The next morning, Ruby and Weiss were walking down the streets of Port Royale, the young captain clutching her aching head and groaning. "What did you expect to happen?" her first mate asked, "Drinking that much last night is not good for your liver."
"Alright, I get it!" the silver-eyed woman groaned, "You don't have to tell me how bad an idea it was, the hangover is doing enough of that by itself."
Weiss sighed, "So, any idea on who this shipwright might be?"
"Considering it's Roman, I'd put my money on the White Star Line."
The snow-haired aristocrat stared at her incredulously, "The White Star Line? The biggest shipbuilding company in this corner of the globe? How on Remnant can he pull a favour from them?"
"Let's just say he has some 'deep connections'."
"...It's a protection racket, isn't it?"
Ruby smiled wryly, "How did you know? It's honestly more complicated than that, Roman also supplies them with all manners of supplies, like timber, candle wax, rigging, that sort of thing. It's more a mutually beneficial relationship that has the caveat that, should they abandon Roman, he'll break their stuff."
The two continued on their way to Roman's makeshift palace, where they found the crime lord waiting for them at the front door, "Ah, Red, Ice Queen, so good to see you lovely ladies on this fine morning."
"Are you complimenting or insulting me?" Weiss asked.
"I'll leave that for you to decide. Onto business, I got you a meeting with the foreman of the White Star Line…"
"Called it."
"...and he should be waiting for us now. If you'll follow me." The ginger man led them away to the docks, where a large number of ships, both complete and under construction, were moored.
Waiting for them was a large, muscular man with sun kissed skin and dark brown hair that was currently receding. He glanced at Roman and then at the two ladies, "So, these are the two lassies ye were tellin' me all about?"
"Indeed they are, Mr Whitchurch, they're currently in the market for a ship and have the cash to pay for it, too."
The foreman regarded the relatively diminutive women before him, extending his hand out, "William Whitchurch, foreman of this here dockyard."
"Ruby Rose, and this is my first mate, Sophie Rivers." After the incident the day before, the two had worked on an alias for Weiss to avoid any further complications.
"Ye'r the captain, eh? Would have taken your friend for that job, not that my sense means anythin'.
"Anyway, ye wanted a ship, right? Lookin' for one that's already built or are you willing to wait for us to make a new one?"
"We'll have a look at what is already built."
"Aye. Take a gander at what we got and let me know what fancies yer eye." The four proceeded down the dockyard, Ruby inspecting all the ships they passed. They were either too big, unable to be properly managed by a small crew (it was still only her and Weiss, with possibly two or three more), or were in a state that she wouldn't trust her life and those sailing with her on board.
That was, until her eyes landed upon a certain ship. "What about that caravel?" The ship in question was a small vessel, perfect for a crew size of eight to twelve, with a maiden holding a plume of roses over her breast for her figurehead.
Will followed her gaze and smirk, "Ah, she was brought in a few weeks ago, the skipper and his crew retirin' after fourteen years sailin' together. Just to know, what size crew are yer lookin' for, lass?"
"Not too big, enough for a caravel that size."
"Ye've a fine eye, then. No one else has bought that ship because most skippers still green behind the ears go for larger ships. That caravel was set to be scuppered soon."
Ruby continued to inspect the ship, her eyes lighting up, "What's her name?"
"She's known as the Crescent Rose."
Ruby smiled at the name. The shape of the deck was like a crescent, and the plume of roses on the bow. 'Twas a fitting name, she thought. "How much is she?"
"I'd reckon 200,000 for the ship, and an extra 100,000 for refittin' her, should take a week or so."
Ruby smiled, "I'll take her then."
"Excellent!" Roman cheered, "As her broker, I'll handle the payment. If you could just give me a moment first…" With that said, he pulled the young captain aside, taking a puff on his pipe, "Listen now, Ruby. I understand you've never been one to care what others think of you, why else would you wear rags?"
"Excuse me?"
"But piracy is a business, and any good business has a good brand. People won't want your services if you look like a pauper, and that might affect me as well; who knows what those fine folk in Menagerie will do if they thought I was hiring ruffians. You still have a sizable amount of cash left, I'd recommend using it to invest in your brand." Roman gave her a pat on the head before returning to William.
Weiss approached Ruby, the young captain fixing her hair, "Nothing too bad, I hope?"
