Entry 19
"If you keep leering at him like that she's bound to notice."
I glanced up at Norrington briefly before motioned him to lift the mirror he was holding higher, bringing the razor I'd previously acquired from Gibbs to the top side of my right cheek. My passing look at him however being enough for the former Commodore to read my thoughts, or so he assumed by that self-righteous half smirk that had formed on his lips when his eyes visited Elizabeth's sitting form at the stairs, before they resumed to follow me shaving. Me lifting my eyebrows at him before also shifted my head just a bit to send another miffed gleek at Sparrow, who had done nothing during these past two days than wheedled at Elizabeth constantly, regardless of all my efforts to keep him away by spending most of my own time with her. On the positive side finding our relationship to have become notably closer if not utterly renewed, her taking great comfort from my company and in fact seeking it voluntarily without me needing to always offer it, convincing me that she couldn't have not been aware of my feelings when she'd so eagerly spent so much time with me exclusively aboard this ship. For this reason Sparrow's relentless hovering around her making me but enraged, the pirate doing the exact the same thing now; sitting next to the pensive Elizabeth with an alluring smile before offering her a bottle of rum. Me quirking my eyebrows this time in admiration as saw her to bring it to her lips without hesitation, handling the drink quite well upon taking quite a large nip. A fleeting enamored smile rising on my lips when I was once more reminded of the ravishing verity that Elizabeth was no average woman to be in love with.
"…That you have feelings for her", Norrington elaborated once I didn't comment on his remark, either now giving me no cause to react other way than tilting my head to the right to finish the shaving of my left cheek. Me swapping the razor to my other hand.
"My love for Elizabeth has never been a secret", I answered, sweeping the blade across my skin briskly until adjusted the mirror, Norrington holding back an annoyed eye-roll as I beckoned him to lift it again. It perpetually starting to drop as his attention was directed elsewhere from his appointed task. "I'd in fact be but pleased should she notice, if she already hasn't. I suppose I cannot hide it any longer how much she means to me."
"You mean now when she's engaged to be married to another man?" Norrington pointed out wryly, me exchanging a deadpan look with him before concentrated back to other matters aside his vexingly insightful countenance. "And should she have been made aware by your recent address, do you think she pays any heed to you at all in such sense?"
Norrington's sceptical query caused me to pause, albeit the man was starting to irritate me again with his resumed mockery etched behaviour, me simply straightening my posture as turned my head around to have a better look at my jaw. Brushing a fleeting hand over my cheeks to find them smooth enough as nodded Norrington to get rid of the mirror, him in fact throwing it overboard for the vexation of Gibbs who had walked over to us once witnessing me to have finished. The man shaking his head at Norrington as received the razor back from me.
"That was Captain's mirror."
"By the look of him he doesn't seem to have much use for such niceties", I stated after leveling a measuring glance at Sparrow, the First Mate inclining his head with another nonplussed shake of it, until left us to return the razor back to Sparrow's cabin. Me resisting the temptation to let it slip to the pirate that his most trusted man had given me clear access to his personal belongings behind his back.
"Elizabeth knows I care for her deeply, and there's a bond between us unlike any other. She will come to understand what she feels for me in return has changed in strides since our meeting at Tortuga."
As if to emphasize my point we then saw Elizabeth to turn her head to our direction after spotting us watching her from the gunwale, tender smile rising on her lips which I returned when she locked gazes with me. Norrington's irises flickering between me and Elizabeth to measure us, until he then leant back in wonder.
"In two day's time? You consider yourself adept enough to have captivated her in such a short while?"
"You should know better than anyone to what lengths I can go while faced with a challenge, James."
Norrington tipped his head in concur, me holding back a smile as like before could see my casual way of addressing him to irritate him when for so long he'd been accustomed to be dutifully spoken to with a title and most of all without the impudence to use his given name. Him thinking about my answer before nodding towards Sparrow who'd managed to obtain Elizabeth's undivided attention again. "Then it seems you have quite the competition in winning her over."
I snorted, smirking as saw Elizabeth to direct an indignant look at Sparrow due to something he'd just presented her with by the look of his expectant expression, me folding my arms curiously as watched her now to stand on her feet and stride away from the puzzled pirate with a quite outraged visage. The slight scowl she then sent at the man over her shoulder causing me to let out an amused laugh, when she responded to him heatedly once Sparrow followed after her. Knowing that she'd visibly demonstrated increased reluctance to be around Sparrow since yesterday morning, therefore not the least worried.
"Sparrow's not worth considering competition", I replied tersely, narrowing my eyes in disgust as saw Sparrow to take a sniff at his soiled clothing before grinning, going after Elizabeth who was now ignoring him.
"Oh?" Norrington sneered, looking to me questionably. "Well I beg to differ, as to my eyes he seems more than determined with his advances, whether or not her willingness to accept them will show signs of growing since yesterday, or should she come to embrace yours… Although both of you have seemed to forget the only reason she is on this ship. The reason you more than clearly pointed out to me during our previous conversation."
"Neither Will or Sparrow will be an impediment that I cannot deal with", I answered indifferently, making sure my momentarily welled up irritation not to show in my voice as I took brief amusement from Norrington's obviously jealous delivery, smiling to myself confidently. It intriguing Norrington enough for him to lean forward in interest, but a ghost of that incredulous smile of his left.
