Author's Note

Why you no review?

Please, Please, Please let me know what is going on through your head!

Listen to 'Something Like Olivia' by John Mayer for this chapter.

So, ya know, REVIEW!

-gianna

"What in damnation are yu' doin' with a woman like that on yur' brig?" Edward Teach growled out to the younger pirate seated next to him after helping himself to a long draught of rum.

He needed it after the interesting few hours he'd just had after meeting Kenway's new… damn he didn't even know what to label her.

The woman who practically had men laying in the damn surf just so her hem didn't get wet wasn't a prize for sure, he didn't think any man would dare steal that away from anyone lest they were ready to face hell from the one intent on reclaiming her.

A lady had been the last thing he thought to see in his days spent among the pirates of the West Indies, and even though she had no powdered wig, nor fancy chemise or petticoats, the moment he witnessed Edward nearly sprint across his deck to lift her into the life boat, he knew what she was.

Watching with a wary eye now as the woman named Liete, and apparently only Liete with no sur name anyone would give him, had taken up an area far from the bonfires and drinking men were she sat on a blanket watching the foliage to see the deer and other creatures brave enough to venture closer to the alien light and two legged creatures.

Kenway although his appearance was calm and relaxed, Teach knew it for false simply for nearly every moment his eyes followed Liete like a hunter waiting for its prey.

After a few moments to register the question he'd been asked, Edward cast a sly half smile towards his quasi mentor, and took a hard dose from his own rum flip mumbling into his drink.

"Simply escorting her to Nassau."

Teach scoffed at that instantly leaning forward from his sitting position against a fallen log pointing at the man in accusation.

"Bollocks! Yur' twice blown over, and blasted. Tell the truth here lad, or is it to be yur' escorting her into yur' chamber then?" Edward jerked slightly his blue eyes selling him out, as he gave Teach a glare like none other, just as James Kidd made his way from another bonfire a bit away with an odd gait that spoke of boy trying very, very hard to be a man.

Watching as James glanced over to Liete, showing he'd been eavesdropping on them before deciding to make his entrance, Edward nearly flipped the boy the bird when he gave Edward a coy grin at being caught spying.

Not one to be ignored, Teach kicked a log in the bonfire with the end of his boot sending sparks into the darkening sky before motioning towards Edward once again.

"Don't tell, fine, I'm not goin' to meddle into yur' affairs. Just know what yur' doin' there."

Edward grinned beside himself at the older man's dire tone, and like a sixth sense he knew Liete had already intended to join the gathering before she slowly stood from her spot she'd inhabitated quietly for hours now.

Upon touching the white sand of the small island, she hadn't said a word to any of the new men. Liete had stared, giving polite nods, but had quickly dislocated herself from their presence and had found a spot within eye sight and been content since. Julle had declined Ade's offer of an escort to the beach, instead choosing to stay aboard and clean the Captain's quarters to make it suitable for the longer voyage ahead.

Liete hadn't wanted to intrude on the interlude that Edward was having with this Edward Thatch, feeling that she'd done her fair share of nettling for the day, and so had taken the silent moments to herself to sort out her ever growing arsenal of emotions and to breathe with her new surroundings.

Somewhere new, without walls to keep her in, something she hadn't seen in a little over five years.

Liete now experienced the feeling of being overwhelmed, and it was one she held onto dearly. Being so filled with new moments, she wanted to remember it forever so in the times when she was caged, she could recall the sky and the wind like a bird with clipped wings.

She had been so sure with her feet on soil she knew inside out, but she'd never been here before physically or mentally.

Could she still act the same, the witch of Cat Island, while no longer being tethered to that place nor mind set?

It frightened her to be letting go of the cool reserve that she had cocooned herself into to live through her confinement because she had no guarantee that she wasn't being delivered into a new life, just like the old.

Liete couldn't handle the thought of being caged once more, unsure if she'd be able to survive it a second time now that she'd been taken on such a high to be dropped seemed disastrous.

Lifting her body from the soft woven blanket she'd requested from Edward's bed, she dusted her dress off softly and within moments the man whom had helped her from before was by her side.

