─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ : * . ☽ . * : ☆ ｡ﾟ･ ───
Katherine Swann's point of view
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1720
The day was obscured by the haze. Thin lines of sun ray beamed through the gloom, sharing warmth among the chilling atmosphere. The HMS Dauntless steadily glided through the tranquil sea, from England heading to Port Royal, Jamaica, our soon-to-be home.
Everyone was busy doing their work on the ship, while Elizabeth Swann, my older sister, and I were gazing at the deep blue sea together.
Elizabeth was wearing an elegant blue dress, while I wore a blush-like pink dress.
The upper half of my sister's dark blonde hair was curled into a bun, my brownish black hair was braided in two. As our gazed were fixed at the sea, Elizabeth started humming a pirate song that our mother, Meredith Swann, taught us when we were younger. Soon, I joined my sister's song.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me
We pillage plunder, we rifle and loot
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me
We extort and pilfer, we filch and sack
Drink up-
Joshamee Gibbs, all of the sudden, grabbed Elizabeth's shoulder and mine, startling both of us.
"Quiet missies! Cursed pirates sail these waters! You don't want to bring them down on us now, do ya?" Mr. Gibbs cautiously glanced at the thick mist, then to us.
Elizabeth and I stared at each other curiously, in view of the fact that we used to sing that tune almost all the time with our mother back then, within the crowded city of England. I definitely will be missing our good old days, but I also have been looking forward to the new adventures that awaited.
"Mr. Gibbs, that will do." Lieutenant James Norrington came, accompanied by our father, Governor Weatherby Swann.
"They were singing about pirates!" Mr. Gibbs pointed his finger at my sister and me, "Bad luck to be singing about pirates with us mired in this unnatural fog, mark my words."
'He really believes at every superstitions, doesn't he?' I thought.
"Consider them mark. On your way." Lieutenant Norrington ordered.
"Aye, Lieutenant." Mr. Gibbs walked away. As he drank from his flask, he murmured, "It's bad luck to have a woman on board too! Even the miniature ones..."
Lieutenant Norrington and Father moved forward towards the railing, approaching Elizabeth and me.
"I think it'd rather be exciting to meet a pirate," my sister said to Lieutenant Norrington, with a tone of excitement. I nodded my head of agreement.
"Think again, Miss Swann. Vile and dissolute creatures, the lot of them. I intend to see to it that any man, who sails under a pirate flag or wears a pirate brand gets what he deserves. A short drop and a sudden stop," Lieutenant Norrington turned to us and smiled.
Elizabeth and I did not understand what Lieutenant Norrington's last sentence meant. Somehow, our glance moved to Mr. Gibbs, who seemed to be hearing our conversation. He mimicked a hanged person and stuck out his tongue, frightening both Elizabeth and me. My sister and I knew it all too well since we had once pay a visit to a public execution out of curiosity, and we promised ourselves to never attend such horrid ever again. Since that day I understand what the phrase 'Care killed the cat' meant, and it still haunted me, mostly on bad days. Hurriedly, father moved between Lieutenant Norrington and us.
"Lieutenant Norrington, I appreciate your fervour," Father glanced at his two daughters, "but I'm concerned about the effect this subject will have upon my daughters,"
"My apologies, Governor Swann." Lieutenant Norrington walked away.
Soon as the lieutenant went out of sight, I excitedly told my father, "Actually, I find it all fascinating. They must've had amazing adventures everyday!"
"I agree with Kitty, Father," Elizabeth added.
Father stared down at us, slightly furrowing his eyebrows. "Yes, and that's what concerns me. Elizabeth, Katherine, we will be landing in Port Royal soon, and beginning our new lives. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we comport ourselves as befits our class and station?"
"Yes, Father." Elizabeth and I answered in a monotonous unison. Father smiled at us and went away. "I still think it would be exciting to meet a pirate..." Elizabeth said slowly.
"Reckon they'd have thousands of tales to tell." I sighed.
We continued our tedious gaze at the sea. The both of us became bored and we had lost our enthusiasm. I hummed the pirate song slowly, so that no other else noticed again. But to my surprise, I caught sight of a white parasol floating on the sea surface.
