Of the past and the present

We spent a wonderful first evening on this island. The community of Assassins and settlers was very harmonious and warm-hearted. They had taken Emily and me in immediately as if we had always been here and I enjoyed making new acquaintances and conversing with many different and interesting characters. I talked to Consuela for a whole while about everything and nothing and she confirmed my first impression that she was a very nice person. There was plenty of food and I especially tried all the delicacies I didn't know or couldn't get in North America. Baked Bananas were an exceptional treat indeed and I also tried coconut and coconut water. Strange, but also delicious.

I enjoyed this evening immensely, the food and the company, but still, I was glad when we retreated into our room. Emily had fallen asleep in my lap during dinner and didn't wake up when I changed her napkin and clothes for the night. I quickly fell asleep, too, as soon as Connor and I had laid down on our makeshift bed of pillows and blankets. The day had been way too exhausting. But at dawn, I was woken up in the most pleasant way as Connor's caressing hands and lips demanded my closeness once again and I gave it to him all too willingly. This time we didn't make love as hastily as the night before. We gave each other time, as promised. Exploring and caressing each other's bodies and prolonged our following lovemaking as best as we could.

I was happy. My family was reunited, everyone was unharmed and for some wonderful hours, it felt like the concerns that had led Connor here, didn't exist. Like the Apple of Eden and the blue keystones didn't exist, even though Connor had them always on or at least close to him and I feared them more than anything. Wonderful hours of oblivion but by the time we had breakfast on the villa's terrace, I couldn't uphold this oblivion anymore.

"What are your next plans?", I asked while steering my bowl of corn porridge I had garnished with banana slices. It tasted so good. "What are you going to do, as long as the Aquila isn't ready? Do you want to pause the search until she's repaired?"

"Consuela and I still need to talk about which ship I can use and when", Connor explained with a shake of his head. The last part of his sentence was muffled by the last spoonful of his meal that he shoved into his mouth. He leaned back, chewed, swallowed and continued. "They have three ships and use them to patrol the islands and keep in contact with the other Assassins there. I do not want to hinder them unnecessarily. As soon as this is decided, I will sail to the Aquila. The ship with the needed materials for the repair will arrive within the next few hours and pick me up. I am going to be back tonight or tomorrow morning."

I pursed my lips. His last words hadn't sounded like he considered Emily and me in his plans. "Can we come with you?" I asked. "I would like to say hello to Bobby and see what happened."

For the split of a second, I could see Connor squinching up his face, before he turned his head away. Maybe he didn't like the thought of me seeing the damages on the Aquila he felt so responsible for. If he did, he didn't say it.

"It will take hours and I do not think that it is really interesting for you, or Emily. The Aquila lies on a sankbank. Nothing more than sand, some rocks and a few palm trees."

"And water." I shrugged. "Sand and water are enough to keep Emily occupied and as long as she is occupied, I am, too. And Jesus, my angel. This belongs in your mouth."

Chuckling I grabbed Emily's hand before she could shove a banana slice into her nose. She had been so busy looking at the blossoms, growing up the pillar close to her, that her hand had slightly got off course. Now she blinked at me and grinned when her food found its destination. As if she had just played a joke on me. Connor had watched us with his arms crossed, but his face had remained serious when I turned back to him.

"I am not sure about this, Lillian."

"Please." I lowered the spoon I had just led to my mouth. "I don't know what I am supposed to do here all day and I would like to explore the island when you're gone looking for the temple."

He frowned thoughtfully, obviously not entirely convinced and without me noticing it, I pushed my bottom lip forward. Who said only the parents could rub off on their children? But no matter if my begging worked or not, Connor sighed quietly and nodded.

"Fine."

I beamed at him and was relieved about his decision. Not only because I wanted to see Mr Faulkner and get an impression of the damages, but because I didn't know how to spend my day with Emily here. Certainly, we could go to the beach or for a walk. But I knew myself. Eventually, I would have seen everything and needed some variety from the many hours on the beach and it would be the death of me, as soon as Connor was looking for the temple. I would be concerned for him and need a distraction. It was no issue back home where I could turn to my daily chores. I didn't have any here and even though Emily was a lot of work on her own, she could easily entertain herself and get lost in her fantastic games where an adult would only be an annoyance. And the last thing I wanted was to use her for my distraction while she didn't need me. This would only be tiring for us both. Time would tell if my plan to explore the island later would be successful. For now, I was glad that we had a plan for today and I continued finishing my breakfast.

Now that my most important problem was solved, I would have liked to enjoy sitting here with my family, eating and admiring the beautiful garden, but Connor already excused himself to meet with Consuela. He said, he wanted to settle this matter as soon as possible and I accepted with a disappointed nod, watching him leave for the villa. After yesterday and the following night, I had expected my return to reality to be a little more gentle.

