Hearts Across the Sea chapter 8

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Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean and all related characters belong to Walt Disney, Gore, Jerry, Ted and Terry.

Original Characters such as Julia Carlisle and Abigail Peterson are my own creation.

Characters: James Norrington, Theodore Groves, Murtogg, Mullroy, William Turner, Elizabeth Turner, Julia Carlisle, Abigail Peterson.

Setting: A few months after The Chosen.

 

Hearts Across the Sea

 

Chapter 8: Revelations

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Theodore Groves barely touched his breakfast, which was a shame since it was his favorite, eggy toast with thick bangers on the side. He spent most of the meal sipping his tea while listening to the conversations of his guests and staring at the corner space near his sofa,  knowing it was where Whitecap hid.

Nobody was really paying any attention to him. Julia and Abigail were discussing Mr. Gull and how well the bird was healing. The Turners were  in a discussion about what they may face, after all they had come across before and Murtogg was telling Mullroy how he had to discipline a couple of his men for playing a prank on a new soldier. Theodore had invited the two marines as well, considering their brushes with the supernatural in the past.

“I believe he will leave me soon,” Abigail sighed and stared at her empty tea cup. “He has been flapping his wings a lot this morning.”

“You were not thinking about keeping it,” William Turner selected a few more bangers for himself and Elizabeth. “As a pet, I mean. It is still a wild animal and those are hard to tame.”

“Mother would never have accepted it,” Abigail set her cup down. “No, I wasn’t thinking of keeping it as a pet. I just never really had something to care for before. I cannot believe it was my singing that calmed it.” She reached for the tea pot.

“Don’t trouble yourself Miss Peterson,” Mullroy was seated next to her and he grabbed the pot. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Sergeant,” Theodore held up his hand to stop the action but the Marine was already pouring the still warm tea into Abigail’s cup. “Remember she takes two sugars and no cream.” He closed his eyes. Why did he feel like he was the one who should be the one to serve Abigail?

“I won’t forget,” Mullroy set the pot back down. “Peter, could you please pass me the sugar?”

Murtogg nodded and handed him the silver sugar bowl.

“I am sorry if I may have interrupted anyone,” Theodore picked up his silverware and returned to picking at his breakfast.

“You did not interrupt anyone,” Elizabeth told him, during the entire exchange she was smiling. Julia had also smiled briefly while William just had a blank expression on his face.

“Carry on then,” he sat back and glanced towards his sofa once more. For a brief second he saw a small head poke out and quickly step back.

“We were discussing the seagull,” William said.

“And Miss Peterson’s singing voice,” Mullroy added.

“It isn’t much,” Abigail blushed.

“Isn’t much?” Julia set down her fork. “You have a lovely singing voice, yet you rarely sing.”

“Peter and I have both heard it the other day,” Mullroy said. “When you were trying to calm the gull down, we heard you sing. It was one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard.”

Theodore just stared at him; mouth set in a scowl and felt a slight anger towards the Marine, although he was uncertain why. It was probably because Mullroy was married and he shouldn’t be complimenting Abigail in such a fashion.

“My father agrees with you,” Abigail said.

“But your mother does not?” Julia asked.

“Singing is not enough to attract the right man,” Abigail rolled her eyes and spoke in a haughty tone. “A lady must learn the fine arts in music. She must learn how to play an instrument.”

“Have you tried to tell her not to run your life?” Elizabeth asked.

“I have lost count, and father tried to tell her to ease off, but she refuses to listen. She won’t stop until I am wed to a proper fine gentleman and afterwards she is going to nag about when I am going to have children and then she is going to nag about how I am raising them.” She held onto the handle of her fork with a grip so tight it almost appeared she would break it.

Silence followed the outburst and lasted for a few minutes.

“We do have important matters to discuss,” Theodore shattered the silence.

“Captain Groves,” Elizabeth addressed him in a sharp tone of voice.

“It is fine,” Abigail sat back and shoved her empty plate forward. “We are on this trip for a reason.”

“James is in trouble,” Julia said. “Or he is going to be in trouble.”

Theodore nodded. “I have received a visitor who may be able to shed some light on what we are about to face.”

“We have a visitor?” Murtogg stood up. “Can’t have them come in here and see this mess.” He grabbed his plate and silverware as well as Theodore’s and set them on one of the large serving trays.