"And why is that?"
"Because I have something neither of them possess to eventually win over her advances."
Norrington was baffled by my response but I bypassed his quizzical mien while pushed a hand into my jacket pocket, to feel the knife as well as the silky bundle I'd been carrying with me since leaving Port Royal for the first time close to a year ago. Me deciding now to be the perfect time to use it to not only get Sparrow to back off from Elizabeth, but to prove the former Commodore wrong. My fingers pushing through the fabric to touch the precious metal of the chain as I felt satisfaction to envelope me, thinking about the undeniable advantage I had to both Will and Sparrow in acquiring Elizabeth's affection. The truth being that from the three of us I'd known her since our infancy, having spent all my life around her and sharing it with hers in a form of several together spent afternoons and midnight mischiefs, all conducted under the mutual awareness of our unwavering devotion to one another which I knew to have changed to more than mere friendship during the most recent years. Her decision to marry Will still not giving me any reason to doubt there not to have been any romantic feelings between us, because I'd many times been face to face with them. Was it only a smile or a look of hers, there always had been something special between us that conjured up that heartfelt fondness to her countenance whenever we'd been alone, the last two days only supporting the fact that she was attracted to me greatly. Just refused to admit it, very much like she declined to acknowledge the appeal that Sparrow appeared to have on her since embarking. Therefore only encouraged by her efforts to keep the miscreant at bay me realizing this to be the right time to make sure how her heart truly felt.
Elizabeth confronted Sparrow, asking him a question while adopted a stern visage. Sparrow's however turning rather uncomfortable, and I could only assume the smart girl to have made another direct question concerning either our precarious destination or the thing that was supposed to take us there. Either way the pirate's expression being worth seeing as he somewhat cowered a bit in front of Elizabeth, her challenging him with her stare as continued. Me perking up my ears to hear them to be indeed talking about the compass.
"Good luck to you then…or should you not need it as you say, happy hunting", Norrington remarked, the man being far from amused he aspired to sound, while matched my stare with a sniding smile. Me simply mirroring it as dismissed him from my company with a nod, my attention soon shifting back to Sparrow and Elizabeth as something I heard her say raised my immediate interest, her voice assertive.
"You and I are alike. And there will come a moment when you have a chance to show it. To do the right thing", she mused, looking into Sparrow's eyes remarkably where the pirate reacted by flashing an amused smirk at her. Ignoring Elizabeth's laconism with a flick of his hand as strutted along the deck.
"I love those moments. I like to wave at them as they pass by", Sparrow announced pejoratively, not seeing any mind in Elizabeth's suggestion and neither did I. Me simply snorting at her way overly estimated assessment of the man's character as followed Elizabeth to go after the pirate, determined to make her point.
"You'll have a chance to do something… courageous", she told him, joining him by the ship's railing and offered him a jovial smile to claim his attention back from the ocean blue. "And when you do, you'll discover something…That you're a good man."
"Please", I retorted, to myself obviously even I wanted to laugh at Elizabeth's misguided remark. Sparrow surprisingly seeing eye to eye with me on this one as he made a self-assured grin.
"All evidence to the contrary, love."
"Oh, I have faith in you", Elizabeth replied sweetly after a light laugh, me frowning at the change in her tone a little, as watched her to twirl around while even wearing a smile that was slightly alluring. Looking up to the pirate inquisitively as tipped her head to the side, towards Sparrow.
"You want to know why?"
"Do tell, deary."
I felt that same familiar rush of anger as I followed Elizabeth to stare at Sparrow with eyes that now were downright seductive, her action of clearly trying to entice the pirate for a reason utterly unknown to me in fact shocking me, until my dismay was replaced with effusive jealousy. Me hating the way Sparrow's smugness was all whisked away by a single look of allurement, him taking the bait and turning to look at Elizabeth once his cocky smirk had been switched to distinctly tantalized expression.
"Curiosity. You're going to want it", Elizabeth revealed softly, leaning closer with every word that left her lips then, until they were curved up into a smile that caused the pirate to stiffen. Her eyeing at Sparrow once more from close range, teasing him, where I had to do everything for not to dart across the deck and drag that accursed buccaneer away from her. "…a chance to be admired and gain the rewards that follow. You won't be able to resist…You're going to want to know, what it tastes like."
"I do want to know what it tastes like", Sparrow admitted. Utterly beguiled, and once I watched him turn around to face Elizabeth while still pressed so close to her, his eyes riveted to her lips, my hand squeezed around the necklace in my pocket as I turned tempestuous. Filling with desire to shove the pirate overboard if he dared to lean even an inch closer, me in fact taking a riled step forward when saw him to lift a hand to brush his fingers along Elizabeth's jaw. My hard stare turning into a death glare that I wished to kill Sparrow right where he stood, partly stupefied when I saw Elizabeth to only encourage the pirate's advances by not recoiling at the touch like she'd done many times before. For a moment me thinking her to allow the miscreant to kiss her, but released a relieved sigh instead when she in the seemed to think better of it. Or someone did.
