Norrington's Darling

Malta

POV: Zuri Sparrow

Not much had changed in Malta since I had last been there. The sand was still so clean it was white, the water so teal, the towns still clustered at the water's edge, the rock making wonderful and bizarre formations. I wondered if the deep lagoon Jack and I used to swim in was still there.

I breathed in deeply. "Id-dar," I breathed, the Maltese word for home slipping from my lips with ease.

Elizabeth gave me a look. "What language is that?"

"Maltese," I said simply. "Come on. You and Tia are helping me convince an old friend of mine to give me a wedding for mostly free."

"James would want to pay."

I grinned mischievously. "That's why we're doing this before he gets here!"

"Pirate," Elizabeth teased.

I only grinned. "Pirata," I agreed in Maltese. "Tia! Come on! We're off to find an old friend of mine..."

"A friend of yours?" Tia asked. "This might be dangerous," she muttered.

"Always," I smirked.

The streets of Mellieha were just as familiar to me as they had been more than five years ago when I had taken refuge here, hiding from the British. Jack and I believed that I had been born in Mellieha, but we weren't entirely sure. Either way, I loved the place.

"Who is this 'friend' we're looking for?" Elizabeth asked.

"Where are we going?" Tia asked, glancing suspiciously around.

I looped my arms around their shoulders. "Tia, Tia, Tia. Relax! You don't need to be so nervous. The people here know me." I pointed ahead around her shoulder. "For example, that's the baker, Denzel Moneaux. He's a runaway from France. Used to give Jack and I bread for free when we were little and helped me hide from the British five years ago."

"Is he the friend we're looking for?" Elizabeth asked.

"Ah, no," I admitted. "We're looking for the twins, Fleming and Marcellino. The whole family lives close by and the five of them who used to sail with Jack, Anamaria, and I live in the same house. Their cousin, Mirko, is the main breadwinner of the five. He was the one that gave them the bright idea to join us. His sisters, Angele and Orsel, are weavers and own a dress shop."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "A dress shop?"

"They're quite famous for their wedding dresses."

She lightly punched me in the arm. "You have it all planned out, don't you?"

I cast her a grin. "Why d'ya think I told James to find us at Malta?" I quickened my pace, dropping my arms back to my sides. "Now, come on. It's this way. Just by the bay!" I took off at a sprint, leaving Elizabeth and Tia groaning as they broke into their own runs to follow me.

I knocked a quick tattoo on the door and leaned against the wall, examining my nails carelessly. Elizabeth and Tia panted behind me. The door slammed open and a head poked out. Marcellino's eyes were wide. Clearly, he'd recognized the pattern I'd knocked out.

"Zur—"

"Well, hello there, Marcellino," I said, using my hip as leverage to get off the wall. "How's it been?"

He flung the door open wider. "You're back!" He looked around, jumping from the house just as excitedly as I remembered him. "Hey, where's Jack?"

I hesitated. "He's...not here. It's complicated. If you value your perception of things, you won't ask for an explanation."

Marcellino raised an eyebrow. "Actually, I kinda want one..."

"Later," I promised with a heavy sigh. "But for now...where's everybody else?"

"Um, Mirko will be back soon, Angele and Orsel are in the back shop, and Fleming's cleaning up the fish Mirko brought home earlier this morning," Marcellino said, shoving his thumb backward into the house.

"Great. May we come in?"

Marcellino eyed Elizabeth and Tia. "Madame Dalma," he said, bowing to the sorcerous, who smiled cheekily. "And this is?"

"Elizabeth Swann," Elizabeth said, offering her hand. Marcellino shook it. 

"Come on in," he said, waving us inside. Once inside, he cupped his hands to his mouth. "Angele! Orsel! Fleming! Guess who's back!"

The girls and Marcellino's twin each arrived to the room within seconds of each other, each stopping dead when they saw me. Then Orsel flung herself at me, wrapping her arms around me.

"ZURI!"

They made a clamor that took forever for them to quiet. When they finally did and we'd made introductions, Fleming asked the question.

"Why'd you come back?"

I felt a smile creeping onto my face. "Well...I'd wanted to wait until Mirko got here, but since you asked..." I glanced at Tia and Elizabeth, who nodded. "I'm getting married!"