Pirate Princess
"Irena wake up." A voice murmured near my ear as I turned on my side. I was in sleeping limbo, half awake, half asleep.
"Five more minutes Father." I muttered into my pillow burying my head into the soft material. A light laugh met my ears…odd it didn't sound a thing like Father's or Anton's laugh.
"Come on Irena, don't make me tickle you." That was enough of a threat to wake me up. My eyes popped open as I looked into the eyes of…
"Will?" I asked surprised sitting up and rubbing my eyes groggily. He chuckled nodding. He was sitting on a stool next to my little bed.
"What do you want?" I asked tiredly stretching my arms, not looking at him.
"Jack wants to meet his new crew and he insists we come along." I nodded yawning expecting him to leave. He didn't. I raised an eyebrow looking at him as he ran a hand through his long dark hair.
"Anything else you need?" I inquired. He nodded looking into my eyes.
"I just wanted to say sorry for last night. I was out of line." I waved him off with a faint smile.
"Oh don't trouble yourself Will, I'm fine."
"Still it was wrong of me. I did not mean what I said. You aren't like other girls of your class and it was wrong of me to judge you as one. You are right…I cannot judge others without properly knowing them. Even though I hate pirates…some pirates I cannot hate them all." I smiled teasingly, knowing that was hard for him to say.
"Well I accept your apology. Now let's go before Jack barges down here and drags me from bed." Will laughed nodding moving out of the way so I could get out of the small bed. We walked up to the deck to see Jack standing there tapping his foot impatiently. He sighed seeing us.
"Finally, you two take longer then elderly people." He muttered walking off the ramp with us trailing behind. We didn't have to go far till we came to a lot of men standing in a semi straight line. Gibbs standing proudly in front of them. He walked over to us and remarked.
"Feast your eyes, Captain. All of them, faithful hands before the mast, every man worth his salt. And crazy to boot." He seemed proud of the last fact as I looked wearily at the group who were eyeing me. I tied my robe up around my body.
"Bloody pirates." I muttered under my breath as Will asked sarcastically.
"So this is your able bodied crew?" Jack just ignored him as he walked forward stopping in front of an older man who had a parrot resting on his shoulder.
"You, sailor!" Jack quipped as the man just stared ahead.
"Cotton, sir." Gibbs interjected as Jack nodded continuing on.
"Mr. Cotton do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death?" We waited in silence for the man to answer…he never did.
"Mr. Cotton! Answer, man!"
"He's a mute sir. Poor devil had his tongue cut out, so he trained the parrot to talk for him. No one's yet figured how." Will and I shared an anxious look. Men such as Mr. Cotton were to lead us to Elizabeth?
"Mr. Cotton's parrot…same question?" Jack asked eyeing the parrot as it responded.
"Wind in the sails! Wind in the sails!" It squawked out ruffling its bright feathers as Jack looked at it confused.
"Mostly we figure that means yes." Jack nodded.
"Of course it does. Satisfied?" Jack asked looking back at Will and I as Will answered.
"Well you're proven they're mad." I had to nod in agreement; Jack looked ready to challenge our theory when a voice rang out.
"And what's the benefit for us?" Odd that didn't sound like a male's voice more like a female's. Jack agreed for he walked down the line, Will and I following, and stopped in front of a dark skinned person who had a floppy hat covering their face. He took the hat off and black hair came tumbling down to reveal a woman!
"Anamaria." He acknowledged and surprise, surprise she slapped him. I didn't even bother flinching; I had become use to Jack being abused by various women.
"I suppose you didn't deserve that one either?" Will coyly asked as Jack shook his head.
"No that one I deserved." He admitted turning back to the furious Anamaria.
"You stole my boat!" She hissed as Jack held up his hands.
"Actually-" She slapped him again but he continued on- "borrowed. Borrowed without permission. But with every intention of bring it back to you." Sure he did, I thought rolling my eyes.
"But you didn't!" She fired back as I nodded in agreement; heaven knows where her boat actually is. If it is still intact.
"You'll get another one." Jack promised. Anamaria pointed a finger at him suspiciously.
"I will?"
"A better one." Will interject as I quirked an eyebrow. This should be interesting.
"A better one!" Jack agreed as Will pointed to the Interceptor not to far away from us.
"That one." I stifled a giggle as Jack exclaimed.
"What one? That one!? Aye, that one. What say you?" He looked defeated as he turned back to Anamaria who smirked.
"Aye!" They all yelled as Mr. Cotton's parrot squealed.
"Anchors aweigh." The crew hurried to the ship as Gibbs protested.
"No, no, no, no, no, no! It's frightful to have a woman on board let alone two!" He wailed as I glared at the man, well no way are they leaving me here in this town. Jack looked me over once and at Anamaria as she marched around the deck.
"It'd be far worse not to have them." I smiled, aw Jack cares! I walked up the ramp keeping mindful of the burly men surrounding me. I moved to the back of the ship thinking it better if I stayed out of everyone's way.
"Hey you girl!" I turned to see Anamaria walking up to me, her eyes roaming critically over my body.
"You expect to get free passage on this ship? Anyone on it has to do their own share of work."
"I would if I could but-" She cut me off rolling her eyes.
"Let me guess you don't want to break a nail?" She sneered as I shook my head.