"But since you're a good man, I know you'd never put me in a position that would compromise my honor", she mused at Sparrow with a husky voice, the pirate preparing to land his lips on hers, but suddenly his attention was drawn to his palm that was about to set behind Elizabeth's neck to bring her closer. My anger abating a little when I saw him to make a sudden startled frown, his confusingly spooked eyes remaining fixated at his hand for a while until he closed the palm into a hasty fist. Gazing towards the sea a nervous half grimace taking over his features, Elizabeth opening her eyes and leant back a bit to examine Sparrow, her making a reverent nod upon his decision to pay heed to what she'd just said. But it didn't seem to me quite entirely that she wouldn't have wished the pirate to live up to his delinquent mannerisms, at least by the way I then saw her eye at him. A bit out of breath even.
"I'm proud of you Jack."
I observed with hard eyes as Sparrow inclined his head oddly as if to nod, him then baffling both me and Elizabeth by spluttering something witless about a jar that he needed out of context, instantly after scurrying off towards his cabin rather skittish while clasped onto that closed fist o' his like it was about to devour him. Elizabeth peering after him with quirked eyebrows, until I saw a small smile to curve up the corners of her mouth, that small twitch of her lips being the last straw and shattering my composure. Me marching over to her now consciously distraught, Elizabeth facing me in dismay as I settled myself in front of her so that I blocked her visual contact to the Captain's quarters.
"What are you doing?" I accosted, not as vehemently as I felt, but made sure she took notice of my indignation as looked into her eyes in bewilderment.
"What are you talking about?" Elizabeth asked, her so clueless question causing an irritated flicker to arise amongst the stirring, scornful emotions as I shook my head at her ignorance.
"Are you honestly going to pretend as if everyone didn't see you flirting at Sparrow just now?" I remarked, snorting as eyed at Elizabeth in disbelief. "You practically urged him to kiss you with those coquettish smiles you kept endowing him with."
"I was not!" Elizabeth breathed in shock, squinting at me. "I'm not some Tortuga harlot who can be seduced by a single blink of his eye, yet alone allow myself to be!"
"Right. Because it seemed to be completely other way around form where I was standing", I retorted, frowning. Elizabeth pausing at the sound of my words and turned even a bit awkward, gasping.
"You were watching us?"
"Oh yes. And now wish for the opposite."
"It was nothing, Peter", Elizabeth assured, me not believing her a bit as kept my serious eyes focused on her. My stare making her uncomfortable and I could tell she wasn't completely honest to me, whether she was that to herself either when she continued. "I just needed to make sure my trust in him was not misplaced."
"My batting your eyes at him and fawning over him like a Tortuga harlot?" I questioned, letting out an incredulous, joyless laugh. "Yes, now I see you to have not even enjoyed it at all. Teasing him."
"I did not!" Elizabeth exclaimed with widened eyes, matching my stare sincerely, but that flicker of an emotion that I'd witnessed briefly once her irises had been locked with Sparrow's told me otherwise, angering me.
"Are you attracted to him? Is that what this is?" I asked, wanting the truth now that Norrington's insinuations about Elizabeth and Sparrow had indeed been proven more worth to consider. Her simply shaking her head at me in denial, eventually her managing to soothe my suspicions, but not entirely removing them.
"Of course I'm not! I was just using him. To see whether he was a man worth of my trust or not", she told me, peering towards the cabin as I placed a hand on the gunwale. Shaking my head.
"And was he? Because what I saw was a clear temptation to take you up on your persistent wooing."
"Peter, please…I love Will", Elizabeth said with a sigh, the mention of Will feeling like a stab in my heart and an enraging one at that. Me releasing a heavy breath myself as gazed away in curt frustration to calm down, after a short while looking down at her again.
"I just don't want you to involve yourself with a man like Sparrow", I told her, leveling an earnest gaze at her as took her hands. Smoothing them slightly as cast my softened eyes momentarily to the deck. "I don't trust him, and think that neither should you too much. Especially not let yourself to be allured by him, or give him any encouragement to try."
"I won't. I trust Jack yes, but only in the matter of finding the Chest and saving Will, as I would never let myself fall for him. All I feel for Jack is respect…and friendship."
Even the word friendship had been too much for me to tolerate, but I then nodded at her in understanding. "As long as you know with what kind of a man you're really dealing with."
Elizabeth acknowledged my worry with a nod herself, her then however giving me one of those breathtaking smiles before placed a kiss on my cheek, sweeping a gentle hand over my left arm. "Thank you for watching out for me."
"When would I not? You would've after all already died for falling off a longboat and locking yourself into the pantry had I not been there to save you…So it feels like an obligation to keep an eye out for you to make sure you don't bring unecessary harm to yourself."
Elizabeth smiled at me on the brink of laughing, me returning her smile as widely, until for her following confusion I next produced the silky bundle from my pocket. Her ogling at it curiously as I lifted it for her to see, my amused smile turning but tender then as my eyes lingered on her lovely, wonder filled visage.
"I have something to give you."
