She knew exactly where the Serpent docked and she ignored the whistles and rude comments of the men she passed, her eyes fixed on her target. Gathering her skirts she glanced at the men near her ship and walked across the plank, jumping onto her ship. Beneath her the floor dipped and swelled, but despite never being on boat, she was steady. Glancing around her, her eyes moved from man to man as they stopped whatever they were doing and simply gawked.
"Are you the crew of the Serpent?" Clara raised her chin and looked around her as they assembled around her.
"Aye. And who are you?" A tall graying man stepped forward. She could see the muscles in his arm strain threateningly as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Clarabell Crossley. I was told my crew was deciding to abandon ship like a pack of rats after a rough sea voyage. Is this true?"
A blonde haired man laughed. "You're a brave lass calling us rats. What rat among you is going to help you when we decide to drag you below deck?" He took a step forward looking at her with eyes that would have once terrified her.
Clara stiffened but held her ground. She knew Miles would be rounding up some help and quickly be coming for her, but he'd never make it if these men decided soon that she wasn't worth their time. "A rat that cherishes his head." That man them all laugh, but Clara didn't find the humor. "Here and now your employment is terminated. All of you. If you are unhappy with the situation, you can leave. There are plenty of men that would rather be in your shoes. And they would be far more grateful than your sorry faces."
There was no laughter this time, simply looks of contempt.
"Now, now, lass, which one of us agreed we were the rats wanting to abandon ship?" This was the graying man who had spoken before looking none too happy at her threat.
"You're denying it?" Clara raised an eyebrow but no one responded. "Whose idea was this? It is obvious you are loyal to whoever suggested this even if you aren't all so eager to lose your jobs. Give him up and keep your jobs or all of you get off my ship." Her tone was hard, definite. She would not be bullied by a group of men she knew would rather drown her now more than anything else.
"Oh! My lady, you certainly know how to make friends." There was a note of humor in his sneer, but it wasn't until some of the men shuffled that she saw who the voice belonged to. He leaned lazily against the side of the boat, relaxed, as if this was a bore to him. He was around her age with a rough stubble along his jaw giving his handsome face a hard, dangerous edge. His dark hair was tousled from the wind that seemed to always whip around the docks and every bit of him was dull and dirty from the voyage. "You think forcing the crew to give up their friend will win your favor?"
"How else will I earn their respect? A man would do the same as I."
Scoffing he straightened and started toward her. "If you were a man your crew wouldn't be eager to abandon ship."
He was taller than her. A good head taller, but she refused to let him intimidate her. Instead she lifted her chin more as she looked up at him. "So you don't deny it. The crew wants to abandon ship."
Something flashed within his eyes. He had trapped himself. "I suggested it."
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me."
He smirked down at her. "So now what, my lady," his tone was mocking as he said the title, "you have your traitor."
Looking away from him, she looked at each of her other crew members. "Each of you will sign new contracts with the ship as soon as we are done unloading. If you are unhappy by the new management, then you may leave with final payment. If you choose to stay you will note a twenty percent raise in your pay." She couldn't help a smile blossom on her lips as she noted their surprise. "I've been looking at the books close enough. All of you were very loyal to Mr. Andrews and some of you have spent your whole lives on this ship." She looked at the graying man. "None of you have had a raise in quite sometime, so if you are as loyal to me as you were to him, you deserve such a raise in your pay."
Clara glanced up at the traitor. "Except you. I can't have you around upsetting the peace of my ship. You will collect your final pay and what you do after that is none of my concern, but you will not be returning to my ship." Looking back at her crew she raised an eyebrow at them. "Have we settled this nonsense then?" They yelled their agreement and then scurried about finishing their jobs.
Clara turned and was about to climb back onto the plank to shore when someone caught her arm. Whirling she face the traitor. "You can't take my job." But instead of angry, he sounded amused.
Clara shrugged. "You seem to have a hard time accepting my place as your employer. It's better for us both if you find another." Yanking her arm out of his hold she climbed up the plank and walked down back to the docks.
As she headed back toward the market with her rose basket still on her arm she passed Miles and a group of men she recognized. She paused long enough to tell the stunned group about the new contracts for the sailors before she went back on her way. She needed to finish selling her flowers and buy what they needed for the week before everything closed up for the day.
Normally Clara enjoyed selling the flowers, but as she picked up the last one she really just wanted get home. As she decided she was just going to take the last rose home she heard a voice behind her wanting claim to it and she turned to find the traitor.
She raised her eyebrows at him. "I find it hard to believe you have a sweetheart in this town."
He dug for the money in his purse at his waist and flashed her a roguish grin. "I have sweethearts everywhere, little bird." Handing her the coppers he took the rose. "What's a lady doing out here selling roses?"
Clara shrugged as she put the money away. "It has to be done. That and the shopping, so if you'll excuse me..." She turned and headed towards the vendors, but the traitor was on her heels.
"Don't you have servants for this?"
"Why? I am perfectly able and I'd rather the money go elsewhere." Stepping up to the fruit vendor she smiled and asked for three baskets of the rotten berries, that seemed to shut the traitor up for a few long seconds.
