A/N: Ohhhh hey there! Thanks for all the follows/favorites/reviews! :)
I'd like to thank my boo bear, Dakota (Perfectly Censored) for helping me name things in this chapter, and for listening to me whine about describing clothing. Also, if you're not reading her story, Strange Fruit, you probably should be.
And in case you missed it, my darling Lighthouse (NegativeSpaces) updated Find Me Another Life, so you should definitely check that shit out, too, and show her some love. Woo!
Reminder that this story is rated M; there's some violence in this chapter. Because, uh. Pirates. :B
Brittany doesn't think she's ever been so excited in the entirety of her existence. It's only two more days' sailing time to Argo, and then she can start her new life- the new life she's been dreaming of ever since she'd learned the certain fate of her old life. She's heard all kinds of things about what Argo is like- that it's warm, that everyone there is kind, that the beaches are filled with white sand and tall tropical trees, and the waves are blue-green, clear and calm. She's heard that the natives are friendly and generous, and that land is plentiful. She should have no problem finding her place among the people there. She's never seen such a place before, but it must be absolutely wonderful, and she's been imagining it- the warmth, the bright sun, the cool water- for days. She can hardly sleep, and as she wanders about on the deck, inhaling the smell of the salty water around her and feeling the breeze whipping her hair, she taps her fingers excitedly against her thighs while she walks.
Around her, the crew lie in various states of half-sleep at their posts, ready to take up their rigging stations at a moment's notice. But the waters are calm and all is quiet, allowing the men to doze around her. So far, it's been a peaceful, uneventful voyage. One might even call it boring. Brittany's not sure whether she's thankful or upset that she hasn't had more of an adventure. After all, she's hardly experienced anything sensational in her life, and, truth be told, she'd much rather have a good story to share someday with her children, especially since there won't be many more opportunities for adventure in the future- she's going to be living a long, serene, free life on Argo.
However, all is as Sam promised. Their ship is making good time, and soon will arrive safely at their destination. So as Brittany reaches the edge of the deck and rests against the rail, she can't help but grin at the thought of her escape plan actually working. She had been so terrified the previous days that her father would catch wind of her getaway and send a ship to bring her back, and that Sam would be executed, and perhaps Sugar, too, for collaborating- but as she gazes out across the horizon, listening to the sound of the ship cutting through the dark waters, she can only feel relief. It is next to impossible that her father would deduce where she has gone. They were too silent, too swift in their execution, and they are days out from Argo. To him, they could have gone anywhere. She breathes easier- her father will never find her.
"We'll be there soon," Sugar says from behind her, startling her out of her thoughts. She turns with a smile, which Sugar immediately gives back. "I know you can't sleep, Britt. Truthfully, I cannot, either."
Smiling bashfully, Brittany nods. "I'm too excited," she admits.
"It's understandable. You're so close to starting over, to truly beginning your new life."
"Our new life," Brittany corrects with a genuine smile. She gently places her hand atop Sugar's. "You're my best friend, Sugar. I wish freedom for you, and a place by my side- as my equal- in Argo. I cannot imagine having you anywhere but with me."
Sugar giggles deviously. "I do believe Captain Evans has other plans for you." She tilts her head and points, rather obviously, over her shoulder.
Brittany swallows, following the direction of Sugar's finger to see Sam standing on the upper deck next to the Ship's Wheel- watching her, his expression intense. It sends a shiver down her spine. His green eyes survey her every move, and he smiles with his large lips, waving slightly as their gazes meet.
"Creepy," she whispers to herself, waving back politely, and Sugar giggles again. Brittany blushes as Sam continues to ogle her intently and she averts her gaze back to the dark water. Sam is nice. He's been a loyal servant and friend, but if she's being honest with herself, she's really not sure about anything else with him. Thankfully, she hadn't yet had to converse with him about the idea of them taking their relationship further. She's not quite sure how to broach the subject, or what to say to inform him she's not interested. He's rather stubborn and determined, and a little hard-headed, so-
A loud bell clangs from up high on the mast, scaring Brittany out of her thoughts and making her tilt her head back to find the source. When the bell stops, a whistle blows twice and then a booming shout goes out.
