A Pirate's Life For Me

Shots Fired

When Hazel first pushed open the door to the galley, Piper was surprised.

The place was a mess. "Lou!" Hazel called, stepping carefully around the things on the floor.

"Back 'ere!" Hazel led Piper back to the stove.

Lou Ellen was a larger girl, but her curves took nothing away from her beauty. In Piper's opinion, it was quite the opposite. With her back to them, a bright green bandana covered her hair, but Piper could see black hair. Very short black hair.

"Lou, I've got a job for you." 

"I'm workin'." Came the short reply.

Hazel cocked a hip and flicked her fingers. An angry screech resonated throughout the galley as the pot Lou Ellen had been working with shot into the air and hovered just out of her reach.

"Hazel!" The girl whirled and Piper got her first view of her. Lou Ellen's eyes were a startling mix of purple and green, swirling in a way that was intriguing. A second glance at her hair showed that her bangs were, impossibly, the color of the bandana and shirt she was wearing. A wide black sash was wrapped around her waist to hold up pants that seemed to be hand-made from a burlap sack. The ensemble was quite strange, but somehow this girl pulled it off.

"Ah, who's this?" Lou's enigmatic eyes flicked over Piper, seeming to decide she liked the younger girl. 

"This is Piper. She's a natural in the galley apparently and the captain wants you at the bow to help Bianca take out the search party from Light's ship. Nico says you have five minutes to explain what you're doing here before you should be headed to help Bianca."

Lou went all business. "Well, Piper, I'm Lou Ellen. Jus' call me what ye want. We's makin' fish for the crew today." 

Hazel gave Piper a subtle push forward and smiled encouragingly. "She doesn't bite." She said quietly.

"Ceptin' the people I don't like." Lou Ellen had heard the comment.

"Just show her the ropes and get up top." Hazel said with a laugh.

After a moment of silence and watching Lou work, Piper voiced what had confounded her throughout this whole experience. "I thought pirates were supposed to be mean and nasty."

The girl whirled from her work to look at Piper. "Where'd ya grow up, a castle? We's people just like any old person."

Piper flushed. "Actually, I did grow up in a castle. But it's not what you think! I was a servant girl."

Lou Ellen's gaze softened. "Dontcha worry, we's normal as you. Jus' got a different lifestyle, 'sall."

Piper nodded and watched for a minute more. "You know, adding a bit of ale makes the breading taste a lot better."

Lou Ellen seemed to think this over for a moment, then flicked her fingers. A door behind them popped open and a bottle of dark ale floated over.

"Ain't that somethin'." She commented after tasting the adjusted batter. "Where'dja learn tah cook, missy?"

"I worked in the kitchen for a few years at the castle."

"You like kitchen work then?"

"I enjoy it." Piper smiled.

Lou nodded slowly. "Good. 'S'bout time I got me a little bit o' help."

Piper felt a small swell of pride in her chest. "So how'd you make your hair do that?"

"Mum's magic."

"You're a daughter of Hecate?"

"Yes ma'am." Lou used the term flippantly, like she called everyone that. She probably did.

"Could you do mine? Once I figure out who my parent is?" Piper asked.

"Course I can. Yer undetermined?"

Piper nodded. 

"Five minutes is up, Lou!" Hazel called from the hall.

"Do yer thing, girlie." Lou backed up to let Piper take over before jogging out to go reinforce Bianca.

----------------------------

Light's search party was having trouble. First, an unnaturally dark fog bank had surrounded them, now someone was firing arrows at them.

"Zhang if you get a shot take it!" Drew roared as she ducked another silver projectile.

"Yes ma'am!" Frank, for his part, was terrified.

A blast of air suddenly cleared the fog.

"What in Hades name was that?!" Miranda Gardiner shouted.

"I don't know but I don't care. Zhang! You got any targets?"

"No!" Frank scanned the black ship that had appeared about twenty feet away, looking for the shooter.

"There!" Will shouted, pointing. As if on cue, an arrow struck his leg and he crumpled to the floor of the boat.

"FIRE!" Drew roared in the son of Ares' ear.

Frank took a moment to locate the person Will had pointed out. She was standing at the bow with several skeletons. All were firing arrows. He could see another girl running towards the archers and realized she must be backup.

He pulled his bowstring back and took aim.

"JUST SHOOT!" Drew barked. "Then we can get out of here!"

The dark haired boy exhaled slowly, letting his fingers slip off of the string when his lungs were empty.

"Backstroke! Get us out of here!" Drew ordered.

As Frank dropped his bow to grab an oar, he heard a faint scream from the dark ship.

"Nice shot, Zhang." Drew commented with a smirk. "You hit her right in the center of her chest."

[A/N DON'T KILL ME I'M SORRY! Idk what I'm doing with Lou Ellen's voice, but I just thought she'd be that kind of talker if she was back then. I'm not trying to make fun of anyone, so if you think I'm dissing you, I promise I'm not]