Hey! This is an official start-over of my first fanfic, Tale of a Cabin Girl; If you're reading this and have seen the old beginning for this, I promise you'll like this one much better. If this is your first time reading this series... Well, then, I hope you enjoy the show! :D

The sky was tinged pink as the sun was setting. The Red Midnight was docked in Port Regal Harbor, rocking gently on the wind, while the island's inhabitants wrapped up their business for the night. A short, squat figure made his way down the docks towards the large galleon, leading along a smaller, scrawnier figure. His clothing was slightly dirty or torn at places from a fight, and he was sporting a few bandages to show for it. He paused before the ship and called out. Then someone appeared over the railing.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in. Gaspard DeVole! Been a while since I' seen ye," said the dog. His fur was long and russet, streaked with pale gray, and he wore a bandanna and an ordinary cheap travel coat.

"Ahaha. I see what you did there, Oliver. You think you are so funny, no?" The hamster's voice was tinged with a heavy Valencian accent. His fur was blonde, more heavily streaked with gray from age, and he wore armor and kept his weapon ready as if he expected an attack at any moment. "Listen, I need to talk to Gale; it's important. Can you please get him?" The seriousness in his tone and facial features, usually absent when the two met, caught Oliver's attention. For him to act this serious... He nodded and hurried off to the lower deck to find his captain. There were footsteps as he returned with a casually dressed figure.

"Ho there! Captain 'Stormy' Nathan Gale, at your service," he said, with a dramatic flourish of his arm. "You called for me?" He had shaggy, curly brown hair and some degree of facial hair. Normally, he wore a brown-and-blue cloak as well as his trademark hat with jade beads, but he left these in his quarters today. He noticed the little girl, and raised an eyebrow. "Who's that with you?"

"She's the reason I came here." This piqued his interest.

"All right, then. Come on deck; if you need to talk to me, I'd like to do it face-to face." He gestured toward the gangplank. Gratefully, Gaspard trod up the walkway onto the Midnight with her.

"Grazie, amico," he said, reverting briefly to Valencian.

"All right, then, what brings you here? Actually, why aren't any of the others here as well?"

"Ah... How will I say this... You remember mi capitano, Linda, right?" he started, a bit hesitantly.

"'Course. Why, what's wrong?"

"She's dead," he stated bluntly. This shocked and alarmed Gale, and a few others that happened to be listening; they were good friends with Linda Everhart. "So are the others."

"But how?!" A rat crewmate asked.

"We were raiding a very small Armada fort. Very remote, and we were very careful. We didn't notice that one of out crewmates was planning something. Boris," he said darkly, "betrayed us. I do not know why. He was a traitor, and I do not know if he just turned or was that way from the start. He let them know we were coming. I only survived because I happened to be the one guarding the ship, and Kaitlyn was left on it with me."

"You mean her?" Oliver gestured to the young girl that Gaspard was with. He nodded.

"Go on; say hello," he said to Kaitlyn.

"Hi." She spoke, slightly nervous at all these new people.

She was wearing an oversize shirt, clearly meant for an adult, fastened with a belt so it more resembled a tunic, and breeches that reached past her knees. She was also wearing sandals. He noticed that her eyes were a deep green. However, the most unusual feature about her was that her hair was stark white. "Why does she look like that?"

"I changed her hair. It used to be brown, like her mother's, but she looked too much like her. I had to change it so no one would see the resemblance. I think I accidentally messed up though, because it turned white..." He trailed off, glancing at her hair. "My mistake." He grinned a bit sheepishly.

"And her mother would be...?" He asked, getting back on topic.

"Linda." Again, Gale raised an eyebrow. "Again, that's why I'm here. You owed Linda a favor; she saved your life not once, but twice. Now that she's dead, no one can take care of Kaitlyn. Can you look after her?"

Gale hesitated. This was completely unexpected; He could sink several ships, no problem. He hadn't the slightest inkling of how to take care of a child. She inched out from behind him, more curious about them than apprehensive.

"Answer this: Why can't you do it? How do we know you're not just pushing her off onto us?" asked a different crewmate, a
she-cat.

"The Armada is still after me. I know one place where I can disappear for a while, but I cannot take her with me. Also, I can't protect her myself; I can't even keep getting enough food for both of us. And if the Armada finds me..." He didn't finish, but they got the message. "At least take care of her until she can handle herself. She's five years old- old enough to help out around the ship, whatever you want her to do. Like a cabin boy."

"Girl," the she-cat corrected.

"Girl." The look in his eyes was desperate. "Per favore, can you do it?"

Gale said nothing for what seemed a long time; he stared at Kaitlyn, then he heaved a sigh. "All right, maybe. What do you guys think? You up to it?" By now, most of the small crew had come around and was listening in. Some nodded or said agreement, others simply shrugged; Gale owed a massive favor, and favors were one of the few absolutes in the pirate world. To break a favor was to be lower than sky-scum. As long as she respected her fellow crewmates-to-be and pulled her weight, they were fine with having another crewmate. "I suppose that's a yes." Assured, he knelt down closer to her level.

"One more thing," he added, addressing Kaitlyn now. "We're not gonna go easy on you; you have to do your part. Do you really think you can handle living with us?" he asked her. To his satisfaction, she drew herself up, her jaw set and determined, all previous apprehension gone now.

"'Course I can! I'm not a sissy!"

"And what if you can't?" She thought for a second.

"I'll find a way!" She looked at him directly, her eyes solid with determination. Searching them, he had no doubt left; she had a strong will too, especially for a five year-old. He was surprised at her composure, considering what she had been through the past couple weeks.

Good, he thought. She'll need both. He stood back up, rubbing his hands together. "All right. We'll take her." Gaspard grinned, showing his relief and satisfaction.

"Grazie, Gale. I wish I could stay longer, but I have to go." He roughly smacked his gloved hand on her shoulder. "Stay alive, alright?" She nodded; she cared about him, too, almost like an uncle. Gaspard was the last person she truly knew, and he was leaving too; It would be difficult for her to let him leave her here, but she knew he had to. After all, she wasn't stupid. Gaspard also exchanged a farewell with the crew of the Midnight, and promptly left. They watched him make his way down the dock and disappear into Port Regal. It was quiet again, save for the wind. Some time passed, they didn't know how much, before someone broke the tension.

"Well, Terry's not going to like this, taking in a five-year-old," Oliver said, nervously chuckling to himself. Terry Silvers was Gale's firstmate, a human.

"Eh, he never likes anything. This isn't the first time I've decided something without him," Gale replied, sensing the attempt to ease the mood and joining in. Terry could get to be really pessimistic, and often thought Gale's actions were wild, crazy, and 'unnecessary'. He beckoned her to follow him. "Come on, let's get you a hammock and introduce you to the rest of the crew."