Author's Note

Hi, this is a prucan pirate fic. There will most likely be dialogue in various languages (including: French, German and occasional others), the translations for these will always be at the bottom of each chapter. Please note that this fic is rated M for a reason. Also, I love suggestion for pairings or even ideas for plot. There will also be mentions of other pairings.

Please favorite,follow and review ! It is always greatly appreciated !(Really you have no idea how happy reviews make me)

Enjoy,

ThePirateChick484

Prologue

The harsh sound of a whip rang out across the crowded cargo bay. Matthew pushed through the group of terrified people, trying to get to the one who was injured, the one still being attacked. Another loud snapping sound, another terrified, pain-filled scream.

What the hell was wrong with these creatures? They may have looked similar to humans, but the complete lack of empathy toward another's suffering seemed downright bewildering.

Matthew broke through the edges of the crowd as one of their captors raised his arm to hit the woman again.

"Stop," he yelled and placed himself between the whip and the injured girl. The guard hesitated at the sound of his words and then turned his attention to Matthew.

"This is not your concern, slave. Move away or you will be next."

The voice sounded gravelly and cruel and the man grinned maliciously. He obviously enjoyed the girl's pain, and no doubt he would enjoy his as well. Matthew swallowed nervously, but stepped in front of the guard, effectively cutting off his clear aim at the terrified girl.

"She's just a child. She doesn't understand the rules yet." Matthew said as he wasn't above begging, but he knew that only a show of strength would stop this creature. It seemed the only thing they understood. He raised his arm again as if to strike, but Matthew held his ground. No way would he let more harm come to this young girl if he could do something to stop it.

He held his hand out, palm facing the brute in what he hoped was a universal sign to stop, and then he grinned back at him, trying to infuse as much mocking bravado as he could. It was so unlike Matthew's usual behavior that the ugly man was caught off guard.

"How do you think your employer will react when he finds out you damaged his property? He personally wants this slave. How are you going to explain what happened when she dies from injuries you caused?"

The man threw his head back and snorted loudly, having recovered from his earlier surprise.

"He would thank me for ridding him of this troublesome slave." he said.

Matthew braced himself for the blows that would surely follow such confident arrogance, but they never came. He watched as the brute coiled the whip and pushed it back into the clip on his belt.

"Clean her up." He barked the order as he turned and stalked away. Wobbling at the knees, Matthew exhaled the breath he'd been holding and then turned to the softly crying girl behind him. The young female had curled into a ball on the deck floor and it seemed that the whip lashes had hit her squarely between the shoulder blades. Matthew moved toward her, but she cringed away in fear.

"It's okay." he kept his voice low and soothing.

"I can help you. I have medical equipment." The injured girl lifted her head to look at Matthew. Her face streaked with tears, eyes puffy and red-rimmed, the girl didn't look much older than thirteen years old. The beginnings of a bruise showed on her left cheekbone and Matthew reached over to run his hand lightly over the swelling.

"I can fix this."

The young girl looked at him again, fear crowding her features as she hesitantly moved so that Matthew could help her to her feet. She hissed with pain as her shoulder muscles flexed, and Matthew could clearly remember the agony of his own beating so many months ago.

The other people parted to let them through. They were all terrified and it seemed clear from their movements that even though many may have wanted to help, none were willing to align themselves with him, lest they too share the same fate.

Matthew helped the young girl onto the narrow bench that he'd been using as a medical bed and grabbed his equipment. He helped her lie on her stomach and then peeled back the damaged material to examine the angry welts. The skin had broken in many places and Matthew could see blood oozing from the damaged areas.

"Umm, where are you from?" Matthew asked.

"Portugal." she said softly.

"How did you ended up on a slave ship ?" he asked curving his lips into what he hoped looked like a kind smile, Matthew showed her the medical instrument that he held and then straightened so that he could use the technology to close the wounds on the girl's back.

"How did you get abducted by slave traders?"

Matthew saw the child's body tense. A reaction he suspected had nothing to do with the pain of the beating she'd just received.

"I wasn't abducted." The monotone of the mumbled words startled Matthew for a moment.

Moving back into the girl's line of vision, Matthew tried to make eye contact. The child's eyes seemed unfocused, as if she saw something from the past, not what was actually in front of her eyes.

Matthew reached out a hand to carefully brush stringy, matted, sweat-soaked hair away from the young girl's eyes.

"If you weren't abducted, how did you end up a slave?"

The little girl's eyes filled with tears as she said the one thing guaranteed to chill Matthew all the way to his soul.

"My family sold me."