She stepped to the edge of the deck and breathed in the fresh salt air, letting her mind wander. The wind blew her light brown hair and ruffled the skirts of her weather-worn dress. Liadan stared off into the deep blue of the ocean. She spotted a town and steered her boat in that direction. Liadan had been a pirate for many years now. When she was just sixteen, her parents were condemned falsely on a voyage to Port Royal, the current town to which she was headed for. As she and her parents were sailing for the port, the ship carrying many wealthy people, her parents were accused of stealing a diamond necklace of one of the wealthier families. They did not budge on their accusation and searched through her parent's belongings, as well as her own.

Liadan knew her parents had done nothing wrong, for she was with them the entire time, leaving no room for them to pilfer the necklace. However, you will never find a boat of wealthy people without shady characters who stare longingly at their wealth and jewels. As the sailors checked their bags, the necklace fell out of one of her mom's belongings. No matter how her parents pleaded, they were condemned and hung on the ship. When the ship had arrived at Port Royal, Liadan was shown no mercy and was brought to the governor's mansion so they could decide her fate, taking into account that she was the child of "thieves".

Liadan stared at the town as she grew closer, feeling hate and resentment build up inside of her. For a moment fear swept her and she started turning the direction of the sails. She immediately stopped, however, angry at her sudden urge to flee and never return, and turned the course of her boat back for the docks. She fixed her intensely ice blue eyes on the governor's mansion.

When she overheard the governor talking to his wife, who is now dead, she heard the governor getting angrier by the second. She heard voices raise and a thump upstairs. Frightened for her own life, she quickly ran off the landing, turned the door handle, and started fleeing the governor's property. She heard angry shouts from the governor behind her, and the clanking of metal and the clashing of swords as guards were sent after her. She ran as fast as she could, and turned back to look at how many guards were following her. Just as she had turned, she ran into a boy of her own age. Words were exchanged and he brought her into this blacksmith shop and took care of her for a while.

A smile crept on Liadan's face, as she remembered the little boy. They grew up together for a while, but Liadan, having been an escapee taken refuge in his home, would not wander freely. She had to live in his cellar, stretching her legs every so often at night when she was sure no one was wandering about. After a while, she decided she had to leave. She was seventeen when she escaped onto a pirate ship attacking the city, fearless of any trouble the pirates might give her, for she longed to fit in and figured the "mishaps" as the people called them, would provide good company for her. She would go back and visit the boy often though, sharing stories and catching up on their lives. He became her long lost brother.

Liadan's grin disappeared as she got curious looks from merchants and traders nearby as she entered the port. The curious looks turned to fear, and the fear turned to resentment as they saw that she could not be more than a poor person or, as they all feared and hated, a pirate. Liadan of course harbored these people no ill will as long as they kept clear of her and let her go her own way. She figured it was their upbringing and she could forgive their ignorance. She smiled smugly to herself knowing that people would never change and would always look for someone of a higher status to envy. At least I don't spend my time doing that. My time is at least productive. She took up her sail and fastened her boat to the dock. Just as she stepped out she noticed an all too familiar boat docked in front of hers. A wide grin appeared, lighting up her face and turning many of those hateful looks into one of wonder.

"Ma'am, It'd be one shillin' to tie yer boat up there."

She turned to find herself looking down on a short, plump little man with crooked glasses resting on his nose. She stifled a laugh, for she was not tall herself, yet had too look down upon him. She wondered how many people he 'forgot' to ask out of sheer fear and intimidation. She opened her small coin pouch that was filled to the brim with coins. She handed him four shillings. "T-t-thank you ma'am. Can I ask of yer name?"

She smiled and silently shook her head. She kept walking and noticed all those looks of wonder turned to amazement, for her coin pouch was more full then theirs would ever be. She headed up the path, feeling her stomach knot nervously as the gravel crunched beneath her feet. It had been a little over a year since last seeing the boy, Will. As she walked up the steep incline of one of the hills, someone suddenly jumped out from a shadow of the houses and tackled her to the ground. She gasped but her shocked faced turned to a smile as she stared at Ferrin, her first friend at sea.

"Bet your surprised to see me, huh Liadan?" Ferrin said with a huge smirk.

"Not at all. You still have yet to realize that after all these years, I can recognize any ship, especially yours" Liadan laughed.

"Hah, well, let us get something to drink and catch up in a tavern 'round here eh?"

"No, I'm sorry Ferrin, but I have to settle some things of my own first. I will find you later though and we shall." Liadan smiled, hugged her friend, and headed back up the gravel pathway. She looked about the quaint little town, realizing how much has changed. Figures, with the governor still in control I'm surprised things haven't changed for the worse. The houses now had wooden roofs, instead of straw. She noticed that little to no people lived on the streets anymore. The last time she had been here there had been people all over the streets tugging on her dress begging her for scraps of food. She had also heard plenty of strangled calls ringing through the night as the roofs of houses shot up in flames from the torches of careless drunks. A lot can happen in a year I guess. I just hope Will hasn't changed for the worse when I see him.

Her thoughts abruptly stopped when she came to the ever familiar sign of the blacksmith's shop. She stepped on the ledge to the door. Nervously, she knocked, then turned the handle and stepped in.