I unfolded the necklace from its coverage, causing Elizabeth to let out an astonished breath as her eyes widened, fixating onto the stunning diamond that I'd waited a long time to present her with. Her admiring the revealed jewel in disbelief, taking in its perfection and unimaginable size unlike I reckoned her to have ever seen in her life before this moment, her lifting a careful hand to touch the necklace utterly mesmerized by its beauty. Causing me to smile again in gratification as that was the exact reaction I had hoped to adduce with my gift, me now taking the necklace in my hand as returned the cloth into my pocket. Clasping the diamond around Elizabeth's neck for her dismay, her irises shifting from me to the gem and back in a loss of words. It taking a long moment before she was able to speak, me only smiling at the glee that I then saw take over her features.
"Peter, I…I don't know what to say. It's gorgeous. Where did you get this? You didn't buy this, did you?"
"Just something I picked up while thinking about you", I replied ambiguously, intentionally trying to sound a bit sappy to leave a more impactful impression on her. Her letting out a half a laugh as gazed down at the diamond again, perplexed smile playing on her lips, where I glanced at the pirates at our vicinity. "I realize this is not the most ideal time to bring it forth, taken that we're surrounded by cutthroats and thieves, but I've been carrying it around for some time now and decided to take this chance to assign it to its intended owner."
"Thank you…is it a wedding gift?"
"No. I was supposed to endow it to you the day of Sparrow's hanging, but since you announced your engagement with Will, I haven't got the chance to part from it…" I answered, not showing my irritation as simply smiled at Elizabeth with a shrug. Casting my softened gaze down to the jewel before it locked back with Elizabeth's delighted eyes, to see her to sigh after a short dithering silence. Her removing the diamond and trying to hand it back to me, me frowning a bit in assumed bafflement, though within felt but triumphant. Whether or not she would accept the diamond from me, its effect had already worked its magic and Elizabeth was once again eyeing at me with those bewitching eyes that spoke of greater emotion than gratitude you feel to a friend. Me knowing it in my heart that then jumped for joy that even if for a single moment my gift had caused her to regard me differently, I'd already won.
"Well, it's beyond beautiful of course. But Peter, I cannot accept this. It's too much", she said with a headshake, smiling at me apologetically although her irises did constantly fall down to stare at the glistening jewel. Me simply retaliating by closing her hand around the necklace before her palm was enveloped with mine, me squeezing it as replied persuasively.
"I have little use for it, so you might as well take it off my hands. After all it suits you much more than it ever would me."
"What of Miranda? I'm sure she would be overjoyed to receive such a marvelous gift from her own brother…Especially if it is she who's getting married shortly in the future."
"It is you I want to give the diamond to, Elizabeth. Only you."
I could see Elizabeth's hesitation when she stared back at me, is such a daze that she hadn't even noticed me to have leaned closer to her when I reclaimed the necklace from her hand, slowly returning it back around her neck as locked gazes with her. Letting out a light sigh before dared to crane downward enough to place a kiss on her cheek this time. Just by the corner of her mouth, lingering my lips on her skin for a couple of seconds more as I felt her stiffen for surprise, me however breaking into a smile as soon felt her to relax again. Me separating from her as felt her hand to rise to my shoulder, me looking into her eyes again as placed two fingers on the diamond before slipped it under her shirt's collar.
"Take it as an indication of how much I care for you", I said, with slightly hushed voice that spoke of nothing but that very same affection I felt for her and which now had me filled to the rims. Me almost not being able to hold back an urge to claim her lips here and there, but found such restraint to be for naught. Elizabeth letting out a long sigh as she examined me for a while, not cringing away when I started to lean in again subtly. The shadow of a smile I saw to appear on her lips but encouraging me to continue, my hand sliding up her arm and all the way to her own shoulder without her even taking notice of it.
"So, are we on the right course?" I questioned, smirking at her as next beckoned to the compass. Elizabeth breaking free of my stare and the mutual reverie that had formed between us, as took the compass in her hand. Opening the lid, me inching even closer to take a look at the spinning needle, my brows raised suggestively. Two could play this game… "So? Is there a single quiver to be detected?"
Elizabeth's smile widened as her eyes darted up to me in amusement, me this time returning her stare but seriously as closed the compass while clasped my hand around hers, Elizabeth releasing a shaky breath as her attention was now riveted to me only. Unable to resist.
"Peter…"
I snapped my head up riled as the sudden cry of the man stationed up in the crow's nest ruined the moment, informing the crewmembers to have spotted land. Me turning around to hide my frustrated scowl from Elizabeth as we with the rest of the crew looked about the far-stretching horizon, to see an island about one mile away from the Black Pearl's current location at starboard. Sparrow's skulky form as well slipping to the deck from his quarters by the sound of the announcement we'd been patiently waiting for since this morning, Elizabeth and I joining the good Captain by the gunwale. Me noticing the pirate to be indeed holding a large jar filled with sand in his arms, practically cradling it as if it was far more precious to him than the Chest he was searching for, me sizing up the object while was convinced Sparrow to have finally lost the rest of his marbles. Him now thinking a moment before I followed him to snatch Elizabeth's hand in a flash, opening the lid of the compass in turn and like me just a moment before watched the needle to station itself (possibly for the first time ever) to north, to the direction of the appeared island as it happened.
"Cap'n?" Gibbs questioned now upon noticing his Captain to have emerged from his cabin, the rest of the sailors along with Elizabeth and I also turning to the man in wait for his instructions. Me spotting Norrington at the distance and sending him a remarkable nod as the pirate responded.
