Open Sea

December

1719

The seas were different. Caroline felt them rage in a different way. Some of the crew spat stories of cursed waves and ghost ships that sailed the angry ocean. A part of her agreed, they never settled, it was as if it took joy in throwing them from side to side and as winter cut through the thick air with unforgivable storms she slowly became a believer. She rested in the cabin and rested like petrified wood to the bed. Her hands locked over her like a dead body.

"ROGUE WAVE!" Caroline heard the crew echo above her, their hollow footsteps rolled over the deck. She would hear Edward curse and wonder if the Jackdaw would live another day; but somehow it did. After the rogue wave, the storm settled. A breath before it would come at them again with another.

"Wife?" Edward breathed as he kicked the door behind him, his soaked shirt making a puddle on the floor as he walked to the dresser for dry one, "We're getting close."

Caroline sat up, she looked to Edward's shoulders as he dug through a drawer to find a less tattered tunic, "We should be. If the storms haven't kicked us too far…"

"I know it." Edward pulled the tunic over his shoulders and retied the band in his hair before turning to her, his eyes glistening with excitement, "I've never sailed seas as angry as this. We're close to something. We're close to The Observatory."

Caroline went up to meet him, resting her hand on a wet cheek she smiled, "Soon."

Edward took her hand from his cheek and pressed his lips to her fingertips and whispered, "We did it."


Todos os Santos Bay

December

1719

It was evening when Edward began to approach a very familiar frigate sitting just off the coast of a spit of land. One that he had burned in his head after shaking hands with the new captain; Roberts waved upon their arrival as the sun began to tuck itself behind the island. Without hesitation Edward adjusted his jacket and made his way off to the other ship as Adé and Caroline watching as he walked to the strange man with a fine teacup in one hand.

"Captain Kenway," Roberts smiled as he lifted the cup to his lips, "Shall we use your ship for the next scheme, or mine?"

Edward strutted over and scanned Robert's devious eyes down to the poor man at Robert's feet. Clearly a hostage, "I'd first hear the details before deciding."

"Ah, it's a small gambit… " Roberts nodded to the man at his feet, "This fount of information has just told me that a nearby galleon contains the treasure I seek."

"For his sake, I hope you're right." Edward poked the man with his boot to see if he was soft enough to be alive and was relieved when he let out a groan, "You've thought this plan through?"

"Indeed. Using this man, we'll acquire a Portuguese flag which will get us as close to our target as possible." Roberts set down his tea, "It's a very simple idea… If you follow my orders to the letter."

Edward's heart raced, another task before getting to the final goal. The air was still. What ruffling he heard he knew was other ships and from Robert's story it was a Portuguese fleet that they would sail with if they could hide under the guise of a flag. Edward looked over to the Jackdaw as Caroline rested over the deck. As if she could hear the conversation she nodded to him.

"The Jackdaw then." Edward said without hesitation.

"Excellent!" Bartholomew chuckled and grabbed his hostage by the collar to his crew that was preparing them a plank to cross back over to the Jackdaw.

Caroline's heart raced. I whipped inside of her as she went down to meet Edward and their guests. Edward nodded, looking confident.

"Caroline," Roberts bowed, "A pleasure."

"Captain Roberts," Caroline nodded, "Thank you for meeting us this evening."

"Thank you!" Roberts exclaimed as he plopped his hostage on the deck, "For assisting us on this excursion."

"Of course." Caroline nodded she looked to see Edward was already at the wheel, with his brow furrowed he looked out before the foggy sea and began to turn the wheel back out to sea and towards the Portuguese fleet, "What is this?"

"What is what?" Edward retorted calmly.

"This is suicide. You know there are more than forty ships just beyond the horizon. Why head that way?" Caroline reasoned.

"We only need one, Care." Edward's head whipped over to her, "We need one flag and we sail through. Stand by me and we get through this, do you understand?"

Caroline took a breath and nodded, "Always, love."

"Alright?"

"Alright."

There was one ship that stood out to Edward. One that tailed behind the other ships and was large enough to hold its own. He wondered why it was holding back when a fleet could protect it.

"You see what I see?" Roberts approached Edward at the wheel, "That's my ship. It carries my treasure."

Edward was silent. He looked out before the frigate and with the sense only saw only a dozen men manning it. It seemed too good to be true.

"Are you a stealthy man, Captain Kenway?" Roberts asked.

"That I am."

Roberts looked over to the Portuguese galleon. It was anchored now, not far from land. Most of the crew working among themselves; never was a better time to steal aboard. Edward adopted the task without saying another word. He looked to Caroline before heading off the deck, locking with those emerald eyes for the courage he needed to stay alive.

"I've always wished to love a woman like he loves you." Roberts whispered over Caroline's shoulder. His breath strong with the odor of aged black tea, "Rumors say that he killed so many for your life."

"I can't say I'm innocent in all of this." Caroline took a step away from Roberts, "However, I don't kill at the velocity that he does."

"You stayed captive for months with me... Why?" Roberts asked, "What made you stay?"

"I knew he would find me... Sometimes you can't trick fate." Caroline looked out, now seeing Edward's body rise out of the boat with Adé at one set of oars, two other crewmen standing, waiting for the flag to drop to them.

"Did you think I would come for you?" Roberts looked over with his gleaming mismatch eyes.

Caroline's heart began to race, "I may not assassinate like Captain Kenway does, but I assure you I can kill in other ways."

"Is that a threat?" Roberts chuckled.

"Maybe." Caroline retorted, watching Edward instead of Roberts. She watched the flag fall into the small boat, "That's our cue. I suggest you grab a rattail, Captain."


Edward's body flowed with relief as the rest of the crew came swinging over and the final kills were made. What was plundered was taken, Edward watched Caroline beam over the emerald ring she had found in the cabins below while she wiped her knife of fresh blood.

"Ah!" Roberts cheered as two crewmen came to him with a wooden chest, "My prize."

Without a word Roberts flipped the box open and his hand glided over the contents as if they were fine chocolates, "Hm, the Templars have been busy I see."

Edward walked over, looking over to see what was worth all the trouble. What was in Robert's hands was something so recognizable. It was the vials of blood that he had brought years ago aboard the Jackdaw. Crystals filled with blood… Something so strange he couldn't possibly forget.

"Laurens Prin's blood. Useless now…" Roberts muttered as he held the vial up to the moon, then tossed it over for Edward to take a look, "Woodes Rogers, Ben Hornigold… Even Torres himself; small quantities kept for a special purpose."

Caroline joined Edward as her bloodstained hand took the vial for a moment, "Finally some answers." Caroline whispered.

"You must take me to the Observatory, Roberts. I need to know what it is." Edward said as he paced to Roberts.

"To what end, eh? Will you sell it from under my nose? Work with me and use it to bolster our gains?"

"What the hell, Roberts!" Caroline belted, "You led us on for two fucking months with this shite!"

Edward felt a rage ignite with in him, he took a step to Roberts, "You best take us there as promised or you won't have a cock to piss from, mate."

"All right, Captain Kenway," Roberts scanned Edward for a moment and then Caroline, "You've earned a look."