Todos os Santos Bay

December

1719

"A look…" Edward muttered to himself as he settled with Caroline, "Do you think we deserve a bit more than 'a look'? Arrogant cock…"

"We deserve an explanation…" Caroline concluded as she raised a mug of wine to her lips and kicked her bare feet on top of Edward's desk, reclined back and enjoyed the view of Edward's bare chest.

"Care, I've been thinking." Edward poured himself a glass of wine they were able to pillage from the frigate hours go, "I think I should go about this alone."

"God damn it," Caroline said, placing her mug down on the desk a tad too hard, "Why the hell do you think I should sit back for this?"

"Because we don't know what Roberts is capable of… or the Observatory for the matter!" Edward countered raising his glass, "I need to know someone I trust can find this place and… If anything happens…"

"Roberts is no threat to me." Caroline sighed, "I know he comes off rather persistent, but if he wanted to do something I'd say he would have done it by now."

"Fair enough." Edward raised the mug to his lips, "That doesn't change the fact that something might happen in there."

Caroline twirled her wrist and watched the wine in her mug dance with the movement, her eyes looked down at the ever-present Journal. She sighed to herself and picked her battle then.

"Fine." Caroline drank the remainder of her wine, "I will follow you in to see the location, but I will not… Follow you in."

Caroline watched Edward release a sigh as if he had been holding his breath. He finished his wine but not with the same tone Caroline had. He finished it with an air of celebration.

"Wife," Edward sighed, making his way behind her and resting his hot hands on her shoulders, "It's a relief to know you'll be safe."

Caroline arched her head back and looked up to Edward, she met his lips for an intimate moment. The wine didn't extinguish her anger, but his kiss did. In that moment he seemed to have delivered the greatness he had in her safety. She savored it, every movement, every search, and even after his lips had long left hers she still felt their warm presence that left a trace of sweet wine in their wake.

"I love you, woman." Edward said lightly, and cupped her cheek, "I wish you could come."

"I can…" Caroline smiled.

"No." Edward whispered, "I heard word from one of Robert's men… There is a fat bounty on both of us from the Lobsters."

Caroline swallowed nervously. It was true; they had been wanted for ages, but it was only time before the British were involved.

"Husband?" Caroline tilted her chin up to look at him again, "They won't get us."

"No." Edward confirmed, "Dead or alive."

The day had come and Caroline could see it in Edward. His hair wasn't secured back; it was wild, free, sandy colored storm in the ocean breeze. The sun burned his skin to a ruddy tan, and his crooked smile made her think of when they were young. Edward had passion in him that lit his eyes. It was attractive. Caroline found herself feeling giddy until the Jackdaw had pulled ashore.

Caroline brought her knife. That was it. She wasn't going to be a threat if she was going to be allowed to accompany to the entrance. Edward walked about the cabin with a confident step. He stopped to look at Caroline for a moment and the new fire in his eyes made her heart skip a beat.

"Ready?" Edward asked as his eyes scanned her.

"Yes." Caroline nodded. It was a confusing place to be, her stomach turned in anxiety, and her heart leapt at Edward's gaze, "I love you."

"I love you, wife." Edward couldn't read the gaze in Caroline's eyes… Hesitation maybe. He hooked his hand around her head and pulled his lips to her forehead, "Let's get this done."

Without another word, Edward stepped out on deck and made his way to the wheel. Men worked quietly. The tension was palpable… Edward could sense the nervousness with the crew. Adé stepped aside from the wheel without saying a word. Worry pulled his full mouth into pensive frown.

"Can you feel it, Adé? We're moments from the grandest prize of all."

"I feel nothing but a hot wind in my ears, Captain." Adé replied, he gazed out to the frigate the Jackdaw approached.

"Come on, man. When we take this treasure we'll be set for life… All of us. Ten times over." Edward confirmed.

With crossed arms Adé nodded, "As you wish."

"Ahoy, Roberts!" Edward called to the neighboring frigate, "We'll cast anchor and meet ashore."

"You've been followed, Captain Kenway." Rogers chuckled, "For how long I wonder?"

Edward saw Caroline approach and took his spyglass from his waist before he had a chance to reach for it himself.

"It's the Benjamin." Adé barked as Caroline confirmed.

"Hornigold… Burn and flay that turncoat." Edward muttered, taking his spyglass from a concerned Caroline to confirm his new colors: Templar red.

"Deal with your old friend in haste, Captain. Before I regret my favor to you." Roberts stated before his ship sailed to shore.

Edward went back to the wheel, turning it feverishly to rotate the Jackdaw for another dance with Ben's ship, "To the cannons, lads! All hands, full sails!"

Caroline watched the men disperse, she waited alongside Adé for another call, and held tight to the rail as the Jackdaw picked up speed to meet the Benjamin head on. Caroline knew what Ben was doing. It was obvious to her. He would follow them to the Observatory, kill them for the bounty, and probably take Roberts as a friend just for laughs.

