Okay all, a new Fem Merlin fic that I decided to write. It's a MERLIN IS A PIRATE fic. LOL! No really it is. I hope you all love it and let me know what you think. Too much 'Pirates of The Caribbean' for me this summer at any rate. Anywho, on with the fic.
SUMMARY: When Uther Pendragon decrees execution for any and all pirates and their associates, he has no idea that it will be his son Arthur who pays the price. But will Arthur mind that too much. Arthur/Fem Merlin fic. Pirate AU.
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Never Shall We Die.
Chapter 1.
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"Yo, ho, haul together,
Hoist the colours high.
Heave ho,
Thieves and beggars,
Never shall we die.The King and his men,
Stole the Queen from her bed
And bound her in her Bones.
The seas be ours
And by the powers
Where we will we'll roam.Yo, ho, haul together,
Hoist the colours high.
Heave ho,
Thieves and beggars,
Never shall we die.Some men have died
And some are alive
And others sail on the sea
– With the keys to the cage...
And the Devil to pay
We lay to Fiddler's Green!The bell has been raised
From it's watery grave...
Do you hear it's sepulchral tone?
We are a call to all,
Pay head the squall
And turn your sail toward home!Yo, ho, haul together,
Hoist the colours high.
Heave ho,
Thieves and beggars,
Never shall we die.
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For the attention of all citizenry of Camelot,
In order to halt the terrible crime of Piracy,
By royal decree, the following statutes are indefinitely suspended:
Right to assembly, suspended.
Right to habeas corpus, suspended.
Right to legal counsel, suspended.
Right to verdict by a jury of peers, suspended.
By decree, anyone, suspected of, or found to be conspiring with, aiding, abetting or participating in, the crime of Piracy will be immediately incarcerated. If you withhold information that relates to crimes of piracy, or to the whereabouts of any pirate, you will be immediately incarcerated. If you interfere with the apprehension of a pirate in any way you will be immediately incarcerated. If you offer food or shelter to a pirate you will be immediately incarcerated. If you are found guilty, you will be sentenced to hang by the neck until dead.
Signed,
Uther Augustus Pendragon.
Lord of Camelot and representative of the British Empire.
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"Father?" Balinor looked at his eldest child and smiled.
"Merlin?" Balinor questioned back.
"Why are you going ashore alone?" Merlin asked.
"Because Lord Pendragon has seen fit to try killing all pirates. I'd rather we only take the bare minimum ashore in Camelot. It's become more dangerous than ever to travel the seas." Balinor told his daughter firmly. Merlin frowned, her messy, long braid shook side to side with her head.
"I don't like it. I should come with you. Going alone is dangerous. Haven't you heard of safety in numbers?" Merlin asked.
"Of course, which is why I want the numbers here, protecting you, your mother and your little brother." Balinor replied. Merlin pouted irritably as she watched her father prepare to go ashore.
"Why don't I go instead? I'm a lot quicker on my feet then you are, not to mention younger. Besides, Mother and Mordred need you too Father. And I might be able to find out some more information. After all, no one knows that I'm a Pirate's daughter. You, on the other hand, are a well known pirate, Blue Balinor the Brave." Merlin added her father's full title, knowing the effect it would have on him. He rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Alright Merlin. Just this once. But make sure that you don't get caught. If anything is strange or you know something isn't right, you leave. Are we clear?" Balinor told his daughter firmly. Merlin nodded her understanding.
"Yes Father, are you going to add the 'Don't talk to any strange men' requirement on this speech?" Merlin asked. Balinor frowned.
"That should be obvious. Be careful." Balinor pleaded. Merlin nodded and hugged her father before getting in the smallest boat they had. It was a one manner, and could normally seat three in an emergency.
"I'll be careful father, I promise. I know what we need, so I'll be as quick as I can." Merlin said. Balinor nodded, looking worried, but he knew that letting Merlin go was the best course of action. After all, Merlin was not recognised and never would be unless she stripped off her top, which she never would. The Pirate tattoo was on her left shoulder blade, as with all Pirates. It was a mark they carried once they reached the age of twelve. It marked them out so that no pirate would attack another pirate's child. However, it also marked them out to enemies as well, if they could see the mark through any clothing they were wearing. Merlin was young and no one would think about her twice if she mingled with the crowds, which she was exceptionally good at when she wanted to be. He had a bad feeling about this as he watched Merlin's little boat disappear in the early morning mist, and he wondered if he had done the right thing.
