Black Shadow picked up on piracy quickly. Earning herself a reputation and a new name, Wicked Wench. She liked it. And everyone in Nassau approved of it. Even Wicked King approved. "Makes you sound like a witch. And witches are terrifying! Your prey stands no chance." He praised. "Thank you King." She dipped her prow. "By all means, you deserve it, Wench." He purred, then paused. "That's gonna take some getting used to." "You can call me anything you like." She shrugged. He licked her. "My precious Pearl. How about that?" Wench smiled. "I like it." She purred. "All woman like Pearls." "Pearl it is. Wench to everyone else. Pearl to me." He smirked. "Your Pearl." She nuzzled him. He purred and returned the nuzzle. "You're lovely, Pearl. One of the most beautiful galleons I've ever seen." She snuggled into his flank, purring all the while. She loved him. She belonged with him, at his side. She knew that now. He purred, and slowly moved over to their berths. She followed without detaching from his flank. He suddenly turned and licked her face, laughing as he took off running. She growled and took off after him, and with her superior speed easily caught up. She launched herself at him, nipping at his flank and rolling him over. "Oh no!" He laughed, bronze trimming shining in the sun as she rolled him. She eyed the shine appreciatively. "Mmm, even more handsome beneath you are." "Oi, my face is up here." He laughed. "Shush!" She purred, climbing atop him she leaned down and kissed him hard. He purred, holding the kiss deep and passionately. She groaned, rubbing their keels together. She was in the prime of her youth, a female who was fully ready to mate. She loved him and she was his!

A year went by, then another, and then another. Before long, 5 years had passed since Wicked Wench had joined King's fleet. And in that time the two had grown so close that they were lovers now, and mated. King did everything he could for Wench and she did everything she could for him. With his strength and her speed, the pair made a deadly presence on the field of battle. They captured prizes at will, regardless of flag or nationality. Nassau thrived. More ships had joined their cause and the Kingdoms of the Old World were getting more scared by the day. The French and Porteguese had reworked their routes to avoid them. The British figured more escorts would suffice, which they didn't. But the Spanish... They were sending man o'wars to the Caribbean.

This fact was learned the hard way when Wench, six weeks pregnant and only just beginning to show, led a small task force on an intercept course for a convoy. They turned and ran for a nearby rock formation. "We've got them on the run." Morning Star smirked. "Sloops close in, Morning Star and I will flank them." Wench ordered and led the charge into the rocks. It was a trap, a well executed trap. But it was a good thing she'd split her fleet before hand because she and Morning Star ran headlong straight into a pair of fully armed man o wars.

Morning Star instantly turned around, firing at them mid turn before looking at Wench. "Run!" Wench had no argument. She didn't have the firepower to fight back. She immediately turned. "Let's get out of here!" She roared to the fleet. The sloops turned to follow, but only two made it out, as the rest were killed when the Spaniards unloaded full broadsides into them. Wench didn't escape unscathed, intercepting a strike meant for Morning Star who had become like a sister to her. The cannons opened her flank to the sea. She grit her teeth in pain and Morning Star hissed, turning to get between her and the Spanish warship. Wench nudged her fiercely. "Get going!" She growled. Though hampered by her wound, she still managed to keep pace with her fleet. "You're faster, get ahead and warn King! I'll be fine." "You better be." Wench growled. She pulled slightly ahead but didn't go too far. Staying within a length or two of Morning Star. "Go! I'll be okay." "No hero stuff, you got it?" Wench asked. She was terrified that the bigger and more heavily armed ship would use her size as a meatshield for the rest of her fleet. "I'm trying. Now get going!" Morning Star hissed.

Wench chuckled, turning to help one of the two schooners who had escaped the man o war's wrath. It was the same one that had introduced her to this way of life. "We really need to stop meeting like this." She said. "Stop searching for adventure and you'll have your wish." She grinned. "Bah! Now where's the fun in that?!" She laughed and moments later they heard a strange sound from Morning Star, a sort of signal whistle. The sloops quickly repeated the whistle leaving Wench confused. Morning Star called out to her. "Wench! See that hawk? Follow it!" She used her boom to point to the large bird as it flapped away in the distance. "And leave you behind? No way!" Wench answered, knowing she and the other two were faster. "I've lost too many good ships today because we split up." She got a towline on Morning Star, able to move them both at a faster clip. Morning Star growled. "JUST LISTEN TO ME GODDAMNIT! I KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON! FOLLOW THAT DAMNED HAWK, NOW!" Wench did. "Where's it going to lead us?" She asked. She was concerned about running into another patrol of warships. With the small fleet she had left, such a fight would be fatal for all of them. "The Reaper. Go!" Reaper, King's right hand man. Wench nodded. "Don't let those warships catch you. I've already lost enough ships for one day." "SHUT IT AND SAIL WENCH, BEFORE I UNLEASH A BROADSIDE ON YA!" Morning Star couldn't help but contain her smile at her joking tone, however did turn to also follow the hawk. Wench laughed, gave her a nuzzle and set off on the bird's tail.