I sighed deeply, propped up my elbow on the table and my chin on my hand, while I looked at Emily beside me. She was babbling to herself, chewing the last of the banana I had sliced for her on her plate. She had eaten with her hands and they were accordingly sticky. I was glad that she had left her doll in her bed. Otherwise, I would have had to wash it later. I emptied my bowl, collected our dishes and stood up.

"Come, Emily." Luckily the little one slipped off her chair without protest and waddled after me as I went into the house and the kitchen. A big room with two hearths, a lot of pots and generally everything you needed to prepare the food for a great number of people. Almost like an inn. I didn't know how many Assassins were living here. Maybe twenty. Maybe more. They lived scattered across the island but mostly met here in the villa. Often with other settlers as well. Many things about this familial union reminded me of Davenport and maybe that was why I felt so comfortable here already. Until now, I hadn't met any hostility or general rudeness.

Sabana and Nerea Santo-Villa were the kitchen's good souls responsible for the people's culinary well-being. Mother and daughter who were as alike as sisters and possessed the same amount of temperament. Just now they were having a loud dispute in Spanish, Sabana constantly waving her wooden spoon in the direction of her daughter, who was washing the dishes. If I hadn't seen a similar situation before, I would have thought I was disrupting a serious fight. So I smirked in amusement and asked myself what the reason for this lively exchange was. Last night they had been discussing the consistency of some sauce.

"Ah, Lillian!" Nerea had noticed me, dropped the brush she had just scrubbed a pot with into the washtub and came rushing to me, to take our dishes before I could even react. Quicker than some weasel.

"Tell mamá that it makes no sense to ruin your hands with soap if you can clean the pots with lemon and salt just as easily."

"You can clean pots with lemon and salt?" I grinned and made the young woman utter a theatrical sigh and throw her hands up in dismay.

"¡Concho! Everyone is conspiring against me."

"Nerea, ¡cuida esa lengua! I told you, we do not use food for cleaning."

"But it is so much easier, mamá. Look, my hands are already swimming in the washing water!" She raised her tender fingers and waved them under her mother's nose until she got a loving pat with the wooden spoon.

"Stop whining and keep washing."

"You are cruel, mamá." Nerea put her hands on her hips and shook her head so that her pitch-black braids whipped around her ears. I smirked. You could think you had stepped right into the centre of a theatre stage. Almost overwhelmed by the women's liveliness, but also fascinated and amused, wondering how this dispute was going to end. Nerea seemed to be determined to lay her task to rest for now and walked to Emily who was just reaching for a drawer above her head.

"Nothing in there for you, princesa." She picked the little one up and nudged her fingertip against the tip of Emily's nose, whereupon my daughter uttered a squealing laugh and slapped her hands into Nereas face to repay her for the nudge.

"Ewww, you are sticky!" Nerea laughed and leaned her head back to retreat from Emily's attack but it only seemed to motivate her. The small, salvia and banana-smeared hands kept exploring the young woman's face, who luckily laughed about her antics and only shook her head as I apologized and offered to take the little one. She carried her to a bucket of water, dipped a rag in it and washed Emily's hands before placing her on the countertop and washing herself. Her laughter kept mingling with Emily's giggling who seemed to be enjoying her prank very much.

"You are a little devil." Nerea grinned. "Your mamá must have an enormous amount of patience."

"Oh, it's not that bad." I smirked and watched my daughter curiously reaching for the waterbucket. Emily's energy could be straining and sometimes it was hard to stay patient. But to see her healthy and happy and letting her make you smile, outweighed every negative feeling or thought I ever had about being a mother.

"Nerea, now keep working. The dishes will not wash themselves." Sabana gave her daughter a stern look as Nerea pulled the water bucket closer to Emily and splashed her hands into it, much to my daughter's delight. The young woman sighed but seemed to conclude that her mother was right.

"I'm sorry, we don't want to stop you from your work", I said as I stepped to Emily and lifted her off the counter.

"¡Quita! You are not stopping us." Sabana waved aside with the spoon she was still holding. I couldn't even tell what she was stirring with it. It smelled delicious anyway and if I hadn't had breakfast before, I would have got hungry again.

"Do you have any plans for today? Is Connor going to show you the island?" Sabana asked and put the spoon back to work without turning entirely away from me. I shook my head.

"Unfortunately, no. But we will sail to the Aquila later. Bring some materials there." I lowered my eyes to Emily who had come to me and was pulling at the folds of my skirt. Just to entertain herself and not to ask for anything. But then I remembered…

"Could we take some food for the little one with us? I am not sure how many supplies the men have there and for how long we are going to be there."

