Disclaimer: I'm only doing this once, so let's make it good. I do not own Once Upon a Time or anything familiar. So don't sue. ;)

Chapter 1: A Strange Sight to See

The sky was a murky grey and, despite the fact that it was well into the afternoon, the air was colder than it was at the crack of dawn. Regardless, the marketplace was bustling with activity because just as the cold didn't regard the time of day, life didn't regard the cold, so, naturally, neither did the merchants or their customers. Walking along the street through the market were two such customers: two young women bundled in thick cloaks, their cheeks and noses rosy; they stopped every so often to chat with a familiar face or to look at the different goods for sale.

"This would make a beautiful dress," the brunette, Anna, remarked when they approached a stall displaying bolts of fabric. "Don't you think?"

"Hmm," the blonde, Audra, squinted to scrutinize the specific bolt Anna had referred to. Anna watched with a roll of her eyes; she was used to this type of behavior from her friend. Audra, whose aspiration was to become a King's Scholar sometime in the near future, acted like she knew everything about everything; that was the case in this situation. She didn't know, and couldn't care less, about the details of certain fabrics aside from practical uses.

"I…suppose so," Audra shrugged. "Do you need a new dress?"

"No," Anna frowned, mentally sorting through different bodice styles. "Devlin's engagement party is next month, and Tess has been so busy helping mother plan that she hasn't had the chance to get a new one."

"If she's having trouble keeping up with your mother for the engagement party, imagine how she'll be when she's planning the wedding!" Audra giggled at the thought. Anna shook her head, and pulled her coin purse from inside her cloak. She looked over at the woman selling the fabric and smiled.

"Will you hold the entire bolt aside for me Mrs. Bishop?" Anna asked, holding a handful of coins over to the woman. "We have some more shopping to do and I would hate to drop it and get it dirty."

"Of course, Lady Annaleigh," Mrs. Bishop nodded. "It'll be safe with me. Best not stay out for too much longer, though. You both look like you're going to freeze."

"We're fine, but thank you," Anna smiled, and then she and Audra continued along the crowded street. Once they were far enough away from the stall, Audra pushed Anna's shoulder softly.

"Are you happy with your purchase 'Lady Annaleigh?'" she mocked. Audra loved to poke fun at her best friend as often as possible and since the use of her formal title was a sore spot for Anna, it was what Audra loved to use most. For as long as they had been friends, Anna had always been simply known as…well, Anna, to everyone. But when they were around any manor guards or noblemen visiting from other parts of the kingdom she was suddenly Lady Annaleigh Bowen, daughter of Lord Liam and Lady Isabel. And as soon as she heard any of those words, Audra would spring into action.

"Oh hush," Anna scoffed, shyly fingering the ribbons of her corset. "She knows I become of age tomorrow; she's just being polite."

"Yes," Audra laughed. "Politely sucking up. You're not just a little girl anymore; people will expect you to act seriously."

"I've always been serious." Audra shot her a look. "When I need to be, at least."

"Well now you've got enough years on you to prove it." Audra paused in thought. "Next thing you'll know, your father will have a suitor picked out for you."

"Oh stop it."

"Some lord from across the kingdom. Or maybe even from another kingdom! I hope he's handsome, at least, for your sake; I'd hate it if I was forced to marry someone…homely."

"You're getting ahead of yourself, now," Anna laughed.

Their conversation continued, flowing from one subject to the next. But before they knew it, they had reached the very end of the market street, where the endless rows of merchant stalls met a street made up of pubs, taverns and inns that were situated along the dockside. Anna laughed at a joke Audra made and turned her eyes to the grey waters that jumped and whispered with the growing wind. She was about to suggest they start heading back, until she spotted a large dark object a few miles offshore; Anna frowned and took a few steps forward.

"Do you see that?" she asked Audra.

"See what?"

"That." She pointed along her line of sight, making out white sails. "It's a ship!"

"A ship? Really?" Audra squinted and shook her head. "It doesn't look like a merchant ship."

From the distance they were at, they couldn't tell much about it, but it would seem that Audra was right: it wasn't a merchant vessel. The ships delivering cargo from faraway lands docked here twice monthly but they were much shorter…flatter…wider than the ship Anna had spotted. That ship was much more complex, almost in a regal sense, with its many sails and tall hull.

With a quick glance behind her at the market, Anna's thoughts strayed to the stories she had heard about other lands, about the kingdoms across the sea. However beautiful they were, they were also home to dark things, she recalled, like murderous ogres who could find their prey despite their lack of sight, and magic-wielders who could rip a heart out of a man's chests without hesitation. Just the idea of magic itself was chilling since it had been abandoned in her kingdom long ago in favor of science and greater knowledge. She never understood how the merchant ships—which brought wonderfully strange things that made everyone's heart soar with awe—could come from such terrible places.

"I wonder where it came from." Anna muttered, imagining those places.

The small seaside village looked peaceful through the telescope with its rustic buildings and little specs of people milling about the streets. Killian Jones, Captain of the Jolly Roger, had had a previous mind to avoid the island kingdom of Doria while staring at his maps and charts in the weeks prior. Yes, it was a prosperous place and there were many treasures that lay beyond its shores, but there was a bigger bounty to be taken, easier with much less a risk, in another kingdom less than a week's travel further east than Doria. At least, that was his plan until the sea gods decided otherwise and what should've taken a week was now taking two, possibly more, thanks to the strong winds and rough, choppy water.

His men were tired and angst-ridden, looking forward to a good meal and stiff drink— they had run out of rum days ago—more than the prospect of treasure. Killian realized that unless he wanted a mutiny on his hands, a short shore leave to rest and stock up on supplies was a smart decision, and he quickly relayed the order to his men. The shouts of relief were short-lived though once they realized that they still had to fight the sea until they reached their new destination.

Killian lowered the telescope from his eye and turned away from his window; he could hear shouts above, on deck, and figured he would be needed. He was about to leave the comforts of his cabin when his eyes strayed momentarily to the maps that sat on his desk. There was one in particular that caught his eye; an old map sketched on vellum, which had been worn and yellowed with age. The map itself wasn't what intrigued him, but a hasty scribbling in the very corner. A previous owner's note to self, misplaced, thanks to a lack of paper to write upon. How had he not seen it before?

A smirk spread on the captain's lips and he chuckled heartily; maybe this interruption in their journey would get him some treasure after all.

Author's Note: So…I've been AWOL from this fan fiction stuff for a while now and thought it might be fun and stress-relieving if I got into it again. And after hearing that Captain Hook would be on OUAT and watching a few episodes of the new season, the story just popped into my head. Yeah. Not a solid reason, but I hope it'll be a good story.

Let me know what you think; reviews are love!