"SHIP; PORT STERN!"
Instantly the deck comes alive as sailors jump to attention, scrambling to their stations to stand by for further orders as the look-out calls down the approaching ship's distance and position. The atmosphere is charged with terse unease as the crew awaits for the ship's identification. Is it an ally? An enemy?
Brittany's stomach drops in fear. What if it's her father? What if he sent a ship? What if he's somehow found her, impossible as it may be? Oh, gods, what if he brings her back, and kills Sam and Sugar, and she's forced to marry that insufferable boy, only-
The deck falls still with an edgy silence as everyone strains to see into the distance, to see the vessel, to see a potential threat. Brittany stares hard, shaking slightly with anticipation. She chews her lip and squints, just barely making out the form of a ship approaching them- and quickly. Her stomach flips.
"By the gods, they're fast!" a man exclaims from behind her, and Brittany grips the cap rail tightly with both hands. She's scared- what if they are unable to outrun them? What if it is her father?
What if it's not?
"It's okay, Britt," Sugar breathes beside her, but she doesn't sound confident in the slightest.
The silence around her is deafening. All she can hear is the sound of her own ship cutting the waves below, the wind in the sails, and her own rapid breaths. She watches the ship in the distance grow bigger as it draws nearer with incredible speed, her stomach twisting itself into knots; Sugar grabs her forearm tightly, her face paling, and now Brittany's really scared. Her heart pounds in her chest, and she crosses her fingers that it's not something terrible- but who else would be swooping in on them in the middle of the-
"BLACK FLAG!"
"I see it!"
"PIRATES!"
The deck transforms into a mess of people. Men rush up from the lower decks, roused from their cots, hastily-dressed and rushing to secure lines. Boots pound on wood as other sailors ready themselves for battle. Cannons are rapidly prepared by sailors still groggy from sleep, and all the while, Captain Anderson shouts out orders to the scrambling men.
"Ease all sheets! Belay the halyards! Steady, now!"
"It's too late, sir!" The look-out screams from high in the mast. "We'll never outrun them! They're too fast!" Brittany feels her stomach sink with nameless dread, though she has no idea what's happening. She feels panic overtaking her as the people around her succumb to it. It spreads through the crew like a fire, and their moves become wilder and clumsier as a result. The heavy, chaotic mood presses upon her, and she feels her terror rising with each moment the strange ship draws closer to their own. "They're upon us!"
"Battle stations!" Anderson shouts. "Man your battle stations!"
A strong hand on her shoulder tears Brittany's gaze away from the pirate ship, and she turns to find Sam, his eyes wild with fear. "What's going on?" she asks shakily. "Are we to be seized?"
"Hide," Sam commands, his voice scratchy with alarm. He grabs Brittany's shoulders and stares hard into her eyes. Brittany feels a cold jolt of fear shoot down her spine at Sam's blatant fright. "Hide yourself. Those savages will not show mercy. They do not follow civilized rules. If they get hold of you-"
"Oh, gods!" Sugar wails from beside her, already resigning herself to the worst possible scenario, and Brittany finds herself shivering, her stomach clenching so hard she feels nauseous. She'd hoped for adventure, but something a little more- safe, perhaps? Certainly not this-
"Where should I go?" she whimpers.
Sam studies her face for a moment, his expression wild and blank as he thinks. Finally, he releases her and swiftly begins to unbutton his uniform coat, his fingers shaking. "Go to my cabin," he orders as he finishes with the buttons and peels the thick garment from his shoulders. "I have a spare uniform there- don it. Do not open the door for anyone. Anyone, Brittany-"
"And what about me?" Sugar demands, narrowing her eyes angrily.
"With me," Brittany says instantly. "You will hide-"
"Oh, Britt-"
But Sugar's moan of hopelessness is cut off by a distant boom, followed by a loud scream and the whistling sound of something flying through the air.
"CHAIN! LOOK OUT!"
