No excuse for the wait, but with this Quartintine I'm forced to sit and write.
Enjoy, let me know what you think.
Listen to A Wolf In Sheeps Clothing - This Providence for this chapter.
-G.
The Jackdaw slid through the waves in quiet movements as if a fog had descended upon its masts and clung for all its worth. No matter how fast she split the waves, it followed with a nasty whisper.
Men who held no true allegiance to Kenway fed the swirling depths of that whisper, as the crew now felt nothing like the one born of gratitude from the saving he'd done to keep them all from a Jamaican prison. No, this crew had been built out of hard need of men who although demanded further coin did better work come time.
But coin, even at the wage given by as fair a plunderer as Kenway, could not buy allegiance for long with so valuable a prize as Liete within grasps.
With the swirling rumors & long glances, it found Kenway nearly sleepless as he watched the door to his captain quarters like an eagle after hidden prey at nearly all times.
As the light faded into the horizon & the crew lined up for the evening slop below, Kenway signaled to Ade from his post at helm to take over for the moment. As he moved out of the man's way, Kenway quietly under his breath bid the man with one other task.
"Keep an eye to the quarters, I mean to go below." Ade only gave him one curious glance before stiffly nodding leaning against the wheel with an expression of minor annoyance.
Letting the expression roll off his back like water, Kenway sauntered to the hull & ladder leading down into the bowels of the ship. Scaling the ladder in mere moments, Kenway was hit with the stench of unwashed bodies, gun powder & grog that always made his eyes water the first moments it hit his nostrils.
It was a smell that was not only familiar to pirates, and since he'd taken to the sea's as a privateer it had followed from ship to ship no matter how clean. Bodies at sea for weeks found dirt even in sitting with nothing to do.
Breathing through his mouth to acclimate quicker to the hot air, he strode quickly through the crew's quarters on either side of him as he moved towards the bow direction of the ship where the sickbay & small stairwell was to move towards the final level of the Jackdaw.
As he descended and finally stood firm on the lowest level, the voices of the men filled the darkness of the space as the light from the stern kitchens seemed to waver as bodies moved about to collect the night's slop.
Kenway was headed elsewhere.
Mentally he made a small note that he'd forgotten to grab a lantern but his eyes adjusted with the faint glow at his back, leaving him to feel more secure in his mishap.
The less anyone knew he was here, the better. In this way he'd be able to discern sooner if someone was making their way to the brig as well.
Movement behind the small metal barred window at the very bow brought Kenway back to full alert as a smooth lilt came from the darkness.
"What am I to call you now Pirate? I can only assume Senior Walpole won't be making his facade once more."
The Spanish lilt was smug, and Edward wanted nothing more than to rattle the metal bars to the man's cage just to throw some fear into the man's voice.
Kenway leaned against the wood opposite the cage, his eyes finding the older man's shape easily where he sat in the furthest left corner, the straw tick pushed as far away from him as possible. Probably a smart move, as it was bound to hold all manner of biting things.
"Not so sure I mean to give you my name just yet Torres. You forget, I already know the type of men you play with, Templar."
The chuckle that Torres gave in response was dry as sand, as he stretched his legs out in front of him. His breeches were surprisingly clean looking, as was his cravat now untied from the once stiff wrap around his throat. The man personified dignity in every way, even as a captive.
It gave Kenway a drop of anger in his blood stream. What gave this man, his prisoner, someone he could snuff out in a moment's thought, the right to the breeding & refinement he chased with his every being?
Liete held the same bearing, but her sheer feral attitude & drive for freedom that lay underneath spoke more to the pirate mindset than this man's undertone. No, he exuded his breeding in pure arrogance, even as he sat in filth.
Tamping down his disgust with the man, a feeling that planted a seed of doubt towards his aspirations towards the royalty he craved, Edward crossed his arms & turned his head slowly in observation.
"But a name I am interested in Governor, is the one you so gleefully shared on deck. Miss Beckford." Torres looked at him amused, slowly threading his fingers together as he placed his hands up to touch his mouth in a contemplating move.
"You want to speak of Miss Beckford. A beautiful woman no doubt, but more important to ask of than say the sage?"
