The wind softly breezed through the cracks in the wall, echoing off the walls in the cavernous room and rattling the shackles that rested against them. It was the only sound to be heard, save for the breathing of the sole occupant of the room.

She didn't move, not that she could have if she wanted to. She was chained to the wall, calmly sitting there watching as the first rays of the sun began to peak in through the cracks illuminating the dust that hung in the air. To her the setting was almost tranquil, she was ready for whatever was to come next.

With a soft sigh she leaned her head back letting it rest against the cool stone wall, closing her eyes and enjoying the moment.

Her momentary reprieve was shattered when she heard a booming voice echo down the halls.

"Is the prisoner ready for transport yet?"

"Not yet sir."

"Why the hell not! The hanging is scheduled for dawn, dawn is already here, and yet the prisoner still lives. Why is she not at the scaffold yet?"

"Uh-u-u-um..."

"Well? Spit it out man! Why?"

"Because I asked him to give me 5 minutes to make my peace with god." I called to the voices down the corridor.

"Hah! Make your peace with god? A likely story. Why the sudden interest in god? Want to 'save your soul'? Getting a little bit worried about the special place in hell that has certainly been saved for you? Well, I can tell you this, your soul is far too black to be saved, I doubt even the scalding flames of hell that await you can purge your soul of its uncleanliness. Now then, you-" he barked at the man with him, "grab her and bring her up to the scaffold. Your reign of terror ends here girlie. Are you afraid of what awaits you, is this why you have decided to 'make your peace with god'?"

"Death is just the beginning, I fear nothing." I replied.

Footsteps steadily grew louder until the two of them were standing just outside my cell, I slowly lifted my head, in the dim light I could see the two of them, there was the shorter, squat man with the beard who had left me in my cell at my request of time for penance, and there, standing beside him, looking as though Christmas had come early was the tall skinny man with the rat face that was to read out my charges and condemn me on this fine autumn morning. The short one reached into his pocket, I heard the telltale jingle of the keys followed by the sounds of a key scraping against a lock. My cell clicked open and I heard the squeaking of the door as my cell was opened.

More footsteps, I was now being unchained from the wall and being pulled to my feet. I lifted my head high and stared, emotionless in front of me as I was lead down the long and winding corridor to my death. I could begin to see the light of day as we reached the end of the corridor, we stopped momentarily as the door was opened and I had to shield my eyes as they had not been subjected to the full glare of the sun in many months. Before my eyes could adjust I was being pulled along again. And, for all my posturing a growing sense of terror was beginning to mount, what if it wasn't a short hanging? What if it was a long hanging? Or worse, being hung, drawn and quartered. Perhaps that was why the tall man seemed so pleased, was I going to meet a gruesome and painful end? I shuddered, an action which, unfortunately did not go unnoticed.

"Not so brave now are we? For all you pretend you're really just a scared girl who is going to die here, and now. It's rather sad really, you were so feared and now you're nothing, you're nobody and you know what, nobody will care when you die. You are one of many pathetic little pirates prowling around in your little ships, thinking that you're invincible. I guess your death will serve as a lesson to all the others out there, none of you will escape this fate, you will all be hunted to the ends of the earth and eradicated." the tall man said.

I chose not to dignify his remark with a response, I was too busy trying to hold my head high amidst all the cheering, and jeering of the crowd below. They were here to see a show, and I was the main event. I was almost certain that if the tall man had any say in it that they would get one. Lost in my thoughts I was suddenly jerked back to reality when we stopped.

We were standing in the middle of the execution scaffold that had been hastily erected after word of my capture had gotten out. I managed a brief look out into the crowd, I don't know what I expected to see, but my survey was cut off before it could begin when the executioner placed a black bag over my head, and with that I was blind. I felt the noose slip over my head and then felt it tighten around my neck. It felt like a weight, pressing down on me, keeping me in place.

A voice suddenly cut through the sounds of the crowd, loud and authoritative I knew the time had come."The charges against the accused are as follows, that the accused did knowingly commit acts of treason, piracy and hearsay. The accused, Anastasia Grey has been found guilty, of all charges and is sentenced to hang by the neck until dead." the tall man read out.

I could hear the footsteps of the executioner behind me, the creaking of the boards, the laughing of the crowd, the crying; wait who was crying, I couldn't see any faces, but I assumed it must have been my crew, I wish they wouldn't have came, they don't need to be here. Then I was, once again jerked back into reality when I felt the floor beneath my feet disappear, and a moment I was weightless, and then the rope pulled taunt, I was in for a long hanging.

The rope cut into my throat, I tried not to thrash, but I couldn't help it, I jerked on the rope, desperate for air. I felt tears prick at my eyes, I was afraid, I needed air, badly. As it became harder to breathe I became more and more desperate, I thrashed harder, and harder. Gradually the sounds of the crowd faded out and my vision became blurred, I could not see anything, and then after what seemed like an eternity, there was nothing.

"Hey, d'you think she's okay?"

"I dunno she looks a bit pale."

"I don't think she has a pulse." Murmuring.

"So then, d'you reckon she's dead?"

"Hey look! She's moving"

"Wha-? No way, I swear she didn't have a pulse"

I felt someone's hand on my neck, "Well she's got one now."

"Someone go get the captain, or one of the commanders, I'm sure they'll know what to do."

"What do you mean?"

"Well y'know, like if we toss her overboard, or do we help her, y'know, something like that."

"Okay, I'll go get the captain."

I managed to open my eyes. Finally! And what I saw surprised me, there were a bunch of worried looking guys looking at me.

"Hey, she's opened her eyes." one of them called. A bunch of faces pressed in near me, and I, promptly, blacked out.

I felt myself slide back into consciousness, and I once again slowly opened my eyes. I began to look around at where I was, it appeared to be some sort of ship or something, which comforted me somewhat, I always felt safe on ships.

"Well, looks like sleeping beauty has finally woken up." a voice to my left said.

I quickly turned my head, too quickly, it appeared, as my vision began to blur, all I could make out was a mess of blond hair and a tattoo of a cross with a sideways crescent moon on it on the man's chest, before I promptly blacked out... Again.