A Pirate's Life For Me

Well Kept Secrets

Annabeth Chase walked through the streets of Athens. Her step-mother and father had sent her down into the city for the day with a maid. Annabeth knew that they just wanted her out of the picture so they could be with her little half brother for his birthday.

"COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE THIEF!" A guard shoved past her, waving his sword.

"Piper, who are they chasing?" She asked. Her young maid, a girl with deeply tanned skin and choppy brown hair, quickly climbed onto a nearby cart to see.

"It's a girl, milady. She looks to be a ruffian of some sort."

"LET ME GO!" A voice screamed up ahead. Annabeth raised her head high and marched forward.

"Make way for the princess of Athens!" Piper shouted, leaping down from the cart and pushing her way in front of Annabeth. The crowd parted and she came to the opening in the group.

A guard she didn't recognize had a firm hold on the arm of a girl about her age. The girl had straight brown hair and startling green eyes. She was dressed in loose pants and a white blouse that billowed above a wide belt. The man's garb she wore was appalling to Annabeth, a crown princess.

She squirmed and screeched again. "LET ME GO!"

"Do as she says, but do not let her run." Annabeth ordered imperiously.

"Yes, ma'am." The guard let go of the girl, who had a slight 'deer in the headlights' look.

"What is it you took?" Annabeth questioned.

"All I took was a stupid apple!" The girl snapped.

"May I see it?"

She tossed her the fruit. Annabeth polished it on her grey dress quickly, then inspected it.

"That's all?" She asked the guard. He shook his head.

"She had about 700 drachmas worth of precious metals." He insisted, his blue eyes sparkling sincerely. He flicked his brown curly hair out of his face. His features were rather elfish and Annabeth automatically distrusted him.

"Did you see her take these?"

"Well...no."

"What division do you belong to?" She asked, changing the subject abruptly. Any trained soldier would respond immediately.

"Uhh...." He rubbed the back of his neck. Only then did Annabeth realize that he was about her age as well.

Before she could call for both of their arrests, an explosion rocked the street, knocking several people off their feet.

The two brown haired teens took off down the street, arguing loudly the whole way.

"Miss, you need to get to safety!" Piper shouted, pulling Annabeth back towards the castle grounds. The blonde yanked her arm away.

"I didn't ask your opinion, Piper-" She turned and realized the girl had disappeared. "Piper? Piper, where in Hades did you go?"

Suddenly a hand clamped over her mouth. A quiet voice hissed into her ear, "Don't worry, princess, I'm not going to hurt you...as long as you cooperate."

Annabeth shivered, but nodded.

"Thought so, let's go." The voice, obviously male, pulled her down an alley. After a few minutes she realized they were headed for the wharf. As this understanding dawned, three pairs of footsteps fell in with her captor.

"Who is this, Will?" A vaguely familiar voice asked. Annabeth frowned, then placed it. This was the 'guard' from the street! That meant one of the other people was the girl.

Sure enough, she spoke next. "Shut up, Stoll! What if she gets away? Then she knows at least one of us. Light won't be happy if that happens."

Annabeth's blood ran cold. She knew the stories of Light the pirate. No one knew who Light was, or even if the pirate was a man or a woman. If these people worked for Light, she was in grave danger. She began to writhe.

"For Zeus' sake, Katie! I bet the First Mate is having no problem with the other one, you know why? Because he doesn't have three dimwits blabbing away about the Captain!" The last sentence was hissed angrily as her captor adjusted his grip.

"This is useless," He grunted after a moment, when she elbowed him in the stomach. "Travis, knock her out."

Annabeth's world went black.

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When the princess of Athens woke up, she was tied to a wooden pole wider around than her waist. She surveyed her surroundings.

Annabeth was on a boat. Not just any boat. A ship. People who were unmistakably pirates scrambled around. They must be putting to sea. Her grey eyes caught two boys chained up near the front of the boat. The bow. One had brown curly hair and a dark complexion, but not as dark as Piper's. The other had black, messy hair that hung in his eyes, which were too far away for her to see the color of. He was tan, but not nearly as much as the boy next to him.

A cough next to her alerted Annabeth that Piper was tied up as well.

"What happened?" She asked the maid.

"Pirates." Was the only answer she got.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" Annabeth looked up to see two people standing in front of her.

They smirked and simultaneously opened their mouths.

"Welcome to the Zephyrus."

[A/N AU ideas have been flooding my brain and so I decided to get one out because my mind is stuffed full right now and I need an outlet. Enjoy!]