By the King's channel, there was a rather big orphanage. It was encased by a nice stone wall with a golden like gate. The entrance to the building was dull and barely lit by the candles that ran up the side. Within the walls there were various rooms with beds that contain sleeping heads, all but one room. In that small room were two small girls who were laying on barely made mats. Even though the orphanage had enough money to put them on beds, the matron of the orphanage wasn't too fond of the simple girls.
In one corner,the small girl with wavy, black hair was starting to twist and turn in her sleep. She soon opened her eyes as tears came down her face. Quickly she crawled over to her pal and gently began to shake her shoulders. "L...lee...wake up Lee…."
There was a small grumble before Lee blinked open her sky blue eyes. "Ella, are you ok?" She asked in a whisper as she brought the younger girl close to her and started to pet her hair.
"L..lee I want to get out of here. We aren't welcome," Lee cried onto her shoulder as her fingers gently clenched the tattered shirt that Lee wore.
Lee nodded," I know, we should, but I'm not sure when we should," She whispered to her friend.
Ella looked up and sniffled,"Can we please go tomorrow night? T..they'll be asleep a..and I just want to leave," She said as she started to cry again.
"We got to get supplies first, m..maybe someone can help us pack, someone like Will," Lee said softly as she gently wiped the tears away. "Though if we are going to leave tomorrow, you need to get some rest."
The younger girl nodded as she gently shuffled towards her mat and tried to fall asleep. It wasn't until a couple hours later that sleep finally overcame the weary and sad child. Lee started to fall asleep not too long after her.
Soon it was morning and there came a loud knocking on the door. "Wake up you scoundrels. Get dressed and head to market, you have things to get." Screeched the matron. The voice quickly startled the two sleeping girls out of their slumber. They quickly got dressed in a more comfortable clothes. Their outfits were a bit more tidy than the ones they wore to bed. The holes in these dresses were patched up with various pieces of cloth of different colors. Lee sighed as she gently scooted Ella to the door.
"We should get going, or we'll get a beating," She murmured. Ella nodded with a sigh of her own. They slowly left the comfort of their small room and into the view of a well dressed lady. Her brown hair tied up and enhanced with a simple hat. Her slightly wrinkled face wasn't warm like a gentle grandmother but more of that of a witch.
"What took you so long?" She shrilled. "Here's the list of what we need down by the market. Here's a pouch of money and if you lose it or steal it, I will lock you up without dinner or lunch today," The matron then placed the list in Lee's hand and the small pouch in Ella's hand. She then shooed them out the door and slammed a door with a loud THWACK.
Lee muttered to herself about how she treated them and gently took Ella by the arm and led her down the street and towards the marketplace. They passed a few people, some give them looks of disgust, other of sorrow and pity. No one however really made a move to help them if they needed it. It wasn't long before they were in view of the blacksmith shop. Out in front, was young Will Turner thanking a customer for HIS hard work.
Ella smiled brightly and left Lee's side to go running towards the young boy. "WILL!" She giggled as she hugged him. The boy was stunned but chuckled as he hugged the young girl and looked over to Lee who just came up to him.
"Hello Ella, Lee, going to the market today?" He asked with a raised brow.
"Like always Will. We go to it everyday," Lee answered with a smile and a good humourous shake of her head.
" I know, I was just playing with you. So what does that old witch want now?" He asked.
"She wants a new set of tea bags," Ella stated as she gingerly took the list out of Lee's hands.
"Yeah, and a few pounds of fish," Lee said making a face of disgust by sticking her tongue out .
Will chuckled,"I see, but I'm guessing she wants more jewelry too?"
"You know it," Ella sighed,"She uses the money that is supposed to be us, for herself, why does she hate us so much?"
Will shrugged," I don't know why either, you two are princesses," he chuckled.
Ella blushes at the compliment but Lee gingerly slaps his shoulder. "Stop it! You are making us blush!" She giggled and he joined in with the laugh.
