Sooooo I was supposed to adult today, you know like; move furniture, pack things, go shopping, clean. Yah know the whole "functioning member of society" bit, but I decided to write instead! So here is another chapter! I would really appreciate it if someone could leave a review and tell me what they think, any suggestions or things you've noticed that just don't seem right. Tell me if you like it or hate it, if I should give it up or keep going lol. I want to thank you all for sticking with me and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Havana, May 10th, 1721
Mary hops up from her spot on the floor when she hears the first knock. She releases her hidden blades and creeps to the door. She steps on a particularly noisy floorboard and stops, heart thundering in her chest. The knock sounds again and she lets out a breath, she peers through the dirt stained window and jumps at the face just on the other side, she whips the door open and pulls the man inside. "Mentor, I was beginning to think that letter hadn't been from you." Ah Tabai frowns as he looks around, papers scattered every which way and still overturned furniture. "What has happened here Mary?"
"Torres." Ah Tabai's eyes widen, "I thought Edward had taken care of him." She shakes her head, "I thought so too but I saw him with my own two eyes. It looks like they've taken everything we've had on the observatory." Ah Tabai walks over to a desk and shuffles through the papers then picks up a journal, "How do you know it was the observatory they're after?" Mary rubs the back of her neck, "Well I can't know for sure but I'm assuming it is since they were after it not even a year ago."
Ah Tabai raises a brow and hands the notebook over, "We cannot assume, Mary, we have sealed the observatory. Now look and tell me what is missing." She opens the book and flips through the pages. "What am I supposed to see Mentor? This book makes no sense." She hands it back to him, he flips open to a page with a crude drawing of an elderly man. He flips to the next page and now there is a picture of a young boy. Then it clicks, "The fountain of youth? That's just a legend!"
Her mentor laughs and closes the book, "Just as the observatory had been thought to be." Mary's brows furrow and Ah Tabai places a hand to her shoulder, "What are you thinking Mary?" She opens her mouth but before anything can leave comes a pounding from the door. She pulls her blades out but Ah Tabai pushes her hands back down, "Peace, Mary." He peaks out the window and upon seeing two familiar faces, pulls the door open.
Anne rushes in and pulls Mary into a hug, "Oh Mary are you alright?" She pushes her friend away and holds her at arm's length, "Aye, what are you doing here Anne?" Anne wraps her arms tightly around Mary again and cries, "I couldn't just sit around when I heard you needed help!" Adéwalé steps forward and looks around with a grim face, "Where's Captain Kenway?" Ah Tabai gives Mary a stern look, "I haven't noticed his presence, he has not betrayed us again has he?"
Mary prys Anne's arms away and chews at her bottom lip, "He's been captured." Anne gasps and grabs at Mary's arm but she tugs it away. Ah Tabai takes a step forward and places a hand to Mary's cheek, "Do not worry, he will not be lost to us." Mary nods, "Is Sophia well?" Anne nods with a smile, "Aye, still in one piece. The way you left her."
Mary breathes a sigh of relief and turns back towards her mentor, "Before he left Torres told his men to keep Edward alive until they have his child. I think they are after Sophia." Ah Tabai scribbles something down and attaches the letter to the foot of a pigeon and sends it off, "I have sent for the elders. Now we must go, we cannot afford to lose anymore precious time."
Mary and Ah Tabai crouch outside of the prison, watching as the guards survey the grounds. Mary whistles, attracting the attention of a decorated soldier. He looks like he'd be a key holder. Mary jabs him in the throat with her blade and searches his pockets and sure enough- "Gotcha." She pulls the shiny key out and moves on to the next bush to take out the guards in the surrounding area. Ah Tabai hits two sharpshooters in the neck with a dart. One pulls out his gun and just before releasing the trigger he falls backward and lands hard on the ground with the other falling soon after.
Mary darts to the gate and fiddles with the lock until she hears the click and pulls the heavy door open. The two snake along the walls, keeping to the shadows. Mary gives Ah Tabai a hand signal and the two flatten themselves against the wall. He whistles and attract the attention of two guards, they give each other a curious look. One scratches his head and the other shrugs his shoulders, they stand there a minute and eventually walk away.
Mary huffs and crouches, ready to strike to the two men but he stops her, grabbing at her collar. She falls to the ground and she glares up at him, whispering, "What the hell?" He watches down at her with a frown, "Mary, you are anxious to wet your blade. Has your leave made you foolish?" She but crawls back to her corner and Ah Tabai whistles again, finally attracting their attention. They knock them out and continue onwards.
Mary squints her eyes but there's no denying the robes hidden behind the bars. "Mentor, we've found them!" She hisses and he places his fingers to his lips. Seconds later several guards walk through the room dragging what appears to be a corpse. Blonde hair splayed in every direction.
