Iliad

A fanfiction by Genesis Wolfe

A Note to the Reader: In case any of this story looks familiar to you, yes, this is basically a re-posting of this story. I've decided to take a new direction with it, and therefore, took it down, edited, revamped, and renamed it Iliad in order to follow the new theme it will be taking. So, with that little piece of trivia out of the way, I give you the story of a young woman named Robin Silver and how she became a pirate in name and reputation.

Chapter Two: Good Day, Good Sir

On the other side of the spectrum, a man watched joyously as his crew had their way with the small town, pillaging and plundering to their heart's content. In the midst of the utter chaos that was now overtaking the town, he found he could easily stroll through the streets without anyone giving him a second glance. Ladies ran screaming with lust-ridden pirates on their heels, while some of his more respectable men made their way through the town's banks. In fact, here came one of those respectable "men" now.

Anamaria approached him so swiftly that he almost anticipated one of her famous slaps. He flinched slightly as she stopped in front of him, and she rolled her chocolate brown eyes.

"I'm not going to hit you, if that's what you're expecting," she said icily. "You deserve it for some reason or another, no doubt, but that's not what I'm here about."

"And what's that, love?"

"There's something you might be interested in seeing," Anamaria replied, grabbing his wrist and leading him forcefully farther into town.

OoOoOoOoO

It wasn't hard to distinguish pirate from townsman. In such a small town, it was impossible to not know everyone's face. Robin easily navigated her way through the innocent inhabitants of Port George until finally coming to the source of the riot. A group of pirates were currently tormenting people at random it seemed, giving any passing woman catcalls and threats of a very intimate nature. A woman, in men's garb, was with them. One of the pirates took notice of Robin.

"Ah, well then, what have we here?" he said. He licked his lips and took a step towards her. She quickly set her feet in a stable position and raised her sword in front of her defensively.

"Ooh," said a second one. "Looks like we got ourselves a fiery one here, mates. Look at that mop o' scarlet on her head."

"Stop it," said the woman, narrowing her dark eyes at the men. She glanced at Robin. "We don't want any blood today, girl, so I suggest you head on back home."

"Well, ain't that a coincidence," Robin replied. "Because the whole town was goin' to say the same thing t' you."

With those words, Robin lunged at the first pirate who spoke. His apparent surprise and probable drunkenness slowed his reaction as he attempted to dive away, allowing her to land a painful stab into his right arm. She retracted her sword as he fell to the ground, clutching his wounded limb in pain, and arched her back to avoid a blow from the female pirate's sword. She gave the woman's sword such a hard, backswept blow that the blade was knocked out of the piratess' hand, clanging to a halt ten feet away. She attempted to make a swipe at the dark lady herself, but the woman, wearing breeches and lighter attire, was more lithe and agile, able to dodge the blow and take off at a fast sprint toward the docks. Robin's attention turned to the third pirate, who held his short dagger somewhat helplessly and took a defensive stance.

"A dagger versus a sword?" she said. "Honestly?"

The pirate glanced down at his meager weapon, and then flung it at her. She ducked and it whisked by her head, taking a small chunk of auburn curls with it. She touched the newly reduced lock of hair and growled, launching herself at him. He squealed rather unmasculinely and took off at a wild, unpaced run into the alleyways. It didn't take long for Robin to follow him.

OoOoOoOoO

Anamaria led Jack quite roughly through the streets, her quick measured pace rather contradictory to the permanent sea legs Jack carried himself on. He very nearly knocked over a vendor's booth of blown glass, but luckily, one of his crew threw a townsman into it, destroying the beautiful prism-like works of art before Jack did.

"There."

Jack's eyes followed Anamaria's dark gaze to an ensuing battle. Jimbo was screeching like a barn owl, using a splinted table leg as a weapon, brandishing it haphazardly and covering his face as his opponent's sword fractured his makeshift rapier into toothpicks. And his opponent…

"That's interesting," Jack muttered, tugging at a braid of his goatee with an engrossed expression on his face. The girl…or woman, since the distance between them hid her true age, appeared to be very angry at the very frightened Jimbo. She brandished a beautiful sword, and when she spun he saw the glint of the dagger tucked at her waist.

Jack watched as the large, lumbering form of Tom Bones began to sneak up behind the girl, no weapon out. Anamaria apparently noticed this, and she yelled at his stupidity, catching the girl's attention as well. As Robin turned her head to her new offender, Jimbo managed to knock the sword out of her hand with what remained of his table leg and moved to grab her. She fetched out her dagger faster than Jack had ever seen a woman move, and had given Jimbo a good slice on the arm and managed to spin fast enough to give Tom a shallow nick in the face. Before she could bring up the dagger to defend herself, Tom backhanded her. Jack could hear the crack of her jaw from where he stood, and watched the dagger fall from her grasp as she was thrown to her knees by the blow. Before she could stand Tom had grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to her feet, wrapping a sinewy, dirty arm around her torso, pinning her arms to her body.

"Tom Bones!"

Tom straightened at the sound of the captain's barking command, still holding Robin tightly as she struggled and screamed curses at him and his predecessors. Jack made a beckoning gesture, and Tom began to drag Robin over to him.

"Yes, Cap'n," Tom said.

