Last chapter until January, I reckon. I'll be unable to use the internet for a bit after tomorrow and won't be able to update. I'll have more time to write drafts for the following chapters, though, which is good.

Hope you enjoy! And have a happy holiday (whatever it is you celebrate) :D

PJO belongs to Rick Riordan.

Annabeth woke with someone poking her arm. She was tired, and hoped that if she remained with her eyes closed, she wouldn't have to wake up. She shifted uncomfortably. Where was he sitting? She turned suddenly and felt weightless as she fell to the floor.

She groaned. Someone chuckled. Annabeth's addled brain registered that something was unusual. The maid that woke her up seldom giggled so freely to her clumsiness, and if they did, they always apologised right after.

She creaked one eye open, and sat up quickly. This wasn't her room, and there was a person staring at her and...

Oh, right, she remembered moodily. She was a slave to the pirate ship, of course.

"Come on!" the girl looking at her said. "Up you go, Annie."

"Um..." her eyes took a little adjusting to the brightness. Luckily the portholes didn't allow too much light in at that time of the day.

The girl knelt next to her and her face got clearer.

"It's you!" Annabeth cried and straightened. "I fell asleep last night, but I..."

"Yeah it's me, Annie," said Thalia smugly. "I was wondering whether I'd seen the last of you yet."

"Not that easy to get rid of me," Annabeth shrugged. "I take it you have greeted Jason."

Thalia nodded, her smugness being replaced by a hint of guilt.

"He's grown up so much," she mumbled melancholically.

Annabeth nodded.

"But my brother isn't really the reason for your early break," the brunette shook her head. "I've gone all out of topic again. We must start training you immediately."

At that Annabeth's eyes lit up, she'd been longing to learn how to defend herself for the longest time! And her mother had been most against it, of course. What kind of proper lady was seen sword-fighting around? She didn't care, however. She was going to learn and become the best, as with any other thing she put her mind on.

Her excitement fell a little when she realised the dishonest ways she'd learn. But fighting was fighting, it mattered naught where the skill was acquired.

Thalia stood up and helped her up.

"Jason's been telling me that you sometimes stole weapons from the armoury and practised," the older girl continued. "Real duelling isn't exactly the same, you see. But I'm sure you'll do just fine."

"But... But this is no place for sword practising!" Annabeth cried as they entered the crew mess.

"Practising without breakfast is a bad idea," Thalia explained.

As they walked about the few people awake at such an early hour of the morning, they went past Jason who was -to Annabeth's chagrin- talking animatedly to Captain Jackson.

Thalia ruffled her brother's hair and shoot a quick smile to the Captain.

They sat next to Rachel, who was doodling with graphite pencil on a roll of parchment. Annabeth was thoroughly impressed with the redhead's talent.

"Red, at this rate if the Cap' ever needs a diplomatic approach, we'll have run out of parchment," Thalia smirked.

"The only thing the Cap' needs in a meeting is his sword. He's too impulsive to ever require parchment."

"I thought you said you were peaceful!" Annabeth raised an eyebrow.

"Did I ever say 'peaceful'? If I recall correctly, I think I mostly reassured you that we don't kill for joy, Duchess," Rachel corrected, merrily.

After breakfast, Thalia took Annabeth to a relatively calm spot above deck. Annabeth's self-confidence wavered a bit when she saw various crew members observing subtly.

"We have to find you a weapon that fits," Thalia told her calmly.

She was shown a big chest full of differently sized weapons. She tried sword after sword, and even a heavy old pistol, but none seemed fit to her hand. Either too heavy, or too light, never balanced.

"Here," said a voice behind them. "Try this."

Thalia didn't even turn around and kept rummaging through the chest. Annabeth heard her muffled voice ask, "What have you brought for little Annie, Luke?"

Annabeth, who had been startled with the man appearing behind them. Turned to see the lieutenant holding out a dagger for her to take. And she did. It was a big knife, gleaming and sharp.

"For the quickest fighters, Duchess," Luke explained. "You don't look that strong yet, so keep to your advantages. You're thin, speed is crucial when wielding a knife."

Thalia huffed, "Where were you for the last ten minutes?"

Luke threw her a sheepish grin, "Looking for you lovely ladies, of course. By the way, the Captain needs you for a bit, Thals. Said we should switch chores as of now."

Thalia rolled her eyes, but nodded nonetheless, "All right, then. See you later."