"Bring her about and head for the island. Launch the boat and prepare to go ashore", Sparrow commanded, the First Mate obeying instantly and sending the crew to their stations. To get us over to the island that seemed to be the rather unexpected end of our journey, in fact me not to have thought us to find the location of the Chest so quickly. But now that we were here I wasn't going to complain, as in addition of evading another day spent aboard with this wretched band of delinquents I was finally able to initiate the last part of my plan. Only the thought of it bringing me to smile in delight when I imagined Sparrow's reaction when he would discover to have been used all along, learning to have been right about not allowing me to board his ship at first once Norrington and I would be long gone. Along with the Letters of Marque and the Chest.
"Excuse me, sir?"
I whipped around in bafflement, finding myself to be stared at by one of Sparrow's latest recruits. A dirty looking man missing half of his teeth, his sneaky countenance brightened up by an equally crafty smile. The pitiful man only half of my height then cocking his head towards the ship's bow remarkably with a wave of his hand as I eyed at him suspiciously, not having the slightest idea why he wished to speak to me.
"A word, if ye please, sir?"
I followed after the gaffer to the forecastle that now was the only place devoid of people when the crew was busy with turning the ship around, the old man leading me behind the foremast that sheltered us from all observing pairs of eyes in his apparent attempt for us to engage into our conversation in private. Me halting in front of the man with folded arms as stared at him grimly, quirking a quizzical eyebrow at his suspiciously egoistic bearing. The man looking like he was about to chuckle.
"State your business."
"A'm sorry sir, to have to take yer time tis way", the man spoke, politely at first, but it didn't take long before a threatening tint appeared in his voice. Him returning my relentless stare but assertively as he imagined his following words to have the intended impact on me. "But as th' thing is there be word 'o mutiny goin' on 'bout this vessel, I had no choice but to let a fancy gentleman such as yerself to know 'bout tis trickery."
"Explain", I said, frowning. "Why do you think it would concern me in any way should someone be planning on crossing your Captain?"
"'Cause the initiator o' dis knavery be standin' right in front o' ol' Willie."
I froze in dismay upon hearing the sailor's response, me directing a quick glance towards the main deck to see everyone to be out of audibility range, before faced the scruffy man with stern eyes. Lifting now curious eyebrows. "Truly? That's interesting…"
"As much as ye plannin' oan stealin' the booty oor Cap'n is efter wi' dat former jack friend o' yers", the sailor replied derisively, me lifting my jaw as measured the man. In rage of him daring to try to obviously blackmail me, the man flashing me a toothless grin as leant closer, glancing at the hidden breast pocket of my coat significantly. Greedy sheen in his eyes as they then locked with mine again. "I heard ye two. Found ye talkin' 'bout th' deception in th' hold when no one was watchin', listenin'…but ol' Willie was there, heard every word and detail o' yer plan to play false to oor Cap'n, ye foraging his quarters th' same night…So give ol' Willie some o' dat gold o' yers I saw ye share wi' yer help, and I won't be goin' rattin' ye out to the good man. It's a good deal, yer money for me silence. Not a soul is to learn o' yer true colors, as long as ye can afford it…"
For the first time after boarding the ship under false pretenses and feeling everything to go accordingly to plan down to the smallest detail without any complications, I now felt panic well up as listened to the accursed cur to start to laugh coarsely at the face of my astonishment. My accidental slip of composure proving the buccaneer right and gave him but pleasure when he assumed to have managed to put me between two fires, force me to pay him at the risk of him informing Sparrow of my deception. But there was no way I was going to let a pathetic man like him to have a hold of me with a puny threat like that, yet alone let him stop me from getting to the Chest.
"Go oan, lad. I'm sure ye're well endowed enough to pay, unless ye wish to find yerself wi' yer pal hanging from th' mast…"
His following arrogant guffaw was brought to an immediate end when I took the man aback in turn by drawing my rapier, acting in a blink of an eye as grabbed the sailor and dragged him to the gunwale with one brisk yank, locking irated gazes with him until plunged my blade into him. My hand covering his mouth to muffle his scream as twisted the blade a couple of times swiftly, the corner of my mouth rising in scorn upon witnessing the gaffer's shock before I watched his eyelids to droop closed, with another glance towards the main deck me levering the man overboard. The splash his falling body made drowning under the shouts of the working crew as I wiped the blade of my sword to the inner side of my jacket. To hide the sole evidence of my fleeting confrontation with my blackmailer, me then instantly returning back to the others after sheathing my weapon, aware that no one would notice the sailor's disappearance until it wasn't of any importance anymore either to the crew or me. There was no turning back now.
"Where were you?"
I turned to face Norrington who stepped out behind the flight of stairs I was descending, me returning his inquisitive look with but blank expression as jogged down, while didn't know had he seen me to have followed that old man up to the bow.
"Dealing with impediments", I specified, the former Commodore naturally not following but I then bypassed his wonder by leaning close to him. "Prepare yourself. Your time has come to deliver."
