Chapter 10 - Driftwood
Blue rose to see that Green had not returned the previous night. Red continued to snore soundly as Blue rinsed her face with the water pitcher left in the room. She lamented not being able to drench herself in it.
When Blue arrived in the pub on the first floor she found Green sitting at the bar, talking to Beld, and smiling. She had shed her cloak and traded it for worn leather breeches and leather jerkin with a white billowy shirt underneath. One large silver hoop earring hung from her right ear, and her long ebony hair hung loose down her back. She still carried her emerald sword at her side.
Green caught sight of Blue and waved her over.
"Hungry?" she asked, sliding a plate of food in front of Blue.
"Thank you," Blue murmured.
"Red still asleep?" Green guessed. Blue nodded. "Ah, well. She'll come down once she smells the fresh bread and realizes she hasn't eaten in eight hours."
Suddenly Blue heard someone fumble down the stairs. Red soon appeared, hair all disheveled and eyes out of focus. "Where's the food?" she demanded. Blue and Green laughed simultaneously.
Green marched down the docks with an authoritative ether about her that Blue had never sensed before. She strutted along, the wooden planks echoing the sound of her firm booted steps, with Red and Blue trailing along on either side, like a set of henchmen.
Green's jet black hair fanned out behind her as she made her way toward a row of medium sized cargo ships.
"I'm sorry, Miss," said a rather round, dirty man, stepping in front of Green. "This dock is off-limits."
Green paused to look down her nose at this little man who dared to cross her path. She cocked her head to look at him through the corner of eye, then faced him squarely, with a hand on the hilt of her sword.
"Off limits?" she asked. "To whom?"
"These are merchant ships, my lady," the man began to explain, "and no one not involved in the business of said merchants is allowed beyond this point."
"What is your name?" Green asked after a moment's contemplation.
"Gregg," answered the man.
"Tell me, Gregg," she said his name with a hint of distaste, "do you know all of the merchants who pass through this port? Can you name and recognize every single one?"
Gregg hesitated. "No," he admitted.
"Then how do you know that I am not one of them?" Green demanded.
"I...uh..." stammered Gregg.
"Do you stop me only because I am a woman?"
"No, my lady, of course not. I..."
"Then why do you hinder me?"
"This place is crawlin' with thieves and scoundrels, my lady, and..."
"So I am a thief and a scoundrel now?"
The little man was clearly very rattled; beads of sweat formed at his temples and made streaks in the dirt on his face as they rolled down past his eyes.
"No, lady, I didn't mean..."
One of the men that had been directing business farther along on the dock noticed the presence of Green and her companions, and the effect they were having on the deck guard, so he set aside what he was doing and strode over.
"Now, now," he said. "What seems to be the trouble here?"
He was tall and thin, with black wavy hair and a neatly trimmed black goatee. He had deep blue eyes set in a tanned, chiseled face with a sharp nose and thin mouth. He had a small gold hoop dangling from one earlobe and a gold stud with an inlaid ruby on the upper part. He carried a slender, lightweight sword at his side, and wore knee-high sleek black boots, tan suede pants, and an airy white shirt with a fine, leather vest over top. He flashed a dazzling smile, exposing one gold tooth.
"Oh," Red goggled.
"Your deck rat here," Green said, seemingly unaffected by the man's physical charm, "is denying me passage onto this dock on the basis that I am a woman, thief, and scoundrel."
"Oh, well, now," said the man. "That can't be right, can it?" He continued to smile. "I'm sure Gregg here just did not realize who you were." He turned toward Green. "It is truly an honor to have you among us, Lady Jade." He bowed deeply.
"Thank you, George," replied Green, the faintest hint of a smile creeping onto her face. "You need not bow," she added.
"Oh, but indeed I must!" George exclaimed. "For I must be blessed beyond all bounds to be in the presence of the great Lady Jade; sorceress of the high seas, most fierce female pirate ever to walk this good earth!"
"Oh shut up you cad," Green demanded. "I have business to discuss with you."
