River decided that she would make it harder than necessary for herself since it probably would be an easy challenge. She went to June 25th, and planned to go and get all the materials she needed illegally, and to walk to the confederate camp.
She went to a camp several miles away from her destination, and stole some clothing from the washer-women It was ugly, brown and let her show very little of her cleavage. It also would be hard to fight in. Sighing she returned it and went to go and look for something more to her taste.
What she found was some basic over dress, and some cotton trousers. She cut the trousers to mid-way up her calves, and donned them. Then she looked at the dresses. Most were not to her taste. She needed to flout her feminine form and be able to be very physically active. After searching to no avail, she took one of the gowns, and cut the arms off. Deciding that if anyone asked she could say she gave them to help prevent the bleeding of one of the troops fighting in battle.
She secured her hair with some old fashioned feminine spy pins that were actually daggers that she had found on one of her many digs. Then she stole a sword from the armory. The one she choose was cavalry saber, made for heavy cavalry to use from horseback. With that she made for the edge of the union camp.
Once she got there a guard took her aside, "Mam, you don't want to go out there at this time of night. Those confederate bastards will find you and kill you"
"I'll be fine."
"I doubt it. They are fierce. I can call a friend to cover the gate so I can go with you."
"Bless you, but that wont be necessary. Here have some meat." With that she pulled two of the seven daggers from her hair, and threw them at the squirrels running around a good distance away. She went, collected the meat, and then gave it to the gate guard. "Cook it first. I doubt you have eaten meat in a long time."
"But mam, we aint supposed to forage. We gots to bring it ourselves. Captains orders."
"Well then, tell the captain a lovely lady brought you some meat. You never need say she killed it for you."
"Thanks, and good luck on your travels."
She walked and walked and walked. After a while she got board and with one of her knives she picked up a piece of branch and began whittling as she walked. Her mind on the forest, fingers carving wood, and feet making way she traveled a good two miles to a town. In that town River stopped by in the bar, carefully placing her carving into her pocket. It had been a skill he had taught her, how to carve wood, without looking or thinking about it. As she brought it into the light she saw that her fingers had been making a wooden version of the doctor. She placed it in her pocket, and decided to finish it once she had some free time. At the pace she was making she would make the camp two days before Jack. It would do no good if she got board, and she refused to travel in time to the camp to make it easy.
Once she entered the bar she walked around the edges, and saw a rich man flirting with someone who was obviously not his wife since he kept glancing at the back door to where the lavatory must reside. She daintily pulled out his wallet, stole some cash, and returned the pouch without half of its cash.
Once that was done she went around to the back of the bar and stole some very sharp knives and some sheathes to wear them in hidden spots on the body. With that she was walking around when she was a brawl had begun inside the tavern. Her mind went, "what the hell" and she waged in, determined to show off, and to stop the fight. Once she got to the center she found that the man whom she had pick pocketed was beating up the two ladies who had been siting near him. Her thoughts were to just leave, but she saw how they cowered, and decided to help.
Moving in she kicked the man quickly in he shin, then in the gut. She then saw that he had a small blade in his hand. Not wanting to be outfought she took out on of hers that she had just stolen.
He began to taunt her, thinking that she was a simple girl here to defend her relatives. He teased, "Once yous battered an' broke, what you gonna do."
She replied, speaking with flawless grammar and articulation, "Well for starters, that would mean you won. Which is highly unlikely considering who I am. Also you seem to think that I am here for personal reasons. Wrong, I am here because you slander these two women, cheat on your wife, and beat your servants judging by the bruises on your palm."
The man looked startled as they circled each other in fighting stances, "Who are yee. I know every lass who lives in this county, and yee aint one o'them. Also I never hit nobody. Yee a lass, and lasses aint bread to fight. Fightings a mans work."
River considered how wrong this was. While she replied "I am the champion of the entire Massachusetts fighters, men's and womens' divisons. I also am not from around here. I came through on a journey a friend suggested on a bet", and with that she had used her knife to attack meticulously, and disarmed him. After that she sheathed her knife. She turned around to tend to the injured women, not expecting him to take his defeat likely.
Taking "advantage" of this opening he attempted to jump on her back. Instead he ended up face first on the ground. River standing next to him after sweeping his legs out from under him as he rushed her. She then leaned down, pulling one of her razor sharp ladies knives form her hair and laying it against his throat. With that she whispered into his ear, "now, be nice, or when I get back I will kill you. I've killed before, you will just be one more on a record of the many I have killed for justice. Now be a good boy and run along."
When she got off him her stood up, glanced at her, then ran out of the tavern. She offered the two ladies her hand, and helped them to their feet. The thinner of the two said, "yee be a troublesome lass. He'll find yee and kill yee for having the gall to stand up to him."
The other added in, "No one ever stands in, all they do is stand aside as he attacks everyone."
River decided to help the two to their homes, and to give them each some of the stolen money from earlier.
Outside she took each aside and gave them eighty dollars total, forty each, a combination of what the man had been carrying, what else she had stole, and what money of her own she had on her. With that they thanked her and went on their way. She had originally thought to stay the night in town, but after the fight she decided a nice night camping would probably be better than more challenges from townsfolk. She had to focus on what Captain Jack was preparing for her to face.
