[Crestshot]

Ahoy mates! Late chapter (I know I know), but this has been in the making for a while. Little stops and starts, you know... Anywho, you don't want to hear my excuses. Instead, here's...

New Plans and Drunken Soldiers



“Throw her in the brig!” Randolph commanded in a harsh voice. His eyes looked cold, and strong hands grasped her arms, dragging her across the deck of the ship.

“No, sweetheart, I swear I didn’t! I would never…I, I couldn’t!” Katherine struggled viciously against her captors, yelling out to her husband. They only held her tighter, not caring about the fact that she was female. That only made them fiercer towards her.

“You think I can believe you?!” her husband thundered. “You are nothing but a stupid, stupid woman! I should have never brought you aboard this ship!” His voice quieted with his next line. “The men were right. A woman on a ship is bad luck.”

Then the most sinister of smiles came to his face. “But I have the one thing you most desire, don’t I?” The fog around them parted just enough for Kat to see bright red hair being dragged away from her, up a hill. “He’s mine now. Soon enough, I’ll have you again as well. You will all die.”

With that, the men dragged a struggling, crying Katherine across the deck and she was thrown across the floor…

But she didn’t end up in a dark, dank brig. Instead, she was shoved into a hard backed, ornamental chair. Randolph sat across from her, his hands folded in front of his face as he stared avidly down at the black and white board between them.

“You always feel the need to protect your precious Knights, don’t you Katherine?” he murmured in his contemplation. His fingers tapped his white rook forward to take the pawn that had protected the knight.

“He is the most unique of the players,” Katherine murmured. Her fingers lightly touched the head of the black stallion. She twirled the piece on its square, contemplating her next move.

“That is your problem, Katherine,” Gregory scolded her as she moved the knight in its unique L shape. “They’re just pieces, not people. The way you see them as such hinders the way you play.” He immediately moved his rook horizontally and snatched her noble knight between his fingers, leaving it right next to her queen in the middle of the board.

“No, it’s a player,” she protested softly. “Even the pawns have their own specific characteristics. If they didn’t, nothing would happen in this game.” Her dark queen moved diagonally away from the rook, two spaces away from Gregory’s king.