"¡Claro!" Sabana looked at me with wide eyes as if she was surprised by my polite request. "I will prepare something for you. You can come and get it before you leave."

I smiled. "Thank you."

"Will I get one care package for my travels as well?"

All three women turned towards the door in surprise, finding Mr Pollux standing there. His eyes shone with mischief like the ones of a boy enjoying his prank.

"August!" The spoon hit the pot's walls when Sabana dropped it and put her hands on her round hips. Like a mother reprimanding said boy for said prank. "You keep sneaking into my kitchen without greeting me but always asking for something."

"My apologies, Sabana." Pollux laid a hand on his chest without losing his mischievous expression and teasing the cook with it. She huffed but couldn't hide the smile on her lips as she went to Pollux and put both hands onto his arms. Suddenly her eyes got serious.

"Are you leaving again? Will she not give up already?"

Pollux shook his head and I was surprised by the sad expression on his mouth. "I think she will never give up. So I won't either."

"You are such a loyal dog." Sabana lightly hit Pollux's shoulders, only to hug him shortly afterwards. "Take care."

"I will." Mr Pollux pulled away from Sabana and smiled at her before turning to me, putting a hand on his chest and bowing his head. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Missus", he said politely. "I don't know if I'm going to see Connor again but I wish him success for his search. Would you please tell him that?"

I nodded. "I will and the pleasure was all mine."

Pollux smiled benevolently. "I hope his bad luck leaves him now that his ladies are here. Speaking of ladies." He tapped his nonexistent hat and gave each one of us, including the disinterested Emily a friendly look. "I'll take my leave. Otherwise, my ship will set sail without me."

He was seen off by three female voices and I kept looking thoughtfully at the door that had closed behind him while Sabana and Nerea turned back to their tasks.

Their joyful mood from before was now dulled and I was sure it was because of Sabana's and Pollux's short exchange. Of course, my curious self was wondering what it had been about, while my conscience told me that it wasn't my business. But once again, my curiosity was stronger and my tongue was quicker than my brain.

"What exactly is Mr Pollux doing on his travels?" I asked carefully and accentuated casually which was hardly convincing. "I know he's travelling the continent but what is he doing? Does he gather information?"

"It is a part of his task, yes." Sabana huffed quietly as she heaved the pot from the fire and hung it onto a hook beside the hearth. "But he is mainly looking for Annetta."

"Annetta? Who's that?"

Sabana gave me a surprised look but then she seemed to remember that I had only come here yesterday and hardly knew anyone by name. She sighed.

"Oh, that is a difficult story but no secret. Probably someone will tell you sooner or later. The girl is often the topic of conversation." She wiped her hands on her apron, grabbed a towel and joined her daughter to dry the washed dishes. "Annetta is Consuela's youngest daughter and unfortunately her only surviving child", she started and surprised me with the first sentence. I hadn't known and somehow didn't expect Consuela to have children. Or a husband. She hadn't mentioned anything in the conversations we had had until now.

"The girl has always been difficult", Sabana continued. "Very insubordinate, harsh. Could not keep her feet still. She is Nerea's age but in contrary to her, she had been trained since she was little. She was talented but also very ambitious. Probably because she was expected to be, giving her parents. Consuela's husband was Grandmaster before her. He was very strict, with Annetta and with her older brother Joaquin. He was six years older than her and only eighteen when he was officially accepted into the Brotherhood."

Sabana stopped polishing a plate and her sad eyes got empty. Even Nerea stopped her work and the sudden silence was unbearable. I regretted to have asked. Still, I didn't dare to stop Sabana. She just took a deep breath and continued.

"Miguel, Consuela's husband, took Joaquin on a mission. It was eight years ago. It was supposed to be a simple assassination of an officiant in Kingston. An associate to the Templars. But he knew and surprised them." Sabana gulped audibly and I could hear the tears in her voice as she spoke. "They were both killed. It was a hard blow for us all but it destroyed Annetta. She loved her brother and her father dearly and her relationship to her mother had always been strained. They are too much alike. Annetta became more and more insubordinate. Questioned everything, objected to her Masters and eventually denied her obedience. Everyone believed her to be traumatized and that she needed time, but the more time and space she got, the worse she became. Until one day, she just disappeared. Without leaving a message, she had packed her things, sneaked onto a ship and left us. It was seven years ago."

"And since then, Mr Pollux is looking for her?"