It's Edward.
Ah Tabai looks over at Mary but instead of fear or sorrow, he sees determination and strength. When the guards exit the room Mary hurries over to one of the cells and tries the key on the lock. They hear the click and the door creaks open, "It's a skeleton key!" Ah Tabai grins and helps a young man to his feet.
Mary opens the final cell and is immediately knocked to the ground. Rhona clings tightly against Mary's neck. "Mary I'm so glad to see you!" Mary pulls herself up off the floor, "Aye, though I wish it were under better circumstances." Rhona's grin fades and she asks, "Has Edward been captured? I've heard rumors that they've been torturing a blonde welsh man." Mary nods, "Aye, I just saw him, he didn't look good." Rhona places a hand to her shoulder and Mary shrugs her off. "Let us be off."
Havana, May 15th, 1721
"How many rooms are in this goddamned place?" Mary paces in the empty cell, the stone hallways echoing with each step she takes. "We've searched nearly every room in this godforsaken prison, why haven't we found him yet?" Ah Tabai places a hand to her knee, "Easy Mary, we will find him." She sinks to the floor and sighs. Rhona breaks off a piece of her food and hands it to Mary.
She twists the bar around in her hands with a grimace, She'd never gotten used to the taste of these things. They may fill her up but they tasted like something you'd find rotting on the shore. She sneaks the bar into her pocket unable to stomach the food today, if you could even call it that. "Mary, eat, you need your strength." She furrows her brows and pulls the bar back out of her pocket like a child who'd been caught giving their peas to the dog.
She points the bar at her mentor's face, "I can't, this stuff tastes like shite." Ah Tabai chuckles and hands her a glass of water, she downs it in one large gulp. Rhona shoves the last bit of her bar into her mouth and wipes her hands off on her trousers. "I asked a cook one time what was in these and they refused to tell me. They said if we knew the contents we wouldn't eat them but assured me that they wouldn't harm us." Mary grumbles under her breath, "I beg to differ." Rhona laughs and pulls her onto her feet, "Come on Mary, let's go find your man."
"Ah this is new." Mary fiddles with the lock but the door refuses to budge. She huffs and stuffs the skeleton key into her pocket. "Must require a different key." Rhona rolls her sleeves up and pushes her aside, "Stand back Lady and gentlemen. I've got this." She pulls a bomb from her pocket and secures it against the handle of the door. Then she pulls a torch from the wall and just before she lights the thing Ah Tabai grabs her hand. "What will we do when we attract the attention of the guards?"
Rhona shrugs, "Do you have a better idea?" Ah Tabai shakes his head, highly unimpressed with her carelessness. "You and Mary are acting recklessly and it will get us all killed. We must be patient, we will wait until someone comes along." Mary frowns and rips the torch from Rhona's hand, "That could be hours!" Ah Tabai growls, "And so be it! If you do not like it then you may leave. I will not have you compromise the brotherhood for one man. Do not make me strip you of your title Mary." She clenches her jaw shut and stands firm, Ah Tabai crosses his arms. Eventually she drops the torch and flounders off to find a comfortable place to wait.
They waited less than an hour before a group of guards made their way over and are dead before they even hit the floor. They hurry into the room only to discover a corridor with several more rooms to search. Mary groans and rushes to search each of the rooms. She finishes down one side of the hallway, growing anxious with each empty room she sees. "He's not here! We've wasted our time!"
"Mary I've found him!" Her breath catches and her heart beats erratically. She bursts into the room, Rhona is crouched over him. She can see his pained shallow breaths from the sunlight that streaks in through a cracked in the wall. She throws herself down next to him, cupping his swollen face in her hands. She tilts his face towards the light, trying to get a better look at the damage. His face is covered in purple marks, she swallows the lump forming in her throat and chokes out a bitter, "Edward!"
Only one eye opens, the other is swollen shut, his eye flicks over and he forces a smile to his lips. He raises his arm slowly, painfully, and places the palm of his hand against her cheek. "Mary." He croaks out she covers his hand with her and places a kiss to his palm. He wets his dry lips with his tongue, "I've missed you." Mary leans over, pulling him into an embrace. "Keep your strength Edward, we're getting you out of here." He shakes his head and leans into the floor, his breathing is coming out shorter now.
His lips are turning blue, she knows he doesn't have much time left. She runs a finger across his lips and he places a soft kiss to the digit. She feels a tear run down her cheek, When have I become so weak, crying over every small problem. She knows this isn't small, she must be in denial. She squeezes her eyes shut and laughs, it's so absurd. Nearly a year ago now she was in the same position. Laying on those cold hard tiles barely clinging to life as she told Edward her last words.