"No it's just I'm not properly dressed to be doing work and I don't want any of the men eyeing me." She stared at me a long moment before laughing amusingly.
"Are you serious girl? That's the reason?" I nodded my head confused as she smiled slightly.
"And here I thought you a spoiled brat. Follow me I have a spare outfit you can borrow." She walked off as I stared bewildered at her retreating form. My eyes traveled down to what she was wearing, a dirty yellow shirt and brown trousers. I couldn't possibly wear trousers! They are for men. Anamaria turned back around waiting.
"You coming or not?" I quickly nodded scurrying after her. I was amazed at how she already seemed to know her way around the ship.
"So where is your room?" She asked as I pointed to a door. She opened it and walked in with me following. I closed the door behind me and watched as she looked around my small room.
"Huh," she noted looking around, "You didn't strike me as the type to like small and homely things."
"There's a lot you don't know about me, such as my name." I fired back, regretting it though. I had seen what she did to Jack when angry and I didn't desire it to happen to me. But she surprised me but chuckling.
"You're right, what is your name?"
"Irena." She waited for me to continue which I never did.
"That's it? No last name?"
"You didn't tell me yours why should I tell you mine?" She shrugged.
"Fair enough, now here you go." I then noticed a leather bag hanging off her shoulder; she dug through it for a moment before producing several articles of clothing. She tossed them towards me as I caught them. I peered down at the clothes curiously. A white shirt, brown trousers with a matching brown vest. Actually the outfit reminded me of Will's, just more for a woman then a man.
"You're lucky I also have a pair of boots." She pulled them out as I watched in surprise, how in the world did they fit there?
"Don't ask." She muttered setting the boots down on the ground.
"Well you going to change or not?" I quickly nodded expecting her to leave…she didn't.
"Well aren't you going to leave?" I asked as she laughed heading towards the door.
"How about I turn around, you may need help with some things considering you've never done this before." I nodded as she turned facing the door her back to me. I looked back down at the clothes before sighing. Well they have to be better then my ratty nightgown. I stripped off my robe and nightgown letting them fall to a pathetic heap on the wooden floor.
I slowly changed into my new outfit, hearing Anamaria shuffle around the room.
"Nice weapons." She said over her shoulder as I buttoned up my brown vest. I didn't have a mirror near by but I think it's safe to say I don't look half bad for being dressed as a man. I placed my hair up in a messy bun, as I placed my boots on. I then walked up next to her as she looked over the weapons Will had given me last night.
"Yes they are." I said picking up one of the daggers.
"You should place them on your person. It might make the men stop eyeing you like a piece of meat." I nodded placing the dagger back down.
"But where?" She sighed exasperated before picking up my sword and placing it at my hip, she then picked up my pistols and checked them over making sure they had powder, she placed them at my hips as well. She handed me my daggers.
"These go in your boots, for protection." I looked down at my boots then back up at her. Seeing she was dead serious I cautiously stuck them in, the cold metal sending shivers up and down my spine. She looked me over with a satisfied smile.
"There now you look like a real pirate." Instead of feeling insulted by her comment I felt ecstatic. A real pirate, that thought was enough to send my body into pleasant tingles.
"We should head up back on deck." I nodded and followed her out feeling more comfortable then I had in ages. Men's clothing was definitely more agreeable them woman's. And best of all no corsets! As I walked around deck eyes followed me, wondering why I was dressed like they were no doubt. I even saw Jack giving me an approving nod. Will however was simply shocked that I would wear pirate clothing.
"I can't believe what you're wearing." He hissed dragging me to the back of the ship so we could have our argument in private. I looked down at myself then at him confused.
"I don't see anything wrong with it; I look like the female version of you." He wasn't amused as he sighed.
"It's not very lady like Irena."
"Yes but at the moment I am not acting like a lady, besides this makes it easier when you give me my lessons."
"Lessons?" He asked perplexed as I nodded in an obvious manner.
"Yes you promised to teach me how to use a sword and you better not be going back on that promise." I threatened poking him in the chest with my pointer finger. He chuckled nodding.
"Fine if you want to learn so badly how about right now?"
"Here?"
"Right here." I grinned delighted.
"Let's do it." I would later regret that for sword training was no easy task and Will wasn't an easy teacher.
He taught me the basics, shortening it up so we could get to the fun part. Once that boring task was over he taught me a few moves usually ending with me on the deck floor groaning in pain. Occasionally crewmembers would stop and watch before hurrying off when they got bored of Will beating me. Jack even stopped by, of course he mocked both of us, but he gave some me some wise words…cheat.
"Will," I moaned pushing myself off the deck for the umpteenth time, "I can't feel my body." He chuckled shaking his head.
"All right I think that's enough for today. You're good Irena. You have good posture and reflexes. After a few more lessons you'll have me running for my money."
"I doubt it." I muttered rubbing my bruised arms carefully. Even though I was tired physically and mentally I felt great. Never in my life had I ever attempted anything as complicated as sword fighting. No wonder Anton was always on a high when he was done training. The feeling is out of this world. I limped to the railing looking out at the choppy sea. My eyes gazing up at the grey sky, dark thunder clouds forming.
A storm was coming.
(Please R and R! I do not own Pirates.)