Sabana nodded. "There had been a lot of hints that Annetta was seen in the Caribbean. Then suddenly in New Spain, North America. Each search for her was fruitless and after three years had passed, many Assassins who had been looking for her, said it was a waste of time. Annetta was fourteen when she disappeared. A girl that had never left this island before. Until today, no one believes she is still alive. No one, but Consuela. August was like a brother to Miguel and so he thinks he must look for Annetta as long as Consuela wishes. That is why he keeps visiting the places Annetta was allegedly seen. It goes on for years now and Consuela still is not giving up. But can you hold it against her? It is her child, after all."

With a sad, but loving smile Sabana caressed her daughter's shoulder and I had also lowered my eyes to Emily, who looked up at me at the same moment and grinned. I didn't want and couldn't imagine how it must feel when your child disappeared for years and everyone believed it to be dead. It must tear your heart apart and still, Consuela managed to hide it and lead a whole Brotherhood. The strength of this woman was unbelievable. I was admiring her for it although I also felt deeply sorry for her. Just like I did for her daughter. To suffer such a blow of fate at such a young age…

The spreading silence was unpleasant now that Sabana had ended her tale and I felt uneasy standing there while the women took care of the dishes. The lively energy when I had entered was long forgotten. The disappearance of Consuela's daughter was still troubling them. It was shameful, but I was relieved when Emily clung to my skirt and started whining, giving me a reason to excuse myself. I regretted not having reined in my curiosity, no matter if everyone on the island knew about Annetta or not.

With Emily's hand in mine, I went outside into the garden, over the earthy path to the watermill, whose wheel was ploughing and splashing through the creek coming from the mountains surrounding the bay. The water was pleasantly cool when I sat on the grass on the bank with Emily and dipped my hand into it. I watched it ripple where it flowed past my hand and through my fingers. A gentle pressure I withstood until I relaxed my muscles and let the water stretch my fingers. Emily leaned against my outstretched arm and watched my shenanigans with big eyes and babbling. I ran my free hand through her hair, leaned down and pressed a kiss to her head. The mere thought of losing her the same way Consuela did Annetta was unbearable and also unimaginable. How could a deep connection like the one between a mother and her child break apart? Make one of them run away? When I thought of my mother, there were certainly unpleasant memories. Fights, and punishments I received from her. She had been strict when it had come to bringing me on the path she had chosen for me. A path I had left long ago. But no matter what you thought of this path: My mother had loved me and had always wanted the best for me. And I had loved her, too. I still loved her and if she were alive today and blamed me for my choices, I wouldn't stop loving her.

"Little angel, can we make a deal?", I asked quietly and smirked as my daughter raised her head and looked at me with her big eyes. "Whenever you are fed up with your old mother, come to me and I will listen to whatever you have to say to me. I never want you to get the feeling that you don't want to be with me anymore. Do we agree on it? Mutual openness?"

Emily kept looking at me, her lips parted and considering my words. Then she grinned broadly and waved her arms.

"Brah!"

"Brah." I nodded grinning. "Can I get a handshake on that?" I stretched out my hand which she looked at before grabbing it with her own two hands squealing. Emily was a great negotiator. I hoped it stayed this way.

"Oh, my little angel, I love you." I lifted her onto my knee and kissed her forehead, nose and cheeks. She laughed happily, kicked her legs and slapped her hands into my face, whereupon I joined in her laughter. It was impossible to stay thoughtful and sad when she was so lively and I wished she would stay this small and adorable forever. Just a child. Not eventually a serious adult, worrying about the whole world. To children, naiveté was a gift. To them, everything was fine the way it was. As long as they got what they wanted, of course.

Soon Emily made it very clear that she had enough of my cuddling and so I released her after coaxing a wet smack on my cheek from her. Still smiling I watched my daughter exploring the garden. She walked along the flower beds, picked a blossom here and there and brought every single one of them to me with a proud "Mama, look" so that I could admire them.

We spent some time like this until Connor left the villa through the back door, had a short look around and then came to us, the handle of a small basket in his hand.

"Sabana wanted me to give you this", he told me as he reached us and I took the basket. Curiously I opened the lid and looked inside. Two bottles, three bananas, several little packages and the scent of freshly baked goods made my mouth water. I smirked. There I had been asking for a little bit of food for the little one and received a whole picnic. Obviously, Sabana had been worried we could all starve within the next few hours and had wanted us to be prepared. Successfully, as it seemed.

"How did your meeting with Consuela go? Did you come to an agreement?" I asked Connor as I closed the basket again and hung the handle over my arm, also to keep it from being plundered by Emily. She was clinging to my skirt, reaching for the basket with her free hand and demanding to have a closer look.

