Chapter 1 - Then I'm going with you.

"Evermore he slumbers, tossing not, nor turning, Endymion the-Father, are you asleep again?"

The significantly older man jerked to attention, and chuckled. Reading old Greek stories held less luster than they used to.

"It would seem, my dear, that I am not as young as I once was." He said, sitting up. The young woman who had been reading smiled almost sadly. It was true; her father was getting up in years. Someday, he would not be there any longer, and she could not bear the thought of that. Her father stood as the door opened, and an older woman entered, smiling.

"My dear husband, did you fall asleep during our daughter's story again?" She made a 'tsk' noise and shook her head. "Nathaniel, I don't understand why you ask her to read if you're only going to fall asleep. Isn't that right, He-" But their daughter had already set the book down and gone down the stairs to the front door. Taking a parasol in her hand and tucking a fan away in her coin purse, she called to her parents,

"Mother, father, I'm going out for a bit!" And before they could stop her, she was out the door.

Stepping out into the sunlight, she opened her parasol and made her way down towards the port city. She just wanted a bit of fresh air, and to go down into the Port. Of course, the port harbor was a completely different story. She would avoid it at all costs. There were all sorts of awful people there…Lecherous sailors, drunkards, and the occasional pirate. Oh no, that was no place for her, and she had no desire to be there anyways. Helena Craven was afraid of the sea and usually anyone associated with it.

As she strolled through the Port streets, she passed many different shops and workplaces, like the butcher's. The butcher's son, Richard, was a rather handsome young man, and she suddenly thought of him when she passed.

Helena herself wasn't hard on the eyes either. Standing at about five feet and six inches tall, she was one of the taller women in Port Royal. Her wavy blonde hair was usually curled and put up, but when down, it fell to nearly her waist. She had bright green eyes, and was rather pale, mostly from being kept in. Before her family had made passage to Port Royal, when she was sixteen, she was mostly kept inside. Now she was free to go outside, which was a privilege she exercised regularly. She was beginning to get a tan, but it was still a work in progress. She wasn't married now, even at twenty-one, but had had a few suitors. She'd turned them down due to lack of intellect, or lack of …well…what she wanted was someone different. Someone who wasn't just a run-of-the mill noble. But if it got any later in her life, she knew she would have to settle for someone, even if just to please her parents, or be taken care of. Marriage in this day and age was usually for money, or because of previous arrangements. Not usually for love. Love was a privilege for the few who experienced it, and could be wiped out. But she tended not to think about that, and thought about helping her parents. Even with the servants, her father wanted her to read to him, her mother to have her go into town with her…the just little things to ensure that she spent time with them. She didn't mind…what, with her brother having fallen out of their lives…

Her brother, Crispin Craven, had disappeared at sea five years ago, just after the crossing from England. Helena had locked herself in her room for days when that had happened; she'd always been close to Crispin, and him basically dying was nothing for her to take for granted. But when no word had been heard of him for at least a year, she truly began to despair. This was mainly her cause of caution towards the sea.

But today, as she roamed the streets, she wasn't exactly paying attention to where she was going, and bumped smack into someone, stumbling back, she dropped her parasol, and nearly fell, but the stranger caught her, and with a chuckle set her up right. It was then she realized that she was near the docks, and that this person, well, man, could be anyone, of any profession. She backed up away from him, picking up her parasol quickly, and finally looked up at him. To those who knew him, he was Captain Jack Sparrow. To Helena, he was a very odd-looking, dirty, and frightening man.

"Ought to watch where you're going, love. It's not very nice to bump into people like that." Her eyes widened as he spoke, and she could see his gold and silver tooth fillings. He surely must be a pirate, she realized, and began to back away as he looked at her oddly, when her friend, Susanna, came to her rescue.

"Helena! There you are, dear!" She called, holding her skirts and running up to her as fast as her dress would allow.

"Susanna!" Helena smiled gratefully, and the man turned on his heel and swaggered away. "Oh Susanna, thank goodness!" She whispered urgently, watching him walk off in a very odd manner.

"Why, Helena, whatever is the matter?" Susanna asked quietly, smiling at Helena and looking in the same direction she was. "Oh my, who's that?" She asked, giggling. "He certainly doesn't look like a suitor…" Helena looked appalled.

"He's certainly not a suitor of mine…" She replied, looking over at Susanna and back at him again. "Susanna…oh Susanna, I think he was a pirate!" nearly cried. Susanna looked thoughtful.

"Well…he looked rather handsome to me…" Helena again looked shocked.

"How can you say that! He was so oddly dressed…and so dirty….I could even see gold and silver teeth!"

"Well….he still didn't look all that bad…Besides, not all of us are scared of pirates…" Susanna giggled. Susanna was Helena's dearest friend, and stood nearly as tall as Helena, but had shorter, much darker brown hair. Her eyes were dark, too, but her complexion was nearly the same as Helena's. But much unlike Helena, Susanna was more vocal with her opinions, and much less cowardly. Susanna wasn't afraid of pirates and sailors. Susanna could walk near the docks and feel perfectly at ease. Susanna also felt much more at ease around men than Helena. Helena, however, liked being in company of Susanna, because she was a good friend, and very loyal.

The two walked around for quite a while that day, until it was nearly dusk. But at that time, Susanna took them by the docks, to see if Helena's fear might lift even slightly if she saw that it wasn't all that bad here. It wasn't exactly working so far, but Susanna was determined. Of course, she didn't expect what was about to happen, not at all.

"Oi, Rufus, you hear about that Craven guy? Heard the mate recently sailed to Singapore. What'chu expect he's lookin' for?" It was an older sailor speaking to a middle aged one he recognized as Rufus. Helena froze. Susanna's eyes widened. on…let's just go…" But Helena refused to move.

"Yeah…The name was…what…Crispin, right? Heard he ain't very old, neither." Helena looked faint. "Wha'd'you think he's thinking…sailing to Singapore on his own…" The older man nodded.

"Bit foolhardy if you ask me…" Helena suddenly took off running, Susanna on her tail.

"Helena! Helena, stop!" But Helena didn't stop until she was out of the Port, and on her way to her house. Finally, she stopped. "Helena! What on earth-" Helena just stared off at the sea.

"I need to find him, Susanna." She said, her gaze never faltering. Susanna looked confused.

"Helena, you don't even know that there were talking about him!" Helena looked over at her for a moment, and Susanna saw something that almost frightened her in Helena's eyes.

"I have to find out for myself." Susanna looked at her worriedly.

"What do you plan to do?" she asked quietly.

"Tomorrow, I'll sail on the first ship I can find to Singapore." Susanna's face hardened.

"You can't do this, Helena! It's madness!" But Helena shook her head.

"I have to, Susanna. If this is a chance that I might see my brother again, then I have to take it." Susanna fell quiet. If Helena was willing to travel overseas, then this must be very important to her.

"Then I'm going with you."

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Well, there's my first chapter. Yes, I know, not much action yet. But be patient...kay? I might even put a picture of Helena up on my deviantart account. If I do, I'll say something here tho...