Roseland:

Chapter 2 - A Pirate's World

Ivy stood trembling in the door frame as the acrid smell of gunpowder and burnt flesh rose to her nostrils. She began to clutch her cousin even tighter to her shaking bosom, praying for release from this hell she had been dropped into. She was forced to take yet another step, the barrel of the pistol pressed fervently against her back, as she slowly lifted her delicate shoe she could hear its base stick to the heated blood on the deck. Ivy bit her lip to keep from lashing out in situational induced insanity, whereas her aunt, a few yards out in the death-wrought perdition, had succumbed to whimpering in low moans as she doubled over upon the deck rocking back and forth like an institutionalized maniac.

The terrified youth found it excruciatingly difficult to swallow her next shock. Her heart raced underneath her sweating flesh as if propelled by fear and sorrow alone; her eyes drained tears as heavy as blood while they peered distraughtly up at her father's corpse slung from the main mast. The old man's silver eyes had slid behind their pallid lids, his tongue loose from his lips like a sickly dog, while his entrails clung limply to his backside. She could no longer stand the agony, everything around her was tuned out: the humored blood-thirsty pirates, her aunt's moaning sobs, her cousin's childish whining, all was tuned out except her own heart beat. From the depths of her abdomen Ivy pulled a heart retching roar, her teeth clenched tight together as she bent on her knees clutching her stomach with one arm. For moments she wheezed too far into depression to breath.

The pirate that had been her guide along this cold tour of the underworld knelt next to her, his coarse lips brushing over her ear as he spoke, "You see, love? This is what happens to those who dare cross me." His matted coal hair hung just right of her red cheek; Ivy cringed as his soiled hand landed abruptly upon her thigh, the warmth of his flesh could be felt through the thin fabric. "You won't make that mistake, will you?" He watched a tear slide down the length of her face, fear causing her rebellious voice to stop short and reside in her throat. "I didn't think so."

Slowly the wretched man stood back up to his natural height, his shadow cast over Ivy's hunched body. "What d'you say, lads? Are these women not fine specimens?" There were hoots and shouts as the same pirate yanked Ivy from the floorboards by her loose hair, she moved obediently not entirely expecting his rough movements. "Remove the child," he signaled to a close follower. The hideous swashbuckler approached her, his eyes yellow with an ailment, suddenly his clammy paws were upon her prying at Elizabeth.

"No! Let go of her," she had found the strength to fight back finally. The child screamed and wailed as she was torn from her cousin's protective arms. "She is only a child you heathens! Only a child!" However, Ivy was brought back into her humbleness as the ringleader pirate cast his arm about her throat. She began choking on the air as she flailed about exasperatedly.

"Now now, child, behave. No one here is out to hurt you so long as you obey. That's not so terrible is it? To do as your told, I expect you have been doing that for the better part of your life." His words clouded her mind with disgust and unease. Where was her aunt and why was she not retaliating? Was she still humbled by the governor's demise?

From a distance and over the roaring din of the raging animals she could hear yet another pirate, this one showcasing her aunt's physical features. Ivy could hear her sobs and found herself crying as well. What would become of them; pressed flat against her captor's body in an indecent way she could only wonder if her fate would be worse than her father's painful demise. "As a gift, I give to you, my faithful crew, the pleasure of the woman and the wealth of gold upon this vessel. Enjoy them both at your leisure, now, let us return, the Pearl awaits." The Captain announced blatantly keeping a firm grip around Ivy's shoulders. "Twigg," he called to the crew member holding her flailing cousin. "Place the child in the brig with the other captives."

"Barbossa, I want this," he bent his head taking in the scent of Ivy's loose hair, "beauty locked in my cabin."

"Aye, sir." the older pirate responded, his face shrouded by his flopping hat. "Come ere, child." His grimy hands reached out for her as she was quickly tossed to him, her body smacking directly into his. His stench filled her nostrils causing her to cringe and convulse with disgust. But through this dense fog of sweat and blood she briefly saw her cousin being carried over onto the other deck. Her thoughts were all on Elizabeth's safety.

"No!" She screamed in fear, "Please no, we are of no use to you, please leave us aboard this ship." Ivy cried in vain as she, too, was cast over to their pirate vessel. She watched fretfully as they pillaged the ship she had called home for the past month, the ship that had given her hope and love, it had now abandoned her and left her to rot with these heathens of the sea.

"This be your stop, miss." The pirate Barbossa announced as he threw her squirming body into an open doorway. "Welcome aboard the Black Pearl, Miss-?"

"Miss Roseland," she snapped back as she lunged for the door in an escape attempt. Unfortunately Barbossa, being of a somewhat burly nature, blocked her path and caught her in his arms.

"Now, Miss Roseland, what kind of hospitality be this? Back in to the cabin y'go!" With one forceful shove Ivy was back in the Captain's quarters, the hard wood floor at her side. The door slammed shut before she could even turn back around, she was now locked into their world, a pirate's world.

The young woman pulled herself from the flooring and rushed toward the cabin door banging on it and ramming it as hard as she could. She tried vigorously for the longest time before giving up and sliding down the length of the solid door. It hadn't even budged, nor did anyone outside seem to notice or care for her shouts. Suddenly, Ivy could feel the ship start to make way, the sea tossing them to and fro like toys. She had no more tears for her problems, they had all washed up, however all that continually occupied her thoughts were her aunt and her dear cousin. What had become of them?

The young child was brought down to the brig unconscious, and laying limp in Twigg's arms. "MY BABY!" screamed Cecily in fear as she clutched the iron bars tight within her fists. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" Her wails echoed through the room, hurting the other sailor's ears. In her cell alone she outstretched her arm to touch her child, to even feel the gentle stirring of air as she passed by and was place in the neighboring cell with two men. "No, please, give her to me, please!"