The call comes seconds before the ship is rocked with the flying projectile, and Brittany gasps in horror as the foresail is shredded by the mystery round. The impact causes the fore mast to splinter, and Brittany watches, rendered still with horrified fascination.
"Save the sails!" Anderson screams, and sailors rush to obey, unfastening ropes and hauling them quickly.
"Go!" Sam hollers over his shoulder, rushing to help, and Brittany snaps out of her captivated stupor, grabbing Sugar's hand. Carefully tucking Sam's coat securely under her arm, she flees in the direction of Sam's cabin as instructed, located at the back of the ship. All around her on the main deck, soldiers are tugging on ropes, scrambling to gather up the sails to protect them from further damage as more projectiles rip into ropes, shatter beams and shred linens.
"FIRE!"
The first loud BOOM of a cannon nearly startles Brittany off her feet. It's so loud. The ship sways, and more cannons go off, making her ears ring. Cold drops of ocean water spray her as enemy cannon rounds hit the water nearby. She can barely see through the haze of gunpowder smoke in the air, and she stumbles blindly over a pile of coiled rope. Men shout things to each other across deck in between the booms of the cannons, but Brittany can't decipher any of it. She quickens her pace, desperate to follow Sam's instructions.
The loud, shrill whistle of an approaching projectile makes Brittany pause, and she spares one glance over the deck rail to see that the pirate ship is a mere few lengths away. She can almost see the distinguishing features of the crew, and the bright colors of their clothing-
The sound of cracking wood fills her ears as the cannon round smashes into the deck behind them, sending splinters flying in every direction. The shuddering impact causes the ship to lurch, throwing both of them from their feet. Brittany's palms hit the deck hard, and Sugar gives a small cry as she lands beside her, sprawled out.
Coughing on the smoke and inhaling the smell of gunpowder and burning wood, she reaches for Sugar's hand again, tugging her to her feet. She ducks to avoid any more flying debris, feeling tears springing to her eyes as she pulls Sugar along behind her, squeezing her hand tightly. She doesn't dare look back again as she finally reaches the entrance to Sam's cabin. She yanks the handle and the ship sways again, sending her teetering into the door, but she quickly regains her footing and slips inside.
Brittany's never been in Sam's quarters before, but she doesn't take much time to admire its spaciousness as she quickly finds the small dresser wedged against the far wall and tugs the drawers open, searching frantically for the spare uniform Sam had mentioned. Behind her, Sugar paces, practically wailing with fear as Brittany finally pulls spare trousers and a shirt from the wooden drawer.
"We're gonna die," Sugar whines. "We're completely dead. No one ever survives a pirate attack. I'm too young, I'm far too young to-"
"Hush, Sugar," Brittany chastises as she quickly tugs Sam's pants, which are a little too big, up her bare legs. "Help me with this."
"If we're lucky they will spare our lives," Sugar mumbles, loosening the laces on the back of Brittany's dress. "But we'll be prisoners, forced to do their bidding-" She helps lift the garment over Brittany's head, leaving the blonde standing in her chest wrap- she'd foregone the use of her corset since she'd abandoned her father's estate. "Rather we were dead, if that happens!"
"Find me some braces," Brittany says, ignoring Sugar's dark ravings and hastily slipping the loose, white shirt on and buttoning it up clumsily. Sugar obeys, digging through Sam's drawers, and finally comes up with a pair of dark-colored braces, handing them over. Brittany looks at them for a moment, a little unsure how they go, but Sugar immediately steps in and begins fastening them to Brittany's pants, sliding the leather straps over her shoulders snugly.
The last thing on is Sam's heavy military coat. Once completely dressed, she examines herself quickly. She looks sloppy, but she hopes it will do. She's not worried for her hair- half the men on the ship sport similar lengths, and truthfully, she hopes it might obscure her more feminine facial features.
"Lock the door," she mumbles in a tiny, scared voice, and Sugar moves to the heavy wooden door and secures it, dropping the lock-plank in place.
Then, with her heart pounding and her stomach still tying itself in knots, she douses the small oil lamp by the bed, taking Sugar's hand in hers.
And she waits.
Santana has never taken a ship so easily.
