An Old Visit for New Answers

[Arianna Ramirez]

How long had it been since she had last seen this shore? Ten years? Maybe longer? Who knows? She was young at the time. That was a fact for sure and it had been a strange and desperate time in her life; one that she wasn’t that fond of, nor one she liked to remember for that matter of things. Last time she had been here was the time she had found out the truth. It was the time when she had first sworn she would never fall for a man in the state of love. It was the first time she actually felt hate for her mother. It was the first time she swore that someday she would be independent. Now, here she was, a slightly well off, certainly beautiful, smart, independent woman; free of any man and any that would bound her for their use. She was as high as you could get as a woman outside of society. Still respected despite the fact that she was single and lived in a slightly questionable manner without the pomp and circumstance of complete femininity. She was happier than she was then, that was for certain.

The heavy sickening squish of the mud under her boots woke Arianna’s memory to another time and place when she had been here, the first time. Then she had done this barefoot. Her mother, a tired, sickly, drunken woman, had put on her best clothes, the one she usually used to work in, and dragged her all the way down to this god forsaken swamp. At one point, she remembered that her mother had to pick her up after she tripped and fell in the mud. The stench had followed her for days afterward, but nothing was so bad as the stench as she entered deeper and deeper into the dark swamp. Her mother had been carrying the only lantern, and as many small girls, the darkness frightened her. All the noises made her jump, squeal in fright every now and again. They had gotten on a boat driven by strange men, and she had withdrawn, clutching to her mother’s skirts as they paddled down the muddy river, dark as night. The fireflies had been her only source of hope then. The fireflies and her mother’s humming of an old shanty that was sung around the brothel were they lived at one time or another.

“The King and his men stole a Queen from her bed. And bound her in her bones…” It had been long ago. The fireflies still proved comforting as Arianna paddled her own vessel down the same dark river now without the strange men in the boat. She knew they were in the trees though. The priestess who claimed these parts seldom liked to be left without her attendants and they seldom liked to leave her. It was a good match really; one that no one would dare question or wreak havoc upon. Arianna certainly wasn’t about to destroy the balance. The last thing anyone wanted to do when on this sacred ground was to upset the woman that ruled them. She had powers and it was unwise to disturb that which no one could understand. Besides, a happy priestess was one that granted favors and those favors were just what Arianna needed at this time.

“The sea be ours invite the powers. And where we will, we’ll roam.” She needed the powers now. Business was better than ever since the fall of the East India Company. Prices on the Rum and the items she dealt with fell of course, but the tavern was strong, filled every night, and her pockets were still filled with gold at her leisure. She was still free as ever from the curse her mother had endured and if things kept up now, soon she would have enough for her own tavern and her own house and she would be free of the last memory of her mother and the brothel they lived in, the place she had lived since birth, the horrible hovel filled with corruption and whores, those not worthy enough to have a brain. Those women who used their bodies for money, those who didn’t have enough sense or dignity to get up off their backsides and try to make something of themselves when they were more than capable. She would be far away from all of that soon. She just needed to know where to go and what to do. She just needed the future told and advice given on what move to make next and she would have it all. She would be the commander of her own stars for once and rise from what was given to her at birth; the bastard child of a pirate she would be no longer.

The boat rocked and the fireflies continued to circle her head as she tied it off and climbed up the ladder to the woman’s house. She closed her eyes as her foot hit the first step and remembered being handed up to her mother by the strange men who had rowed them here. She had wiggled the whole time, scared of the way they had looked and clutched to her mother as she knocked on the door. They had entered those many years ago and the woman had terrified Arianna as much as the stench that came from her hut. Tia Dalma had been the name and never had Arianna forgotten it. Never had she forgotten the name and never had she forgotten the face that came with it; stained and blackened teeth, hair unruly and tangled with who knows what method. Her skin brown and freckled like the inside of an old worn tree stump splattered with mud. Her dress torn and stained with blood and guts from the creatures who lived or were displayed in death in the various jars and cages around the hut. And the bones; the bones had frightened Arianna almost to death. She bumped into a pile of them when she walked in and immediately buried her face in her mother’s skirts as she tried her best to be a big girl and not to cry.

Today she wouldn’t cry. Then she did. Today she would not dare to do it again. Nothing was worth crying over any more. She had not cried since her mother passed and even then it was no more than a single tear, easily wiped away from her eyes. She had just dumped the body with the rest of them after that. She had given birth to her and tried, to love her. She had done nothing else and that love was not ever returned, whether her mother had known the reason for that or not was questioned. The answer didn’t matter and she would never know it now. She didn’t care enough to know it, nor did she want to know it. The last time she was here was the last time she had loved her mother.

Her hand went to the door and knocked strongly just as her mother’s had so many years ago. A stinking bird corpse was in the bag behind her along with an assortment of dead snakes and lizards she had gotten from the swamp’s edge before her visit. She also had a shrunken head in a different sack that she had bartered for before she had left Tortuga. Gifts were key of course on such a visit. Her mother had brought a human head she had found on the cost of Tortuga, one with gold teeth and vivid blue eyes, much like her father’s she had been told. Arianna had been pleased to hear that. She had her father’s eyes. Her mother had the same eyes of course, but it had been the fact that they were her father’s eyes more than anything that had made her smile so long ago. Then this woman, the priestess, she had to tell her that her father didn’t know and didn’t care about her in the prophecy. She would not meet her father until she crossed to a place where the sun did not shine during the day and never would her mother’s eyes meet his again.

That was in the past. Long gone and not to be worried about now. She knocked again, clearing her throat and putting the gifts in their bags down at the doorstep. She was always home. Everyone knew that Tia Dalma never left her hut. There was rumor that she had one day with the likes of Captain Jack, may his soul rot in the locker for the agony her ears bled with every day thanks to the problems he left behind with Scarlet and the others. She didn’t believe a word of it. If the rumor was true of course the journey and part of her earnings will have been wasted. It had been a stupid idea anyway. Something her idiot mother would have done just for a piece of hope to hold onto. Lots of good that did the old broad hadn’t it? Hadn’t given her nothing that a fonder taste for rum and a stomach for sickness as well as an idle mind and body. Never left her bed after that visit. Arianna had been on her own since then. As far as she was concerned, this was the island where her mother died, not their small dirty room in brothel on Tortuga; her mother’s grave was right here.