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Arthur Pendragon had woken up in a relatively good mood, until his father had told him he was arranging for him to meet the daughter of an army friend of his. He sighed as he got up to practise his sword work. It was the only thing he loved really. Of course he loved his sister and in a way he loved his father, as much as you can love an emotionally distant man that had hardly spoke more than a handful of kind words to you in your whole life. But if somebody asked Arthur what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, he would have said he wanted to fight. As he practised in the yard, he saw Morgana looking angrily from her window, and knew she'd had another run in with her governess. Arthur sighed as he wished he could teach his sister more about swords. They had their secret practises at night, but he knew Morgana wished she could train as freely as Arthur. Arthur also knew that this afternoon, their father would try and introduce Morgana to one of his generals, Tauren Asgrad. Arthur had a feeling she'd be in a worse mood after that.
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When Merlin had arrived ashore, she had quickly found all the supplies that she needed to. She went back and forth to her little boat, sneakily placing her supplies in it, and making sure that no one knew what she was doing. She was a pirate's daughter, she knew that people would be likely to rob her supplies for the crew if she gave them the advantage. She needed to go and visit the old Spice lady before she went back to the ship. It was nearly afternoon now, and she knew she had to leave before sunset, or she'd have a rough time getting back to the ship. As soon as it got dark, the tides would be constantly pulling her back to the docks of Camelot and Merlin didn't really want to stay in Camelot for a night. She knew the danger that would put her and the crew in, so she went to find the old lady, wanting to make it back to her little boat just as the sun was setting.
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Morgana Pendragon was irritated this afternoon. Her maid, Gwen, had laced her corset, but the governess, Grunhilda, had decided that the corset was not laced tightly enough. She had been pushed into a grren gown, while very pretty, was also too tight for Morgana. Morgana could barely breathe as she walked with her brother and Gwen along the ramparts of the fort, as Morgana escaped her arranged meeting with Tauren Asgrad. She couldn't breathe, and dark spots appeared around her vision, as everything went black, and she started to fall.
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Merlin had just finished her business with the old Spice lady, and was at the docks, ready to get onto her little boat and head back to the ship, when she saw the girl. The dark haired girl couldn't have been much older than her. She fell from the ramparts into the water. Merlin couldn't allow the girl to drown. She had a rather large conscience for a pirate, so she dived in and swam downwards. The salt water stung her eyes, as Merlin searched out the girl. Seeing the girl in a heavy green gown, not breathing, Merlin tugged her and pulled her to the surface. She took a deep breath and swam to shore, where she pulled her onto the decking of the docks and saw that the girl was still not breathing. Another girl, with mocha skin, and a boy with blond hair ran towards them.
"Oh my lord! Morgana isn't breathing!" The girl exclaimed. The boy looked worried. Merlin then noticed how tightly the dress was laced and laughed.
"What makes you laugh? My sister might be dead." The boy said. Merlin took note that he seemed to be strong despite being an obvious member of the gentry. Merlin pulled out her dagger.
"What are you doing?" The girl yelled.
"Saving your friend's life." Merlin said, as she got the dagger under the laces and cut them loose. Then Morgana took in a deep breath and started coughing.
"You're alright!" The girl exclaimed as she hugged Morgana.
"I never would have thought of doing that." The boy stated.
"Of course not. You've obviously never been to sea before." Merlin replied. It was then that she saw others running towards them. Guards. Merlin's eyes went wide, as the guards pointed their weapons at her.
"Father stop, she saved Morgana's life." The boy said.
"Be quiet Arthur. This girl is a pirate." The man said. Merlin was dragged to her feet.
"You can't prove that I'm a pirate sir." Merlin stated coldly. The Lord smirked and made a gesture to one of his men. The man ripped Merlin's top up the back. Merlin yelled angrily and struggled.
