Lady Avery Shade hung on the main deck on the mast, her eyes closed as she heard the water hitting the old wood of the ship she was held on. The chains that held her to the mast cut into her tanned skin, wet and dried blood around her lower arms. She was weak and sick, but the fire burning in her soul kept her from giving into these monsters. She was the captain of the ship ShadowStrike. A childlike name she knew, but she had been a child when she named it. Her father let her name his new ship as a gift for her, telling her it would be hers one day. And hers it still was. 

The pirates who had taken her wanted to know where the Strike was, but she hadn't spoken a word since they had found her in the small village she was visiting and took her, Shade going with them willingly as long as they didn't hurt the people there. When one of the men tried to break the deal by taking a woman to rape her, Shade pulled a saber free and ran him through, the pirates unable to stop her let alone move. So now she hung on the mast, feverish, wounded and beaten and starving...but still silent. 

When she had been brought to the captain gagged he asked her again where her ship and crew were. Then he ungagged her and she called him a list of names that a dumb man wouldn't even begin to understand. So he had her taken to the deck and beaten to get her to talk. She remained silent as the men went on beating her, one even tried to take a feel but she kneed him hard in the jewels causing him to fall back and the crew laughed at him. 

Finally after a few hours of this the captain came up and said "Are you ready to talk yet, wench?" Avery looked up at him, her bright eyes still holding a fire within them. She said "I have a few more choice words to call you if that's what you mean..." He hit her hard across the face then said "With all this blood she'll bleed to death before we get any answers...I'm fetch the doctor and have him clean her up...do not unchain her...if the rumors about her are true..." He vanished and Avery lowered her head, spitting up blood. 

After a bit she heard steps and sighed. "If your here to beat me again, just make it fast...I'm trying to sleep..." She coughed again, her fever getting worse.