Mary Anne stared skeptical at the door in front of her. She hardly believed this was the right place, but her guide, a little black boy, pointed firmly at the door of the pub. He seemed quite sure, so she turned the handle and walked calmly in. The worst that could happen, was that he was not here.

A strong smell of fire, gunpowder and rum hit her as soon as she was inside. The door behind her shut loudly, making every head in there turn towards her. Unable to move she just stood still and stared wide-eyed back at them until they lost interest and turned away again. A large, bearded man stood in the bar and handed out drinks in every direction while singing loudly and very out of tune. Mary Anne hesitated a little before she walked towards him, trying to look as comfortable as possible. "I am looking for Captain Jack Sparrow." She said in a clear steady voice. The barman stopped singing at once and examined her instead. "An' why's that?" Nervously she met her gaze and tried not to blink. "That is my business, thank you." He started laughing, and the men around the bar who had been listening started laughing too. "'aven't seen him in months, but you're welcome to wait fo' 'im." Mary Anne hesitated again before she nodded. "How much do I have to pay for the night then?" The men looked shocked at her. Of course they never expected a girl like Mary Anne to stay at a place like that, but she needed to hide, and the pub seemed like the best option at the time.

That night she sat down by a table inmost a corner. She was alone, and wearing an old, dirty dress in an attempt to blend in. She ate slowly while watching the surroundings. It was not much to see, only men at all ages drinking, talking and some were even fighting. It was not until she was finished with her supper, that something interesting happened. A young, handsome man entered and went straight to the bar. He talked with lowered voice to the same barman she had spoken with, before the barman suddenly pointed in her direction, saying something she could not hear. A little while later the handsome man stood by her table with two glasses of beer.

"You're looking for Sparrow?" Mary Anne looked suspicious up at him before she crossed her arms. "That is none of you concerned." Handsome he was, but his manners were nowhere to be seen. He was way to straight forward, and would not even present himself before he started talking. "Yes, it is." He sat down and smiled charmingly at her. Apparently he knew how handsome he was, and tried to use it to his advantage. Unfortunately for him, Mary Anne was used to that kind of behavior. She knew how to handle it. "No, you may not sit down; I would like to be alone. I don't want company in my search. So, go somewhere else, and take that cheap beer with you." She startled him, without doubt and he got up rather fast, but the man had another card up in his sleeve. "Not even if I told you that I know where Captain Sparrow is?" Suddenly Mary Anne showed a little interest. "Did you not just ask the barman where Sparrow is?" He shook his head. "No, I asked if there were anyone else in this bar with the same mission." "You are lying." He sat down again, with the charming smile once more over his light red lips. "I would never lie to a pretty lady like yourself." For a second she stared scared at him. Could he see it? Had he recognize her? But then she saw his expression. He did not know. He was only joking.

Mary Anne decided to let him join her. Besides, she was no longer supposed to care about the company she kept. If she was going to join Sparrow and his lot, she could just as well start with the young man. That way, the change would not be so large. "Why do you seek Jack Sparrow?" she asked and looked at him over the glass of beer. After long hesitation, she decided to accept it. At least it was not rum. He smiled casually back and drank a lot before answering. "I don't really seek Sparrow, but I think he knows where my father is." A quite common story: a young lad looking for his father at sea. She told him this and he laughed shortly. "Yes, that's true. My father actually did the same thing." When I asked him if he found his father, he shrugged. Apparently he did not know. "What do you know about him?" His smile widened and became really pretty without all the charm. "I met him once, and he's a pirate. My mum used to tell amazing stories about their adventures, but I don't she can tell the difference between stories and reality anymore. She keeps telling about a giant octopus and a Goddess named Calypso." Mary Anne smiled absentminded. She had read all the stories about Calypso and the Kraken, but none of them were true of course. She could tell that even as a little girl.

They talked like that until past midnight, but then Mary Anne stood up. "I need to go to bed, or I am afraid you have to carry me upstairs." His charming smile was there at once. "I don't mind dragging you up the stairs." She rolled her eyes. "Pirate.", his smile only widened and he stood when she left the table and went to her room. The first sign of manners he had showed all evening.