Port Royal, once a quaint, placid village, now appeared as though the belly of Hell itself had been torn open. Tufts of flame flickered on top of rooves and peeked out from windows. Buildings had been demolished by the cannon balls that rained upon the island.
Charlotte managed to backtrace her steps to find the street she had left Will on. Her eyes constantly scanned the area. Fortunately, she did not cross paths with one, though she could still hear that some continued wreaking panic in the village...
Many of the civilians ran about, aiding to those in need and cleaning up the mess that had been left for them.
A wave of dread slowly came over her as she continued her way through. Where was Will?
As she turned her head she spotted something, a figure standing in the distance. Her eyes fell to what the figure was standing over and a cold chill ran through her body.
"Will?" she whispered to herself then made her way to the figure.
She unsheathed her sword, "step away from him!"
The figure spun around. It was a man, perhaps a bit younger than her father. When he saw her sword he raised both his hands up in surrender then took a slow, cautious step away, "I mean no harm," he said, his voice was gruff but respectful.
It was too dark to tell whether or not he was a friend or foe. Charlotte had seen far too many pirates who appeared "ordinary" like the man standing before her. She was not about to let go of her suspicions so easily.
"Who are you?" She demanded.
The man replied instantly, without hesitation or fear, "I tend the cattle....up there," he turned slightly to point up at the hill behind him. Charlotte looked up to see he was gesturing at one of the hills opposite of the manor, where the plots of land were reserved for farming. "I woke up hearing the explosions. Went out to see what happening and saw the pirates. Then I came down here to help as fast I can."
"Do you know what happened to him?" Charlotte questioned, looking at Will.
The man followed her glance and shrugged, shaking his head, "he was already like this when I got here. I ran over to check and see if he was alright."
Charlotte's grip tightened around the sword, "and?"
"Ah, the poor boy's been knocked out cold, I'm afraid. But he's breathing."
She let out of a sigh of relief, then swiftly sheathed her sword and knelt down to Will. His expression was relaxed, his mouth parted. He seemed to be in a deep sleep. The man behind her watched carefully.
"Erm...I assume you're his lass?"
Charlotte quickly whipped her head to look up at the man, "what no! I'm...! That is, I-" She stumbled over her words with both cheeks ablaze. At least the man did not recognize her, she thought, grateful that it was too dark to see. "I'm...A friend of his and I was worried about him so I went looking for him."
Well, it wasn't entirely a lie, Charlotte thought, wondering if the man wouldn't catch on.
"That's understandable, Miss, now...Would you like a little help, then?"
Charlotte smiled at him, "thank you."
As they neared the Smithy, Charlotte saw it had been left untouched. No shattered glass, no fires or gaping holes. Even the door was sealed shut. Will had always kept a spare key just under a small wooden piece that was hidden by the sand. Once finding it, she unlocked the door, opened it and picked off a lantern which hung just by the entrance.
She led the man through the Smithy, minding the machinery as she did, and stopped in Will's room. Once the man laid Will down Charlotte lead the man back to the back door.
"You be safe missy," he said, looking behind his shoulder, "can't be too sure about your surroundings right now."
"Thank you, and thank you again for your help. You be safe, too," Charlotte replied then closed the door as soon he turned away. She swung the latch over. There was no way she could return to the manor right now. She'd have to wait till morning.
She returned to Will's room and stopped in the doorway to remove her baldric. The heat from the day's weather earlier was still trapped within the walls of Smithy, making Charlotte feel a little light headed. As she set the baldric aside she approached Will's bed and slumped down before him.
Her body immediately came alive, reminding her just how exhausted and she was. The adrenaline from the night's events was the only thing that kept her from shutting down...And now, as she knelt there by Will, her body could succumb to its own weight.
She crossed her arms atop the edge of his bed and rested her head on them. Her ears rang loudly after the sounds of the canon fire and the loud yelling that surrounded her. But as she focused on Will's soft breathing, the terrible sounds from earlier that night slowly faded away.
She glanced up at him with hooded eyes. Sleep was slowly taking over her but she wanted one last look of his peaceful expression. For as long as she could remember, Will's presence was the only thing that truly allowed her tense shoulders to relax. Only his smile and laugh could truly convince her she was safe.
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The Second Swann ---///--------
Fanfiction------------------------////////-------------------- Charlotte Swann lives a paradox. All she ever thirsts for is an adventure; to explore, to see what the world holds in store for her. However, the very thing that can grant her this desir...