It took about half an hour for th' Pearl to reach the shoals of the island and the crew to release a longboat according to Sparrow's orders. However only just one, as the pirate forbid the crew to go ashore aside himself, Elizabeth, Norrington and I, as well as the two old members of Barbossa's crew who were given the expected task of rowing us over to the island. Although Sparrow would've obviously rather left me behind with his crew where his First Mate could've kept a close eye on me, me simply inviting myself to the shore party, where Norrington had been brought along as the most likely manual worker he'd pretty much become since joining Sparrow's company. Me restraining his evident disaffection with a serious look upon settling myself onto the boat, (next to Sparrow much to his vexation, and I was tempted to shove that beloved dirt jar of his into the sea once he moved it away from me), for him to lay low and act unobtrusive as long as we would get our chance to steal the Chest. Myself going along with the flow as well as we approached the island, the silence soon ending with the two dullards starting to argue about some sea monster I had no idea how to be related to the current situation after quibbling about each other's rowing pace. Which in my opinion could have been faster, it taking us so long to reach the beach that I was close to jump over myself and swim to the island.
"We don't want the Kraken to catch us", the thin pirate with the fake eye remarked. Earning a glance from Jack whom I saw actually flinch at the sound of the creature's name, as the burly baldy responded. His voice so serious that it was him I then wanted to thrust overboard in annoyance.
"I'm saving me strength for when it comes. Just don't think it's Kraken, anyways. Always heard it says Kray-ken."
"With a long 'a'?"
"Aye."
"No, no, no, no no. 'Kroken's how it's pronounced in the original Scandinavian, and 'Kraken's closer to that."
"Lord save me", I mumbled to myself, having little interest and patience to have a lecture about the variability of some imaginary beast's name, as Elizabeth and Norrington exchanged an equally bored gaze. The two dimwits however not taking any notice and kept on going, their exchange turning more heated.
"Well we ain't original Scandinavians, are we?" the chubby one retorted, rolling his eyes. "Kray-ken."
"It's a mythological creature, I can call it whatever I want!" the wooden-eyed pirate snided, me letting out a deep sigh and thanked the same lord that I was soon to be rid of these idiots. My attention shifting to Sparrow whom I noticed to be embracing the jar protectively, curious look on his face that I didn't quite understand. Fear, was it? Why on earth would he be afraid of a sea creature that didn't even exist? While pondering about this me noticing Sparrow to have wrapped a cloth around his left hand, the one he'd been so intently staring at before vanishing into his cabin with a fretful countenance, him adjusting the fabric tighter around it until he assumed a deadpan expression when he saw me frown at him thoughtfully. Perhaps there was something about this endeavor that even I wasn't completely aware of yet, starting with that beast I saw no reason for the crewmen to have been discussing unless it was of some importance. Me however ignoring any thoughts about Sparrow and the creature as we now finally reached the shore, me being quick to jump onto the bank. Others following my example and we waded the rest of the way to the beach, the two sailors hauling the boat after us as Sparrow finally let go of the jar and placed it into the dinghy, removing his coat before snatching a shovel. Waving at Elizabeth to take out the compass and lead the way before addressed the pirates behind him.
"Guard the boat, mind the tide. Don't touch my dirt."
I flashed the two derisively apologetic smile as stalked after Elizabeth and Norrington, Sparrow being quick to catch up and was soon far ahead of us once Elizabeth informed him of the correct bearings. It suiting me very well, giving me a chance to fall behind with Norrington when the need to discuss about our course of action would surface.
We walked across the whole island hither and thither for quite some time, wading in the shallow water that the powerful tides had pushed so far inland as in middle of it. Following the direction of the compass slavishly, it keeping on pointing to the other side of the isle. After about an hour of ambling along the never ending plains us returning back to the centre of the island to discover some form of habitation to have once been established there. Me spotting Norrington to gaze far to our right to see the rundown remains of a church that had been built to a clearing at the edge of the jungle that dominated the other half of the island. Elizabeth not noticing us to have stopped, but came to a confused halt herself as the compass was giving her contradictory directions again, me being soon willing to even test the unbelievable theory of it showing exactly what the holder coveted if we would continue wander aimlessly without a sense of direction.
"I didn't expect anyone to be here", Norrington mused, in surprise as peered towards the church. One look at it however telling me it to have been abandoned ages ago, several graves littering the ground around it confirming all inhabitans of this god forsaken island to have passed years prior.
"There's not….I now realize where we are. Isla Cruces", Elizabeth answered, also staring at the building in understanding. Me lifting an eyebrow at her.
"Pardon?"
"You know this place?" Norrington questioned in turn, doubtful that she would have any more knowledge about our whereabouts than he or I. Elizabeth exchanging a brief glance with us.
"I once read about it, this island. Stories. The Church came to the island and brought salvation…and disease. And death", she explained, even further confirming my suspicions as she then shook her head sadly. "They say that the priest had to bury everybody, one by one…until he went mad and hung himself."
"Better mad with the rest of the world than sane alone…"
Elizabeth and I both turned to Norrington in wonder of his thoughtful remark, him returning our stare as if he hadn't even realized to have spoken. The then ensuing sound of splashing water causing me to direct a stern look to my left as I heard Sparrow stride back to us, his impatient eyes fixating onto Elizabeth as he came to a halt beside her.
