Okay, I know it's been a while, but to my defense, school has started again and I don't have much time to write anymore, considering that my free time apparently consists of studying and homework now.
Anyway, I was planning on uploading a very long chapter somewhere in the next few weeks, but then decided to split it into two separate chapters instead. So here is the first one, enjoy, and please don't forget to leave a review or two ;)
Nine months later my wish is being fulfilled.
"Julie, might I have a word?" Haytham asks me one sunny day in July, shortly after my 19th birthday, approaching me while I'm practising throwing daggers at a straw doll, approximately thirty yards away from me.
"Sure.", I answer, immediately cancelling my training, collecting the knives and following him out of the broad courtyard into the main hall of our new headquarters at Fort George. We had moved to New York a few weeks ago, as Haytham had decided that, on second thought, a tavern wasn't the most appropriate place for our exponentially growing Order. I hadn't been too happy about it, as I loved Boston with its brick buildings and narrow streets, as well as the Green Dragon, which had become something like a home to me but had decided that voicing my complaints wouldn't have accomplished much. The only one who was truly unhappy, and did not miss to complain about it, was Thomas Hickey, who could "not imagine any be'er place for leadin' a company than a bloody pub". Haytham had silenced him with the mere assurance that all of his desires could just as well be satisfied in New York, even to a greater range than what Boston had to offer. That seemed to work.
Fort George offered not only much more space than our previous headquarters, but also a vast amount of training ground, as well as gardens as huge as the palace I had served in.
Many people went in and out there on a daily basis, most of them I hadn't seen before. But they were all more or less members of our rite: allies, spies, tutors, mercenaries, contact men and business partners. They mostly ignored me, so I usually kept to myself.
We now passed a few of those men and women when traversing the main hall, heading for the gardens. Every one of them respectfully greeted Haytham and some even gave me a short nod, acknowledging my presence.
Arriving in the gardens, Haytham slows down a bit, allowing me to catch up with him.
"Do you know Lord Canterbury, Julie?"
I shake my head in response. "Never heard of him before."
We stroll along the blooming bushes in silence, with Haytham leading me to a group of cypresses far away from the building and off-path, first ensuring that we're alone, before finally resuming our conversation.
"He's one of our allies down in North Carolina. Has an estate there. British inheritance, obviously. Anyway, he is one of our main negotiators with not only Great Britain itself, but also the British rite there, who haven't been that pleased with me since that incident with Reginald."
"Incident.", I repeat with an amused smile.
"Lately.", he continues without paying me any attention. "I can't help but start to sincerely doubt his allegiance to our Order and cause. The information we have received from him in the past few months is not only vague but also not entirely true, from what we have gathered of various other informants. His misinformation caused the failure of three of our missions and the deaths of some good men."
He falls silent and starts walking again.
After some time of following him through the gardens, I ask the substantial question: "What do I have to do with all of that?"
With a sigh, he stops again, turning to face me entirely, and staring at me for a while, until he finally starts speaking again.
"What I want of you is to make use of not only your skills but of your anonymity in the Order itself. I want you to infiltrate the Canterbury estate, find out what he's up to, why and with whom. I want you to report to me weekly, understood? There are not many people that I find worthy of my trust in this Order, and you can call yourself lucky to be one of those few which I do trust. You have the advantage of not being overly known within our rite, so you have a fair chance of sneaking up on him unbeknown to any other than the few members privy to it. But Julie, just to be clear, your task is to observe, not to act. Do you find yourself capable of managing that?"
"Yes.", I answer without hesitation, struggling to hide my excitement.
"Good.", he says, a small but proud smile on his face. "You'll sail at sunrise. Shay will bring you to North Carolina and explain all the details on the way. May the Father of Understanding guide you, sister."
Not even the prospect of Shay instructing me on my mission can spoil my mood that evening. Some of my teachers come by, to wish me luck or give me some last advice, while I eagerly pack the few things I'm allowed to take with me. I take off my Templar ring and carefully place it in a secret cavity under a loose floor tile I had discovered when arriving in New York. The only permitted weapons are my two daggers, which I can strap around my thighs, the rest I store in the armoire in my room.
No sleep finds me that night, the excitement being too strong, so I spend the night picturing myself accomplishing the mission and therefore to fully gain the Order's respect and acknowledgement. I also try to imagine how they will smuggle me inside and how I will get to the required information, but the lack of details concerning my mission doesn't really make anything like forming a plan possible.