The sloops ahead cheered as masts appeared over the horizon. Wench paused, turning around to scan the water behind them to make sure they weren't followed. Thankfully, no man o wars were in sight. Save for the two following Morning Star. She was leading them to Reaper. Reaper wasn't their ticket out. He was their reinforcements! "Now we can do some damage." Wench grinned, loving the power of the big guns! "How did you know he was here?" She asked Morning Star. "That hawk is his! He always sends it out when nearing his destinations! That call you heard, we trained the bird to repeat it to Reaper when it returns to him! A distress call!" She yelled, the distance between them growing as Wench pulled ahead. Wench slowed down a bit to allow her fleetmate to catch up. "Morning Star, that's brilliant!" She exclaimed. "FOR THE LAST TIME GET GOING! STOP SLOWING DOWN! THE QUICKER YOU GET HIS HELP THE QUICKER HE GETS HERE! GO!" "I hope you're good at dodging shells Morning Star." Wench warned moments before splashes erupted around them. The man o wars were catching up to her. Wench cursed. "Damn those bastards!" She snarled. "Just hurry! I'll... I'll be fine! Get Reaper!" Wench gave her one last look before turning tail and charging for him. She saw the hawk fly to the ships in the distance. After a few moments, she noticed them turn towards her, and deploy their studding sails. And they were big. It was hard to make out, but she saw a Fourth Rate leading them, with two frigates flanking him and a further four brigantines bringing up the rear of their force. Wench turned, a graceful arc that put her in formation beside the others. The Fourth Rate looked at her and smirked, a grim reaper figurehead on his bow, Reaper! Wench dipped her head. "Reaper, I presume?" She asked. "One in the same lass." The dark oak and bronze trimmed man o war nodded. "Thank you for coming."

Anything further was cut off as another round came in from the closing Spanish warships. "I'm gonna blow them clear to Hispaniola!" Wench snarled. "Fuck that. I'll send their sterns flying back to Spain." He growled, his double gun decks rolling out menacingly. Wench nodded approvingly. "They're all yours sir." She grinned. He fired his bow caronades, the large flaming cannonballs striking one of the man o wars chasing Morning Star. Said pirate was down by the stern and listing but she kept moving. The Spaniards turned their attention to Reaper. Wench used their covering fire to race back to Morning Star. She looked at her stern and muttered something in Spanish that called into question the warship's parentage. "Nothing too bad." The frigate panted, eyeing Wench and chuckling. Wench nuzzled her. "You're made of iron Morning Star." "Don't feel like it." She groaned. "Hang in there." Wench lead her off the battlefield in time to watch one Spaniard get blown to pieces and the other flee the scene.

The battle had been swift. Reaper had flanked one of the warships while his frigates flanked her other side and she was caught between. A crossfire from hell ensued. That was a trick Wench would remember! The other was chased off by the four brigs, two of which were fitted with submerged naval rams. "Would be handy to have one of those." She thought, keeping her attentions mainly on Morning Star. The frigate was hurt and taking on water, but she was alive. "Think you can make it back to Nassau?" Wench asked. "I'm old but I'm tough." Morning Star grinned up at Wench. "I'll make it, albeit slowly." She nodded, checking on the status of the rest of her fleet. With the threat of the Navy gone, they could all take a little respite. Many had been beaten up and shaken but such was the life of a pirate. However, there was no death. "We pulled that one straight from the teeth of Neptune." Reaper grinned. "You are insane! Awesome but insane!" Wench said. "I raid convoys off Madagascar, duh!" She shook her head. "Like I said, insane! Thanks for the help." She said. He nodded, shaking her ratlines with his own. "Of course. Anything for a distressing damsel. Rather err, damsel in distress! Either one..." She turned to see the beautiful sight of the Spanish frigate disappearing beneath the waves and the man o war fleeing over the horizon. "Pirates life!" She grinned.

She and her fleet limped into Nassau a week later. The worst of the damage had been repaired but for Wench, she could sense something was off. It wasn't anything serious, just a feeling within her belly. "You've returned!" King grinned happily, moving over to greet his friends and giving Wench a lick across the cheek. His mate purred, returning the lick with one of her own. "The Spanish are getting bolder and their new man o war is a brilliant strategist. If it wasn't for Morning Star's quick thinking, their would've been casualties." She gave her best friend a grateful glance. King frowned at the mention of the new Spanish warship but smiled at the praise Wench gave. "I'm glad you're all home and safe. Eat and rest up, you did well today." Wench gave the order for her fleet to disperse and leaned up against King, exhausted. "Is there a way to compensate another band of pirates because I owe Reaper a good one. Morning Star may've saved our sterns today but he bailed us out!" "Buy him a few ales, he's of exotic taste. The east has spoiled him!" King laughed. "Reaper is a good ship. He's my deputy for that reason." "I noticed." Wench said. "He has that, knight in shining armor quality about him. Just like someone else I know." She nudged him. He chuckled. "Reaper does indeed remind me of my younger self." Wench sighed, snuggling into his side as she settled down. "Where the Spanish got that man o war I really don't want to know. But we're gonna have to find a way to deal with her sooner or later." "Hmm. I could take her into the Devil's Backbone." Wench shivered despite herself. She loved King, truly she did. But she hadn't completely gotten over the loss of her father. The mere mention of the place was enough to put the cold knife of remembrance back into her heart. He sighed. "It is the best place to deal with enemies such as that. The fog and rocks are treacherous for those who know nothing of them." "You know I'll support you in this. But I wouldn't wish that death on even my own worst enemy." She shivered. She had no idea that a mere 300 miles away another ship was planning an assault that would kill the Spanish man o war but bring about an era of fear and terror for the pirates of the Caribbean that they had never seen before!