Price of Freedom
Tortuga was a loud, smelly, rough place to be. Filled with pirates, criminals, whores, alcohol, and sex - it could be heaven for some, hell for others. It was the place to be for anyone that wasn't up to the Royal Crown's standards, a lawless place. It was a place where you could leave all your worries behind and binge on whatever you wanted. It was even a place to find a job, though it wasn't considered the most "respectable" job in the world.
It was also a place where you could get very confused and lost.
"Now what I am doin' here?"
Glancing around, Captain Jack Sparrow frowned. He could not remember how he got to this part of Tortuga. It was crowded with people who, strangely enough, were not drunk, and were talking in low voices. There was a platform a way's off, and a large building, maybe a warehouse, near a pier, more than a few ships docked there.
Still frowning, Jack lifted his hand to scratch his head, only to find a bottle of rum in it. "Oh," he said aloud. That's right, he'd been drinking in celebration - he had just stolen a lot of money from a very wealthy woman who probably wouldn't notice the money gone until he was long gone. He had stolen enough gold pieces to last him for a long while, even with this drinking and whatever he used to buy a ship. Nothing like the Pearl, but it was still a ship. He would need one if he was ever going to find Barbossa. And soon, he'd need to find a crew.
Taking a swig of the rum, Jack looked around again before tapping the nearest man on the shoulder. "Mate, could yeh possibly tell me what is goin' on 'ere?" he asked when the man turned to him. "I'm a wee bit confused."
"If you don't know, mate, then you shouldn't be here," snapped the man before he turned away.
"Git." Jack mumbled, but the man didn't hear him. With a huff, he made sure that his hat was secure on his head before he started to walk away.
Until he saw the line of people.
Pausing, Jack took a moment to stare. It was a variety of men and women, dark and light, being led into the nearby warehouse by a group of men. Jack wasn't sure why that sight was so familiar until he saw metal around their wrists and sometimes their necks.
'Slaves.'
Even as a pirate Jack didn't condone the owning of people. There was just somethings that shouldn't be done, and that, along with cold blooded murder and rape, was one of them. Humans should not be owned, they should be allowed to have their freedom. Slaves had no lives; from the moment they were branded to the moment they were set free - if they were ever set free - they were forced to follow the whims and commands of their owners.
Something inside Jack bugged him. He wasn't sure what it was, and with a shake of his head, he tried to walk away. He couldn't rescue them all - not like the slaves that were now on Kerma. But still, when he tried to walk away, whatever it was that annoyed him got worse.
Grinding his teeth, Jack glanced back to the place were the slaves were being herded. "Oh, bloody hell," he finally said. This feeling wasn't going to go away until he did what he wanted - go to that damn warehouse. Taking another swig of the rum, frowning when he realized it was the last in the bottle, before throwing it aside and slowly making his way to the warehouse.
It was terrible - just as bad as he remembered. Slaves were placed in their own cage, numbers on each of them, so that potential buyers could study them, figure out if they wanted to buy them for a high price or hope for the best when they were auctioned off. He could see a number of men looking them over as if they were cattle or horses instead of humans. It made Jack shudder in disgust.
"And you remember to behave, or I'll send you right back to those pirates. Yeh understand?"
"Yes, sir..."
Blinking at the surprisingly young voice, Jack turned towards it. It was a boy in a nearby cell numbered '9'. He looked young, maybe fourteen or thirteen, with very short black hair that was like an ink stain against pale skin, and silver-blue eyes that were duller than Jack imagined they should be - he imagined that they were once very bright. And he was dirty, covered with grime and dirt that stained his once white shirt and light brown trousers. He was staring out of the cell with a blank look, not even blinking when Jack stared back.
Taking the steps that separated them, Jack was standing in front of him before he realized it. The boy kept his gaze, leaning his head back slightly and showing a barely covered neck. Jack wanted to wince. There was a pale white ring around his neck - from a metal collar most likely that the boy had tried to fight against.
"How old are you?" Jack asked him after a long moment of staring.
The boy didn't answer, but instead flinched when someone banged against the bars that separated them. A few moments later the chains that held his cuffs rattling.
"Answer the man!" shouted a nearby man, who must have been the boy's seller. He turned to Jack, a apologetic grin, or least what he must have thought was one, on his face. "Sorry 'bout that. This one's pretty quiet, and doesn't always answer when asked." He looked back to the boy, who was shaking slightly. "Well?" he barked.
"Fifteen, sir," the boy answered quietly.
Fifteen. A little older then he thought, but still. "How long have ya been a..." Jack trailed off, not sure exactly how to say what he wanted.
"Since I was eight, sir," the boy said, probably figure out what he meant. "About seven years now."
