Well, Shipwreck Cove certainly was interesting. Actually, Emily wasn't quite sure what to think of the pirate fortress. In truth, she wasn't half as curious about the place itself – though it was quite a curious thing to behold. She was more interested in what they were doing there. Anamaria still wouldn't tell her anything other than they were there to see Teague.
To make matters more curious, the Captain had dressed in her best, a simple dress with nothing to it, but still much more presentable for a woman than trousers. Apparently Ana wanted to look her best when seeing Captain Teague.
To make matters worse, the Captain ordered everyone to stay on the ship, and told Emily to make sure they did as she'd ordered them.
"Ye got any idea what's goin on 'ere?" Alex asked her as they watched the Captain go ashore.
"What makes you think I'd know?" Emily grumbled.
"Ye said she' made ye first mate. Figured maybe she'd told ye."
"I know who she's going to see."
"Captain Teague?"
Emily only nodded.
"He's me granddad ye know."
She turned to him now, surprised.
"He is? How do you know?"
"I've met 'im. I was still sailin with dad and…"
"Miss Ana." Captain Teague stands from where he is seated as Anamaria is ushered into his study, setting aside the guitar he'd been strumming.
Anamaria grins in response.
"It's Captain now, actually, sir."
"Ah, I see. Well then, Captain, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
Anamaria takes out the item she's had hidden beneath her vest.
"See for yourself."
He takes it from her and slowly slides it out of the bag that it is encased in. A hint of excitement sparks in his old eyes as he glances back up at her. He crosses the room to a table and unfurls the item, and she comes to stand next to him. He studies it closely for several moments before looking up to her.
"So, then, you're headed for…"
"Aye. That's why I came here. I am no fool." He turns back to study the item, still spread out on the table, and she goes on a little more hesitantly. "Can you help me?"
"Tell me more about this ship of yours." He asks her seemingly out of nowhere.
"My ship? Not very big, but she's served me well so far. Tough little ship."
"And your crew?"
"Picked them up from Tortuga, of course, but they've been with me for two years now. I like to think they're loyal enough. I've sailed with worse. Much worse." She pauses a moment. "I've a few younger ones with me too. Girl named Emily Turner, and your grandson. Alex."
He doesn't answer immediately and seems to be thinking.
"Turner. The King's daughter?" He finally asks.
Anamaria nods.
"Few know that much of her yet, though."
"They will. It's only a matter of time. I don't envy her the things she'll have to square with once that happens. Does she know of your plans?"
"No."
"And why not? You've heard the stories, else you wouldn't be here with that," he points to the item on the table.
"I wanted to be sure there's some truth to them before I get her hopes up. Like I said, I'm no fool."
He smiles.
"That you aren't. I'll tell you what I know, but first I ask that you tell me more of my boy and his son. I see so little of them, see, I can't help but to ask."
Ana takes the seat he offers her and tries not to let any of her annoyance show.
"I haven't seen much of Jack. Your grandson, though…"
This time her dream centers around someone that she has only ever met a few times when she was very young, but she would recognize him anywhere just the same.
The vision is not a very long one; it shows her only what is necessary. The Black Pearl is attacked by a very large ship. A very large, rather frightening ship. She's not sure whose ship it is or what the ship's name is. She wonders whether this really is just a strange dream when the ropes begin moving like snakes…
But no, it must be a vision, because she could never have dreamed up a ship such as the one attacking the Pearl.
For the most part the vision centers on one Hector Barbossa.
Emily watches as one of the ropes snakes out and twists around his leg and… she turns away at this point, because she has a feeling she knows what's coming next when he takes his sword out. Somehow she knows the rope isn't the thing he's going to try and cut.
She turns to look out at the other ship and catches a glimpse of the lettering on the front, just a glimpse, only the words 'Queen Anne's', but really that's all she needs.
She read a book about famous pirates just the other day, and her mind automatically finishes the inscription on the front of the ship. Revenge. Queen Anne's Revenge.
She continues to stare at the other ship in equal parts wonder, excitement, and horror as the world around her begins to fade away and then she is in her bed again, staring up at the ceiling.
Apparently, it is a very, very good thing her Uncle is not on the Pearl after all.
"Calm down, ye said me father wasn't on it, why are ye so panicked?"
"Why?" Emily exclaims in response, and Alex's shushes her yet again. The crew is asleep bellows decks by now. "Why am I so panicked?" She repeats, hushing her tone while keeping it no less urgent. "I read a book about that ship just the other day!"
"Oh, ye and yer books. Maybe reading isn't such a good idea for ye."
"Will you just listen! That's Blackbeard's ship I just saw in my vision, and that had to have happened recently! Why would my goddess even show me that unless it was important somehow?"
"I don't know! With all the visions ye get, I wonder 'ow the goddess even expects ye to keep up!"
"Neither do I." Emily admits with a sigh. "I'm getting to the point where I can't keep up. She's shown me things about the Company and the Admiral, then things about my mother, then she lets me talk to my papa, now Blackbeard… this is getting ridiculous." She walks over to the steps leading up to the quarter deck and sits down. "I wish she would just talk to me herself. I mean, she's done it before."