"So did you make any new swords today?" Ella asked eagerly. She always did like swords but seeing one made from her friend made it even more special.
Will's eyes started to glow and a smile became a grin when she mentioned it," Of course I did! Though it is for Governor Swann,"
"Can we see it!" Lee asked with a smile.
"Please!Please!Please!" Ella begged with her intertwined fingers with kitten eyes.
Will chuckled and nodded,"Alrighty! Let me go and get it," he said quickly before disappearing into the shop and bringing out an intricately detailed sheath. "Now back up," He gently ordered and the two girls obliged as he pulled out the handmade sword. Its silver blade glinted in the sunlight. The hand was intricately detailed with various stones and the handle curled like a crashing wave. The look on the two young girls faces were that of pure awe.
"Wow," murmured Ella,"This is your best work yet!"
"Can w..we touch it?" Lee asked as she looked at all the details.
"Aw, thanks Ella and I don't think it should. It's really valuable and if it gets damaged I don't know what I'll do," Will sighed and smiled softly,"if it was any other sword I truly would."
"I understand," replied Lee.
"What's all the racket out here!" Came a booming voice from behind, Will quickly puts the sword back in the sheath and turns to look at his master.
"I was only showing them the new work that you did," Will said with a stutter and a bit of his lip.
"You shouldn't be showing these two….err….street rats anything of that value, now scat!" He said as he shoved us down the street.
"Sorry Mr. Brown, I won't let them do anything, but I should be delivering this to Governor Swann, I'll be on my way,"
Mr. Brown lets out a sigh and just waved him off before heading back into the store and to where he usually is perched with his drink to nap. Ella and Lee waited for him down the road and they hugged him.
"Sorry about that, but you should be off, see you later Will!" Lee said with a small smile.
"Er wait, will before you leave, we want to tell you that we made up our minds on leaving. We are gonna leave tonight," She whispered to Will. Ella then hugged him close and Lee came in not too long after to give her own hug goodbye.
"I will miss you both greatly," Will sighed in the hug. "I heard that a french ship is heading out tomorrow. I think you can board that one. It's called the The Sweet Marie."
"Thank you Will, we will miss you too," Lee said softly as she waved him off.
"You were like a big brother to us," Ella sighed with a small tear. "I'll miss seeing your swords,"
Will chuckled before nodding his head and going out of sight up the hill to the governor's house.
Lee then turned to Ella,"We should get the stuff soon or will have our heads," She sighed before Ella nodded and they headed into the market. It wasn't long before they headed back into the orphanage where , their matron was waiting for them. Her arms were folded and her feet were tapping.
"What took you so long?" She asked with a snarl. "You better have not been talking to that young scoundrel of a blacksmith. His master is a well known and highly praised guy. He shouldn't be around the likes of you two to discredit him. Now give me those," She hissed as she snatched the items they were holding for her.
"B..but Ms. Shillington, Will works so hard," Lee said but that only made it worse.
"Alright, so you admit it! You've been hanging around him when you were on duty! Now off with you two! Off to your room. You'll have no lunch or dinner! Now go on!" She said and pushed them towards their small room. It wasn't long before their door got slammed in their face.
"I wonder what got the banshee so upset this time," Ella muttered under her breath and only Lee could hear her.
Lee sighed with a shrug and moved over to a wall where she eased out a small brick that held a secret little spot. In there were small amounts of food that they kept, just in case this happens, and it usually does. "This is all going to our plan. The banshee won't check up on us again until tomorrow. By then, we will be gone and out of her straw-like hair." Lee whispered with a quiet chuckle. Ella nodded. "Let's go over our plan and then when the time comes, we could execute it." She then leaned over to whisper in Ella's ear and in return to hers as they schemed of their upcoming escape.
