"William Kenway, on Achilles Ratonhnhaké:ton. It's a pleasure to meet you." Kenway said as he knuckled his forehead in a salute, and Harcourt nodded as she shook his hand.
"Catherine Harcourt, on Lily." Harcourt answered. If it surprised Kenway that she, a woman, was a full-fledged aviator captain, he didn't show it. "So you are to be joining my formation as an auxiliary? We'll see what you and your dragon are capable of."
"I promise you won't be disappointed." Kenway said with a smile, and Harcourt rolled her eyes.
"We'll see about that, Mr. Kenway." Harcourt said, and Kenway gave her a short bow of respect before leaving her private tent. Outside, the fire-breathing Kazilik - Iskierka, if he recalled correctly - was gloating to an ever-stoic Achilles about her treasure.
Achilles possessed no gold or jewels, but he did take pride in the enormous collection of decorative beads that he had amassed over the years from shipping goods to and fro. They hung around the base of his neck on thin braided ropes, and he looked at Iskierka's own gold-covered harness with an appraising and slightly envious eye.
"Achilles! How goes?" Kenway asked as he walked up to his dragon, and Achilles acknowledged the presence of his captain with a nod of his head as he stretched out a foreleg.
"I am very well, thank you, William. I have just been conversing with Iskierka and her captain, John Granby." Achilles said, and he allowed his captain to vault across his outstretched foreleg to lean back against it.
Said captain then appeared from behind Iskierka, wearing a highly-conspicuous green uniform covered in gold that Kenway noted would come in handy if he should try to assassinate his targets in a public place. After all, what better place was there to hide in than the center of attention?
"Hello there, mate - Captain John Granby, on Iskierka." The man said as he and Kenway shook hands. He was about two-and-thirty years of age, tall and lanky with dark hair in a low ponytail.
"William Kenway, on Achilles Ratonhnhaké:ton." Kenway answered, smiling broadly with an open face, and Granby clapped him on the back as he beckoned for him to follow.
"You'd best come with me so we can meet the other captains." Granby explained, and Kenway saw no problem with that. They strode with the same pace towards a clearing surrounded by tents, where the lieutenants were instructing their subordinates in the art of fencing.
"Thrust, Collins - never slash! You left yourself open to Kidd's strike!" Granby's second lieutenant, Lithgow cried out as one of the midwingmen raised his sword, allowing his younger opponent to stab his heart with a blunt wooden practice sword. The midwingman muttered something highly offensive about the second lieutenant under his breath, but before the duel could restart, Kenway stepped in between them.
"May I?" Kenway asked, looking towards Lithgow, who looked surprised at his sudden appearance. Then with a reluctant nod, Lithgow tossed Kenway a practice sword, which the Assassin caught easily by the blade. "Now then - both of you against me!"
Collins and Kidd both looked surprised, but they raised their swords and prepared themselves as their fellows prepared their bets. Collins lunged forward with the tip of his sword, having learned from his previous duel with Kidd, but Kenway stepped almost casually to the side and extended his foot a few inches, simultaneously dodging both Collins's attack and tripping him.
Kidd was next, and Kenway noted he was fast, although the practice sword was just a bit too long for his still-small frame to control effectively. Parrying his strike, Kenway lunged forward, and if his blade had been sharpened steel instead of blunted wood, Kidd would've been bleeding out on the ground.
Some instinct told him Collins was behind him, and he spun around just in time to narrowly dodge his sword. Then grabbing his sword wrist, Kenway put Collins's arm on his shoulder to hurl him bodily onto the ground, causing the spectators to gasp in surprise.
Kidd, having gotten up, thrust from across Collins lying on the ground, but one parry and a good hard kick from Kenway's long leg saw his buttocks kissing the dirt. "That's it! We're done!"
Kenway's supporters clapped while those who had betted on their friends, Collins and Kidd looked crestfallen at their loss, and Kenway walked to rejoin Granby. "That was impressive, mate - never seen anyone take on two opponents so easily."
"That was nothing compared to the scuffle I had with some drunk militia in a Boston tavern - I thought I had seen bar fights before, but then it got really wild when the bananas came in…"
"That… sounds interesting…" Granby said weakly as he gave Kenway a strange look, but they nonetheless continued on to meet the other captains in Lily's formation.