"Father how can you do this? She saved my life and you're treating her like an animal. She has a right to some dignity." Morgana said angrily. The guard turned Merlin around so that her exposed back was shown to the group. On her back, right between her shoulder blades, was the tattoo of the Emrys family, a blue triquetra, with a dragon wrapped around within it. On her left shoulder blade was the customary mark that many pirates received when they got to a certain age. It was the symbol of a black sun, with a yin yang in the middle of it. It represented the balance that pirates learned in all walks of life. The Lord smirked as he had Merlin turned around to face them again.
"The tattoo on your back would say that you're most definitely a pirate. You will be executed at dawn." The Lord said.
"I'll remember not to save your daughter's life in future, bastard." Merlin spat. She received a backhand to her face for her comment. She felt blood in her mouth, and spat it out at the Lord. It landed on his perfectly groomed purple tunic. The Lord looked ready to kill her then and there. "My mother hits harder." Merlin hissed.
"Take her to the cells and tell the executioner that his services will be required in the morning." The Lord said. Merlin was dragged away. Her top still gaping open at the back.
"Wait!" The guards stopped at the sound of Morgana's voice. Suddenly, she felt a jacket draped over her shoulders.
"Morgana. What are you doing?" The Lord hissed.
"Isn't it obvious father? I'm allowing the girl some dignity. Why should the girl who saved my life, walk around with her top in shreds? She should at least be able to keep herself decent until her execution." Morgana shot back.
"And you Arthur, giving Morgana your jacket to give to that pirate." The Lord scolded.
"Morgana is right father. She has a right to some dignity before she dies, pirate or not." Arthur replied. Merlin liked them already. They didn't treat her as though she weren't human, and that gave them bonus marks in her books. She wouldn't forget the kindness they had shown her at any rate.
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"There has to be something we can do for her Arthur." Morgana pleaded. They had been escorted home by a number of their father's personal guards, and Arthur didn't know what to say to Morgana as she raged. The laces on her dress were ruined, but that didn't bother Morgana at all. Once she had had a hot bath and changed into a more comfortable gown, Morgana wanted to find a way to help the girl who had saved her life. Arthur wanted to help the girl too. But there was very little they could do. His father had the key to the girl's cell, and it was entirely possible that there were a few guards on duty.
"How about we take her some food and bring Gwen with us. She can sew up her ripped top." Arthur said. Morgana nodded and smiled brightly.
"We can at least do that much for her. When can we go Arthur?" Morgana asked.
"As soon as it's dark. Make sure you and Gwen are ready to go when I say." Arthur replied. Morgana nodded and rushed off to find Gwen and some food for the pirate girl.
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It was dark and Balinor was not happy. He knew his daughter well, and he knew that she should have been back by now. Something was wrong, but he didn't know what.
"Father?" Balinor looked at his young son. Mordred looked back up at him with wide innocent eyes. The same eyes that Merlin held, and shared with their mother.
"What's wrong Mordred?" Balinor asked.
"Where's Merlin?" Mordred asked. Balinor had been dreading this question from his son. The boy was only eight, but he was inquisitive and always felt the need to know everything.
"She went ashore to get us some supplies." Balinor replied honestly.
"But why isn't she back yet? She left just before dawn didn't she? She should be back by now." Mordred said. Balinor hugged his son.
"She will be back soon I hope. She probably got delayed by the Spice lady. That happens sometimes." Balinor told the boy. Though he intended to get closer to Camelot and send Elyan ashore. Elyan was a capable swimmer, and if they got a little closer, he would swim to shore and check up on Merlin. Balinor sent Mordred off to bed and felt a shiver down his spine as he told Edwin to call Elyan for him. He was worried about his sixteen year old daughter.
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Later that night, Merlin shivered in the cell. The jacket was just about keeping her from freezing to death, as the winds blew in through the bars. Merlin was cold and hungry, and she knew she wouldn't get a meal. She heard the door at the end of the row of cells open. In walked the Lord's children, Morgana and Arthur, and the other girl who'd been with them earlier. They came to her cell door.
"I'm sorry that you're being treated like this." Arthur said.