She had not come for her mother nor that damned woman’s memory though. She had come for advice and signs of the future. She wanted to know if she would be safe from the curse her mother had suffered. She wanted to know what move to make next so she could be rid of her mother’s legacy. She wanted to know what to do and this was the only way she knew to get the answers she was seeking. There was no one else who could do it with any accuracy and this was the only place she knew to go. It was, for one reason or another, the only place she would go.

With a heavy sigh, Arianna closed her eyes and leaned against the wall of the hut since the door was not being answered. She would wait. She would wait as long as it took for the voodoo woman to come. It was her last chance and her only hint and she would not leave this spot until she got the answers. Another sigh relaxed her body as Arianna felt the wind toss the loose strands of her flaxen hair with abandon as she hummed the same old sea shanty her mother had so many years ago her voice light as the smell of death on the wind . “Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die…”

[Tia Dalma]

The sound of the knocking on the front door automatically caught her attention. As she would raise her head to look towards the direction of the door, she would place her hands on top of the table while slowly standing up. She knew who it was; she always did even if she didn’t know the person. It had been one of the things which she had enjoyed, especially when at times, the person would always ask how she knew their name.

She could remember the time when Will had first walked into her doorsteps, asking questions on how she knew his name though she had never answered his question as she found no point. She could remember when she had told him of his destiny, but vaguely. That very destiny which seemed to come true, as Will had now been the Captain of the Flying Dutchman. That damned ship which she had vowed since the day she had found out it was its captain who betrayed her that she would never step foot on it again. Though she had been a voodoo priestess, had she not? Top that off, she had been Calypso, a woman who was finally free from her human bonds, but still continued to remain within the form while she stayed within Dalmatia Isla, her home. Her only home aside from the sea.

“Come in….” She called, finally standing up completely out of her chair as she would pull it back and out of her way. “Arianna Ramirez.” Yes, there it was. The full name of the woman who had been standing outside of her shack. As she’d walk towards the back of the shack, the sound of her necklaces tapping alongside one another could be heard. There however, had been one which still remained around her neck. Rarely had she removed the locket, even after she had found out that the same man who had the twin locket of the locket betrayed her so many years ago.

She could never forget that moment, the moment when she was trapped within this human form never to be released until all the Pieces of Eight where brought together by the Brethren Court and until one would tell her those words, those words on which they would free her but in a loving from of way. She could remember the exact day which she had been free from those bonds, the same day which she had found out about the betrayal of the man named Davy Jones. The day on which she had turned the sea into a battlefield out of anger for both the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman.

“Davy Jones!” She muttered in a low tone of voice, as her voice would continue to remain angered. Though that anger would shake off after a certain amount of time, no longer having a form of interest in showing it when someone had been in front of her doorsteps, about to enter her humble little shack. Humble? Maybe not, a shack which was filled with skeleton bones and other various little trinkets laying around the shack which many could tell from that moment, that she had been a Voodoo Priestess was not something which was humble or welcoming.

But a welcome, a welcome was something which she was not one to often give off to strangers let alone pirates. There however, had been very few pirates left which Tia could actually say she had trusted. Those who had told her of the man that betrayed her, and those who had freed her from her bonds. Though still, she continued to remain angered towards pirates, no longer finding an interest to tag along with them knowing that all they probably wanted was control of the sea, and that being her.

But while she may have trusted them, their positions in life were something which she wanted them to be rid of. She had brought back several men just to make sure that it would happen. Their occupation’s finally gone. She wanted nothing to do with pirates, and if this woman turned pirate, she wanted her out of her shack. Her shack was not a place which many pirates after the battle which took place where welcomed, let alone those who longed to have control of the sea.

“What is it dat you want child?” She’d call once more, her voice sounding louder due to the anger that had been driven up inside. Though she could only hope that she wasn’t frightened from the tone of her voice as it hadn’t been her which she had been angered at, but those who betrayed her. Betrayal obviously had never been something which she taken lightly. And those who knew her automatically knew that from the start. But apparently the one man which had once been her damned lover didn’t know what kind of a cruel woman she could really be when driven up to the point.

Cruelty however, was not something which was to be shown now. At least once again, not in front of this woman. Taking a deep breath, she’d turn around, no longer finding an interest to head towards the back of the shack to get an item on which she felt was needed for this little visit. She would get it later, when it was needed.

[Arianna Ramirez]

The song ended and her humming stopped before the silence of crickets and the creeks of the wood were interrupted by the haunting bayou lilt of the woman she had come to seek answers from. The woman’s voice did not scare her as it once had, nor did the memory of her, she was just a person from the past and one she would never have to meet again after today if fate and god willed it. Not that she fully trusted fate or god for both were evil malcontents with too much shame and arrogance to show their faces on earth. For that, Arianna hated them both and tended to disregard them and their presence regularly.

To her, God was gold and fate a figment of someone’s imagination. Probably a pirate’s imagination most likely. Those stupid seamen had a bad habit of making up all that hogwash; no women aboard, all the fairy tales of hearts locked up in chests and cursed gold and cannibals who prayed to their meals before they sacrificed them as pagan gods. She was too sensible for all of that. She had a head for business not myths. There had been women on the seas before and if their myths were true a woman ran the seas so there was obviously no truth to that rumor. She personally thought it was just a damned excuse not to take on their whores from whatever port they stopped at along with any bastards they may bear. It sounded like an excuse her father would have used had he ever returned to their port again.

A small smile played on her lips at the thought of her father coming back to find his “love” dead and a grown child in her place. She wouldn’t worry about it of course. The voodoo woman had said that she would never meet him in the light of the sun, so, she would never see him. Not in this life and she doubted she would see him in the next either. She didn’t put much stock in all of that after all so why worry.

The sound of her name reminded Arianna why she was here as she slowly got up and gathered her offers for Tia Dalma in return for her favors and talents. A final sigh and stare at the dark murky waters was Arianna’s way of making her mind quiet as she turned to the door, tucking her locket in with care as she moved to the door and opened it to an angered priestess. Whether that was because she had kept the esteemed woman waiting or that she had come at all remained to be seen. In any case, it was just a matter of flattery, a few gifts, and pleasant conversation that would ease the voodoo woman’s anger. That was what her mother had done that day so long ago.

“Tia Dalma, it’s been far too long. Your beauty hasn’t changed a bit.” A large smile painted her face as she entered with the same words here mother had, except this time she was the only other woman in the shack and she was not, by any means quaking with fear or hiding behind skirts as if they could protect her. This time she was walking in tall and well dressed with two sacks of offerings in hand.

