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Bella ran towards the docks for the third time that month. How terrible it would be if she were caught yet again. The thought of it was unbearable. Her dirty bare feet slapped rhythmically on the cobblestone street as she ducked under outstretched arms and swerved around horse-drawn carts filled with the autumn harvest. She could hear shouts behind her after she accidentally knocked over several boxes of fresh tomatoes.
"Sorry!" She yelled back, feeling the wind whip her words away. The same wind was blowing her tangled dirty blonde hair into her eyes, blurring her vision and making traversing the maze of streets even harder. She paused a second to tie her hair up with a leather strap she had stolen from a horse stall a fortnight ago. Once it was secure, she started off again, turning her calloused feet in the direction of the sea.
She had tried to escape by ship before, and twice that month she had failed. How stupid she had been to go to the docks still in her school uniform. No wonder the workers there had been suspicious of her and taken her back. On the second attempt, dressed in beggar boy rags, she had almost succeeded but had been recognized by a man who seemed to have no other business than to poke into others'.
Her feet hit a stray stone and she hopped for a bit in pain before giving the stubbed toe a glance. It was fine, the skin wasn't even broken, so she ran on, turning down a dreary little lane and exiting out onto another main street. She ran east, towards the circling seagulls, and soon she emerged from the crowded road onto a long wooden dock. She hesitated at the edge of the planks; her feet were bare after all, but stepped forward when she saw the ships.
Ships. She had loved them ever since she was little, although she was only thirteen now. Her father had been a sea captain in the Royal Navy, and it was his footsteps she wanted to follow. He had drowned in a storm five years ago, and her mother had died of fever, but she knew they were both watching over her. She wanted to make them proud, but she also knew the navy did not accept women in their ranks. Well, she'd just have to be the first. But before Bella applied, she needed some experience on a ship. She planned to sign up as a deckhand on one of the many merchant ships that docked in Kirk.
It would be hard to pull off. Most ships wouldn't take a girl, much less a thirteen year old one, but she could probably bump her age up to fifteen and get away with it. She had always been taller than her peers.
The first ship she approached was a three-sailed Barque with crisp white sails and the name The Gentle Fig painted in gold on the side. She saw a man standing before it holding a piece of parchment and a quill. There was a line of people before him, presumably wanting to be hired as shiphands. She walked up to the back of the line and stood there as the man with the parchment accepted or denied the people in front of her. Soon it was her turn. The moment she stepped forward, the man laughed, "And who might you be, missy?"
Bella looked at him eagerly, "Bella Credeline, and I'd like to be hired by your captain."
The man seemed amused, "How old are you? Twelve? Thirteen?"
"Fifteen." Bella said, hoping she sounded convincing.
Apparently she did not, as the man sighed, rubbed his eyes and said, "Look, girl, we're not hiring children. Go and find someone to play with." He shooed her away and called out for the next in line.
Bella snorted and stomped off, gazing down at the ground in disappointment. She didn't notice where she was going until she bumped into someone.
"Sorry," She said, looking up to see a man with tangled brown hair and puppy dog eyes staring down at her.
"It's alright, miss. I wasn't looking either." The man said politely, "But if I may ask, what's a young girl like you doing down here? The docks are a dangerous place you know."
Bella smiled, "I know. But I'm looking for a ship to work on. I want to leave Kirk."
The man seemed to consider here words seriously for a bit before say, "I just happen to be in need of a cabin boy at the moment. Do you think you could do that?"
Not exactly the role she had been looking for, but as no one else would hire her, it would have to do, "Yes, I think I could."
The man nodded, "Well, my name's Morden Berkeley, Quartermaster Berkeley to you, and I ride aboard The Lady of the Sea. Let me show you Captain Kell's ship."
Bella followed the man down the dock and stopped before the last ship. The one Berkeley pointed to was beautiful. It was a Ship of the Line, a warship, and its three sails towered over her, almost looking like they would fall over they were so tall. The Lady of the Sea was painted in black on the side right below the line of cannons. The sails were a deep blue, an odd color for a ship's sails, but Bella loved them.
"Isn't she gorgeous?" Berkeley asked, looking down at Bella's awe-filled face. Bella could only nod dreamily.
"Well? Would you like to board? I need to converse with Captain Kell about hiring you."
Bella nodded again and Berkeley led her up the gangplank and onto the deck. The wooden boards were shiningly clean, and everything was in its proper place. No one seemed to be aboard though.
"The rest of the crew are in town, Captain Kell will be in his cabin. Come along." Berkeley gestured for her to follow him to the front of the forecastle and through the fancy door that led to the Captain's cabin.
YOU ARE READING
The Lady of the Sea ~ Complete - Will be Edited Soon!
Adventure"She had tried to escape by sea before, but twice she had been caught." Thirteen year old Bella lives in a world ruled by the sea. She desperately wants to follow her beloved father's footsteps into the Royal Navy, but they will not take her. Sh...