He was average in every way in facial appearance with murky brown eyes, freckled skin that had seen too much sun, and dark hair that had been cut so close to his scalp his head nearly gleamed in the sun. The only thing that distinguished him from the rest of the crew was a scar that ran along the base of collar bone that was red from his fresh healing, his soft voice that reminded her of a church boy, and his sheer size.

Her helper was bigger than any man aboard she'd realized as he'd rowed her from the Jackdaw, his arms and legs reminiscent of tree trunks.

Turning her silver eyes to watch as her carefully lifted the blanket, folding it twice over before standing again to flash her with teeth that were yellowed, a tooth missing in the right corner of his lopsided smile.

"Is there anything you'd be needin' there lass?" He spoke softly and kindly, his eyes friendly and fearful all in one mix.

"No, you've been more than helpful Master..?" Rolling her hand as an invitation for his name, she knew Edward watched her closely as she began to step towards where he sat illuminated by light, but still facing the pirate.

"Drew, m'lady." Drew bowed as he said the words, and Liete gave him a friendly smile, being careful to keep any meanness from her bearing as to not scare the poor boy further.

"Thank you Drew." His grin was innocent as he tucked the blanket in his arms before shuffling towards one of the many rowboats to tuck the thing carefully so it wouldn't get wet before crossing his fingers and biting his lip as he returned to a further off bonfire.

Liete sensed that Drew, although in the visage of a man, was more akin to a boy in his mind state, and although her immediate reaction around weak things was to exploit and overcome, she had felt a moment of care, and with it had decided that it was best to pull the boy-man closer to her for if she ever had a need, she sensed that Drew would do anything for her if treated right.

Gathering her hem and boots she'd pulled off a little earlier in one hand, she stepped carefully towards the bonfire now turning her attention to the man she'd been mulling over for a good part of them evening, this Edward Thatch and his words of warning to her captain.

Not only was Edward, and Thatch watching her come within the light of the bonfire just as the sun slipped from the sky, but another boy-man that had to have been stunted in growth.

He was no bigger than her own slim body, and no stubble or shadow to even give a hint of a beard.

Meeting his eyes, Liete immediately recognized the hidden fear of a secret lying within them, and nearly cackled at the lad's mistake before he brought a bottle he'd been holding to his lips.

Good thing its dark or they'd see your hand shaking, Liete thought coldly before turning her unsettling gaze on Thatch.

He lounged back once more on the log he shared with Kenway, Adewale sitting across from the two, the boy-man having taken a seat beside him while they had changed the subject from her to Nassau.

Refusing to let the woman's presence nettle him, Teach continued after his last chastise of Kenway for his sudden outburst about the fanciful Observatory, swirling the bottle of rum in his hand looking into the fire.

"Steal a galleon, shift all the guns to one side. Would make a nice ornament for one of our harbours."

Edward couldn't build a grudge against Thatch's narrowminded reaction to his mention of the Observatory, and for the first moment since he'd stumbled upon Liete, he paid her no mind as he listened to him preach of proper defenses for their growing republic.

"It will not be easy to steal a full Spanish galleon. Have you one in mind?" Adewale, ever the voice of reason, moved his feet closer together, to make room for Liete, who after offering a polite smile shook her head to let him know she preferred to stand over the men as they spoke.

Thatch spoke intelligently when speaking of plans, and schemes and course with his men, as if putting on some grand show, Liete thought as she drank the scene in like a fine wine.

"I do, sir, And I'll show you. She's a fussock she is. Fat and slow." Thatch drew his last words out with a cruel snarl that ignited Liete's blood like a match, her cruel streak winning in that moment.

Collectively the men began to chuckle darkly, as they pondered the potential of commandeering such a grand vessel full of all types of treasure.

"and will you be the one to take the ship?" Liete's words dripped with a challenge, her stance firm and haughty, proving even to herself that no, she'd not lost her madness among the waves of freedom.

Thatch seemed almost startled as he finally met the swirling silver eyes up close that true to the men's whispers, instantly began to suck him in making his mind cloudy and dizzy.

