Eight years earlier…

"Isabel, watch your sister for me, would you? Don't let her bother the crew too much." My father requested, though it was more of an order. I nodded my agreement. I would always do as my father asked, no matter how much I protested inwardly, because he deserved my love and respect, especially since my mother passed.

I lifted my skirts as I climbed down the steps to the main deck, heading towards the bow, where I could see the cream of Elizabeth's dress as she stood, overlooking the ocean.

We'd been at sea for what seemed like months. We were headed to Port Royal, Jamaica. It was going to be our new home…if we made it in one piece. Pirates are a constant concern. Well…they are according to my father and Lieutenant Norrington. I thought pirates were exciting. But, then again, I was just a fourteen year old girl who was full of fanciful dreams and silly notions. Not my own words, believe me.

I stepped towards Elizabeth, and quietly stood beside her, gazing at the blue sparkling waters beneath us. Neither of us spoke a word to each other. We were so close, Elizabeth and I, that most of the time we didn't need words to fill silences. We were comfortable with the quiet between us. The soft ocean's breeze whispered through our curls, and caressed the skirts of our dresses.

"Do you really think that there might be pirates, Issy?" My younger sister questioned, turning her eyes on me.

"There must be. I don't suppose that Lieutenant Norrington would worry Father if there was no need." I replied.

"How exciting it must be to be a pirate!" Elizabeth enthused, grinning at me, and I smiled back. Sometimes I look at Elizabeth, and I see the same life that was in my mother and it saddens me for a moment, before I realise that at least the same spirit my mother had still lives on when she does not.

"I would imagine it is incredibly exciting. Do you remember the pirate song I taught you?" I asked her, and she nodded enthusiastically before she began to sing.

"We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot. Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho! We kidnap, we 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 sang, until a hand clasped her shoulder and we both jumped in surprise. Mr Gibbs, one of the ship hands, stood behind us, giving us a dark look. I was somewhat afraid of Mr Gibbs. He was a strange fellow who had a love of rum that surpassed any man that I had met yet in my short life.

"Quiet, missy! Cursed pirates sail these waters. You don't want to bring them down on us, now, do ya?" He questioned.

"Mr Gibbs, that will do!" And Elizabeth was saved by Lieutenant Norrington.

Outwardly I gave the Lieutenant a polite smile, but inwardly I was grimacing. I would have rather dealt with Mr Gibbs than Lieutenant Norrington. Norrington was arrogant, and ignorant of everyone but himself. That coupled with the chance he might propose to me one day meant that I dislike him with a passion.

I was the Governer's eldest daughter, and he was a man of high status and power. Any lady would be happy to be his eventual betrothed, but I could not stomach the very notion. I longed for adventure and excitement, and I knew that being the wife of Lieutenant Norrington would give me anything but that.

"She was singing about pirates. Bad luck to be singing about pirates with us mired in this unnatural fog. Mark my words." Mr Gibbs replied, as he looked away from us and to the Lieutenant.

"Consider them marked. On your way." Norrington said, tilting his head to the side, gesturing for Mr Gibbs to leave.

"Aye, Lieutenant," Mr Gibbs said, as he walked away from us. "It's bad luck for women to be on board too…even miniature ones."

"I think it would be rather exciting to meet a pirate." Elizabeth said, and I sighed, closing my eyes. Why had she spoken those words? I opened my eyes and shook my head at my sister's faux pas.

"Think again, Miss Swann," Norrington replied, before he walked towards us, and stood beside me, staring out into the fog as we had moments before. "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 short drop and a sudden stop."

He looked down at us as he said the last part, and Elizabeth and I looked away from him, towards Mr Gibbs who stood behind our father. He mimed being hanged, and we understood what the Lieutenant had meant and his words were barbaric. I grimaced, while Elizabeth gasped. Our father walked over to us and stood between us and Norrington.

"Lieutenant Norrington, I appreciate your fervor, but I'm, uh, I'm concerned about the effect this subject will have on my daughters."

"My apologies, Governor Swann." Norrington said, walking briskly away, and I felt the air around me get lighter in spite of the fog.

"Actually, I find it all fascinating." I said, looking up at my father.

"As do I." Elizabeth added.

Our father looked down at us, a knowing and tired look upon his face, and smiled slightly, but I couldn't be certain it was in amusement.

"Yes. That's what concerns me."

Elizabeth and I ignored our father's words, and turned back towards the water. My eyes narrowed in on a floating umbrella, and instantly I knew something terrible had happened to a boat or ship. How else could there be an umbrella just floating on the ocean? Elizabeth noticed it too, but didn't seem to share the same train of thought as me, as she eagerly followed it, pausing to lean over the port side to watch it.

I was about to pull her back slightly, worried that she was leaning over to far when her eyes widened and she straightened up, pointing towards the water.

"Look!" She said loudly, garnering the attention of some of the men on the ship, including the Lieutenant and Father. "A boy! There's a boy in the water!"

I rushed towards Elizabeth and leaned over the side of the ship, my eyes scanning the waters for the boy, as the men did the same. Sure enough, a boy was clinging to some wood that floated on the surface of the ocean. He didn't appear to be conscious.