She hugged Annabeth briefly and kissed Luke on the cheek.

"So..." said she. "Do you usually teach sword-fighting?"

Luke smiled warmly, "Don't worry, no awkwardness. If you have any questions just ask. I do often teach fighting techniques. I love it, and pride myself a good swordsman."

"Are lieutenants not supposed to do...? I don't know, higher rank activities?"

"Nah," said Luke, with a playful shake of the head. "This ship has its own rules, and like I said: I'd much rather teach this than stare at maps and coordinates all morning."

Annabeth nodded, "All right so what do I learn today?"

"Posture," he stated.

"Sounds mediocre."

"It's the boring part, like in a book. You must read the first few boring chapters, or else you'd never quite get the setting of the story straight. Yet you'd be surprised as to how many people lack a proper dwelling stance," he told her as he positioned her shoulder's angle. "Even after years of practising."

"Okay, so I will stay standing still like this for the next few hours?"

Luke smiled patiently, and pushed one of her feet a few inches to the left with his own, "Nope, now you get to pretend to stab me with a sword. So as to know where we're at."

Annabeth did so. Even to her it looked utterly clumsy. Yet he barely blinked.

"Not great," he admitted after a small pause. "But surely better than a few newbies we've had."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow.

Luke smiled, "Rumours say you're smart, Duchess. Try not to take everything people say too seriously. Now, don't grip the dagger too tightly, the slightest offset your enemy manages and you're done for it."

He took her hand and loosened her hold on the knife.

Annabeth was sure it'd been hours when Luke called it off for the day. Yet it was barely time for lunch. She couldn't fathom how these people could roll on throughout the day!

Luke gave her a glass full of fresh water, "Take this and wash. I'll see if I can send someone to accompany you to lunch."

"I know how to reach the crew mess from the sleeping quarters," she replied curtly.

"Sleeping quarters?" he made a face. "Such a nice name for it. Too nice, don't you think?"

"It is Jackson's idea to have me followed, is it not?"

Annabeth felt slightly hurt. She hadn't yet done anything worth of mistrust. Thought about it? Of course, but her ideas she had kept to the safety of her own conscience.

"Given how you appeared rather reluctant, Captain Jackson has decided you have still not earned his full trust," said Luke. "Don't take it personally, Duchess. What kind of leader would he be if he allowed you to roam free so soon?"

"He does not tag someone on Jason all the time!"

"Because Jason is tied to his sister," Luke explained patiently. "If he messes up, the ripple of his deed will find Thalia eventually, and he doesn't wish ill upon her. But you? We have no idea of your motives..."

"I joined because of Jason," she said mechanically. "I do not want to cause him any issues."

"It wasn't just Jason," he shook his head, and then stared hardly at her face, as if reading her soul. "What made you choose this?"

Annabeth shrugged. To be honest, she couldn't even perch it herself. What made her join? At first her only occurrence had been to mutiny the captain of the ship. But she had to agree it was foolish. The shipmates were in utter admiration of Jackson or saw him as a brother of arms, if not of blood. And she had to agree they weren't treating her poorly, her excuses to excuse ill willed ideas were wearing thin.

"It was either this or the dungeons, most unfortunate that would have been."

Luke sighted, "If you keep behaving all right, Percy will soon believe you worthy of going all the way to the sleeping quarters and back on your own."

Luke walked her to the washing rooms next to the girl's whatever-pirates-called-sleeping-places. He left her a towel, a bar of soap, and a bucket of clean-ish water.

"You're joking," she scoffed.

Luke shook his head, "No baths on a ship."

Then he said farewell and left her with her bucket.

As Annabeth crouched uncomfortably on the most hidden corner she found on the room, she felt like she had back at home when she had been a teenager. Her mother had insisted she be accompanied everywhere since her 13th birthday for reasons that were beyond Annabeth's understanding. Luckily back then, it hadn't lasted too much. She felt just as claustrophobic but at the same time she had to agree, as much as it pained her to admit she thought likewise to the cocky captain, that his thinking was logical.

If she herself couldn't properly give a reason as to why she had really chosen to be one of them... how could he figure out her intentions were -mostly- innocent.

No, they weren't, she was told by the rational part of her brain. You wanted him gone.

Annabeth shook her head. Any kind of harm done to the ship or crew was unnecessary. She saw that now. She just needed Jackson to feel as miserable as he was making her feel.

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