Eight. This boy had been a slave since he was eight. When Jack was eight, he was already fantasizing about becoming a pirate captain, maybe even a pirate lord like his father. When this boy was eight, he was being branded like cattle and forced into a life of servitude and pain.
"Well, what'cha ya think?" said the seller, interrupting his thoughts. "The kid's quite strong from what I've 'eard, used to be a fighter or somethin' like that. And 'sides not always answerin', be a pretty good slave for ya, do whatever ya want." He clapped a hand on Jack's shoulder. "And 'sides, disobedience is something that can be cured with a good beatin', am I right?" the seller chuckled.
The pirate captain wanted to show this man a beating, but the man suddenly looked over his shoulder. "Oh, 'cuse me, there seems to be a problem." He removed his hand from Jack's shoulder, who was sorely tempted to break that very hand. "I'll be back, sir. Yeh just think about it," the seller said with a wink before he rushed off, shouting at someone and leaving Jack and the boy alone.
Jack stared at the boy, who had turned his gaze towards his knees. The boy seemed... broken was the only way he could put it. And how could he not? He had no say about his life, couldn't question anything his owners said or did without fear of a beating. He was forced to do whatever he was told. And he probably knew that at any moment, he could be killed because of something he did or didn't do. It was a death he wished on no one - death should come by battle or by old age. This kid represented everything he hated. And he felt sorry for him.
Then a thought came to him suddenly. 'Maybe I can't save them all. But...'
"Oi," Jack said, trying to catch the boys attention. It didn't seem to work, but he went on. "You want to be free, don't yah?"
The boy's head snapped up, the silver-blue eyes going wider if only by slightly. Then he glanced around frantically, as if waiting for his seller to appear at any moment and beat him. But finally, he looked back to Jack and gave a single nod. "Yes, sir," he said, sounding sure and unsure at the same time.
"Then I'll make a deal with yah," Jack started. "I'll buy you, and take you away from here. Far away from here. How does that sound?"
"...And what is it that you want me to do, sir?" the boy asked after a long moment, looking suddenly very cautious. Jack could only imagine what kind of thoughts were running through the kid's head. And none of them pleasant.
"Nothin' bad," Jack reassured him quickly. He waited until boy relaxed before he went on. "But I want ya to work fer me - as an equal." he said firmly when the boy seemed to fear him again. "You'll travel with me, across the sea on my ship, and work for me during the next ten years to pay off the debt." Why did he say ten years? He wasn't even sure he'd be alive in ten years. But it was the first thing that came to mind. And the boy needed someone to take care of him. If something happened to him, he'd leave him with his father or someone that he knew would care for the boy.
"Like a sailor, sir?" he said with a small frown.
He was getting really tired of the word 'sir'. "Something like that," Jack said with a nod. Telling him that he was a pirate right now was probably not the best idea. "So, what do you think?"
"I-I don't know, sir," the boy replied slowly.
"Why? Don't think I'll keep my promise?" said a slightly shocked Jack teasingly.
"Promises are meant to be broken," the teen spat out angrily. Then, horrified, he backed into a corner, his cuffed hands raised above his head as he started trembling. "I'm sorry, sir," he whimpered, "I'm so sorry! Please, don't hurt me!"
Wincing, Jack tried to calm him down. "Oi, kid. I am most definitely not goin' to hurt you. And I swear..." Well, what could he swear on? His father? No. His mother? He didn't even know if she was dead or alive. And his ship? It was taken. "... I swear on pain of death that I won't break this deal," he finally said. "On my life, savvy?"
Still shaking, the boy looked at him through a curtain of blank fringed hair that covered his eyes, and didn't answer.
"Listen, mate, yer seller is going to come back soon. So you need ta make a rather quick decision." Jack stretched out his hand, through the bars and into the tiny cell. "Take the deal, and I get ya outta here. And I promise to keep me end of the deal. Savvy?"
The boy stared at his hand, and slowly, he inched forward, till he was sitting in front of the bars, the hand inches away from him. "You promise?" he asked in a whisper.
"Aye, I promise, boy, I promise," said Jack with a solemn nod.
At that, the boy gave him a strange look, but with a deep breath, he took Jack's hand, giving it a brief shake, his chains rattling again before withdrawing it. "A deal," he said softly.
Jack withdrew his hand just as the seller came back, and he put on a look of indifferent before turning to him. "I'll take the boy."
"Excellent!" said the seller cheerfully. "Now, the price for him is hundred coins."
If Jack was in less control of his emotions, he would have sputtered at the outrageous price. "That a bit high, ain't it?" he said with a raise of his eyebrow. "Fifty."