She may have changed, but it seemed that the ancient shack had not. The eyeballs and body parts were still in their jars, turtles shells and bones littered the walls and hung from the ceiling with various other relics and feathers of every type. They no longer seemed near as fearsome as they were before, but the woman herself still managed to send a well covered chill through Arianna as she asked the girl to tell her exactly what she wanted and why she was here. Of course, the key to this was to remain calm and build her flattery until the opportune moment came. That was the key to anything she dealt with and this was no different.

A sweet smile took her face as she looked over at the sea witch and nodded. “You know why I’m here. You know everything from a name to the greatest of the world’s secrets.” Arianna gently, respectfully set her things down near a chair and smirked playfully knowing full well that the woman must remember her despite how she had grown. “Besides, can’t I just come and have a friendly visit with an old friend?” She picked up the bag with the creatures in it and set in on the table. “Besides, I brought you a few gifts you might be interested in. I thought you might like them so I decided to bring them along.”

She didn’t dare spill the contents of that bag on the table, she had been disgusted enough gathering the things. “Aaaand if that is not enough I brought you a little curiosity for one of your many collections.” She smirked and reached out into the other sack she had brought producing a shrunken head and walking over to where the others were hanging from the ceiling. She smiled slightly and held it up next to the bunch without showing a sign of disgust despite how her skin was crawling from being so near to the things. “Fits rather nicely don’t you think? A lovely little addition. Might be related I think…”

If all this didn’t work she would just have to proceed to flattery. A discussion of her mother, of past visits, perhaps let her know what was going on in Tortuga if she was interested. Something told Arianna that she probably wasn’t. What interest would an old voodoo woman have in a bunch of sea miscreants and trouble makers and their special island? Besides, last time she hadn’t been interested in anything besides her mother’s story. But something seemed to change this time. She certainly wasn’t smiling. Last time she had been smiling knowingly. That was what had scared Arianna so much the first time. That and when she had bent down and called her “little Arianna.” She wasn’t so little anymore and the woman wasn’t smiling. She seemed angry about one thing or another. Arianna smiled a little more brightly; it seemed more things had changed in this hut than she had thought.

[Tia Dalma]

A small chuckle escaped her lips from her words. She knew very well that it was all flattery, but couldn’t make a comment towards it. It was not something she would do, even if she was in fact, flattered. But it was also no secret to how she hadn’t seemed to age throughout the years, as she was in fact, Calypso, the Goddess of the sea. Upon her powers as the sea goddess, more than likely it came with immortality. But there had seemed to always be a form of threat to that immortality as the woman could remember the Fountain of Youth. It had been one of the few reasons on why she had brought back Davy Jones, James Norrington, and everyone else along with that. Other reasons however, where better left unexplained.

Seeing the little gifts which Arianna had brought with her only put a small smile on her face, though she was still angered at the thoughts from before. It wasn’t enough to get rid of it, as she knew that the day that she had brought back Davy Jones, it had also been the day that she knew that she would have to continue to deal, and live life with him even though it seemed as though they where no longer together. “You come asking for questions which cannot be answered.” Tia said, while she’d walk back towards the table, sitting down.

“Dat destiny of da curse is t’ be announced when da time is right.” She’d soon comment, while she’d place her hands alongside the table. “William Turner could also not find out his destiny. Destinies are t’ be told as dey go along, and not answered by me. Dou, I shall be willing t’ make a deal wid you.” Even though she may have offered a form of deal, she would not speak of the deal until she had received her answer. The deal was obvious in fact. She needed more allies on her side who would help her on her mission. The mission on which was the reason on why she had brought several back from their watery graves.

Though now that she began to think about it, why did she? She could have been left alone for quite awhile until she was needed again, but yet… there was something about Jack and his crew, as well as the East India Trading Company wanting to go find the Fountain of Youth that made her resurrect them only to form a side of her own. She had no longer wanted to be affiliated with pirates of any kind, let alone the East India Trading Company. She knew that if she was on either side, they would try to control her now that she was in power. And that was something she would not allow.

This had been the reason on why she had decided to form her own side. If she was to keep her power, and no longer be bound to human form, she wanted to be capable of having allies on her side that she could trust. And pirates where none which she could trust, let alone the company, Royal Navy, and other sides which had interest in controlling the sea.

She however, felt as though she could trust Arianna. She was one of the few which she had kept an eye on, and knew very well that she probably wasn’t the type to backstab her. And if she was, then if she where to ever go upon the sea, she would make sure that the sea would be her demise like all the others which she had tried to kill upon the sea for numerous amount of reasons.

“Now dat you also come in here, you come t’ ask why I am angered?” She’d ask as she’d watch Arianna. It seemed as though she knew her way around her shack, even after haven’t been there in so long when the shack alone seemed to have gotten messier by the day. It was amazing enough, that she even knew where everything was, when other’s didn’t. But once again, she would make no comment.

“But dat story….” Tia began, while she’d begin to chuckle. “Dat story you may dink it’s a myth.” She’d finish, no longer finding an interest on telling her why she had been so angered. She had her reasons, mostly it had been based on a former lover, others pirates, and well… the list could have gone on, and on. The mere fact that Tia had waited so long in order to see her ex, only to find out that he had been the one who betrayed her in the end had brought the anger.

Why had he not said a word? It was a question on which not even she could figure out. Sure he probably had his reasons since he probably knew she would be upset in the end, but she still wanted to know either way. She deserved to know, had she not?

[Arianna Ramirez]

And there it was again; the old Tia Dalma; the one that had chuckled and pronounced her future much like her mothers without even being asked. She had the same blackened cracked lips and the same slightly smirking smile that almost made Arianna shiver once again as she had so many times so long ago. Still, the woman seemed pleased and that was all that mattered. All that remained now was to keep being her playful flattering self and not offend the old seer. From what she had heard it was easy to do that these days and she would not judge that through experience if she could help it; not today at least.

Unfortunately, as she had guessed when she walked in, the woman knew why she was here and already gave her one of her answers on a silver platter; she would remained cursed by her mother. She would remain to live out the curse and the destiny that came with it until the day that destiny came if such a thing existed. Then again, all she had seen in her life had come to point that it did. It was more realistic than god at the very least. Destiny proved itself while, unless god wrote the damned prophecies that created destiny, he remained silent on his high horse in the heavens while they suffered down here; typical man really.

