Hooked ✔

Training with a Pirate

🌊 3 🌊

Melody felt her heartbeat skyrocket when Harry said they'd be starting right that second.

And she without a weapon of her own, all she could do was watch in panic as the pirate pulled out his sword, the smirk, which was always on his face, in place. "What are ya waiting for, Princess," Harry asked as he took a step towards her, "find something to protect yourself with. I'd hate for ya to get injured on your first day of trainin'."

Melody looked around, took in her surroundings, while still keeping an eye on the hooked pirate.

Over, leaning against one of the buildings, Melody spotted an old fishing pole. Dashing over towards is, she lifted the rod up and blocked a blow that Harry aimed at her as she turned around to face him once more.

"Good," he cooed, impressed she'd found something so quickly, "but, will it hold up long enough?"

A scream escaped out of Melody's mouth as Harry pulled his sword back before attacking her once more. She followed her instincts as she blocked each move Harry made. Even got a whack or 2 in against the pirate. A smile crossed her face when she'd succeed in landing a blow on him, but she knew not to let it go to her head.

Harry started getting craftier with his strikes. But he was no longer trying to land blows on the girl. He was testing to see what she could do with no training at all. He kept the smile off of his face as she dodged each of his advances. A true natural.

When she managed to knock the sword out of his hands, Harry had decided enough was enough.

With her arm she was using to wield her weapon out towards him after knocking away his sword, Harry reached forwards, grabbing ahold of her wrist quicker than a snake strike. With a firm grasp on her wrist, he pulled the girl towards him until they barely had any space between them, his hook gently resting against the base of her neck.

Melody stared up at the blue eyes pirate, her breathing ragged from the exertion. She waited for him to speak first.

Harry let just enough space back between them before he removed his hook from near her throat, only to move it up to her brow, brushing away the hair that clung to her forehead from the sweat. His eyes searched her face before looking back down to lock with her blue-green eyes.

"Not bad, Princess," he said finally, letting go of her wrist so she could take a few steps back, "not bad at all. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a natural."

"Will you please stop calling me Princess," Melody said as she stared up at him.

Instead of answering her, he turned his back to her and picked up his sword, placing it back in its sheath. When he turned back to face her, that smirk of his had softened just a little as he regarded her.

"We'll pick up where we left off in a couple of days," he said as he began to walk past her, his shoulder barely making contact with hers.

"Why in a couple of days," Melody asked, turning to face the pirate.

He kept his back to Melody before he looked over his shoulder at her. "I've got my own training to do with my crew. And I need to get ya a sword. I'd like to see what you can do with a real weapon in your hands, instead of that fishing pole you snagged."

Melody watched as he turned back and walked out of her field of vision. What am I getting myself into?

Taking a deep breath, Melody continued on her way back to her little hole in the wall.

***

It'd been a few days since Melody had seen the pirate who was training her in how to protect herself.

She was out walking, somewhere between where she was staying, and where the pirates on the Isle tended to hang out when she spotted the familiar silhouette of Harry himself. In his left hand was his ever-present hook, in his right one, however, he was carrying a sword still in its sheath.

"Here," Harry said when he reached her, tossing the sword towards her.

"What's this," she asked as she attempted to catch the sword before it hit the ground.

"You'll be carrying this with you at all times, and you'll be using it when we train."

Melody glanced down at the sword in her hands for a split second before glancing up as Harry charged at her with his own sword drawn. Acting quickly, without unsheathing her new sword, Melody lifted it up with both hands and used it to block his attack.

"Very good, Princess," the pirate said, his smirk back on his face as he stared down at the girl who was holding off his attack without even pulling the sword out. Finally, he backed off, allowing for Melody to pull out her sword and toss the sheath off to the side so that it was out of the way. He watched as she held the weapon in her hands, testing its weight before her focus turned back to Harry. "Are ya ready now, Princess?" He loved watching the look of annoyance pass over her face every time he called her princess.

Melody gripped ahold of the sword with both hands, her brows knitting together in deep concentration as she circled around the annoying pirate. When she figured he was least expecting it, Melody lunged forwards with her sword, only to make contact with his own as he held it up one-handed, blocking her strike.

"Not bad," he said, his smirk still firmly in place as he regarded her.

The rest of the training for the day continued much the same, Harry tormenting her, Melody lashing out in annoyance.

When Harry finally decided that enough was enough, as Melody went to attack again, he grabbed ahold of her arm that held the sword, halting her attack.

"You did well today, Princess," he said as he finally released her wrist as he relaxed his fighting stance, straightening up to his full height. He watched as she turned her back to him, walking over to where her discarded sheath still lay as he placed his own sword in the sheath attached to his hip. "We'll meet again tomorrow. Go over some tactics to hone the skills you naturally have. Until then, Princess."

Harry gave a bow, similar to what he gave that first meeting, before turning and walking away from Melody as she just simply watched him go.

With a shake of her head, Melody turned and headed her own way, the new sword held tightly in her hand.