“Mr. Murtogg that is unnecessary,” Theodore tried to discourage him, but it was no use. Mullroy joined in with his friend and both men gathered all the dishes together, even William Turner pitched in to help carry the dishes and set them outside the cabin, right by the door.

“Should we take them to the galley?” Mullroy asked.

“No, I need all of you here and no one else,” Theodore stood up. “Ask someone else to take care of it and inform them that we are not to be disturbed.”

“What is going on?” Elizabeth demanded.

“You will see,” Theodore stepped away from the table. “I need for you to remain in your seats.” He half listened to Murtogg speaking with someone outside about the state of their dishes while he approached his sofa.

“Is everything ready?” Whitecap whispered.

“Everything has been taken care of,” Theodore assured.

“Is everyone ready?” She poked her head out from her hiding place and stared at him with her large and dark eyes.

“As ready as they will ever be,” Theodore held out his arm. “It might be easier if I carried you.”

She grabbed onto his arm with her small hands and he carefully lifted her to his chest in the same way he would pick up a small child. Theodore had thought she would be pliable like a mollusk and feel wet and clammy. As he stood up he could feel that she did have bones and she had dried since she had arrived. Her skin felt more like rose petals and her gown felt like very fine cloth.

“Try not to be alarmed,” Theodore was thankful that both Murtogg and Mullroy had removed the dishes it would make things easier for them to see Whitecap. “Remember what we all have been through.” He set Whitecap down on his chair and stood back.

The others craned their necks and leaned forward to see what he had set down, curious as to what it was.

“Was it a doll?” William whispered.

“Couldn’t have been,” Murtogg shook his head. “I saw it move.”

A pair of  miniature hands grasped the top of the table and slowly a small head rose up, two delicate fins appeared first, followed by a crown of pale blond hair and pointed ears, followed by dark green eyes a small nose and a wide smile.

“Good morning,” Whitecap greeted the guests.

If they were still eating they would have dropped their dishes out of shock. All six of Theodore’s human guests stared, unblinking at the small faerie, and for a brief moment not one of them had breathed.

“What,” William gasped out the word. “What is she?”

“She is adorable,” Abigail recovered from her shock and smiled.

“Oh,” Whitecap blinked and her cheeks darkened. “Why thank you.” She pulled herself up on top of the table and sat down.

“She’s a little mermaid,” Murtogg said.

“No I am not,” Whitecap scowled at the mention of mermaid. “I am a nixie.”

“A type of faerie,” Theodore added. “She lives in the sea.”

“I thought faeries flew,” Mullroy asked. “And they did magic.”

“I fly through the water,” Whitecap gave her fin like wings a flutter. “And I can do magic. I was the fish Captain Groves had caught this morning and I was the child you could not see at the fort.”

“You both remember when I said I had seen a child at Fort Charles the other day?” Theodore asked. “The one who warned me about what happened to the Admiral?”

“We thought you were going funny in the head,” Murtogg pointed at his own skull. “Mullroy thought you had hit your head.”

“Better than what you thought,” Mullroy glared at him. “You thought he was possessed by Jack Sparrow, and I said how one can be possessed by a man who is still alive.”

“I didn’t say that,” Murtogg glared back at him.

“Yes you did.”

“No I didn’t,” Murtogg puffed out his chest. “I said he might have switched his mind with Sparrow’s.”

“Gentlemen,” Theodore coughed. Murtogg did get absurd ideas in his head from time to time, although now he imagined himself standing at helm of the Black Pearl wearing not only Sparrow’s clothes, but his body as well.

“We are not getting anywhere,” William said. “And I am certain Miss Nixie does not want to go through the list of her magical abilities.”

“Whitecap,” the faerie corrected. “My name is Whitecap.”

“Miss Whitecap,” Julia addressed her. “Please tell us everything that you know.”

“I need you all to sit down,” Whitecap inched herself closer to the center of the table. “Even you Captain.”

“Very well,” Groves reclaimed his chair. “You may begin.”

“I do not know everything,” Whitecap said as she took in a large breath. “I do know is that Admiral Norrington and most of his crew is still alive, although his ship has been destroyed.”

“Where is he?” Julia grabbed onto the surface of the table. “Is he hurt?”

“He is safe; if the stories are true about her tastes then she will want to keep him safe.”

“Who is she?” Julia hissed out the question. She was no longer calm. “Did she destroy The Naiad? What did she do with James?”

