Chapter One: Three years ago…

The waves of the sea heaved and sighed with a tempo that only the sea its self knew. The ship that rode upon each swell crashed through the white capped foam only to land again with the gentle heaving sigh of a great wave. Rain lashed at the figures moving about the ship, drenching them to the bone. Lightning scarred the sky for a brief second before it was followed by its thunderous brother.

Hoarse yells could barely be heard above the crashing of the sea and the roar of the sky. The ship sailed on; overcoming each toss the sea gave it. One loud cry broke free and all over the deck a fierce scramble was made in response to two words, "Man overboard!"

The man that had issued the call was lashing a rope about his middle; he prepared to jump for the small figure he had seen floating among the black water. A strong grip grabbed his upper arm and he turned to see his captain's face. "Sir! There'd be a wee lad down in the water!" the captain's stern face hardened even more so.

"He'll not be brought aboard! Are you barking mad Geoffrey!? Jumping in there to rescue him only to bring him to his death! Let the sea take him, rather then our swords!" Geoffrey shook his head and jerked free of his Captain's grip.

"I'll not let him drown! You may do as you wish once he's aboard!" He heaved his body over the rail and hit the ice water below with a splash. Above the Captain's black beard was freckled with sea spray his eyes set hard under heavy brows while his sopping hair whipped around his face.

He turned the remainder of his small crew. The men were tall, all in their late thirties with hard expressions. They stood solid against the heave of the sea and the lash of the rain. The Captain swung his lantern into the air and bellowed "We have naught but a couple more days till we reach a port and make berth! Until then keep it up!" There was an answering simultaneous cheer then the men quickly departed to their separate sections of the deck.

The Captain squinted against the foul weather watching the dark water below for any sign of Geoffrey. His oil lamp spluttered in the rain and lifting it above his head he peered more closely at the water, it was soon he saw the disjointed figure of two men. "You, Anders!" Immediately there was a man at his left. "Help me bring them aboard!" Anders nodded and reached down firmly grabbing the slick icy rope in his hands. "Ready…Heave!" The Captain and Anders pulled back against the weight of two men and the greedy sea.

Slowly but steadily Geoffrey's head appeared and he slung an arm over the rail, Anders immediately grabbed it and the Captain seized the load Geoffrey was dragging. Geoffrey fell to the deck gasping and spluttering for breath. Anders laid a firm hand against his back several times and soon he was on his feet, his eyes seeking out whom he had rescued.

The Captain was at the nearest mast's base he was just setting the limp figure of a young man against the strong wood. Geoffrey swayed his way over and knelt down next to his Captain. Anders hovered behind holding his lantern high allowing some glow upon the three faces below him.

"Well, I'll be damned. What in the hells was something young as him doin' out in the middle of the ocean?" The Captain shook his head grimly and gestured to the soaking figure before them.

"Well, it's no matter; he is as of now, your responsibility. When he wakes, give him the choice, if he refuses…" Anders looked up as a flash of lighting tore across the black and grey sky. Geoffrey nodded firmly, spitting out a mouthful of seawater as thunder boomed once again.

They both looked down at the pale body lying on the deck before them, in crested on the young man's upper arm was a twisted pattern of black ink. Geoffrey frowned, "the letters of the ancients…" his murmur was lost in the din of the storm as his mind struggled to remember what the symbols meant.

His Captain pulled at the cloth surrounding the marking he frowned then said loudly so as Anders and Geoffrey could hear "Ashayus! It says Ashayus! I have no idea what in the hells it means in the Letters, could be a name, could be anything! Remember what it says though, could very well be important!" The two men nodded and the Captain took one last glance at the marking before he stood.

"Anders! Come with me back to the quarters! We'll be taking another look at that map!" Anders nodded once then hastily hung his lantern above Geoffrey's head on the mast before he hurried into the darkness after his Captain.