"I'm Gwen. If you... well... if you can remove your top, I'll sew it up for you." The other girl said. Merlin turned around to face the wall, and pulled her top off under the jacket. She'd had enough humiliation for one day, she didn't need anyone else commenting about her. She pulled the jacket closed so as not to expose herself further and handed the top to Gwen. Gwen sat on a barrel, pulled out a needle and thread from seemingly nowhere, and threaded the needle quickly. Before Merlin could really say anything more, Gwen was already stitching.
"Gwen's good at needlework." Morgana said. "Thank you for saving my life." She added.
"You're welcome. Your father isn't." Merlin stated. No one answered that, as Morgana pulled out bread from the basket she was holding.
"Here. Take it. You need to eat." Morgana said.
"Why are you doing this for me? Your father obviously hates pirates." Merlin asked.
"That doesn't mean we do. Besides, what our father did today was very wrong. He should have thanked you for saving me. He humiliated you and threw you in the dungeons instead." Morgana said sadly.
"I'm sorry that... that they did that to you. Ripped your..." Arthur blushed. Merlin smirked slightly.
"My top. It wasn't the bodice. You do realise there are pirates that wear a lot less than I do." Merlin commented cheekily, causing Arthur to blush further. Morgana laughed. Merlin frowned thinking about her family. There was only one way she could see to let them know what had happened to her. "If I give you a message, will you take it for me? I... I want to let my family know to leave. To say goodbye to them and make sure they get to safety." Merlin said softly.
"How can we take a message? Aren't you worried about us being followed?" Morgana asked.
"Not really. I'm asking you to go to a market stall. The old Spice lady. Do you know her?" Merlin asked.
"I know her." Gwen replied.
"Well one of the men on our crew, he often comes to the Spice Lady to leave messages for his sister. Her name is Guinevere Smythe. He'll probably go to pick up her reply, so if you leave the message for Elyan, he'll pick it up." Merlin said. The trio gaped in shock.
"Elyan? That's my brother!" Gwen exclaimed. Merlin grinned.
"He's a great deckhand." Merlin commented.
"He's... he's a pirate?" Gwen whispered.
"He never told you? Well I can't blame him. If Uther ever found out that you were related to a pirate, at least you could honestly say you had no clue." Merlin said. Arthur walked over to a table, where a sheaf of papers sat, along with a quill and ink pot. He bought them over to the cell.
"Here. You should write your message quickly." Arthur said gently. Merlin smiled. She crawled over. The cell wasn't tall enough to stand up in. It was barely tall enough for her to kneel. She took the papers, quill and inkpot. But when she looked in the inkpot, she sighed.
"It's empty." Merlin said softly. The trio looked at the imprisoned girl, not sure how to help her. Merlin sighed. "Oh well. At least I learned how to do this the old fashioned way." Merlin stated, before using the quill to stab her finger. She then dipped the tip in her blood and started to write. Arthur, Morgana and Gwen looked on in shock as Merlin scrawled out words in her own blood. She had to stab six of her fingers to generate enough blood to write the message. Once she had finished, she blew on the parchment, making sure the words dried properly, and then folded it neatly and handed it over.
"I'll take it to the Spice Lady tonight on my way home." Gwen said gently.
"Thanks. I don't want my family to be caught up in all of this. They need to get out of here while they still can." Merlin said sadly. She watched as they all made to leave.
"What's your name?" Arthur asked.
"Merlin. My name is Merlin Emrys." Merlin replied. Arthur nodded.
"It's been an honour meeting you Miss Emrys." Arthur said softly. Merlin felt a tingly feeling make it's way down her spine and coiling into her stomach as she Arthur reached through the bars, took her hand and kissed it, as though she were some noble woman. Merlin smiled.
"An honour to meet you too Arthur Pendragon." Merlin replied, and strangely she meant it. She watched them leave sadly, wondering what would happen to her now and hoping her family would escape Uther's wrath.
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Elyan had swum ashore quickly. He caught his breath for a moment before heading to find the Spice lady. If something had happened to her, the Spice lady would know, or maybe even have some form of contact from Merlin. When he got to the Spice lady, she was waiting for him.
"I have a message for you." She said. She handed him a folded piece of paper, and as soon as Elyan saw it he was horrified.