"For now, yes." Connor had watched his daughter sceptically for a moment and looked at me now. "The Ala del Águila will return in three days and as soon as she is prepared, I will visit the islands I have not been on, yet with part of her crew and my men."

"All of them at once?"

He nodded. "It is the best and easiest way. Although it will take us longer."

"How long?"

"Three, maybe four weeks. It is hard to say. The islands are close to one another but the Ala is bigger and heavier than the Aquila. We will not be able to take the direct routes if we want to avoid collisions with rocks, reefs and sand banks."

"I see", I murmured and lowered my eyes. I had known that he would keep looking for the temple but I had thought he would come back here after each station. Well, it seemed like my idea had been too laborious and too much to my favour. I sighed inwardly but forced myself to keep my smile up.

"If they are the last islands, I am sure you will find the temple soon."

"I hope so." Connor's eyes returned to Emily who had given up her tries to convince me to bring the basket into her reach. Still, I noticed the tense expression darkening his face. I wanted to ask what was troubling him but then he raised his head and asked: "Are you ready? The ship with the materials has already landed. They are waiting for us."

"Of course", I replied but squinched up my face and raised my hand apologetically. "One moment, I need to pack some things for Emily. I will be back soon."

I pushed the basket into Connor's hand and hurried up the path to the guest house, where I stuffed all the things I could need for Emily into our bag, whose contents I had spread over the whole bed. Things to change her napkin, her doll, a head scarf to protect myself from the sun, her hat. I nodded to myself as I made sure that I hadn't forgotten anything before leaving the room and rushing back to Connor and Emily, who luckily had waited patiently for me. Together we went down to the harbour and onto the ship waiting for us.

"It's a pleasant surprise to see you, lass." Bobby Faulkner pulled me into a tight embrace that pressed the air out of my lungs but was returned nonetheless. I had missed the old sailor and it was nice to see him being well. Just like the rest of the Aquila's crew that had set up a solid camp on this pathetic sandbank in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. The ship itself lay like a beached whale on the edge of the sandbank beyond the water it called its home. The masts were connected to some palm trees by several thick ropes, holding the Aquila's weight surprisingly well and keeping it in its half-lying position. Like that, the masts were spreading over the narrow piece of land like the branches of a tree and the damaged side, supported by several solid stakes, was dry and accessible. An impressive but sad sight. The proud Aquila, the eagle flying over the waters, was now a beached, wounded colossus. Suddenly I understood why sailors tended to treat their ships like living creatures, although it was weird seeing crewmembers step to the Aquila and pat her hull.

"How do the repairs come along?" I asked, looking at the visible tear in the Aquila's bow. The rocks must have sliced through the wood like a knife through butter.

"Well, we spent a lot of time getting her on land and securing her. It's not as easy as it looks."

I arched an eyebrow and gave Faulkner an amused glance. "It doesn't look easy but reckless if you ask me. What will you do, if the stakes or palm trees give in?"

"Hope that she doesn't get any more damaged and that no one gets squashed", was the simple answer even though Faulkner squinched up his face and scratched his beard. "But that's all pessimism. We thought it all through and chose the palm trees wisely, don't worry. They will hold. But still, you aren't wrong. We need to make sure that not too many men at once are working at the Aquila. But now that we have the necessary materials we can hopefully finish the provisional repair soon and get her to the nearest harbour. There we will have the perfect conditions for repairing all the damages. You'll see. She'll be flying again, soon."

He said it as if he wanted to reassure me but looked as if he needed that reassurance himself. So I smiled at him and patted his arm.

"I'm sure of it."

I looked over the narrow piece of land where the men were scurrying like ants. They were working on the Aquila, keeping watch over the ropes and stakes and the ship we had come here with was unloaded and the materials were brought to the Aquila. Amid all this hustle and bustle, Connor was speaking to the sailors and made sure that everything was done thoroughly and in order. His expression was serious, his posture tensed whenever he stopped for a moment and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Even from the distance, I was sure I could see the furrow between his brows that was always there whenever he pulled them together grimly.

"What do you think about the accident?", I asked Faulkner quietly without turning my eyes away from Connor. "He's blaming himself because he didn't listen to you and the crew."

Faulkner took a deep breath and exhaled through his nose. He was also looking at his young Captain and scratched his beard frowning. "Well, I'll be honest with you. He's always been a hotheaded idiot and did things with the Aquila I didn't think were possible. We all trust his skills but this day, we all knew he was overdoing it before it even happened and until today, I have no idea what has gotten into him. He should have known better."

"So you're blaming him, too?"

