The fiercly dark wood felt like silk under Cossette Delameur's small worn hands. She smiled at the drunk sailor and his friend pointing and shouting at their ship shrinking into the horizon. Cossette had not been born a thief. Her life began almost 23 years ago on a wealthy plantation. Her father was a merchant and in line for govenor.

Her mother had disappeared. She was swarmed immediatley with large dresses, hats, canes, gloves, ribbons, shoes, and laces of all kinds. She could remember the contentness of her heart at the age of 10. She was simply the most envied young girl in her small providence in St.Tropez, France. How naive she was. Her naivity came to a sudden halt on her 13th birthday.

Most of her life she had been cared for by her two maids. Her father had lovingly ignored her , and once again had succeeded to miss her birthday.

Not concerned Cossette played in the aray of gifts and flowers that she was showered in. She longed for the gift with her father's name attached. When none was found by the end of the day she sadly slipped into her night gown and fell into a light sleep.

Near dawn the whole house seemed to shake at the slamming of a door. Cossette jumped from bed and rushed to her father's room out of habit. There she found a pirate. Her first encounter but not her last. The pirate took one look at the girl in her curls and ribbons and snatched her. She let not a sound seep between her lips as she was carried onto the small but elegant ship.

Now ten years later she was succesfully sailing away on her very own ship. Captain at last! She breathed in the aroma of the sea. Her adoptive father, Captain Josam Hirash, had died only a few months ago. This stolen property would be named after him. The Hirash.

She smiled and felt her wearyness come over her. Cossette knew that a woman pirate, even in a perfect world, could not be captain of a ship. So she had trained herself in the art of acting like a man. Her name would simply be Captain Delameur. She tugged at the messy auburn hair under her hat. It was cut just above her jawline. Her unruly waves made it look worse than she had planned. But then again, a man wouldn't care!

She laughed out loud as she rounded the corner of Tortuga. She knew that if a ship had gone missing , the last place a pirate would look, is where it was taken from.

Cossette docked the large ship and headed into the messy town. Her eyes lit up when she saw the familiar orange ting of the candles outside the local tavern.

She pulled off her hat and swayed through the doors. The sudden stench of ale, rum and sweat filled her nostrils. Her grin spread into a full smile.

She sat down at the bar and ordered 5 pints of rum. The sullen pirate next to her ordered twice as many.

"D'you really need all that to quench your thirst?" She asked astonishingly.

"You have no clue about my thirst." He answered with a shake of his head.

"What might your troubles be then?" She continued turning towards him

"My ship, the thing took forever to finally come to be in MY name , and now, tis been stolen!" He replyed.

Cossette noticed that he had a strange but still more attractive silouette. The dim lights made it difficult to see.

"Shall we take a walk?" She asked, wanting to see if he was worth spending her first night as captain with.

He nodded, grabbed a pint and followed her out the door.

Cossette widened the tear in the front of her shirt a bit and situated her pants low on her hips...Just in case.

The strange but attractive pirate payed attention only to this woman's strange hair.

He had never seen a woman with such short hair!

"What happened to yer hair love?" he asked removing his hat.

"Cut it..to be inconspicuous and all." she replyed.

He nodded and removed his hat. In the moonlight Cossette was taken aback by this man's features. He was very exotic to say the least.

"What was the name of yer ship?" She asked trying to stop her knees from knocking together.

"The Black Pearl..." He said dreamily.

Her heart stopped for a moment.

"Well lovely talking to you...must be going." She shook the man's hand quickly and began walking away.

The man ran after her. "Wait luv whats yer name?"

"Delameur." She stopped and grinned.

"And you?" She asked.

"Sparrow...Captain Jack Spar..." He stopped and squinted into the distance.

"MY SHIP!!!!"