"Nah, just a pointer. Anyway, we've got some time to look for a crew, and Uncle Qrow can help us out. Quite a few people head to taverns when looking for work, see if anyone's hiring. I'm also going to go shopping for some new clothes, want to come with?"
"Clothes?"
"Yeah! I don't look captain-y enough, something so that when people see me they think; wow, she must be a fearsome captain!" Ruby leaned back and placed her hands on her hips to emphasise her point.
"You look like a fool."
"Which is why I need something cool! Anyway, do you want to join me?"
Weiss hummed in thought, "Well, I don't want to have something that makes me stand out…"
Ruby made a dismissive noise, "Oh please, Weiss, they already know you're sailing with me, plus you're about to become a notorious criminal!"
"Ruby, all we've done is illegal salvage, I don't think that constitutes notoriety."
The young captain was about to reply when her eyes caught sight of something, her expression dropping, "You want to test that theory?" she asked. Weiss turned to face the port, spotting a large galleon flying the flag of the Atlesian king preparing to dock.
The admiral's daughter said nothing, instead choosing to pull her captain into the shadows of the alleys, fleeing the docks. They made their way to Qrow's tavern, finding the scruffy huntsman wiping mugs behind the bar.
"Hey girls," he called, "How're things?"
"Precarious," Weiss breathed.
"Just nearly had an unfortunate meeting with the navy, but we got out of there." Ruby approached the bar, "Anyway, uncle, we need some crewmates. Know anyone looking for a job?"
"Yeah, a few, I'll let 'em know when I see 'em. When you setting sail?"
"In about a week, shipwrights just need to do some repairs before she's seaworthy."
Qrow hummed, taking another glass to wipe, "Sounds good. What are you gonna do in the meantime? It's still too soon since what happened with that Hackeshaw guy for the navy to know about you, but it won't be long before a warrant is placed on you."
"Shopping," Ruby replied, "What kind of self-respecting captain would be dressed like this? I need a cape or jacket or something. Maybe a large, feathered hat as well."
Qrow smiled proudly, "I taught you well."
"I still fail to see why this is important," Weiss added.
"If you're gonna do somethin', do it with style."
It was quite clear to the noble where Ruby's love for the dramatic came from. Still, the two raised a fair point, they were criminals now they had attacked the king's soldiers, so what was the danger of having some fancy clothes? It's not like either of them were inconspicuous anyway, what with her snowwhite hair and Ruby's gleaming silver eyes. So, she hummed, "I suppose it would be good to have some nice clothes."
And so, they waited the next few days gathering supplies for their voyage to Menagerie, stocking up on previsions, preservatives, wood and other such items. They also visited a seamstress with a rather eccentric personality. Weiss was fairly certain that, as she was taking their measurements, the chocolate haired beauty was also feeling them up. Ruby either hadn't noticed or didn't seem to care, whilst Weiss was profoundly uncomfortable. Nevertheless, she had taken their order, and with no other customers could get the job done quickly, certainly before they set sail.
The last order of business was the crew. Qrow had managed to pique the interest of two young sailors, a man and girl, and set up a meeting for them. Sitting across from Ruby and Weiss was a gentleman of Mistralli descent, his black hair tied back into a long ponytail that, interestingly, had a pink streak, matching his eyes that exuded a calm and collected confidence. He was wearing a green and black changshan.
Beside him was a ginger girl who couldn't seem to sit still, as if she were a spring bursting with excitement. She was wearing a simple cotton shirt and pants, with a bright pink bandanna tied around her waist. The two seemed as if they had come from entirely different backgrounds, the ginger seeming more Valean than Mistralli, yet they sat close together with a sense of familiarity.
"My name is Lie Ren," the man stated calmly, bowing politely.
"And I'm Nora!" the girl continued, jumping up and extending her hand, "Nora Valkyrie!"
Ruby eagerly shook the outstretched hand, "I'm Ruby, and this is my first mate, Weiss." The snow-haired woman gave a polite nod. "So, Qrow told me you want to sail with us."
"Yes," Ren replied, gently guiding Nora back into her chair, "The two of us are experienced sailors; I've been sailing for the last ten years, whilst Nora has been sailing with me for the last four."