"A pox on yer genitals!" Robin spat at Jack, attempting to kick him. He sidestepped her attacks, smirking.

"Ah, darling, I already received that curse after a round o' drinks in Tortuga," he replied. Anamaria grimaced, but Robin's furious expression twitched momentarily into one of recognition.

"Tortuga?" she said softly. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"It's a pirate town, love, nothing a little girl like you would be fit for," he replied.

"I know what it is, you flea-ridden git," she countered, her eyes shooting green fire at the man before her. "And I'm no little girl."

She felt her insides crawl as the wild-haired captain ran a condescending eye over her body. Her light cotton dress clung to her from sweat, and a few of the buttons of the bodice had been ripped off in her battle with the pirates, revealing a considerable expanse of a pale, lightly freckled chest and the top of her undergarments.

"Yes," he replied. "We all can definitely see that." Tom snickered, tightening his grip so that his forearm rested conveniently under her breasts. She snarled and began to struggle, only to make Tom guffaw at her attempts.

"You're a lively one, for being simple house help," Jack said, smirking at her efforts.

"I ain't simple 'house help,'" she retorted.

"Oh, I know, dear," he replied condescendingly. "Do what you like with her, Tom, and then head back to the ship. I'm bored."

"No!" Robin cried, struggling even more desperately. She knew what Tom might "like to do with her", and wanted no part of it. Not to mention that the captain's mentioning of Tortuga still rang in her head. "Please, wait! Captain!"

Jack paused. He had been called many things by the people his men looted, but something as respectful as his title had never been one of them.

"Hold on, Tom," he said, slowly turning. The girl stopped struggling as soon as Tom stopped trying to drag her away. He looked intently at Robin. "Yes, Miss…?"

"Silver," she replied, her face shining with sweat, stray locks of red sticking to her temples. "Robin Silver."

"Miss Silver," Jack repeated. "'Captain,' eh? Not something I hear from little harbor girls often. 'Oh God' and 'More, Jack, more,' obviously, but never 'Captain.'"

Robin bit her tongue against a raucous comment, but figured respect would profit her far more than a wry remark.

"Captain," she repeated. "Please take me to Tortuga."

Jack showed no emotion but a slight rising of the eyebrow. Then he burst into a series of laughs that nearly brought him to tears.

"Take you to Tortuga?" he bellowed, still heaving with mirth. "Darling, you expect me to take you onto my ship?"

"Merely askin', Captain…"

"Sparrow," he said, sweeping off his hat in a grandioso bow. "Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Captain Sparrow, then."

"Sorry, love, but the answer is no," Jack said with mock sympathy. "No ladies aboard the ship."

"What the hell is she?" Robin exclaimed, nodding sharply at Anamaria.

"Well, there are loopholes in the Code," Jack replied. "And that's Anamaria. She's not a lady." The dark piratess glared.

"The Code," Robin muttered. "You claim to uphold the Code of the Brethren?"

"Yes," Jack replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Parley."

"Won't work, love. I don't like that one. Can never remember it." Jack waved Tom away, and the large man grinned and began to shuffle away with Robin in his wake.

"No!" she screamed. "Let go o' me, you disgustin' bag o' cat puke!"

Tom, apparently not one to listen to insults, placed a grubby, thick-fingered hand over her mouth. He reeked of rum and fish, and Robin nearly gagged on the combined odors. She weighed her options. Do not fight, and end up possibly pregnant with this ogre's child or worse. Or…have a bad taste in her mouth. Neither alternative seemed appealing, but the evils were unequal.

She opened her mouth as much as possible, and brought down her strong white teeth on his foul, sausage-like index finger. Over the disgusting taste of his skin she tasted a telltale copper tang of blood. Tom bellowed and momentarily released her. She stumbled to the ground and tried to take off, but she felt him grab her by the back of her collar.

Jack, who was formerly turning to make his way back to the ship, decided to watch the struggle with an interested air. The little firecracker of a girl had managed to slip momentarily from Tom's grasp, but the giant of a man grabbed her by the scruff of the neck with a hand that, Jack noticed, was freshly bloodied. The girl continued to pull away, flailing her hands at something to give her leverage, howling like a cat in heat. Tom gave a great yank at her dress, and the abused buttons that held the top of it up snapped, leaving her upper torso clothed only in her undergarments. The low, scooped back of her bodice showed a stretch of skin, and the paleness of it was what first caught Jack's attention. However, after the initial surprise of seeing her so quickly disrobed wore away, he noticed the pattern of raised and sunken lines on her pale hide.

"Stop."

Robin struggled to her feet as the large man stopped yanking on her dress. He still had a hold on her, so running away would simply undress her further, leaving her entire dress in his hands. She straightened as Jack approached.

"Turn around," he said quietly.

"Make me," she said. "Captain."

Jack tilted his head at her, beads jingling in his wild mane. He feigned a caring look. "You look awfully tired, love."

Robin frowned. "I'm not ti--"

Before she could finish, she felt a blow to the back of her head. It reverberated through her entire body, and everything turned red around her before she saw nothing else.

Jack smirked as the girl crumpled into Tom's arms.

"She'll be of use to us," Jack explained as he caught Anamaria's confused and angry stare. "Trust me."