Where am I? Elizabeth awoke lying on the soggy driftwood she had grabbed onto. The stars twinkled, the only source of light around her. The moon was but a sliver barely visible in the blackened sky. She shivered in the icy air, still heavy from the storm. There was no land in sight, no person to hear her calls. Open water that seemed to stretch on until the ends of the earth. She was alone, in pure isolation. "Hello? Is anyone there?" In the distance, she thought she saw the flicker of a light, the ghostly silhouette of a ship. She called out again, and as her eyes adjusted to the shadowy night the light burned brighter. The ship became clearer. The sails were pulled up, a chain dangling over the side to anchor it to the deep sea floor. Neither the ship nor the approaching longboat bore flags. The man in the boat looked vaguely familiar, however. Even in the dim light, she could make out the trifold upon his head, covering the top of the powdered wig. The tidy uniform. And she felt the smile creep onto her face, and she knew. James Norrington was safe.

"My word. Elizabeth? What are you doing out here?" He asked, as he helped her onto the longboat. "Where are Turner and Sparrow? I saw them only five days ago. Are they not with you?" He handed her a blanket as she seated herself in the boat. She was drenched in water and freezing. "Have you been caught in this storm? A nightmare if I've ever seen one, and it lasted quite long. Reminds me of the hurricane,"

She faltered at the mention of Will and Jack. Again when he told her how long the storm has lasted. "F-Five days? The storm lasted five days?" James nodded, giving her a puzzled look. "Our boat, it sunk in the storm. We were all separated." She cast her eyes downwards, not wanting to betray her guilt. Not wanting him to see what he so often did that she tried to hide.

"Elizabeth you always were bad at lying." He shot her a disapproving look. "I can't very well help you if you don't tell me the truth. About everything." He stressed this last word as her eyes came to meet his. He saw the tears welling up behind her eyes, refusing to come forth.

When they reached the ship, he sat her down on a soft chair, seating himself beside her. "Jack is… what I mean to say is… he's dead. And Will—" She broke off, letting one tear roll down her cheek. She could taste the bitterness of it; she could hear the hardness of her words. "Will was on the boat. I don't know where he is." He looked at her; saw her sorrow, and her pain. He moved over to where she was, and put his arms around her. She felt safer somehow, and let herself cry until she fell asleep.

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Will hadn't ever felt as lonely as he did now. Not when his father left. Not when his mother died. He had lost Elizabeth. He had washed up on the shore of an island three days ago, weak and weary. He had almost drowned in the storm, trying to hold on to something for support. He had woken up on a soft, white sand beach, in the shade of the palm trees. All he could do was call out, hope that someone heard him. He couldn't move; a piece of wood had hit him in the storm, blown by the forceful winds. He had received a deep gash in his left leg, and had been able to roughly bandage it, but he had been in too much pain to walk, the salty water stinging as he had tried to swim towards the shore. A young boy had found him after only a few hours, and was able to find help.

The young boy, called Noah, was sitting with him now. Noah's parents had welcomed Will like he was their own family, given him a room, and food, and taking helping him with his leg. He had sat with Noah everyday, talking about all sorts of things, both of their pasts, and legends of the island. Will wasn't sure where he was, but he was sure he wouldn't be here much longer. Everyday he stayed his heart ached a bit more. He longed to see Elizabeth again, even if she wouldn't speak with him.

One specific legend had interested Will very much. He looked Noah, at the dreamy look in the ten year-old's eyes as he retold the legend to Will:

"They say that far to the west, on the shoreline where it is most rocky, there is a small hut. This hut is filled with all sorts of treasures that have washed up on the island. But what's even more interesting is the woman that lives inside. Lost sailors come to seek wisdom from her. They call her the Lady of the Sea. She is not a woman of magic; she cannot read fortunes, or cast spells. But the advice she gives is special; it seems to affect everything around the person who receives it. But her advice is only given to the worthy." The boy looked at Will. "She's supposed to be very pretty too. One day, I'm going to meet her." His eyes seemed to look far into the distance, as the boy was lost in his thoughts.

Will was consumed in his own thoughts as well. He knew what he had to do now. Noah didn't move even as Will limped out the door and onto the beach. Will set his sights to the west and began to walk normally. He walked with greater speed, gritting his teeth to help bear the pain in his leg. He needed to see if the storied were true. He needed to get there today. Even if it kills me… Elizabeth…