Chapter 1

I awoke to the feeling of a soggy floor. My dark brown hair sprawled around me as I raised my head a bit. My light green eyes scanned the room, searching for a way out. All I saw was dark brown wooden walls and one metal bars with a door. I knew I was in a cell. Where was I? Where was mum and papa? Were they okay?

I grew terrified as I remembered last night and the memories started to fly back.

I heard mum and papa fighting. I heard a crash of something. As I crept around the corner and scanned the room, what I saw shocked me. Mum was being held by three pirates and only one was holding papa. I was confused. I saw mum shake her head at me and mouth 'hide'. I turned around , but felt someone grab me by my collar. She dragged me into the living room and threw me easily to the floor by her crew mates' feet.

"No quarter to the landlubbers," A tall man chuckled. He had grey hair that was short for a pirate and a small beard. His face was cold and full of small scars. He had dark grey eyes that were full of hatred, He wore a white tunic that had stains of red on them and black beeches, over his tunic and beeches was a black trench coat decorated with buckles and straps.

I saw the man who held my father quickly swipe the blade across his throat and I wtched the man who I thought was so strong fall to the ground limp and lifeless. I screamed out to my father. I tried to stand, but I felt frozen and couldn't move.

That's when a blonde female pirate, the one that grabbed me, with a tattoo of the Jolly Roger on her shoulder blade, hit mother across the face with her blade end. It swiftly knocked her out. "Poor little Swift Blade," she said in a high voice. He green eyes shined with excitement. She kicked mother to the side and turn on me. "Who kills the scallywag, Captain?"

"I will," The grey haired man smirked. He must be the captain I thought. The man lifted me by my hair as he raised the blade to her neck and smiled, "Good bye, Miss Maria."

"H-h-h-hoow do you k-know m-me," I stumbled over my words. So this was planned and not just a random attack. Did mum or papa cross them? No never. They were raised in this land.

"Aye, so your mother never told you, did she, wench," He growled. He slowly trailed the blade across her neck, barely cutting her. I felt a small trickle of blood pour from my throat. I gulped. No mum ever spoke to any pirate. I was about to ask how he knew mum, but was interrupted.

"Say no more, Captain Grey!" A female pirate growled as she held the blade to his throat behind. She had smooth long thick red hair. Her left ear had three small loops in her left cartilage. She wore a black dress with red trimming and ribbon around her waist. The bottom went to her knees and was torn. Her eyes were the color of dark chocolate. She one long scar on her face. It started from the tip of her upper lip all the way down to her neck.

"Well, ain't we a tad out of place?" Captain Grey smirked. As he let go of me, I dropped to the floor. I crawled away from the two groups of pirates. I backed into my papa. I turned around and tried to check for a pulse. He was as still as the dead. I felt the tear drop out of my eyes and drop onto my papa's cheek.

"Aye, so be you," The women growled. "Leave or else ye will die here and not at the seas, like a true pirate!"

"Not till the wench dies," He snarled.

"I'll take care of the rapscallion," She sneered and let loose of Captain Grey. The man turned around and backed away from the women and into his crew. "Take ye men and go, before me take some action and we both spill the blood of mateys!" As she spoke her crewmates filled the room and stood by the female pirate.

"Beware, by the time I'm through you be at Davy Jones locker Fire!" Captain Grey shouted. He turned and left with his crew trailing afterward.

Fire looked the girl. "Freya, carry the scallywag to the brig. We give her quarters for now."

As the command was called out a woman with long blonde hair that was braided down her back came over. She was well built for a pirate and looked completely different from the rest. She wore the breeches and tunics as all the other pirates, but you could easily detect the muscles under her tunic. Before I could object something hit me in the head and darkness consumed me.

I gasped as I shoved myself off the ground. This was it. I was going to die in this cell away from my home and family. Oh Papa, I miss you and Mama, I hope you were left alive. I slowly crawled to a corner of the cell and began to weep. I pulled my knees up and placed my pale arms on top on my knees, but I soon pull away. I look down at my grown and saw red blood stains. I knew instantly who it was. My hands as well were covered in my papa's blood.

I heard the sound of footsteps. I screeched. I knew the pirates were coming to torture me to my death. They were going to make it a cruel death, because pirates were never know to be caring. I look around for a rock or pole to defend myself. I saw nothing, but a rusted nail. I lunge for it. I quickly pick it up. I stand ready for whoever comes through those stairs and into the holding cells.

"Oi, ye are awake," A boyish voice called out. I saw a boy no older than 18 staring at me. He had shoulder length black hair and his right eye was crystal- blue and the other was a foggy blue color, it was clearly blind. Over his left eyes was a deep scar. He had a few smaller cuts on his shoulder. He was taller than me and more well-built then me. He had a tattoo on his right wrist. It was a design of swirls that connected at a blade that reached to his forearm. He wore black breeches that were torn up and cut up a bit. His top was a white tunic with no sleeves and over the tunic was a black vest. The vest held multiple blade, all different size and shape.

"W-w-ho are y-you?" I asked the boy. I pushed myself up into a sitting position. I put the nail between to fingers, so if I can land one punch the nail will pierce the skin. I glared at the bo with such anger. I did not trust him or any of them. I clenched my jaw.

"The crew calls me Blade," Blade said. The, he noticed the nail and gave a small smirk. He clearly did not think I was a threat. That just angered me even more then I already was. "Do not fret me won't harm ye, nor will the crew. We rescue ye from Captain Grey's crew."