She couldn’t act too disappointed though. It was not the woman’s place to tell her everything. It was out of kindness if she gave Arianna information. It was the way things in this hut had always been and she had to respect that as well as Tia Dalma and her ways. She would have to wait as much as it displeased her to do so. She could only give a small playful smile and sigh quietly “So cruel to me you are darling.” She smirked and hung the head with the others permanently and waltzed over to the other woman raising her eyebrows.

She was a good business woman. She was willing to hear out a deal no matter who was presenting it. Arianna had to admit though that Dalma offering her a deal was strange to say the least. Hopefully the woman would not ask to high a price. She knew it wouldn’t be money of course. The priestess had made it clear to many that money was the last thing she needed. What would she request Arianna wondered? What would she want from her little old self. She had plenty of material wealth to pay her off but beyond that nothing but a soul. Hopefully the woman wouldn’t ask that. Voodoo was of course the devil’s work as the church and her mother tried to remind her without avail, but despite all that she knew she had a soul and would rather like to keep it.

Still curious as to what the woman wanted from her Arianna took a seat on an empty space she managed to clear off on a crate and looked up at the woman waiting to hear what the deal was. Instead she was surprised to hear her say that she had probably also come to find out why she was angered which was a little bit true. She had wondered that when she walked in at the very least. After all, from her memory the woman had never been angry like that in the past. Arianna of course shook her head and gave a small sigh. “I wouldn’t ask that of you. It’s your anger and your business but I have an open ear if you care to share you’re troubles; even if you think I won’t believe them all.”

She sighed and shook her head after a few moments and shrugged. “Probably a man if I had to guess. Hell and the sea hath no fury like a woman scorned; unless you’re my mother. I doubt she could have fury towards that idiot if he slapped her in the face.” Arianna smirked slightly at the thought and shrugged. “You’re pretty enough for that not to be a myth.” She paused and played with her locket for a minute before looking back up at the other woman. “In any case if it is a man it isn’t worth it. You’re better than him any day. All women are. Give them a century or two eventually they’ll wise up to it.”

God she hoped that was true. She couldn’t stand a world where she didn’t have a say and if that curse of hers came true, she would never have that again. She could still remember the words echoing in this very room as the prophecy unfolded. She couldn’t think about it. Every time she did she shuddered and started getting sick and this was no time for that. Especially not here in front of her on this occasion. That was something to be contemplated in private. Not even then if it could be helped.

“But that is something to reflect on for a different day. Something I suspect that could fill many conversations.” She smiled and tucked away her locket again trying to push the curse that she bore out of her mind as she smiled up at Tia Dalma. She would be listening to the woman if she spoke about what was haunting her, not that before today Arianna thought that was possible, but it seemed almost anything was theses days.

“What was that deal you mentioned if you don’t mind me asking. You, as always, never cease to peak me interest and seem to have me caught once again.” She smiled and hopped off the crate leaning against one of the pillars in the house and putting her arm around a skeleton and hitting a strand of black feathers playfully before looking back over at Tia Dalma curiously.

[Tia Dalma]

The moment that Arianna had mentioned cruelty she would only burst out into laughter. Laughter was something which she hadn’t felt in a long time, not till she had found out about Davy Jones anyway. “Child, you don’t know what cruelty is yet when it deals wid me.”

“I can be as cruel as da sea when da storms take down ships and cause damage. Da Sea shows and resembles my anger when it is angered. If you hear about a ship being taken down, know dis. It is my anger being brought upon oders.”

What she had said there, was the biggest clue on which she could have given Arianna without having told her that she was the sea itself. Everything on which she had stated though had been true to say so the least, if there was ever a shipwreck, a ship being taken down by the sea or other forms of transportation, let alone small villages, islands, or actual cities it was all due to her anger being let out, and the sea having responded.

She could remember having wanted to kill Jack Sparrow once and used the sea against him, causing maelstroms, and other forms of the sea being brought upon him just because she had wanted him dead for reasons better left unexplained. She could remember asking him once if he enjoyed it, but yet she paid little mind to his answer, as she for one, did enjoy it as it was all her doing.

As she would continue to listen to Arianna’s words, Tia would let out a low chuckle once more. Everything which she had been saying was true, she had been upset due to a former lover but it was far beyond what she could probably understand. But when she had stated that her telling her would clear up quite a bit of conversations in the future, she couldn’t help but wonder on whether or not to tell. The history with Davy Jones would only tell her of her power as the goddess of the sea. But then again, she had already given off the biggest form of clue she could give to her before.

“Fine, I shall tell you.” Tia would begin, while pointing towards a chair in front of her. Reasons for this was due to the fact that the story was probably going to take awhile to explain, and standing up would probably get tiring after awhile. “Parts of what you stated where true. Have you ever heard of the legend of a woman controlling the sea?” Tia asked, while she’d begin to tap her fingers against the table awaiting her answer. She was hesitating on how to start, as the subject was rather touchy and sensitive to her. One wrong word that Arianna where to say on the subject that was offensive was bound to upset her, or sadden her if it where said in the wrong way. She was going to have to be careful on her choice of words from this point on if she where to make a form of comment.

“Dou, if you aren’t aware of da myth… it makes my job easier to explain.” Yes, she had said it was easier to explain for the very simple fact that she could probably tell one version of it, the version on which she had combined both versions into one. Both of them where true and since she was the one who had gone through both versions, there were no doubt about it that she couldn’t be correct.

“You see, da man dat I was once wid, was a man, and da sea. If you have heard of the Flying Dutchman and its captain Davy Jones, you are bound to know the legend from the start. Very few until recently have realized dat the person in dat legend dat was da woman he was in love wid….” At that moment, Tia would begin to hesitate on whether or not to continue. She had the chance to go back, she had a chance to stop everything there and switch the subject to something else. But more than likely she had a feeling that she was going to ask questions, and from that point on she knew that she couldn’t back out.

“Was me.” She would finally begin once more, the hesitation was over. “Dere is no secret in keeping my true identity hidden no longer as pirates know who I am. So I shall tell you. But you must not reveal this to anyone that doesn’t know.”

“You see, da man which I was in love wid, imprisoned me many years ago with the Brethren Court in a human form. Da form on which you see here… is dat form but right now it seems more fitting to be in it dan any oder.” Tia said, while she’d then pull up her crab shaped locket. “Dis locket was what he gave me before dat happened. Da best way to explain it was a symbol of love. Two matching lockets we shared. I kept it on always, unaware of what he had done. Years I thought he had loved me, but still was aware of da fact dat he had cut out his heart because of the unbearable pain which I had caused him. Dou recently, I had found out dat he was da one who had trapped me into dis human form. Dat mere thought of him being da one who sided wid da Brethren Court was something which is hard to bear. Da mere anger dat it brings is unbearable. It is nothing like your true love which you would share, child.”