"How about a hundred?" the man repeated, still cheerful.
"Fifty."
Narrowing his eyes, the seller thought for a moment. "... Ninety?"
"...Sixty then."
"No. I won't go any less then seventy-five." said the seller firmly.
"Sixty is high as I go," Jack told him.
"Fine, then no deal."
Almost growling, Jack looked at the boy, who had his shoulders slumped in disappointment, probably thinking that he wouldn't buy him for such a high price. Heaving a sigh, the pirate held out his hand. "Fine. Seventy-five it is then."
Smiling again, the seller shook his hand. "A deal then."
He couldn't save them all. But he could save this one.
"You bought Nettie?"
Shushing Will with a look, Jack glanced down at his Nettie to make sure she was still sleeping soundly before he went on. "If I try'd to break her out all on me little onesy, I would have probably been killed."
After a moment of thought, Will shrugged in agreement before going on. "And you thought she was a boy?"
"What'd ya think when you first saw her?" shot back Jack. "Boy or girl?"
"..."
"Exactly," said Jack with a smirk. "Unfortunately for my Nettie, she does rather look like a boy when she's all dirtied up. I'd wanted her to wear some more feminine clothin', pretty her up, but she's too used to trousers." He cleared his throat. "Now, on with the story..."
A few minutes later, the boy was standing next to him as Jack finished counting out the large amount of peso's to the still smiling seller's pouch. The last coin shelled out, the man stuffed that pouch into a bag that hung at his side before pulling a key out of that same bag. "And here yeh are, sir, you can unlock the cuffs whenever yeh like. And 'member, ya got a week if ya want ta return 'im."
"Thank you," Jack said stiffly before placing a hand on the boys shoulders, making him jump. "Come along then, boy."
Nodding, the boy stayed at his side as Jack left the warehouse, the chains clanging with each movement. As they moved through the crowds, the boy moved carefully, almost wincing with each step, but still tried to keep up with Jack's long strides until the pirate finally sighed and slowed down a bit.
"Easy there, mate. Its not a race."
"I'm fine, sir," the boy insisted, even though he panted a bit as he said it.
Coming to a stop, Jack turned to the boy. "Alright, first order of business," he said, "enough with the 'sir'. I'm not that old. You can call me Captain Jack Sparrow."
"Captain Sparrow?" the boy said slowly, as if testing the waters.
"Right," Jack said with a nod. "Next, let's get you out of these chains." As he reached out to unlock the cuffs, he paused. "I can trust yeh not ta run away?"
"I won't run away, sir - Captain Sparrow. Promise," said the boy firmly.
The chains fell away, and the boy sighed, rubbing his wrists. Jack couldn't help but wince as he threw the chains away - not caring where they landed. The boys wrists were raw red and bleeding, and probably hadn't been taken off in days. Gulping down his disgust with slaver traders, Jack grinned in a reassuring way. "How bout some food, huh?" he suggested, and the boys face lit up.
An hour later, Jack was watching the boy start to eat a second bowl of stew on his new ship, pausing only to tear into a small loaf of bread. He wasn't the greatest cook, but the kid didn't seem to care about that. He had been ravenous, and had eaten everything that had been put in front of him without question. In fact, he hadn't spoken much at all, except for saying 'thank you' before he dug in.
During that time, Jack studied the boy more carefully. He was kind of girlish looking, with a bit of softness in the cheeks that belonged on a woman instead of boy - but maybe he would grow out of it. His short hair was shaggy and dirty, and it was clear he needed a bath, his skin was turning brown in some places. And his clothes would definitely need replacing, along with getting him some shoes.
He was also covered with scars. Besides the ones on his neck, he had many more; pale, almost invisible ones on his hands, some more visible ones on his wrists, and then there was the most obvious scar - a large, yet thin scar on his left cheek that went from cheekbone to chin. Still, Jack wondered how many more the poor kid had that were hidden under his clothes.
"You never did tell me what yer name was," Jack commented, breaking the silence.
Stopping with the spoon in his mouth, the boy swallowed, looking a little sheepish as he took the spoon out. "Its, uh, An-Andrew," he forced out.
"Well, Andrew, it looks like yeh'll going to need a bath and new clothes before we get you working," Jack told him.
"I can bathe myself!" Andrew said suddenly and then flushed at his own comment.
"I'm sure you can," Jack said with a chuckle. "Now what else can you do, while we're on the subject?"
"Um... fight? I can fight pretty well," said Andrew with a nod. "And serve tea, stuff like that. But nothing else, really."
"Ah, we'll have ta work on your skills, then," said Jack. "But don't worry about that fer now. After we get that done, yeh can help me find a crew so we can set sail."