Ruby hummed, noting the calluses on their hands and weather-beaten, yet still youthful, faces, "You sure look like you've been on the swell a while. I do have to ask if you two are alright sailing with us? We may be criminals in Atlas' eyes." The captain's words caused Weiss to stiffen fearfully.
"I have no problem with that," Ren replied, "If I was so concerned with sailing with those who stay on the side of the law, I wouldn't have come to this town." Weiss' fears were alleviated slightly by his calm and truthful demeanour.
"I'm okay with it," Nora added cheerfully, "I mean, if you really are bad guys, I'll just punch you myself!" Her words were equally truthful, yet it only made Weiss become tense again.
"Great!" Ruby cheered, "Now, why don't I buy us all a round and we can chat for a bit?" With that, she stood up and went to the bar.
Weiss followed after her, "Ruby, why did you tell them that we were criminals?!" she demanded quietly.
The captain regarded her confusedly, "Well, they're part of my crew now, so I'm not going to lie to them."
The aristocrat sighed, "Honourable as it is, it's really dangerous. What if they went to the authorities?"
It was then that Ruby faced her head on, a cold hardness in her eyes that the snow-haired beauty had never seen before. "Weiss," she began in low tone, "If you can't trust the people you're sailing with, then you shouldn't be sailing together. The sea is a cruel mistress where anything can go wrong; a breach in the hull, run out of food or water, or just a spot of bad luck can cost every crew member their lives. I told them that we were crooks because that trust is something that should never be violated, especially not in my crew. You have to trust them… You have to trust me."
Weiss' eyes were cast downward in shame, "I… I know… I'm just scared…"
A gentle hand was placed on her shoulder as Ruby stared at her with eyes full of kindness, a stark contrast to the cold silver they were before, "I know. You shouldn't let that fear get to you or else you'll have a heart attack; I've seen you constantly looking over your shoulder. Not everyone is out to get you, so just relax." Weiss smiled slightly, a warm feeling spreading through her core.
With that said, the two returned to Ren and Nora with four drinks, and proceeded to chat away the night.
Soon, the anticipated day arrived, the first voyage of Ruby Rose and her new crew aboard the Crescent Rose. Weiss had been given the role of quartermaster, as Ruby had felt the way she managed money when they were gathering provisions was exemplary. Ren had taken the role of chef and Nora responsible for the rigging, although with such a small crew it was not uncommon for them all to adjust the sails or row the ores.
Weiss stood on deck in her new clothes; a fine white jacket with blue trim and silver buttons, a pair of white trousers that were tucked into a pair black boots. From her collar descended a pure-white, ruffled neckerchief. She had also got an eyepatch that covered her left eye, a trick she had learnt from her sister when going below deck so she always had an eye acclimated to darkness. The aristocrat glanced down the gangplank, noticing her captain boarding the ship.
Ruby was also in her new set of clothes, a rose-red coat that flowed behind her, unbuttoned, and, interestingly, had a hood as well. Despite that, she had also picked up a large, wide-brimmed hat with a large white feather in it whilst gold thread lined the trim. Unlike Weiss, she had opted for a black undershirt and trousers, though she too had a white, ruffled neckerchief.
"Alright lassies," Ruby began, offering a nod at Ren, "and lad. We're sailing for Kuo Kuana with a whole lot of goods to deliver. Set the sails and put to sea!" With her orders given, the crew jumped into action, unfurling the sails, adjusting the rigging and catching a southerly gale to carry them north.
The captain gently placed her hand on the mast, patting it affectionately, "Keep us safe."
And so they went, leaving Port Royale across the azure waters. Ren and Nora managed the sails and rigging whilst Ruby and Weiss took turns manning the helm and navigating. While both were competent in regards to navigation, and between the two they could direct the Crescent Rose to Menagerie and back, neither were professional in the discipline. They needed a dedicated navigator, Ruby thought, as well as a few cannons should worse come to pass. Nevertheless, the crew of the Crescent Rose had no trouble sailing past Cook's Isle, the mainland appearing on the horizon.
Night shrouded the sea, and the crew retired for the evening. That is except for two. Ren and Nora sat on the deck, watching the stars twinkling overhead. It wasn't long before Nora fell into a slumber, resting her head against the older man's head.
"Stargazing?" Ruby asked, appearing from below deck.
