Elizabeth made her way across the deck and up the stairs to the captain's quarters. What could she do? Think Elizabeth. How do you talk to a man when you have no voice? She took a swig of the rum to steady her nerves.

'You could get him drunk,' Elizabeth heard Jack's voice echo in her skull. She swallowed. Clearly his words were a rebuke. But, why should it matter? Weren't they all out for their own interests once upon a time? Weren't they pirates?

No, she couldn't get him drunk. She was nothing of a temptress tonight. Further, being a fearsome pirate captain would surely lead him to have more tolerance than what was left in the bottle. She sighed. Perhaps this night could be used for scouting. She gave a brief knock at the captain's quarters, balancing the tray with her left arm.

"Come in," he bellowed from his desk.

As Elizabeth entered, she slyly looked around the quarters to gain a better understanding of the man. Evidence of voodoo, as she'd heard it called, could be seen in various accoutrement. There were needles, swords, burlap, chicken feathers. Candles burned about the room as she turned her eyes to the captain who was staring at the map she'd seen delivered earlier. Then, movement caught her eye, There it was- the Black Pearl! On a shelf over the captain's head were a row of ships in bottles. Though they weren't like the ones she'd seen at port. Somehow, a wind within the bottles seemed to blow in gales. The waves peaked and ebbed as if a real ocean, testing the vessel. Perhaps she'd even seen lightning within the glass. Sorcery, she thought as she blinked for a moment.

"Something caught your eye?" Blackbeard uttered as she shook her head a firm no. "Good," he replied, "I don't like men with wandering eyes. Too greedy."

She nodded politely as she placed his meal and rum on the table. At that moment, he swiftly grasped her wrist. Elizabeth's eyes widened with fright at the unexpected contact. "I don't like liars, either." His blue eyes burrowed into hers. The silence stretched between them as she struggled to keep her mouth shut and her throat wet.

"What was it you were looking at when you entered my quarters?" He asked, his hand still encasing her wrist.

Anything but the ship! She thought as she quickly pointed at the burlap doll, a little girl with brown curls. Real brown curls. It reminded her of something she'd had when she was a child. Although the hair she'd had was yarn…

Blackbeard's eyes grew wide and wary again as he let go of Elizabeth, exchanging her hand for the doll's. "Ah, yes," Blackbeard spoke absently, "she reminds me… of someone I've left behind." His wistful voice became gruff as he turned, "Ye haven't got a thing for dolls, do you boy?"

Elizabeth shook her head no, then pointed to the short, stray hairs from her cap and mocked combing them.

"Yes…" Blackbeard nodded as he looked at the doll, "her hair is real. Somewhere, the girl is real too." He looked up at the boy Elizabeth portrayed, "Do you have a girl at home?"

Elizabeth took a moment, then shook her head no. Truly, she hadn't. Not even her mother to speak of for so many years.

Blackbeard caught the sorrow in her eyes, "Aye. So ye've lost one too?" Elizabeth nodded. "Suppose life is better at sea. Ain't nothing left to lose except time." They searched each other silently for a moment. "Well, what are you waiting for, boy?" Blackbeard murmured as he returned to his seat, "Go on and feed the crew."

Elizabeth nodded as she took a step backward, bowed, and turned towards the door.

All things considered, Elizabeth ruminated as she began to feel giddy, that wasn't the worst conversation to be had. She'd learned he'd left or lost someone, likely a girl. His child? She wondered, could she use this as leverage somehow if needed? He wasn't the most open book. Pintel and Ragetti had mentioned him knowing the Dark Arts. She'd seen strange enough things to know to take them at their word- but those bottles, those bottles of ships were unlike anything she'd seen before. And she was married to the captain of the Dutchman. The ocean sure was a vast and uncharted territory.

About those ships… if she managed to abscond with the Black Pearl, how was it she could get it to return to usual size? Was there some incantation? What happened if she uncorked it? She was certain she didn't want to try that on board. Oh, but she was close. So much closer to Jack and Will than she had been in years. I'm coming, she thought. Though it ought to have been for the both of them, only one seafarer came to mind.