to hide her disappointment and frown that wanted to creep loose.
"Okay, another time then." Alex smiled.
"I promise, another time." Will replied, giving her a smile of his own.
Alex recalled him saying that just a month ago. Elizabeth had gotten his promised time before she could.
"'ey, Alex!"
"There's the pretty lass!"
"Hey, gents." Alex laughed as she approached the two sailors, her boots thunking on the wooden docks.
"Where have ye been, lassie? You don't come to visit me anymore, ye don'." The elder of the two sailors, who was in his mid fifties, grinned as Alex bent over and gave him a chaste kiss on his wrinkled cheek.
"Oh, you know, doin' a little o' this and a little o' that." Alex winked at Charles and his younger friend, Frederick.
"So when are you going to come with me on me ship?" Frederick laughed. "It's all ready for yer boardin', it is."
Alex raised her brow as Charles began laughing. "I don't know, Fred, I've heard about your ship and I hear that the mast isn't all up as she ought to be these days." She winked at Charles.
"Ouch." Fred laughed, giving her a big, hearty hug.
"Easy on the goods, darlin'." Alex wheezed teasingly.
"So, have ye seen the Interceptor lately, Alex?" Charles asked curiously.
Alex shook her head. "Nah, where did they put her?"
"Right over there," Fred pointed, and Alex followed his direction to where the private docks were. She narrowed her eyes and noticed the tip of the mast teasingly peak over at her from over the palm trees and small buildings. "They say she's the fastest ship in the Caribbean."
"That isn' true! The Dauntless is!" Charles argued. "What do ye think, Alex?"
"I don't know, they both seem pretty grand to me. I've seen the prints for its body, and by the way they constructed the Interceptor, it's possible that she's the faster of the two." Alex wisely stated.
"See! Alex would know, so the Interceptor is faster." Frederick triumphantly smiled.
"Well, you see there, Fred, it's not about the speed, but the performance…just a tip, just in case your 'ship' manages to get a passenger, eh?" Alex laughed, followed by Charles hearty laughter once again. Fred just shook his head in amusement. "Well, I'm going to go have a look-see for myself with the Interceptor."
"Alright, lassie, stay outta trouble!" Charles said.
"Do I ever?" Alex laughed. "Ta, boys."
"Bye, Alex!"
"See you around, lass!"
She left the two friends laughing to themselves behind her and began crossing the docks to get to the private dock just around the corner. When she got to the bridge, she looked over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching her or giving her a suspicious eye. She only did this due to a past experience. She was trying to sneak onto this dock just a week or so ago to search for a large shipment of rum that was rumored to be just sitting out there on this dock, unguarded, and would be until early next morning. She was caught while trying to break each individual crate open.
Sadly, she never did find that crate.