"You'd rather spend it on rotten berries?" He sounded incredulous.
Sighing tiredly, but she politely smiled up at him. Traitor or not, she could be nice. "The berries go to three families who cannot afford them. They won't accept perfect baskets, but they'll accept these. They eat what they can salvage and they turn the rest into paints." Taking the baskets she handed the coins to the vendor. The same amount of coins she would have spent on three perfect baskets.
"He just robbed you! You shouldn't have a paid a copper for those sorry baskets! You-" He sounded so offended and angry that she couldn't help a curious look up at him.
"And you should know better than anyone how much he needs those coppers." Stepping back she looked him over, but he looked like he had spent a lifetime near the seas, working. He also looked vaguely familiar. She searched her memory for his face, but it was as if it is was just out of reach. "Do I...Do I know you?"
Surprised he stared down at her, a smirk sliding onto his lips. "Unless you are a lady of the night..."
Shooting him a disgusted look, she brushed past him and went off and towards a building with a bunch of children in ragged clothing playing with sticks. Despite their disheveled appearance, they were well fed and rested. Walking inside the building there were crude, but definite beds everywhere. Clara weaved around them and through a room filled with women. There were a few looms that women sat at creating rugs and bolts of fabric. Others were by the windows embroidering on cloth. More were spinning clay into bowls and plates. Others still were painting intricate designs on the hardened bowls and vases.
"Clara!" An older dark haired woman enveloped Clara in a hug.
"I brought the berries." Clara handed the baskets to the woman who passed them out to the various women who had requested them.
"Thank you, Clara. Heaven knows where we'd all be without you."
Clara grinned. "My money hardly does anything here any more. Between you all and the men...you are sustaining yourselves!"
The woman shook her head. "But it was you who started this. If it-" She then noticed the man lingering in the door way. "Clara, who's that?"
Clara glanced over her shoulder dismayed to see the traitor still following her. "He was a traitor on my ship. He's been following me around. I suspect he wants his job back and this is the best way he knows how to get it back. By annoying me."
"He's awfully handsome..."
"He also has a mouth like a pig stye."
"Well, you can't have it all, Clara..."
Clara rolled her eyes. "The paint?" The woman seemed to remember herself and brought the paint to Clara.
As Clara passed the traitor she paused on the way out as he spoke. "You started this?"
She nodded and couldn't help the pride lit her voice and light her eyes. "Yes. It was the prince's idea, but I started it. The poorest of the poor come here for rest and food. In turn they are then put to work. The women as you see and the men in fields I also purchased."
There was a hint of admiration in his eyes as he glanced around and then looked back down at her. He continued to follow her out, pausing only to charm a young girl who sat away from her friends by giving her his rose. He then hurried to catch up to her as she moved on to the next building where a family lived and whom she traded a man the paints for a pair of finely crafted men's shoes.
"He is a shoemaker. His wife died last year and he has a daughter who loves to paint. He can not afford the paints so I provide them in turn for shoes." Clara explained to the traitor before he had a chance to question her and led him to an old woman selling shoes. The same woman who had sold the soft gold shoes with rose embroidery so long ago.
She handed the shoes over to the woman and in return got a pair of plain, simple black ones and some change. "This is the last stop." Clara made her way further through the market and stepped up to an old vendor with piles and piles of shoes. "John," She smiled at the man and they exchanged simple pleasantries before she brought out the shoes. "I was wondering if you could sell these? I find they don't fit my feet..."
"Oh! These look brand new! They'll fetch a large price! Oh, Clara, are you sure? What can I give you?" John was holding the shoes as if they were close to gold.
Nodding she grinned. "Yes. And," She glanced the traitor and down to his feet and worn shoes. "What do you have that can fit my friend here?"
The traitor looked surprised and shook his head. "No, I can purchase my own shoes I-"
Clara waved him off. "It will take some time before this town changes their perception of women. Take them as a treaty of peace." John handed her a pair that she gave to him. They fit him well so they handed in his old shoes and Clara led him away.
"Does this peace treaty come with the offer of my old job?" The traitor grinned devilishly at her.
Clara shook her head. "No." As she started to head to another vendor she realized that they were all starting to pull their wares in and shut down their stalls. "Norah is going to kill me. I didn't buy anything we needed. Now I'll have to come back tomorrow."
"Well, if you're going to die, you might as well give me back my job since it won't matter one way or another..."
Clara sent him a look. Turning to face him, she offered him her hand. "Well, sir, this is where we part. I enjoyed your company and do hope you find employment." She tried to let go and leave him, but he held tight to her hand.
"You really don't recognize me, do you?" The man was grinning down at her as he stared at her somewhat surprised by something.
((Thank you all so much again :) One more chapter and this story will be finished. Because you guys seemed to like the idea of reading about Bran's story I'll start posting that one after this one is finished. :D My goal is to keep the same pace as I did with this one. Aiming for a chapter a day or at least every other or so. My mom has been in and out of the doctors the past few weeks so that's why there were more days between chapters than others. Yep, thank you all so much again, it's really amazing reading all the comments from you guys :D I hope you enjoy the ending :) ))