The Raven docked hard against the short pier. Miss Blimey cursed under her breath, she hadn't meant to pull the ship in so fast but she was in a hurry. Someone she had once been close to had put a price on her head and she needed to find out why. Betty hates Veronica joined her by the helm and they both looked at the familiar port of Evilwren together in silence. Neither of them needed to say anything. For some strange reason fate kept bringing them back to this evil little hick town and it made the two girls uneasy.

"Where to?" asked Betty H.V.

"Where else? The Tavern" Miss Blimey replied with a sigh and together they set off.

The Bar was fairly empty when Miss Blimey stormed in. There were no need for niceties in this place and Miss Blimey headed straight for the new barman.

"Where is he?" Miss Blimey got right to the point.

"You must be that Blimey bird, we was told you'd be showin' up here" answered the barman.

"Yes I'm that "Blimey bird", now where is he?" Miss Blimey repeated her question coldly. Betty hates Veronica stood silently in the background. This place held too many bad memories for her.

"Ha! Feisty.... He's in the back room, I believe you know the way" smiled the barman triumphantly, though what he thought he had won was unclear.

"Fine.... Betty H.V, you wait here, you'll be OK won't you?" asked Miss Blimey of her first mate.

"Sure, you know I will" smiled Betty H.V taking out her favourite dagger and stabbing it fiercely into the bar top. Miss Blimey smiled at her friend and strolled over to the familiar door at the back of the bar. She didn't bother to knock and stormed straight in. There he was, lounging in a plush red velvet chair in a corner, the late afternoon sun streamed in and passed it's beams over an ornate table upon which sat a bottle and two glasses.

"I knew you'd come here looking for me" stated the rogue.

"Yes, I suppose you did, Blade" replied Miss Blimey, "but what I don't understand is why you would put a bounty on my head, I thought...." she trailed off.

"Oh, that, well, that was a joke you know?" explained Blade, sitting up in the chair and no longer looking so smug.

"A joke? You really are an infuriating twat Blade! I came here to kill you! Did you know that? Maybe I should kill you, how do I know you're telling the truth? That idiot Dr Mean was going to kill us!" exploded Miss Blimey.

"No, he wouldn't have dared, I paid him to bring you in alive" justified Blade.

"So? What does that mean? I have enemies you know who would be more than happy to see my head without my body!" countered Miss Blimey.

"I'd never want to see your head without your body" smiled Blade as he got out of the chair and tried to kiss Miss Blimey.

"What are you up to Blade?" asked Miss Blimey deftly dodging Blades affections.

"Ouch" smiled Blade, looking guiltily.

"Blade, just tell me why you are paying miscreants to kidnap me" asked Miss Blimey quietly, taking the now empty seat and pouring a glass of Wild Turkey for herself, and one for Blade.

"Look, I just wanted to see you again, and I knew that if I called you wouldn't answer after what I did last time, so I figured this way you couldn't avoid me" answered Blade finally. He was staring at the floor unable to look Miss Blimey in the eye.

"Blade, what do you want me to say? You tried to trade the Raven for a wheel barrow when you were.... merry.... and I nearly lost her, if Betty H.V hadn't found you in time I'd have been sailing around someone's garden right now!" replied Miss Blimey.

"I know, I made a mistake, but I miss you" soothed Blade.

"That may be the case Blade, but right now I need to get out of this place. I'm taking you with me until I can figure out how to deal with this, come on!" decided Miss Blimey and grabbed Blade by the wrist, dragging him out into the bar and picking up Betty hates Veronica on the way to the door.

"What's he coming with us for?" asked Betty H.V coldly.

"That's what I'm still trying to figure out" smiled Miss Blimey at Betty H.V. But Miss Blimey knew that if Blade was that desperate to find her there was a lot more to this story, and she wanted to find out what that was.

Continued in Part 3........