"Thank you, you have been most helpful." Anne rose from the bar stool.
"One more thing," the old man said, stopping Anne and Roberts before they left. "Gut Cache-Hand and avenge my son, will ya?"
"I planned on it," Anne replied, not missing a beat.
The old man lifted his cup to Anne before downing another large gulp. Anne turned without another word, and left the inn. Christina was waiting at the harbour with arms folded and a sour expression on her face. When Christina noticed Anne, she stalked over to her.
"What did the old man say?" Christina asked.
Anne dismissed the other crewmates crowding around her and Christina, and stared at Christina with cold authority. "Firstly, use your head and be more responsible. Your rashness could have turned this whole town against us. You are not to act without orders again. Am I clear?"
"You and Roberts would have been shot if—"
"Silence!" Anne cut in severely, causing the crew to peer in her direction. "Am I clear?" she repeated.
Christina bit her lip and gave a sideways glance to everyone staring before saying, "Yes, Ma'am."
"Good, now let's leave. We have a clue as to Kenneth's whereabouts." Anne stepped into the small boat, assisted by Roberts.
"Where are we headed?"
Anne moved her red curls behind her ear as she stared at the moving seas and the rolling coast. "We're headed east."
Shortly after, the two ships set sail east of Cloankilty in search of more information on their lost captain and Kenneth Locke. They stopped at each town and port, and every small village in between, asking for information.
Similar to Cloankilty, the townsfolk displayed open hostility because of Freedom's and Fortune's size, and the cannons aboard. Some towns fired upon them before the ships could reach port and forced the crew to turn around and keep heading east.
After weeks of searching and slow sailing, the crews of the Freedom and Fortune met with a strange sight. They found towns untouched by any pirates. The towns and villages welcomed them, and recounted hearing of attacks on other villages, but were blessed not to be among them.
Anne wondered what made the villages special, and arrived at one conclusion: they were getting close. Kenneth was smart enough not to attack too close to home, but not smart enough to cover his tracks.
Instead of asking about attacks, Anne and the crew started asking the villagers if they had received any warships in port over the last months. They didn't find any more information until landing in Youghal about midday.
The town of Youghal was a quiet, small town of about a thousand residents, with a large port for fishermen and tall ships alike. A port of that size was uncommon in a small town like Youghal, which Anne felt required further inquiry.
Anne, Christina, William, and Roberts all went to the local tavern to see what information could be gathered there first, before trying the local officials.
Inside the tavern, scarcely anyone was present. At midday most would be working in some fashion, and the place only held men who were permanent fixtures. They were the type who had nothing else to do but listen, and had loose lips with the proper motivation.
Anne noticed a few men sitting around the various tables. She motioned for William and Roberts to talk with different people, then she and Christina approached the barkeep.
"Hello sir. I would enjoy some wine to wet my lips, and," Anne plopped a gold piece on the table, not interested in wasting time, "information if the favour suits you."
The tall, thinly bearded man went wide-eyed at the gold and pocketed it quickly before any could see the glint, then turned to a shelf at his back hosting his precious stock. He poured a good wine into two clean glasses and handed one to Anne and the other to Christina.
"English?" the man asked softly. Anne nodded. "Good, the fellows here don't know the tongue, so I suppose your friends are wasting their time."
Anne glanced back to see Roberts joining William, having no success in talking to the locals, but William knew the language.
"What did you want to know? I suppose it's of import if you part with gold."
"Indeed. We are searching for a band of pirates who frequent Southern Ireland. Would you know anything about pirates in the area?" Anne asked, slowly sipping her wine.
At the mention of pirates, the barkeep's eyes widened, then quickly became devoid of expression. "What would a lovely lass such as yourself be interested in pirates for?"
"We have some business with them," Anne replied vaguely.
The barkeep's mouth made a line. "Not heard anything about pirates in these parts. Sorry, maybe they're further east."
"So you have not heard any word about pirates attacking the shores near here at all? What about the harbour, it looks recently expanded to allow tall ships to dock. Care to explain why?" Anne pressed.
The barkeep was sweating. "Nothing wrong with that. Merchantmen frequent here. If that is all, I would appreciate it if you would kindly leave."
Christina slammed a knife into the counter. "He's lying," she said through gritted teeth.
The barkeep backed up at Christina's threat. Anne held Christina's hand at bay. "Now, now, let us not be hasty. May I have your name, sir?" Anne's voice was sweet and inviting, meant to offset Christina's threatening tone.
"Lucas."
"Lucas, we're not here to harm you. We simply wish to find these pirates, and then we will be on our way. Any information you could provide would be of immense help to us. Please."
Lucas peered back and forth between the two women, then leaned in, beckoning them closer. Anne and Christina glanced at each other, then leaned forward, closer to Lucas.
"The pirates own this town. They live in an abandoned castle a ways up the Blackwater River, to the north, but you'll not find them there now. They only return once every six months and left not a week and a half ago. Sorry, that's all the information I can give you. I'll be in trouble if they ever find out. Now, please, leave."
"Thank you," Anne said hollowly, then she turned and left the tavern quickly.
