What The High Tides May Bring

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Rick Riordan. I take no credit, and I do not mean to break any copyright rules. This is simply a work of fiction made for enjoyment. No money is being made.

Rating: Some dark themes and violence

Chapter 2

Three days.

That's how long it takes for Ares' ship, Bloody Boar, to reach the pirate haven. Annabeth spends those three days locked up in the brig, her only company the scrawny rats that patter around in the mildewy hay. Luckily they keep their distance, though each day they creep slightly closer.

Twice a day the pirate who captured her, who she's taken to calling Scarface since the entire right side of his face is covered in a burn scar, brings her a small mug of watered down wine and two stale biscuits. These rations are nowhere near what her body is used to, and her stomach rumbles horrendously. Her favorite part of every day is when she falls asleep, because then both her fear and hunger pangs fade, at least for a few hours.

There are no windows in the brig, so she judges time by the meals and her sleep. The ship rocks back and forth endlessly, and she spends her waking hours reliving better days. She brings back memories of her first family - her father, her mother, and herself. Those were the best days of her life. She was too young to understand poverty and she'd never known anything but slight hunger, so her joy had been unshadowed. Looking back, she realizes that her life was a lot tougher than she remembers. She's been spoiled for the last twelve years, living in her stepfather's manor with servants doting on her day and night. She's never known hunger - not true hunger, at least.

Her second family gave her a good life as well. Her stepfather was always kind to her, if detached, she still had her mother, and of course she enjoyed the privilege that came with being wealthy. She met Luke and found a best friend and eventually husband (well - almost husband).

She holds the memories tight and they help the time pass. She knows that three days in a floating cell isn't the worst that could be happening to her right now, but it's still the worst thing that ever has happened to her.

On what she judges to be her third full day aboard the Bloody Boar, Scarface comes down a third time. He has a short length of rope in his hands and the keys to the cell.

"Ready to stretch those legs of yers?" he asks, his tone taunting. Annabeth doesn't like what he's implying - even if she doesn't know exactly what he's saying.

She stands, her legs shaky from disuse, and he attaches his rope leash to her bound arms. He pushes her in front of him and forces her to climb up the ladders to the top deck.

Annabeth blinks against the bright sunlight. She judges it's around midafternoon by the position of the sun. The crewmembers are tying up the ship securely to the dock. Dozens of other pirate ships of varying sizes and even shapes are moored in either direction, flying different colors but always the black at the top. Crudely painted on names announce the ship's names: Black Spirit, Golden Chariot, Devil's Oath, and more. Annabeth was just grateful she didn't see Queen Anne's Revenge or The Flying Dutchman among them. Although she was always told those were myths, she isn't quite sure she wants to test her luck.

Beyond the ships is the port of Tortuga. From her vantage on the ship's deck, she can see a sprawling city comprised of mismatched houses and shacks. The voices of a hundred shouting vendors and drunks rings out, carrying all the way to the ship. The streets are narrow cracked cobblestones, covered in a layer of dirt, grime, and what looks to be dried blood. Smoke curls up from the houses and drifts towards the sky.