Gentle waves lapped against the sturdy side of the Maria Silenciosa. It would have been a relatively peaceful day for the crew of the infamous ship had they not run into another band of hapless pirates. And as always, the Mary had managed to get by with not much more than a scratch. The pirate sloop, however, had seen much better days. The mast had been broken by one of the Mary's cannons. That ship and crew weren't going anywhere.
Captain Salazar stood watching the crew of the defeated ship beg for mercy at his hands. However, as per usual, the proud captain would have none of it. He craned his head slightly, ordering his men to fire with intent to kill. The Captain was about to stride away when the voice of Lieutenant Lesaro rang out.
"Wait! There's a woman in the water!" Lesaro called to Salazar in alarm. They had never come across anything like this before.
"I have no time to care for a whore on my ship," the captain said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"Please! Please I'm not a pirate! They've captured me and I'm injured! Please help me, I beg of you," a feminine voice chimed out among the roar of the waves and desperate cries of the pirates surrounding her.
The captain paused and seemed to consider this for a moment. He had the provisions. Perhaps he could take her to the nearest port and leave her there. Then he could feel good about not ordering his men to slaughter a woman who appeared to just be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, mulling the thought over for a moment.
"Bring her up," Salazar commanded with his back still turned to the scene before him.
With a mighty heave, the crew of the Silent Mary hoisted the woman aboard the ship... but she was no woman... Gasps could be heard by the entire crew as not just any woman but a siren with stunning iridescent scales lay upon the rough boards of the deck until she'd dried out enough to walk on land again. Her fin was torn making escape into the depths of the sea impossible. She could hardly swim at all. No, she needed to heal and she couldn't heal where she couldn't find food and rest.
"What is she...?" Murmured another member of the crew. At this, Captain Salazar turned around to see exactly what was causing his crew members delay in ridding the world of the pirate scum floating below. His mouth hung open slightly at what he saw before him.
Her skin was ivory as though it had not been kissed by sun once in her life and her hair was dark as the night sky and lay splayed out around her. It was long and full and surely beautiful when not weighted down by blood and water. Salazar approached the gorgeous creature and looked into her eyes as blue as the sea. She was afraid; afraid enough to seek rescue from strangers who had attacked her only moments before.
"What is your name?" Salazar asked, pulling off his coat and placing it around her shoulders.
"Hannah..." The siren whispered back in wonderment. She had never known kindness like this before. She pulled the overcoat closer around her shoulders. It smelled nice... like spice and the sea. It smelled comforting and like home.
"Welcome aboard La Maria Silenciosa."