She runs her hand down his face inspecting his wounds, "What have they done to you?" Why am I wasting our last moments with such trivial matters. He chuckles which turns into a fit of coughing. When he's finished he groans, "What haven't they done to me?" He attempts to sit but falls back with a painful howl, he can't move. Mary feels her cheeks dampen and he brings his fingers up slowly to brush them away. "Don't cry Mary." He smiles at her but she can see the life fading from his eyes, there's not much time left.
She pulls him into a kiss, a kiss speaking what words couldn't. His lips moved sloppily, tired, sluggish. The tears were falling freely as there was no need for strength now. The pressure behind his lips disappear and she pulls away. He gives her one last smile and his hand falls slack from her cheek. "I love you Mary, don't ever forget that." She grips onto his hands as he takes his final breath. She sprawls herself over his body and weeps.
Their eyes burn from the morning sunlight, the grass was damp, it must have rained. Rhona had sent two assassins back to the bureau with Edward's body, instructing them to prepare it for burial. Mary clenched her jaw, knowing that his body would not be there when they returned. His body would be cremated on arrival, as the many lost before him. She clears her throat and continues forward, Torres had to be here somewhere.
They wind themselves through what looks like an old training ground. She stops, Torres was only a few yards in front of them. She smirks, excited to finally sink her blade into the soft skin of his neck. To feel his warm blood fall from his body and to watch him take his last breath just as Edward had. She cocks her blades as Torres takes a step towards her, Ah Tabai stills her arm. "Have you located his child?" A pair of soldiers join their master and Mary sheaths her blades.
The soldier shakes his head, "No sir, but we are working diligently." Torres snorts, "If you were working as you say then you would have located her already." Torres walks to a large table sorting through the papers on top. The soldier takes a tentative step forward and clears his throat. "What do you need this child for anyway, sir?" Torres laughs, "I do not need her specifically, However Captain Kenway has been quite a persistent bastard. She would be a loss I'm sure he could not recover from."
Mary clenches her jaw and leans forward, ready to pounce at the right moment. The man takes another step forward, "But what do we need the child for?" Torres grins and waves the man towards the paper in front of him, "Have you heard of the fountain of youth?" The man gasps and Torres' grin widens, "I've been told that you need a sacrifice in order to access the fountain. A child." The man grimaces, "A child? That's wrong." Torres waves him away, "A child of an assassin that I'm sure will die at our hands eventually. Does it really matter when?"
The man is silent and Torres quirks his brow up, "Do you disagree?" He shakes his head, "No, I just." He sighs, "It's nothing sir, nos iremos pronto, we will locate her before the end of the week." The man leaves and Torres continues to shuffle through the papers on his desk. "You may reveal yourself assassin." Mary growls and shoots up from her hiding spot, The bastard doesn't even have the decency to look at me. "Who do you think you are?" She hisses and he waves her off, "Sit, I haven't time for your arrogance. If you wish to see your child again you will obey me."
"How do you know of me?" She questions, Torres finally turns towards her and laughs, "You are the woman from Kingston, I remember your trial well. You took the crowd for surprise when you announced your pregnancy. I hadn't even expected it." His eyes flash mischievously and he rakes them down her body, she folds her arms over her chest. She may have been dressed like James but the way he was looking at her made her feel exposed.
He smirks and continues, "Edward Kenway's reaction to your little revelation was perhaps the most surprising. He had a wife in England and yet... he was acting as though that child growing inside you was his." Mary's eyes were hard, not allowing him the satisfaction of fear in her face. "The observatory may have been lost to us but now that we have the location of the fountain of youth. And I will ruin him, by killing his child."
Mary hops from her chair and strides over to the man, poking him in the chest with her finger. "Edward is dead, now leave my daughter be." Torres pulls at the hairs on his chin in thought, "Ah, that is a shame. I would have quite enjoyed the look on his face when his child died at my hands. Nevertheless, she was still breed of assassins and will still be a wonderful sacrifice." Mary pulls her cutlass from its sheath, holding it to his neck, "Call off your men Torres, or I will end your life."
He laughs and she pushes the blade deeper to his neck, seeing a satisfying bead of blood trickle down. He waves his hand in the air and several soldiers surround her, "Did you expect me to leave myself that vulnerable? I knew you were coming, why would I allow you to take my life?" One of the guards grabs her arm and bends it behind her back. She hisses in pain and he pushes her down to her knees. "Goodbye miss Read." Torres fakes a bow and disappears. The guard holding her arm rips her back up to her feet and shoves her forwards, back towards the prison.
He shakes her roughly and she stumbles forward, suddenly the grip on her arm loosens and she glances back. The guard lies dead at her feet, she smirks and whips around, pushing her blade through the soft flesh of the next guard's throat. Mary had just enough time to block the sword coming down over her head. She stabs her blade into his gut and his blood seeps over her hand, warm and sticky.
