I could hear the footsteps behind me. I don't know why but the sound of their murmurs gradually softened as if they were far away and could no longer catch up. It's likely because it was dark, and it was raining.

Panting, I reached the pier. I could hear the sound of bells from boats and ships. It was so, so dark. There weren't many lit lamps from the boats, clearly not enough to illuminate the water.

I pushed my wet hair clinging to my cheeks away from my face. Hugging myself for a moment, trying to warm myself but failing. My dress was too soaked.

I walked carefully, creeping to the edge of the pier then peered down. It was too dark to see the water clearly, and my eyes were blurry with the rainwater.

"Prepare t' set sail!" A loud voice boomed from one of the largest ship nearest me. I instinctively crouched, startled, and looked around for a place to hide. "Move yer arse ye lazy scallywag!" I flinched at the harsh voice that nearly ruled over the sound of the rain. As if for effect, a frightening crash of thunder immediately followed.

I glanced to my side and found barrels stacked and tied at one edge. I then rushed over to hide. "I be not payin' ye doubloons fer naught!" I peeked over the brim of the barrel in front, squinting my eyes to see through the rain.

"You don't pay us at all!" I hear a much, much younger voice shout back, and a round of laughter followed him.

There were many ships and many of them were lit, but I focused on the one where the voices came from. I could only make out the shadowy figure of the ship.

Then another strike of lightning came.

The wood carvings, the figurehead- a wolf with its mouth ajar and paws up as if it was about to pounce on whatever was in its way-I recognized it immediately even for only a glimpse. "The Howling Blade." I breathed. As if the ship has ears, a high-pitched howl, almost like a whistle, broke through the sound of the rain. It intermingled for a couple of seconds with thunder.

A chill ran down my spine as I lowered down. I sat and hugged my knees to my chest. It's so cold. My teeth won't stop chattering and I can't seem to stop the tears from flowing.

"Hurry, men!" The commanding voice was not quite distant but farther than before. The howling whistle had stopped. I rested my head on one barrel and cried. I couldn't hide forever. They will find me soon enough, and then they would hang me right in the middle of the town square.

I covered my mouth with my hand to muffle the sobs. My chest felt heavy at the thought of everything I was leaving behind, and everything I would be facing. For all one knows, I would be facing humiliation. Disgrace. Death.

I heard the voices before the footsteps. "She could not have gone far! Search the area! Search the boats and ships if needed!" I recognize the voice as Lieutenant Timothy's. He was the first to see me earlier and command that I stop running. I had not listened and instead had run away from my house. That was almost an hour ago, and I hadn't stopped running since.

I saw their figures in the distance, all ten of them. It was quite silly. Eight grown men, a maid, and Victoria; against one eighteen-year-old girl. Did they honestly think I was that dangerous?

Perhaps I was.

My breaths came in sharp, panicked sounds as I stood up, one hand on a barrel to steady myself. Still, I crouched low to avoid being seen. "What should I do, where should I go?" My voice shook from the cold, and from the pure terror I was feeling.

"Wait!" I hear Victoria shout and I froze, thinking that she spotted me. But I could see they were still too far to notice me from where I was hiding, and they had stopped moving. "This is Amelia's necklace!" She exclaimed to them.

My hand instinctively rose and touched my bare neck. I must have dropped my necklace while I was running! With one last look, I half-ran to the edge of the pier once more. I peered on the water, praying that the tide was high enough for me to jump without making too much sound.

I took a deep breath and straightened my legs before jumping in. The water was brutally cold, but I was already freezing from the rain so it made little difference.

"Over there!" Someone shouted.

They had heard. I swam blindly to the opposite direction to the pier. I didn't care where I was going. I just needed to get far away.

Another strike of lightning illuminated the sea, and I saw the Howling Blade several feet ahead of me. Without giving it much of a thought, I quickly swam towards it, pushing my legs harder.

I caught sight of a rope hanging from the ship so I grabbed on to it. I looked back behind me, only to see figures swaying to their sides and standing on their toes, as if they were trying to see through the rain.

I sighed in relief then coughed and spluttered seawater. They hadn't seen me.

I looked up to see where the rope led. It was through a hole, large enough for me to crawl through. I gripped the rope tighter and pulled, praying that it won't slide off.

It didn't.

I started climbing, uncertainly at first, then faster. It was high, about halfway to the deck. After a matter of seconds, one of my hands was already trying to haul me up, and then the other. I looked through the hole- it was probably a window- and saw a few lamps hanging from the posts that dimly lit up the room. I didn't see anyone, just crates, barrels and a few bales.

I pushed myself inside, still careful not to make any noise despite the chattering and the laughter above. I crawled to a corner that was hidden by large crates of what looked like fruits. This room must be the ship's hold.

I hugged myself again. Thunder boomed outside but it was softened by the wooden walls. The ship rocked wildly for a second, and an apple dropped from the two-feet crate next to me.

My stomach growled. It was late and the last time I had eaten was this morning with Flynn at-

No. I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing the memory away. Don't think about that.

A few second later I opened my eyes and picked up the apple. It looked fresh, so after a quick wipe on my dress- wet and clinging uncomfortably to my body-I took a bite. I slowly stood up and lifted the large wool cloth covering the mouth of the crate. It was loaded with fruits and vegetables.

It was after I took another bite when the situation finally sunk in.

I ran away. I've run away because I did something wrong. I did something very, very wrong.

Now I'm a stowaway on a ship. Only if it was a traveling ship or a trading one that could take me safely to a faraway place. But it wasn't. It's a pirate ship. A well-known pirate ship at that.

The Howling Blade.

They were as equally notorious and barbaric as other pirates, but they had the youngest Captain as I were told. Twenty-two-no, twenty-three years old this year.

I don't know what to do. By now we should be too far away from shore- that is, too far away for me to swim. But to stay here would be asking for a knife across my throat. The pirates would instantly kill me if-when they find me. Or keep me for ransom.

Which is useless because after what I've done I doubt anyone would so much as think of paying a penny for my head.

It was virtually a die-or-leave situation. Leaving would also result to death by drowning.

One of the pirates would soon head down here to get food, and they would see me. But the thought of getting off the ship and swimming aimlessly in the dark sea under the cold rain frightened me.

I finished the apple and let it drop. I'm so tired.

I curled on the floor and hugged myself. What was Victoria doing now? Crying, out of anger perhaps? Would they keep on searching for me? So... so they could hang me in the square? Or would they give up and assume... hope... that I drowned and died?