Henrietta stood out for all the wrong reasons. She was constantly second to her brother, brushed aside by her father, and laughed at by the rest of the public. With many mistakes and an arranged marriage looming over her, she leaves the only home sh...
I: ONE PROBLEM AT A TIME Song: Be Alright by Ariana Grande
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Multiple footsteps padded against the dirt road. Yelps and shrieks could be heard all around as figures ran past merchants and passersby alike, evading the squad of law enforcers and bounty hunters that were hot on their tails. A small group of 5 pirates being chased by over 20 well-built men was a sight rarely seen in the Southern Markets. The entire island was a sanctuary for wanted criminals and pirates, hidden well by the ruse of merchants and traders. Corruption also had the police and government officials turning a blind eye to all the illegal activities. Unfortunately, the understanding did not apply to this particular group of pirates, who had done nothing unlawful since they stepped foot in the markets earlier that day.
The sound of waves crashing against the sand grew louder and louder the further the pirates ran away from the market proper. The pirates never stopped running, no matter how much space they put between themselves and their pursuers. The salty air told the group how close they were to escape, making their legs run faster. The sight of their small dinghy was enough to pump one more shot of adrenaline into the group's veins.
"Hurry up!" A panicked voice shouted. He was the first to the rowboat, already pushing it off the sand and into the sea. His muscular arm pushed against the waves with ease. Two brunettes then jumped into the small vessel and took hold of one oar each. The three were all situated comfortably on the dinghy and already rowing out of the coast when a blonde jumped in.
"Were you seriously going to leave us?" The blonde asked, catching his breath. The three shared a look and shrugged their shoulders, answering his question. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh. He knew better than to ask questions he already knew the answers to.
About a third of the way to their main ship, the four noticed something was wrong. They were missing someone. A head popped out of the water, an auburn-haired girl was swimming as fast as she could, trying to catch the boat. "Slow down, nitwits. At this rate, you're gonna leave her behind." The blonde scolded his companions, reaching an arm out to help his friend. "Thanks." The girl said shyly once she was aboard the dinghy, shivering in her wet clothes.
The group looked back to the beach. Men were disappearing into the forest and heading back to the markets. It seems like the not-so-friendly group of thugs had given up the chase the moment the escape vehicle was 20 meters away from the shoreline.
Once the rowboat made contact with the wood of a 2-mast schooner, a rope ladder was let down. The last one to make their way up the ship was the dripping wet redhead. "Um, Cap? Why are you wet?" A husky, light brown-haired man asked, genuine curiosity lacing his voice.
A scowl appeared on the captain's face, annoyed at many things. "I don't know, Finley. Why don't you ask the three idiots over there." She said sarcastically, pointing over to where the skiff was being tied up. Three heads looked up with mischief in their eyes. "We just thought Henny could use a bit of exercise." One of the brunettes said casually, her messy braid slightly shaking as she gave a little laughter. With a roll of her eyes, Henrietta took off her wet coat and handed it to the waiting arms of the cabin boy. "Thanks, Tommy." She said softly as the boy shuffled off to hang her coat dry.
