I  write this now, so that in the years to come I am not temped to believe it but a dream. T'is not oft that a spot of bad luck is transformed, as if by magic, into such adventure.

My life before joining on with Captain McCleary, and the rest of the Crew of the Neptune's Fury seems as if it was a dream or  at least a life time ago.  There are many gaps in my recollections.... At times I find myself surprised at things I know. But often I am more surprised at things I do not know.   It was as if I was reborn  from the ashes of my previous life. 

From what I can remember of my family we hailed from the lands around Tulloch Castle, near Inverness in northern Scotland.  As a young man, I used to go to  the near by estuaries to look on to the waters.  I can't remember ever wanting to see what was past the waters, but something seemed to draw me to them.  Mayhap it was the seeming serenity of the water , in stark contrast to the  events in the country and the world at the time.   With King Charles II being on the thrown, and trying to  bring  back the bishops and restore the old system of patronage that chose ministers, there was little contentment with the crown. and the winds of  revolt were stirring.

It was on one such trip to calm my mind by the water that my life as I knew it would end, and I would become a new person.  I can Remember leaving early that morning wanting to see the first rays of dawn as they struck the water. As I sat and watched the sunrise, I thought about the promise of the new day.  That thought stayed with me for the walk home.  When I finished the journey home, I found  my simple home oddly quiet. The morning cooking fires had not even been lit. I became worried and began to look around.  One of the MacKenzie lads, I recall his name being William, came running down the road yelling to me "You have to get out of here!"  As he lead me away from my home he explained to me that laird Bayne, the Bayne of Tulloch, had gotten wind of the Kings troops cracking down on those that would not follow The King's new Covenants on worship. 

William handed me a letter from my father.  It explained that he was safe, but that he dare not say more least this note find someone other than me.  His letter said he was worried for my safety and that I should leave and find a safe haven.  Unfortunately it was at this time I found I had not been paying attention to my surroundings. This was brought in to sharp focus as I found my self encircled by The King's troops.  One of the them commented that I would be dead before the dawn  but  before I could act, I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head and blacked out.

When I awoke, with the worst head ache of my life, I found myself back  at the estuary and a scruffiy looking man with a dark beard quizzically smiling down at me. As the face came in to focus I heard  him say "Ah! Looks Like he's gonna live..."  I looked around, and noticed a small ship  and a several oddly dressed men.. Another voice behind me sounded out "Captian, tis' not safe for us to stay here.. The footmen we tangled with will be missed"  With that we were off.. Its all still a little hazy to me but somehow we got to their ship and set sail.

Once Safely away I was properly introduced to  Aramis Dugan McCleary, the Captain of the Neptune's Fury.  Apparently an old friend of his, the Captain of the Amber Star, was a Davidson as well. They just happen to be in the area (though I have never had the nerve to ask just what they were doing in the area)  when they saw my predicament, and thought I could  use a hand. And after seeing the note from my father saying to find a safe haven, he offered for me to sail with them.