Chapter Two

The Huts Amongst The Forest

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"Who are you?" A hard, tanned hand came down across my face.

"Who are you?" I questioned back.

"You are not in a position to ask questions!"

"And yet, here I am doing it." I raised my head to glare at the man, torturing me. He was not well dressed, wearing rags which reeked of blood and rum. His eyes were a frightening blue though I could see traces of grey, hiding amongst the irises. The man was not old, reaching the age of thirty. He had not be treated well by time. His hair which I assumed had once been black was now becoming an almost white, silver colour. Time creases tranced his face around his mouth eyes and forehead. He was built but not to an extent that was uncommon amongst men. Nor was this man tall. He stood a mere inch higher than me. I questioned why they choose such an inadequate person for such a heartless task. It was obvious, as soon as his fist came in contact with my face.

Pain encased my body as blood pooled from my nose.

"You broke it!" The crack could have been heard across the island.

The Island.

The first time I had been to the secluded spot hidden by the pacific ocean, was with my father and his crew. It was a time, long ago, when I was still considered weak and nothing but a burden to my father's crew. I was young enough to understand but not old enough to take it all in and return the comments with my own. I had run away to an untouched spot, a waterfall with fresh spring water. It was my paradise. I had claimed it as my meadow. Nobody on my father's crew knows about it. I stopped myself. Knew about it...

"Oi, brat!"

The man with a killer punch had asked me a question. I knew not what the question was nor was I going to answer it. I acted on instincts. My knee came up, connecting with the man's groin. He fell forward as I swung my tied hands around my body, hitting the man in the gut. He grunted before falling forward. I didn't wait to see if someone had watched me. I ran.

Behind I could hear men yelling. I did not stop though. I pushed my limits as I disappeared into the trees. I ran in a zigzag pattern before leaving the main path and going deeper into the forest. Needles stung at my legs and branches cut at my clothes. I could smell the rusty scent of my blood, I could feel it drying across my face.

I knew where I was heading and I hoped that I still knew the way. Part of me, the pessimistic side, told me that the three long years since I had been here had altered my knowledge. I didn't stop. I pushed myself forward, the voices of the pirates, long gone. I felt the last part of resistance as I forced forward. I broke out into a small clearing, a creek and waterfall encircling it. It felt that time had stopped as the moon lit up my meadow. A smile crept along my face as I felt peace within myself. I was home.

I moved forward, towards the water. The creek was crystal clear, running smoothly down into the deeper part of the forest. I let out a content sigh before lowering my body into the water. Chills ran up my spine as the cool liquid took away the pain in my body.

It had been a long time since I had felt like this. I remember the last night with my father before his capture. We had the entire crew dancing, singing and laughing. Nobody cared what was happening in the world around them. Nobody, noticed that I was not wearing my traditional boyish clothes. I could hear the laughter but it was nothing other than a noise in the distance. I was watching as the ship with the British flag came towards us. I had called for my father. For the first time I watched my father show panic, fear and finally defeat. He turned and looked at his crew. "Tonight was meant to be one of joy. A day to celebrate. These men will have their celebration but as that ship draws near I want you to go. Do not go down with this ship my beautiful daughter. Tonight I pass on everything that belongs to me, to you. You are the next in line to take this ship and also my place amongst the men of the sea. You are strong and I know that you will surpass me in your greatness. I am not a father who is saying these things to you. I am a captain stating facts to you. I love you more than you will ever know. Go, live a life that is not filled with despair or revenge for me. Bella, you are my life, for me to continue to live I need you to go." I had gazed up into his brown eyes. I saw the truth in his words. I ran to my cabin grabbing ropes as I went. I dirtied my dress slightly before tying myself up. I had already gagged my mouth. I lowered my body onto the floor and closed my eyes. To the fools of the navy, I was nothing but a prisoner, taken by Charles Swan and his fleet.