"She'll stay in ere, where she's just out of your reach, woman!" retorted Twigg as he laid the child roughly on the ground of the wet cell. Her sandy hair slowly dulling as the water seeped across her cheek. One of the men in the cell had jumped up abruptly to try and loose the door from the grinning pirate, but he was too late. "Just a wee bit slow are we?" His cackle echoed in the hall, almost as loud as Cecily's whimpers.

"Don't you worry Ms. Cecily," the second man leaned forward and pulled the child from the puddle. "I'll watch over her," the young man pulled his wool coat from his back and gently laid it over the small girl.

"Thank you," Cecily peered into his face. "You really are a good man, James, I see why she is fond of you." She wore no smile, and yet even through her smug tone James was able to find a minor amount of happiness in her compliment.

It had felt like ages of waiting to Ivy as she sat hunched in a far corner of the room. Her eyelids had started to fall with weight, and her arms and legs were tired from the stress of the day. A thought occurred to her, is this what he wanted? Was he purposely biding his time until I'm too weak to fight him off? In a rush she hurtled herself from the floor and began scampering around the room in search of a weapon.

Drawers were opened and slammed shut, maps strewn on the floor, and cabinets rummaged through. Ivy turned the cabin upside down and could not find the makings of a single weapon, "I'll just have to improvise," she smiled candidly as she noticed a bottle sticking out from a cabinet door. She crossed the room, almost graciously, in her want of a weapon, her fingers pulled the door open further revealing a single bottle of liqueur. Bending down to further examine the half full glass, she popped the cork and took a whiff of the alcohol, immediately knowing the sour stench as rum.

The stirring on the deck directly above caused her great unease, he would be visiting soon. She hurriedly shoved everything she could back into its rightful places, all, that is except for the rum, which she held clasped within her right hand. Her hair had begun to fall around her face, no longer pinned back in its neat bun as she rushed about the room. A Shadow loomed in the distance of the mirror, and she knew he had entered. Her throat had groan so dry from fear that she could scarcely swallow.

"'Ello my pet, what have you there?" He took a few strides into the room, watching her all the while through the mirror. "you've found my rum 'ave you? Wishing to warm me up before you seduce me," his boots clanked against the wood, hacking into her mind. The door closed, casting what light had been in the room out. She wanted to move, wanted to flee from the mirror, but her feet were planted. "or, was it for you… so you could be numb when the time comes?"

Ivy found her strength and spun around dashing immediately to the maps on the desk. She quickly grabbed up the nearest candle in her left hand while the uncorked rum bottle stayed clasped within her right hand. "What's this?" He questioned as he watched her intently, surveying her actions. She took a swig of the sour rum, filling her mouth up with the harsh liquid before spewing it out at him as he approached the desk.

"I advise you stay away," she reprimanded, spit dripping from her lips. "I warn you, I will not hesitate in my actions." He backed up from her, spots of rum showing up on his wool coat. "I will burn these maps and documents unless you agree to let my aunt, cousin, and I go at the next port!"

"Is that all," his voice was very candid and sarcastic. She glared at him from behind her fallen strands of hair.

"And, you must swear that we will leave you unharmed, untouched, and still pure in every form of the word!" Her hand was so tightly wrapped around the bottle that her fingers began to shake uneasily.

For moments he just starred at her, his dark eyes hidden behind his thick kohl liner. He seemed tense, and yet stood in an almost relaxed position, Ivy tried her best to read his thoughts, even to guess at his next course of action. "Swear!" She screamed at him out of frustration. And then, without warning, he charged at her from around the side of the desk. After slight hesitation she slammed the rum bottle onto the desk, glass shattering and skidding over the edge onto the floor. As he knocked into her side she let go of the candle and watched as it tipped onto the desk exploding into horrid flames.

Ivy's head slammed into the wood of the floor, jogging her mind somewhat. His weight was upon her for, what she fathomed was, less than a moment before she was pulled from the floor and slung over his shoulder, her mind still swimming with pain and confusion. Outside of the cabin she was passed to another man whom held her up loosely by her armpits, she vaguely saw the captain's shadow return to the smoke filled room to extinguish the flames before the blackness of sleep overtook her.

Upon his return to the ship deck he took a deep breath a kneeled to better look at Ivy's slumped form. "Is any of it salvageable, Captain?" The pirate holding the sleeping woman asked quietly.

"Some," he continued to look at the woman with a bewildered expression.

The sailor tugged on her arms a little as he tried to lift her dead weight, "she's a fierce one isn't she?"

"Yes."

"Should we put her in the brig with the others?"

"No," the sailor looked at his captain suspiciously. "I will keep her with me this night. I have some things I wish to discuss with her when she wakes." The Captain bent forward and cradled Ivy's body in his arms.

"Jack, you're quarters-."

"That will be all, Barbossa," With one last glance at his fellow pirate, Jack turned and reentered his cabin, closing the door behind him. He gently carried her through the room, doing his best not to disturb her slumber as he brought her to a bed, his bed. As he lay her down she seemed to mutter something. "Yes?" he replied to see if she would maybe speak louder.

"Don't tell father…. Don't tell-."

"Who is father?"

"George…." she quieted for a little while. "George…Roseland."

Jack leaned away from her, debating this knew information. "So you weren't just passengers," he smiled, "you were family." He brushed her cheek lightly with his calloused hand, "I have plans for you… great plans… Miss Roseland."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that it was a little better than the last one. If you are at all confused feel free to ask me any questions, or just wait it out because I assure you that everything will be explained in later chapters. Also I am writing another POTC fan fiction that will somewhat correspond with this one. Thank you again for your support. And, I'll update as soon as possible.