It's almost not even a challenge how fast Puck's ship- The Tide Ripper- overtakes the ship they're pursuing. She didn't bother to try and spot the name of it.
It'll be sinking soon enough and forgotten.
So as they sidle up next to the crippled ship, cut off from escape due to their incorrect decision to save the sails instead of their asses, Santana readies herself for disappointment. If the valuables they'd assumed were on board actually were on board, surely the ship would be far better manned. But as it is, Santana's so bored with the lack of a challenge, she's almost certain there's nothing valuable on the ship.
Though she can't deny that the thrill of overtaking a ship, especially one of this size, isn't fun in and of itself.
"You ready, Dia?" Puck asks with a grin.
"Don't call me that," she shoots back, pushing her bandana up over her nose and mouth to act as a filter and help prevent the inhalation of cannon smoke, and distort her face. Puck shrugs and slips a knife between his teeth, drawing his cutlass with his right hand and gripping a rope, which he uses to swing himself across the gap between the two ships, with his left. He lands with steady feet on their opponents' deck and quickly takes out two sailors with his sword. Once they drop, writhing and bleeding, to the deck, he turns to her.
"Come on!" He calls as he yanks his knife from his teeth with his now-free hand, and Santana sighs.
Rolling her eyes- she's almost certain Puck's going to cut his stupid mouth open someday- Santana crouches a little before sprinting across the deck and leaping gracefully over the rail. She lands, just as sure-footed, on the opposite deck and draws the short sword at her hip with a twisting flourish, dropping another sailor to the ground with a slice across his chest. She shakes her head. She doesn't even think she'll need her second sword for this raid. Pity, really.
"Blower," Puck calls, but he's smiling. All around them, their fellow pirates are overtaking their prey ship, cutting down the Lycan sailors with ease. It's pathetic. She gives Puck an uninterested look and Puck motions for her to follow him as he makes his way to the upper foredeck excitedly, expertly stepping over wreckage and debris and navigating through the trails of smoke.
She climbs the few stairs after him, and tails him as he reaches a staircase leading down to the inside of the ship. If there is anything valuable, it will be down there- in the hull. She sighs.
"AAAH!" a man screams as he attempts a surprise attack and tries to stab at Puck from the left, and almost tiredly, Puck cuts his throat in one deft motion, leaving him sputtering on the hard wood beneath his boots, clutching his bloody jugular. Santana shakes her head. The man has a few things to learn about ambushing- but she supposes it's entirely too late for that.
"Well?" she asks, and Puck tugs the eyepatch that had been resting on his forehead down to cover his right eye. He shoots her a boyish grin and Santana just knows something stupid is about to come out of his mouth-
"Let's go find our booty."
The sound of the cannons has stopped, and Brittany worries about what that might mean. She can hear shouting and the faintest clang of metal on metal, which she thinks is a result of the pirates boarding, but she has no idea what's going on outside of Sam's cabin. She has no idea if her side is winning.
She dares not look, though.
Instead, she sits in the dark, squeezing Sugar's hand almost painfully tight, and waits.
Sugar's shaking beside her, and though Brittany's scared, herself, she knows that she's in a better position. She at least looks somewhat like a boy- she'll probably be killed immediately. But Sugar might suffer a worse fate, and she's more scared for her than for herself. She doesn't want to die- but she also doesn't want anything bad to happen to her friend. She vows to do everything in her power to protect her.
"-in here-"
"Aye, the Captain's quarters."
"Bound to be something-"
Brittany freezes as she hears voices- just barely- outside the door. They're gruff and rugged-sounding, and she holds her breath as the door handle rattles. Beside her, Sugar whimpers in fear.
"Locked."
"Well, ain't you a scholar. Step back."
The sound of something large hitting the door makes Brittany jump, and she watches, terrified, as bit by bit, the doorjamb- and the end of the lock-plank supporting the door- is hacked away by what looks like a small axe. More and more light- from deck fires, Brittany assumes, since it's still nighttime (she thinks)- filters in from the hole, and she prepares herself for a very swift end as the hacking stops.
"Got it."
"'Course ya do."
