A Rebel's Treasure

Prologue

"Tell me another one! Please, Ellie, just one more story!" Elizabeth whined, sitting up straight in bed and giving her elder sister a pleading look. "Another one about pirates and sailing the seven seas looking for lost treasure! I love those ones!"

Eleanor grinned, trying her best to tease her sister, "I don't know..."

"Oh, please! Just one more."

"Oh, alright, only one. Then you have to promise to go to bed, you know Father will be annoyed if he finds out we've been up all night telling pirate stories," Eleanor sat up straighter. She gripped the sheet covers and pulled it over her own head and Elizabeth's. She faced Elizabeth with a grin on her face, "Once upon a time, there was a man called Blackbeard." Elizabeth gasped in excitement. "He was one of the most feared pirates of the Seven Seas. He was captain of the grand and terrifying ship, Queen Anne's Revenge. It was said that any man who saw the ship were doomed to a terrible fate. No manner of pirate code could ever contain Blackbeard as he plundered and pillaged and looted wherever he sailed." Elizabeth's eyes were tired but she continued to listen to the story with rapt attention. "No pirate stood a chance against Blackbeard and his men, no matter their numbers. One day some greedy and incredibly silly young pirates thought they could steal all of Blackbeard's treasure, so they snuck onto his ship and piled everything their hands could touch into sacks. Just as they were about to escape, Blackbeard came up behind them and – BAM!" Elizabeth gasped in surprise. "They were never heard from again," Eleanor finished.

Elizabeth yawned, "Another one! Another one!"

Eleanor chuckled, "It's time for bed, Eliza." She removed the covers from over their heads and watched Elizabeth sink into her pillow. She kissed the top of her sister's head, "Goodnight, Elizabeth. Sweet dreams."


Eleanor and Elizabeth stood at the bow of one of the Navy ships the next day. There was a deep fog that surrounded the ship as they sailed. The two girls lightly sung one of their favourite pirating songs. "...We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot. Drink up me 'earties yo ho! We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot. Drink up me 'earties yo ho! Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me. We extort, we pilfer, we filch and sack. Drink up –" Suddenly both girls were spun around by a hand on each of their shoulders. They stared into the face of Mr Gibbs, one of the sailors – one who was very superstitious.

"Quiet, missies! Cursed pirates sail these waters," he grumbled. His eyes darted from the two girls and out into the fog. "You don't want to bring them down on us, now, do ya?"

"Mr. Gibbs," Lieutenant Norrington said, firmly, "that will do!"

Mr Gibbs looked towards Norrington, "They were singing about pirates. Bad luck to be singing about pirates with us mired in this unnatural fog. Mark my words."

Norrington gave him a slight nod, "Consider them marked. On your way." Eleanor had always had a small crush on the Lieutenant, and was always impressed by the way he commanded respect. Both girls could see their father standing behind Norrington, surveying Mr Gibbs with mild annoyance.

"Aye, Lieutenant," Mr Gibbs nodded. "It's bad luck to have a woman on board, especially two... even miniature ones." He scurried further on deck.

"I think it'd be rather exciting to meet a pirate," Elizabeth spoke excitedly.

Norrington walked up to Elizabeth and Eleanor, his hands behind his back as he looked down at the two girls, "Think again, Miss Swann. Vile and dissolute creatures, the lot of them – "

"Have you ever met a pirate?" Eleanor interrupted.

Norrington looked at her with a slight pause, "A few."

"Where all of them dissolute creatures?" Eleanor asked with a ferocity she so often used when excited about something. "What did they look like? Did they try to fight you?"

This time Norrington interrupted Eleanor's chatter, "All pirates are the same. Blood-thirsty cowards. 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." Eleanor and Elizabeth glanced towards Gibbs who was mimed a hanging.

"Lieutenant Norrington," Governor Swann said, stepping towards them, "I appreciate your fervor, but I'm, uh, I'm concerned about the effect this subject will have upon my daughters."
Norrington nodded, "My apologies, Governor Swann."

"Oh, but Father, Elizabeth and I find this all fascinating," Eleanor smiled.

"Yes. That's what concerns me," her father said sternly. He walked away a few paces leaving the two girls to look back out over the edge.

"Father's just worried about people talking," Eleanor whispered to Elizabeth. "He'll get – "
"Look!" Elizabeth cried out. "A boy! There's a boy in the water!"

"Man overboard!" Norrington cried, rushing to the side of the boat to look at the boy floating below. There was a piece of wreckage with a boy no older than Elizabeth on it floating in the water. "Man the ropes. Fetch a Hook! Haul him aboard." The sailors worked together and managed to pull the boy on board. Norrington leant down towards him to check if he was alive. "He's still breathing."

"Mary, Mother of God!" Mr Gibbs exclaimed. Eleanor rushed to the side of the boat and looked out at the water below. Emerging from the fog was the burning wreckage of a ship.

"Oh my..."

"What happened here?" her father asked.

"It's most likely the powder magazine. Merchant vessels run heavily armed," Norrington said.

"A lot of good it did them," Mr Gibbs piped up. "Everyone's thinking it. I'm just saying it. Pirates."

The two girls both gasped, Eleanor's eyes lit up in excitement. "There's no proof of that," Governor Swann said. "It was probably an accident."

"Rouse the Captain immediately!" Norrington ordered. "Heave to and take in sail. Launch the boats."

"Heave to!"

Governor Swann walked up to his daughters and spoke kindly to them, "Eleanor, Elizabeth, I want you both to accompany the boy. He'll be in your charges. Take care of him." They both nodded to him as he walked away. Elizabeth instantly attended to the young boy. He had dark hair and was rather good looking for a young boy.

Elizabeth leant over Will to get a better look at him when he suddenly woke up and grabbed her wrist. "It's ok. My name's Elizabeth Swann."

"W-W-Will Turner," he gasped out.

"I'm watching over you, Will." He fainted back onto the deck. Eleanor walked forwards and noticed Elizabeth pulling at medallion from Will's neck.

"He's a pirate," Eleanor exclaimed, looking at the gold piece.

"Has he said anything?" Norrington asked, causing both girls to jump.

"His name is William Turner," Elizabeth said. "That's all we've found out."

Norrington nodded and then addressed some of the sailors, "Take him below."

They began to move Will's unconscious body and Eleanor took her chance to hurriedly whisper to her sister. "You have to keep that thing hidden." Elizabeth looked back at her in understanding. "If they find it they'll kill the boy for being a pirate. Don't tell anyone."

"I won't."