"Captain Kenway!" Ah Tabai yelled from just beyond the entrance to the hut, "The Spanish are here, come quickly!" Adrenaline began to course through his veins as he glanced between the door and Mary.
"Go," She said, "Help sort this mess you've made."
Without a second thought, he rushed outside and ran into the jungle alongside Ah Tabai. "This is the second attack this month, they have been happening more frequently," he said as they crashed through the undergrowth. "When all of this has been resolved, I know of a place where this will never happen again," Edward replied just before they came across a group of soldiers fighting with Assassins. They charged into the fray with blinding speed, slaying their foes before they had much time to respond.
When the last soldier's blood spilled out across the detritus on the ground, Ah Tabai put his wrist blades away and took an object from his belt. "Take this, Kenway. They will help you in the fight to come." Edward took the object and examined it. It was a simple device, merely a two-pronged spearhead attached to a length of rope. "It will take some getting used to," He responded. They continued toward the coast as the sound of a large battle grew louder. Soon they came to a part of the coast further north from where Edward had dropped anchor. Here a sizeable force of Spanish soldiers and Assassins were fighting.
Once again they rushed into the chaos and death, felling foes with deadly precision. As the number of Spaniards began to dwindle, Edward heard the shouted orders of the captain from the top deck of the frigate moored just offshore. Emptying his last loaded pistol into the soldier he was fighting, he disengaged from the fight and dove into the water. Swimming just under the surface, he went to the other side of the ship and silently surfaced. The soldiers aboard were all facing the shore, preparing to fire a volley of musket shot into the battlefield despite their allies that were still alive on the beach.
This allowed Edward to climb onto the mast rigging just above the captain unseen. With a precise and powerful throw, he sunk the rope dart deep into the soft spot just above the captain's collarbone. Gripping tightly to the rope, he jumped backward off of the rigging. The captain was pulled up into the air as Edward landed on the deck. The soldiers aboard turned to see the dying captain struggle in vain as blood stained his blouse and began to drip from his boots.
"Lay down your arms!" Edward cried, and they quickly complied. On the shore the soldiers who yet lived surrendered as well. All were stripped of their arms and locked in the hold of the frigate. "It is only a small step towards undoing what has been done, but you are welcome here." Ah Tabai said when Edward returned to shore.
"Thank you, sir. I will rest here for a time, if I may." Edward said to which Ah Tabai agreed, and they returned to the village.
Upon their return, Edward finds Mary and Anne sitting together under the shade of a lone tree near the hut where he reunited with Mary once again. "Ahoy, my fair ladies! Seeing you again lifts a heavy weight off of these sun-baked shoulders of mine." He called out as he approached, squatting down in front of them.
"The last man with a face like yours to call me a lady thought that there was a fee for my companionship," Anne responded, earning a smile from Edward. Mary seemed listless, staring off into some unknown space. Anne noticed the concern that spread across Edward's face and said, "She has done this since she came back to us on the way here from Jamaica. A final lingering symptom of her illness."
Seeming to understand that she was the topic of conversation, Mary blinked and lightly hit Anne on the thigh, "If you keep talking to me as if I'm not here, I'll have your guts for garters." Edward was glad to see her smile once more, even in her weakened state. "As unpredictable as ever, "he said with a returning smile, "I think you've taken ten years from my life from grief and worry."
"At the rate you've been going, ten years won't matter much," Mary replied with her signature smirk. Edward hung his head and stared at an ant between his feet. "I am truly sorry. If I had listened sooner perhaps none of us would be as we are now."
Mary threw a twig into Edward's hair, "Don't go soft on me now, man! It would seem that prison taught you some manners!"
"Not manners," Edward said, "Just an appreciation for those close to me that remain."
"Then you've wised up to what I've tried to tell you for years now, good man. When next we're in a tavern I'll buy the first round."
"Speaking of rum," Anne said as she stood, "I know you've come aboard the Jackdaw. I'll go and fetch some to toast our victory over our foes, and the reunion of old friends."
"Take a few of my men with you!" Edward said as she departed, "Have them bring a few casks so that we don't risk running dry!" He took Anne's place next to Mary, who placed her head on his shoulder. There they sat for some time, watching the activities of the village. Edward had just begun to fall asleep when Mary spoke. "I should be dead, Edward. In moments like these, I feel that I am in providence if it weren't for the pain I feel for Anne's loss and my own."
It was then that Edward remembered the daughter that was taken from her in prison and the child that Anne should have in her arms. "What became of her child?" He asked, knowing what happens to most who take ill in the tropics. "The fever," Mary said, "I was still too ill to meet him before he passed. Anne has taken it in her stride, I only hope she doesn't drown in her rum because of it."
"She's stronger than a brigade of soldiers, and it'll take something stronger than rum to bring her down," he replied as he rested his head atop hers. This was the most comfort they had felt for some time and they spoke very little. When the sun began to set, small fires sprouted throughout the village and Anne returned with the rum. Edward rose and helped Mary to her feet. They made their way to the fire where Adé and Anne sat. Each filled a cup and began to drink.
They spoke of friends now passed and their many deeds. Victories won and riches plundered from the empires of the Old World. Mary spoke little and only dipped her drink. Her body could not handle much yet, and she had not had much company since her escape. When the moon began to hand just above trees, and most of the fires had been snuffed out, the band of pirates decided to retire for the night. Adé was the first to leave so that he could rise early and train. Anne was particularly sauced, and Edward helped her to her quarters before returning to Mary.
Though she had only drank half of her cup, her forced sobriety had lowered her tolerance leaving her with a pleasant buzz. Edward put his hand on her shoulder and said, "You should go to bed, We've all had quite a day." She looked up at him with her usual grin and doused the fire with what remained in her cup.
In the hut, Edward helped her into the hammock. As he began to leave to find a place to sleep, she called out to him. "Edward," He stopped and turned to her, "Come and lie with me, so that when I dream I am not back in that horrible place."
It pained his heart to hear those words. Without a word, he took off his gear, overcoat, and boots, and gently placed himself beside her. Softly, he took her into his arms and stared out into the darkness as he slowly felt her breathing change to the soft rhythm of sleep. Once he was confident she had fallen asleep, he allowed himself to rest as well. And in the stillness of a calm and cloudy night, the path behind and before him did not seem so troublesome.