"Have no doubt Torres, we'll speak on that before we make port to Jamaica. I want to know why her name is known to you."
"and what am I to receive in return?"
The silence that followed filled the entire hold for what felt like an eternity before the Spaniard once again let out a dry laugh and leaned forward with what could be only described as a purr when he spoke.
"The Beckfords came to Jamaica & the West Indies in pursuit of a fortune. Which the late Peter Beckford found quite easily on the back of slaves & sugar plantations. An opportunist, but a foul tempered fool in the end. He fathered three children before his demise, two boys to carry on his namesake in a form, but along came a daughter. A beautiful young woman, ever the demise of men."
The dry laugh that once again came from the man, skittered down Edward's back with a flame. He'd always treated women with an approach that was akin to reverence. Of course there were those who collected money for the pleasure of their company, & those who demanded a commitment, but he'd never seen wholly a difference between them. Women were masterpieces & how they chose to thrive, well it wasn't in him to be their judge or jury. The purr that Torres held, was sickening, as it spoke volumes of how he viewed women. Edward was already aware that the Templars saw most civilians as chattel, but.. it was an alarming sentiment to see once more. How could a man, who'd come from a woman's womb, look at her with nothing but reverence...
"She was a pretty thing. The whispers from the English aristocracy was Beckford kept her tightly under visage in his home because of it. Be damned some poor man lay eyes on her, and try to steal her away. The man was nothing more than a brute in truth, stories from his servants & confidants ran rapid of constant furniture changes as nary a chair remained in his home for more than a fortnight before limbs were broken." Sliding his feet against the filthy wood, Torres sat up further to pin Edward with a disgusting leer turning his face into a mask.
"A fool like that, the anger… it blinded him from our cause. But his son, he had bigger ambitions than his temper. The price he asked was minimal. His father's life & that of his sister. Why his sister compadre? That I can't tell, but come the day she'd meant to meet her maker, and it can't be done. Couldn't tell you why either, maybe there is truth to the rumor of eyes that hypnotize.."
Edward felt a bile rise into his throat with the sick satisfaction behind the older man's words. He spoke of peoples lives like pawns, with nothing behind it. Templar, to control all men's wayward thoughts to safe & sober minds. Snake like, slithering into lives & aiding in the destruction of them to mold them into their own needs.
"She was brought to the west indies, to the most remote island plantation by the man sent to kill her. Here he stayed, her ever keeper, as her father was unfortunately killed during an argument with another gentleman wouldn't you know. Taking over the family business, Peter Jr. now rises a prominent figure to aid in our endeavors. With our aid, they now turn to wine shipping and trading, factoring, and money lending… putting all of England in debt to the Beckfords one way or another… and us in turn."
"I'd had a thought to find the girl here… so beautiful, enough to have a man risk the wrath of the most influential family to keep her… and here she is, taken on by Pirates."
His final words dripped with arrogance & a taunt that was meant to dig under his skin. As he spoke, a flash to the body of a man with holes where his eyes once were crossed behind Edward's eyes. He'd never asked Liete of the night they'd met. When he'd spoken to her then, he'd known. It wasn't something they had to speak of to know whoever the body had been, he'd hurt her.
To think now, that potentially he'd been the one to kidnap her…
Edward pushed with his shoulders returning upright and to his feet, and turned quickly, hell bent to return to his captains quarters.
"Pirate – be warned, women are dangerous for every paradise!" The words were nearly cackled & it made Edward's hair finally stand on end as he nearly fled the lower levels of the Jackdaw. As he broke the surface once more from the innards of the ship, he took a deep breath nearly gasping.
Edward had gone to speak to the Templar to… to what? To really hear the story of the Beckfords? Or was it a selfish need to know something more of the tight-lipped woman? He was starved for something concrete of her… Then again, he'd also not given her much of his past. He'd not been honest with her about Caroline. About his humble beginnings.
Why did her past matter, if his didn't?
He felt a bit selfish for the chase but then again, to hear she was truly a part of the family that was very well on its way to owning all of England, was of a small rush that peaked his interest in waves against his mind.
He was a pirate after all.
