Dinner had just finished winding down as the servants cleared the table. It had been a rather awkward evening, as her father had invited Admiral Middleton to dine with them as well. She knew her father had attempted to orchestrate a possible attachment between herself and the Admiral after she had dismissed him so callously at the ceremony. They had ate in near silence, the tension palpable. Elizabeth kept out of all conversation as much as she possibly could, just to avoid having an awkward moment with Admiral Middleton. She was grateful for Norrington's presence at the dinner, as she feared a scene may have arisen had he not been there. The evening seemed to drag on endlessly and she was eternally thankful that it was finally ending. Her father and Admiral Middleton headed towards the door as she and Captain Norrington held back for a moment.
"Thank you, Miss Swann, for inviting me to dine with you. It was a pleasure, as always," he said to her with a smile.
"James, it was a pleasure to have you," she replied.
"Elizabeth," her father called as he re-entered the room. "Admiral Middleton and myself have a little unfinished business to attend to at the fort. I shouldn't be very long."
"Perhaps we could join you?" Elizabeth asked. "I would love an opportunity to take a stroll along the parapets. I'm sure Captain Norrington wouldn't mind escorting me." Elizabeth glanced at Norrington for confirmation.
"I don't see why not." Elizabeth's father smiled before he returned to his discussion with Admiral Middleton.
The four of them climbed into the carriage once it was brought to the front of the manor. Elizabeth watched the scenery outside the carriage pass by as it travelled to the fort. It still looked the same as it had that morning, only a bit darker in the night time. She glanced over to her father, who was watching her with a curious look. She simply smiled at him in response. She was sure he was wondering the real reason she had wanted to join them. It certainly wasn't because she wanted to walk along the parapets. She could have done that at any time if she asked. Her true reasoning was to spend some time alone with James Norrington. It was her ardent hope that he would take the opportunity to see her as more than the governor's daughter. As a woman, she was unable to tell or imply to him how she felt and could only hope that he would feel the same and begin courting her himself. Now that she had refused the Admiral, she wished James would do something as he had the opportunity to.
Once the quartet had arrived at the fort, Governor Swann and Admiral Middleton left for the Admiral's office while James Norrington escorted Elizabeth towards the parapets. He helped her up the steps then offered his arm to her. She took it with pleasure as they started walking along. Marines were stationed the length of the wall with muskets, guarding the fort from unseen forces in the evening.
Elizabeth gazed out at the harbour as she and James continued to walk along the parapet. It wasn't the nicest evening for weather, but she hardly noticed. The only thing that held her attention at that moment was the warmth she could feel from her contact with James. She caressed his arm ever so slightly as to not have been noticed. She could feel her heart fluttering in her chest with excitement and affection.
"The weather is terribly bleak tonight," said James, breaking the silence between them.
"Yes, it is. It was so lovely earlier," Elizabeth mused. "It's amazing how quickly the weather can change sometimes."
Elizabeth let go of Norrington's arm and walked a few steps ahead of him, trying to clear her head. She felt a bit disoriented around him at times and she needed a moment. A loud boom sounded in the distance, causing Elizabeth to pause.
"What was that?"
Elizabeth turned back to James and saw that he had glanced out at the harbour. His eyes widened and he moved towards her quickly as he shouted, alerting the guards.
"Cannon fire!"
Elizabeth felt herself being forced down under James' weight as he tackled her to the ground, out of harms way as the cannonball hit the wall of the parapet, causing it to explode. Once the threat of danger was gone, he moved away from her immediately and helped her to her feet.
"Elizabeth, we're under attack. It's too dangerous out here for you. Barricade yourself in the Admiral's office. You'll be safe there. Go!" James demanded.
"No, I'm not leaving –" Elizabeth started before James interrupted her.
"That's an order!"
Taken aback by his sternness towards her, Elizabeth backed down from her protests and moved quickly towards the stairs. She ran across the courtyard towards the officers' quarters. She had no intention of following James's order, but the least she could do was warn Admiral Middleton and her father of the attack. As she glanced back at the parapet, she noticed James was leaving the fort with a small group of marines. She frowned before she headed indoors towards the Admiral's office.
