Norrington's Darling

The Fate of the Pearl

POV: Zuri Norrington

1746 — 17 years later

"You know, Jack," I began, dropping down from the mast, "this really is quite ridiculous."

My brother gave me a stern look. "Ridiculous? Me? Nonsense."

"That's a lie and you know it," I said curtly. "Ridiculous is your middle name."

"No it's not!"

"Is now."

For almost two years now, we'd been searching for the Black Pearl off the coast of Hispaniola, drifting closer and closer to Tortuga, then drawing away again before we could make port. I hadn't stepped foot on dry land in nearly all that time—supplies were ferried to the ship we'd stolen (Jack insisted on saying we'd commandeered it, though we'd definitely just stolen it; Jack had no military affiliation and I certainly wasn't using my own to defend his actions) via the rowboat we had also stolen. 

Now we were far from Tortuga to send the boat for supplies in Saint Dominique. Then we'd return to Tortuga (or at least the waters surrounding it) and we'd do the waiting game all over again for another year, or two, or five.

"Face it, Jack, Barbossa isn't coming back to Tortuga. He knows it's one of your haunts. For all he knows, you might've never left."

Jack gave me a withering look. "And not go after the Pearl? Zu, what sort of reason is that? No, if Hector's smart, he knows I'll have left."

"Clearly you're still here," I said dryly. "He's got reason to avoid Tortuga." Jack made a face and turned on his heel, stalking away. I followed, sighing heavily. "Oh, be sensible. It's possible he's already located the Fountain and we have been wasting our time here for the past two years. And all the years before that."

Jack shook his head resolutely. "No," he said, though he sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than me. "If the Fountain of Youth was found, the world would be in uproar. We'd know."

I had to admit he had a point, not that I liked it very much. I scowled but let the subject drop. "Have you spoke to Gibbs recently?"

His expression soured. "Not for over a year."

Oh. Now that was weird, because I'd been in near-constant contact with Joshamee Gibbs since I'd at last run into him in Singapore as I attempted to rake in a debt with Tai Huang to negotiate a ship for my brother and I's usage. Attempted being the key word—we'd been run from Singapore and found Gibbs on the way out of the forsaken city. That had been nearly fourteen years ago. 

But I doubted bringing that up would lighten my brother's mood. "Perhaps he's running for his life. People you know tend to have to do that a lot."

Jack glared at me, but I only smiled merrily at him. "Oh, go teach your son how to properly use a sword." He gestured with his chin where Cedric sparred with Samuel, one of two men from my crew aboard the Black Rose to join me on Jack's stolen ship. The Black Rose was too conspicuous—we'd had to leave it moored in Port Royal for nearly five years now. I missed her. She was a good ship, and my family on board had only swollen since Cedric's birth.

"Cedric knows how to use a sword perfectly well," I cried. "Just look at his form!"

Jack looked him over again, but he seemed less than impressed. "He fights too much like a marine."

A warm fondness nestled in my chest. "He fights like his father."

"Didn't your Norrie want him brought up pirate?"

"He was brought up pirate, Jack. And don't call James Norrie!"

It had gotten easier over the years to talk about James. Tia's magic had helped fill the emptiness the more I used it—it helped me work that void of sorrow for her and James and all the men I'd seen die in that battle into something useful. It didn't hurt any less, that pain that came back strongest when the nights were cold and I was sleeping in a bed big enough for two, or when Cedric flashed me a grin so reminiscent of his father.