"Yes sir - Captain Sparrow," Andrew said when Jack gave him a look.
"You finish yer food, I'll go draw up a bath," Jack said as he stood. Andrew nodded, so the captain left the galley and went to draw some water for the tub.
Some time later, Jack was shifting through his belongings, which he had yet to put in his rooms. He couldn't go out and buy a outfit for Andrew, it was too late at night. So for now, he'd give him his spare outfit, though the boy will still have to be barefoot. But it was better then nothing.
Yanking out a pair of trousers and a shirt, Jack threw them over his arm and went back to his captain quarters, where he had let the boy bath in peace. Not knocking, he opened the door and stepped inside. "Brought you some clothes -"
A yelp of surprise interrupted him, and Andrew threw his arms around his chest, eyes wide, before he whirled around in the tub, showing his back to him and curling in on himself. "C-Captain Sparrow!" he squeaked, suddenly sounding very girlish.
Laughing, Jack placed the clothes on the bed. "You've got nothing to be embarrassed about, Andrew. We're both men after..." he trailed off as he caught notice of something. Next to the tub was a pile of white bandages, which had browned slightly, like the rest of Andrew's clothes. Jack frowned. Why would the boy need bandages? He wasn't injured, was he?
The pirate looked over Andrew, searching for injury. He had his back to him, his arms thrown across his chest as he glanced at the older man with wide eyes. He was bony, much bony than Jack originally thought he was, and though he was thin he still had slight curves. His back was littered with so many scars that Jack would ask him about later, though he already knew what caused them.
He also had very small breasts hidden under his arms...
...Breasts...
...He had breasts...
It hit Jack so suddenly that he stumbled back, and had to grab at the wall to keep himself from falling. "You - You're a - ?" Shaking his head, Jack asked with astonishment, "You have a bosom!" he said, shocked. "You're a girl?"
Andrew, or whatever her name was, jumped as if she'd been shot at and whirled around, her arms still covering her chest. Now that he finally knew, he could see that it wasn't a boy with girlish features - it was a girl with very short hair, that gave her the appearance of a boy. "Please, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you the truth!" she cried. "Just please don't send me back!"
"An- Kid, calm down!"
"Please, don't send me back, please," the girl said desperately. "Please, I'll do anything!"
"Oi, oi!" Grabbing the thick blanket off his bed, Jack strode over to the girl and wrapped it around her, hiding her body from sight. "Calm down," he repeated. "I won't send you back, kid. Now come out of the tub and we'll talk, savvy?"
Shaking, the girl stood when Jack pulled her up, water dripping over the floor when she stepped out of the tub. Jack's blanket was now soaked, but he didn't mind at the moment. He sat the girl on the edge of his bed and then sat a bit away. He didn't want her to start freaking out. She was already giving him wary looks.
"Now then, why didn't yah tell me you were a girl?" Jack asked carefully. "I'm sure you had a good reason."
The girl clutched to the blanket like it was a rope that kept her from drowning. "You - You thought I was a boy," she whispered, glancing at him briefly before staring at her lap. "I didn't want to correct you, cause I thought you might not buy - take me," the girl corrected herself. She clearly didn't like the idea that Jack bought her. Of course, he didn't like it either.
"Understandable," Jack started, "I would rather have a boy working on board than a girl -"
"Please!" The girl looked up at him, petrified. "Please, I'll work hard, I'll do whatever you ask! Just please don't send me back!" she pleaded.
"Listen to me," Jack said as placed a hand on her shoulder, wincing slightly when she flinched at his touch. "As I've already said before, kid, I swear on pain of death that I won't break me own promise. Now the only reason I said that I'd rather have a boy is because most pi- err- sailors are a superstitious lot, savvy? They don't like havin' girls on ships, thinks it brings them bad luck."
"Oh." the girl looked down at her lap again. "Sorry, sir - I mean, Captain," she muttered. "And I'm sorry that I didn't tell you the truth," she also said.
"That's alright, kid," Jack said, waving it off. "If I was in your predicament, I would have done the same thing me self. Now, how 'bout we start with yer real name?"
"It's Annette," said the girl. "Annette Sparks."
"Mm... Annette too girly a name for someone workin' on a pirate ship," said Jack after a moment of thought. "How 'bout... How about I call you Nettie, mm?" He remembered some girl from Tortuga going by that nickname. "And it's a new name fer yer new life aboard me ship."
"A-alright," said the new Nettie with a shy smile.
"Wonderful! Now, lets get you in some clothes, shall we?" He reached to the side, grabbing the clothes he brought and handing them to her. "And tomorrow morning, we'll find ourselves a crew and set sail again."
"Yes, Captain Sparrow!"
