On Stranger Tides

Chapter 4

Emma had fallen asleep quite comfortably after the events of the previous day. She dreamt of freedom and absolutely insane adventures, but she had also dreamed of the dashing Captain Hook. He seemed to appear out of nowhere in her dreams like as she was in a duel saving a woman from a robbery, or when she was running through a forest away from a great threat.   Emma woke with a startle. There was screaming and something was slammed above deck. It was still the middle of the night, what could possibly be going on? She slid out of bed and climbed the ladder that leads above deck. The sight she saw was most frightful. Men were running in every direction, getting supplies to safety and getting cannons ready. Emma looked east and saw a ship approaching them in the distance.

"Swan!" Hook yelled, "get below deck now!" He continued, Emma could tell that he was no longer drunk.

"No, I am going to fight. I'm a part of this crew remember!" She yelled back looking him in his ice blue eyes.

"Just be careful. These are dangerous people." He agreed, looking concerned right before he ran off to help a man get a crate of supplies below deck.

"Thank you, Captain, I'm glad you care." She said smirking.

The other ship got closer and closer and the men with the cannons were failing miserably at keeping the boat away. Emma watched their struggles and suddenly thought 'it's just like the aim of a bow and arrow'. She ran to the cannons and pushed a man out of the way. She moved the cannon in the right direction, aimed toward the center of the ship, it's weak spot, and fired. It hit exactly where she wanted it to.

"Move them to the right!" Emma yelled hoping they would follow her lead, and they did. For the first time that night, or probably ever, the cannons on the Jolly Roger hit their target. Emma moved out of the way and let the man she pushed down work his cannon. "Take over," Emma told him for she had an idea. she slid her sword out of its sheath and raised it up. She climbed a rope and stood on the very edge of the ship. Emma began to command. "Upwards! To the right! Slightly to the left!"

Behind her, the Captain stared at her with awe. No one could ever hit a target with the cannons like that, not without her command. However, the enemy boat kept inching forward. It was close enough by now that some of the crew members could climb aboard the Jolly Roger. Most of the men backed away from the cannons and began to fight. A man who seemed to be the captain now hoped aboard. He wasn't very tall, black curly hair with a long black beard, dark eyes, all dressed in red. Emma watched as he approached Hook who seemed to be waiting for him.

"What a surprise Black Beard." Hook said to the man, smirking.

"Long time no see Jones." Black Beard said in a thick accent. "Now you can probably guess why I'm here, but I know nothing with you is given up without a fight."

"What is it again that you wanted?" Hooked asked playfully. "Oh yes, your dear loves pearls. You see I might have already traded them to a red-headed mermaid, quite a while ago" He continued, smiling.

"I'm not playing any games, Jones, hand them over!" Hook did nothing he just stood there, no sword, not willing to put up a fight. "Very well." Black Beard continued and pulled out his sword. Emma watched as Hook's expression was unchanged. He didn't have his sword with him at all. Emma couldn't help but approach the man herself. She walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder with the tip of her sword.

"Back away from the Captain, he doesn't have your pearls." She said with the steadiness of a queen.

"Now who's this? A girl!? Is she here to replace Milah, Hook? A little girl wants to fight against me!?" Black Beard said chuckling throughout his sentences.

"I am so much more," Emma said and moved her sword fast aiming at his abdomen. He stopped her. He was good, but not as good as Hook, or definitely not as good as her. Black Beard was surprised by every movement of hers, she fought like a man but was as graceful as a swan. Swords clashed back and forth, and then Emma gracefully, but with force kicked him in the stomach making him topple over. She held her foot on his chest, putting a little bit of pressure, keeping him down. Her sword at the nape of his neck.

"You will leave the Jolly Roger, unharmed, or your whole crew will have to watch you get beaten by a little girl," Emma said looking at him fiercely. Black Beard said nothing for a very long while. He stared up at her with hesitation, he also studied Emma, to him she looked familiar, like a royal princess from a far off land, but that couldn't be true, he thought.

"Crew, we better be leaving. They don't have what we're looking for here." Blackbeard said, Emma let him go and the rest of his crew left, they were beaten, by a woman. As soon as the ship started to sail away everyone began to cheer for Emma, for she was their Savior. Emma had never felt anything like this, she felt needed and appreciated. Of course, she had always felt love and encouragement with her parents and kingdom, but she had never felt like she had a purpose. Emma didn't entirely trust these men yet, but she felt like she could and she believed that she had made the right decision coming aboard this ship.