Unrest

"Being a lady isn't one of the most exciting occupations in the world, namely because the job is invented by a man. "A lady must be quiet and delicate and must never pry…" Ha! I'd like to see a man take a ladies job, he'd never manage. It is an art of pretending to listen to a man, and then doing the exact opposite of what he just proposed; only a woman's intelligence could handle such a thing. The world would be a better place without men; they just cause all the problems for the women to handle…" Proposed by a very bitter widow, who had realized the liberation her husband's demise brought.

Elizabeth yawned, she tried to abstain from it, she had been trying all morning, but it had just come. She was bored, listening to her father's man; she wondered how he was not falling asleep at his own words. He couldn't even make a pirate sound exciting, her father's estates stood no chance.

"So sorry," she apologized to the pompous stares of the men. Obviously by their looks they had forgotten she was present.

"Are you all right Elizabeth?" her father asked, always eternally worried; Elizabeth couldn't even sneeze without him being there ready with a handkerchief and a doctor.

"I'm fine father," she replied rather impatiently, "I'm just a little tired that's all."

"Maybe the lady would like to retire," his father's man offered his opinion, Elizabeth gave him a cold look and he quickly retreated deeper into the armchair he had been sitting in, rather stiffly. It had taken Elizabeth all of last night to persuade her father to allow her to listen to the affairs and news from England and around the other islands. It was the monthly report her father received, as a governor. Her father felt it was quite inappropriate for a young lady to hear of the less tasteful news which was traveling along with the figures of estate, but Elizabeth had bullied him into it in the end. Now Elizabeth sat here, wondering if her efforts were completely wasted.

The idea has first appeared to be a good one because Elizabeth was utterly bored. Everything had already been planned for her wedding; now all she could do was wait. She wasn't even allowed to spend time alone with her groom, people were always crowding around, and her father pointed out that even though she was engaged it was entirely inappropriate for a young lady to be unattended with a young man. Elizabeth had felt like pointing out that she had spent the whole night on an island with a pirate and a lot of rum, but she thought the better of it. It had, though, stirred bewilderment on how anyone was able to fall in love; at least she had known Will at a young age, which meant a few years of fun and games before society pulled tight. Elizabeth now had nothing to occupy her mind, except to wonder what was going on in the outside world. There had been no news from Jack and at first that had been a relief, but then Elizabeth began to have a feeling of foreboding. Though the days were sunny and warm, there always seemed to be a cloud hanging over everything. Elizabeth kept on remembering Jack's words and it was beginning to annoy her, there was no peace, even when he wasn't around. So she had decided that the best way to learn about the fate of Jack and his crew, as well as any other important news, was to hear the monthly report. She had made a fatal error there.

"Yes maybe you should retire," the Governor said, half rising, "I don't particularly think you will find any interest about the news coming in from the other islands.." it was a hopeful wish that he could prevent his daughter from hearing of any more inappropriate deeds, which weren't suited for a ladies delicate ears. It was a sadly placed hope, declared to be doomed from the beginning.

"No," Elizabeth said quite strongly, "I'm perfectly fine gentleman, please go on." She had lived through the amount of grain and rice, and goodness knows what was produced for the colony, she was determined to have her reward.

"Yes…well," said the officer, quite put out, he read silently through the document he had in his hand, then looked up at the Governor for confirmation. The Governor sighed, looked at his daughter, who was completely determined to hear the news, and signaled to the man to continue.

"A few minor pirates have been hung over at Louisanna, too many to mention. The East India trading company has been hot on other pirates which have attacked numerous…. Um….um,"

He stopped here as Elizabeth had edged closer in her chair, looking at him eagerly. The man was not used to eagerness; he was not used to frankly, anyone listening to him with the slightest bit of concern, despite the essential details the governor had to know. The man was quite put out, and turned red at Elizabeth's forthright manner.

Elizabeth noticed the man's unsure manner and quickly sat back in her seat, honestly some people really were trying. When he still did not continue she decided to just reach her main am with one direct question.

"What of Jack Sparrow?" she inquired. The man looked up at her, quite unsure on how to respond to questions, which he was also not used to.

"I'm sorry my lady?" he inquired.

"What of Jack Sparrow?" Elizabeth snapped, rather impatiently this time, it was quite a simple question, at the man's blank stare she elaborated. "Jack Sparrow the captain of the Black Pearl. He was going to be hung here a few years back, he escaped, commandeered and sunk the Interceptor…Jack Sparrow."

"Elizabeth," her father said reproachfully, she ignored him. It was a completely easy thing to do; she had practiced it a lot as a young child.

"Uh…yes," the man said, turning an even darker red. "That …um…Jack Sparrow…. Well as you know the Commodore tried to follow his trail….um…" he looked down at the heavy parchment which contained the report, as if hoping it would provide an answer. "There has been some sightings of him near Singapore, Spain and he has reportedly been moving at a rapid pace, the Commodore lost him on a small port and can't seem to detect him anywhere within the Caribbean, or without it."

"Oh is that why he returned home so quickly?" Elizabeth interrupted absently, she raised her eyebrows, when she had tried to gain information from the Commodore he refused to answer and she hadn't pressed the matter, assuming he had come back because he was needed within Port Royal.

The man remained silent, quite awkward; he quickly turned to the Governor, glancing back at his report. "That's it my lord," he said, edging out of his seat, "There is nothing else to report in front of the lady…" he glanced nervously at Elizabeth as if he expected her to snap at him again, when she did not interrupt he gratefully turned his gaze back to the kind Governor. "If I could have a private recess within your office, to discuss… other matters…"

"Yes very good," the Governor said, smiling and rising, obviously he was relieved that there was no argument from his daughter.