And with the announcement of her name to his crew, now made up of mercenaries rather than loyal members, it had all but put a target on her head. Her fear mongering would keep most of the weaker men at bay, the fact that she held sway on him & Thatch would also help protect her. But not for long, & not from just the likes of Pirates.
The Templars…
"Did you eat the gruel, or find a rat in? You look closer in color to a ghost." The lilt, of what now sounded to be a carefully concealed accent, was soft & playful. Not something he'd heard from Liete often.
Edward looked towards the bow of the Jackdaw to find Liete leaned against one of the cannons to his left. She'd clearly been at the very bow, hair tossed & full of sea brine, her cheeks rosy from the cool air rushing off the ocean.
Liete watched Edward with a calm that came now from the open water, soaking in the quiet and the look that he only wore when deep in thought.
She'd found in the time she had been with Edward, that unlike most men of this time, he spent a lot of time contemplating. Planning. Where she was all compulsion, he held a calm about him.
Death, the calm of death.
"The air below could curdle milk on its own. Steer clear lass, you'll be quite sick after some time there too I'd think." Edward mustered up his most charming smile as he reached for her slowly, his hand settling on Liete's hip, thicker than many months prior. Thoughts of Templars faded quickly with the touch.
Liete's eyes swayed back & forth, silver sliding up the walls of her iris, watching him sweetly.
How long would he have Liete like this, he didn't know but he wouldn't dare not take advantage while he could.
Leaning down, Edward caught Liete's lips with mouth open. She met him full force, opening her mouth to capture his tongue with her own. She tasted of sweet lemon, as he reached with his other hand to bring her closer.
The deck, although not unclear of men; those caring to final night procedures sneakily watched the couple as they held each other. It was a welcome distraction in the lonely sea.
Liete slowly pulled away from Edward's embrace, pinning him with a curved smile and still swaying eyes.
"Are we to dance around each other or are we going to talk about my naming by the old man?" Edward, still with arms around her waist, barked a laugh as he placed a chaste kiss to her forehead.
"You are ever sharp as a sword, Liete."
"It doesn't take a good blacksmith to read you & your thoughts Kenway."
Edward once again, leaned down and this time melded his lips to hers. Breath quickening as his body reacted with heat, he pressed her to him with fervor.
He didn't want to speak on this with her now, not when his mind reeled once more with the tragedy of her life. No, he wanted to hold her close & hopefully bring her some peace within her madness.
Just as he moved to lift her from her feet to wrap her around her around his waist & take her back to his quarters, She once again pulled herself away, this time to pin him with her eyes swirling with amusement.
"and you've still not told me where we are headed. Care to guess how much longer I'm willing to let you try to change the conver-"
Edward once more laughed, pulled away fully from the auburn-haired women, and settled against a cannon himself before opening his arms knowing full well he'd been foolish to think he'd get a moments peace with Liete.
"Kingston, you siren. Uttering your name on made it more pertinent than ever to listen to me. You are at perile without me around."
Liete grinned as she settled back against the cannon opposite Kenway, a twinkle in her eyes as she nodded in agreement.
"I'd say I'm more so with you around don't you think?"
"Cheeky." Liete's eyes slid back and forth, a light with banter & something akin to love, if only the inkling of it Edward realized. It had been a looked that Caroline had given him a few times... It hadn't felt like this one. Feeling guilty at the thought, Edward once more reached with a hand towards her, offering.
Liete looked to his hand momentarily before reaching to give him her own with no further hesitation. He pulled her towards him until she settled between his legs, leaning into his body. Her warmth & simple nearness caught him on fire as he never released her hand, instead threading his fingers with her own.
"Liete, I mean to keep you safe. For as long as I can." Liete leaned forward after his words, a kiss soft & faint.
"Let's not make promises. You've an adventure you mean to follow, I have something to find where ever it may be. I don't think you'd be able to keep me safe from yourself..." Her words always sunk in like cool water to the earth, so decisive & never one to mince words. If Edward had it in him to respond, he might simply have howled at her door as she'd asked so long ago. As it was, she laid a kiss on him so sweet that it silenced any further discussion between them, as he collected her further into his chest away from the night air and let her take him out of his own mind.
Making port put into action several different things.
Edward forbade her from leaving the ship, which left her laughing, even as he'd paraded the older man from the bowels of his ship with Adewale scowling after him.