"I only ask because you seem to me the kind of man to lay a plan rather than use the force to back it. All talk, no cock is the saying I believe I'm looking for?" James choked on the sip he was taking, as Edward sat back against his seat hard, a smirk growing as he watched Liete with swirling eyes of quicksand that pinned Thatch, daring him to match her.

This woman is insane, brushed through Edward's mind as the moments ticked by, Thatch making no movements at all.

Suddenly Thatch began to howl with laughter, throwing his head back, his hat nearly falling off as he bellowed with deep resonating laughs.

All the men along the beach quieted for a moment as they watched the man who most would call the most fearsome of them all, laugh.

Liete liked Thatch, immensely. Her last feeling of a kindred spirit had not been wrong.

Finally able to reel in his laughs to a soft chuckle, Edward raised his bottle offering it to the woman who had gained a higher ranking than lady in his book with her quick wit and biting words.

Grasping the bottle, refusing to smile at the man least he think she approved of him just yet, she pulled it to her face to inspect the rim before using her palm to wipe it condescendingly.

Her movements sent Thatch into another round of laughter as he barked out between his rolling laughs.

"You have some stones there!"

"More than most have on their best day, Master Thatch." Pleased he'd spoken intelligently to her, telling her more than anything else that he deemed her an equal, Liete took a swig delighting in the coconut and burn that warmed her chest instantly.

Offering the bottle back to its originally patron, Liete moved two paces to her left reaching a hand out to Edward who instantly took it into his own palm helping her take a seat next to him.

Thatch shook his head gayly, and as he placed his lips on the rim of his bottle to down the rest to end the night properly sauced, he smelled the hint of fresh cotton, and couldn't help but think of Liete and her electrifying eyes watching him with some real heat behind them.

Making love to her would be reminiscent of rolling in a nest of vipers, and god damn would it be worth the wounds.

Sure to keep his eyes closed as he guzzled the drink, lest he betray his thoughts to any of his comrades, Thatch silently shook his head inwardly having never been one to steal a lover from one man but his thoughts agreed with his subconscious.

But if Liete herself were at my door, I'd have to say, I'd let her in.

A few hours passed by as the captains made their plans for the next day's ship heist, their drink drawing their words together until no one could properly communicate, which Liete enjoyed watching.

Liete didn't believe for one minute that any of them planned on making the trek back to the ships to sleep off their drink, and she for one wasn't about to sleep along the sand, so as Edward's eyes began to droop and his mouth slightly parted in a snuffling snore, she didn't bother to try to wake him up.

Instead she'd stood looking for Drew, whom she found still sitting cross-legged next to a bonfire, no bottles around him, his eyes tired from the time of night rather than drink.

His body had been faced towards their bonfire, and so as she had gotten up, his head had lifted like a dutiful puppy and as she smiled and motioned for him to come over, he jumped up so fast and hard Liete swore she felt the sand shift beneath her.

He rushed over, his lopsided smile present once more.

"Did ya' need help m'am?" Liete smiled genuinely for one of the first times in her life, and nodded enthusiastically motioning towards the rowboat he'd placed her blanket in before.

"It is late, and I was hoping you could bring me back to the Jackdaw Master Drew." With the term Drew turned pink as he raised a hand to run across his neck, nodding his head all the while.

"I ain't no gennel'men m'am, jus' Drew" His accent grew deeper with his sheepishness, but he still made his way towards the rowboat, stopping only to hold his arms out to pick her up and place her inside the boat.

"Drew then." Liete smiled once again, as he trudged into the surf pushing the rowboat like a toy, before hopping inside, being careful to keep any water from his wet pants or shoes from getting on her.

Thatch watched through dazed eyes as Liete and a monster of a man made their way back towards Kenway's ship, and as they disappeared into the dark, he reached up to angel his hat over his face so the morning sun wouldn't sting his eyes.

The sand felt cool and soft, especially since he'd passed his limit long before, and just as he meant to doze off Edwards rough addled voice quipped.

"Care ta' ask me again what I'm doing with the lass on board?"

Edward chuckled and wrapped his arms underneath his head gurgling out an unintelligible sentence before letting the drink take him off to dreams of silver.

Disclaimer

I do not own Assassin's Creed, any of its variations or characters.

I do own Liete, and her madness, and that is all.