Soon the light of the full moon casted down through the small window and onto the locked door of their tiny room. Though it wouldn't be locked for long as Ella was starting to pick at it. Knowing all too well the way to do so for countless efforts of escaping. Soon the lock jiggled and it unlocked. The two girls then started to carefully and quietly tiptoe down the hallway and towards the front door. The only light coming off was that of the moon and the pale glimmer of the lit candles along the wall.
Their trek wasn't going to be easy though, they are going by some rooms that the maids were sleeping in and the 's room was at the top of the stairway across from the front door. Lee's movements were slow and silent as she made her way around the stairway and towards the door but she stopped as soon as one of the tiles under her feet began to creak. Both Lee and Ella stopped still with worried faces as they glance from down the hall to the matron's door. It was quiet at first until a loud and obnoxious boom of a snore came from 's door. Ella's eyes went wide and she quickly put her hand over her mouth to try and not to laugh at the notion. Lee gave her a quick look before nodding her head to the door. She quickly stopped before following her and stooped down to the lock.
"Hurry up and get it unlocked, we don't know when and if will wake, or if her little helpers will be up to make her, her usual morning feast." Lee whispered. Ella nodded and swiftly started to unlock the door and soon they were out onto the road.
"That was close," Lee whispered, seeing that it was night and soldiers could be walking around to make sure it was orderly.
"What? Really? I believe it was the fastest I've been?" Ella retorted as her arms folded.
"It wasn't you though, that got me worried, it's just I don't want to be caught by anyone. Every second that we are out in the open could give ourselves away if we aren't careful." Lee explained.
"Then let's go," Ella responded and they were soon on their way towards the dock.
It was rather strange to say the least. They were going down the same route they took in the morning to gather items and ingredients for their very shrilly and very obnoxious matron. The street was usually packed with people, whether it was loud merchants trying to entrance buyers, or the wealthy going about their day to day lives. The loud clanking of Will's hammer against freshly heated metal. The orders of the baker to his bakers about another dozen of fresh baked rolls. They swore they would have smelled them as they sneaked by. Now it was like a ghost town. There were no calls, no dogs, not even horses trotting along the stone road. As they went past their usual errand spots, they were getting into unknown territory of the docks.
"We should be near," Lee whispered as they entered onto the deck. They had to dodge a few soldiers who were patrolling the area at some points, but now it was clear. By now the full moon was covered by a dark and somewhat ominous cloud. "So where would it be?" She asked mostly to herself.
Ella looked around at all the mighty ships at port. Their masts were swaying in the breeze made it look like giants dancing in the waves. Then the moon started to reappear and it's dim light lit up the bay, and the golden letters of: The Sweet Marie. "There it is!" Ella called, though she quickly covered her mouth as it was louder than she wanted it to. Lee quickly looked at her and then at the ship before she heard oncoming footsteps.
Quickly, Lee dragged Ella behind a couple of barrels and covered her mouth as the soldiers started to look around. The footsteps came closer and closer to where they were hiding but it soon stopped.
"I could have sworn I heard a voice coming from over here," A deep and rumbling voice was heard as he was close to the barrels. Then the guy sighed and raked his hands over his face and rubbed his eyes. "Man, I need more sleep," he muttered before heading back towards his post and out of view.
Lee gently glared at her," That was close," She whispered.
"Sorry," Ella barely squeaked.
Lee nodded before looking over at the ship. "So this is it," She whispered. "Now how are we supposed to get onto it?"
"Wait till the moon is covered and then we can sneak on?" Ella suggested.
"No, too risky. How about we go into an empty barrels and wait until they load us in." Lee whispered as she pointed to a few barrels not too far by.
Ella shrugged but nodded as they went to go hide.
The next day the barrels were loaded up onto the ship and into the hull. Both girls were getting worried, for they didn't know if either of them had been caught or will be caught. They were taking a high chance. The area where they were stored in was quieting down after long hours of creaking wood and huffs and groans of muscled men. As soon as it was quiet enough, Lee unscrewed the lid and found out that nothing was on top of her barrel, to her relief. She then looked around and whispered. "Ella!"
