Daughter of a Pirate

Chapter 1

A/N (1/13/06): This is the beginning of a total revamp of this story. I'm also currently in the middle of "If I Were a Herald," which is a Valdemar fic, but it features a pirate.

Light. A month ago, it would have seemed dim, barely enough to see by, but now it was blindingly bright. The single prisoner in the rat-infested excuse for a prison cringed back, shading brown eyes from the glare of the single flickering lamp.

"Sam?" a voice called down the stairs. The light illuminated a figure in Navy blue. He appeared distinctly uncomfortable to be in this dingy place.

The prisoner in the shadows straightened. Tobias! What was he doing here? Aye, he was Navy, but the Navy had no interest in her. Not since she'd been left in this prison to rot, at any rate. No one cared about one more filthy little thief. No one had recognized her as the child of Nassau's infamous Stormwind Sam Williams. No one had even recognized her as a her.

And now Tobias was here. Sam would know that voice anywhere. She'd fancied herself in love with him, once upon a time. In her youth, back before the thieving. Before she knew why her father had left her alone for most of her childhood. Before the medallion.

Before Jack Sparrow.

She'd never actually met the renowned pirate captain, yet he had stolen her heart. From tales told by her father, she felt she knew him better than she knew herself.

"Samantha?" Tobias repeated. He glanced about nervously.

Best to let him assume she wasn't there. He wouldn't come down into the smelly interior. Not Tobias Carter. He hadn't done anything for her in all these years—well, except for that one time, in the cave. After a month in this hellhole of a prison, Sam was in no mood to be charitable. "I'm no' 'ere."

Too loud. "Sam!" Tobias cried. The light wobbled and dashed down the stairs. "Are you alright? How have they been treating you?"

Well, that was better than an accusation. With his past, she would have expected him to demand she explain herself. Caught stealing? Not Samantha Williams! Best friend to the governor's daughter, Tobias's playmate since they were both young children.

"Fine. They been ignorin' me."

"How'd you get yourself into this mess?"

Oh, so it was to be interrogation. If he thought to make her feel guilt, he was addressing the wrong thief. "Stole from the wrong person. It'll 'appen again, too, if I ever get out o' here."

Tobias took a deep breath and let it out. "That's why I'm here. I've come to free you."

Sam fought to control her shock. Surely he didn't mean what she thought he meant! No, it must be that someone had spoken for her—not her father; he was dead. Maybe Mary? Her best friend might conceivably have learned of the thief residing in Nassau's gaol, and recognized the description as matching Sam's. She would also have the clout, as governor's daughter, to get said prisoner released. "Why'd they let me off?"

"They didn't," Tobias replied grimly. "When I found out you were here, I couldn't just leave you. They don't even know—" A bang at the top of the stairs. Tobias broke off abruptly. Both he and Sam listened intently. Footfalls. With skill he surely didn't learn in the Navy, the young captain blended into the shadows, dousing his lamp.

Another light appeared. Two soldiers marched down the stairs, an impudent, sauntering figure between them. Interesting. The figure's apparel screamed Pirate! to those with eyes to see. From his tricorn hat to his fold-top boots, he was the epitome of flamboyance and flair. Very interesting.

"Rather dark down here, innit?" the pirate remarked to the soldiers. "Quiet, too." He made quite an event of looking about him. His hands traced lazy circles in the air before him. There was only one pirate Sam had ever heard off who acted like that—but this man couldn't be Captain Jack Sparrow. That was impossible.

She chanced a look at Tobias. He stared at the newcomer just as intently as she had, but his expression, while still one of recognition, was less disbelieving.

Back to the pirate. A real life pirate, and not her father. Of course, this one was slated for hanging if he didn't get out of here quick, but perhaps he would while away the hours until his death by telling her tales of the sea. She'd always longed for the freedom of the ocean, but after the disaster of the mutiny in which her father had been involved, she'd vowed never to sail under any man but her father and one other. One whom she'd thought dead at the time, but had hoped and prayed was still alive. The man whom her father'd betrayed.

The door of the cell next to hers creaked when they opened it and thrust the pirate inside. She shielded her eyes as best she could from the glare of the lamp, so it wouldn't take an hour to readjust to the dark.

"I've got gold in Tortuga," the pirate offered. "Yer fools to turn me down."

Sam sniggered. If a pirate left his gold in that town, he was a fool. It would be gone before he turned around twice—and that was assuming he'd managed not to spend it himself.

When the soldiers shot him identical disgusted looks and locked the door of the cell, the pirate simply shrugged philosophically. "Well, it was worth a try."

"Nice goin', mate," Sam commented.

The pirate literally jumped. He looked about, as if searching for ghosts, then visibly calmed himself. "No, I know he's dead, an' 'e 'ad a daughter, not a son."

"Who's dead, Sparrow?" Tobias demanded. "What are you doing in Nassau? You sacked this port once, but it's not going to happen again."

Sparrow? As in Captain Jack Sparrow? But why's 'e here? An' how in hell did 'e get 'imself caught?

"Passing through?" Jack tried, but Tobias wasn't buying it. Dammit, what was this lad doing here? Why hadn't he left with the others? Jack needed to be alone, to pick the locks. They were going to hang him tomorrow at dawn; that left him about twelve hours to escape. "Actually, I was lookin' for a ship to take me to Port Royale. Norrington 'as the Pearl, an' I intend to get 'er back."

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