A Hideout, an Overdramatic Ending, and a Final Death
“You see that?”
Connor lifts the spyglass up to his face again as he looks out to the cliffs past the wall of rocks where a flock of white seagulls suddenly is spooked out of their hangout.
I shift around to move closer to him and our shoulders which are covered in the fabric of our black and blue captain’s uniforms lightly touch.
“Something big is over there,” Connor mutters to me as he lowers his spyglass. Tucking it back into his belt he turns around to walk back towards the captain’s wheel on the other side of the Aquila.
“You see the catchfart, cap'ns?” a sailor asks us.
“Aye,” I nod to him before running to scale the main mast. I climb swiftly and silently up the wood using the ropes and wood poles to make my way up to the top of the masts that hold out the sails. I see the dark clouds rolling in from the east and onto the Caribbean Sea that threaten rain. I don’t like it, but rain is always nice.
“Anything, captain?” I hear Mister Faulkner ask Connor who has taken the wheel and is steering the Aquila towards the cliffs where the seagulls were.
“Due North of here,” Connor replies while he focuses what is in front of him.
Once inside the shelter of the cliff sides surrounding us, I spot her. I look down at Connor from the mast above him where I balance myself there. “Connor, the Randolph straight ahead!”
He glances up at me before looking to where I am pointing. Sure enough, the Randolph is moving fast from where it was hiding and heading towards the open sea.
“Full sail!” Connor shouts to the crew. They pull down the main sails around me as we fly forwards towards the Randolph at full speed.
We’re not a hundred feet out when the Randolph is slowing to almost a stop. “What's that weasel up to?” Faulkner growls from below me. “Sheet anchor to windward, captain. You can be sure he's got something up his sleeve.”
I gasp when I remember. Without hesitation, I drop from the mast and land easily on my feet on the captain’s deck on the other side of Connor. “Don’t slow down, Connor,” I say quickly. “They’re-“
“MAN-O-WARS!”
We all whip our heads in the direction of the tow Man-o-Wars sailing our way. They came out of nowhere.
“It's a bloody armada!” Faulkner yells. “I knew he was up to something! And he's turned to fight us - we're in it now, captains!”
“So we fight, Mister Faulkner!” Connor says confidently. “Board the Randolph. Sink the rest!”
“Sounds like a plan, cap,” I say as I leap over the railing on the upper deck and sprint towards the main mast again. I cut the rope with my hidden blade and grip the rope as it takes me up and back to the top of the Aquila again.
The rain starts. It begins to pour, the thunder rumbles through the ships and the blinding lightning tears open the gray dark sky.
Being the idiot that he is, Connor sails right in between the two Man-o-Wars and calls an open fire. The impact shakes me nearly off my pole so now I dangle from a thin rope, struggling to reach for the top. The water makes it hard to grip anything. I begin to panic.
“Riley! Be careful!” I hear Connor’s urgent voice from down below over the roar of the thunder.
“I’m fine!” I call back. “Just need to get my footing!”
I manage to grip the end of a nearby rope and find my way up the pole again. That was a little scary…
I might as well save you the details of the sinking of the two Man-o-Wars. It wasn’t too hard of a job, considering that we know how to fire in the right places where the ships only need two shots and we can be done with them. It was an easy task if you really think about it.
“Connor, shoot down the Randolph’s sails with chain shots,” I say to Connor as I drop from the main mast again and run back up to the captain’s deck.
Connor nods to me as he steers the ship towards the Randolph again and calls for fire with chain shots. And after a few more hits, the main sails are down and we set out to what we needed to do on the ocean.
“Mast is down! We got the cockrobin!” The crew cheered and shouted for victory over the Randolph. All that remains now is to board her and kill her captain.
“She's ours men! Prepare to board!” Connor shouts to the men as I jump down from the deck and quickly pass out muskets and swords to the crew and they prepare to board the Randolph.
“Hook us in! Bring her close! To arms! To arms!” Robert orders the men from the other side of Connor as the crew goes into fight mode.
“Man the swivels! Cover from the quarter deck!” One of the gun officers shouts to his members as he passes out muskets to the men.
“Secure the aft lines! Tie off the bow! Board the Randolph!” I call to the men, excitedly as they go about getting ready for a hand to hand fight. And thankfully, the rain has stopped and the clouds have cleared so the fighting should be easier.
Without waiting on Connor, I began to sprint for the edge of the ship. Grabbing a loose rope, I swing onto the Randolph without a problem and land swiftly on my feet again.
“Riley!” I turn around and see Connor running towards me. “Where is Biddle?”
I look up to the captain’s deck on the Randolph, and sure enough, I see Biddle, looking frightened as ever staring at us preparing himself for a fight. I look to where Connor is and point to Biddle. Without missing a beat, Connor takes off after him at full speed pulling his tomahawk from his belt.
I push aside a few of Biddle’s men as I try and follow Connor. He is fast when he is mad.
When I get to Connor, the men from both sides have formed a circle around them. This is what everybody has been waiting for. I push past them to get through.
When Biddle sees me as well, he laughs and turns to me. “Tenacious! Smart! Pity I have to kill you two!”
I pull out my sword. “It’s a shame that will never happen,’ I sigh with a grin. “Although I do like the compliments you made and I do agree.”
Biddle half grins. “Let’s see if I was right, then.” He lunges at me.
Connor is there to save me as usual. Although I didn't actually need saving. He blocks the blow with his tomahawk and so now Biddle’s attention is on Connor. I prepare to lean forward to stab Biddle in the back when the ground beneath our feet is crumbling.