"I didn't say that." Faulkner shook his head vigorously. "I think no one is to blame at all. What's done is done and it could have happened to the most experienced captain. I told the lad the same and I would love to beat this ridiculous sense of guilt of his out of him, I'm telling you." Faulkner huffed. "It doesn't help and doesn't change anything. But I do understand him. The last few months were exhausting. For us all, but especially for him. Do you know how often I went on deck to see the lamps in his cabin still burning? Whether he was brooding over maps or this thing. Sometimes I was close to taking both and throwing them overboard, only to finally put an end to this awful chapter. I'm worried for the lad."

I nodded. Just yesterday, I had got that feeling that the past months were a burden on Connor's shoulders. The responsibility for the Apple of Eden, the frustration about the unsuccessfulness in looking for its destination, the Aquila's accident. Connor had a strong spirit that had already bore so many burdens. But this strong spirit was accompanied by a strong will that could hardly accept any standstill. He had told me that he felt like he was trapped between two walls and I had promised him that we would find a way to tear these walls down.

"I think it will do him good to have you here." A heavy hand was placed on my shoulder and this time it was Faulkner, who gave me a reassuring smile as I pulled my eyes away from Connor and looked at him instead. "I am sure, his thoughts were with you just as much as they were with this whole search."

I thankfully returned his smile and hoped that Faulkner was right. If it was possible to take a part of his burden off Connor, I wanted to do it. I would always do it, just as he would do the same for me.

Faulkner patted my shoulder again and had to go to pursue his responsibility as First Mate. I took Emily and chose a quiet spot by the water and in the sparse shadow of a palm tree, where we sat down and wouldn't be in the way of the working men. While the little one enthusiastically dug holes into the white sand, finding sea shells, wooden pieces and even the empty shells of shellfish on the way, I just sat there, let the sand run through my fingers, looked out at the shimmering sea and watched Emily play, while getting lost in my thoughts. Once again, there was much to think about, but only a few of these thoughts were pleasant. I was worried about Connor. About his well-being and about how long he was going to keep carrying the Apple of Eden. The vision had shown us how the Apple could twist a man's mind and for how long was Connor carrying it now, day after day? Six, or seven months? Until now I hadn't considered it, but had the accident, Connor's inadvertence and lack of sleep been caused by the Apple or his general tiredness because of the situation? No matter how you looked at it, the Apple was somehow responsible and I would have liked to do what Faulkner had implied: Take the Apple and sink it somewhere because contrary to Connor, I didn't care about some female spirit's will. No matter how powerful she might be. Because of her, he found himself in a desperate situation. I hardly noticed that I huffed angrily. It was incredible how much you could hate a woman who didn't exist. I just hoped that I would never hear of her again as soon as the Apple was gone. That I never had to hear the word "Pieces of Eden" ever again. I would like that even more.

"Mama." I pulled my eyes away from the dancing white crest waves on the water and looked at Emily, who had come running to me and propped up her hands on my knees. "Hungry."

Well, it was a good thing that Sabana had provided for us. I pulled the basket closer, opened it and noticed with the delicious scent, that rose into my nose, that I could use a bite as well. Curiously I took out one of the well-wrapped packages and was pleasantly surprised to find freshly baked cookies.

"Do you want a banana or a…"

Emily's hand shot forward and one of the palm-sized cookies disappeared in her mouth. She chewed relished, her cheeks blown like the ones of a hamster, already reaching for another cookie. But I held the package out of her reach with a shake of my head and smirked about her protest.

"Finish chewing, Emily. You shouldn't stuff yourself like a turkey."

Still chewing, Emily frowned but swallowed and was visibly pleased when she was allowed to take another cookie that disappeared between her lips as quickly as the first. Satisfied she trotted back to her field of sand holes she had created in the meantime. That's how quickly we had gotten rid of her hunger. Amused I looked after her and finally served myself with one of the crumbly cookies whose delicious scent I couldn't quite fathom. But when I took a bite, I realized what must have been one of the main ingredients. Coconut. It felt creamy but also fibrous on the tongue and between the teeth but tasted heavenly. Too bad I couldn't ask Sabana for the recipe. It would be too difficult and expensive to get these Caribbean fruits up in the North. So I had to fill my belly with them as long as we were here.

The crunching sound of steps in the sand made me raise my eyes and look to the Aquila, where Connor was approaching our peaceful little spot, his coat hanging over his arm. He still appeared tensed but at least not as grim as when we came here.

"How is it going?" I asked carefully as he dropped the coat into the sand and sat down beside me. He shrugged.

"Slowly. But hopefully, the materials will change that. Just now I cannot do anything but to let the men work. They know better what to do than me. Are those cookies?" He pointed at the package in my lap and I smirked about the sudden change of subject. When I nodded, Connor took a cookie, twisted it between his fingers and then put the whole thing into his mouth. I could hear it crumbling when he chewed slowly and seemed to savour the taste before mumbling with a mouth full "They are good" and promptly reached for the next. Well, it seemed like the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

"Chew, Ratonhnhaké:ton before stuffing another one in."