She'd nearly left moments after he did, as several of the newer faces aboard the ship had turned towards her with piqued interest. Although Drew had heard his captain mention Ade would be back to watch over Liete, that seemed almost to far off with the sudden change.
Drew, even for all of his innocence, could feel it too. It was like a wave came over the men onboard and the silence that followed was not one of comfort. So, when Liete came from within the quarters with a small bag wrapped to her wrist motioning towards the dock, he couldn't help the giddy grin that erupted.
Back on a ship, Drew felt an odd sensation he'd never before. Cramped.
He missed his corner in their house. His space. He even missed Liete's cooking, which in comparison to the gruel given out below tasted like the spreads that them King's get.
It made him a little sad, cause when he'd been on ship before he'd been so free. The work wasn't hard, he liked seeing Dolphins in the water, and it was nice always having people to talk to. They could be a little mean & talk a little fast but he got to be a sailor.
Now, there were things he didn't understand around him. A lot of whispers, a lot of the men looked at his girl with greedy eyes, and it didn't feel so free anymore.
He liked his captain and with the calm that had come over Liete from their stay in Nassau, them together was a nice sight. When he was gone, Drew did his best to watch her once more but after that old codger came aboard, it was like all eyes were watching her then. Only when Kenway was around did they fall off.
So when he'd seen Kenway toddle off without her, He instantly felt on edge. Drew wasn't sure what he could do to keep her safe except guard the door, but taking a walk into civilization could definitely do the trick.
Besides, Kingston was where he'd made home before, it would be nice to see the buildings again.
Liete walked tenderly onto the dirt pathways of the town, a little overwhelmed as memories resurfaced of her time in London. This place was no where near the size of her once home, but the busy streets and constant chatter made it momentarily harder to breathe.
Nassau had been quicker than isolation but it had its calm. Men & women laying about and doing things at a much slower pace even for a town. This held no calm in it, as everyone seemed to have somewhere to go. Indeed even small packs of people were to be found every street or so chattering away similar to birds.
It found her walk lingering a bit, with Drew close to her back, leaving those around her in awe as they stumbled to remain out of the giants' way although their eyes still watched her.
Even with the weeks of dirt & grime, she'd managed to stay somewhat cleanly with the odd bath whenever they made stop to replenish water & supplies, and so in no way the looks she held were marred.
Liete glanced about for any signs of a bath house, but it pricked her anger when she came to the realization that she didn't know what it may look like now. She'd had a bath drawn, or drew it herself in Nassau & Cat Island.. In London it had been the same. She'd only been to Bath as a child, & only knew of bath houses from reading & talk.
Her eyes swirled with annoyance at her own ignorance, after walking nearly thirty minutes and finding no true hint of one. Finally giving a stop found her in a bit of a back area to a clump of unassuming houses.
As she took note of the space, she was instantly curious to find what seemed to be a small hut built out tucked into the back of one home and a long table cleared of all items, and a large man, nearly as large as Drew with an odd pair of sandals, smiling at her.
"I might have asked if you've a purpose, but I see you've got one tailing behind." The man's voice was full of humor and deep, nearly as deep as his skin tone. His accent was distinct but not one she could easily place but she found herself quirking her head to one side before answering with a questioning lilt of her own.
"Not so much a purpose as a friend. You, on the other hand, seem a bit out of sorts." She glanced to his feet & with it the man gave off a rumbled laugh that touched his eyes as she reached up to tuck a hood onto his head. A hood that she'd seen similar to Kenway's own.
"A rare bird we find here a new in Kings-ton. A pity I have to run off, but we will meet again."
With a nod & a strange wave of his hands whose wrists held a strange metal & cloth combination reminiscent of chains, the man took off at a near sprint to disappear out of the back area in moments.
"Miss, a funny fella like that. You sure got a nose fer finding trouble." Drew drawled softly as he leaned against one of the wooden structures before giving her a grin of his own. "Ye fergot to ask fer whatever it is that yur looking fer."
Liete gave her own grin to her man, before looking back to where the man had disappeared with her interest piqued, eyes swirling in excitement.
"Come Drew- we need a bath. Got a memory of where?"