Aboard the Jackdaw: Under Edward Kenway And The Black Flag

23: A Gift For the Brotherhood

Edward silently hunched over his desk with Ezio's engraved blade as he calculated the Jackdaw's next location. Anna stood just inside the door to his cabin. A few drops of Soap's blood remained on her clothing as she stared absentmindedly at the rocking floor of the ship.

"Tullum!"
Edward suddenly exclaimed as he dropped the blade on his desk.

Anna nearly jumped out of her skin at his sudden shout. Anna stared at him in disbelief when she processed his word.

Tullum..Jesus Christ..

She exclaimed,
"Thee Tullum? The home island of the Assassins?"

Edward huffed with sarcasm,
"No, some other daft place with the same name."

Anna sneered at Edward as he picked up Ezio's blade and eyed it shyly,
"I am going to try to avoid the Assassins. I'm not exactly welcome there.."

Anna angrily crossed her arms and glared at him,
"What did you do?"
She interrogated as of she were asking a guilty child.

Edward sighed, knowing the anger that would follow his confession,

"A few years ago, I may have gave the Templar order their secret location and caused a few deaths there."

Anna's eyelids peeled back into her skull,
"What?!"

"I didn't exactly know what I did, Anna."
He said calmly.

"Bullshit." Anna spat,
"Your too smart to not know what ya do. And really, Edward?"
Anna shook her head in painful dissappoval,
"Helping the order who wants to kill freedom and us and killed Soap?"

Edward walked to the door with fusteration,
"I would never do it again... Especially not after Soap. It was four years ago, Anna. I didn't know what I was doing!"
He said quietly as he opened the door and walked outside. He sounded almost ashamed, and Anna stood in shock.

She grabbed Ezio's other hidden blade from Edward's desk. With a smirk, she hitched it to her other wrist. Edward's use for it had run out, and she now had a pair.

I should return these to the Assassin's when we get to Tullum.

She sighed as she walked onto the deck and shut the door dehind her.

It isn't going to be easy to give these back, though.

The dreary sail to Tullum started. It rained for two full days and the headwinds drove directly against the Jackdaw. Lightning struck the top of the ship and charred the black flag above the crow's nest. Through the rain and the grief that infested the Jackdaw, Anna had something to smile about: Edward.
She had decided to fold up her old cot in the corner of Edward's cabin and spent every night in his bed snuggled warmly against his chest.

On the second night of the journey, Kenway gathered Anna into his arms as they laid shirtless on the bed.
She hasn't been as happy since Soap died. Edward couldn't blame her: she was young and had a soft heart. She wasn't used to death.

As they laid silently in Edwards bed,he delicately kissed her soft skin just below her bellybutton. Anna breathed deapy at the tingling sensation he sparked across her abdomen. Edward said softly,

"It'll be fine, love. Soap chose his own fate when he chose to become a pirate."
He sighed as he rested his forehead against her bare stomach,

"He died surrounded by people he loved, with a smile on his face."
He whispered as he used a hand to cup the back of one of her thighs,