With that, Tia would be finished explaining, she couldn’t go on any longer and explain the full story as what she had said was already too much. She could only imagine what would happen if the man where to enter her shack at that very moment. If he did, she could only release a large amount of fury towards the man but at the same time would try to keep calm since the girl was around.

“Now for da deal…. I need more allies. Pirates are going after da Fountain of Youth. It is something which those who are mortal should never come across nor get their hands on as it will disrupt the balance if a human where to become immortal. While there has been one case of one man becoming immortal due to recent events, dat Fountain of Youth is something which men should never get their hands on. Dat Fountain, along with many oder reasons for me seeking more allies is why I am willing to make a deal wid you.”

“War continues throughout the seas with pirates and the East India Trading Company. Sides are needed to be formed and I am simply…”

“Forming my own. Dere will be other issues however if you do decide to accept dis deal. Dous who I resurrected all I asked from dem are for dem to become my allies… dou dat man has also been resurrected for certain reasons which shall not be explained.”

[Arianna Ramirez]

So it had been a man then; a man who had angered her to the point where her fury could destroy like the sea could. It was unwise to anger a voodoo woman with such powers as Dalma’s, but to break her heart was a sin that could put you in a deeper darker place than hell itself if one was not careful. With the fury of the sea behind her it was impossible to shake her anger, but rather lucrative, Arianna would imagine to be her friend. She hated being controlled though much like Dalma herself so that could not be the object of the deal. It would just show the same disrespect as the man had. It would be, in a way at least, imprisoning her which was something Arianna could relate to thanks to the curse.

In any case her powers all made sense now. Her powers, the comments she had made that always related back to the sea; all those things made sense the minute she had mentioned the legend about the woman who had control of the sea. She would be a fool if she did not know the legend growing up where she did. Living around pirates she heard all the legends of the sea including that of the scorned Calypso. She knew the part about Davy Jones and the Flying Dutchman as well. They were staples of pirate lore in Tortuga and invoked frequently while swearing in the taverns. Recently she had even heard a new version of the legend where Jones had fallen in love with the sea goddess rather than a mere woman and that because she had scorned him he had cut out his heart.

This apparently cleared all that up. It seemed as usual the men had it reversed. They were covering up for their own shortcomings by once again blaming the woman in the tale. Anyone could see how hurt Tia Dalma, rather, Calypso was by all this. She was the one that had been wronged. She was the woman that had clearly been scorned in the situation. This was just further reason for her to try to find a way to break the curse and avoid her fate. If this was what true love brought she didn’t want it. She had never wanted it, but this just further convinced her. She would never feel love like this if she could want it. Who would want to if this was the only product of love she could see in her life. Never would she be scorned and never would she try to get the man back after it was all finished; not even if she needed him for something else.

Then again, the woman had said that she would not share a love of that type. She had alluded that her love would be a happy one if there was such a thing. Every legend ended in misery when it included the love including her mother’s why should she be any different? She hadn’t done anything and if it was a true love that wasn’t this dysfunctional, why had her mother called it a curse?

“Well, just goes to show you men can’t be trusted. Feel like they need to control everything blokes do. They really are dirty tramps all of them.” She gave a small encouraging smile to let the woman know she was behind her in her troubles. Goddess or not, it seemed everyone had feelings and goddess or not they could use a mate to pick them up. It seemed, by the look of things at least that Dal…Calypso had no one like that. Arianna wouldn’t mind it. At the side of the goddess at the very least she knew no man would be able to touch her if she didn’t want them to and she couldn’t see herself ever wanting such a thing. Even if she did she knew it wouldn’t be a pirate. From the sound of things all of them stayed far away from this shack anymore.

But all that said and done there was the deal to consider. She would have to stop men from getting to the fountain of youth from the sound of things. It wouldn’t be easy considering that she wasn’t much of a sailor having only made this short journey once before in her life as opposed to others who were on the sea regularly. She could fight well enough, that was for sure, and spy, she had been doing that proficiently for years, but how she could help she had no idea.

She would love to help of course. She was practically bound to help because she was a woman she could relate to and beyond that a powerful goddess. She would dearly love to have the woman as a close ally and a friend if she could manage it. Not to mention it sounded like they would be working on the war with the East India Company. She could use that to slow them down and speed her own shipments of black market supplies around the globe. She would have her tavern and her home away from the brothel sooner than she thought, but how to agree when she had no equal skills to present in return.

Arianna pursed her lips together for a moment and sighed quietly to herself. “It’s a deal I’d dearly like to make. I really feel for your situation and would love to help and you know I say that truly from the bottom of my heart. The real problem is that I don’t know how I would be able to do that.” She took a deep breath and let it out, wiggling about a bit in her chair and looking up at the goddess. “You see. I don’t know how to sail very well; I can barely paddle a boat. I can fight and spy, but I don’t know what good that could do.”

“You do have my loyalty if that means something. If you can tell me exactly what to do you basically have me as your ally and as your friend if you want that as well.” She smiled and looked the woman straight in the eye, knowing from her business back in Tortuga that someone who meant what they said and did always did that; someone you could trust did that.

[Tia Dalma]

A smile came upon Tia’s face once more as she heard her words that she had accepted the deal. Everything was falling together perfectly. Though while her asking her into her own little game, it was not expected to say so the least. It had came up at the spare of the moment.

“Do not worry. You will be sailing wid Beckett, Norrington, Captain Sao Feng, and…” Tia paused, closing her eyes gently while trying to stop herself from saying the horrible name. “Davy Jones.” Yes, there, she finally said that dreadful name. Though she couldn’t blame him now for living, as she had been the one to resurrect him, prior on agreement but would only deal with him when she had to. She didn’t want to talk to the man when it was unnecessary, as she was more than likely going to bring her own fury amongst him and if Beckett, Norrington and others had been around, more than likely amongst them as well if they weren’t taking the risk to hold her back.

Though she of course, doubted that, that would ever happen. She knew the four men well enough, and she had a feeling that the only one who would put a form of effort as to stopping her from unleashing her anger on Davy Jones would probably have been Captain Sao Feng, after having realized how he had acted towards Elizabeth when he had made the mistake in thinking that she had been Calypso. She had also had a feeling that if Captain Sao Feng had acted the same way still upon his resurrection, showing on what she believed was a form of loyalty towards her, that he was probably one of the best of allies unlike Beckett, Norrington, and Davy Jones.