"Captain, think carefully about what you mean to do here." Adé stated.

"This is Ben Hornigold, come to kill us out there." Edward countered furiously.

"Aye, and the traitor needs to die; but what then? Can you say with certainty that you deserve the Observatory more than he and his Templars?"

"No, I can't and I don't care to try. But if you've a better idea, by all means tell me." Edward proposed.

"Forget working with Roberts." Adé continued, his tone snapped Caroline's attention to the conversation, "Tell the Assassins and bring them here. Let them protect the Observatory."

There was a silence. Adé and his passionate behavior stunned Caroline. Edward didn't respond, only looked to Caroline as Adé made his way on deck to help the others.

Benjamin did not want to stomach a fight; he turned his frigate, sails full and now his oars slapping the water. It would appear now that the ships were in a race. Time slipped by as Edward propped himself up on the bow of the Jackdaw and shaded his eyes from the sunset. The orange glow showed Hornigold on the stern of the Benjamin and for several long moments he their eyes locked.

The bright orange sun faded behind the horizon and Hornigold had predicted the lift in wind, his frigate slowly gaining speed into the dense gray fog before them. The ghostly glow led them into the Devils Backbone. It was a nasty coastline that looked like a mouth of a dead sea-monster. The crags looked like broken teeth and the dark ocean between them a deadly mouth.

"We'll have a hard fight if Hornigold draws us any deeper into this fog. " Caroline warned.

"A mistake for such a seasoned sailor." Edward commented.

"The winds are tossing them about like a toy." Adé confirmed as he closed his spyglass. He seemed more frustrated than relieved.

"We'll use that if we can get close." Edward retorted as he pulled up the cowel of his jacket to combat the fog's chill.

"If we are not dashed to pieces as well." Caroline muttered.

The sails rolled up again, but not as quickly as they needed. The space between them lessened and Caroline could hear the shouts of chaos as the Benjamin was tossed between jagged rocks. The choppy sea took their last amount of control. She heard the wind carry screams of lost men.

Edward raced to the forecastle deck, one hand braced and the other held out, feeling the wind on his palm. Edward could feel the pressure of his hidden blade on his forearm and knew it would taste the blood of Hornigold before the night was old.

Edward watched the fall of the Benjamin as one final gust tossed the ship onto a sharp rock, a deadly hit to the hull, and the crew now scattered, the final wind pushed the ship back to a small bay pushing sand into the air. Edward used his sense to scan the bodies that were launched onto the sand. The boggy banks were covered with broken men, but one man lit up. Edward let his sense fade and turned around to look to his crew, "I'll be coming back."

The snap of muskets began as Edward made his way on the bay. The battle between his fallen men and the Jackdaw had begun. Edward didn't need his sense to find Benjamin. His voice echoed curses to his men.

"Some mighty poor sailing back their, lads, and if we live out this day, by God, I'm flaying every last bitch of you. Hold your ground and be ready for anything."

Edward walked to him and the fog began to settle as he approached. Instead of following his own words, Benjamin recognized Edward and took to his heels, running from his bounty. Edward chuckled before taking a breath and following him through the sand. Edward could hear the whipping roars of mortars from the Jackdaw… This fight would be over soon.

It was a small section of dense foliage that confused Edward, he paused for a moment to activate his sense only to be pushed by a hidden Benjamin. Edward was launched down a small hill and into dusty sand. Benjamin behind him ready to strike and Edward was now lit with a vengeful fire.

"You could have been a man who stood for something true," Benjamin said as Edward rubbed sand from his face, "But you've a killer's heart now."

Edward launched up and came at him with the most velocity. Taking a punch to his abdomen he finally released his hidden blade and cut his shoulder and let him fall to his knees. Then he made a slash in his arm, the pain made Hornigold cry out with bloodstained teeth.

"Well it's a damn sight better than what you have, Ben," Edward retorted, "The heart of a traitor, who thinks himself better than his mates."

"Aye, and proven true… What have you done since Nassau fell? Nothing but murder and mayhem."

Edward delivered a firm punch to Ben's jaw, "YOU THREW IN WITH THE VERY KIND WE ONCE HATED!"

"NO!" Ben spat out a few teeth. He reached to grab Edward and make his point, "These Templars are different. I wish you could see that. But if you continue on your present course, you'll find you're the only one left walking it... With the gallows at the end."

Edward gazed into Ben's fading eyes then down to the pool of blood that Ben was sitting in. Edward knew he was leaving this world and heading to the next. A moment of remorse filled him to see another comrade lost… Edward reminded himself that Ben was long gone before this moment.

"That may be," Edward said, "But now the world has one less snake in it and that's good enough for me."