"Thank you." He said to her. He gave the Spice Lady a bow as he left. He needed to give Balinor the message and quickly. He had to get back and warn Balinor of the danger his daughter was in. The man had been good to him, and he was determined to return the favour. He found Merlin's little boat and started to row it back, the message stowed safely in his shirt, to keep it from blowing away. When Elyan reached the ship her was confronted with Balinor and Lancelot, who pulled him up with the boat.
"Where's my daughter?" Balinor asked.
"I got this message from the Spice Lady." Elyan replied. He handed the message to his captain. Balinor looked at the folded piece of paper and opened it to see a message written in blood.
Dear Father
I didn't have any ink to write this so don't be too alarmed. I'm to be executed at dawn. I was caught when I saved his daughter's life. She fell into the sea and I saved her from drowning. It was horrible father. Lord Pendragon had my shirt ripped up the back to expose my pirate tattoo. He expected me to go to the cells with my shirt hanging open at the back, but his children Morgana and Arthur showed me kindness. Arthur gave Morgana his jacket which she put around my shoulders. They also brought me food this night, which is to be my last. I would ask that if you meet them in the future that you show them kindness as they showed to me. It was Morgana's maidservant, Gwen, Elyan's sister, that I got to carry the message to the Old Spice Lady. Give her my regards if you see her again. Tell Mother and Mordred how much I love them. I love you too father. Take the ship and get far away. I don't want any of you to get hurt.
Merlin.
Balinor's hands shook as he read the letter. He looked at Lancelot and Elyan.
"Prepare the men. We're going ashore to save my daughter." Balinor stated angrily.
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"Arthur?" Arthur turned to see Morgana in his doorway. He gestured at her to come and sit down. She did, as she wrapped her shawl around her tightly. She was dressed for bed, and her long hair hung loose down her back as sat on Arthur's window sill and looked out into the night. "Do you think Merlin's family are safe now?" Morgana asked.
"I hope so. I hope even more that they decide not to abandon her and that they come and try to save her." Arthur replied. He had taken Merlin's hand and kissed it, as a token of courtesy to a woman, but he had felt the strangest tingle down his spine as he had. It was a feeling he had not ever experienced with another woman, no matter how beautiful.
"I do too. She doesn't deserve to die for saving my life. She could have left me. She didn't have to dive in and save me. But she did. She dived into the sea, pulled me up and saved me, and that was the thank she got from our father. I wish he wasn't so close minded. He could have seen that she was just a young girl. She can't be any older than me even. She looks so young Arthur, and father will hang her." Morgana said sadly. Arthur nodded his understanding.
"If she were a child, he'd still hang her because of the Pirate's tattoo. What he did today... having stripped like that in front of the guards... it was awful Morgana. I've never been so angry at our father before, but I was this time." Arthur said softly. Morgana looked at Arthur, noting that Arthur was still angry at their father.
"I don't know why he hates them so much. They don't bother Camelot except to get supplies. They don't even steal anymore. Father is going to drive them into stealing and looting to survive if he carries this on." Morgana stated. Arthur nodded and sighed.
"We should both go to bed and get some sleep Morgana. Father expects us to be awake and alert for the execution tomorrow at dawn." Arthur said sadly. Morgana took on an angry look then.
"I can't believe he expects me to watch the execution of the girl who saved my life. It's barbaric!" Morgana exclaimed angrily.
"It might be barbaric, but he still expects us awake and there. So we haven't got many choices." Arthur replied. Morgana nodded and stood up from where she had been sitting by the window. The moon was high in the sky, and Morgana looked sadly at it, before going to Arthur's bedroom door.
"Goodnight Arthur." Morgana said.
"Goodnight Morgana." Arthur replied. Morgana closed the door, leaving Arthur alone with his thoughts, as he wished he could save the young pirate girl. She intrigued him like no one else, and if he had had a choice, he would want to get to know her better.
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Merlin was dragged out of her cell and walked into the early morning sunlight. She could see people had come to watch her hang and she wasn't sure whether to be angry or amused by their curiosity. As she stood on the gallows, her hands tied behind her back, Merlin saw Uther Pendragon glaring down at her, Arthur and Morgana stood beside him, looking sad, and behind them stood the maidservant, Gwen, who had mended her top the night before in the dungeons.