The door crashes open, and framed in the doorway are two men. One of them is tall and lean; he wears ridiculously striped red-and-black knickers and his eyes are slanted. Brittany's never seen a man with slanted eyes before, and she almost can't stop staring enough to take in the other man, who is shorter but very solidly built. They enter the room, and Brittany freezes, hoping they will look over her in the dark-
No such luck.
It takes three seconds after the two pirates spot her for the larger one to cross the room, grab Brittany by the front of her coat and lift her from her feet. Her back hits the wall and instantly the cold metal of the small axe is firmly pressed to her throat.
"Well looky what we have here, eh, King?" The pirate growls, and Brittany swallows, cringing both at his foul breath and at the sharp metal at her neck. She stares down into his face, noticing a huge scar across his cheek. "The Cap'n himself." She feels warm blood trickle down her neck and wonders if she should struggle, or just accept her death gracefully-
Scar Cheek narrows his eyes. "What's ya doin' in 'ere, Cap? Bein' a lily-livered milksop?"
"Whoa, hold on-" the slanty-eyed man- King- says, grabbing the brute's shoulder and pulling him back slightly. Brittany releases a breath as the pressure on her throat lessens.
"I say we kill 'im," Scar Cheek says with a wicked smile, but King shakes his head.
"That's not the Captain of this ship. He's- someone else."
The burly pirate tightens his grip on Brittany and sneers. "He's a goner's what he is."
Brittany does her best to glare back, trying to seem tough, but then Sugar shrieks as King grabs her wrist and yanks her out from behind the small armchair she'd been hiding behind. "Look at this, Scrap. A girl."
"Aye..." Scar Cheek- or Scrap, King had called him- agrees slowly, looking uninterested and also confused at the other man's logic.
"I bet my best saw they're some kind of royalty."
Scrap drops her suddenly, and Brittany crumples to the floor with a low uhf. "Ya think?" He asks genuinely.
"There's only one way to be sure... I'll go grab Cap'n."
Brittany stares hard at the sharp tip of the sword pointed at her face. She's terrified to meet the Pirate Captain, but considering she thought herself dead by now, she's trying to stay hopeful about the outcome. Beside her, Sugar is silently weeping, but Scrap doesn't look sympathetic. He scowls, glaring at them like they're ocean scum as he relights the oil lamp on the dresser, keeping one eye on her, though Brittany's not sure what she's supposed to be capable of considering her hands are bound tightly behind her back. Brittany sits, chewing her lip nervously, listening to the screams and sounds of the battle still raging outside, though it seems like it's mostly died down. And due to the calmness of her captor, she assumes the pirates have won.
She gulps.
It doesn't take long for King to return, and Brittany feels herself about to explode from anxiety as he enters the room, flanked by two more pirates.
The first one is a tall man, who she immediately assumes is the Captain. He's got a funny hairstyle- his head is completely shaved, with only a strip of longer hair on top, down the middle like a stripe- sports a gold earring, and wears a bright blue sash tied around his thick, black belt, adorned with a rather obnoxiously large buckle. He wears a half-open, white shirt underneath a long, black vest, an eyepatch, and a thick gold chain around his neck with an expensive-looking, engraved medallion attached to it. His walk is more like a swagger, and Brittany's pulse quickens a little with protectiveness as he regards Sugar appreciatively.
"Hey, Guppy- can you hurry the fuck up? We don't have all night."
Brittany's eyes snap to the biting voice- a distinctly feminine biting voice- and her heart stops as she takes in the sight of the second pirate. A female pirate. Her mouth drops open and she stares in awe. Not only is she female, but she's beautiful. Her wavy black hair is down, spilling over her shoulders, and she has smooth-looking, caramel-colored skin. Her lips are full, her brown eyes dark and cold as she stares down at her, and Brittany suddenly feels even more nervous. She lowers her eyes to the bright red bandana around the woman's neck; lower, and she notices that the woman is wearing a black, sleeveless bodice- Brittany swallows hard at the sight of the tops of her plump breasts and flat, toned stomach. She's never seen so much skin exposed before, and she's suddenly a little embarrassed. She drops her eyes to the red sash around the pirate's waist, her tight, black breeches and her matching black boots, hoping the pirates don't notice her blushing in the low light.
