Stealing Hearts

Boots clack against the cobble stone street as a lean figure stalks through the crowd, parting seas of people. Captain Elizabeth Wren has just laid anchor in Liverpool Harbor; today's visit was a rather friendly one for Wren. Today the red-headed captain was to recruit new crew members seeing as she had acquired a new, larger, ship from some very accommodating Spanish nobles. The crew, those who are not guarding the ship, are most likely heading for the tavern to leave a mess for her to clean up. During her musings, Captain Wren is rather surprised, although no one can tell, when someone has the courage to call out to her.

"You there, in the pirate hat! You're not welcome here!" A broad-shouldered, commanding young man atop a stallion exclaims.

"Says who?" Wren replies, having no reason to raise her voice she would have been heard even if the crowded street hadn't gone deathly silent.

"Lord Adam of Liverpool."

"And of what significance is this Lord Adam to me?"

'Self-righteous young noblemen are just too fun to rile up'

"How dare you- halt right there! Where do you think you're going?" Leaving the black haired, blue eyed lord sputtering Wren turns her back and saunters away.

(Minor time skip to that night, from Adam's prospective)

Adam can not remember a time when someone had the audacity to ignore him and his demands. That is of course until today, when that infuriatingly stoic, red haired vixen of a pirate turned her back to him and acted as if he held no importance or authority in regards to her. 'I didn't even get her name! How am I supposed to find her now?'

" 'Oh, how am I supposed to find her now?' ", came the mocking tone of Adam's best friend, Sydney. "Yes my friend you said that out loud, but you've had enough ale to excuse your slip up. Now tell me of this girl that has you so flustered, is she the daughter of a powerful duke? Or have you been eying a servant? Oh what a delightful scandal that would make!"

"If you wish for me to tell you anything, don't you think it would be in your best interest to shut your blabbering mouth?" Adam replies dryly, interrupting his friend before he began to shout his embarrassing speculations in the crowded tavern. the day having come to an end and his irritation having not simmered down, a few drinks with his best friend would relax him. Or so he thought. Glancing over, Adam sees that for once his blonde friend had listened and shut his mouth. With a sigh Adam began explaining, "I'm frustrated because today I encountered a pirate, so naturally I commanded that she leave Liverpool. But instead of listening to me, she questioned my authority, of which I told her. Then, acting as if that authority did not apply to her, she ignored me and strutted on her merry way!"

"So from what I gather is that you are bothered by the fact that a pirate, who disregards all authority, did not give into your demands?"

"Don't you use that condescending tone of voice with me!"

"Dear friend, do you think me stupid? I would never do such a thing!"

"Don't you 'dear friend' me!"

"Hey, would this pirate girl of yours happen to have red hair, grey eyes, and tan skin? And would she happen to be taller than the average girl?"

"Yes," replies Adam, reeling from the sudden switch in topic. "Why do you ask?"

"I ask because she's standing watch over in the corner there."

(Wren's perspective)

Sharp steel eyes scan the crowded tavern as Wren keeps a close eye on her rowdy crew. The new members were already smashed, but had yet to do anything too dangerously stupid. While doing so she absentmindedly juggles a good coin over and under her knuckles, it's passing making a flash flash as it captures the light of the lanterns. This flash flash draws the attention of many greedy eyes in the tavern, but one pair of watery blue looks on with a guilty hunger. Blue eyes meet grey as Wren gives a small secretive smile and waves the young serving boy over, "Come 'ere lad."

Blonde curls bounce and blue eyes smile back as the serving boy scurries over to the pirate captain.

"You look like the type to enjoy games, am I right?" Wren asks in her honey-like tone and after receiving an excited nod she continues, "Well then I've got a game for you, catch the coin and you can keep it."

The game commences with Wren flipping the flashing coin through her knuckles once again. In deep concentration the boy follows the dancing coin from finger to finger, when unexpectedly the coin leaps into the air and he snatches it. With wide eyes full of excitement and wonder he peers up at a smirking Wren, "Nice job lad. The coin is yours now, use it wisely."

After giving a solemn nod the serving boy scampers away, and into the waiting hands of a greedy drunken brute. Keeping a firm grip on his prize the boy thrashes in the iron hold as steel eyes watch on with increasing irritation. Wren slips a throwing knife from her belt and launches it, the knife summersaults through the air and plants itself in the wall mere centimeters from the brute's nose. Wide and drunkenly dazed eyes travel the length of dagger and trace it back to its owner, whose grey-eyed glare was almost sharper than the blade. Wren raises an eyebrow and asks, "Did you catch the coin?"

"No," the brute slurs.

"Then by the rules of my game, of which I enforce, you do not get the coin. Do you wish to challenge the rules?"

In response the drunken brute shoves the serving boy away, letting the boy escape with his prize. Satisfied, Wren swiftly stalks up to the brute and stares him in the eye as she pulls the dagger from the wall. Then spinning on her heels she saunters towards the tavern door, flipping the blade much like she did the coin, and calling out the her crew, "Anyone who returns to the ship after mid-morrow will be swabbing the deck until the next moon change."

(Adam's perspective)

What's driving him he doesn't know but for some reason, maybe the ale, Adam is doing something reckless. Rising from his seat he yells, "Stop! You will not escape me again!"

"Adam what are you doing?" Hisses Sydney, his wide green eyes flitting between all the brawny and rugged men, most likely pirates, that stand at the ready.

"And what makes you say that?" She stands there, the upper half of her body facing him and the other still pointing to the door. 'What am I even doing? I have no clue what to say to her, she confuses me like no other. She's a pirate for God's sake, a criminal! And yet she gave money and protected poor children.' This woman is defying everything he knows to be true about marauders.

With a knowing smirk the fox-like pirate suggests, "When you have decided how and why you are going to stop me, let me know."

'It's as if she knows I'm conflicted by her criminal status and her charitable actions.'

Adam knows he shouldn't accept the silent offer but he finds himself doing so anyways, "And how shall I reach you then?"

"You need only ask of me, pirates gossip more than court ladies, it will reach me."

"Who am I to ask of?"

"Captain Elizabeth Wren," and with that she disappears into the night. For some reason Adam's blood roars in his ears, over powering the din of the tavern, and a grin spreads across his face that he can't seem to fight off. What Adam doesn't know yet is that Wren is well on her way to stealing his heart.