The Different Ship
1

Rune Ari walked along the littered streets of the current town she was in, honestly stuck in a rut and had nowhere else to go. Didn’t matter where she would go trouble would find her somehow. Rune was a smaller girl with long, lavish, and wavy sun blonde hair that seemed to bounce with every step she took. It had been pulled back into 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, she held a slim and curvaceous body frame that could catch a sailor’s eye across the harbor. She looked around and made a small tisking noise.

“What am I going to do, I need to get out of this town and quickly would be the best.” She said to herself as she walked along the dimmed dirt dusted walk, kicking a small pebble along it to entertain her slightly as she pondered in her thoughts. She came across a worn down tavern and stopped in front of it before she lifted her head to look at it, she gave a small shrug and walked in. it gave her a dry, warm, and somewhat safe place to think, but up on entering the hinged doors the sharp stench of booze and rowdy men hit her nose causing it to crinkle in disgust. Her body shuddered as she adjusted some knives on her belt with a small clinking noise before sitting down at the end of the bar; secluding herself from the rest. Rune flipped her ponytail off her shoulder so it fell down her back stopping right before the waistband of her pants in the same motion she leaned her head on her hand while she propped her elbow in the counter in a bored, impatient fashion. Her gaze travel down the way to see the bar maid flirt with a couple of old sailors, in her wait her eyes began to wander around the crumbled establishment she had wandered in to. It wasn’t much, the paint was peeling off the walls and planks on the floor were coming lose, also it had worn down furniture in it that someone should be afraid to sit on. As Rune continued to trek her eyes around the room she noticed a man get up and walk over to a cork board that was hanging on the wall, her conclusion that it was some sort or job or message board. He sighed slightly looking at it causing her eyebrow to rise before she turned back to the bar. Now her patience has worn thin and using her other hand she began drumming her nails on the old splintered oak surface.

“Hey wench, can I get some service down here?” she called out to the woman who sneered down at her and left her positon from the men. This caused Rune to roll her eyes as the wench walked down to her.

“What do you want?” she asked as her eyes ran over Rune’s figure and she snorted in slight jealously before narrowing eyes at her and placing her hand on her hips.

“Don’t you have something better to be doing with yourself then bothering me?” she finished, snapping at her. Rune snarled her lip slightly and looked up at her, she knew the notion of her words but Rune was no whore.

“Shouldn’t you look in the mirror before making assumptions, but a pint and a bowl of stew would be just great.” She retorted to the maid, she then reached into her trench coat pocket and pulled out more than a generous amount of cash tossing it at her. The bar maid’s eyes widened with delight almost regretting her tone of voice and her choice of words she had for Rune before.

“Keep the damn change and next time watch your damn tone with me.” she said to her and letting out a small grunt then letting out a small sigh and shaking head waving her hand dismissing her. The wench gathered the money and bowed her head slightly still smiling but more of a false attention grabbing one.

“Of course my lady!” she said in an equally false cheery tone and walked off to place the order before heading 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 a place like this and stooping down to low blows to attain money, that she wasn’t proud of but she got out. Not too long after she had ordered the cook had brought her stew out and pint slamming it down on the bar with a grunt before turning back and disappearing into the kitchen. Rune picked up her pint and took a rather generous swig from it before slamming the stein down and began to eat the watered down stew that had a couple of sliced potatoes and carrots maybe for color and also a couple chunks of cold meat that was tough and hard to chew. On the side was a hard slice of bread or toast, she wasn’t sure for that matter but she knew it was hard but more than likely staled. She scooped some up and took a bite; it was tasteless but still was a meal nothing less, much more than she had in the last three days.

She had begun to eat her stew or whatever you would want to call this possibly dish water at the least. It was interrupted by the door being slammed open with a loud bang; she didn’t even bother to turn to see who it was. She knew it was the police; they had been searching for her since their last encounter with one another. She knew they were going to catch up with her sooner or later in this case, this time it was sooner.

“I wonder who they are here for?” someone whispered, Rune finished off her pint and shoved her stew away from her before setting the stein down loudly causing a loud thunk to ring though the bar top.

“I can’t get away for long now can I?” she asked herself quietly, just then one of them spoke up, his voice loud and booming almost shaking the feeble tavern walls.

“Rune Ari, we know you are in here! The best thing for you to do is come out with your hands up and surrender to us!” he said, Rune just chortled lowly and stood up, turning on her boot and walking as she began laughing louder causing everyone to direct their attention to her.

“Now, now boys are you really ready to get your asses handed to you by a girl… again?” she asked them in a condescending tone, taunting them as her boots clicked as she stood in her spot, staring at them. They had to be at least stand six foot or more, they seemed to tower over her. She stood her ground with a smirk fixed on her lips waiting for them to make a move, almost daring them.

“Rune Ari you are under arrest for…” he trailed off when she began to laugh again. Rune, this girl was a seasoned criminal, she knew this and she also took pride in her work.

“I am wanted for much; murder for example. Want me to show you why?” she asked them her smirk getting darker 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 tension as 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 as she twirled her swords in her hands. The way she carried herself was cold and collected, she looked between each of the men. Reading each of the different maneuvers they could pull on her. The constable held out his hand breaking the silence and giving in for the good of his men.

“No let her go.” he said as they 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. You knew the loss was to greater than the good.” She stated as she slowly began backing up towards the back door as the police watched her but dared not to make a move.

“But sir!” one of them called out to him, his voice laced with both confusion and fear. He didn’t understand why his captain was going to let a killer go like this.

“She is right; I want you all to go home to your families tonight. I don’t need any more casualties on my hands due to that psycho woman. We have lost too many men chasing her, it isn’t worth it.” he said sharply as she sheathed her sabers and took off out the back. Rune was smart enough not to stop and she ran down an nearby alley way leading to the docks on the other side of town, she stopped to pant and when she did she noticed a ship being loaded. That would be a great way for her to get away from her warrants on land. The catch was they didn’t allow women on boats like that; she stopped to think for a minute. An idea popped into her head and she watched the walk before seeing some helpless passerby and grabbing him, dragging him into the alley way where she was hiding. She drew one of her swords and pointing it at her neck, giving him a blood chilling glare.

“Listen here, I am in no mood to kill tonight so I suggest if you want to keep your blood in your and not spilled all over the ground and keep your tongue in your mouth you will give me all your clothes, your money, and any type of valuables you have.” She hissed out to him, he held his hands up and gave her a shaky nod before beginning to strip down quickly and throwing everything at her feet hoping to stay alive. The ship was almost loaded before she growled at him putting her sword away and gathering them.

“Now hurry the hell up and get out of here before I change my mind!” she snapped out not even caring before beginning to strip herself and turn from him, tearing her old shirt to shreds to fasten something to wrap around her breasts to hopefully conceal them. She quickly finished and pushed her hair back off her shoulder.

“shit my hair…” she said with wide eyes, she reached up to tug the band from her hair and lean forward to gather the mess and fashion it into a messy bun.

“Damn why do I even keep all this shit.” She cussed and froze to see a sleeping pirate lounging against a wall with a hat covering his face. She quickly and casually pulled it off his face and placed it on her own head and ran off to load onto the boat with the rest of the crew members. It seemed to be a normal enough crew, most likely a transport ship; taking goods from one spot to the other. Everyone was on now including Rune and the sails dropped.

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