The Painter Of Port Royal

Chapter 16

Back on the Black Pearl a heavy storm had crossed the waters. Lydia was getting used to these storms, they appeared to warn her more what was going to happen than anything else. The crew had been traveling towards the location Tia Dalma described, it being not to far away.

A ginormous shipwreck layed in two amungst a circle of heavy rocks. Waves crashed into, battering it down further to the ocean. Will and Lydia observed it from the side of the ship. It didn't look like the Flying Dutchman. A ship captained by Davy Jones had to be more than that. But Lydia didn't really know what to expect, Tia being so cryptic it was hard to know what they were looking for.

"That's the Flying Dutchman?" Will shouted for Jack.

Jack and Gibbs both seemed to be just as confused as Will and Lydia was, Jack stroking his beard.

"She doesn't look like much," Will shrugged.

"Neither do you," Jack and Gibbs approached them "do not underestimate her," He elbowed Gibbs.

"Must have run afoul of the reef," Gibbs grunted.

"So what's your plan then," Jack asked Will.

"I row over search the ship until I find your bloody key," Will said.

"And if there are crewmen?"

"I cut down anyone in my path," Will took of to climb the rowing boat.

"I like it. Simple, easy to remember," Jack nodded.

They all assembled around the edge of the ship as Will climbed down, Pintel and Regetti assembling the boat. Lydia wanted to join him but she thought it would be best she stay behind so Will is fully focused on getting the key and not her safety. Then they could go get the compass and go back to Port Royal and save Elizabeth. It was an easy plan and one Lydia was sure would work out well. She hugged Will goodbye and wished him good luck as he descended the ladder to the boat.

"Oi!" Jack charged for the edge "if you do happen to get captured, just say Jack Sparrow sent you to settle his debt! Might save your life!"

Once Will had made some distance from the ship Jack turned to Pintel.

"Douse the lamps," He murmured.

"Jack what was that about settling your debts?" Lydia wanted to trust him, but that meant she also wanted to know every last detail of what jack was planning.

"Nothing to worry love. You best be quiet now," He strutted away from her.

"Why-" she was stopped as Jack held a hand to her mouth, urging her to be silent.

She huffed and pulled his hand away, still desperate to know what jack meant by settling his debts. The golden lights of the ship flickered out one by one, a crew member going to a lamp each. Once all the lamps were out the crew waited patiently for Will to come back, Lydia watching the ship from the main deck. She could see Will's lantern in the distance, how it flowed around the deck as Will did. She felt her weight shift as Jack came up next to her, gazing at her as her eyes never left the Flying Dutchman.

There was something so beautiful about how the rain hit her face. It was heavy, each drop of water pounding down on them yet it didn't seem to cloud her beauty. Lydia was determined, determined to have everything go to plan that she was beginning to miss those finer moments. She'd thought about her first adventure many times, those small occasions more exciting than ones you would have thought she was more preoccupied with. Like the night on the beach. That night entered her mind more that any other time and she didn't know if she was missing those moments now she was so concentrated on the plan.