George laughed haughtily. "Of course!" he cried. "Right this way!"
George led the three women down the dock, past several large ships loading and unloading crates, and halted about half way down the landing.
"Now, the two of you I know," George said, nodding to Green and Red, "but your face is new to me." He looked at Blue.
"She is called Blue," Green informed him.
"That's what they call me," Blue muttered.
George cocked an eyebrow, then bent slightly at the waist. "It is a pleasure, my lady," he said, pressing his lips to Blue's fingers.
"Careful who you sweet talk, George," Green warned, "this one's spoken for."
Blue shot Green a horrified look. Why did they keep bringing up her relationship with Legolas? Oh, Legolas...
"Sweet talk?" George said, straightening. "It is a sad day indeed when greeting a lady courteously is considered sweet talk."
"Yes, well, I know you George," Green replied. "And I am inclined to question most of your intentions."
"Speaking of intentions," George said, ignoring Green's comment, "I believe you had something to discuss with me?"
"I'm looking for a ship. Know of any for hire?"
"No beating around the bush, I see."
Green shrugged.
"Well," George mused, scanning the ships. "None are for sale, at the moment," he said.
"You know a man named Harlow?" Green asked.
"I've heard of him," George said.
"I heard he might be looking to trade in his ship. Which one's his?"
George raised a speculative eyebrow. He turned to the side and waved a hand, indicating the last ship in the quay. Green exchanged a look with her pirate friend, then marched down to the implied boat.
"This?" Green demanded, clearly appalled. "This piece of driftwood?" It was George's turn to shrug. Even Blue, who was the least adept at ship appraisal, could see that this boat was lacking. It leaned horribly to one side, the sails were tattered and torn, and there was a strong stench wafting through the air.
"I ain't getting on that thing," Red said.
"Excuse me," Green asked George, the agitation in her voice clear. As she started to leave, George stopped her.
"One more thing, before I forget," he said. "Some man in uniform was looking for Red back at Saltfort. Well, he said a tall, blonde woman with a big mouth and a red cloak. I assumed he must have been talking about Red."
"What about Red?" Red asked.
"I'll keep that in mind," Green said as she turned on her heel and stomped off.
"What about Red?!" repeated Red, running after her.
Green sat at the bar, hunched over a mug of ale, waiting for Beld the Barkeep. When he finally did take a moment to pause between rushing food and ale to various customers, the emerald eyed woman set her tankard down and said coolly;
"What are you trying to pull?"
"Pull?" Beld asked, his face the picture of perfect innocent confusion.
"Don't give me that," Green warned. "If there's one thing I've learned by spending so much time with that Hell-fire woman, it's how to tell when people are hiding something."
Beld's eyes darted to the floor, then quickly back up to Green.
"That gambling Captain Harlow's boat of yours was in pieces. Seriously," she let out an exasperated puff of air, "I'd think you were trying to get me to buy into that dinghy just so I'd be around for a few months trying to make it sea worthy again."
"Oh, I don't think it was that bad," Beld said, stuffing a cloth inside a silver flagon.
"It was listing so far to the starboard side I don't know how it hasn't capsized," Green retorted.
"Are you sure it wasn't just the way the waves were forcing it to lean like that?" Beld asked.
"The sails are practically nonexistent," Green went on.
"You can replace sails easy..."
"Deck boards were coming loose..."
"Find some nails..."
"Not to mention the thing reeks and is infested with rats and termites..."
"Well, you're gonna have varmints no matter what you do."
Green gave him a dirty look and raised her mug to her lips. "Oh, and it leaks," she added, before taking a swig. Beld shrugged.
"Can't blame me for trying."
Just then the doors to the tavern burst open and Red appeared, gently back-lit by the setting sun, and with hands on hips, she questioned the crowd;
"So, who's buying the first round?" A cheer went up from the pirates as Red marched in and found a place to sit among a crew of miscreants wearing worn blue bandannas. There were immediately three mugs of ale placed in front of her.