“She is the enemy to my clan,” Whitecap frowned. “She is the queen of the Sirens and she had taken Admiral Norrington and the survivors to her home where she will begin to spin her lies.”

“The mermaids took him,” Murtogg made a sign of the cross. “They are going to eat him.”

“No!” Both Elizabeth and Julia cried out.

“If what I have been told is true she is not going to eat him,” Whitecap shook her head. “She wants to keep him around for a long time until she becomes bored and then cast him aside.”

“She is not going to torture him is she?” Abigail’s voice shook.

“Please don’t let it be,” Julia fought back the tears. “He has been through enough.”

“Are you certain?” Theodore asked.

“He is a man of high rank,” Whitecap said. “That is her type, and if he is wise and strong and beautiful to the eyes.”

“He is that,” Abigail nodded. “I wouldn’t say beautiful, handsome is what I would have said.”

“I was honest when I said he was a fine man,” Elizabeth said softly, earning a strange look from her husband.

“James,” Julia couldn’t hold back anymore. Tears streamed down her face.

“Where is this mermaid home?” Theodore demanded in a slow voice. He was ready to bolt from his seat and comfort Julia. “Where is it?”

“I-I don’t know,” Whitecap winced.

Elizabeth slammed her fist on the table. “How can you not know?”

“I have told you I don’t know everything. All I know is that she is keeping some of my people captive as well and that she wants Admiral Norrington to stay alive a long time. I know the Three would know and I know how to get them.”

“Where are the three?” Theodore asked.

“In the Mediterranean,” Whitecap answered. “Near Tripoli.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Turner I want you and Abigail to take Miss Carlisle back to her cabin,” Theodore rose from his seat. “Whitecap I need you to remain here and stay hidden. Mr. Murtogg and Mr. Mullroy, I need you to inform the men we are sailing towards Tripoli.”

-

James Norrington did not take the time to appreciate or admire his surroundings when Lorel had lead him to another room with a small table surrounded by cushions. All he cared for at the time was what was on the table. There was a bowl of porridge with nuts and berries mixed in it, along with treacle, another bowl contained fruit and a third contained boiled eggs, peeled from their shells. There was also a cup of tea to drink. James was not aware of how ravenous he was until he had seen the food.

It was after he had consumed several eggs and six pieces of fruit and two bowls of the porridge did he examine his surroundings. There was more of the bulb and flower like growths that illuminated the room. There were also woven tapestries hanging on the walls along with wooden shelves that contained bowls, vases, goblets, plates and tiny statues.

The table itself was carved out of stone, alabaster it had appeared by the pure white color and it was as smooth as glass, the dishes James had eaten out of were made from polished brass and copper. James could not help but to admire the way Lorel and her people had lived, but there were more important matters on his mind, the whereabouts of his crew and how they were going to return home and most of all when he was going to return to Julia.

“You have quite the appetite,” Lorel entered once more to take care of the third bowl James had emptied. “Then again you have slept for a while.”

“I need to thank you for your hospitality,” James handed her the bowl.

“Do not thank me,” she smiled. “I only wish I had prepared something more glamorous for you to have eaten.”

“It was a delicious and filling breakfast,” James told her and took one last sip of his milk. “Now that I have eaten I am ready to meet with my crew.”

Lorel’s smile had faded. “Some of them still need more time to recover; many had to eat while in bed. They are not ready.”

“I still would like to see them.”

“I will ask if they are ready to see you,” Lorel took his empty cup. “After I return with your uniform.  It has completely dried.”

“I must again thank you for that and for recovering this,” He held up Julia’s ring on the chain he wore.

“I knew it had to be important to you,” Lorel said. “Was it your mother’s?”

“It belongs to the woman I love,” James smiled at the memory of Julia handing him her ring. “It did belong to her mother before me.”

For a second Lorel’s lush lips curled up into a scowl before it was replaced by a smile once more. “She must be the luckiest woman in the world. Sit back and relax my dear Admiral. I will return with your things.”

“I have relaxed quite enough,” James rose to his feet.

“You may wonder about, but do not wander beyond the red stones. I will place the clothes back in your bedroom.”

“Thank you,” James kept his voice in a cheerful tone. He did wonder what was beyond the red stones and where his men where. Although he did not want to paint a bad image in his host’s mind. He will find out where his men were.

“Remember, don’t stray past the red stones. One can get lost down here.” She said.

“I will remember,” James frowned. Something just did not sit right with him.

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