The gentle rocking of the ship was even too much for Emily's legs.
"Look at the lad," said another man jeeringly, pointing at Emily and laughing as she fell into the side of the ship. "'E can't even old 'imself up!"
The other men began to laugh raucously.
"Oh, yes," Emily muttered under her own breath, "just you wait."
Emily sighed, trying not to heave the contents of her stomach over board.
"You there, are you alright?" asked a strangely familiar voice.
"Aye, sir," Emily said, speaking in the manliest voice she could manage. She turned around and though she couldn't see very well in the dark sky, she knew something was weird about the man.
"Um…excuse me sir, but do I know you?" Emily asked, trying to get a better look at the face underneath the tri-corn hat.
"No, I don-" The person stopped suddenly mid-sentence, as if trying to figure out what exactly they were going to say next. "Wait a moment…are you? You're Emily aren't you," the voice asked, bending low to Emily's ear.
"How in Davy Jone's locker-?"
The person removed their hat, finally allowing Emily a better view. Emily gasped, suddenly confused. "Why? 'ow did you-? Wot?"
"Come with me, I'll explain everything."
---
"So, you're going to find Will?" Emily asked, sitting in the rigging with Elizabeth.
"Well, yes, of course. I mean, shouldn't I?" Elizabeth asked, with a slight shrug.
"Well, sure. But, how do you know where he is?" Emily asked.
"If I find a certain man, then surely Will shall be with him. Jack Sparrow. You've heard of him, I'm sure?"
Emily stood up on the thin rope slowly, grabbing onto the rope above her head, careful not to slip and fall. "O' course I've 'eard of 'im. Isn't 'e the man who sent you and Will on those escapades a few years ago? I've only 'eard it from the men who go to the Inn a million and one times. And even now I still "ear about the man. Nobody know what 'as 'appened to 'im."
"You know, you really should speak properly more often. It makes you sound like a decent sort."
Emily scoffed. "The decent sort? Now miss, what should I be speaking as such?"
"Much better," Elizabeth said, nodding slightly to herself. Again, Emily scoffed at her statement.
"Where was it you said we were going?" Emily asked once more, slowly reaching for the wooden pole at her side.
" Tortuga."
"And why is it we just had to come here?" Emily asked, clinging to one of Elizabeth's coat tails, not intending to lose her on the walk to wherever it was they were going.
---
"Because it's guaranteed that Jack Sparrow's going to be here. He's always here. Trust me," Elizabeth said, stopping in front of the busiest Inn there was.
"And you're absolutely sure of this?" Emily asked, unsure of whether this building would hold the truth for Elizabeth.
"Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I be?"
As soon as they walked into the Inn, Emily decided she had wanted to take her chances out in the open. There was a fight ensuing in the middle of the room, centering around one of the tables. She had only looked away for one second when Elizabeth had vanished.
"Elizabeth," Emily asked quietly, looking around, sighing as she spotted her 'escort' rushing into the mob, sword out and swinging. "Sure, let's just leave the idiot girl alone."
Emily stood watching for a moment, before she felt a strong hand pulling her back.
"I wouldn't be standing there lad. Who knows what they be doing," said a voice from behind her.
Emily pulled herself away from the hand quickly and whirled about. "Why, thank-you, sir. I'm new to the area and I really wasn't expecting what I be seeing," Emily said, grinning sheepishly.
"Of course," the man said, flashing Emily a golden smile. "What's yer name?"
Emily hesitated for a moment. The one thing she hadn't thought of, a name.
"M'name? M'name is...erm...Reid," Emily said, nodding slightly.
"Well, then...Reid. I'm the one and only Captain Jack Sparrow."
Emily's jaw dropped suddenly. "You're Jack Sparrow?"
"Captain, mate, Captain Jack Sparrow. What say you, being the lost puppy you are, you join me crew?" Jack asked, putting a hand on Emily's shoulder, guiding her over to the table where the commotion had once been.
"You're crew?" Emily asked, stopping short of the table.
"Aye, me crew. And absolutely no catches," Jack said, grinning.
Emily stared at Jack, pushing her long bangs out of her face. She sighed, looked at the table and the man sitting on the other side of it and slowly approached.
"No catches?" Emily asked Jack once more, taking a long hard look at the parchment in front of her.
"None."
Emily nodded, picking up the quill and slowly signing: Reid Sparrow
"There is...one catch, however," Jack said.