About an hour before my department, I rise and quickly get ready, dressing in the plain clothes that had been brought to me by an associate, a simple blouse, a light brown skirt and to my distress, a bodice, at which I grimace, generally despising dresses and everything alike, finding them not only uncomfortable but also enormously impractical. Not even my leather boots I'm allowed to keep, their replacement consisting of a pair of classic flat working class shoes.
Ten minutes later Anette, my part-time maid, rushes in without knocking, to do my hair.
She braids it back and pins it up around my head, fixing it with a few pins and a bonnet.
"How do I look?" I ask her with a wink, swinging around a few times for her to see me from all perspectives.
"Like a common servant, miss.", she answers truthfully. "But still very pretty nevertheless."
Haytham is waiting next to the coach, greeting me with a satisfied nod. "You look appropriate."
"I'll just take that as a compliment." I reply, smirking as I throw my bag on the back seat.
"How are you feeling?"
"Nervous, to be honest. A bit anxious, too."
"That's good.", he merely says, closing the coach door behind me. "You can do this, Jules. I'm certain of it, so don't disappoint me, alright?"
"Yes, sir!"
I mockingly salute.
"Best of luck to you, then. Although I don't think you'll need it. You're ready"
Haytham takes a few steps back, giving the driver the sign to go.
As I look back through the small coach window, his figure in the distance becomes smaller and smaller, until we turn around a curve and he disappears from my sight.
I would later remember that last sight of him, and the sudden sadness that overcame me in that moment.
The coach arrives at the harbour at sunrise, as planned. And as planned, Shay awaits me there. "Good morning.", he says as he opens the coach door. "Are you ready?"
"I hope so.", I answer, my nervousness now gnawing on my inside.
He escorts me through the harbour, which even at this early hour is already bustling with life. Seagulls, hoping for a chance to steal themselves something to eat and filling the air with their high-pitched cries; merchants, readying their market stalls; sailors, who are either returning to their ships or have only just arrived; even a few tired looking citizens, doing some morning shopping for their superiors or their families.
Shay leads me through the crowd to the docks, where I immediately recognise his ship, the…
"May I proudly present you my humble vessel, the Morrigan." Shay exclaims with an exaggerated gesture towards the ship and a smug smile on his face.
Morrigan! Who even remembers such a name?
I hide my discomfort with boarding yet another ship as best as I can, avoiding to peer over the railing and being exposed to the endless waves beneath me.
On board, we're greeted by a few crew members, among them the Templar with the wide-brimmed hat.
"Top of the morning, Gist. That's the lass we'll be bringing down to North Carolina."
"Julie Martin.", I quickly say, taking his outstretched hand.
"Christopher Gist, more than pleased to make the acquaintance of such a lovely young lady. Welcome aboard!"
He winks at me.
"Alright lads.", Shay shouts. "We're on a tight schedule, so let's get going."
I watch them ready the ship for departure, releasing the ropes and adjusting the sails.
Thirty minutes later, we have left New York's harbour behind us, heading for the open sea.
My discomfort grows with every second, I yearn for the crow's nest, which always grants me at least a bit of a feeling of safety, but don't ask as everyone is too busy with their work right now, something I would rather not interfere with.
Instead, I sit down in a corner on the quarterdeck, carefully adjusting my skirt, and watch as the men professionally pursue their daily work.
"Hey, lass.", Shay calls over from the wheel after some time has passed. "Heard you still need some information concerning your… business there?"
I nod and quickly get on my feet, standing there for a second to regain my balance.
"Alright.", he says after I take the place to his left. "Here's the plan. We'll be getting you inside as a maid, who only just started working there. An orphan, in fact. Good outfit, by the way."
My only response is a soft grunt.
"Anyway.", he continues seamlessly. "You'll be working there for quite some time, use your free time to explore the property as much as you can, obviously a maid's access is restricted, so better stay low than risking anything, but it's always good to have an escape route or two, aye?"
He doesn't wait for an answer.
"We have a lad there, working in the stables or so. He's wearing a red ribbon around his neck but will make himself clearly distinguishable from the actual servants for you. Has a passphrase or so. You'll see there. So that's to whom you deliver your reports, understand?"
Yes, I'm not stupid, you idiot.
"Yep."
"Good. We've got a hammock ready for you below deck if you're tired. Just ask any member of the crew, they'll show you. We'll reach North Carolina in about two days, so I'd highly recommend catching up on some sleep. Not much to do for you up here anyway. Any questions?"