"I suppose," Ren replied, turning back to the inky sky, "She's always loved watching the field of stars overhead."
"I can tell," the captain replied, turning her gaze heavenward, "So, what's the story? You two seem to be quite close."
Ren regarded Nora, gently pulling a stray strand of hair out of her face, "Four years ago, I was sailing with a merchant ship up near Haven. Shortly before we hit port, we spied a wreckage in the water, a lone girl hanging onto a piece of driftwood. All she could remember was her name; Nora.
"When we docked in Haven, I took it upon myself to find anyone who might be related to her. Sadly, no one even recognised her or her name. I was about to send her to an orphanage when she confronted me, giving me a look that I couldn't say no to. So, with a heavy heart, I decided to take her with me. She's been sailing with me ever since."
Ruby smiled sombrely at the tale, "So, you adopted her?"
Ren was silent for a moment, "...I suppose. These last few years, I have started to see her as something akin to a daughter. Still, I am still looking for her parents to this day; they're people that no one can replace."
The captain nodded, "That is true."
"What about you?"
"My mum died when I was little, she was a huntress you see. As for my dad…" her smile fell, "I don't really know. He's still in Vale right now, fighting for the revolution… I'm worried for him."
"I hope you can see him again, someday."
"Thanks. Anyway, you don't need to worry," Ruby stated, patting him on the shoulder, "You're not replacing anyone." Saying no more, she turned on her heel and retreated inside, leaving Ren to watch her flapping coattails in confusion.
The next morning, Ruby was awoken abruptly by the sound of a cannon. She quickly donned her coat and hat and rushed onto deck, finding her crew gazing to the south. There, about a mile or so away, was a ship-of-the-line, possibly carrying 64 guns aboard. Waving powerfully from the mast was the symbol of Atlas, along with a yellow signal flag; an order to stop.
Ruby glanced at Ren and Nora, "Get below deck, now," she commanded firmly, which the two sailors dutifully followed.
"Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee!" a voice bellowed from the Atlesian vessel, possibly assisted by a speaking trumpet or some semblance, "By order of the Atlesian King, you are to halt your vessel post-haste and be boarded. Should you comply, your punishment for interference with the Royal Navy of Atlas shall be a small fine and all criminal records shall be removed! Failure to comply shall put you as enemies of the crown, and we will be forced to engage!"
"What do we do?" Weiss asked with a worried tone.
"Want to go back to your dad?"
"No…"
"And I don't like the idea of paying them any money; I worked hard for it! Weiss, get some of that wind dust and speed us along or slow them down, either is fine."
The first mate nodded and rushed below deck, before returning with grey dust crystals. Holding them in her hand, she summoned her glyphs and created a gust of powerful winds. The sails caught the artificial wind and began to race across the water. Cannonballs began to land in the waters around them, though they were few since the angle their pursuers were at prevented a broadside volley. To make matters worse for the Atlesians, a large sea serpent burst from the water and descended upon them.
It wasn't long until they had escaped over the horizon. "Well done, Weiss!" Ruby cheered, causing her friend to flip her hair back proudly.
"Why did you tell us to go below deck?" Nora asked.
"Well, they're after Weiss and me, so if they saw you then you would be implicated as well. I understand that you two may not want to be permanent crew, so it would be best if the Navy doesn't know you're sailing with us."
"We appreciate it," Ren replied, bowing respectfully.
"Anyway, with that out of the way, let's carry on…"
"Help!"
The Atlesian captain watched as the sea Grimm dissolved into ashes, leaving naught of it's wretched existence remaining.
"Captain?" his first mate called, "What shall we do? Those pirates are no doubt miles out by now."
"We continue on our course," the captain replied, his ice blue eyes staring out to sea with a determined look, "We can't just let pirates get away that easily. Tell the crew to make haste."
"Yes, Captain Schnee!"
Whiteley frowned, "Why did you force my hand like this, dear sister of mine?"
Eh, chapter 2 is out. See? I can get stuff done, just maybe not in a timely fashion. Still, I have a general idea where to go from here, at the very least for the first act, and am now settled in uni; updates should (hopefully) be more regular from here on.
Here's the link for the map: imgur com a/m0HIZxG
Make sure you reconstruct that link in the proper fashion, this site doesn't like me putting links. Anyway, I'll see you all for chapter 3!