"No fraternizing with the help, love", he mused, leveling a remarkable look to Norrington, who hold back a scowl. Simply staring back towards the late church, where I snorted at Sparrow who had flung his arm around as an encouragement to continue, me walking past him with Elizabeth after taking hold of her arm.
"Better his company than yours."
Sparrow didn't trail after us immediately, me making an amused smile as could only imagine the cause, while heard Norrington's nettled voice to urge the pirate to go on before him. Me turning around to see him hand the shovel to Norrington, who turned even more disgruntled by the action.
"I'm gonna find the Chest without you Sparrow!" I exclaimed, intending to sound jeering and soon I heard the stomping steps of the pirate to close in on us. Me instead only bypassing his ire this time as cast my eyes down to the compass in Elizabeth's hand, frowning briefly as the needle jerked momentarily towards Sparrow once he stalked past us with a countenance that could've soured even the fresh milk.
"Thirsty?" I asked Elizabeth, taking the canteen I'd nicked from the ship before our departure from my belt and handed it over to her. Elizabeth's train of thought breaking and a sweet smile replaced it as she looked up from the compass, gladly accepting the water skin.
"Thank you."
"Feel free to drink it all. I've had my days of spending weeks under direct sunlight with little water, so one more won't kill me until we get back to the ship."
Regardless of my exhortation I watched Elizabeth to extend the canteen to Norrington after drinking her fill, once more concentrating onto the compass. Me lifting my brow at the sight of her turning it around in her hands, her own eyebrows knitting together when the needle kept showing her gibberish. Me looking away with a confident tilt of a head upon realizing me to have been correct all along...
"How is it going with the bearings?"
"Poorly. This stupid thing keeps pointing to the wrong direction!" Elizabeth breathed, now resulting in shaking the object in frustration like its original owner had back at Twelve Daggers. "We keep walking in circles. At this rate we'll never find the Chest… The island is enormous."
"Are you sure it points exactly to where you want it to point?" I teased, leveling a sarcastic glance down to her, but was surprised when I next saw her flinch. Her casting her eyes down from Sparrow sauntering several meters ahead, minding his own business.
"Of course it does…or it should…I don't know!"
I didn't comment, simply patted her back gently with an encouraging smile before picked up my pace. Gazing about our vicinity, seeing nothing but sand and water all around us. Elizabeth was right, it would take years to scour the whole island and dig it upside down to uncover the Chest should that moron Sparrow not remember where it was buried. As it was clear he was as lost as we were, relying entirely on the bogus directions the compass was spouting to Elizabeth.
After ten minutes of walking I suddenly felt Norrington to take hold of my arm, holding me back so that Elizabeth could get to several paces ahead of us before striking up the awaited conversation with me. Us continuing to walk side by side after it seemed neither Elizabeth or Sparrow overheard us.
"What are we going to do?" Norrington questioned, me quirking my brows at him.
"Shouldn't you already have a plan of your own as the former high ranked Officer of the Royal Navy?" I queried in amusement, earning a slightly narrowed look back from the man. "I would've thought the favorite son of the military always to charge in the battle prepared."
"Perhaps, but for the sake of prosperity of our objective I wished to be apprised of any plan of your own devising before taking action."
"We do nothing until the Chest has been found. An opportunity will always present itself to the patient, that is my plan. Once we have located the Chest and can get our hands on it, we create a diversion and scram before Sparrow realizes what has happened."
"And Elizabeth? Are you just going to forsake her and leave her behind with Sparrow?"
"Of course not", I stated poignantly, sighing. "Once we'd made it off with the heart we'll take Elizabeth with us back to Port Royal. When my uncle has been delivered what he was promised he will honor his pledge to me and release her form all the charges, and she will be protected against any allegations her latest excursion with Sparrow might induce."
"I don't think she will agree to return all that willingly", Norrington observed, me not even looking at him as only gazed forward tensely. Us finally arriving to the other side of the island, coming to a brief halt between two sand dunes as Elizabeth stopped to make sure we were going the right way after we'd followed her to walk about in confusion. "In fact her behavior of the last two days would greatly convey the impression that she would rather stay with Sparrow than return to Port Royal without knowing where Turner is."
I made a hardly detectable victorious smile, recalling back to a certain moment at the Pearl's deck that spoke against such statement before responding. "We will not give her a choice to decide whether or not she wishes to accompany us. I promised to bring both her and my sister home, and two out of three of the agreed articles is much better than returning with but one. One way or another we will have both the heart and the Letters as well as her in our possession by tomorrow, time when we're already far away from here."
Norrington nodded, looking away absently, but after ogling him for a moment I grabbed his arm shortly in turn. Claiming his attention before lifted resolute eyebrows at him. "There's no turning back now, Admiral."
"It doesn't work!"
I released Norrington due to the sound of Elizabeth's abrupt, annoyed cry. Norrington and I watching her to glance between the compass and Sparrow, who'd positioned himself on top of one of the surrounding dunes. Just taking in the view as if we were on a casual stroll around the terrain, Norrington placing the shovel on his shoulder as we then followed Elizabeth to let out a frustrated snort. Tossing the compass on the ground after giving it a slight shake, for no avail, her then only following suite by slumping beside the unhelpful navigational device. Sitting with crossed legs and arms in grave exasperation, leering at the compass and its needle that had started to spin uncontrollably again, her grumbling the next sentence partly to herself.