"Why?" I asked my voice laced with suspicion. I watched the boy as he came more forward and unlocked the door to my cell. He held it wide open for me to come out. I looked at him carefully before walking out. I quickly whipped around to throw a punch at the young pirate. Blade grabbed my arm and flipped me onto my back. I gasped as he reached down and ripped the nail from my hand. Then, leaned down to my ear.

"Do not try it again or me will have to kill ya," Blade growled. "Most of most of us do not like tryin' to be hurt when we saved ye!"

"And I don't like bei-," I was cut off, by an elderly small lady. She had long brown hair. She wore black tunic and breechs, with a white vest on top. She had a mossy green color to her eyes that were friendly and warm. She carried a tray with bread and one small slice of an orange on it.

She cocked an eyebrow at us. "Something goin' on here?"

"No, just warnin' this lass about attacking us," Blade said as he rose up. He pulled me up as well. He showed the nail to the elderly lady. "Someone found a nail."

The elderly women shrugged as of not really caring. "Well of course she be attackin' ye. Ye all big and scary, plus ye got all those blades. The poor girl is terrified."

Blade rolled his eyes before smiling at her. He let go of me gently. "Sorry, if I hurt ye."

"Captain told me to make sure ye had food," She gave a small smile; she has an Irish accent to it. "I'm Irish Cutlass. Ye have no need to fear me. Me be harmless to ye, but what be ye name, girl?"

"I'm Annie Maria," I whispered. I was slowly calming down, but I was still overwhelming.

"Nice to meet ye," Irish Cutlass smiled. She turned to look at Blade. "Captain said to give the young miss a tour of our ship. Ye be a Cabin Girl, till we know what to do with ye."

"Wait! I don't want to stay here. I want mum and pa!" I cried.

"Ye pa got blown over by Silver. She was the blonde trying to kill ye," Irish Cutlass said, "And ye mum has ran. She bein' hunted down and will be until she to be blown over."

"Blown over?" I asked slowly.

"Killed," Blade said.

I let a huge sob loose. "Why?"

"Ain't my place nor his to tell ye. Captain Wolfbane said ye will be treated as a matey, but it ain't our tale to tell ya," With that Irish Cutlass left.

"Well eat up," Blade said. "Ye need ye strength. Gonna be a tough day for ye."

"I want to go home," I sobbed.

"Sorry, but ye ain't goin' to ye old home ever again, Annie," Blade said softly.

I slowly picked at the bread. I ignored the orange slice. I didn't want it. I still had tears pouring out of my forest-green eyes and splashing against my cheek..

"Eat the orange, it prevents sickness. Eat it," Blade forced me to eat the slice.

"I want to get sick and die, and then I'd be with papa!" I cried.

"Oh, Annie, I know ye be goin' through this, but ye got to move on. Stop dwellin' or ye gonna become a burden," Blade said. "I ain't gonna let ye die."

I turned away from him. I admit I was mad at how he basically told me to get over it. I mean my life just changed. I have no home! My papa was murdered by other pirates and mum hid something big from me. I looked back at him. How'd he end up on a ship like this?

"How'd you end up on this ship?" I asked Blade.

"Oh, me was born on this ship called Mask Night," Blade said. "Mum and pa were pirates. Mum raised me on Night Mask, pa was never in the picture. Ma said he was not worth our time. She ran away from him. So it was always ma and me. We were happy. Then, when me was about 13 the ship got attacked by Captain Grey crew. It was misty that day. We did not have a chance. Me saw my own ma get stabbed by Captain Grey. I remember the anger towards him, but me was frozen in place. Were glared at each other, then e smirked. He started walkin' toward me. Me think he was gonn kill me. Then me got hit in the face with Small Step sword. She was tiny, but fierce. Me was cornered and she jabbed me in the stomach and set me crashing into to the ocean. I remember Captain Grey shouting at Small Step. Me cannot swim so me now this was it. Me death was here at such a young age. Then, me remember hearing a farther off splash. It was Jade, the first mate of this ship. She carried me back to a dingy. They patched me up the best they could while we here hiding in the mist. We wait for any of my other mates, they found none. Jade and Freya went and checked after Captain Grey left. So they helped us and took us in. They be me mateys now. "

"Why would you want to stay here after that," I asked curious. "If I was nearly murdered by him and had the chance to escape I would, without a doubt. I would run and hide."

"Me be born to this way and me like it," Blade said, "It's a pirate life for me and now ye too, Annie. Plus runnin' make ye weak and stupid."

I slowly nodded. "Then, let get this tour over with."

"Me really think you will like it here. Ye will fit in me think," Blade said as he stood and offered me his hand.

I grasped it and let him pull me up. "I don't think so, Blade."

He just smiled as he dropped my hand and led me up the stairs to the hull. The first thing I noticed was everyone was sleeping on make-shift cots or poorly woven rope hammocks.

"This be the quarters. We ll sleep here, beside Captain," Blade said. "Ye will stay here instead of the brig."

"That's nice to know, won't be stuck in a cell," I muttered. I followed as we went up another set of stairs.

Blade let out a small chuckle as he opened a door at the top of the steps, which lead to the deck.

"Welcome to the Shadow Maiden," Blade said as he gently pushed me out of hiding and onto the deck for all eyes to be locked on me.

I let out a small gasp.