“Checkmate…”

~~~~~

Kat walked into the dark room of the Royal Anchor. She marveled at the irony of the name as she approached the bar. It was the middle of the day, so the tavern was busier than she usually saw it, but it was a good place to blend in. She had dressed herself in casual men’s attire, and kept her forearm turned downward, should anyone have the unfortunate chance of catching what was behind the bandage.

Her hair tucked into her weather beaten hat, falling gently over her eyes. She sat at a barstool, listening to the feet screech in the hushed aura of the Royal Anchor. Josie came across from her stool with a glass in one hand and a rag in the other.

“What’ll it be?” she asked, the perfect example for an up and coming bar wench.

“A bottle of rum,” Kat growled in the deepest tenor she could manage. She allowed her eyes to drift up to Josie’s, and saw a spark of recognition, but not full comprehension, in the other woman’s. The confusion was evident in her stance as she slowly set down the glass she held. She reached behind her for the bottle, keeping her eyes on the curious figure in her tavern.

“Three gold,” she told her patron. Kat grunted with a nod to the redhead as she passed the gold across the wooden bar. Josie swiftly grabbed the coins and tossed them in the till, and Kat noticed with satisfaction that Josie slipped the other object into her apron pocket.

She waited on that bar stool for an hour, silently nursing a bottle of rum. Men entered and left the tavern to the joyous tunes of a flute and guitar, but she paid little attention to the sounds. Instead, she sat in quiet contemplation, almost brooding, as she waited for Josie to give her a sign.

“Adam, take care of the customers for a few minutes,” Josie said to her young barkeep, bringing Kat out of her haze of thought. “I’m taking a break in the back room for a few minutes.” She tossed her rag to the boy, catching Kat’s eye as she slid out the door behind the bar. The door slammed shut, and Kat barely contained her patience for a few minutes more before slithering out of the front door, leaving her empty rum bottle behind.

She pulled her dark coat around herself a little tighter, glancing shiftily around the building behind the brow of her hat as she exited. A regular trickle of people passed her by, paying her no attention as they made their way to barter for various wares. She easily, without needing much subtlety, slipped around to the back of the Anchor, quickly climbing the stairs and entering the back door Josie had once given her the key to.

“I was wondering when you would be back in Port Royal,” Josie said after the door had firmly closed.

“Purely out of necessity,” Kat said softly. A stream of light flowed through an open window, and she quickly closed the blinds. “If I didn’t absolutely have to be in Port Royal, I wouldn’t be.”

“Then what’s with the disguise?” Josie asked curiously.

Kat didn’t turn away from the closed window as she spoke, but her knuckles whitened on the sill. “I’m surprised you haven’t heard, with all the sailors that pass through your bar. Started a full out revolution on Tortuga, among other things. The Navy isn’t fond of me lately. I figured, considering what I usually wear, this would be simplest.”

Josie approached her from behind. “Well, good move on slipping me that key, then, so I knew it was you.” She took Kat’s arm as if to draw her away from the window, but the pirate hissed when it hit the bandage. Josie’s eyes widened when she saw it, and she gently opened Kat’s arm out to her. The cloth fell away easily, for Kat merely looked away in shame, and she heard Josie’s breath catch as Randolph’s reminder was revealed. “They marked you,” she murmured, and Kat looked back briefly enough to see the horrified look in her face. “Kat…” she said slowly. “Where’s Lawrence?”

Kat’s mouth hardened into a straight line. She jerked her arms from Josie’s grasp and wrapped it in the bandage again. “He was captured by the Navy,” she said. “We needed to come back here to get plans and information. My sister and brother are out now trying to get as much. I hope you don’t mind that I told them to meet me back here.” Her eyes strayed low to her bandage the entire time she spoke. “I’m sorry we had to meet again like this.”

Before Josie could respond, Adam knocked on the door of her quarters. “Josie, we got a bloke down here getting restless. Looks like he’ll start a fight any minute now!”

Josie sighed. “Be right out, Adam.” The boy’s steps disappeared down the staircase, and Josie turned to speak quietly to Kat. “You know you’re free to stay here as long as you need.” Then she disappeared through the door that led to the main bar, leaving Kat to more quiet brooding.

She sat there for the rest of the day until a banging came to the back door. “Kat, are you there?” Charles’ voice leaked desperately through the door. She leapt to her feet and turned the knob, finding Charles and Sarah there almost stumbling into her in their haste to get through the doorway. Sarah kicked the door closed behind them from her position where she had fallen on the floor.

“Should I just assume things didn’t go well?” she sighed, looking at her breathless brother and sister. Charles looked up at her with sheepish eyes.

“Yah, you could say that…” he muttered.