He paused in his chewing and looked at me, confused by my motherly reprimand and seeing his stuffed cheeks, I didn't know who looked more like who. He like Emily, or she like him. But then he kept chewing and I saw his Adam's apple move as he swallowed and grinned about the look he gave me when he reached for the cookies again. With an amused shake of my head, I handed him the package. He served himself with a pleased expression and leaned back to watch Emily, who had just discovered that the wet sand close to the water was perfect for drawing fantastic images. She kept raising her head and looking at the Aquila with wide eyes and her mouth open. It seemed like she couldn't decide whether her activity was more interesting than the working men.

"She has grown so much in the last few months", Connor said quietly and gave a pained smile. "I was shocked when I saw her yesterday."

"That's true. She's growing so quickly. Sometimes I fear I might blink and she'll be a grown woman." I chuckled about the absurdity of this thought and glanced at Connor from the side, to give him a cheeky smile. "Maybe she will challenge you for the Aquila's command. Until now, she seemed to be enjoying being on a ship and interested in everything related to the sea, too."

"Well, it is in her blood." Connor shrugged and again he gave this pained smile. "At least that is what Mr Faulkner would say after everything we found out about my father's father."

"Your grandfather?" I frowned in confusion. "What does he have to do with it? I thought he was the Grandmaster of the Brotherhood in London."

Connor nodded. "After he returned to England, yes. But before that, he sailed through the Caribbean with his own ship. He was the one giving Great Inagua to the Assassins."

"But you said, it was a pirates' nest."

"Because it was."

"Wait…" Now I was totally confused and needed a moment to understand what I had just heard. This topic and information came so unexpectedly and were also far beyond my imagination. "Do you want me to believe that your paternal grandfather was a pirate captain?"

I had sat up and looked at Connor, my head cocked and my expression disbelieving, while he calmly wet his fingertip to pick up some crumbs from his pants. He regarded them for a moment, before swallowing them. Then he shrugged as if his claim was as natural as the change between day and night.

"That is what Consuela told me after she learned about my last name. She has no reason to lie to me." He sounded entirely serious and his expression didn't tell me if he was trying to fool me. But it didn't make his words more believable. His grandfather, a pirate captain? With a Jolly Roger, raids and what else? Well, his family's history certainly was more extraordinary and more interesting than mine. But that extraordinary? I could hardly believe it.

"You're joking", I decided and moved closer to him. He shouldn't believe I wouldn't look through his stoic facade. "You're trying to fool me."

"What reason should I have?" Connor looked at me too, but seemed rather confused than amused as I kept staring into his eyes. I was waiting for his mask to crumble and his eyes to sparkle in amusement. Or for his lips to twitch. But nothing. I blinked.

"You're being serious." I leaned back and stared at the water disbelievingly. This information needed to sink in. To me, pirates were part of myths and legends. Part of the stories my grandfather used to tell me in front of the fireplace. Of course without all the bloody details since none of these legends were of the romantic kind.

"Unbelievable. A pirate", I murmured and turned back to Connor, more curious now. "What else did she tell you?"

Connor shrugged, still chewing the cookie he had just put into his mouth. "Nothing more than what I have just told you and that he let them have the island before leaving for England. I asked no more questions."

"None at all?" My voice cracked in disbelief. "You learn that your grandfather was a pirate and don't ask any questions?"

"Why should I? It was years ago."

"Yes, but he wasn't just anyone. He was your grandfather. Your ancestor."

"Who died long before I was born. When my father was still a child. Except for him being a sailor and Assassin, there is no connection between us." Connor was frowning about my urgent tries to influence him. But I just couldn't understand how he could be sitting here, telling me on the go what he had learned about his grandfather. How was it possible that he wasn't interested at all? I had grown up being told about anecdotes from my family's history. Anecdotes from generations ago about family members who had died long before my birth. But there was always something I knew about anyone. Especially about my great-grandfather who had founded my family's business and with it, the wealth and social status I had grown up in. Certainly, the stories about a man making his first money by selling buttons on the streets weren't as interesting as the ones about an ancestor travelling the sea and rebelling against every great regime. But still, I knew where I came from.

"Your grandfather! A pirate!" I tried again, almost desperate and at the same time, extremely excited. "I would want to know everything if I were you."