"You have been found guilty of the crime of piracy. Do you have any last words?" Uther hissed angrily. Merlin prayed that her message had reached her family and then she decided to do something rather reckless. She knew it would make Uther angry, but he had asked for her last words. Merlin closed her eyes and she started to sing.
"The King and his men, stole the Queen from her bed." Merlin sang. Her voice was strong and melodious, yet also gentle. "And bound her in her bones. The seas be ours, by all the powers, where we will, we'll roam." Merlin carried on. She felt the noose placed around her neck. "Yo Ho, haul together, hoist the colours high." Merlin sang out, as the noose was tightened around her neck. "Heave ho, Thieves and Beggars..." Merlin carried on singing. She opened her eyes and looked up, and saw tears in the eyes of Morgana Pendragon. Then she looked into the crowd and, for a moment, she though she saw her father. "Never shall we die." Merlin sang. Then the lever was pulled and Merlin started to fall. She heard the swish of an arrow through the air, and heard the rope snap. Merlin fell to the ground. Her hands were still tied behind her back. She landed hard on her shoulder, and she was sure it was dislocated, but what was a little pain compared to being alive?
"Yo ho, haul together! Hoist the colours high!" Merlin heard her father sing. She couldn't help smiling. They had gotten her message and they had come for her.
"Heave ho! Thieves and Beggars! Never shall we die!" Merlin heard the singing of her father's crew.
"Seize the pirates!" Uther Pendragon yelled. That was when Merlin felt someone help her sit up, and felt the ropes that bound her wrists were cut off. She looked up at Lancelot and grinned.
"It's great to see you Lancelot." Merlin said.
"It's great to see you too Merlin, but it'd be better to see you without a noose around your neck." Lancelot replied.
"Well you can blame Lord Pendragon for that." Merlin shot back. Then she saw there were pirates up on the platform with Uther Pendragon and his family. Daggers were held to the throats of Gwen, Morgana and Arthur. Balinor Emrys smirked up at Lord Uther.
"If you value the lives of your children, and the innocent maidservant, I would suggest you let us leave, Lord Pendragon." Balinor said loudly. Uther glared. Merlin knew her father well enough to know that he wouldn't hurt the trio he held hostage. He wasn't the kind of man to hurt anyone unless they hurt him first. However, she knew her father needed to make it look good. After all, if Uther Pendragon didn't believe his children were in danger, then none of them would escape alive.
"How dare you!" Uther yelled furiously.
"You held my sixteen year old daughter to ransom. Put a noose around her neck. From what I heard, you had her stripped in front of your guards to see if she had the pirate's tattoo. Be thankful that I don't do the same to your children, but keep them as leverage." Balinor replied.
"Keep them?" Uther asked horrified.
"I can't take your word that you will let us leave. So obviously, these three young people will be coming with us as surety. They'll be coming to the docks and onto my ship, and then we will be sailing away. If you're lucky, I will leave them on the next island. If not I'll just... keep them with me, alive, as insurance of not being chased. But let me assure you, Uther Pendragon, that if I see your lovely royal fleet following me, I'll slit their throats and throw their lifeless bodies into the sea for you to pick up." Balinor said coldly. Uther looked like he was about to explode, like a powder keg, his face had gone red with anger, and his hands trembled. But he made a quick hand gesture.
"Stand down. Move away and let them pass." Uther said angrily. Balinor grinned.
"Thank you for your cooperation Lord Pendragon." Balinor said, giving a mocking half bow, before gesturing to his own men, who brought Morgana, Arthur and Gwen down from the platform, knives held at their throats, at all times. The crew made their way to the docks, watched at all times by Uther's men, until they got into their row boat and Balinor watched from the end, as Uther watched from the dock, as they rowed away with three hostages.
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Okay, so that's the end of the first chapter. I've been watching too much 'Pirates of The Caribbean' lately, which is what inspired me to write this fic. That and the idea of a Fem Merlin pirate. The idea just cracked me up. So please R&R and let me know what you think, and I'll update as soon as possible.