Blood Stained jade flower

Jack leaned over the railing and looked into the water. The water splashing up around the front of the ship gave him a calming sense. It was always when he was in need that he turned to the sea. Other wise, he left her alone, letting her be his silent companion. He needed to think, think about life, what it meant, and how much of it he actually had left.

Well… maybe he just needed some rum.

Jack swayed across deck and made his way below. He returned above deck with his treasured rum and walked towards his cabin. He saw a very dim, flickering light glowing from the room. He put his hand on the door knob and peered through the window. He couldn't see anything except a dark figure standing by his desk. He had hated this window since the day he stole it on a recent trip to Singapore, and now he hated it even more.

Jack made a mental note to have one of his crew clean that blasted window.

Jack set his rum bottle down and then put his hands on the door knob. Using both of them he twisted it. The knob moved, but Jack knew that it was locked. He took two steps back and then kicked the door handle with his right foot. The door busted loose and he tumbled into the cabin.

Jack quickly recovered and stood up.

"Jack!" Will Turner turned and stood before him with his hands behind his back.

Jack straightened out his vest and said, "Oh, you."

"Yes, me…" Will paused.

"Well… what is it?" Jack questioned.

"It's Elizabeth… she's been kidnapped." Will stopped, he looked imploringly at Jack.

"All I found was this." Will held up a small square piece of metal.

Jack grabbed it, and holding it in his hand, he studied it.

"What is it?" Will said peering over his shoulder.

"It's a flint stone; they are normally used for greasing the outsides of cannons."

"But, what does that mean?"

"Well, why do you need my help?"

"Why do you think?"

"Because I am a great man who has compassion for those who even are the most imploring, common people?"

"Jack…" Will said in an annoyed voice. "Please, do help me find Elizabeth."

"Give me one reason why," Jack said has he sat down in his chair and open the bottle of rum.

"Please help me; I will do anything for you… anything."

"Anything, eh?"

"Yes, anything, as long as you truly help me find her."

"Oh, please never doubt me on my word. What I want from you, in exchange for the finding of your bride to be, is your aid in finding something for me that very well ties in with why your beautiful lady has been…" Jack looked up and raised his eye brow. "…misplaced."

ELIZABETH

Elizabeth stood, very still behind the ship's stair case. She could see her chest rise and fall in as she silently breathed. In her sweaty palm she gripped a sword. "Thank God Will taught me how to use a sword." She thought.

"Moorman, go below and get Flint, tell him to get that girl and bring her to me."

The voice made Elizabeth snap to attention. She waited, standing in a fighting position, ready for the moment when the crewman would walk down the stairs and spot her beneath the set of stairs going up. Instead of waiting for him, she grabbed her long dress and sank into the shadows of the stairs even further.

"Hey you!" The man, Moorman said. "Come, here. How did ye get out of your room?"

He walked towards her, a smirk on his face. "Trying to scare me with your sword?" He said, taunting her.

She drew back, uncertain at what she should do. On impulse she stepped into her fighting stance and plunged the sword, handle deep into his belly. His eyes rolled into his head and he feel to the ground.

A great arm reached for her shoulder and turned her to face a man, to her shock it was Barbosa.

WILL AND JACK

Will stood, at the back of the ship looking out on the sea that they had already gone through.

He grabbed a rope and jumped down to the landing Jack was standing on, watching his crew work the sails and the rest of the ship.

"Are we making good time?" He asked Captain Jack.

"I don't know." Jack said staring out at the sea. "We don't have a bearing."

"No bearing?" Will asked, his eyes widening.

"Well, we don't even know where we're going."

"But you said you knew!"

"Of course I did, how else would I have gotten you to come with me?"

"Well, you could have at least told me the truth."

"I did, well I told half the truth."

"Then, where should we go from here?"

"I'm thinking Tortuga so we can get some more crewmen and also to listen to the rumors that are out and about right now."

"But don't you think that the people that kidnapped Elizabeth are going to be at sea?"

"Isn't Tortuga a port?"

"I guess that it's as good as any other place to start."

ELIZABETH

Barbosa grabbed her neck and pulled her towards him.

"Think you killing part of my crew be a good idea now missy?"

"It's Elizabeth Swann." She spat at him.

He lifted her up still holding her by her neck. Her face redden and it became hard for her to breath.

"It's not going to be very fun if you're going to act like that." He reeked into her ear.

"Watch your back Elizabeth, not everybody will watch out for you the way I do."

With that he set her down, releasing her neck. She gasped, falling onto her knees sputtering and rubbing her neck with her hand. She looked up at him with through slit eyes.

Anger raged inside her. She stood up and lunged at him. She used her arms and legs, being it that her sword had been long since discarded on the floor. He caught her fist mid-air. Forcing her back down onto the ground.

"You might think that you can get away with anything around here, but you can't. I can tell anger rumbles inside ye." He laughed a low disgusting laugh. He turned to the man standing next to him.

"Clean that body and leave." Barbosa said dismissing the man. He took one look at her and smirked.

"Ye be stuck here, you might as well make it just a little bit pleasant. But I can see that is not the way you want things." He shoved her; she tumbled back falling on the slippery wet floor. She looked around her, all of the pirates laughed at her.

"QUIET!" Screamed Barbosa. "She needs her beauty sleep." The men began to laugh again and Barbosa grabbed her elbow pulling her up from the floor.

"Go to ye cabin." His hot breath stung her cheek as he pushed her towards the stairs.

"Good night pretty."

WILL AND JACK

Will tossed and turned in his cot, finally he got up and headed out of the cabin. He walked to the bow, and looked out, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Dark night."

Will turned and saw Jack standing behind him.

"No stars, no luck." Jack said as he walked to the railing and lightly rested his elbows on it.

"Where did you hear that?" Will asked.

"It's an old pirates tale." Jack said turning around, his elbows still on the railing. He took a cigar out of his pocket and lit it with a match. After he lit it, he flicked the match into the swirling black water.

"You know Will," Jack said, releasing a puff of smoke. "Is one woman really worth all this?"

"I love her!" Will said looking at him in disbelief.

"Have you ever loved a woman Jack?"

"I have."