Today was a nice day, surprisingly, since London was usually gloomy and rainy, not much in the favor of the sun's rays heating the cold cobblestone I walked on. I heard that a pirate was in need of a crew destined to beat the Spaniards to the Fountain of Youth and, despite my parent's knowledge, today was the day I would leave home, never to return to this cold, rainy, overly mannered continent called England. My name is Lady Dominique Alice Evendon, I am the daughter of a lord in the northern part of London, and I am seventeen years old. My mother died giving birth to my littlest sister, Claire, who had lived to be a few months old until she died of a harsh fever. I am the eldest child, but since I am taking my leave to become a pirate my brother, Staphen, will be the eldest now and have to look over our three other siblings.
I walked along the main street to a tavern called Captain's Daughter, the best place to find a pirate in need of extra crew members and card games that were used in gambling away almost everything you had. I had stolen a pair of my brother's black leather pants, a hat that could be mistaken for a pirate's, a loose white shirt that I had checked to conceal my ample bosom, a black waist coat with a cape like tail, and brown leathered boots that were a little worn out from horseback riding in the countryside. I had rubbed a smudge of dirt on my cheeks to make it look like I was a young man that works hard and not a young woman, I hoped my outfit would fool the pirate if I was to become part of his crew.
As I neared the tavern I could see men outside the tavern, lying around in front of the tavern like the drunken bastards they were, snoring loudly, no one bothering to wake them up. I stepped over one and walked into the tavern, straight up to the bar tender behind the bar.
I tapped on the bar's table surface lightly, "where may I find a pirate in need of a crew around here?" I asked, making my voice sound deep like a young man's voice would.
The bartender turned and looked at me, holding a mug in his hand, "his name is Captain Jack Sparrow, if you haven't heard of him you'll find him near the back" the bartender informed me, surveying me with his eyes, debating if I was a young man or woman.
"Thank you" I thanked the bartender quickly and walked towards the back, feeling the bartender's eyes on my back for a few seconds after I had ended the conversation. It felt different feeling his eyes on my back, never getting that attention of suspicion before.
I looked around the back of the tavern, finding one lone man sitting at a table with his head resting on his arm, almost looking as if he were asleep. I walked over to his table slowly, looking at him curiously.
"Are you Captain Jack Sparrow?" I asked, leaning back in my chair, making my voice sound deep again.
The sleeping man, or not sleeping at all, lifted his head to take a gander at me. "Aye, that would be me" Jack confirmed, his voice between a mixture of a singing canary and the low rumble of the sea. Something in my head clicked, his voice not matching his name more than my "male" voice matched mine.
"Thomas Paisley, I heard you were in need of a crew and came to the tavern to see what adventure you were taking on the sea" I said, introducing myself, holding my hand out to shake his.
"Aye that I am, I be heading to the Fountain of Youth, how old are you Thomas?" Jack asked, his dark chocolate brown eyes looking into mine as he shook my hand.
"I am seventeen years old, I ran away from home to become a pirate and wander the seas for my life" I added, smiling at Jack.
"What would you prefer to do as a crew member aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge?" Jack asked, letting go of my hand and pulling out a slip of paper with a feather pen.
"I am a great navigator and I am very well on the ropes…wait, you said the Queen Anne's Revenge, yes?" I asked, shocked to hear Blackbeard's ship in that sentence.
Jack looked at me with a promising look, "aye mate, the Queen Anne's Revenge, why do you ask?".
"The Queen Anne's Revenge is Blackbeard's ship, am I not mistaken?" I asked, looking Jack in the eyes, something about those eyes made me think Jack wasn't a he, but a she.
"Yes, and?" Jack asked, unfolding the paper in front of me and handing me the feather pen, his tone getting rather annoyed.
"No "and" at all, I've heard stories about Blackbeard, I wanted to make sure I heard the name of his ship right" I lied, signing my "name" on the parchment paper.
"Alright then, it was nice meeting you Thomas and welcome aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge" Jack rolled the parchment paper up and slid it into his waistcoat's pocket.
"Nice meeting you too Captain, see you on board tomorrow" I said as I stood up, nodding my head before taking my leave and heading to the docks, looking for the Queen Anne's Revenge somewhere anchored in the port.