"Yes, one actually. Might I borrow your spyglass? I like to see my surroundings, and wasn't allowed to bring my own."
Shay seems surprised but hands it to me nevertheless.
I thank him and make my way down to the main deck, grabbing one of the not-so-neatly stored ropes lying around the deck.
"Hey, Miss, take care of yourself there." one sailor warns me, as I start climbing up the mast.
"Don't worry!", I answer, gesturing towards the rope. "I always do that!"
After securing myself, I take the spyglass and check my surroundings. In the distance, I see the American shore, to which we are now sailing in parallel, partly hidden by the morning fog. The rest is just, as usual, the open blue sea.
I feel my body finally being able to relax, having escaped the imminent proximity to the water.
The morning sun gently warms my face, as a wave of fatigue overcomes me. Closing my eyes, I shift into a more comfortable position and lean my back against the mast.
Minutes later, I'm fast asleep.
When I wake up again, the sun has already passed her noon altitude by far, the heat pretty much roasting me up in the nest. I toss a quick glance down to the deck. Most of the sailors have taken off their coats by now, some even their shirts as well. The only two people seemingly immune to the heat are the two Templars on the Quarterdeck, Cormac and Gist. The latter is standing on the Quartermaster's position to the Captain's right, both still fully clothed and, although it's a bit hard to detect from up here, apparently fully comfortable with the temperature, not even a hint of sweat showing on their faces.
I, meanwhile, do feel the heat in my thick skirt. In an attempt to cool down a bit, I pull the fabric up to my knees, hoping for an at least light breeze.
My empty stomach growls like a starving beast, I try suppressing it by clenching my abdominal muscles, but fail, not having eaten since the previous day.
Five minutes later I'm climbing down the mast, the hunger having won the battle against my wish to stay as far away from the water surface as possible.
A passing sailor directs me below deck, where the cook, a fair skinned boy in his twenties at most, is busy with preparing the supper. As he hasn't noticed me yet, I silently open another button of my blouse, pulling it a bit down. Then I advance.
"Uh… Excuse me?" I try to make my presence felt, clearing my throat.
He flinches a bit, turning around to face me, cutting knife in one hand, potato in the other.
"Oh, hello there! Sorry, didn't see you at first, you must be our passenger… Miss…?"
"Martin. But call me Julie, please."
"Pleasure. Name's Finn O'Connan, I'd shake your hand now, but don't want to get any food stains on you."
"Speaking of food." I quickly say, giving him one of my sweetest smiles and leaning a bit forward. "Any chance you could spare me a bit before supper? Haven't eaten since yesterday, and am now a bit concerned for my health, I tend to faint very easily…"
"Now." He answers, laying down the knife and the potato on a table beside him, determined to have his gaze fixed on my face, but not really succeeding. "I don't usually give in to such requests, as everyone on board should be treated as an equal and therefore being granted the very same amounts of food, but you are our special guest here and it's your first day, so… here you go."
He hands me a bit of bread, some cheese and an apple.
"A thousand thanks to you, Finn!" I beam, taking the food, my hands brushing his for a second.
As far as I can see, his cheeks are slightly flushed. He clears his throat. "No worries, Julie. Enjoy."
In the moment I turn my back to him, I stop smiling, still somehow satisfied with myself. It always works.
I decide to eat in my hammock, which is easily distinguishable from the crew's ones, the sheets fresh and neatly folded. Seating myself at its foot, I force myself to eat slowly, taking my time to chew the hard bread, cheese and apple. It still is gone far too soon.
With a sigh, I lay down on the not overly comfortable surface, careful not to destroy Anette's hard work with taming my hair but not knowing anything else to do with myself than having another nap.
Surprisingly, I hadn't wasted a thought on the water surrounding me since climbing down the mast.
"Oi, Miss, supper's ready."
A bearded face is hovering over mine, making sure that I'm awake.
"Pardon?" I mumble, not really sure where I am.
"Captain told me to come and get you."
The sailor turns around and makes his way back to the front part of the ship, from which I hear loud voices and the clatter of dishes.
I quickly rise and adjust my clothes, buttoning up my shirt and straightening my skirt, before walking towards the noise.
Finn smiles when he sees me, quickly filling me a bowl of stew.
"Ey sweetheart, come sit with us, there's not much space, but I imagine we can all cuddle up a bit, can't we lads?" a slightly drunk crew member calls after me, as I head for an empty table in the back.
