Daughter of Poseidon, the Girl Who Lived

26. Blackbeard demands a ship

I woke up with my hands tied behind my back. I sat on the ground between Severus and the Green Clad. A bunch of men in desperate need of a bath sat in a circle eating fish.

"Good to see you're awake. I was actually starting to think you might just be dead."

"What happened?" I asked, ignoring Green Clad's comment.

"Edward Teach and his pirate crew decided to abduct us," Severus whispered irritatedly. "Harriet must have missed that they were still stuck on this island after Percy stole their ship."

"We need to signal for help! We can send red sparks, Harri will see them."

"They took your wands, Stupid Boy," Green Clad shut me down. "Besides, she seems to got it handled already."

He motioned towards a bunch of bushes across the circle of pirates with his head. Harriet peeked out when she was sure the pirates weren't looking. She motioned for me to keep quiet. So I kept quiet.

Harriet observed the area. Her bushes was the only plants around us big enough to hide behind, and the pirates say strategically between them and us. Though I don't know for sure exactly how "strategical" that really was, but it meant Harriet didn't stand a chance to get to us without being noticed.

Her eyes fell on something nearby and made some hand motions that was probably supposed to mean something, but I was clueless as to what.

"It's ASL," Green Clad said lowly as if he had read my thoughts. "American Sign Language. She says she plans to distract them by making them run after her. Our job is to run back to the boat when the pirates are focused on her."

I was about to ask how Harri planned to make all these pirates chase after her, or how she then planned to get away from them once we were free, but Harri was already in motion.

She ran up to one of the nearest pirates, purposely bumped into him, and grabbed a bag with unknown contents.

"Hey! Is this something of value?" She asked standing about six feet away.

"Hey! Give that back, gal! You can't take what we've rightfully stolen!" the assumed captain screamed.

"Okay, so, probably yes. I think I'll keep this!"

And with those words, she ran off. As she had hoped, the pirates trailed behind her. I thought Harri's vague plan might actually work.

Then the captain lingered behind. He turned to us and my hope was crushed.

"You're coming with us!" he said and grabbed the rope that tied our hands together.

The pirates followed Harriet to a high cliff where the sea could be heard from below. She stopped and turned around. Right before she could throw back the stolen handbag, she noticed us at the back of the group. She lowered it and weighed her options, looking from the bag, to us, and back again. Then she faced the captain.

"Captain Blackbeard! Come to negotiate, I think?" Harriet said with much more confidence than she probably had. "Look what I got!"

She reached into the bag and grabbed the first item she could find. Then she held it high above her head.

"I got a jar of dirt~, I got a jar of dirt~, and guess what's inside it~!" she singsonged.

'Maybe she had lost it?' I thought at first. But her teasing apparently had an effect on our abductors.

"She's got the jar of dirt!!" one of the pirates yelled and ran towards her.

He stopped when Harri held it above the edge of the cliff.

"STOP! One step closer and I'll throw your jar of dirt in the sea!" She shot him a glare of 'don't fricking try me'.

Blackbeard held up his hands without dropping the rope.

"Alright, little gal. What do ya want?"

"I want you to return my companions, simple as that."

"Why would I do that?"

Harriet shrugged.

"Because you'll get your jar of dirt back then."

Blackbeard gave me, Severus and our green clad friend each a calculating look.

"You can have one of your companions in exchange for the jar of dirt."

"No. You'll give me all three of them, or no deal."

"Look gal! Our prisoners are the only fun me and my crew have here on this gods damned island. I can't just give them away when I've abducted them!"

Harriet thought for a moment.

"Then why do you stay at this island?"

"Because we can't get away from here! Those kids that broke that sorceress' spell stole my ship! None of the other boats in the pier are big enough for all of us! We're stuck here!"

That gave Harriet an idea.

"But I can get you a ship!"

"What?" Blackbeard looked suspicious.

"In exchange for my companions, I'll give you a ship, so you can leave this island."

"And the jar of dirt."

"And the jar of dirt. Just give me an hour," Harriet said slowly.

Blackbeard considered the offer.

"Well then. We'll meet you at the pier in one hour, gal. But I warn you, I don't play games." He pulled out his sword. "If there's no ship when we arrive..."

He didn't need to finish that sentence, he just had to point the sword towards us for the message to go home.

Harriet nodded.

"Of course. I'll see you at the pier."

She leapt backwards down the cliff and a splash was heard far below.

"Do you think she'd be able to get that ship in time?" I asked Severus when the pirates led us back.

"Oh, I'm sure she knows what she's doing," Green Clad answered with a smirk.

I looked at the guy I was fairly certain was a god with a frown.

"Can't you get us out of this situation? Aren't you some kind of god?"

He looked at me down his nose.

"I am a god."

"Then why don't you help us escape?"

"I have no obligation to help you."

"But these pirates have you captured as well! Do you just like being a prisoner?!"

"I won't be for long."

I guess it was good that someone had fate in Harriet. At least that's what I hoped he meant. Personally I was terrified of what would happen if Harri couldn't get the pirates a ship in time. I had no desire to die just yet, but where were Harri planning to get a boat in such a short time? And my mood certainly was not improved by this god whom I still didn't even know the name of, but seemed to find it very amusing to taunt me!