Last Blade

Chapter Two

Tilly stared at herself in the mirror. She no longer looked like a girl. Her hair was kept out of her face by the black bandana she wrapped around her head. Tilly's blue eyes glistened under the loose strands  of her hair that hung over the bandana. She was debating making a slit in her eyebrow to make herself look more masculine like Jax always had.

Using the fabric strip she had managed flattened her chest down and then the baggy shirt covered it. The pants were loose and easy to move in, though they wouldn't be useful on the ship where they would get hooked onto absolutely everything.

She walked back to the trunk on her bed, pulling out her old dagger. She had kept it sharp and ready to use, as well as an old sword that had washed up. The engraving in the blade was oddly familiar, it had taken her a couple weeks to recognize it.

It was the blade that the first mate that had let her go. She regretted that she didn't know him, or what had happened to him. She traced the engraved waves with her finger gently, before sheathing the sword, looking at herself one more time, then heading out.

She stood in the middle of the chaos. There were fires, people were running, though the pirates seemed to be having the time of their lives, running after the villagers.

Matilda stepped over some debris, looking around before shouting to the captain, who's head snapped in her direction. His dark eyes glinted as a smirk played his lips, she felt the excitement hit her suddenly, her body slightly trembling due to the adrenaline overload, though she tried to hold herself still and confident. 

"Look what we have here, a hero" he sneered. She drew her sword with a smirk, body now still, her stance was powerful and radiated confidence.

"No, a pirate" she replied easily. The captain looked her up and down,

"Well, I suppose I have room for a cabin boy. If, you can beat one of my pirates in a spar" he reasoned, his tone turning sickly sweet. Tilly smirked in response, narrowing her eyes and giving him a curt nod. The captain called to one of the nearby pirates, who dropped what he was doing without hesitation and came over.

Tilly paused and scanned his stance, it was weak, legs too far apart, feet placed awkwardly. He didn't seem to confident or even pleased to be standing their, there was no excitement in him what-so-ever, which was never good. A good pirate always enjoyed what they were doing, it was odd though, Tilly had never seen or met a pirate who didn't get excited to fight.

The captain gave a shout and the pirate lunged at her, narrowly missing her as she dodged to the side, nicking him with her sword. The pirate gave another shout, lunging towards her again. This time she blocked, continuously doing so as he advanced.

Eventually she knocked his blade to the side enough to take a few jabs at him, advancing on him as he stumbled back trying to block. She took a swipe at his feet, knocking off his balance and causing him to fall back, sword flying from his hand. His captain audibly groaned in the background, facepalming as Tilly held the pirate at the point of her sword, looking at the captain.

The captain looked like a disappointed father, but he nodded to Tilly, who relaxed and removed her sword from the pirates throat, he heaved a clear sigh of relief.

     "Wha' might yer name be, lad"

     "Jax"

***

     "And these are our sleeping quarters" Jukes told her, the captain had sent Jukes to give her a tour of the ship.

So far it looked quite a bit like her ship, maybe all ships looked like this, she wouldn't know, other then this one, she had only ever been in one. The crew was different from hers, sure her crew danced and had parties and were like a big family, but this one even more so. The first thing she had been taught when she had stepped on-board was their dances, some intense training had been happening, she had been thrown to a partner for a part of the first dance she had learned. As she had hesitantly followed the steps the other pirates knew by heart, Captain Hook cycled the group, pacing around the deck watching the pirates like a hawk watched prey. The hook on his hand glinted dangerously, giving him a constant threatening aura.