Reasons for considering that to be loyalty however was due to the fact that he was to give her his ship, he was to give her the Piece of Eight which was necessary for her resurrection, and instead of giving it to her he had given it to Elizabeth who had been mistaken for Calypso. Though of course, she still believed that was a form of effort and loyalty which had brought her to believing that since she was now the real deal, instead of a fake or in what she believed to be an imposter, that he may show it once again towards her in person.

Though she had a feeling that the other three men where only after power and gaining back what was rightfully there’s. She had a feeling that none of them would come to meet their part of the deal. Though if that was the case she would have no other choice as to forcing them back to their grave as she had tried to do with Captain Jack Sparrow. She wouldn’t allow anyone to try and take advantage of her nor to try and take advantage of them being resurrected. Sure there where probably some quirks as to being resurrected but she could with ease take them away. This woman however, would probably not receive such quirks since she wasn’t brought back from the dead and she wasn’t so sure on her form of loyalty towards all of this even if she had stated that she would be loyal towards her.

“Dou you are welcome t’ chose which ship you’d like t’ be on. Dere be Norrington, Beckett, Captain Sao Feng and Davy Jones for your choices. Davy Jones ship has been taken under a new captain known as William Turner. Dou I have a feeling dat he may try t’ take his ship back. But sailing under a captain such as ‘em may lead into hard times if you do not follow orders.”

“Dou it is strongly suggested dat you chose wisely on who you’d like t' sail under. Each captain is different in der own way. Each sail under different laws and guidelines. Choosing the wrong captain may lead t’ troubles. Dey will teach you how to sail, maintain weapons and everyding you need t’ know aboard der ship if you tell dem you where sent by me.”

[Arianna Ramirez]

Well, her agreement to the little deal without exactly completely agreeing had made Tia Dalma smile like nothing else had so far. She almost seemed completely back to her lively old self smirking and planning as she walked about. At least she had done that right no matter what it meant.

From the sound of things, it meant that she would be leaving Tortuga, something she had never done before, unless it was to leave for this island, and sail on the seven seas to stop a group from reaching the fountain of youth and thus preserve the goddesses immortality. It sounded like an adventure to be sure, but it sounded like an adventure involving dead pirates and men. She hated both and she wished those pirates would have remained dead, but that couldn’t be helped. She had practically agreed and to back out now would anger the goddess and that was not something she was keen on doing.

Apparently, the only choice for her left to make was which ship she was going to be on. Grant you, it was a silly thing to present considering she had three choices and now only knew of two of them. That left her with the dilemma of choosing her poison rather blindly which was not something she was keen on by any means. In fact, to be keen on it would be rather foolish in her opinion. The keen thing to do would to get out of this situation and find her own way to help the goddess from land or from a different ship all together.

First, however, she must consider her options and try to do this the goddesses way so she would avoid any wrath. She knew, from legend, and from the way the goddess acted and told of him that Davy Jones was not the captain she would like to sail under by any means. He was the kind of man who liked to control everything and even if, by his skewed love for Calypso she would be assured that he would keep his hands off of her, she was not willing to take his orders or his recklessness when her life was the only real one at stake. Besides, it was too dangerous to be dealing with a man who had revenge in mind; far too risky indeed.

That left two candidates to her decision and she was not sure about either of them. Tia Dalma gave no opinion concerning the two men either way, but she knew of one of the men from the constant chat that fluttered around Tortuga. She knew of Sao Feng thanks to the rumors of this ruthlessness and fondness of women. It seems that as a pirate few things changed between one captain or another. She knew well enough from his success that he, much like Jones, did not tolerate beginners or those who questioned his command. She, most likely, would be both, so that left her with very little room on that ship.

That left Arianna with Norrington or Beckett. She had never heard the names and that left her questioning their skills, but they must have enough for Dalma to trust them and bring them back from the dead. That meant they must be decent on the seas, and she knew the wind and the waters would be with them since the goddess was on their side which of course meant a smaller chance of danger. This in itself was positive, but she needed to know more about the men’s personalities before she would choose one of their ships. If she didn’t like either of them she could just calmly and respectfully present a back up plan she had quickly cooked up to the goddess. If she didn’t like that she was stuck on a ship, but it was something she would cope with like she did everything else.

“Well, since you put it that way I suppose I should really be careful in my choices shan’t I? That leaves me wanting to know of two men: Beckett and Norrington. I’m afraid I haven’t heard their names in Tortuga before and I figure I should weigh out all my options before making a decision as heavy as the one you present.” She smiled calmly and stood up from her chair placing a hand on the back of it, preferring not to sit too long when making a deal. “And that still does not tell me what besides sailing I’ll be doing on these ships. After all, there is a purpose for everything I suspect and if you wanted sailors you would have plenty to deal with without choosing and inexperience land woman like me.”

[Tia Dalma]

Tia had found it rather amusing that if Arianna had known of the legend with her and Davy Jones, she couldn’t believe that she didn’t know of Beckett and Norrington who had taken place in a tale which was bound to become a legend. It was bound to become one, told to pirates and companies from all over once their time was done. Though she could only imagine what they would cook up over time with her part in the little tale overtime.

“Mmmm, Beckett… seems t’ be a man all about business. He will double cross you without thinking t’ make sure business stays on his side. He did so during da battle against da pirates and da East India Company and dat was where he made da wrong move. Norrington out of da two seems t’ be da best choice if you want t’ sail under a nicer Captain. Dou I have a feeling dat he will be love driven, due t’ Elizabeth.”

Now that, that explanation was out of the way, Tia could only begin to wonder on how she could clearly explain what she had wanted done aside from sailing upon the ships with the three, no, four captains. Each of them had their own thing in mind, but still in her opinion was bound to her law after having resurrected them. If they where to double cross, than more than likely she could probably send them back to their grave in the same attempt that she did with Jack Sparrow.

“Each Captain has dere own duty. I have a feeling dat Davy Jones will try t’ get his ship back along with Captain Sao Feng once dey find out who it is under da command of. Beckett and Norrington I am not sure of. But more dan likely Beckett shall return t’ da company while Norrington will try t’ win back his love. Dou da purpose on which I ask of you t’ be aboard dese ships will come into play da moment you come across a single pirate. Preferably dous of da Pearl.”

