Warning - Contains spoilers for freedom cry
May 1st 1721
I've seen Anne every day since we started talking, its as if no time has passed. Our running joke starts with Anne shouting "Ahoy Captain" as to which I shout back "Quartermaster. What's our present course?" we can't keep the façade up for long and it always ends in us laughing uncontrollably, sometimes I bring Charlotte with me and then sometimes Edward watches her. We told Edward of plans to destroy the prison that haunts us, he listened and humoured our plans or so I had thought.
That was until the Frigate turned up, Edward led me and Anne to the docks early in the morning. The Reynaldo's Spanish flag still flapped in the wind, its decorative design looked battered but still grand.
"It's yours" he looked rather chuffed with himself, Arms folded over his chest rather proudly
"You've got me a ship?" Anne looks as baffled as I do
"Aye, a frigate to be precise. My Crew fetched it last night" compared to my old schooner its a beast of a ship, apart from a small bit of damage on its starboard side its in immaculate condition "You said you wanted to sail again, I wanted a man of war for you. Told my crew that they were to get the biggest they could"
"Aye she's a beauty, Reynaldo is a Terrible name for a ship though" I climb on deck it's so grand that even the rails have exquisite detail, it's one of the prettiest ships I have ever seen. That's how I decide her name "I'm gonna rename her The Charlotte" I can't wait to show my daughter her ship.
It takes a month till I'm happy with how the ship looks, she could strike fear into any man's heart. She's been painted so that she is all black with her detail in blood red, as an ode to Anne I had the mermaid figurehead whittled to resemble her. To match the fear of the ship the sails were died a deep red, instead of the 24 cannons that it originally held it's now up to its maximum of 46.
After The Charlotte is fully upgraded to my standards me, Anne and Edward sit down to make a plan. There are enough people to make up a crew and a half so before we sail to Kingston we need to go to Tulum for some more crew members, Me and Anne decided that our crew will be made up of as many women that Ah Tabai can spare. We felt the women we would be saving would feel safer, Edward wants to come with us taking the Jackdaw but before I agree I want to find someone I feel safe enough watching Charlotte.
We do find someone to watch Charlotte but that doesn't stop me worrying, I drill her with every question I can think of before I'm remotely happy to leave her without us.
June 13th 1721
The day we set sail I cry more than I have ever cried before, as we sail away I want to do nothing more than dive off the back of my ship. Nothing anyone says can console me, one of the crew takes the wheel until I can't see Inagua any more. Anne puts her hand on my shoulder which upsets me, if I felt like this leaving my daughter behind for a week, what will it feel like for her going to the two places where she lost everything. Edward pulls alongside us to see if I'm okay, I lie and plaster a false smile on.
We reach Tulum and go ashore when Edward reaches me, he envelopes me in a hug but the sadness is still there. All my attention goes to Anne as we walk between a line of huts identical to the one we shared, the talk with Ah Tabai doesn't take long. Our Crew is assembled and somehow its all females with sailing experience or enough knowledge, I sort out handing them the clothes me and Anne sorted.
After explaining our plans we go to the hut where we lived before we even reach it Anne breaks down and I'm left holding her like I did that day feeling completely useless.
"Let's get the ones that did this to us" I whisper into her hair "Let's make them pay" her crying slows so I move to just holding her hand.
When we reach the ship our crew has changed and look truly menacing, Hell hath no fury like a woman.
I go to my cabin to get ready as well. I paint my eyes black and my lips a darker shade of red, even I have to admit I look scary.
Edwards look from the Jackdaw confirm it, its the same look he gave me when I told him I was a woman. I took a leaf from Blackbeard's book for theatrics, all of the crew were told to wear 1 red token and darken their make up.
The crew starts singing although it's quite low, it sounds haunting to me, I can only hope it reaches the land. I recognize the song and join in with my crew
The King and his Men
Stole the Queen from her bed
And bound her in her bones
The seas be ours and by the Powers
Where we will, we'll roam
Yo, Ho, all hands
Hoist The Colours high
Heave, Ho, Thieves and Beggers
Never shall we Die!
Yo, Ho, all together
Hoist The Colours high
Heave, Ho, Thieves and Beggars
Never shall we Die!
Some men have died
And some are alive
Others sail on the sea
With keys to the cage
And the Devil to pay
We lay to Fiddler's Green!
The bell has been raised
From its watery grave
Hear it's sepulchral tone
A call to all
Pay head the squall
Turn your sail towards home!
Yo, Ho, all together
Hoist The Colours high
Heave, Ho, Thieves and Beggars
Never shall we Die!
Although we shall not die, the same cannot be said for any guards I come across. I hope to unleash hell on those who put me through one, the call for land goes up so I signal to Edward to hold back.
We go ashore and slice down the first 2 guards stood closest to the beach, we spread out taking down guards as we go as if slicing at ghosts. I feel confident until a big bastard swings his axe at me, I manage to dodge at the last second. Our dance continues for a while before he catches me with the back of his hand, I didn't realise how out of touch I was. I turn to face him just in time to see his forehead open, I swing round to see Edward sheathing his pistol. With a nod I run into the prison and deal with the guards there, I'm grateful that my crew is made up purely of assassins, without them this could have been a lot harder. I let out the signal for Edward's crew to finish the rest of the prison and help the woman to my ship, Anne comes up to me holding an infant in one arm and holding his weak mother up with the other arm. I remember the conditions being appalling but staring at them now, I realise I didn't bring hell because hell was always here.
When we have all of the women on board Edward shouts of the orders to destroy the prison, cannonballs fly through the walls leaving only rubble and dust, it floats up like a ghost as if the lives that place stole are finally free. I reach for Anne's hand and we sail off, knowing that we have prevented an incurable pain for someone, but knowing that there are other hells out there no different to where we were kept.
We sail back side by side glad that went as well as it did, almost too well! That's when I spot them, two hunters heading directly towards us. Shit! They must have seen the smoke billowing from the prison. Edward peels off so I'm left shouting after him, I follow him shouting my crew to be ready for a fight.
The fight is closely matched but I take down the first one and prepare to finish the second one off with Edward when I see him dive from the deck into the sea, followed by an almighty explosion ripping through the Jackdaw. Panic ensues as I scream for Edward scanning the water but finding nothing, thank god my crew knew what they were doing as the carcass of the second hunter gets ripped to shreds. As soon as I see it go down I dive into the water, I spot him almost immediately and swim as hard as I can. Dragging Edward to the surface takes its toll on me so by the time I reach it I'm so tired, with my last ounce of energy I scream to Anne. Two of my newly appointed crew swim out and drag us on-board, struggling to regain my breath I hover near Edward.
"Edward" I muster a whisper but no more, the same two that saved us from the water start to pump on Edward's chest until he coughs and brings up water.
Tears slip down my cheeks when I crawl over to him
"Didn't think you could get rid of me that easily did you love" he strokes my tears away, I hide my face in his chest and stay that way for the rest of the journey until we reach Inagua.
I blame this chapter on Pirates of the Caribbean, I'm sorry for killing the jackdaw I was really sad when I came across it sunk in Freedom Cry. So I thought Edward would only accept losing it saving someone he loves, sorry again guys.
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