Anne's mind reeled with the knowledge. If the pirates left, there could be only two reasons: Either Edward and John had been killed and they left, or they left with the Hounds. If the latter happened, Anne had no way of finding them. She left the tavern, stepped into the nearest alley, and leaned against the wall of one of the buildings.
"My lady, are you alright?" William asked, pulling her up.
Anne shook herself and separated from William. "I am well, sorry for worrying you. Kenneth's hideout is a castle north of here. We must head there, now." Anne pushed past William.
She stalked ahead as William gazed at her back. William thought if Anne were to stop moving forward for one second she would break. Her hope was all keeping her feet moving. What will happen if that fragile hope is shattered?
Roberts and Christina approached William after watching the scene from a distance. "What happened?" Roberts asked.
"Is Anne well?" Christina asked, concern in her eyes.
William's eyes never left Anne's striding figure. "She will be fine for now. Later, however…" William turned to Roberts; the tall brute had a subdued worry in his eyes. "We are heading on foot to the enemy stronghold. They have a castle north of here. Tell your men to prepare for battle, and ready cannons for transport."
"There's no need for the weapons. The barkeep claimed Kenneth and his men left weeks ago," Christina said.
"A small force could have been left behind to guard the castle, or the barkeep could be lying. We would do well to be prepared rather than caught unawares."
"The men have been itching for a fight. I hope the pirates are there. It would be a stain on my honour if the Lord's wrath were to be denied by something so trivial as chance." Roberts punched his fist into his palm, then headed to the harbour.
William then turned to Christina. "Head back to the ship and instruct our men to prepare also. Keep watch over Anne," William said before walking away.
"What are you doing?"
"I will buy supplies for the trek. Cannons will be difficult to carry, we need wagons."
"What? Cannons?"
"Yes, they may be necessary. And if they are not, we will be all the better for it."
Christina grinned and nodded, then returned to the harbour with the others. William purchased supplies, buying several wagons and horses, bullets, and food. He took the supplies to the harbour with some of the locals' help. The residents were astonished at what they saw on the harbour.
Almost three hundred people from the combined crews of Freedom and Fortune were descending from their ships armed to the teeth. Each man, regardless of stature, was muscular and intimidating. Those itching for a fight wore fiendish grins, and some tossed around daggers and sliced at imaginary foes with their swords. The sight was fearsome, and the villagers who helped William quickly ran away when they realised what was happening.
When the crews noticed the wagons, they worked together to quickly load them with cannons, cannonballs, and spare weapons.
After preparations were complete Anne addressed the crews. "Move out!" she yelled.
The crew slowly made their way through the small town of Youghal as the citizens watched half in wonder and half in horror. When they reached the edge of town they were met with a large crowd of citizens with one standing out in front.
Anne ordered the crew to stop, and she approached the man in front. "Step aside," she commanded, the Gaelic tongue making the words sound all the more cutting.
The man was sweating, but he stood his ground. "I am the mayor of this town and I beg of you, please do not do this. When the pirates return they will kill us."
Anne grabbed the mayor's chest with both hands, shaking him as her eyes bored into his with fury. "Hundreds of your brothers died because of these pirates! Have you not seen the towns ravaged, the eyes of the victims who lost loved ones due to their savagery? The lot of you are without spine, the same as dogs bending to the will of their master." Anne pushed the mayor away. "You deserve whatever fate brings you. Now move, before we do their job for them."
The mayor appeared as if he would object further, but instead stepped aside with his head hung in shame. When he made way, the townspeople followed and allowed the crews room to leave.
The war procession moved out of town, leaving the passive citizens behind as they headed for battle. Soon, all that remained was the marks of footsteps and treads from the wagons.
"She's right, we deserve what's coming to us," one of the citizens said solemnly.
The mayor took a moment's pause, then shook his head. "No!" he yelled as he turned to his people. "We don't deserve a pirate's justice! Nevertheless, we do need to take responsibility. For too long we have stood aside and let those men have their way, but I say no more! We have the advantage here: They think we are too afraid to strike back. So when the pirates come back, we will be ready to ambush them and exact our revenge for what they've done to our brothers and clansmen. Who's with me?" the mayor yelled.
The townsfolk roared in agreement. Anne's scolding had put fire in their bellies once more, and the townsfolk set about making defences for when Kenneth returned, and informing the neighbouring villages to do the same.
…
Anne and William scouted ahead and found the fortress Kenneth and his men called home.
William scanned for movement along the curtain wall walkways, but found none. "It appears empty."
Anne peered through her rifle sights at the keeps on the corners, taking special note of the arrow slits. "I concur. How long until our men arrive?" she asked, double checking the castle walls.
William glanced at the forest behind him. "Five minutes, give or take."
"We should invade the castle first. The cannons could endanger Edward, John, and Sam's lives." Anne stood up and slung her rifle over her shoulder, but before she could make her way to the castle William stopped her.
William placed his hands on Anne's shoulders and stared deep into her eyes. "My lady, are you truly prepared for what we may see when we enter?"
Anne shoved his hands away. "What a thing to say to one you claim to serve."
