The Different Ship

1

Rune Ari walked along thelittered streets of the current town she was in, honestly stuck in a rut andhad nowhere else to go. It didn't matter where she would go trouble would findher somehow. Rune was a smaller girl with long, lavish, and wavy sun blondehair that seemed to bounce with every step she took. It had been pulled backinto a ponytail, and her bangs hung over one of her emerald almond shaped eyes.Her figured matched or even was better than any bar wench she came across; sheheld a slim and curvaceous body frame that could catch a sailor's eye acrossthe harbor. She looked around and made a small tisking noise. "What am I going to do, I needto get out of this town and quickly would be the best." She said to herself asshe walked along the dimmed dirt dusted trail, kicking a small pebble along itto entertain her slightly as she pondered in her thoughts. She came across aworn down tavern and stopped in front of it before she lifted her head to lookat it, she gave a small shrug and walked in. It gave her a dry, warm, andsomewhat safe place to think, but upon entering the hinged doors the sharpstench of booze and rough men hit her nose causing it to crinkle in disgust.Her body shuddered as she adjusted some knives on her belt with a small clinkingnoise before sitting down at the end of the bar; secluding herself from therest. Rune flipped her ponytail off her shoulder, so it hung down her backstopping right before the waistband of her pants in the same motion she leanedher head on her hand while she propped her elbow on the counter in a bored,impatient fashion. Her gaze travel down the way to see the barmaid flirt with acouple of old sailors, in her wait her eyes began to wander around the crumbledestablishment she had wandered in. It wasn't much; the paint was peeling offthe walls and planks on the floor were coming lose. Also, it had worn downfurniture in it that someone should be afraid to sit on. As Rune continued totrek her eyes around the room, she noticed a man get up and walk over to a corkboard that was hanging on the wall, her conclusion that it was some sort or jobor message board. He sighed slightly looking at it causing her eyebrow to risebefore she turned back to the bar. Now her patience has worn thin and using herother hand she began drumming her nails on the old splintered oak surface."Hey wench, can I get someservice down here?" she called out to the woman who sneered down at her andleft her position from the men. The wench caused Rune to roll her eyes as the maidwalked down to her. "What do you want?" she askedas her eyes ran over Rune's figure and she snorted in petty jealousy beforenarrowing eyes at her and placed her hand on her hips. "Don't you have somethingbetter to be doing with yourself then bothering me?" she finished, snapping ather. Rune snarled her lip slightly and looked up at her; she knew the notion ofher words, but Rune was no whore. "Shouldn't you look in themirror before making assumptions, but a pint and a bowl of stew would be perfect."She retorted to the maid, she then reached into her trench coat pocket andpulled out more than a generous amount of cash tossing it at her. The barmaid's eyes widened with delight almost regretting her tone of voice and herchoice of words she had for Rune before. "Keep the damn change and nexttime watch your fucking tone with me." she said to her and letting out a smallgrunt then letting out a small sigh and shaking head waving her hand dismissingher. The wench gathered the money and bowed her head slightly still smiling butmore of a false attention grabbing one. "Of course my lady!" she saidin an equally false cheery tone and walked off to place the order beforeheading back over to her post with the seamen and continued flirting with them.She somewhat felt sorry for the broad because Rune herself had worked in such aplace like this and stooping down to low blows to attain money, that she wasn'tproud of, but she got out. Not too long after she had ordered the cook hadbrought her stew out and pint slamming it down on the bar with a grunt beforeturning back and disappearing into the kitchen. Rune picked up her pint andtook a rather generous swig from it before slamming the stein down and began toeat the watered down stew that had a couple of sliced potatoes and carrotsmaybe for color and also a couple of chunks of cold meat that was tough andhard to chew. On the side was a thick slice of bread or toast, she wasn't surefor that matter, but she knew it was hard but more than likely staled. Shescooped some up and took a bite; it was tasteless but still was a meal nothingless, much more than she had in the last three days. She had begun to eat her stewor whatever you would want to call this possible dish water at the least. Itwas interrupted by the door being slammed open with a loud bang; she didn'teven bother to turn to see who it was. She knew it was the