AC3: Fear Not, Young Dove

I: The Invitation

So, [Name], why do you suppose the colonists are acting all angry and rebellious?"

You sighed at your childhood friend, Richard Thomas, then readjusted the straps of your garment and musket. "Well, Richard, for one thing, we imposed these taxes upon them. They wanted freedom, not to be bound by the ropes that we tied around them." You cast your eyes aloft at the elevated moon while walking towards Boston Harbor.

"And what do you think about their views? Of freedom?"

"Honestly, I couldn't give a bloody damn about what they want, nor what King George wants." You boarded the Dartmouth, Richard following. "I simply follow orders and do what I am asked." You tipped your hat to fellow soldiers on the ship. "Now, wait here. Cap'n thinks that he can keep one crate to himself. He says that there are 'far too many' crates already for them to notice one missing. But, I'm not taking any chances. He's been keeping it in your quarters."

Richard smiled in amusement. "I had no idea."

You nodded, dismissing the conversation, and then headed down inside the hull. When you reached Richard's quarters, you bent down on one knee to dig in his chest, under all of his belongings, until you found the crate and pulled it out. The familiar scent of tea filled the compartment, ensuring that it was all there and untouched.

"Birch, you sneaky bastard.." You murmured.

You held it in both hands while you stood, and then left to get back on deck so that the crate would be placed properly among the others. You found your way up the stairs, eyes focused on the marks that the Captain carved into the wooden crate, distinguishing itself from the others and claiming it as his. It wasn't a very wise move.. You lifted your gaze from the box once you had reached the surface to suddenly see rebels, Bostonians, civilians, and all sorts of colonists aboard the ship. The sight of the throng took you aback, and you searched to see if there were any other soldiers or guards around.....but there weren't.

Damn it.. Don't tell me they took it too far and actually killed them! You thought. You noticed what they were doing on the three ships. They were dumping the tea, of course. Throwing it overboard.

You cursed and dropped the Captain's box of tea, knowing that the single crate wouldn't matter anymore. There were other matters to attend to. What happened to Richard? You couldn't see anything in the dense crowd of people.

"Look, Connor! There's another one!" A shout arose from the crowd.

You hadn't the slightest clue who this "Connor" was, nor who it was directed towards, until the angry mob on the Dartmouth faced your direction. Enough to expose your position. Oh no... You thought. I am not dying like this. Bloody hell. They were going to shred you to pieces and feed you to the fish. No mercy.

There was no way you could blend in now. Red garb and musket. You were practically asking for your death sentence. No way out of this. Now who was this "Connor"? These men and women seemed to depend on him profoundly.

You tried inching slowly away, sighing in relief as a group of regulars arrived at the Harbor, directing the throng's attention away from you. Knowing that it was safe to slip away unnoticed, you held your musket firmly in your grasp and began to sprint off the ship with high alert. You managed to make it to the docks without anyone giving away your position. Just as you began to think you were free, on instinct, perhaps, you held out your bayonet in a defensive manner and flinched. You were right. You heard the clash of two metals and saw a tomahawk against your musket. You averted your eyes from the weapons and brought them up to see who the owner was.

You could not see most of his face. His beaked hood shrouded his face with shadows, a rather dark and 'tough' looking appearance. Perhaps this was "Connor". He seemed reliable enough, that is, for the colonists. Well, didn't look like you were getting out of this one easily. The force of the two weapons was overwhelming- his strength overpowered yours, causing you to fall back on your rear.