“We tried throwing Father’s name around a little, but that apparently doesn’t work outside of England.” Sarah slumped in the lone chair in the room Kat had just vacated. “Then, on a chance, we tried associating ourselves with Randolph and telling them we were sent to retrieve information on Kingshead fort, but they just got even more suspicious and asked Charles for credentials. That’s around the time we began to run.”

Kat felt the fury rise up in her, and she finally lost her cool as she slammed her fist into a nearby wall. “Well now what do we do?!” she shouted, ignoring the way her hit had rattled her entire arm, including the scarring P. “We can’t just go charging in there again!”

The three sat in silence; Kat attempted to regain her control while Charles and Sarah tried to figure out how to react to her. Kat’s hat had flown off her head with the force of her blow, allowing her hair to fall and frame her tormented face. The images of Randolph growling in her face as he scalded her and Lawrence’s prone form being dragged away from her flashed in her mind. She breathed heavily and clenched her teeth while she stood there.

Footsteps thundered up the bar staircase and Josie charged into the room, slamming the door behind her. “What happened?” she demanded, looking around the room. She did a double take to Sarah in the chair and Charles leaning against the door. There was a pause, and Josie moved to the immobile Kat. “I’ll assume these are your siblings.” Kat was unable to answer, so instead Josie held out her hand in greeting to the others. “I’m Josie Mcreedy.”

Charles and Sarah glanced at each other, and Charles pushed off the wall to take it. “Charles Crestshot,” he told her. “This is my sister, Sarah.”

The introductions and pleasantries were cut short by Kat, who had finally regained control of her emotions. If the three looked closely, however, they would see the flames still dancing behind her hazel orbs, the ones that had been lurking there ever since Lawrence disappeared. “We need a new plan.”

“Well if you’re going to talk, go down to the bar and grab some drinks,” Josie said. “I’d prefer knowing you were safe down there.” A shout came from below, and Josie rolled her eyes. “I still have to deal with that, so I’ll meet you in a few minutes. Go the front way.” She darted back out of the room, and Kat heard her yell at some “Mangy mutt!” only seconds later.

Kat sighed and picked her hat up from the wooden planks. She placed it gently back on her head and began to hide her hair again. With every strand she tucked away, she felt as if she was retreating further and further inside of herself. After double checking her bandage and being sure it was tight, she walked out into the cloudy day, not paying attention to her siblings following behind.

She made a circle around the block, paranoia lurking in the back of her mind. Charles and Sarah didn’t follow closely, instead choosing to go straight into the bar. On her walk, she was able to see the common folk she didn’t usually interact with go about their daily ways. Children ran underneath her feet, almost knocking her over in their innocent haste for play. A woman stood behind a stand, calling out and advertising her wares. A long bearded man leaned against a building nonchalantly, smoking a cigar. Something in her heart tugged towards all of these people, towards this calmer, nonthreatening life.

Bright red suddenly appeared in the picturesque view, cutting the tension Kat felt in her heart, and instead transferring it to her muscles. There didn’t seem to be a need for it, however; the Navy soldiers that walked through the crowd were young, rowdy, and apparently off duty. They laughed and shoved each other around playfully as they walked. Kat kept her eyes on them as they passed by, and one word reached her ears; “Kingshead.” Her body tensed even more as her mind worked on overdrive, imagining the possibilities. When they didn’t notice her, she began following them, almost certain that she knew where they would be going in this part of town.

The group of men, with Kat following closely, approached the Royal Anchor. They entered ahead of her, and she waited another minute to do the same. She looked around, finding her family filling two of the seats at the bar, and the soldiers having claimed a darkened corner.

“I think I figured out what we can do,” she murmured as she sat next to the two. They exhibited minimal surprise to their sister appearing out of nowhere. Instead, they listened carefully to her words while Josie brought out a few drinks.

“See them?” she muttered in her low voice, gesturing gently towards the corner of raucous men. Charles’ head whipped around, causing Kat’s hand to shoot out and tightly grasp his shoulder, bringing his attention back to her. “Not like that, you idiot!” she hissed. “I heard them say something about Kingshead on the way here. Perhaps we can use them.”

Sarah began opening her mouth to say something, but a unified cry drowned out whatever words she had. “To promotions!” one redcoat cried. Josie went over there with a tray of mugs while one man in the center of the group received cheers and slaps on the back.

“Sarah, I think you know what I’m going to ask you,” she said, slowly turning back to her. She raised her eyebrows, and Sarah’s eyes widened.

“Kat, you can’t possibly expect me to…” But Kat silenced her with a simple stare, and Sarah saw the desperation haunting her sister’s soul.