His companions roar with laughter, while I simply ignore them and sit down at the table, turning my back on them. The food isn't precisely good, but eatable, especially with a nearly empty stomach.
After scoffing all of the stew in five minutes, I decide to stretch my legs a bit and take a walk on deck, as all of my muscles have gone stiff due to my uncomfortable choices of places to sleep.
Surprisingly, upon ascending the stairs, I am being received by darkness, as apparently, I have slept until nightfall.
The sky is clear and full of stars, which, together with the full moon, bathe the scenery around me in an eerie white light. I start walking along the railing, keeping a fair distance to it until reaching the bow. My feet carry me forward until I'm standing at the railing, my hands clutching the wood while some force makes me peer over it, looking at the moonlit waves beneath me.
While some part of me is terrified, another is almost drawn to the dark water, urging me to let go and embrace it.
"You're not thinking of jumping, are you? Because the water's colder than it looks and I'm not really up for a swim, to be perfectly honest."
I dart around. On the quarterdeck, I can detect a dark figure behind the wheel.
"Don't worry." I call over to him. "If I were to commit suicide, I'd find other means, believe me."
"I'd rather not."
Releasing the railing, I walk over to him.
"Beautiful night, isn't it?" Shay remarks, tossing a quick look towards the night sky, yawning.
His face is hidden in the shadows cast by one of the sails.
I nod in agreement, now glancing at the night sky myself. The stars shine like a thousand diamonds attached to a raven black gown. The gown of the Queen of the Night, who watches over all sleeping children, my mother had always told me. As long as they are good children, of course. If not, she does not watch over you and you're exposed to all of the night's terrors creeping around in the shadows. I was terrified as a child.
Shay yawns once more.
"How long do you intend on standing here?" I ask him casually. "Until you drop with exhaustion?"
"Actually, Gist will come around to take over soon. At least I hope it's soon."
A powerful gust of wind sweeps across the sea, pulling at my clothes and filling the sails. Every single one of the wooden planks seems to creak with exhaustion, the ship itself rocking forwards and the spray, carried by the wind, wetting everything it reaches, including myself.
Shay laughs at my sound of distress.
"Cheer up, lass. The wind's actually in our favour, we might reach our destination sooner than planned, maybe even by tomorrow."
"Wonderful.", I muffle, attempting to reattach a strain of hair to the bun on my head, which by now probably looked like something had nested in it.
A figure appeared in the light-flooded opening on the deck below us, the characteristic hat giving away his identity.
"Gist! I thought you would leave me standing here until my very end!", Shay exclaims upon sighting his Quartermaster, handing over the wheel.
We quickly bid each other goodnight, Shay heading for the Captain's cabin and I to my hammock on the berth deck.
Sleep finds me soon.
We reach North Carolina the next day, the evening sun illuminating the harbour, which is smaller than New York's, but busy nevertheless.
My legs are a bit shaky as I depart the Morrigan, the harbour's firm ground appearing unstable after almost two days on a ship.
Not far away I spot a coach with a young boy on the coachman's seat, his eyes fixed on me.
"That's yours." , a voice next to me says. I turn my head, where my gaze is returned by a pair of dark brown eyes, mustering me with an unreadable expression in them.
"I suppose so. Thank you for bringing me here.", I answer.
Shay shakes his head. "There's nothing to be thankful for. You're on a mission after all."
I blow out my cheeks. "So that's it, huh?"
He tosses me a quick grin. "Don't worry, lass. I'm sure you'll make it."
"How so?"
"I just know."
The answer isn't really fully satisfactory considering my current state of complete and utter nervousness.
After just standing there for a few seconds I choose to not delay the inevitable anymore and start moving forward.
"Wish me luck.", I call back to Shay.[1]
"You don't need it."
I make my way through the crowd until I'm standing in front of the kid, who can't be older than thirteen.
"Miss Garceau, I take it?" he asks.
I nod, Shay has made me memorise my new identity until I could recite it in my sleep.
"The Ma'am is expecting you, so we'd better get going, eh?"
As we leave the harbour, taking a both steep and uneven road uphill, I toss a look back at the anchoring Morrigan, bathed in the evening's sunlight. I cannot spot Shay anywhere, we're already too far to make out any faces from this distance, but I could swear to see a wide-brimmed hat appearing in the crowd below.
[1] Everyone was expecting that Rogue catchphrase now, amiright? -A/N