Ah yes, the Pearl. One of the few ships which she hadn’t wanted to sail under once again but would so if needed. Being trapped within the cells of the Pearl when they where in their voyage to earning freedom, let alone the voyage which had freed her from her human bonds. Though if she where to ever sail under them, she would make sure of it that, that wouldn’t happen by more so bringing one of the members of her team aboard with her.

Though she had also had a feeling that, that wouldn’t turn out that well either. She knew the captains probably didn’t enjoy any of her teammates after the last battle, but she was now on her own side and no longer there’s but would act as if she was.

Though more than likely, if she where to continue to accept her offer, she would probably bring her aboard with her. Norrington, Beckett, Davy Jones, and Sao Feng weren’t the best of choice as prior to their resurrection. Her plan could probably be foiled if they where to make their faces known publicly when the time wasn’t right but she had no doubts that they would appear when it was least expected.

But as for her experience, it was something which she could care less of as long as she wasn’t a captain until she gained experience. She wanted those with skill as captains, not those without. But more than likely she had a feeling that Arianna would end up being a Powder Monkey due to lack of skill aboard a ship but if she where to prove herself worthy for a different position she would probably earn it.

But she could also prove it if she was capable of doing other jobs around the ship that involved mostly what she was probably good at and at the time she wasn’t fully aware of that as she hadn’t seen her in quite a few years.

“Now dere be any oder question you’d like t’ ask?”

[Arianna Ramirez]

Beckett was a worthless choice then. She wouldn't know him because he was a member of the East India Company, may they all rot in hell. She hated them like none other the lot of them. There was no sense of adventure in that lot. No adventure, nor glory, just business as Dalma had said. Business and an innate sense of ruining the business of others which was not something Arianna was keen on considering her business was one of the ones that they liked to ruin. Apparently, they didn't like the black market too much...particularly not rum...

That left, by process of elimination, Norrington. He was perfect really. He would be polite and probably not allow her to lift a finger on the ship, but at the same time he would be competent from the sounds of things. Most importantly he was in love with another woman and not looking for another. She was safe from her curse that way and he could continue on with his cursed heart not in the least touching hers. It was splendid really. And if he got noble and tried to disobey orders, she would shoot him in the back of the head without him even knowing she was capable of gun use. Then she would just have someone else steer the ship. Better yet, she would learn quietly from his tutelage and captain herself.

That was only worse case scenario of course, and she would only act under the command of the goddess who apparently commanded them all. "I pick Norrington then unless you can think of anywhere else you would like me to be. He seems the safest; easiest to control, best for my own personal reasons..." She smiled slightly and then looked up at the other woman casually moving about the room as she very often did when she came to visit as a little girl, accept this time she was far from shaking in her boots as she had last time.

"But now that it has been decided what ship I am to sail on, what exactly is my purpose besides acting as part of the crew, a cabin lass at the very least, though somehow I suspect a heartsick Navy Commander wouldn't do such a thing as it betrays his lost love and defies propriety." She smirked slightly and sighed batting out of slight disinterest at a shrunken head above her own.

After a slight sigh she moved away from the morbid trinkets and back over to the other woman. "But unless you want me to spy on the captain and keep and eye on him I still don't see what good i'd be to you. I'm an actress, I flirt, I play, I spy, I weasel a decent living out of it to say the least so I know i'm good, especially with seamen. They fall in love with me and I don't feel a thing for them. By the time the rum bottle is empty I have all their money and all their secrets. That is what i'm good at. That blackmailing, gambling, shooting, and a slight bit black market dealing, but alas...what happens when you're a child growing up in Tortuga."

[Tia Dalma]

After awhile of being around Arianna, if there was one thing which Tia began to notice was that she had smiled quite frequently. And because of this, it had brought curiosity to her. She had never been around a woman that had smiled every time one of them had spoken. Was she trying to cover up something with the constant smiles? This made her wonder, but she would make no comment of it as it wasn’t her place to ask such a question, let alone comment on it.

She was probably the type who would try to ease her way around, try to ask the question without really meaning to ask the question. She needed her questions answered after all, as it wasn’t common for her to actually be stumped upon something such as simple as this matter. Maybe she was just happy, but for what reason? She could remember her walking up to her doorsteps, to ask a question on the curse and several others, but she would give no form of answer. How could she be happy to come such a long way to not have an answer to her questions? Ah, well. It still wasn’t her place.

Though when she had heard her decision, it was something she had automatically figured that she would go with. Norrington out of all the captains seemed just like the type of person Arianna would sail under due to her personality, as well as other reasons which she was still rather curious on. But once again, as she would hear yet another question similar to the ones she had asked before a sigh could be heard. She had been very questionnaire, but it was actually a good thing in her opinion and couldn’t blame her.

“Make sure dere doing dere job and agreement.” Tia responded. Yes, she was asking her to be her little spy. She wanted to make sure that those she had resurrected where doing their job prior to agreement to their resurrection while they may have also been after what they probably believed was rightfully there’s. She needed someone to make sure that they weren’t going against any plans whatsoever, and unfortunately for her, she would had most preferred that she had gone upon Davy Jones ship for her own personal reasons. She needed someone she could trust to bring back information discussed and other various things she wanted to know that happened aboard the ship.

“Dou, I unfortunately hate t’ tell you dis but I would have much preferred it dat you go aboard Davy Jones ship. While he may be da worst captain t’ choose out of dem all, he is also da one dat I need t’ keep my eye on da most. Da oders I can trust more dan him, and if you went aboard his ship and brought back information and anything discussed on dat ship t’ me it would have made my job easier.” There, she admitted it finally. She couldn’t really keep it a secret, but if Arianna where to go aboard Davy Jones ship and act as a crew member, it would have mad her life so much easier.

She couldn’t go aboard that ship without having felt uncomfortable being aboard if he where to get the Flying Dutchman back. Though if she had someone to spy on Davy Jones for her, then things where fine and dandy. Though she knew Davy Jones rather well, and had a feeling that he would find out what she was up to rather quickly. But that wasn’t the least of her worries, as she had others on her side as far as she believed.

“Your skills where da reason on why I hadn’t been picky allowing you aboard der ship. Da oder skills dat will be necessary on surviving aboard da ships will be taught t’ you as time goes by.”

[Arianna Ramirez]

So it seemed that safety was not exactly of the utmost importance. Of course, if she was good at what she did she would just have to get the voodoo goddess to raise her from the grave so she could do it again on a different ship. Of course, she had no doubts she would be good at this spying and reporting back on the captain’s actions. It was too simple for someone as experienced around these people as her anyway. It would be just like the tavern except she would actually have to work from the sound of things; and work hard and well at that considering the ship that she was to be on was not the ship she had requested.