William immediately bowed. "Forgive me, My lady. I only meant to help."
Anne sighed. "I am no queen and you are not my subject. Rise," she commanded, and William obeyed. "Tell me truthfully, William, you loved my uncle, yes?"
"Yes, My lady, I did. My hope is to one day make amends for my failing His Majesty."
"So what would you do if you faced his murderer, Plague, again?"
"I would kill him without mercy." William's face was devoid of emotion, but his eyes filled with promise.
"Exactly. I will fill myself with hate until I see Kenneth beneath my heel begging for mercy. Then, I will laugh as his body burns and his bones crack." Anne smiled in a way which made William sweat.
She glanced over William's shoulder to see their small army drawing near. She made a gesture for them to halt their advance. Roberts, Hank Abbot, and Christina all approached William and Anne to see what the plan was.
"William and I will see if the castle is safe, then we'll send you a sign to bring in the troops," Anne said.
"What will this sign be?" Roberts asked.
"We will open the doors," Anne replied before walking to the clearing's edge with William.
Anne and William crouched down behind some bushes and trees. "We'll need to scale the walls so I brought a few grappling hooks." William reached into a small bag behind his back and pulled out two large grappling hooks. "The hardest part will be the castle approach. There is no cover."
Anne took her rifle out. "I will cover you." Anne lay down flat on her stomach and positioned the rifle in front of her between the bushes to allow full view of the castle.
William moved a few paces away for Anne to be able to see through the rifle, then, on the count of three, he ran at top speed to the castle. When he reached the halfway mark the sound of gunfire hailed from the castle. William turned to his side instinctively. The bullet grazed his arm, drawing blood.
Through the rifles sights, Anne noticed a man with a musket. Before Anne could fire a shot, he ducked down beneath the castle wall to reload.
"Stop hiding so I can shoot you," she chanted under her breath, but her prayer was not answered. Anne peered at the castle wall, searching for her mark.
The man who shot William suddenly reappeared halfway across the castle wall. Anne cursed under her breath as she re-aimed a full second behind the attacker. The man took another shot. The bullet hit the ground in front of William and forced dirt into the air. Anne shot. The man ducked. The bullet took a chunk out of the stone behind him.
William removed the grappling hook from behind him and swung it, gathering momentum. He threw the hook at peak speed and it swooped over the top of the wall. William tugged on the grappling hook to secure it, and started climbing.
Anne noticed another man with a musket running across the castle wall. He pulled himself partially over the wall to aim his musket at William. Anne shot him in the shoulder. He dropped his gun and fell off the side of the wall.
William pulled out a pistol from his belt and aimed it above him. The first man popped out from the castle wall and aimed at William. William shot the man in the chest and he slumped down on the castle wall, dead.
William continued his climb unhindered. At the top, he jumped over the edge of the wall and onto the castle walkway. Anne watched William as he stalked about, reloading his pistol as he walked. After a moment he was out of sight.
Anne tensed at the silence. Sweat dripped from her brow as she stared through the sights of the rifle. Every ambient sound from the forest caused her heart to skip. On the outside her body was calm, but inside the minutes passed like hours as she gazed intently on the castle of their enemy.
The large double doors of the castle opened slowly without warning. Anne called over some of the crew with muskets to stem the possible tide. A figure emerged
from the opened door.
"Hold your fire!" Anne yelled.
William was leaving the castle. Anne stood, put her rifle on her back, and then ran to the castle doors where William waited. The crew followed behind her.
"Was there anyone else?" Anne asked.
"None aside from the two we shot. The castle appears to be empty, though I have not had time to search everywhere," William replied.
Anne turned to those who followed her. "Search every inch of this castle. If you find anything, return here," she commanded.
The men dispersed in groups throughout the castle, doing as commanded and searching the castle's every nook and cranny.
"Now, you have a wound which needs to be tended." Anne pushed William to the ground.
She examined his arm, and found his bicep still bleeding. Anne pulled gauze out of her pocket, and wrapped it around William's arm. After she finished, a group of crewmates returned from a room below the castle.
The crewmates had grave expressions on their faces. "You need to see this," one of them said, motioning with his thumb to the stairs leading down.
Anne pushed past and practically ran down the stairs, her hair and cloak swaying with the motion. William and the two crewmates kept in step with Anne all the way down the spiral staircase. At the bottom, they were met with a corridor, doors to other rooms ajar, and light spilling from the room at the end.
Anne stepped forward slowly, taking breaths as she did. She reached for the door, closing her eyes, holding the air in her lungs tightly like a fist clenched. She pushed on the door with one hand. The light from a candle illuminated the room.
Dried blood stained the middle of the floor where pools had previously been. The room stank of gunpowder, vomit, and death. There was no body to account for the blood, just a cot, a table, and an empty wine rack.
Most men and women might retch at the scene and the smell, but Anne was not most people. She stared at the blood intently for a time as William searched the room for clues.
"Anne." William held a letter out in front of him.
Anne glanced at the letter, then to William. "Where did you find this?" she asked, opening it.
Blackbeard's Revenge (Voyages Of Queen Anne's Revenge Book 2) Page 36