Geoffrey turned his eyes upon the young man once again; he was young indeed, not yet past twenty. His skin was white and his lips tinged blue by the ice of the sea and rain. Geoffrey reached forwards and turned his limp body onto his back, he wore only tattered black clothing that stuck to his white skin. Geoffrey pushed back the long wavy locks of black hair that swam around his young face. Geoffrey ran a critical eye over him, he was young, thin, and he had an elegant face. But there was something odd about him that could not be identified simply by looking. Geoffrey sighed and pushed his own brown hair from his eyes before he once again picked up the boy.

He carried him below decks where the smell of tar and lamp oil was strong he ducked under snoring lumps in their hammocks as he made his way to his cot against the starboard wall of the ship. He gently laid the young man down and immediately threw a blanket over his soaked figure. He hung a lantern against the wall, the orange glow tinting his skin and hair.

"Poor lad, what on earth happen to ya? Couldn't have fallen in could ya? Must there be people looking for you…must be." Geoffrey's hand hadn't even made contact with the young man's forehead before he started awake.

Geoffrey leaned forwards as the young man sat up quickly coughing violently, his entire form shuddering with gasping breaths. "Easy there lad, you're alright. Aboard the ship Bounty you are. Take it easy, you right swallowed half the ocean I'm sure." The young man didn't spare more then a frightened glance at Geoffrey. His fingers were knotted into the tattered blanket his chest heaving.

His eyes were wide and panicked as he flung his head around to face Geoffrey fully "Where did you say I was?" Geoffrey frowned and licked his sea salt covered lips.

"Well, you're aboard the ship Bounty. You were drifting in the sea there lad, any idea how you got there?" The young man's eyes were still wide and he shook his head strings of black hair sticking to his white skin.

"Who….who am I?" His voice was a hoarse whisper and the second he spoke Geoffrey felt himself start to smile. It was perfect, if the lad didn't know who he was then there would be a far greater chance for him to survive.

"You don't remember your name?" The young man shook his head still shivering terribly; he pulled the tattered blanket closer. Geoffrey scratched at the stubble around his chin "well…perhaps you'd remember a parent, city…" the boy shook his head to each of these and Geoffrey opened his mouth to continue but a gruff voice interrupted his next set of words.

"He's awake, have you asked him?" Geoffrey turned on the rickety wooden stool to face his Captain. The Captain was smoking a thick cigar the rings of smoke coiling around his weathered face droplets of rain water still clung to his hair and thin beard.

"Nay, he has no memory of who he is." The Captain raised an eyebrow and walked closer, Geoffrey continued "Could have been a hit on the head, It might go away yet…" The Captain chewed his cigar for a moment before taking it out of his mouth and resting his hand on the hilt of a small sword.

He gave a meaningful look to Geoffrey before he drew his sword and pointed it directly at the young man. Geoffrey watched with a careful eye as the young man's body stiffened and he froze, he lifted his soaking head and stared directly at the Captain. "You have two options boy, you can fight with us or you can die here and now. We are the Shadow's; assassins, and if you refuse we'll have no option but to kill you. I suggest you choose wisely." The young man's dark eyes widened slightly and he opened his mouth as if to speak. Geoffrey stood up abruptly and crossed his arms glaring down his nose at the Captain.

The Captain, however, paid Geoffrey no heed. His eyes were only for the young man before him. He watched as the boy slowly swung his legs off the bed settling his bare feet against the cold wood he stood up to his full height facing the Captain. His expression was new; it was dark, painful and strong. "I don't' know who you are, I don't' know who I am. All I know is of the past few moments. I could be a poor farmer I could be a rich noble…and now I take the life of an assassin."

Outside thunder clapped again and the sea heaved its waves against the hull of the boat, the Captain's lantern swung gently and for a long moment no one spoke. The Captain and the young man were staring at each other unblinking. Geoffrey knew from experience that the Captain was trying to read the boy, see if he was lying, see what kind of a person he was. A moment later he grunted and looked away. "Clean him up, get him something to eat then explain this to him. I'll be on deck." Geoffrey watched at his Captain walked away.

He turned back to the young man who was still staring at the space where the Captain had just been. Geoffrey grinned and slapped him lightly on the back gaining his full attention. "Welcome to the Shadow's young lad…welcome."