"Dia," The Captain whines. "You ruined my entrance."
"It's shit, anyways," Scrap points out.
Raucous laughter erupts, but Brittany's still staring at the woman. She's never heard of a female pirate before, and the thought of one existing had never even crossed her mind. She vaguely wonders if every female pirate is as beautiful as the one before her. The woman hasn't spoken since entering Sam's cabin, and she hasn't taken her eyes from Brittany; Brittany feels as if her chest is being torn open and exposed under such an intense gaze.
All she can do is stare, silently, as the other pirates argue. She's never felt attracted to someone before, but as she looks the other woman up and down, she feels an unfamiliar pull, and she has no idea what it means.
Santana is very familiar with the female form- she's had her fair share of ladies, though she's had to pay most of them for their company. She's not sure when she decided she preferred their company over men's- though she suspects dealing with Puck's idiotic ways probably helped her realize it sooner than she might've without his constant presence in her life- but she's known for a while that she'd much rather spend her nights exploring another woman's body than a man's.
So as she stares down at the scrawny blonde at her feet, she can sense there's something off about him. His eyes are too pretty, his jaw too smooth. His form is too delicate, and even through the heavy navy coat he's wearing, Santana can see that he's thin for reasons beyond just meager offerings for supper.
"This is the Captain?" Puck laughs beside her, finally taking the time to study the lithe person before them. He flips his eyepatch up to examine the 'boy' with both eyes, and the blonde looks shocked as a result. She rolls her eyes at both of them, but doesn't say anything as Puck grabs his belt and continues to blow smoke up his own ass. "No wonder this ship fell so easy."
"Right coward, he is!" David agrees, pointing his sword at the twerp. "Hidin' in 'ere while his buds do battle for 'im."
"Oughta kill him," Puck snarls.
"No, wait," Mike says. He grabs at the sleeve of the boy's coat, pointing out an unfamiliar patch sewn into the collar. "See? He isn't a sea Captain."
Santana glares as Puck and the others let out low exclamations of surprise, and the blonde bites his lip. She more than suspects that the boy in front of her is no boy at all. She could, quite simply, disrobe the person and satisfy her curiosity- but she won't. She has no idea what's holding her back, though. Perhaps it's the innocent look in piercing blue eyes that manages to make her pulse race and freeze at the same time; or maybe it's her own forced indifference over the entire operation they've begun. She's not exactly sure what's keeping her, and she tries to convince herself that she doesn't care. Those eyes won't stop looking at her, and it unnerves and angers her. It's a strange feeling. She tears her gaze away.
"-if he's not a sea Captain, then who in blue blazes is that?" Puck demands, pointing at the girl, who's stopped crying long enough to look terrified for her life- not that Santana blames her.
"Some type of royalty," Mike reasons. "Must be."
The word royalty piques Puck's interest, as Santana knew it would, and she can almost hear his tiny brain taking flight with the possibilities as he says, "I wonder what price she'll fetch for her return, eh?"
"More than enough to fund your touched trip, I'd wager," Santana snaps, finally speaking up for the first time since entering.
"We take her, then," Puck says with a shrug, and Santana sighs, rolling her eyes again.
"No, wait," the boy-Captain says, his voice wobbling slightly before deepening considerably. Santana raises a disinterested eyebrow, wondering if he's even hit puberty yet as he continues, "I am- augh!" He falls silent as David smacks him with the pommel of his sword, sending him collapsing back against the wall.
"Shut yer yap, boy," David grunts.
The blonde coughs. "But-"
"Brit-" the girl starts, before taking a long, unnecessary pause, "-ton. Britton. Don't. I'll be fine."
"I won't let you do this for me," the blonde pleads, sitting up straighter, and Santana watches the exchange suspiciously. She has no clue what's going on, but she knows what her instincts are telling her- and they're telling her something fishy's happening.