When she reached the door, she knocked quickly and entered before given permission. Her father and the Admiral looked up at her, bewildered at her lack of propriety. They had not heard the attack and were still going over various official papers.
"Admiral, sir," Elizabeth panted, slightly out of breath from running, "the fort is under attack. Cannon fire…"
Elizabeth didn't have to say another word before the Admiral was on his feet and nearly out the door. Elizabeth's father stayed put, knowing far too well that it would be too dangerous for him in the line of fire. Once Admiral Middleton had left, Elizabeth turned to leave, having every intention of going after Captain Norrington, ensuring his safety.
"Elizabeth, where do you think you're going?" her father asked.
"I was… I was just going to survey any damage… I promise I will stay a safe distance away and return should it get too dangerous."
"Surely you can't be serious. It's too dangerous out there. I will not have my daughter running about while there is an attack going on."
"I'm sorry, father, but I must go." Before she could hear anymore protests, Elizabeth ran out the door and down the hallway.
With James gone, she climbed the parapet once again, staying off to the side and out of the way. She looked out over the harbour and her eyes widened as she surveyed the scene unfolding before her. Through the fog that had drifted in over dinner time, she could see a dark outline of a ship in the middle of the harbour, firing its cannons at the town and the fort. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, unbelieving that such a thing could happen. It was then she noticed a crowd of people disembarking long boats on the shore. Surely, that had been the reason James had left the fort, to fight off the pirates raiding the town. She rushed down the stairs of the parapet, not thinking of herself or the danger she was about to encounter, and ran out onto the streets of Port Royal.
The streets were deserted, making it possible for her to move quickly. She knew it was only a matter of time before everyone was out and about, fighting off pirates and whatever else they could do to save their possessions from plundering. As she travelled down one of the laneways, she caught a glimpse of two people, one carrying a torch. She stopped to get a better look at them, only to realise that they were part of the pirate crew that had come ashore. Her eyes widened as the balding one pointed at her with a sinister smile.
Elizabeth didn't stay to find out what they wanted with her and she ran as fast as she could away from them. It was then that she hit the crowds of people, fighting and running away. Pirates were everywhere she could see, setting fire to buildings, chasing and terrorising young women, and stealing everything of value in their sights. Innocent people were being attacked and shot at for no reason at all. Elizabeth remained fairly unspotted by the rest of the pirates who were destroying the town. She ducked once when a pistol shot sounded close by. She wasn't sure if they were aiming at her or something else entirely, but she knew better than to take a chance.
She glanced behind her as she ran down the streets, noticing that the two pirates that had first spotted her were following her. She took a quick couple of turns before she ran into one of the gardens of a Port Royal society family. The house looked as though it had escaped damage for the moment and she hoped that the pirates following her would pass it by unsuspectingly. She crouched down behind a bush and waited in silence. She could hear footsteps nearing the garden gate, and hoped that they would continue. For a moment, she thought they would continue down the road, but she heard the gate creak open and knew it wasn't to be so. She bit her bottom lip as they started to walk closer to her hiding spot.
"We know you're 'ere, Poppet. You've got something of ours," the balding one called out to her, "and it calls to us. The gold calls to us."
Elizabeth pulled the medallion out from her bodice and stared at it, realising that it was what they were referring to. As she looked up, she realised the two pirates were peering down at her through the branches of the bush. She dove to the side as they reached for her, and quickly got to her feet. She climbed over the short garden wall and landed in the laneway. Determined not to be captured, she started running towards the town again, hoping to run into a marine, or even better, Captain Norrington. She continued running, hearing the two pirates running along behind her, trying to catch her as quickly as they could. She headed towards the fort, now knowing she should have listened to James in the first place and not left the Admiral's office.
Elizabeth stopped suddenly when her eyes landed on Captain Norrington and the blacksmith William Turner fighting next to each other with a couple of pirates. Captain Norrington ran the pirate he was fighting through with his blade while Mr. Turner caught the other pirate with his boarding axe in the back. The two pirates fell to the ground and Elizabeth ran towards to the two men.
"James!" she called out. He turned his head towards her just as she felt an arm wrap itself around her waist and yank her back.