"And it certainly doesn't show you what you want most."
"I really hate to be the obnoxious one to say I told you so, but…" I remarked with a remarkable tilt of my head, lifting up my hands apologetically as Elizabeth now directed a brief glare at me for my gentle taunt. Sparrow's face scrunching up for chagrin until he walked over to Elizabeth, Norrington and I leaning forward upon seeing the pirate to be staring at the now steady compass. The needle pointing directly towards her.
"Yes it does", he objected, meeting Elizabeth's eyes who looked up to him in bafflement. "You're sitting on it."
"Beg pardon?" Elizabeth stated, sizing up the pirate in dismay, me bending down with a deep frown to snatch the compass from the ground. All pairs of eyes turning to me as I placed it on my own hand, my eyebrows slowly rising as I discovered the needle to once again turn towards Elizabeth. Proving Sparrow's words correct.
"I wouldn't have ever believed to admit this, but he's right Liz", I told her, matching her quizzical gaze with an incredulous one as she shook her head, her eyes shifting from me through Norrington to Sparrow.
"What?"
"Move", Sparrow urged, starting to shoo Elizabeth away impatiently before beckoned Norrington to come forth with the shovel once Elizabeth had sprung to her feet. Me prompting the former Commodore to comply with a brief significant stare, him consenting to his role of a cabin boy yet again but not before he'd sent the pirate a subtle leer at the sound of the commanding whistle that had erupted Sparrow's lips. Norrington shoving the other shovel into my hands before landed his digging tool directly to the spot the compass had purported the Chest to be after over two hours of leading us to a merry bootless errand. Me truthfully starting to think that perhaps the compass wasn't completely worthless after all (taken how badly my uncle had wanted it in order to find the Chest), as removed my jacket and threw it at Sparrow's feet. Ignoring the sneer I earned from him as joined Norrington, us engaging into ten minutes of diligent digging although nothing was revealed under the sand at first. But before I was given a chance to question the validity of our dig site, Norrington's shovel made contact with something hard below what it now appeared to be but thin layer of soil. The significant bong sound waking the attention of Sparrow and Elizabeth who'd made themselves comfortable. Settled onto the soft sand to watch us work, the pirate snapping out of his meditative state, as I was the first to discard my shovel and proceeded to excavate the buried object by hand. Falling on my knees, Elizabeth rushing over to the hole to aid us until after a few minutes we finally could see a lid of a wooden chest to emerge amongst the damp ground. Spurring our fervor and not long after Elizabeth and I had unearthed the handles of the large box, Norrington and I taking one each after exchanging a content smirk. Elizabeth stepping back as we heaved the box out of the pit, setting it next to it, as all of our somewhat mesmerized eyes were instantly locked onto the casket. Me rising back to my feet tardily as Sparrow thronged past Elizabeth and Norrington to get to the chest, me looking over to the former Commodore as the pirate took Norrington's shovel to use it to shatter the lock. Me taking a curious step forward as Sparrow then knelt in front of the box, gingerly opening the lid after throwing aside the pieces of the bolt. One of them flying straight against my thigh, and I directed a slight kick at the pirate in irritation. Him however perfectly ignoring my vexation as his eyes remained at the contents of the box that was now revealed to us, several letters and scrolls of papers filling it, causing me to tip my head in confusion until something I'd said during our voyage popped into my mind.
"Don't tell me…is there a note that says someone got here first?" I questioned, folding my arms as followed Elizabeth to lift one of the letters in interest. Meeting my eyes briefly, until our attention shifted to Sparrow who paid no heed to the papers within the casket and simply brushed them aside. His eyes widening a bit as all of us now noticed another container to have been hidden under the letters, an iron chest. The Dead Man's Chest.
I blinked in honest astonishment, breath of slight dismay leaving my lips as exchanged a surprised look with Elizabeth. Her, Norrington and Sparrow now slowly leaning close to the Chest when the pirate had taken it out of the box. It now resting on the edge of it as all three of them brought an ear close to it to listen, me soon noticing my associate and Elizabeth to flinch before they turned to face Sparrow in shock. Bemused.
"It's real", Elizabeth breathed, smile twitching her lips upward as she eyed at the Chest with mixed feelings, stupefied.
"You actually were telling the truth", Norrington realized, in disbelief, which the pirate returned with a somewhat insulted countenance. The brief glance Norrington sent to me over his shoulder while I was tracing the intricate engravings of the Chest telling me that this indeed was the right Chest. The one and only Chest that the Company was after, and which once brought back would make it invincible…The one that contained the heart of Davy Jones.
"I do that quite a lot. And yet people are always surprised", Sparrow remarked, bypassing Norrington's professed lack of faith in his integrity, me scowling to myself as prepared to express my own opinion about the matter with a sniding quip. Only to pause when a voice I never hadn't expected to hear cut me off, taking me aback so much that I just stood there in silence for awhile, until anger flared up in me. Me refusing to believe what I was hearing out of all the places in the Caribbean Sea, right this very moment.
"With good reason!"