As night fell upon the Auguila, the stars came out to dance in the night sky. Kat lay on top of her "bed" of fishing nets piled upon the deck. Beside her lay her cutlass and pistol in case of sudden alarm. Kat sank back into the soft pile of nets and listened to the comforting sound of the waves against the ship. She watched the moon dance upon the waves until sleep came upon her. She had not been asleep long before she started to dream.
In her dream Kat saw a strange shape in the distance that seemed to sit upon the ocean. As she got closer to it, she realized the shape was an island which held a large, mysterious looking mansion. She found herself walking around the cold, dark walls of the huge mansion. No cheerful voices rang out. There were no sounds at all, only cold and empty silence. Kat shuttered.
Her gaze swept up the high walls of the depressing mansion and locked upon a tiny window at the highest peak of the roofline. She thought she caught a glimpse of something. She shaded her eyes with her hand and strained to see better. Yes, there was definitely someone watching her from that tiny attic window. As she tried to get a better look, Kat found the mansion slowly disappear from her sight. As if it was made of smoke, the mansion slowly disappeared from her sight.
Kat blinked her eyes awake. Although it was still night, she could still look out over the waves because of the bright moonlight. As she propped herself up on an elbow, she could make out the distant outline of an island on the horizon. She smiled to herself and eased back onto the comfortable bed of nets. She once again allowed sleep to wash over her.
The deck of the Auguila is long and wide. The wood is nicked and beaten from battles past, but nonetheless it serves its purpose well. Deep in the wood is the scent of rich oils, perfumes and sea salt. If you were to put your ear to the deck, you would hear it moan and creak as it strains against the heavy weight of the gigantic masts and sails which it firmly holds. Several heavy cannons line the sides of the deck, ready for action at a moments notice. Its dark mahogany wood gleams under the Caribbean sun. The deck is where the crew spends most of their day, sometimes toiling hard but also moments of lighthearted fun. The deck has witnessed both cruel and tender acts of man, both the mysterious and expected. But whatever is to come to pass, the wooden deck stands ready to be the stage.
The Auguilla's captain is different from most other pirate ship captains. She is a woman. Known to her crew as Kat, she commands as much respect and fear as do her male peers. Kat is like any other pirate captain in her actions and ambitions. She is strong willed, independent, smart, and very stubborn.
She dresses in men's clothing so that she can move freely about the ship and conduct her duties as captain. However Kat does enjoy wearing a gold chain or two and several rings on her fingers. Her face is tan from the sun and sea and her long dark brown hair is often pulled back in a ponytail. Although it is often hid beneath her tri-cornered hat, occasionally the sunlight shows blond and red highlights running through it.
Although not considered extraordinarily beautiful, Kat is far from homely or common. She is very intelligent and loves to learn. She is able to speak six languages and can both read and write. She learned the way a crew operates by working her way up from the lowly position of cabin girl up to the rank of captain. Through the years she has fought side-by-side with her crew and is quite expert in the handling of a cutlass, pistol and dagger.
Although a crewmember of the Auguilla for many years, Kat is relatively new to the rank of captain, having become captain just a little over a year ago. Considered young at just 17 years old, Kat is nonetheless capable and eager to meet the challenges that lie before her.
The year is 1735, and yet the Caribbean Sea has changed little over the centuries. The turquoise water sparkles like a jewel and the foamy surf is the color of a long string of pearls. It extends as far as the eye can see and yet it touches the soft white sand beaches with gentle strokes. However, this soothing sound of lapping waves can turn quite suddenly into the roaring crash of angry waves dashed against rocky cliffs. The sparkling, clear water can churn suddenly into angry dark teal and gray walls of water that crash down and rip at ships caught in their clutches. The sea has two personalities and ships wanting to pass over it must be prepared to meet both sides.
The salty breeze flows over the Caribbean Isles and outward to the rest of the ocean. Through the centuries, it has filled many ship's sails and moved them across the wide sea. In the year 1697, the wind guides the ship, The Aguila, as it sails swiftly through the waters. It seems as if it were challenging the wind to a race. Its figurehead is a magnificent eagle that leans forward as if in flight and seems to lead the ship forward. The wood of ship's hull is made of strong English oak. The wood extends upwards for two full decks and holds within its belly both practical items such as food and water for the crew as well as valuable and rare cargo. High above the solid deck, a dark flag flies and snaps at the winds. It holds two crossed swords behind a grinning skull. The eerie smile, missing a tooth, warns those that it glares down upon that the The Aguila is a pirate ship. She is ready at any given time to wreck her havoc of upon any town or fort to which she chooses. But The Aguila is not only a vessel for delivering chaos and pain, she also serves as a capable and comfortable home to the crew she carries.