Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any characters involved. Nor do I own the song Swallowed in the Sea by Coldplay.

Swallowed in the Sea: A Path of Freedom

Prologue: A Vow for Redemption

Elizabeth Swann tottered towards the dilapidated, wooden door of Tia Dalma's hut and pushed it open. The hinges squeaked as she elbowed by it and wandered out onto the thin balcony with limited walking space. Leaning against the wall, her lips formed a thin line. They quivered lightly, though, as a few moments passed and the touch of a warm tear slid down her fair cheek. She had promised herself she wouldn't shed tears for the decision she had made, yet, it seemed her emotions were disloyal to her mind. How could I...her thoughts trailed off as the image of the black pearl sinking into the depths of the sea along with its captain clouded her mind. A man– no, a friend had been condemned to death and it was all her fault. By this time, plenty of tears had managed to break free and make their way down the sides of her face without her taking much notice. As she took a glance over her shoulder to look through the window, she noted young William Turner, hunched over near a corner of Tia Dalma's cluttered dwelling. Elizabeth grimaced as she stared at the man whom she had betrayed when she had locked lips with Sparrow. Of course he saw it, her thoughts soured.The way he had spoken and the looks he had given her had made it easy to tell.At that time, though, it didn't matter much to her what he had seen; she was too busy focusing on her earlier actions of shackling the unsteady captain to his ship. She had left him for death, and now, she had to bring him back. Rescuing him would clear her conscience and besides, he was an innocent man who didn't deserve his fate. Just like Will, she cared for Jack.

Turning towards the murky waters surrounding the voodoo priestess' hovel, she noticed tiny flickering lights grazing the water. The villagers who had greeted their return with their faces masked with sorrow had left their candles on small clay plates which swayed with water's steady motion. Without a word nor sound, Elizabeth drifted towards the ladder and stepped down each stair and into the water. Her actions were unclear to even herself at one point for it felt as if her heart were leading her. Once she came close to one of the floating candles she guided it into her hands and cupped the sides. She studied the warm light flickering against its wick in pure nostalgia. As soon as her thoughts collected and her copper eyes focused, she mouthed some words to herself then pushed the candle off as far as she could down stream. She had made a promise to herself.

It was a promise... to save Jack.