"I think she just likes watchin ye get all confused like this. Probably gets some sort of perverse pleasure out of it."
"Ok, not helping, Alex. My goddess isn't like that, and you know it."
"I don't know 'ow to 'elp. Would if I could. Why don't ye just go back to bed and talk to the Cap'n when she comes back tomorrow?"
"Can't. Never can sleep after I've had a vision. You can go back to sleep if you'd like." She stands and crosses the deck and begins climbing the rigging up to the vacant crow's nest, her usual hiding spot on nights when she's had a vision.
She sits and stares out at the ocean for several minutes, lost in her thoughts as she tries to sort out what she's just been shown.
"Emily? Mind if I join ye, love?"
She is startled a little by Alex's voice coming from just below her.
"No, not at all."
A few more moments pass and then he is beside her, and it is perhaps a bit crowded with them both up there, but they don't mind.
"I thought you were going back to sleep?"
"I couldn't bring meself just leave ye 'ere alone." He smiles. "Besides, I brought ye something."
He produces a bottle that had been hidden beneath his shirt and hands it to her.
She races her eyebrows at him before looking down at the bottle. It's wine. Fancy French wine.
"Alex, where on earth?"
"Stole a bottle from the crates we sold in England all those months ago. I wasn't the only one."
"Right. Why?"
He shrugs.
"Never 'ad wine before. 'ave you?"
She shakes her head. She stares down at the bottle for a moment before attempting to pull the cork out with her fingers.
It doesn't work out so well. Alex chuckles.
"Ye're such a girl sometimes." He snatches the bottle and pulls out the cork with his teeth and she rolls her eyes.
"I am a girl, Alex."
"Well, I know that. Wish we 'ad glasses to drink this out of."
"I have some, in this chest in my cabin.* It was dusty when I opened it; I think it belonged to whoever the Captain probably stole this ship from. I found a whole bunch of stuff in there, even a fancy pistol. Anyways, I don't feel like going down to get them."
"S'just me an' you. Guess it doesn't matter." Alex hands Emily the bottle and she brings it to her lips hesitantly, taking a small sip.
"Turner!" The Captain's voice just makes it up to Emily and Alex, both sound asleep in the crow's nest, her head on his shoulder. "Where have you gone off to, girl!"
Emily's eyes flutter open and it takes her a moment to remember why she is in the crow's nest with two strong arms wrapped around her. Oh. She blushes as she tries to gently pull away from Alex. She hasn't got much room and this makes the task a bit more difficult than it needs to be.
Alex stirs and opens his eyes, staring blankly at her for a moment before quickly snatching his arms away.
"G'mornin, love." He smiles at her sheepishly.
"I slept!"
"What?" His brows furrow slightly.
"I slept! After a vision! I never sleep!"
He opens his mouth to say something, but doesn't get the chance to.
"Turner!" The Captain calls again, and Emily knows that's bad. Ana only ever takes to calling Emily 'Turner' if she is upset about something.
"Up here Captain! I'm coming!" She calls. She attempts to maneuver her way around Alex, manages it with much blushing, barely avoids knocking over the re-corked and half empty wine bottle. Finally makes it to the other side and begins climbing down the rigging quite nimbly – she's had lots of practice with it by now.
She hops down to the deck, spins around, and finds herself face to face with the Captain, who has a scowl on her face.
"I-I was just, um, I had a vision last night Captain –"
"You can come to my cabin and tell me about it later. Right now I want you…" She breaks off, looking passed Emily. Emily turns to see Alex has just made his way down from the crow's nest. "…take the helm. What the hell were you two doing up there?"
"I was telling him about my vision last night, Captain, that's all. He refused to leave me alone. We fell asleep."
"Ah. That was very kind of you, Sparrow, but I should think sharing such close quarters with each other is inappropriate. Even for us." She sends a pointed look in Alex's direction, then turns the same look on Emily before allowing it to melt back into a scowl. "Now get up to the helm, girl! We running short on time."
"Aye Captain." Emily turns towards the quarter deck, takes a few steps, turns back around. "I-If I may ask, Captain, why are we running short on time?"
"You may not ask, get going girl."
"Aye Captain." Emily repeats, shares a look with Alex, then turns to do as instructed.
A big, virtual cookie to anybody who can guess what this mysterious item of Anamaria's is. :) Some more sort of fluff for you. Sorry this chapter's a little shorter than my last few.
*I imagine the thing that Emily labels a 'chest' as being more like a smaller armoire. You can look that up on Google I suppose if you don't know what it is.
I've been reading through my earlier chapters and I realized a lot of stuff in them is annoyingly anachronistic, and I didn't even realize it when I wrote them. Oh well. Just another reason why I love, love, love fan fiction.
On a side note, I'm planning to go back to the beginning of this story and start correcting some of the annoying little errors I left behind the first time around. No significant changes I don't think, just letting you know cause I think the site sends you those chapter update messages when you replace chapters too.