police; they hadbeen searching for her since their last encounter with one another. She knewthey were going to catch up with her sooner or later, in this case, this timeit was sooner. "I wonder who they are herefor?" someone whispered, Rune finished off her pint and shoved her stew awayfrom her before setting the stein down loudly causing a loud thunk to ringthrough the bar top. "I can't get away for long nowcan I?" she asked herself quietly, just then one of them spoke up, his voiceloud and booming almost shaking the feeble tavern walls. "Rune Ari, we know you are inhere! The best thing for you to do is come out with your hands up and surrenderto us!" he said, Rune just chortled lowly and stood up, turning on her boot andwalking as she began laughing louder causing everyone to direct their attentionto her. "Now, now boys are you readyto get your asses handed to you by a girl... again?" she asked them in acondescending tone, taunting them as her boots clicked as she stood in herspot, staring at them. They had to be at least stand six foot or more; theyseemed to tower over her. She stood her ground with a smirk fixed on her lipswaiting for them to make a move, almost daring them. "Rune Ari you are under arrestfor..." he trailed off when she began to laugh again. Rune, this girl was aseasoned criminal, she knew this, and she also took pride in her work. "I am wanted for much; murderfor example. Want me to show you why?" Rune asked the men her smirk gettingdarker as she reached down to pulling both of her sabers from their sheaths;they gleamed from the light in the bar. The whole place was thick with tensionas her, and the constable stared each other down. "Now you can just let me go,or I can massacre you and your men right here in this bar." She said to them asshe twirled her swords in her hands. The way she carried herself was cold andcollected, she looked between each of the men. Reading each of the differentmaneuvers, they could pull on her. The constable held out his hand breaking thesilence and giving in for the good of his men. "No let her go." he said asthey locked eyes, she smirked again but didn't bother to put her weapons away.She didn't trust them thinking this could be a ploy to try and apprehend her;this wouldn't be the first time they tried that. "That is what I though. Youknew the loss was to greater than the good." She stated as she slowly beganbacking up towards the back door as the police watched her but dared not tomake a move. "But sir!" one of them calledout to him, his voice laced with both confusion and fear. He didn't understandwhy his captain was going to let a killer go like this. "She is right; I want you allto go home to your families tonight. I don't need any more casualties on myhands due to that mad woman. We have lost too many men chasing her; it isn'tworth it." he said sharply as she sheathed her sabers and took off out theback. Rune was smart enough not to stop, and she ran down a nearby alleywayleading to the docks on the other side of town, she stopped to pant and whenRune did she noticed a ship being loaded at the pier. That would be a great wayfor her to get away from her warrants on land. The catch was they didn't allowwomen on boats like that; she stopped to think for a minute. An idea poppedinto her head, and she watched the walk before seeing some helpless passerbyand grabbing him, dragging him into the alleyway where she was hiding. She drewone of her swords and pointing it at her neck, giving him a blood chillingglare. "Listen here; I am in no moodto kill tonight, so I suggest if you want to keep your blood in your and notspilled all over the ground and keep your tongue in your mouth you will give meall your clothes, your money, and any valuables you have." She hissed out tohim, he held his hands up and gave her a shaky nod before beginning to stripdown quickly and throwing everything at her feet hoping to stay alive. The shipwas almost loaded before she growled at him putting her sword away andgathering them. "Now hurry the hell up and getout of here before I change my mind!" she snapped out not even caring beforebeginning to strip herself and turn from him, tearing her old shirt to shredsto fasten something to wrap around her breasts to hopefully conceal them. Shequickly finished and pushed her hair back from her shoulder. "shit my hair..." she said withwide eyes, she reached up to tug the band from her hair and lean forward togather the mess and fashion it into a messy bun. "Damn, why do I even keep allthis shit." She cussed and froze to see a sleeping pirate lounging against awall with a hat covering his face. She quickly and casually pulled it off hisface and placed it on her head and ran off to load onto the boat with the restof the crew members. It seemed to be a regular enough crew, most likely atransport ship; taking goods from one spot to the other. Everyone was on nowincluding Rune and the sails dropped.