Wild Hearts

I do not own potc

Shannon was left in a cabin aboard the new ship. She sat curled on the floor observing her surroundings, a cabin bed, a chair and a mirror. It was strange. She had never slept in a bed before and mirrors were und ofd of where she came from. She risked a peek in it anyhow and quickly darted away as a face appeared in front of her. She tried again and was brave enough to keep looking. Black eyes peered back at her, her skin deeply tanned into a pale shade of browny gold. She reached out and touched the glass and smiled gently as her finger tips pressed against fingertips. Behind her the door swung open and she quickly scuffled back against the wall.

“Right love,” Jack came in brandishing a pair of scissors and a wash bowl, “Some rules.” he sat down in front of her and held out his hand. Shannon merely stared at it and Jack rolled his eyes reaching down and taking her hand in his.

“F we we cut these nails.” he said grasping a finger and bringing up the scissors, “Don’t want you gutting my crew.” Shannon watched as one of her sharp nails fell to the floor, she gasped and yanked her hand away.

“No.”

“Yes.” he tried again and Shannon growled her anger causing the pirate to sigh in annoyance.

“I’m giving you the choice here darling, you can agree to my rules or you can go in the brig, savvy?” he tugged at her hand again and she drew back once more.

“I wont harm your crew.” she said huskily pulling her hands close to her chest to protect them. Jack eyed her wearily and straightened.

“If I see one scratch on any of them I’ll lock you up.” he paused to pull up his breeches, “Next rule, you use the toilet pan,” he glanced at her, “You are toilet trained aren’t you?” Shannon hissed her response, she may be slightly more uncivilised than him but she was no fool or animal for that matter. He grinned at her apparent anger .

“Good. Now you tell me your name.” he waited at her silence and sighed, “Inot not a question love, you tell me your name so I can see just how much your worth.”

“Your no better than that other savage.” she answered narrowing her eyes at him.

“I didn’t bring you here out the goodness of my heart, that branding its worth a small fortune on its own,” he nodded at the tattoo wrapped round her wrist, “Wither its on or off your body.”

“Then take the risk, skin it off me and sell it, you’ll always wonder if its worth more on me.” she smirked at his displeasure and he waved a finger at her, anger showing for the first time in his dark eyes.

“You tell me your name or I’ll assume that your worthless and I will skin it off you.” Shannon ched hed down her eyes dancing with the mirth of his irritation.

“No.” Jack huffed and turned his back to her opening the door and storming out.

“You’ve got until tonight darling,” she heard before the door slammed behind him. Sighing heavily she glanced down at the finely detailed band on her wrist. So much trouble for one tattoo. She did know of its value, it had been a gift for one of the very elusive of travelling tribesmen, a man that was so old Shannon wondered if he still lived, the tattoo’s he done were few and far between but were of such extreme quality that rich kings and lords had opened their eyes too it. A past time they had suddenly acquired was to collect the work of men like Chae Riswall. Skinning the beautiful tattoo’s from their holders and preserving the work on stretched ebony wood. This particular band was a good example of Chae’s work, it bore two colours, a rarity in most collectors pieces. Jack obviously knew of Chae aswell, he knew that the work he did was never one somebody of great importance. He knew she was worth more alive as did Roy. A shaman’s daughter was highly priced, but the daughter of the Great Shaman was further priced and baring the make of Chae, she was worth a more than a ransom to a queen.

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Jack sighed and flung his feet on the maple table in his cabin. He knew who she might be but if he was wrong he’d get in big trouble for selling her falsely. She’d been a treasure to find, more than what he’d first imagined when he first heard the rumour that Captain Roy had a fortune in his hold. He guessed of hand that Roy had been taking her to the middle east or Japan, these were the two main dwellings of the collectors that bought the tattoo’s, a gruesome treasure at any length. He’d only ever seen one other valuable piece like the girls, it had been done by recluse artist by the name of Francis Fortio, a Frenchman that had died shortly after completely his final and biggest piece. A large dragon on the shoulder blade of a rich Columbian man. He’d been caught after Fortio’s death hiding in Tortuga of all places, to escape the tattoo huntersck hck had watched with some disgust as they had skinned the dragon from the lads back, muscle and all, leaving him to bleed to death at their backs as they disappeared into the night.

He rubbed his face and muttered under his breath curses at the girl’s stubbornness but she was only protecting herself, that was understandable considering the way she was being treated. Selling humans was not something Jack stooped to that much, it irritated his morals. Glancing up at the sound of knocking on his door he called for them to enter.

“Captain.” Rizzo said nervously, “that lass is in the galley sir.”

Jack rolled his eyes.

“And?”

“Well,” he paused to twist his cap in his hands, “Is she safe to be around?”

Jack laughed and drank heartily from the rum bottle he gripped in his hand.

“What’s she doing lad?”

“She’s eating.”

“Does that seem like threatening behaviour to you?”

“No but she’s eating the pigs legs hanging in the larder.”