"Ellie, look!" I pulled Elizabeth's sleeve and pointed the parasol.
"That can't be ours..." she breathed, with an inspecting note.
Our head turned, and our eyes were met with an unconscious boy floating on a piece of wood.
"Look! A boy! There's a boy in the water!" I quickly called out, followed by the sailors hurriedly heading to the edge of the ship to see the poor boy.
"Man overboard!" Lieutenant Norrington declared.
"Boy overboard!!" I shouted.
"Man the ropes! Fetch a hook! Haul him aboard!!"
Hurriedly, everyone helped picking the boy up the Dauntless. Mr. Gibbs carried him from beneath and placed him on a piece of cloth on the deck. Elizabeth and I looked at the boy worriedly.
"He's still breathing." Lieutenant Norrington announced, bringing relieve to the ship including me.
"Mary, mother of God..."
Everyone quickly approached the edge of the ship where Mr. Gibbs stood. There was a burning ship, with its pieces and the British flag floating over the water. I thought, this answered why the air was so foggy. I got goosebumps, looking at the terrible view. Thank God, we were safe from such incident.
"What happened here?" Father came and asked.
"Most likely the powder magazine. Merchant vessels run heavily armed." Lieutenant Norrington answered.
"Lot of good it did them. Everyone's thinking it, I'm just saying it, pirates!" spoke Mr. Gibbs.
"There is no proof of that! It could have been an accident," Father took a glance at Elizabeth and me, flashing back to our conversation about pirates, then he turned to Lieutenant Norrington with a serious face. "Captain, these men were my protection. If there is even the slightest chance one of those poor devils is still alive, we cannot abandon them!"
"Of course not." the lieutenant responded.
Elizabeth and I slowly approached the boy. He was still on the floor, breathing heavily. "Rouse the captain immediately. Heave to and take in sail!" Lieutenant Norrington commanded, as everyone started to work again.
"Heave to! Launch the boat!" a group of crew prepared a boat to approach the burning ship.
"Elizabeth, Katherine, I want the both of you to accompany the boy," Father told Elizabeth and me, "he'll be in your charges, take care of him." Elizabeth and I nodded together.
After the boy was placed on a higher place, we went closer to him. He was probably at the same age of ours, maybe specifically Elizabeth's. I tried to stroke his wet brown hair, until the boy suddenly woke up and shocking me by holding my wrist.
"Sshhh, it's okay. My name is Katherine Swann, and this is my sister Elizabeth Swann," I tried to calm him down.
"W-Will Turner," his brown eyes moved between me and my sister, as he told us his name.
"We're watching over you Will," I said, giving him a little smile to comfort him. Will put his head back and closed his eyes again. Some sort of a golden chain is attached on his neck, which brought Elizabeth and me curiosity.
Elizabeth tried to pull it. A golden medallion, with a skull carve on it. Elizabeth and I stared at each other, sharing the same thought about it.
"You're a... Pirate?" My sister mumbled slowly to unconscious Will.
"Has he said anything?" Lieutenant Norrington asked suddenly, surprising Elizabeth and me.
"His name is William Turner, that's all we found out," I spoke up, while Elizabeth tried to hide the medallion behind her back.
"Good," spoke Lieutenant Norrington, then he ordered to his men. "Take him below," the sailors immediately brought Will away. Elizabeth and I moved to the back part of the ship where no one was around.
"Ellie, what are we going to do with it??" I asked my sister with a little panic. If the sailors caught Will having the necklace, they would hang him to death. Elizabeth studied the golden medallion carefully.
"We have to keep it as a secret. Soon as we land, we will give it back to him secretly. Do you mind if I keep it for now?" Elizabeth asked me.
"Not at all. It would be terrible if they find out he had that," I sighed, and leaned my arms to the railing.
"Don't worry Kitty, we can handle this." Elizabeth patted my back.
We went gazing upon the misty sea again. Elizabeth kept observing the medallion, lifting it up against the ocean view. Suddenly, the two of us noticed a ship. A black ship with black sails, slowly disappeared to the mist. A black skull flag waved highly on the mast.
A pirate ship.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ : * . ☽ . * : ☆ ｡ﾟ･ ───