She retracts her blade and he take a step backwards holding tightly to his wound. He grunts and falls to his knees, she shuffles through his pockets, looking for anything useful. A letter falls from his pocket and she reads on. Her face pales and she hurries over to her mentor who was shoving papers into his satchel. "Mentor," Mary holds out the letter, "He has the coordinates of Great Inagua." Ah Tabai grabs the paper, "We'll have to end this quickly." She nods and the three hurry in the direction Torres had disappeared.
Havana, May 17th, 1721
They need to get out of here soon, if they don't return by sundown the Jackdaw will be leaving without them. They've finally tracked him down, however he was surrounded with protection. "Torres! You can't expect to be rid of me so easily!" Mary tosses a smoke bomb down in front of him. He pulls a cloth over his mouth and rips a pistol from the grip of a young soldier. "You're nearly as persistent as Captain Kenway."
He pulls the trigger and she ducks in time to receive a small cut to her cheek. She lunges towards him but is cut off by a large brute. He punches her in the gut and she barrels backwards. He brings his elbow down, aiming for her face. She rolls out of the way just in time and hops to her feet. She laughs as Torres fumbles with his pistol and taunts him, "You don't know how to load that thing do you?" He curses and tosses the thing to the ground, grabbing a cutlass and falls into a stance only a trained swordsman would know.
The burly soldier is upon her again, she tries to kick him in the chest but he grabs onto her ankle, pulling her to the ground. The man brings his axe down only to stop mid swing and fall forward. Mary rolls onto her stomach out of the way and pushes herself up. Rhona is standing next to her, sword drawn. "I see you have brought friends with you this time." Rhona cuts down a charging guard and Mary smirks, "Aye, you will not be as lucky as last time."
Another man makes a grab for her but he is met with the tip of her cutlass, impaling himself to the hilt. She kicks his body from her sword and he falls to the ground. Mary charges at the Templar grandmaster, leaving Rhona and Ah Tabai to deal with the surrounding soldiers. Torres blocks Mary's sword just as it cuts into his shirt. He hops back and holds up his blade. "I may not know the mechanics of a pistol but I have been trained well in the art of sword fighting."
Mary laughs and lunges at him again, their swords hit with a clang, "Then this will be more entertaining than I thought." Torres swings his blade low, forcing Mary to hop back. She slides on the mud and falls forward, leaving an opening. He brings his sword down and she rolls out of the way just as his sword lodges itself in the ground next to her. She can hear her heart beating fast in her ears, I can't be careless or Sophia will grow up without a father AND a mother.
She hops up and her grip tightens on the hilt. Torres swings at her stomach and she leaps backwards however he lands a hit and she feels the blood begin to trickle down her side, "Shite." She curses, holding tightly to her wound. I haven't landed a single goddamned hit. She jabs at him, he turns and receives a nice gash to his arm. His shirt soaks red with blood and he laughs, "I'm glad you've finally drawn blood, I didn't want to feel too guilty for killing a damsel."
She feels sweat pooling down her face and wipes at her forehead, smearing a streak of blood in the process. She swings her blade down at his thigh and he hops back barely missing the stinging metal. "Don't doubt me!" She shouts and flings her blade up unexpectedly. He falls flat on his back and she hovers over him with the sword poking into his neck. She smirks, chest heaving with each breath she takes, blood dripping from both parties. "Any last words mate?" He smirks and spits, "Parley."
She lowers her weapon, "Parley? What could we possibly negotiate? You're a Templar and I'm an Assassin." Torres pulls himself to his feet and she backs away cautiously, "I will spare your child and find you safe passage home if you agree to my terms. Mary sheaths her blade and glances over her shoulder. Ah Tabai's eyes are trained on hers. She looks back to Torres as guilty as she felt, he adjusts his collar and smiles. "Well?" She sighs and holds out her hand and they shake. "Mary no!" She retracts her hand and he turns with a smug grin, "I'm glad you've finally seen the truth Mary, you'll make a great addition to our order."
A searing pain rips through his chest, he brushes his fingers down to his wound and brings them back up bloodied. "I thought you assassins were more noble than that." She retracts her cutlass, wiping the blood off in her knee. She sheathed her blade and he falls down to his knees. She kneels in front of him with a sneer, "Not to Templars, I will never make a deal with men like you. Men who'd like to strip me of my freedom." He clutches at his chest, his vision fading in front of him.
"You're a fool Mary Read, my death will not stop our order. They will find your child without me and your clan will follow her in death." He takes in his final breath and falls dead to the ground. She stands only to immediately fall on the ground dizzy. She pulls her hand away from the wound on her stomach, the entire sleeve of her coat is drenched in blood. "Well isn't that something." Rhona hurries to her side, propping her up. "Mary stay with me!" Mary looks past her and smiles as the world fades to black.