Chapter 1

I don't know why I was going towards the prison, I can't take listening to my cousin yell at me anymore. Yes, I know that I don't speak like other members of the 'nobility' but if truth be told, I couldn't care less. If I spend one more afternoon stitching seams into pillows I will go mad. Honestly, row after row of perfect stitching, it's just so dull now. I don't understand how my aunt and Janette can tolerate it.

I am eighteen years old and I would probably have been married by now except for the fact that my aunt doesn't think I'm mature enough yet. It all started when I fell asleep on Norrington's ship one afternoon. I had been talking to the harbormaster, he's the one who collects fare from sailors who dock their ships in the port. I have always been interested in the ocean and sailing a ship that seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn.

Luckily it was only a short journey, all he wanted to do was scope out a nearby island to make sure that pirate activity was demolished. Mr. Gibbs found me and tried to keep it a secret, but when Gillette saw me he, of course, dutifully reported it.

I retuned later that evening under the careful watch of Norrington and later the condescending eyes of the rest of my family. Why are pirates considered so vile? My uncle says that I oughtn't wonder about such things and he wants me to keep my mind down from the clouds.

I have heard the stories, pillaging, pilfering, raids, and destroying of towns and such. I believe it, I just don't think that all pirates are like that. Alexia, she's one of my closest friends, agrees with me.

We've had long conversations on this topic and our fondest wish is to go on a grand adventure and travel the seas. Fanciful, yes but what else are we to do? Bat our eyelashes and play coy with the military men no doubt.

Christopher, we call him Chris, plans to become a pirate one day. I think he would make a wonderful pirate. He is about the same age as us, maybe a year older. He is a master swordsman, he has practiced with the local blacksmith Mr. Turner. Then because Mr. Turner won't allow women to handle such 'dangerous' equipment, Chris taught us how to swordfight and fire a pistol, but won't ever join the military.

He can't stand the thought of sailing under someone else's colors and following orders all day. He's always been like that though, he wants to travel just like us and he promised that one day he'll get a grand pirate ship and take us all exploring.

That's what Alexia and I like the most about him, he doesn't treat us like simpletons with all the bowing and scraping. We're equals in his eyes, which I think is why my parents object to us spending so much time with him. Tisn't appropriate says they, what will the other gentleman say. To which Alexia and I walk along the docks again. Chris tells us the most exciting stories, one is about a ship called The Black Pearl. It's legendary for the amount of treasure it's stowed away and the fearsome Captain Barbossa.

I met Alexia on the street right outside of the prison. We are friends with the jailor here, his name is Risett. Most of the time he spends upstairs with a good tankard of ale and sometimes women company, but he treats the prisoners fairly and makes sure that they are given water and last rights. It isn't the most savory of places but it definitely never lacks for excitement.

"Did you hear about the pirate that they caught?" she asked me once she straightened her skirts and fixed her hair.

"No, I was helping with the accounts this morning. What about a pirate?"

""They caught him near the Turner house, he was supposedly just leaving from a visit of some sort.

"That's certainly interesting. Bet the Commodore loved that bit, a pirate right under his nose."

"William stood up for Jack, but I don't know what Norrington will do."

"Norrington better not hang any pirates. I still refuse to go to such barbaric events. Pirates are pirates, same as any blacksmith or merchant here. And it's William now is it?" I teased, I knew how much she liked the blacksmith. She wanted to apprentice with him, but once again parents intervened.

It's not our place to interrupt him, they think that we bother him. In actuality it's quite the opposite, he doesn't mind us asking questions so long as we're quiet when he's forging a sword. He says that it takes the utmost concentration or else the blade will rebel against the attention its receiving.

"He has a wife you know." She looked at me sideways, "And besides the fact he's happily married. Is that. . .?"

"Chris!" I called, I saw him riding through the street on the back of his black horse he named Rogue. It was a good name as only Chris could get her to behave properly, any other rider ended up looking up from the ground. He dismounted and patted the mare on the nose to calm her. All of these people were no doubt making her nervous.

"Good morning." He greeted us, "how long do you have today?"

"For as long as we want." Alexia replied, "Father's dismissed me for the day and gave me four shillings for the day." This was a ritual between us, he would always ask us how long we could stay outside, he understood our dilemma with parents who had too much power.

"Same for me. Janette convinced Aunt Syrac to let me go after I spilled the bottle of ink." I smiled mischievously, that had been one of my better plans.

"So I take it that you want to go and visit the renegade pirate, aye?" he led Rogue skillfully among the crowds and managed not to loose us either.

"Of course. And think, we have a whole day!" Alexia said, we reached the prison a few minutes later.

The familiar chipped wood door was slightly ajar and from the sounds of things Risett had long since been sleeping. We walked along the rows of cells, they were all empty save for one. Standing propped against the door was an honest true pirate. He wasn't dressed in rags like former prisoners either.