Ella was gently asleep in her barrel and didn't hear her friend calling out to her. This resulted in Lee starting to freak out. She began searching for Ella's barrel when she heard footsteps. She quickly stopped what she was doing and went and hid behind some crates. There from a good angle, she spotted a slightly muscular, dark-skinned man. His black hair was slightly curly on top and his beard was barely touching his neck. He spotted her empty barrel and shook his head.
"Vraiment? Apporter un tonneau vide à bord?" The man said in a deep french voice. He shook his head and went over to the other barrels. Coincidently, the barrel that he picked up next, was the one with Ella's sleeping figure in it. He blinked when he realized it was much lighter than usual. Gently he puts it down and starts to unscrew the lid, but when he saw her sleeping body he couldn't help but chuckle. He now understood why there was an empty barrel. "You can come out now, I'm not going to harm you," He said as he looked around. (Vraiment? Apporter un tonneau vide à bord? = Really? Bringing an empty barrel onboard?)
Lee then peaked over the side of a crate and he spotted her and the man chuckled. "So you are the culprits who snuck on board," He chuckled.
"Y..yeah," Lee stuttered a bit and didn't move from where she was standing. She didn't really know if she could trust him or not.
Ella then begins to yawn and starts to move in her barrel. "o..oh , are w..we there yet?" She asked sleepily as she started to stand up and poke her head out of the barrel. She was gently rubbing the sleep out of her eye when she noticed the guy. "Eep!" She squeaked and ducked back down into the barrel.
The man just started to laugh more and shook his head. "There is no need to worry, you won't be thrown out. I'll help you cover and stay hidden."
"R..really?" Asked Lee who started to move towards him.
"Yes,' He said simply with his french accent rolling off his lips. "What are your names and where are you two young ones heading to,"
" name is Lee and the girl in the barrel is Ella, w..we don't know where we are going but w..w..we had to leave our old life behind."
"A bunch of renegades now?" He chuckled and smiled softly,"Alright Lee, and Ella, I'll help you out. My name is Jacque, make yourselves at home and I'll make sure you won't get caught and thrown to the fishes."
Lee and Ella now giggled as they heard him and nodded their heads. It was only the beginning of a friendship. Too bad it didn't last very long.
A couple weeks after their departure, they bonded with Jacque as the travel continued. He would make them laugh and they would tell him different stories and how much they wanted to leave their home so bad.
"Oh, so you got stuck with a banshee, well now that's just sad. A couple of sweet girls like you two shouldn't be dealt with a bad hand,"Jacque sighed.
"That's what I called her," Ella said with a giggle and a smile.
Lee just chuckled,"I called her instead of Ms. Shillington,"
"Both are good nicknames," He chuckled before looking up and hearing something a bit off.
"What's going on?" Ella asked as she heard it too.
"I don't know and I'll go check," Jacque said as he quickly got up and onto the main deck. Though that was the last they heard of him. A loud crash of thunder was heard and the pounding of rain began to beat against the boards of the ship. It started to rock uncontrollably and the two small girls had to hold onto something.
"Where is Jacque!" Lee called out.
"I don't know! I can't hear him!" Ella cries as she held onto Lee's arm.
A loud crash of lightning was heard as a wave crashed onto the ship, tipping it over to it's side. Water quickly began to pour into the hull and the girls had nowhere else to go. The remaining air bubbles coming from around them pushed them out of the hull and they just barely caught onto a plank of splintered wood. Before their eyes, the ship was sinking to its watery grave, and with it, the life of the crew, the captain, and their dear friend Jacque.
The wind, the rain, and the storm was too much for them and they soon blacked out, barely holding onto the piece of wood that they just managed to grab. As hours went by, turning into night, the ocean pushed them toward a lonely island. As their bodies gently graze upon the smooth sand, a simple black figure walked towards them. They only thing shining in the moonlight was a silver locket as the storm passed..