The man and Elizabeth rose too, coming to herself she realized what had passed between the two men. "What do you mean other matters?" Elizabeth enquired, this time her father intervened.

"Now Elizabeth this you shall not hear this piece of news, no civilian shall until I correspond with the other governors. It is news which can not be compromised," he said this firmly and before Elizabeth could protest was walking quickly towards his study, presumably before Elizabeth could even begin to bully him and force him to waver.

"But father," Elizabeth called, but he would not waver, or even hesitate, but walked firmly into his study, left the door open for the officer, and then smartly shut it with finality. Elizabeth sighed, her father could be so stubborn at times and she had completely forgotten. Somehow she had to hear what was being addressed within that room, whether her father liked it or not.

It took some time for Elizabeth to find a way to hear what was occurring within her father's study, without obviously walking through the door. She was forced to retrace her steps as a child, following dusty memory lanes, to find a way. It was a cupboard, a linen one filled with starch white sheets. Elizabeth had not ventured into it for quiet a while, it used to be her childhood retreat, until she became preoccupied with trying to handle corsets and the art of not tripping over her long flowing dresses.

Elizabeth as a child, was as strong and curious as Elizabeth was now. She remembered when Norrington used to visit her father, and she was dismissed to her room, while the men reclined in her father's study. She had known that they were talking of pirates and all the exciting things that were held away from her just because she was a young lady. Elizabeth was determined to hear the stirring tales, and it was ironically stories she recalled which helped her do this. In every story she had ever read there was always secret passages leading to wherever the hero's wanted to go. Elizabeth had searched around her father's study and found a cupboard, it did not contain a secret passage but it was made of thin walls, which served as well. Whenever her father and Norrington disappeared into his study she ran in there, closed the door and sat down listening to the many escapades of the pirates Norrington had faced or heard of.

The closet was large, it could fit three grown people in it and still have room, and Elizabeth had no problem closing the door and standing in the dark, listening to the rumble, which could be heard from the room next door, her fathers study. Elizabeth thanked the fact that the closet had actually been an extension to the original building, and was only made of thin walls. She could hear her father and his man as if they were standing right next to her, without a wall separating them.

"So down to business, brandy Charles?" she heard her father inquire, there was a tinkle of glasses and then she heard a thump, indicating her father sitting down. "How bad is it?" the Governor asked after a pause, his voice was grave.

"The… well the other governors report it has not dissipated sir, but it is moving," Elizabeth had to strain to hear the man, his voice fell to a mumble, she just managed to catch it. "It's hovered around Singapore, Spain and around the Caribbean, as I am sure you are aware Commodore Norrington almost fell prey to it while trying to catch…um…" Elizabeth heard a rustle of papers, "Uh…yes, Jack…Sparrow. Five ships have fallen prey to it, none but one have been found."

"And of the one?" the Governor asked, he sounded worried.

"Well sir, they found it but no man was on board," the officer replied in hushed tones. "There have been other reports of a…. Well a Kraken too…. quite unfounded of course…completely insubstantial."

Elizabeth heard her father rise, heard his footsteps, he was pacing she was sure of it, what he always did when he was worried.

"We don't want panic spreading," he finally muttered, "As Norrington said, make sure this news spreads to no one. As a seaport well… a storm which is rumored to be supernatural will cause all sorts of people to have an excuse to create havoc. We cannot risk the gossip creating a riot…yes… Anything else?"

"No nothing sir," she heard the man rise to his feet, the door to the study open.

Elizabeth felt fear seep through her, an unnatural storm which traveled and swallowed ships…. It was news, which sent a shiver up her spine. The cupboard door suddenly opened, Elizabeth turned with a start and gasped.

"Miss Swann what are you doing in here?" it was just Emily with a pile of sheets. Elizabeth sighed with relief.

"Oh I was just…. Looking for some new linen, I dropped powder on mine," Elizabeth invented what she felt was quiet obviously a lie, but she didn't really care at that point.

"Oh miss, you know we do that," Emily said, looking at her suspiciously. Elizabeth said something inaudible, took a sheet from the pile and quickly exited the cupboard backwards, a few shades redder. Her luck continued on its streak as she fell into the hands of the officer the Governor had been entertaining.

"Oh…Miss…I," he bumbled for the right words to express himself, his face was flushed. Elizabeth quickly retrieved herself from him, tripped over her dress, and embarrassed herself further.

"Why Elizabeth," the governor quickly came to her aid, helping her up from her now significantly belittling position on the floor.

"I tripped," she said in a small voice, trying to provide a winning smile and failing miserably. After both men ascertained she was all right, one bumbling and gushing apologies quiet annoyingly, the officer left, and Elizabeth retreated to her room. She walked unto her balcony, the birds called to each other, the lush green island seemed alive and happy with life. Elizabeth looked down upon her almost invisible scar, it was just a thin white line on the palm of her hand. She looked out at the horizon, the sea rolled calmly in with the tide. Everything seemed at peace but it was either Elizabeth's vivid imagination, but it was almost as if she could see a group of clouds approaching on the horizon.

"Krakens and storms, which swallow men," she said, attempting a small laugh, it wasn't really successful. 'As long as it comes after the weddings,' she thought to herself grimly, 'Otherwise there will be all hell to pay, and it will be the pirates who get it.'

I'm not sure if this is any good….or that anyone's reading. I can't continue until there's signs of life within those deep murky waters. Come on people please review is this good, bad, pathetically hopeless? Funny chapter coming up, very Jack wised.

Sairra : p