I Will Find You | Pirates of the Caribbean

Five

"Miss Palmer! Miss Palmer!"

Before I can react in any way, shape or form, the doors leading into my bedroom chamber burst open to reveal Maria and Catherine, both with extremely perturbed expressions across their faces. "What on earth is happening?" I exclaim as they rush inside, "I just woke up to the sound of cannon fire!" Without any hesitation, both of them reach for my arms and start to lead me out into the hallway, relentless screaming and explosions erupting outside.

"They're after you!" Maria snaps in a whisper, inhaling and exhaling excessively. "You're the daughter of Lord and Lady Palmer," Catherine adds, a tear or two in her eyes, "you have to hide!" I don't even have the chance to respond before the front doors burst open, and the sound of a gunshot rings through my ears. When I turn my head around, a choked gasp leaves my lips at the sight of our doorman falling dead to the cobblestoned floor, a small pool of blood trickling down his forehead.

Hurriedly, I urge Maria and Catherine to make a run for it, pushing them towards the nearest window. "Please, you must go! I am more than able to defend myself," I plead. Once they finally agree and head out of the glass frame at the end of the hallway, I turn the other direction and sprint past the nearing batch of pirates. The nearest room I find is the upstairs dining area, in which there is a large closet-like piece of furniture that holds a lot of extra cutlery and plates. 

I notice the small holster sat in the corner, a few swords inside, but after hearing the clambering footsteps approach faster and faster, I realise I don't have time to grab one. Faced with no other option, I rush over the closet and after flinging the doors open, I tuck myself away inside. Dressed in nothing but my white nightgown, I feel the cold of William's medallion against my chest, to which my eyes fall upon the sound of the doors to the room reopening. 

"We know you're in here, poppet!" One calls out, his voice snarled with a gravely tone, "come out, and we promise we won't hurt you at all." I hold my breath back, desperately trying to not utter a word or a sound. My eyes remain trained on the gold hung around my neck, which I trace with my fingers, looking over every minute detail whilst the pirate outside continues talking about the importance of said gold medallion. 

But then, the light peeking through the crack in the doors fades into darkness and when I take a glance upwards, I make eye contact with a pair of slightly jaundiced eyes. The doors are sharply pulled open and the moment I see the two razor sharp, silvery blades aimed at me, I exclaim the first thing that comes to my mind: "Parlay!" The two look at me with confusion, as if they are surprised that someone living in such a place knows the Code of the Pirate Brethren.

"I invoke the right of parlay," I continue, my tone distressed, "according to the Code of the Pirate Brethren, you must take me to the Captain of your vessel." The one who opened the closet snarls at me, claiming that he knows the Code and what is required of it. "If an adversary demands parlay, you must cause them no harm until it is complete," I finish, holding the medallion tightly in my hand. The one beside him goes to argue against my plea, but is quickly stopped. "We must honour the code."

Before I know it, the two pirates each have a harsh hold on either of my arms, forcing me through the violence-ridden Port Royal, destruction all around. Windows have been smashed, buildings set alight in flames and screams continue to be heard all around. As they push me through the town centre, I hear someone call out my name and when I turn my head around for just a moment, I see William. "William," I mumble to myself before my head is sharply pulled around, bringing my eyes to the large, dark ship sat waiting at the end of the harbour. 

The black sails loom up high towards the heavens, full of holes and slits, yet it flaps and flutters in the salty air as if it were unharmed. Cannons poke through several wooden boards, continuing to fire at Port Royal, some cannonballs falling to the water with a thundering crash. As the pirates force me up onto the main deck of the ship, a towering man walks up to us, his body and face covered with circular scars and several piercings are in his ears.

He comments that he wasn't aware any hostages or prisoners were going to be taken, but after one of the pirates reveals my plead for Parlay and to speak to the Captain, another man starts to walk down the stairs. He wears a large black pirate hat, with a long dust-covered feather intertwined into the material, accompanied by a long coat and cross-body belt of the same material and colour. "Captain Barbossa," I start, staying as confident as I possibly can, "I have come to negotiate the termination of these violent hostilities against Port Royal."

After he comments that he does not understand my manner of speech, I reiterate that I wish for the pirates to all leave and never return. "I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request," he replies with a devilish smirk, to which I realise I have to resort to a different plan. So, I brashly pull off the medallion from around my neck, hurry over to the starboard side of the ship and hold it out over the water, threatening to drop it.

"Me holds are bursting with swag. That bit of shine matters to us... why?" Barbossa asks, to which I swiftly respond with my knowledge of having seen this ship previously. "Eight years ago, during the crossing over from England, I saw this ship. You've been searching for this one medallion for years." After he shrugs again, I let it fall slightly from my fingers and that is when all the pirates on board react dramatically, all reaching out. Then, Barbossa chuckles as he saunters forward, asking me for my name.

I cannot reveal that I am the daughter of Lord and Lady Palmer, so my mind goes to the first surname that I can think of. "Olivia Turner, I serve Lord and Lady Palmer of Port Royal as a maid." A small reaction bubbles amongst the pirates, but then Barbossa interrupts my thoughts by asking how I have come to possess the medallion. "Passed down through the family," I respond, hoping that my quick answers do not come off as suspicious. Although I hesitate at first, I agree to hand over the medallion at Barbossa's promise to leave Port Royal alone. 

But then, those around him begin to bark orders to set off out towards the open ocean, despite my presence still being here on the ship. "Please, you must take me back to shore!" I plead as I follow behind Barbossa, attempting to recall the rules of the Code, yet I am unable to after he swiftly cuts me off. "First, your return to shore was not part of our negotiations nor our agreement, so I 'must' do nothing. Secondly, you must be a pirate for the Pirate's Code to apply, and you're not. And thirdly... the Code is more what you'd call guidelines than actual rules."

He grins at me viciously, his mouth full of gold and silver. "Welcome aboard the Black Pearl, Miss Turner." And after barely a second after, the two pirates from before tug at my arms and hustle me towards the cabin, which I hear them lock once I am inside. I'm stuck on a pirate ship, surrounded by pirates, and with no way back home.