None of this was up to her of course. Once you enter into a deal with a fickle goddess you’re at her whim. Of course she had not completely known the goddess part, but even if she had the rewards she could reap from helping such a woman were far beyond the dangers. Besides, was there really danger if your safety was practically guaranteed? If she died she could be brought back rather easily if the goddess willed, but she would just have to add that into the deal. It made sense of course to ask for that. After all, she was going on Davey Jones ship. She was going to sail with a heartless demon bent on revenge. She wanted to stay alive thank you very much as she would have on Norrington’s ship.

“I’ll sail with him then provided you think you can get me on the ship and in the captain’s good graces. Of course he can’t know who sent me or he’ll suspect a spy immediately.” She pursed her lips for a moment, no ideas of how to accomplish this feat popping into her head rather immediately. She would be safe from the captain in the way of her curse because he obviously was heartless and heartbroken; much like her in a way because he was so bent against love. The only thing she had to fear was death and even that may be escapable. “I mean, even if I were to get on the ship, the captain has been known, as you said earlier, to be vengeful and recklace. If I were to be killed….well…not to be too arrogant but that would be a waste. Just my opinion though.”

She smirked slightly and sighed to herself. “And while I’m on the ship, how am I supposed to communicate what I find to you? I have a feeling we’ll be a long way from land and Jones will be looking out at the waters often for signs of spies.” It was true. The legends only proved that Jones was a smart man with experience. He had to handle a crew of miscreants, he would do it just as well when he was mortal she assumed. There was no reason not to be just as ruthless and disciplined. Of course, now he had to fear death, but much like herself, he probably had figured that the goddess would drag him out of it again…

[Tia Dalma]

“Dere may be a way t’ contact me, but it may require me t’ go aboard either da Pearl or da Flying Dutchman. Da Flying Dutchman is currently under da command of William Turner. If you where t’ go aboard now and act as one of his crew members den dere may be a way for you t’ sail wid Davy Jones. More so, if I where t’ go aboard da Pearl, it may continue t’ be in contact wid da Flying Dutchman’s crew due t’ William Turner. But den dere be his father…” Tia paused, as a small idea came into mind. Perhaps there was some way or form she could make a deal with the current captain of the Flying Dutchman, connect him with….

No. That wouldn’t work. Tia thought to herself. She knew Will was probably the type to not put his family in danger, and if she where to involve his father in her little part then more than likely he would say no as if the Flying Dutchman where to ever get under the control of Davy Jones again, Davy Jones was more than likely to kill him for betrayal and she couldn’t risk that.

“Den again, dat won’t work.” Tia thought to herself out loud while she’d then begin to head towards the back of the shack once more.

“Come out, my little…” Tia muttered loudly, while she’d begin to search through the back of the shack searching for a pen, paper and a bottle. It was the only form of communication that didn’t involve voodoo or any form of witchcraft that may be suspected immediately.

“Ah, dere you are!” She’d shout, while she’d pull out the pen, papers, and bottle. Walking back towards where Arianna was she would hold all three items in her hands. “Dis is how you will contact me.” Simple, wasn’t it? A pen, a paper, and a bottle to go with it. It was almost too piratey, and how could someone suspect something as such?

“Write everything down on dis piece of paper or any paper you can find aboard da ship. Den put it in dis bottle, and I’m more dan likely receive it. Dou as for da death issue, dere may be chances where I’d resurrect you… prior to another agreement and your doing your job.”

Of course, she wasn’t going to resurrect her if Arianna didn’t do her job correctly. If she found a single flaw in it or if she got killed aboard the ship because she was found writing the letters to her then that was her own damned fault. Unless she was killed for another reason then sure, she would resurrect her, but otherwise… it was a definite no. She wasn’t the type to resurrect someone due to failure, unless she where to come up with a very high price for her resurrection.

But now, she began to wonder on what exactly she would put for a high price for resurrection if she was to be killed aboard the ship for the captain or a crew member to find her writing to her. “Dere be also another way….” Tia paused, placing the pen, paper, and bottle on the table.

“Most captain’s log their adventures day by day. If you ask for such a job den dat may be another way t’ write t’ me without being suspected of betrayal.”

[Arianna Ramirez]

Her thoughts had been put on the table, and all she could do now was wait. It was of course a maddening process and one she could not help but hate and sit through, but it was necessary. The worst part was, of course, that the woman kept talking her ideas over aloud and Arianna had no idea what a word of it meant. She knew the flying Dutchmen, will turner; those were common names around Tortuga now a days, but all this about her being on the legendary black pearl and Arianna signing up for the Dutchman's crew? If she was signing up for that crew she had to be dead didn't she? It was a ghost ship wasn't it?

Apparently, there were no worries to that particular scenario considering that the plan that Tia Dalma had been thinking of, would not suffice in practicality. Arianna for one was almost relieved by that, but then again, it meant she was still on a ship with Jones and his crew. That she would hate to do, but from of the sounds of things, would have to bear.

As the voodoo priestess moved to the back of the hut, Arianna followed listening to her mummer about something coming out, trying to find something. Curiously, Arianna leaned forward a bit and then quickly moved back when the goddess removed...a bottle and paper. Well now, that was a magnificent idea. She could just drop her a bottle in the middle of the ocean and hope the woman found it and no one else. Brilliant really. Fantastic. Wasn't hard to do without getting caught at all on a ship where the captain was suspicious and she would never be left alone. Amazing!

Then of course, to add to all that trouble of having to communicate so inefficiently there had to be the small detail of only coming back from the dead if she did her job and did it well. Of course getting caught would not be doing a job well, so she was basically thrown to the sharks in the middle of the sea. The way she would die is getting caught if anything. She was good, but you can only be so good. Arianna doubted that anyone was good enough for that job.

Grant you, the woman finally thought of another way, albeit similar if not worse risk. She basically would have to be the Captain's first mate, or his cabin girl. She could perhaps get cabin girl with a little luck, but beyond that, she would never get a way into writing that log for the Captain. Besides, most of them wrote themselves from what she understood so this wouldn't happen to them.

She couldn't complain though. A deal with the goddess was a deal with the goddess and to go back on that would mean anything from certain death to being further cursed. She wasn't going to risk that. She would just have to...make it out alive from the situation she got herself stuck in. That and get all this over with, maybe find those answers she came for along the way with a little luck..."All that remains then I suppose is to get me on the ship..."