He wore a red bandanna across the upper part of his forehead and a tricorn hat over that. Beads, shells, bones, and other various trinkets were threaded into his long black hair. A rugged white shirt, brown vest, black pants, and boots weren't all either. A leather belt crossed his lean hips and looked as if it were designed to hold both pistol and sword. A white sash was tied around his waist as well as a bag of change.

"Are you going to stand and stare at me all day?" he tipped the hat back onto his head and gazed at us out of light brown eyes outlined in black.

"We'd much rather talk to you than stare." I said amazed at the color of his eyes. They were unlike any color I'd ever seen before, a dark gold with lighter brown on the inside. They looked a lot like cat eyes.

"Do you now. And what is it you'd be wanting to talk about?" he quirked an eyebrow in askance. "A far better question is whether or not you have anything to bargain with."

"Oh. you mean something mayhap like this?" I took out my father's rum flask. He never drank out of it, and if the stories were true than pirates treasure rum.

"That'd do it." He held out a hand cautiously as if he didn't quite trust us. I didn't blame him, he'd never seen us before. I handed him the flask but he looked over the rim at me suspiciously as he uncorked it. I met his gaze unflinchingly daring him to take a drink. He winked at me and raised the flask in a toast. Then he drank deeply and sighed contently.

"Where's your ship, Captain?" there was a humorous glint in Chris' blue-gray eyes. There was something he knew that we didn't.

"I remember you." The pirate said unexpectedly, "you were the lad with the horse. The one who distracted the Commodore while I made my escape."

"You did?" Alexia asked, "why didn't you tell us?"

"Do you want a drink?" he held out the rum, saving Chris from answering.

"There's only one, I have another in my saddlebags." He sat down on a bale of hay, but I stayed near the door of the cell.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"The introductions have not been made." He shifted positions so that he faced us squarely, "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."

"The Captain Jack Sparrow? Captain of the Black Pearl and one of the most cunning pirates in the Caribbean!" I asked, I could barely contain my excitement. This was Jack Sparrow!

"The one and only. And who might you be?" his eyes were alert and bright with amusement.

Katarina Lyrakos." I held out my hand and he reached through the bars and met me in a handshake. If he was surprised at the action he hid it well.

"Alexandria Chodace." She curtsied and Jack tipped his head in a slight bow.

"And I'm Chris Ronorak." The two men acknowledged the other,

"How were you caught?" Alexia asked, "Were you trying to gather goods or something, sack the town mayhap?"

"Sack towns?" he grinned showing a gold tooth, "No, there's nothing to be made from them. Now Singapore. . . that's a town worth every injury."

"Singapore?" Alexia asked.

"Aye, their army tried to attack us, we retaliated and escaped with a fortune in gold sovereigns."

"Wait, what happened between you and Barbossa?" I inquired.

"What happened between-" he asked astonished, "have you not heard the stories?"

"I have, but I want to know the truth." There were so many versions that it was hard to tell which were true.

"The it's best you hear it from someone else. I'm not trustworthy nor honest in the least."

"But who better to hear it from than you?" Alexia insisted.

"Listen, the honest always have a burden of guilt, that leads to misery, anger, hurt, than more guilt. It's a never ending circle of pain, savvy? I much prefer not being trusted so I can make my own path, savvy?"

"So you let the myths just grow into the impossible." Chris looked up from where he was sitting.

"A myth is ne'er impossible. Hard to believe o'course, but not impossible. Improbable maybe, but it can be done."

"What are you doin'ere ag'in? I warned ye off las' time too din't I?" Risett lumbered up the corridor leading three more prisoners.

"Yes, but life is so more interesting here." I pressed three shillings into his hand after they were locked in.

"I'll be watchin'. This was none of me doin' ye hear?" he stared at us to make his point clear, then went back upstairs to finish whatever he was drinking,

"Right fine guard he is." Jack scoffed.

"He says that every time we're here." I shrugged. "He does that just to clear his mind."

"Well kids, it's been interesting talking to you but. . ." he glanced over at the newcomers.

"Yes, thank you very much, Captain Sparrow." Alexia said, "I'll try and bring you more food later."

"No need. I'm to hang at midday tomorrow anyway." He didn't seem to concerned by that thought.

"You're what?" I exclaimed, there had been a few other hangings but those were true criminals. They had either committed murder, assault, or thievery of the worst sort. This man wasn't a criminal, he couldn't be.

"I'm a pirate, love. A lifetime of wickedness and depravity." his eyes darkened a little. "It's what the Commodore ordered."

As we left I realized I still knew nothing about what happened between he and Barbossa. Just as well as I didn't know what part the Turners had played in all of that. I was curious, they guarded the secret with their souls and no one knew. I was deadly interested in pirates, just as Chris and Alexia were, so it came to reason that I could learn even more from the Turners. Unfortunately they still hadn't said anything about it. I might have to go to a real pirate now to find out the truth.