Annabeth Chase
Anno 1660
Portsmouth, England.
It was late at night when Annabeth Chase briskly walked through the Royal Navy's military harbor. Half a dozen second and third-rate ships of the line have moored the tender along with even more frigates. She could also see few more ships, including a giant first rate ship of the line, lay in anchor some way off. It was the HMS Dauntless, a ship with more than one hundred cannons.
The ship's glowing lamps were cast an orange glow in the fog. She had been put to water just a month ago and from the looks of it, they had just finished arming her.
Dressed in the clothes of a man with a pistol and a saber hanging from her belt she hoped not to be recognized as a woman. Her face was hidden under a sailors hat.
"Halt there," someone yelled.
Annabeth sighed and stopped. When she slowly turned around she spotted two muskets bearing Royal Marines in their red coats jogging up to her. "What is your business?" the leader asked.
"I am here on behalf of the foreign office, delivering a letter from Athena to Lord Jackson, Captain of HMS Dauntless," she announced.
"Can you prove it?" the leader asked while the second one, a short, brown-haired man, tried to stare her down sternly. It wasn't working because she was half a head taller than him.
"What? Do you expect me to let you read Lady Athena's confidential letter?" he asked. "Because if you do I will make sure that both the good Captain and Lady Athena will learn of this? Tell me, have you ever visited the Tower?"
The marine obviously didn't like being threatened but bowed slightly. "Forgive us, it is our job to ask. For all, we know you are here to set fire to the magazine."
Annabeth sighed. "You are forgiven, good gentlemen. God save the King."
Once the two marines were gone she walked to the end of the tender where the harbor wall ended and the beach started she found the small row boat that her mother had said would be there and pushed it into the water. It was late spring and new moon so it was pitch black and foggy. No one would see her. She climbed into the water and started rowing, taking care to be quiet.
If felt as if she had to row for hours, especially because she gave the frigates a wide berth. Finally, she approached. She approached the ship from the aft and saw light flooding through the windows of the three decks of staterooms at the ships aft. Apparently, no one was paying attention because she managed to pull her rowboat up to the side all the way to the warship's weather deck. When she reached the ladder midship she pulled her oars into her boat, stood up, and started climbing up the side of the ship side all the way to the top deck. Finally, she was standing on the behemoth. While she heard laughter and singing coming from ship no one seemed to be on deck.
Annabeth quietly walked a bit too stern until she reached a staircase to the third gundeck. This deck too was deserted and the fifteen twelve-pounder guns on each side of the deck rested in silence. Light and voices flooding up from an open hatch, from deeper in ship's hull. For some reason, the entire crew seemed to be banished to the main and middle gun deck. She made her way back to the captain's quarters. Seeing as light was visible in the slit under the door she knocked on the door.
"It's open," A man's voice yelled.
She opened the door and entered the luxurious captain's quarters. The room was lit by a dozen oil lamps and the walls were painted a light blue and the cabin was complete with bed, a large dining table with a dozen chairs around it, and a bed. There was also a large map table complete with dozens of rolled up maps sprawled across it.
The man himself was reasonably tall, had unruly black hair, and couldn't be older than her. Twenty-two maybe?
"Ah, I was warned that I might receive a visitor. Are you here to tell me why I had to order a wartime crew complement of more than eight hundred down under deck?" he asked, looking her over.
Annabeth met his sparkling sea green eyes and sighed. He resembled his father, the first Sea Lord, as much as she resembled her mother, the head of the Foreign Office. He was definitely handsome.
"Yes, my Lord." She pulled the letter out and held it out to him.
"Not opened," he said, nodding at the unbroken seal.
Annabeth rolled her eyes. "My name is Annabeth Chase. I was there when my mother wrote it," She reminded him.
"I see, mind giving me the gist of it then. I'll read the specifics later," he suggested.
"As you know the French are going to marry of Princess Silena Beauregard to the crown prince of Spain. Now, she will be traveling to Spain to officially be betrothed to her future husband. As you know the French and Spanish have been on the brink of war for nearly a decade and have fought more than a dozen smaller battles. Both nations are hoping to achieve a lasting peace and even forge an alliance through this wedding," Annabeth explained.
"I understand that that isn't good for us. So, what do you propose?" he asked.
Annabeth smirked, "The general idea is for us to attack and sink the ship the princess is traveling to Madrid on. We believe that they will be using a large frigate for the trip."
Perseus snorted. "Good luck at that. The Dauntless might have teeth but she isn't built to chase down frigates. The Dauntless is to slow and to unmaneuverable for that kind of mission. She was built to bombard other capital ships and land-based forts."