“It’s our best shot. I would do it, but we know that’s impossible.” Kat held out her bandaged forearm. “Please.” It was not a request, but a statement. She tore herself away from her sister’s eyes, unwilling to discuss the matter anymore, and called Josie over.

“Josie, make sure those men over there get all the drinks they need,” she said. “Every drop is on me.” Josie nodded and went to fill more tankards to deliver to the table. These boys were about to learn the true meaning of alcohol.

As the bar got emptier, the soldiers got louder and more rowdy. Their raucous laughter echoed, grating on Kat’s eardrums, but she forced herself to put it to the back of her mind. The time soon came, though, when Kat figured they were all susceptible to their own wiles.

“Now,” she whispered without looking at her sister. Sarah had been building up her act as the night had grown longer, leaning back against the bar and feigning interest towards the corner. When they began to notice her, she stood. Her gaze resembled that of a grinning tigress on the prowl as she approached the group that had begun to throw cat calls at her. She ignored each one, instead eyeing the young blonde in the center.

“I hear you’re the man of honor tonight,” she began. Kat’s head turned almost unnoticeably so her ear was directed towards them. She heard the rustle of cloth beyond the other chatter as the man straightened his uniform.

“Yes, tha’s me.” His voice was slurred slightly away from the refined arrogance Kat could hear behind it.

“Do you have a name, Mr. Man-of-honor?” Sarah asked, a suave tone entering her voice. His friends began oohing and laughing more, but the blonde instead stood (rather unsteadily) from his chair.

“Lieutenant Jonathan Mellow, miss,” he said, bowing clumsily and kissing her hand.

“Mellow you certainly are,” Kat heard Charles mutter under his breath, and the two shared a soft chuckle.

“Is that so?” The slight screech of a wooden chair on the floor was heard as Sarah gently pushed the Lieutenant back into his chair. “Well gentlemen, what happens to be the occasion? Did the fort get a new shipment of gunpowder or is it King George’s birthday?” A fake, tinkling laugh rang out, and the others echoed it in their deep roars of hysteria.

Lieutenant Mellow grinned up at her. “Actually, miss, i’s my promotion. Fin’ly movin’ up.” His grin suddenly faltered a bit. “Wha’s your name again?”

Sarah waved her hand carelessly, as if brushing the question away. “Oh, I suppose you can call me…” She sat in his open lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Angel.”

Kat and Charles both snorted from their listening posts.

Mellow, on the other hand, hummed almost inaudibly. “I think I like the sound of that.” The other two siblings exchanged looks of disgust at the words.

“So, Lieutenant, what duties does this promotion entail?” she asked, running her fingers gently over his clean, boyish face.

“Unfortunately, a transfer,” he sighed. “You eva’ heard of Kingshead, Nayana?” Kat’s ears perked up at the word. This was what they had been waiting for.

“Only rumors,” Sarah said innocently. “It’s supposed to be some impenetrable fortress in the middle of nowhere.”

“No’ quite in the middle of nowhere, but tha’s essentially it. Only the elite are assigned there,” he boasted. Kat could practically hear his chest pop out.

“How exciting,” Sarah said girlishly, but Kat heard the sarcasm behind her words. “Well, Mr. Elite, think you can help a girl out?” Sarah asked, walking her fingers up his chest. “I’ve fallen into a terrible rut lately. Can’t fend for myself, you see. Could you take me with you, help me get some work at this fantastic fort?”

Mellow looked cautious and confused, as if trying to think logically through his drunken haze. “I’m not sure if I have that power,” he said slowly.

Sarah grinned deviously. “I have an idea.” She stood and pulled at his hands so he would stand with her. “Let’s talk about this upstairs. Alone.” She dragged the Lieutenant out of the room and up the stairs to the jeers of his friends. Kat and Charles, on the other hand, looked at each other in alarm.

“You don’t think she’ll…” Charles started. Kat shrugged.

Josie came to stand on the other side of them. “I wouldn’t worry ‘bout her,” she said nonchalantly. “She seems to be a smart girl, I think she knows what she’s doing.” She passed a key over the counter to them. “The both of you go up to your room and sleep some now.” She shooed them out of the bar and they solemnly walked up the stairs to the rooms.

Sarah stood in the hallway, her voodoo doll twirling in her hands. She glanced up at the sound of footsteps and smiled genuinely for the first time in over an hour.

“I put him to sleep,” she told them without preamble, waggling the doll. “When he wakes, he’ll think that I convinced him to take me along. His ship leaves in two days. The Mercenary can follow it back to Kingshead, and we’ll go from there.”

Kat ran forward and hugged her sister tight. “I love you, Sarah. I’ll be thanking you forever.”

Sarah wrapped her arms around Kat in return. “I love you too, my sister,” she said quietly.



I thoroughly enjoyed writing Sarah's moments there at the end. I was a giggling mess as I wrote.

Well, as always, tell me what you think! (of the chapter, maybe not on my late schedule ) I adore your reviews, so thank you very much for the ones on the last chapter! Thanks for Reading!

-Kat Crestshot