I would have fired questions at Consuela and anyone who could know anything. Just to give the image some colour. Who else had the chance to look back at such an interesting family history? Although the fighting and spilt blood connected to the history of pirates was hardly desirable. But what applied to me, obviously didn't apply to Connor. He still sat beside me confused and shook his head frowning.

"I do not understand why you are attaching so much importance to it, Lillian", he said and I could hear his incomprehension. "I did not even know much about my father until he was dead. I knew much less about my grandfather. To me, he is nothing more than a name on one of my family tree's branches and I do not desire to change that. It has no use to me."

"So you're not curious at all?" I questioned. He couldn't wave this aside so easily, could he?

"What I know about him, is everything I need to know."

I sighed deeply. Well, he could. I could keep trying to change Connor's mind but I didn't expect to be successful. I wasn't surprised how pragmatic Connor was about this matter. Maybe it was because of his past with his father. Maybe he didn't value a look into the past as much as I did. No matter what it was, I didn't understand but did I have to anyway?

"You are a riddle I will never be able to solve", I huffed and leaned back, propping my elbows up in the warm sand. I was disappointed. My curiosity was too strong to accept that I wouldn't learn anything about Connor's grandfather for now. At least not from Connor.

He gave me a forgiving smile and looked back to the ship. A quiet sigh escaped his lips as he watched some men sorting through the new materials.

"I will check on the men", he said, put the cookies back into the basket and stood up. Patting the sand out of his clothes. "The sun will set in a few hours. Then we will sail back to Great Inagua. Do you need anything until then?"

I shook my head, still sulking. No matter if he noticed it or not, Connor leaned down to me to place a short kiss onto my lips, before returning to his men. The captain who wasn't interested in the fact that he wasn't first in his line. Frustrating.

I spent some time thinking about the unexpected information on Connor's grandfather but finally decided that there was no use. As much as I couldn't understand it, I couldn't force Connor to be more interested. No matter what. When it came to this, we were different. I was thirsty for knowledge and always curious while he pondered whether or not a piece of information was relevant or not. It seemed like his own grandfather was the latter and remembering that Connor had grown up differently than me, without ever having a connection to his English heritage, I could understand why he wasn't interested in it. He had said himself, that he felt no connection to his grandfather. Still, I decided not to drop this topic entirely. I wanted to learn as much about Connor's grandfather, who was also Emily's ancestor, as possible. After all, I was going to have a lot of time on my hands as soon as Connor was away and since Great Inagua had belonged to his grandfather, there had to be information or people who knew about him. Consuela seemed to be one of these persons. I would ask her, but for now, I put this thought aside. Despite my curiosity, it wasn't urgent.

When the sun started sinking into the sea, we were already on our way back to the island. Although I had spent the whole day by the water with Emily and had relaxed in the shade, I was as tired as if I had helped the men working on the Aquila. I was already longing for a bed, even if it was our simple camp on the floor and so I was glad when we arrived at Great Inagua after the sun had set and left the ship. The three of us made our way up the cliff, silently agreeing to go directly to our room and rest. We had eaten the rest of Sabana's picnic on our way here and Emily had already fallen asleep in my arms so we could and wanted to retreat without seeking out the Assassins' company.

This was the plan but when he neared the villa, we could already hear the commotion coming from inside. Loud voices and demanding calls that were inaudible to my ears. Connor and I gave each other questioning looks and although we could avoid the tumult by walking around the villa to get into the garden and to the guesthouse, we walked right through the main door. A group of maybe a dozen Assassins had gathered in the community hall and talked at Consuela, who was standing in the centre, staring at a blonde woman whose straight back was turned at us. By her side were two Assassins holding her by her arms.

"What is going on?" Connor asked an Assassin closest to us. Her eyes sparked in anger as she pointed at the strange woman.

"She just snuck back in here and attacked our brothers when they caught her. And now she dares to insult Consuela."

"Who is she? Do you know her?"

The Assassin nodded. "Of course. It's Annetta. Consuela's daughter who ran off years ago."

"Annetta?" Connor asked confused. It seemed like he hadn't heard anything about the girl, yet. I had learned about her only this morning and so I was more than surprised by her sudden reappearance. I was even more surprised by this commotion. She had been gone for years. They had even thought her dead and now the first thing she experienced after her return, was anger? Not only coming from the others but also from her mother? Well, it seemed like she hadn't returned peacefully, but she was back and in one piece, as far as I could tell.

Curious I pushed myself past some Assassins, who luckily made room for me, thanks to the sleeping child in my arms. I circled the young woman and her mother and was eventually able to see her face over the two men's shoulders. I didn't remember a time I had been more surprised to be recognizing someone.

MohawkWoman: Thank you so much for your review. It's nice reading from you again and I'm also looking forward to keep sharing this story with you.