"The Foreign Office is aware of us. That is why we intend to let her catch us. We will be sailing through French waters in the same direction as her and throw our weight around. The pride of every French captain will demand that he drives us out French waters," Annabeth explained. "He will be trusting that we will not shoot and risk starting a war."
The Captain raised an eyebrow. "About that? You do realize that this would constitute an act of war. What do you intend to do? Kill the entire crew? I for my part am not eager to execute prisoners, mind you, a broadside from our ship would already cause a bloodbath on most ships."
Annabeth smirked, "In case word gets out that the Dauntless was responsible you will be formally disavowed by the crown and declared as a rogue. We have secret orders to the sail across the Atlantic and head to port Royal where we would receive new orders to sail for the Caribbean fleet."
Perseus sighed, clearly not happy. "Okay. What am I to do with our royal prisoner should we capture her alive."
"That depends. If we leave no witnesses you can bring her back to Portsmouth or Gibraltar. If we do have to go rogue, you can do with her whatever you want. Hell, if you want you can keep her as your slave and have her warm your bed once you arive in Port Royal."
Percy frowned slightly and Annabeth got the feeling that he wasn't too fond of slavery, especially not of enslaving princesses.
"Oh don't look like that. If we end up having to divert to the Caribbean you will get your own estate. For all the foreign office cares you can drown her or keep her around for entertainment."
"Why would I do that?" Perseus asked incredulously.
"Because our dear princess is beautiful and from what I heard is also the pleasant company. As I said, we can always just kill her."
The black haired man glared her and crossed his arms. Annabeth was slightly surprised when she saw an ancient Greek style Xiphos hanging from his belt instead of a more modern saber, or rapier.
"How about we capture our princess and then we can decide how chivalrous we want to be with an enemy of Britain. She will be departing from Calais in two days. Perhaps we could get underway and discuss any details later?"
Perseus frowned but then nodded. "Follow me, my lady. I will arrange for your accommodations later."
He led her back to the weather deck where he had her wait on the Quarterdeck as he disappeared under deck to alert his crew. She heard the music and laughter suddenly fall silent and a minute later fifty sailors came clambering on deck and started readying the ship for departure, obviously trying to be quite at it.
Percy and two other men in Officer's uniforms joined her at the Quarterdeck deck at the stern of the ship. One of the men was tall, muscular, and dark-skinned which surprised her slightly and the other was chap with curly brown hair and a mischievous grin.
"Ms. Chase, these are my first and second officers, Commander Charles Beckendorf and Lieutenant Travis Stoll. Gentlemen, this is Ms. Chase from the Foreign Office. You will be briefed on our mission once safely underway," Perseus introduced them and buttoned up his officer's jacket. Annabeth nodded and sat down on one of the twelve, twelve pounders standing on the quarter deck. "You owe me ten pounds Commander. I knew we were getting an assignment tonight," Mr. Stoll announced.
Around twenty minutes later thing and a gangly looking sailor came running onto the quarter-deck with a crazed grin on his face. "Sails ready, sir. Ready to raise anchors sir."
"Understood Valdez. Mr. Beckendorf, will you get us underway? I want the Fore, Main, Bowsprit, and Mizzen mast rigged for fast Canvas," He asked.
"It would be my pleasure?" he replied and headed down to the weather deck where he started barking orders. She, Mr. Stoll, and the Captain headed to the front of the Quarterdeck where they leaned against the railing and watched as the ship was prepared. The anchors were raised and the sails were prepared.
When Beckendorf returned to the Quarterdeck Perseus walked over to the large steering wheel. "Sir, ready to set sails," Beckendorf announced.
"Very good. Set Canvas, let us get the hell out of here," Perseus ordered.
"Aye aye sir," he replied. "Set full Canvas on Mizzen, Main, and Fore!" he then bellowed down at the sailors and officers on the main deck.
A minute later the giant sheets of linen came loose from the rigging and dropped down. A moment later the sea bound wind caught in the fabric and the sails billowed outwards. Ever so slowly the ship started moving.
Percy spun the wheel starboard and the ship turned to open sea. "Set full Canvas," he ordered Beckendorf who roared the order down from the Quarterdeck. One by one every sail the ship was set and they slowly left the dark harbor behind them.
This is it for now. Tell me what you think. This chap is still a work in progress. Enjoy. If you want to know what the Dauntless looks like I suggest you google HMS Endeavour. It is the same coloring and ship design.
Winter Wolf over and out.