NONE TO SPEAK OF

Disclaimer: I do not own any tiny itty bitty detail of PotC. I don't own Will, Elizabeth, Jack....the list goes on. I do own Erika and Argyle and Artmesia. So if you take any of those, let me know and gain my permission first.

This is my first attempt at a fan fiction, so bear with me. This first chapter is mostly and introduction and fluff. So, no flames, but constructive criticsm or ideas (specifically titles...) are more than welcome.


Erika sat on the deck staring out onto the churning sea. She wrapped her blanket tighter around her as the sharp, salt-filled wind blew into her face. Erika moved her gaze from the sea to the sky. She had fallen in love with watching the deep midnight sky fill with the billions of sparkling stars. It all seemed so much brighter and more pure at sea. Tonight, however, the stars were blocked out by the massive storm clouds that seemed to roll in. After a while Erika noticed the mist on her face was no longer only from the sea, but from a light rain that was starting to come down as well. Unperturbed, Erika just remained seated. She didn’t mind getting a little wet. It was much better than being stuck down below where fresh air never reached. Her voyage thus far had been fairly enjoyable, with Erika being one of the only passengers who didn’t suffer too terribly from sea-sickness. As much as she was enjoying life on the sea, she desperately missed her home in Port Royal. Or at least the only home she had in the new world.
“Miss Erika?” A voice said snapping her out of her thoughts. “I’m sorry, but I’ma hafta ask tha’ you go below deck. A storm is comin’ in, and you’re already getting wet. We wouldn’ wan’ for you to catch cold, now would we?” The sailor, Argyle, smiled. Erika smiled back at him. Argyle had been very kind to her since she had been on the ship. When he wasn’t working he would talk with her or sometimes eat with her. They had quickly become friends as they set out onto the sea. Erika allowed Argyle to lead her to the stairs leading below deck. After giving her a last nod, he resumed his duties and prepared the ship to battle with the raging seas. Erika smiled to herself and then went down the stairs and to her cabin.
She changed out of her rather damp dress and into her nightdress and flopped onto her bunk. She lay staring at the ceiling above her lost in thought. She had been doing a lot of that on the sea. Though she enjoyed the voyage, there was very little to do. She was happy to be going back to her home, and back to her place. She had been born in England where her father had raised her until she was seven. Her father had worked on the docks building all of the grand ships. She supposed that’s why she enjoyed the sea. As a child she had spent most of her time at the docks watching her father and the other men work. Once a ship was done, they would let her ride on the test trip. The trips would never be more than an hour, just a trip out of the bay and back, but Erika had always felt that they were her own private adventures. Then came the fateful day just before her eighth birthday when her father had been killed in an accident at the shipyard. After that there was no where for Erika to go, and she had no real way to take care of herself. Her father had never been able to hire a governess for her, so she had never learned to read or write.
Soon after the accident, a kindly man took pity on her and agreed to give her a job in his household. Erika smiled to herself remembering her first encounter with the future Governor Swan. She had been terrified by him, and had no clue what to think about being offered a position as a servant in his house. Of course, she had had no choice but to accept the offer. It was soon after she joined his household that he was promoted to be the Governor of Port Royal. That meant that he and his daughter were going to the New World. Erika had been extremely fortunate to be chosen to join them in their new home.
Erika remembered that the crossing from England had been her first real voyage on a ship. It had seemed as though it lasted forever. At least on that voyage she had Elizabeth to be with her. She and Elizabeth got along remarkably well, considering she was two years older than Erika was. Elizabeth had treated Erika like a friend more than a servant since Erika had come to work in the house. Governor Swan even allowed Erika to sit in with Elizabeth’s governess so she could learn to read and write. On the crossing from England was where Elizabeth and Erika had met Will Turner. Elizabeth and Erika had been assigned to look after him after he was pulled from the water near his burning ship. Erika was the only one that knew of Elizabeth taking the pirate medallion from his sleeping form. That had been the first time that Elizabeth had used her position above Erika, and spoke to her like the servant she was when she swore her to absolute secrecy. Elizabeth and Will had become very very close friends. Erika shared in the friendship, but never got as close to Will as Elizabeth did. Erika was probably the first to see the spark they had for each other, as they grew older over the years. On Erika’s tenth birthday she had been moved from the drudgery of a common household servant to Elizabeth’s personal attendant. Erika now helped Elizabeth dress and prepare for bed, and attended all dinners and ceremonies with in case she needed help. It was the Governor’s was of proving he practically thought of Erika as another daughter.
Erika began to drift off into sleep with the resounding thought of the Governor’s excessive kindness towards her over the last ten years. Without his help she would never have been able to travel this past year, preparing to be a governess herself. She would return to Port Royal an educated young woman, prepared to surface on her own in the world.
Many hours later, a pounding on her door awoke her from her dreams of her new duties to Port Royal, and someday to Elizabeth’s children. Groggily, Erika sat up and pulled on a robe before opening her door. The rain was still pounding on the side of the ship and she could feel it being tossed about by the sea. When the door was fully open, she saw Argyle standing in her doorway, a concerned look on his face.
“Miss Erika, if you would please come up to the deck. The storm is doin’ an awful lotta damage, and I’d feel much better knowin’ you were closer to the deck in case we hafta abandon ship.” Argyle said all of this very quickly, grabbing Erika’s hand and pulling her down the hallway and up the stairs. “If you could please stay here in the mess just until we’re sure the danger’s past.” Argyle said leading Erika to a bench in the mess hall. Other passengers were staring grumpily around, occasionally muttering to one another. A few of them even had their heads down on the tables going back to sleep. Erika’s heart seemed to have lodged itself in her throat as Argyle’s words resounded in her head. The thought of having to abandon ship terrified her. What if the ship went down? They could all drown out here without anyone knowing what really happened…. Erika thought in a blind panic. No. I mustn’t think that way. Nothing shall happen to us. It is simply a storm at sea. Argyle will come back soon and tell us all to go back to our cabins. Erika told her self, taking a deep calming breath. She tried to will herself to believe it, but her heart still kept pounding uncomfortably in her throat.
Erika sat at the table for an eternity, just watching the other passengers. Some just sat there staring around, a couple started playing some games with others watching them, and a few actually decided they had enough and went back to their cabins to go back to sleep. The pounding of the rain and howl of the wind seemed to lessen above them, and Erika kept staring hopefully at the stairs hoping the captain or someone would come back and say everything was fine. Just as her eyelids were beginning to droop again, Argyle reappeared in the doorway. Erika sat up straight and opened her eyes wide knowing that he either brought fantastic news, or terrible news, and praying for the former. The other passengers also took notice and grew quiet, a few reaching over to wake their sleeping comrades.
Argyle smiled slightly at the rapt attention he was receiving. “The captain says we’re in the clear. It’ll be all right to return to your cabins now.” Many of the passengers beamed in response and more than one sigh of relief was expelled. Erika felt spent as she noticed the amount of tension she had been holding in her body for the last hour and a half. She stood and with a grateful smile at Argyle, she made her way back to her cabin. “I hope we haven’t interfered too badly with your sleep.” He said as she passed him. “But tomorrow you can have a good lie in.”
“I’m sure I will.” Erika said with a smile, unable to hold in a yawn. She gave him a sleepy nod and then went back to her cabin. She slowly took off her robe and threw it onto her trunk before collapsing back onto her bunk. She was so tired that she quickly fell into a dreamless sleep, completely unaware of her surroundings or the rocking of the ship.