A Pirate and His Wolf (Pirates of the Caribbean)

Prologue

It was unusually foggy that night, but that didn't bother Elizabeth. Having lived in England her entire life which was only a mere nine years, rain and fog weren't all that new to her. Since her mother's passing when she was young, Elizabeth had only her father, Governor Swann, who had been moved to serve as the Governor of Port Royal in the Caribbean. She had been unwilling to go so far from all she knew, but after she had read about the history of the Caribbean, and more importantly the Pirates that sailed the seas there, she became rather intrigued.

She hadn't many women who were of the same status as herself with which to surround her with, and thus she'd become slightly prone to what many called, "unwomanly tendencies" which involved copious amounts of self-education, battle strategies, and a slight disregard for activities that were designed specifically for women. The only thought that kept her on deck during this mire was the chance-although it was quite a long shot-of meeting a pirate.

She stood near the bow and looked out as they sailed, singing softly. ".. 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-!" Elizabeth jumped when she was spun around by a hand on her shoulder. Looking up slightly, she saw Mr. Gibbs, one of the sailers who was very superstitious, looking down at her with suspicion.

"Quiet missy." he whispered-yelled as he scanned the waters around him. "Cursed pirates sail these waters. You don't want to bring them down on us, now, do ya?" he continued.

Just then, Norrington bore down on the pair, "Mr. Gibbs," he said loudly, "that will do!" He walked over to the pair and looked out onto the sea.

Gibbs turned toward him, "She was singing about pirates. Bad luck to be singing about pirates with us mired in this unnatural fog. Mark my words." He turned back to the sea and peered through the fog, as though he knew exactly what was out there.

Elizabeth looked up at him, slightly amused. There was something odd about Gibbs, sure enough. He didn't look like a regular merchant sailor, nor was he a member of the King's Court. If Elizabeth didn't know any better, she would have suspected him of being affiliated in some way with pirates.

Norrington looked over at Gibbs, trying his hardest not to smirk, but failing miserably. "Consider them marked. On your way."

Gibbs hobbled off, but not before Elizabeth could see him reaching into his breast pocket for a small pouch, no doubt filled with some sort of drink. "Aye Lieutenant. It's bad luck to have a woman on board, too . . . even a miniature one." He hobbled off towards the mast.

Elizabeth looked between Norrington and Mr. Gibbs, " I think it'd be rather exciting to meet a pirate."

Norrington suppressed a scoff, "Think again, Miss Swan. Vile and dissolute creatures, the lot of them. 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 shortstop and a sudden stop."

Elizabeth, confused, looked past Norrington at Mr. Gibbs who grabbed one of the necklaces around his neck and mimed a hanging, lolling his tongue. She looked shocked and turned back to Norrington, about to say something when her father appeared on the deck. "Lieutenant Norrington, I appreciate your fervor, but I'm, uh, I'm concerned about the effect this subject will have upon my daughter."

Norrington unwillingly responded, "My apologies, Governor Swann." He headed down the stairs, towards the helm.

"I find it all fascinating," said Elizabeth, as her father stood next to her.

He looked down at her, his face filled with worry, "Yes. That's what concerns me."

Elizabeth wandered along the starboard side of the ship, looking into the distance before she noticed a parasol floating atop the water. Smiling, she watched it as it floated alongside the ship, She turned towards where the parasol came from and saw a piece of wreckage, and lying atop of it were two boys, the two no older than herself. She quickly turned towards the other crew members, "Look! There are two boys! There are boys in the water!"

Immediately, Norrington looked out onto the water, where Elizabeth was pointing. "Man overboard! Man the ropes. Fetch a hook! Haul them aboard!"

After a few tense moments, the boys have pulled aboard. "There's still breathing."

Gibbs sniffed, smelling something oddly like smoke mixed with the moisture of the rain. He turned around and saw the wreckage of a burning ship. "Mary, Mother of God!" he exclaimed. Everyone followed his line of sight out to the water and gasped. Elizabeth looked over the railing and suppressed her shock

"What happened here?" said Governor Swann, looking slightly wary.

"It's most likely the powder magazine. Merchant's vessels run heavily armed." Norrington said over the mutters of the crew, although he didn't seem overly confident in his answer.

Gibbs looked at him, "A lot of good it did them." He paused and looked at the other crew members, which looked hesitant. "Everyone's thinking about it. I'm just saying it. Pirates."

Governor Swann turned to Mr. Gibbs, "There's no proof of that. It was probably an accident." he said, trying to calm both himself and his daughter down.

Norrington ignored this, "Rouse the captain immediately! Heave to and take in sail. Launch the boats."

A sailor in the back yelled, "Heave to!" and the crewmen scurried atop the deck towards the longboats.

Governor Swann looked over at Elizabeth and guided her towards the two unconscious boys, "Elizabeth I want you to accompany the boys. They are in your charge. Take care of them."

Elizabeth nodded and walked over towards the young boys, moving their hairs out of the way. Suddenly one of the boys awoke, causing her to jump. He grabbed her wrist. Calming down, she responded, "It's ok. My name's Elizabeth Swann."

The boy drew several deep breaths before responding, "Wi-Will Turner."

"I'm watching over you, Will, and your friend," she replied. Before Will could say anything, he turned to his left to see his friend still unconscious, before he passed out. Elizabeth looked closely at Will and saw a piece of gold on a chain next to him. She picked it up and examined it. A skull was etched into the center, surrounded by a series of symbols. "You're a pirate," she whispered.

"Have any of them said anything?" Norrington asked, looking at the boys and then back to Elizabeth. Governor Swann looked at the boys with sadness.

Elizabeth quickly turned around, keeping the medallion hidden behind her back. "The boy with long and brown hair said that his name is William. That's all I found out. And the other boy hasn't awoken yet."

Norrington nodded to the pair of sailors by his side, "Take them below." he ordered.

Elizabeth moved towards the railing of the ship and waited until the deck was devoid of crewmates. She snuck a glance at the medallion, holding it up to her eye. As she looked up, she saw it. A black ship that looked as though it had been burnt then resurrected. Black sails hung from the mast in tatters, and embroidered upon the largest and highest one was a skull with two crossed swords beneath it. She quickly closed her eyes.