Barbossa's Daughter

Chapter 2

The crew of the Black Pearl hauled all kinds of treasure on board, one of the men even taking the pearls and bracelets from Cora to stow away for later.

"I trust you had a pleasant pillaging," rasped a voice and Cora grinned as she spun on her heels to face the owner.

"Aye, we did, father."

Hector Barbossa gave a crooked grin as he beheld his daughter. "That's me girl," he praised as her grin grew wider before the men hauled the woman known as Elizabeth onboard, the ship still swaying and bustling about as the cannons fired from below deck.

"I didn't know we was taking on captives," said one of the men, Bo'sun.

"She's invoked the right of parley with Captain Barbossa," Pintel informed him, the man small and dwarfish.

"Did she, now?" Cora said with an inquisitive look on her face as she stared at the woman.

"I am here to -"

And she was cut off as Bo'sun backhanded her face. "You will speak when spoken to!" he thundered as Elizabeth held her face.

"And ye will not lay a hand on those under the protection of parley," her father scolded as he gripped Bo'sun's wrist.

"Aye, sir."

"Apologies, miss," Barbossa said, Bo'sun moving away and letting Cora stand at their captain's side.

"Captain Barbossa," Elizabeth addressed, mustering what little courage she had as her cheek glistened red. "I am here to negotiate the cessation of hostilities against Port Royal."

"There were a lot of long words there, miss," her father said with a chuckle, "We're not but humble pirates. What is it that you want?"

The monkey that sat atop the captain's shoulder then jumped onto Cora's as she reached up a hand to him and he gripped her finger affectionately.

"I want you to leave and never come back."

And the crew laughed, even Cora huffed one at the girl's sheer audacity.

"I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request," her father replied, his yellowish-blue eyes fixed on the young woman. "Means no," he explained.

"Very well," Elizabeth declared as she moved to the edge of the ship and dangled a golden medallion over the edge and instantly the entire crew was on edge. "I'll drop it," she threatened.

"Me holds are burstin' with swag," her father said, trying not to give away the true importance of the medallion. "That bit of shine matters to us? Why?"

"It's what you've been searching for," Elizabeth said. "I recognise this ship. I saw it eight years ago on the crossing from England."

"Did you now?" Barbossa asked as the monkey, Jack, continued to hold tight to Cora's neck.

"Fine," Elizabeth relented as she called their bluff. "I suppose if it is worthless, there's no point in me keeping it."

And she let some of the chain slide through her hand as almost all the crew lurched forward.

"NO!"

And the look on Elizabeth's face was smug and it only made Cora want to smack it from her face.

But then it was her turn to smirk as her father stepped forward and he chuckled, and Elizabeth pulled the medallion back as she clenched it tight in her fist.

"You have a name, missy?" he asked.

"Elizabeth Turner," she admitted. "I'm a maid in the governor's household."

Cora may not have had an education, but one thing she could do was be able to tell a bluff. Something in Elizabeth's words didn't sit right with her. Not to mention the fact that she had spent many years with Bootstrap Bill and yet, this woman who claimed to be his daughter, looked nothing like him. In fact the mystery....no. It wasn't possible. Her eyes were close enough.

Her father and crew, however, were nowhere near as adept to the lies being fed to them as her father took them at face value.

"Miss Turner," he announced to his crew as whispers began to pass among them and Cora let the monkey jump back onto her father's shoulder.

"Bootstrap," Pintel spoke.

"And how does a maid come to own a trinket such as that?" her father wondered. "Family heirloom, perhaps?"

"I didn't steal it, if that's what you mean," Elizabeth said, when in actuality, that is what she did.

"Very well," Barbossa said as he held out his hand. "You hand it over and we'll put your town to our rudder and ne'er return."

And stupidly, Elizabeth handed over her only bargaining chip, her only piece of leverage as her father handed it over to Jack who chittered as he climbed atop a rope and made his way over the crowd before dropping back on Cora's shoulder. The girl's eyes were dark as she pinned Elizabeth with a victorious smirk as Jack placed the medallion around her neck.

"Our bargain?" Elizabeth asked worriedly when that was not what she should be worried for as Barbossa only nodded as he turned away, wrapping Cora's arm around his as he began to escort her below deck.

"Still the guns and stow 'em," Bo'sun ordered. "Signal the men and make good to clear port."

And then Elizabeth began to chase after the captain and the captain's daughter.

"Wait! You have to take me to shore! According to the Code of the Order of the Brethren -"

And then it was Cora's turn to slap the woman into silence. "Ye need to stop thinking that ye knows better than a pirate about being a pirate," she warned as Elizabeth held her face and her father smirked at the scene while still not happy about the deal he made.

"Firstly, your return to shore was not part of our negotiations, nor our agreement, so I must do nothing. And secondly, you must be a pirate for the Pirate's Code to apply and you're not. And thirdly, the Code is more of what you'd call guidelines than actual rules. Welcome aboard the Black Pearl, Miss Turner," her father snarled as two men grabbed Elizabeth's arms and she flinched.

"The devil do be in the details," Cora sassed as she took her father's arm again and they resumed their course as Elizabeth was ushered below deck, a guest no longer and a captive for the time being.