I plummet to the ground and roll away from the explosives that set off the ground falling around us. My sword goes sliding out of my hand. I look to Connor who is unconscious on the ground in a pile of wood. Biddle has gotten to his feet and found his way towards him. He aims his pistol at my Connor.
I panic for a moment and then a pure burning anger replaces it. I pick up a sharp piece of wood form the ground and chunk it at Biddle. He staggers forward, dropping his gun.
He angrily whips his head around to look at me and then proceeds to pull out his sword. “It’s your turn to die, little girl,” he snarls. “Mr. Kenway will reward me greatly for ridding him of you two.”
“Guess again,” I say with a grin as I have picked my life up my fallen sword and now balance it carefully in my hand.
Biddle moves first slicing his blade downwards knowing he has the upper hand in weight and strength. I point my sword at a diagonal angle to keep from getting a blade slicing down my head.
“Did you really think a little girl could defeat me?” he laughs swinging his blade to cut my middle.
I block the blow and shove him backwards. “No, but I do know that an female Assassin is about to kick your Templar ass!” I kick Biddle in the chest and he struggles to breathe for a moment.
He may have a height, weight, and strength advantage over me, but his technique and balance is horrible. I feel even more anger surge through me as I catch a glance of Connor lying on the floor, weak and helpless as he tries to reach for his tomahawk so he can get to his feet.
I shove Biddle forwards with my shoulder pressed into his large chest and he surprisingly staggers backwards at this.
“Children are not meant to play with knives and swords, kid,” Biddle challenges me again.
That’s it. I am soooo done with looking like a child.
“I… am … not… a…CHILD!” I shriek with every ounce of anger and hatred I have built up since before I watched my parents die. All the hatred I have developed over the last year of being here, all the hatred over the Templars I have for watching my parents die and all the things they have done to the ones I love, has bubbled over.
I scream as I run forwards and kick aside Biddle’s sword and plunge my own into his stomach. I don’t feel any pain or guilt. I shove it all the way through his body till it is out the other end and then without hesitation, rip it would with such force, Biddle is speechless when he falls backwards and onto his back on the floor in his own blood.
Breathless as the adrenaline and steam and anger drain back out of me, I drop my sword with shaking hands. Then I walk over to Biddle. He’s just barely alive, enough time for me to get what I want from him.
“Your reign over the Colonial coast has come to an end,” I say as I kneel down beside him, my voice calm once again.
“Is that why you hunted me?” Biddle chuckles. “Because you thought me an enemy to the cause? You're every bit the fool I was told.”
“You brought pain and suffering upon innocent people for nothing but personal gain,” I say without hesitation at his words. He probably got those things from Haytham The Asshole.
“Pain. Suffering. I set them free,” Biddle struggles to speak as his voice wavers. “Weeded out the dissenters and empowered the Patriots. So what if I was named Admiral. The Revolution needs one and I was the best man for the job. The only man. If not for me, the Continental Navy would remain but a handful of rafts. For all your vision, you Assassins are blind to the truth.”
“Enough,” I growl as I unsheathe my hidden blade to slice into Biddle’s neck to silence him forever.
“Wait,” Biddle says quickly. “Let the Randolph die with me. Don't take her as a prize. Please. Please. I want no quarter, just to sink with my ship.”
I sigh as I look down and nod. Getting to my feet, leaving Biddle barely alive, I walk over to my sword. Picking it up I glance over at Connor who has gotten to his feet and is standing in front of the doorway, silent as he watches me.
“Let’s go,” I mumble. But then I remember and stop in my tracks. “But first…”
“I can't believe you mean to leave the Randolph!” Faulkner exclaims at us when we get back up to the captain’s deck on the Aquila. Connor made sure to be far enough away from the Randolph before we did anything else. Faulkner turned to me and glared as he yelled, “She's a might vessel captain - and what of Biddle?! You show him mercy in the face of-“
“What?! I can’t hear you, Mister Faulkner! It’s too loud!” I shout over the roaring sounds of the Randolph exploding into pieces and slowly sinking to the bottom of the ocean floor. Holding a hand up to my ear, I lean forwards towards Faulkner.
“I guess that's that then,” Faulkner says after a few moments of silence as he looks away from the fiery mess of the Randolph still sinking. He then turns to walk towards Connor to stand beside him at the wheel. “A tad over-dramatic, if you ask me. Still, a waste of a formidable ship. How's about a cheer for the boys then, eh?”
Connor chuckles then yells, “Victory for the Aquila! For her glory! Hip hip!”
“Hurrah!”
“Hip hip!”
“Hurrah!”
Faulkner laughs as he begins to sing some old sailor song. “I've been a wild rover for many a year, and I spent all me money on whiskey and beer. And now I'm returning...”
I smile and laugh as I say, “Well, I guess some things can actually turn out good for us.”
I hear Connor chuckle from behind me and suddenly his strong arms are lifting me of my feet as he hooks one arm under my knees and the other goes around my mid back. I let out a small yelp of surprise at this action.
I smile as I throw my arms around Connor’s neck and rest my head against his.
“No, some things can turn out perfect on the rarest of occasions,” he says to in a low and quiet voice where only I can hear before kissing me there in front of everyone in the Caribbean sunlight. I smile against his mouth and close my eyes enjoying this every second of this.
It is in moments like these, I am glad to be dumped here.
Well there you have it, Ladies and Gentlemen. I have finally finished Revolution and you wonderful people have witnessed it. Please don’t hesitate to say anything you want in the comments about the story so far. I want as much feedback from you guys as I can get. Revenge will come out this weekend or next week at the latest. Thank you guys so much for reading, it means so much to me as a writer, you have no idea. I love you!