Chapter I: Pickpocket
James sat ashore clinging onto a big green bottle of brandy whilst staring out on to the pitch black, dirty sea, watching and waiting for incoming ships. Just as the sun rose fully to the sky an imposing merchant ship anchored, not only supplying new goods to traders and marketeers who were eagerly awaiting them outside the docks but also washing ashore a rather peculiar looking girl, who sneaked out of the cargo hatch.
Once on steady ground she drew the attention of the standarounds on her immediately with her unusual demeanor. Even James, who generally never cared about other peoples business, picked up on her as she was staggering off board like a drunk sailor, very nearly tipping over as her shabby boots, which obviously once belonged to a man, kept getting entangled in the ripped, red laces of her underskirt, which peeked out from under her well worn, velvety, emerald green dress. The way she tried to shield her squinted eyes from the brightness of the morning sun with her hands, indicated that she hadn't been exposed to natural daylight for quite some time, as did the paleness of her skin when you overlooked the dust and dirt she was covered in.
She inhaled the crisp morning air, closing her eyes appreciatively as it filled her lungs. But with exhaling a cough escaped her throat as if she had taken a deep drag from a cigar. Despite her young age she really did look worse for wear and that says something around this town in comparison to the street whores and the nutters.
A women grabbed her husbands arm and darted a degrading look towards her as she drew closer to them in her seemingly drunken state.
„Good morning love!" she greeted affectionately with her lips curling into a warmly smile. „Sir!" she added curtsying clumsily like a new born stork resulting the women to step back appalled at the gesture. At the same minute the girl tumbled to the side right into the arms of the husband, who immediately jerked her into a steady position again.
„Sorry!"she apologized, pretending to raise an imaginary hat to her saviour.
Hastily the wife dragged her man by his arm to get out of her sight.
Slowly James approached the girl from behind. „I saw what you did there." her growled into her brittle looking golden brown locks that were covering her ear.
She took a swift turn to face the man whispering to her. Her vibrant green eyes softened as they met with James's.
„Oh well, I only tripped. Not to worry!" she chuckled distractingly. „Not to worry."
Just as she was about to leave he grabbed her hand that she was holding in a tight clutch and pulled her entire body towards him with one rapid motion.
„Oh yeah and whats this hm?" he murmured in a husky voice as he forced her hand open with his fingers, revealing a shiny golden pocket watch.
She glared at him pulling her hand away from him.
„You're hurting me." she pouted, rubbing the reddened area on her wrist he had gripped so tightly.
„You were good." he acknowledged.
„Oh I'm a women of many traits." she said coyly, latching onto him and pressing her bosom against his chest. Her hands wandered down the seams of his trousers, almost unnoticeably picking a coin from out of his pocket. Suddenly he pushed her back, jerking the coin from her hand.
„I'm sure of it but first you need a wash!" he replied unimpressed.
She shrugged.
He examined her carefully from tip to toe, brushing his bearded chin in a thinking gesture.
„You must improve your skills, you know…"he suggested „mainly by…" he paused, then formed a globe with his hands „scaling down.".
„What? Are you calling me a pig?" she exclaimed indignantly.
„No, no. It's just the whole getup." he whispered, attempting to tone her down also.
„You're attracting way too much attention for a pickpocket. The wrong kind of attention, if you know what I mean."
She crossed her arms in front of her chest, glaring at him. „What, you don't like my dress? Or my boots?" she asked pulling up her skirts and revealing the dark leather footwear that's too big for her legs.
„Oh no, they're vile" he replied scrunching up his nose.
„Well so are you!"
„Trust me love, I've been called worse." he once again grunted into her hair.
He lightly placed his fingertips on her lower back, then pressing them onto her bones, signalizing her to get a move on. „C'mon I have a use for you!"