"'Ello, Poppet." It was one of the pirates that had been chasing her through the town.
She screamed as she started being dragged away. Captain Norrington started running towards her and the two pirates carrying her away, calling out her name, his sword drawn. He had a fierce, determined look on his face that suggested he would do anything to free her from the pirates' grasp.
The grip around Elizabeth's waist tightened as she struggled to get free of the pirates. She watched helplessly as another pirate attacked Norrington from behind with a club, knocking him out. She hadn't had time to call out to warn him as it all happened so fast. William Turner was locked in a sword fight with the pirate Norrington had run through and was unable to be much help to anyone else. It was a perplexing occurrence, but no one was able to dwell on it as there was too much going on to distract them all.
The two pirates dragged Elizabeth down to the waterfront and threw her into one of the longboats. She sat helplessly as they climbed in and started rowing towards the ship sitting in the middle of the harbour. It was a dark ship with black sails, still firing its cannons at the town and Fort Charles.
Elizabeth could see the rest of the pirates heading back to the ship as well with their stolen goods. The small longboat bumped along the side of the ship before it came to a stop just under a ladder. The balding pirate pointed his pistol at her and motioned for her to climb up onto the ship. She bit her lip before standing up in the small boat then grabbed hold of the bottom rung and pulled herself up. When she finally made it to the top, she came face to face with more pirates. Her bottom lip quivered in fright, but she tried to show as much bravery as she could.
"What be the meanin' o' this?" a booming voice asked.
Elizabeth looked up to the stern of the ship and saw a shadow of a man standing at the top of the stairs. He was a man of average height, but his build and dress more than made up for it, as he took on a rather menacing, larger-than-life look. He had a large hat with blue ostrich feathers, wavy hair to his shoulders and a scraggly beard. His dress looked as though it had once belonged to an English nobleman but had since seen rough times on the sea. On his shoulder sat a capuchin monkey, dressed in miniature pirate attire. He took his time walking down the stairs as Elizabeth's two captors finally made it on deck.
"Cap'n Barbossa, sir, this be the girl with the gold," the tall, lanky pirate said.
"Really now? And what be your name, missy?" Captain Barbossa asked.
"Elizabeth… Turner." Elizabeth stared at the Captain, hoping he wouldn't see through her lie. She had come up with the first name that popped into her head that wouldn't get her into trouble. She knew her father was well known in the Caribbean, as were Admiral Middleton and Captain Norrington. She assumed they would have no knowledge of a poor blacksmith's apprentice.
"Miss Turner?" There was some whispered rumblings from the crew as Barbossa said this. Elizabeth suddenly had a sinking feeling in her stomach that this may not go as well as she had hoped.
"And how did you come into possession of a trinket such as that? Family heirloom perhaps?" the captain asked.
"I didn't steal it, if that's what you mean." And it was the truth. She had found it in her home, though she suspected it had been left there accidentally.
A crude, menacing smile crept over Captain Barbossa's features as he leaned forward and grasped the medallion in his hand. He gave it a sharp tug and the chain came free from her neck. He held the medallion in his hand for a moment before he handed it up to the monkey sitting on his shoulder. The monkey took the gold and disappeared into the crew of pirates.
"Pintel, Ragetti, show our guest to her quarters," ordered Captain Barbossa. He then turned to Elizabeth with a sinister smile. "Welcome to The Black Pearl, Miss Turner."
The two pirates who had chased Elizabeth sniggered as each of them took hold of one of her arms and started dragging her away. They escorted her down a flight of stairs and when they reached the bottom, she saw exactly where she was staying. Not too far from the staircase were two barred areas which served as the ship's prison. Pintel, which she had figured out was the balding one, opened one of the doors with a set of keys before he pushed her inside. He slammed the door shut and they both left, laughing at her predicament.
Elizabeth stared out of a small hole in the side of the ship, watching as Port Royal disappeared from sight as The Black Pearl sailed away. She moved back from the hole and sat down on the floor of the cell. She began to wonder what her future held for her. She had no idea what the pirates wanted with her, but she was thankful they had kept her alive. She knew her fate could have been much worse than being stuck in the brig of a ship full of pirates, and that was the only thing that made her thankful of her situation.