"As if you have a choice," Puck barks, laughing. A loud pop and a hiss of fire from outside the door interrupt the moment, and all at once, they realize that they need to make a hasty exit.
"We're running out of time," Santana hisses. "Take them both. They'll fetch a higher price together, anyways."
"Good idea, Dia," Puck says with a smirk. Santana casts him an unamused look while the girl struggles against David's grasp.
"No!" she cries, but David ignores her.
"Get up, girly," he sneers, hauling her to her feet and shoving her in Mike's direction. Mike gently escorts her out of the cabin. David then grabs the Captain and is decidedly less tender about it, even though the blonde puts up little resistance. He's bleeding and he's got a prominent lump on his temple from David's earlier blow; a dark bruise is beginning to form there. Santana watches with eyes narrowed in suspicion as David marches the lad roughly out the door, following in Mike's wake.
She's a master of deception due to her childhood. She'll find out who he is soon enough.
Her head is pounding. Her wrists are starting to develop rope burn. Some of her fingers are tingling due to the stiffness of the rope around her wrists, and her shoulders are aching from her tightly-bound position. She's not thrilled about being captured by pirates. She's terrified of the future- they could discover she's not a boy at all. They could discover she's actually the valuable one, and kill Sugar to be rid of her, or worse-
She suddenly wishes she had that chastity belt.
But at least she's still alive.
As she's marched roughly across the ship, she balks at the devastation and damage around her. Downed sails lie in tatters, shredded, across the deck. All three of the masts are cracked or fallen. Dead bodies litter the ship, sprawled in pools of blood. Some of them are still alive, twitching or writhing in pain. The smell of smoke, burning, and blood fills the air. Moans of pain echo across the space, and Brittany feels tears filling her eyes. All these sailors died because they were escorting her from her father's estate.
They'll never make it to Argo.
Scrap shoves her on the head, and she pitches forward, stumbling a little. "Quit gawkin' an' keep walkin'," he growls, and Brittany wonders offhandedly if pirates go to rhyme school-
And then she spots him.
Sam.
He's on his knees, his hands tied behind his back. He looks awful- it makes Brittany cringe. Blood drips from the corner of his mouth, his blonde hair is matted to his head, and his clothes are ripped and covered in blood- she hopes it's not his own.
Their eyes meet, and Sam jerks as if hit. He attempts to lunge to his feet, but one of the pirates lays a heavy hand on his shoulder, holding him in place.
"No!" he shouts, and Brittany halts, feeling as if she should do something, as if she should reassure him, or talk to the pirates, try to negotiate, or-
Scrap shoves her forward, and the moment is broken. Grabbing her elbow, he guides her forcefully to the edge of the deck, where several bound planks have been laid across the top of the railings of the two ships, making a temporary bridge.
Brittany can't resist, but she can still hear Sam screaming behind her. She throws a wild look over her shoulder, hoping to reassure him somehow with her eyes-
The woman pirate- Dia, the Pirate Captain called her- blocks most of her vision. She can just barely make out Sam behind her; Dia is turned away from her, and Brittany can see the sheaths of two short, curved swords on her- one on her right hip, and one at her left shoulder. The woman waves her hand lazily, the pirate at her side lunges forward, and even over the cacophony of other sounds, Brittany can hear the loud thwack of his fist hitting Sam's jaw- hard.
Sam collapses to the deck, and Brittany is dragged away. She struggles to watch, but Sam doesn't get up. Dia turns, flanked by the Pirate Captain, and they both coolly walk to the plank bridge, smirking.
Brittany wants to shout- to say something- but she's not sure she can do that without sounding like herself, and she can't afford to give away her gender. Not now that she's seen what her captors are capable of. She wants to scream at Sam to get up, but-
A cloth is pressed firmly to her mouth and nose. Arms wrap around her neck. She panics. Something smells sweet- well, all right, it's not so bad. Her eyelids feel heavy. So do her limbs. Maybe she should lie down.
She sags against the person holding her up, and the last thing she's aware of before everything fades to black is a large, lit torch being tossed onto the Courage, causing the downed sails to immediately ignite, and Sugar sobbing,
"You savages!"
L O L :B