Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me

[bonneypirate]

For a pirate, Anamaria had spent precious little time at her vessel. The Pearl was a depressing place for her, a ship that wouldn't sail, freedom gutted and foundered. It was enough to drive a decent pirate to drink. And the fact that that mean Anamaria needed something to drink meant that she'd had to stockpile a whole new run of rum. Given

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[weemanmurray]

He was looking more at the boat than the lass, truth by told, though whatever she was doing was in the corner of his eye. His last meeting with a pirate hadn't exactly gone badly, and Ian had got to thinking that on an island as small as this one, avoidance wasn't always the best option.

He shaded his eyes and watched, bent over his knees, a hint of tension around the set of his jaw.

[bonneypirate]

Anamaria was aware that she was being watched and her hand twitched for a knife several times. She waited instead, to see what the silent man wanted then finally grew restless and raised her head to look at him directly, "And what is it that you be wanting, mate? I'll not be turning into a merfolk and swimming away no matter how much you stare."

[weemanmurray]

Ian looked taken a back and blushed reflexively, though he didn't move.

"I dinna want anything, Miss," he said, deciding on impulse that she looked like the sort of girl to be offended by the word "lass". "I wasna really lookin' at ye."

[bonneypirate]

Her eyes narrowed at him for a dangerous moment before she decided that she wasn't feeling particularly hostile. "You don't be needing to call me miss, I'm no proper maid. Years too old and miles too..." she smirked, "experienced. What was it that you were looking at then?"

[weemanmurray]

That made him smile, and he lifted his head to look at her properly, squinting slightly into the sun.

"Th' boat, lass. I was on one like it once. Didna much care fer it, ken."

[bonneypirate]

Lass was better than miss though she judged herself at least ten years older than he. She grinned at him then craned her neck to look back at the Pearl, "She's not like anything you've ever been on, mate, believe me there. A fine vessel with the spirit of the sea in her timbers."

[weemanmurray]

"Aye, she's bonny," said Ian, still looking. "I didna see much o' th' one I was on above th' decks, if'n ye take m'meaning."

[bonneypirate]

She did and it surprised her a little. He looked to be in remarkable good shape for it. "Aye, that's the lot of some on a working vessel. Not so much of that when you're on the account though. Everyone pitches in equal like." Anamaria frowned, "Don't hold with it otherwise."

[weemanmurray]

"It wasna so much working as kidnap," said Ian, with a face like he'd gotten a bad taste in his mouth. "An' I was only young...fourteen or so, aye?"

His casual tone belied the look in his eyes before his gaze flickered away.

"Long time ago."

[bonneypirate]

"Rough time to be at sea," Anamaria said neutrally. She'd been near three years out by then, a ship's rat and treated about as well, called little else but boy though she'd given her name as Adam. "They just put you on the sweeps?"

Pretty-faced boys rarely were left to just anything.

[weemanmurray]

"Mostly chained in th' dark until we made th' Indies," he said blankly. He had no iddea why he was talking about this, and to a lass he'd just met too.

[bonneypirate]

Her eyebrows went up but that was all the surprise she showed. "Bloody merchants. Anything for a piece of silver. Not like honest pirating." She took her flask off her hip and tilted it back for a swallow then held it out to him, "Have a drink?"

[weemanmurray]

"Aye, silver," he said, blankly. It hadn't been like that at all. He nodded and reached for the flask, knocking back a swig without comment. He wasn't used to rum, hadn't had it in years, and he coughed in his chest, but nodded again.

"S'good. I've Scotch, but it isna like that."

[bonneypirate]

"It's bloody terrible and you're welcome to admit it. But it's better than water or juice." Both could make you sick on the sea. His reaction puzzled her though, "They threw you below decks. Kidnapped you. Were you a slave or ransom?"

[weemanmurray]

"It isna bad." He lifted his arse off the sand, fishing his own flask out of his pocket and holding it out to her. "But it doesna beat two hundred year old Scotch."

His smile more or less died.

"Neither."

[bonneypirate]

Anamaria hesitated then set aside her sign and moved a bit closer to him, taking the flask with a nod of thanks but just holding it loosely instead of drinking. "Not slave, nor ransom. You weren't taken by traders then or pirates. Not run off to sea as I did. What put you down in the hold, mate?"

She didn't know why she was curious. And curious was all that she'd admit to.