Jasper and Emmett, it turned out shared the position of first mate to their captain. It was unusual and unheard of. I had been disrupted in my sleep by Seth untying my hands and feet. Emmett and Jasper roughly grabbed my shoulders and pulled me up. I was dragged off the Vendetta and onto the forgotten island. From my position I could see rising smoke but I didn't have time to work out where the smoke came from. I was pulled towards the freaky blue eyed tormentor and that's when I realised how much trouble I had gotten myself in. I was alone, on an island, wanted by pirates, without a crew, no food. The only thing I had was the fresh water in the stream. I needed a plan.

Hoisting myself out of the water and onto the dry ground I allowed myself to dry out in the rising sun. From the suns angle I figured that it was almost mid morning and so I had been in the water for over three hours. In the distance I could smell smoke and a fire beginning to burn. Slowly, i raised myself off the ground, still slightly damp, and towards the smoke. Where there was smoke, there was people, where there was people, there was food.

I walked miles, or what felt like miles. My body was beginning to ache again but I continued in a southerly direction. As I drew closer to my destination, I could smell, meat burning and hear voices of men, arguing amongst each other.

"You tell him!"

"Why me? " I recognised the voice of Freaky-Blue-Eye-Tormentor.

"Cause you let him go!" This one was a different voice

"I say Seth does it, he's the youngest." As I heard Seth's name I pushed myself further.

"Yeah, Captain may not hurt him too much cause he's young and pretty talented with ropes."

"Eh, I wouldn't know, Captain has been really pissed off lately."

"Alright, you go find him, I'll go check to see if the others have had any luck on the bratty kid who got away."

I heard the men shuffling away, I knew I was close. I followed the one who had claimed to go fine Seth. He had gone to the right.

I don't know long I followed Freaky-Blue-Eye-Tormentor but when he stopped I knew I was too late. I reached the edge of the forest to an area which had been completely cleaned out. Small huts had been put up and a fire pit dug. There were men just lying around, some with bottles of rum in their hands, while others worked; cutting fire wood or looking for food. In the centre of the clearing was Seth and Freaky-Blue-Eye-Tormentor.

Fear was obvious on Seth's face, I wanted to run, to hold him like I used to when we had both been younger on the Vendetta. I watched in curiosity as Seth walked a hesitant way towards the larger hut. Everybody seemed to look away, avoiding anything to do with what was about to happen. I moved with shadows, staying partially hidden, using the crews avoidance as a way to go unnoticed. I reached the large hut without any troubles. I pushed myself against the wall whilst rotating myself so that I could see through the edge of the door.

"What is it Seth?" The voice was only young, but still strong, almost frightening.

"Umm, captain... Mason...Cullen...Edward... the prisoner... that Emmett, Jasper and I um, caught, the other day... he umm, he got away." Seth stuttered out the sentence. I froze in place though. Captain Edward Mason-Cullen was only a few feet away.

"What!" Mason was not a man to go against. I had met him only once, and that was as a lady of importance. He was brutal when I came to fights but also observant, it was almost like he could know what his opponent would do next. When I had been taught to fight, I trained myself to make my move unpredictable and impossible to know. A loud slap brought me out of my inner thoughts.

I looked through the door to see Sthe on the ground a hand to his cheek where even I could see a red mark forming.

I cracked.

I moved around the door to see a man, in his mid twenties, standing over Seth, furry in his eyes. This man had tanned skin, was tall with almost bronze coloured hair. At the noise of me moving he looked up, his eyes were a startling green. I pushed any thoughts of Edward Mason away and moved into a fighting position. My hand just near my waist where a small dagger was kept, almost impossible to notice. Jasper had taken my sword when I had been tied up which made me wonder where it was.

"You hit a young child!" I hissed.

Mason looked at me in shock. "He is not a young child." His tone was deadly as Edward Mason raised his sword towards me.


HI,

I don't really like putting these little comment things in at the bottom of my stories so this is more or less a one off.

I just want to say thanks to bornagoofygoober for their comment, and I would like to ask, If peoples want me to continue my story. Please tell me what you think because, unfortunately, I am not psychic. :(

So please please please tell me what you think of my stories. The more reviews, the quicker I'll most likely update.

P.S This chapter was sort of a filler chapter. I want to write the next chapter just about Bella getting to know Edward and there first official meeting. :)

Pretty-as-a-Princess

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