"Man overboard!" Lieutenant Norrington yelled, before he began to give out his orders. "Man the ropes. Fetch a Hook! Haul him aboard."

Elizabeth and I moved towards the crew as they lifted the boy onto the ship.

One of the deck hands hauled the boy into his arms, and held him while two of the crewmen carried a blanket over and placed it on the deck. Elizabeth and I stepped a little closer to Lieutenant Norrington as the boy was placed on the blanket, and he checked the young man over.

"He's still breathing." With those words, I sighed in relief. It would have been dreadful if the boy was dead.

"Mary, Mother of God." I heard Mr Gibbs say, and I swivelled my head round to see what had shocked Mr Gibbs. From the little I knew of the strange man, I knew that not many things could shock him. Elizabeth followed me over to the port side and that's when we saw the blaze. A ship was being licked by flames that were at least ten feet high. I heard Elizabeth gasp beside me, and then felt her small, dainty hand slip into mine. I squeezed it, trying to comfort her, but I was not sure just how much of a comfort it was. Practically the whole crew was staring at the carnage before us.

"What happened here?" Our father questioned.

"It's most likely the powder magazine. Merchant vessels run heavily armed." Norrington answered, quickly and efficiently. Although I believed him to be a competent Lieutenant, I still did not like him. He wasn't a particularly nice person.

"Lot of good it did them," Mr Gibbs said, noticing the dark look the Lieutenant cast towards him. "Everyone's thinking it, I'm just saying it. Pirates!"

My father chuckled nervously, clearly trying to diffuse the ripple of apprehension that ripped its way through the crew.

"There's no proof of that! It was probably an accident." Her father said, and I suddenly realised that Elizabeth was no longer holding my hand or even standing beside me. I turned my head and found her standing over the unconscious boy. I smiled lightly as I watched her looking down at him. Maybe Elizabeth had found herself a new friend.

"Rouse the captain. Heave to and take in sail. Launch the boats." Lieutenant Norrington ordered, as he marched forwards across the deck. The crew burst in to life, and began, almost frantically, working at their stations.

I followed my father over to Elizabeth, who was still watching the boy. Her eyes followed him even as one of the deck hands lifted his body and carried him away.

"Elizabeth, I'd like for you to accompany the boy. He'll be in your charge. Take care of him." He requested my younger sister, and watched as she nodded and followed the man who had taken the boy. I looked up at my father quizzically. Why hadn't he put the boy in my charge? Surely I was better suited for it, as I knew more about medical aid than little Lizzie.

"I put your sister in your care. Watch over her for me?"

"Yes, Father."

"It's important that she feels she has a purpose on the ship. I wouldn't want her to get bored and cause mischief." I knew that my father was lying. He just didn't want Elizabeth, or myself for that matter, to see anything that would affect us. Like a dead body.

"Of course, Father." I replied, nodding before striding in the direction Elizabeth and the crewman had taken.

When I had found Elizabeth again, her arm was in the tight grip of a gasping, conscious young boy. Neither of them seemed all that afraid of the other, but I stepped forward anyway, placing a gentle hand on my sister's shoulder to let her know I was here for her.

"It's okay. My name's Elizabeth Swann. This is my older sister, Isabel." She said, remembering to politely introduce me. I was very proud of the calm demeanour my sister was now using. She was very calm and collected, despite the vice-like grip that the boy still had on her arm.

"Will Turner." The boy managed to croak out, his voice breaking in places due to his breathlessness.

"We're watching over you, Will." Elizabeth said, and the boy seemed to understand he was safe, as he let go of her arm, and fell unconscious again.

That's when we found the strange medallion. Will's shirt was open enough for us to see part of his bare chest, and a small golden chain with a medallion hanging from the end. Elizabeth was the one to lift it up and inspect it, and I recognised her familiar gasp.

"You're a pirate!" She exclaimed quietly, showing me the golden doubloon. I took it off of her and narrowed my eyes as I inspected it myself. My eyes widened as I realised that she must have been right. The boy was a pirate, or related to a pirate! How exciting! Or how exciting it would have been if Lieutenant Norrington hadn't decided to startle the pair of us.

"Has he said anything?" He questioned, making both Elizabeth and I jump, and gasp. I hid the medallion behind my back.

"His name is William Turner." I answered quickly.

"That's all we found out." Elizabeth added.

Norrington seemed to except our report, and nodded to two of his men.

"Take him below."

The men lifted Will up and took him below the deck, probably putting him in a bed or hammock to rest, and once we were alone, I pulled the medallion back round for me and Elizabeth to look at. It was real gold.

"We cannot tell anyone about this, Lizzie. They'd throw him in prison if they found out he was a pirate." I told her.

"So we keep it a secret between just the two of us. No one else?" Elizabeth pressed, and I nodded, and curled my pinkie around her outstretched one, and we swung them between us as I held the medallion slightly aloft, before I spotted a ship with tatty black sails bobbing up and down with the ocean's current. My eyes narrowed in on it, and I recognised its flag. The Jolly Roger. It was a pirate ship!

I squeezed my eyes closed tight.

And then I woke up.