Chapter 7

Chapter seven
Back at Sea!


Edward walked into the cooks room to check on Anne a month had gone by at sea Anne seemed to fit in just fie she had absolutely no idea who Edward really was and nor that he was madly in love with her she and Mat had become friends and had no arguments mostly because Mat gave in when she begged or looked at him in a certain way so things were going fine but in a few more months they would set her free Edward had already written to Henry in Newcastle telling him to be there for her.

But things were changing after those few months he did not know why but she was starting to pay him more attention then the others he did not know why but he had a suspicion Mat he hopped he did not tell him anything that would arouse her suspicions so one day during meal time he took mat aside and asked him if he had told Anne anything about him only the fact that you are an orphan sir and that the Navy kicked you out because you tried to help me escape I think she likes men like yourself even if you are hiding all your good looks under that beard.

Edward let out a sigh of relief "ohh good I thought maybe you told her the truth"! "No sir never would do that not even if she did that fluttery thing with her eyelashes at me". Edward laughed "I am sure you wouldn’t to many girls have already tried that trick on you for you to be fooled by it".
Mat smiled "you got that right boss".

Just at that moment Anne came in and smiled at them both "hello men you know second Mate I have been on this ship for a mouth or more and never once has anyone hear called you by name you do have a name do you no"t?
"Sure I have one I just never use it anymore and no one on this ship uses it ether". "I see" said Anne a little disappointed "tell me then how much longer must I be on this ship"?"Another month or two then we shall reach London port and we can let you go". "But I have no one who will pick me up" said Anne "I have written to a friend of yours a Mr. Jones he and his sisters will be there to pick you up" .
Anne looked startled "how do you know about my relation with Mr. Jones" ?

"I am a Pirate lets just leave it at that". Anne looked more and more puzzled but said nothing and went back to work. Edward left the cabin and went to his own cabin John was there just taking off his fake whiskers Edward looked at him and said "I have to ask you to take over once we let her go" ?"Why"? "Because I love her and want to marry her and I cant very well do that if I am a Pirate now can I"?
"No but what about your other secrete will you tell her that one"?
"Not if I can help it but if I must tell her and she is frightened off, then I will give up and go back into the navy". John smiled "and do you really think she is going to warm up to you after you tell her the truth about yourself don’t you think she will hate you even more when she finds out you are a Pirate and the other thing you never want me to mention"! "If she really loves me she won’t care". "But if she finds out that you lied to her all this time do you think she will still love you still"? There was silence for a few moments then "Well that is something I never counted on but still what was I to do I didn’t know we would pick her up and how was I to tell her I was responsible for her guardians death you wouldn’t even be that brave". "True enough" said John "I guess I cant really correct you for anything because I really don’t know what’s going on up inside that head of yours".
Edward smiled "you sure don’t and I hope you never will you wouldn’t like what was going on inside off there" . John nodded "I believe you" I am sure you will always do the right thing". there was silence for a few moment suddenly up above the sounds of cannons could be heard. "What is going on up there" said Edward running up the ladder John followed behind.

On the deck were sailors and men shouting and screaming out to sea they saw what was making all the racket they could see a ship with white sails Anne came out and smiled it is one of the navy’s ships she would be saved ! Boom the whole boat rocked as a huge cannon ball hit the side of the ship they started going down "abandon ship"! Shouted Edward as men started jumping overboard Mat came up and Edward said "get Anne off the ship". Matt "Aye Aye Sir" said Matt taking Anne by the arm she looked back as the ship started sinking then before they could get off another cannon ball shook the boat and they all tumbled into the water !

Edward John and Matt were all wet Edward and Johns whiskers were off and showed there real faces Anne was nowhere to be seen "she must have gone under" said John Edward wasted no time he went under the water she had already sunk deep down without holding his breath. And went down faster then light and was soon back up with her in his arms She was unconsense and he was just about to help her out when he felt the point of a gun at the back of his neck "Hands up"! Came a voice "and turn around slowly" he did so to come face to face with Captain Smith! "Well well said the Captain if it isn’t the mutineer Edward Darcy"! "Hello captain" said Edward "its good to see you again"! "Not as good as it is to see you we have been looking for you for a long time to put you into a cell and your mutineer buddies to". He said looking at John and Matt. "Black slavery is abolished now my friend so your friend hear would have gone free if he had not mutinied with you so now all tree of you are charged on the same principle". Just then Anne woke up sputtering and coughing one of the sailors had revived her and she was looking with a shocked face at what she saw Edward she almost choked "you are hear"! "what are you doing hear"? "He" said the Captain "is a pirate mame a mutineer and Captain of the Swift Death"!

She looked up at him startled" You are the captain"! He smiled ruefully at her as his hands were clasped in Irons "so I am you think I would have told you after what I did unknowingly to your uncle and Family"? "But you’re a pirate""! "Yes".
"Dose your sister know"? "No I would not tell her for the world and I ask you that you will not tell her ether when you see her again". His eyes looked at her with the pleading face and she told him "I will not tel"l. He smiled gratefully at her as he was taken away with John and Matt to the Ships prison.

Anne with sudden tiredness sank down onto the deck head in her hands.
The Captain said "take the lady to my privet champers she needs to recover after all this excitement". The men nodded and helped Anne to the Captains privet chambers.

That evening while she was dinning with the captain she asked him to tell the story of the mutiny against the ship! The Captain smiled "well it was really simple it started with Edward wanting the black slave Matt to go free off course then it was impossible to do so and I told him that Edward had always been a softy with a big heart and I had never seen him go against my orders but that night along with a good friend named John they went down and set the slave Matt free then they all three jumped ship and swam off somewhere and Edward made his own ship on a deserted Island while the others defended it his whole crew was taken from mutineers like himself and they became the feared Swift Death upon the water. Anne listened to the tale in silence most of the story matched to what Matt had said about Edward and know she knew why she had thought the way he walked so familiar she had seen him walk that way back on land she wondered if Mr. Jones knew Edwards real identity She wanted the full story though so that night when everyone was sleeping she snuck down to the dark wet cages where the prisoners were kept and whispered his name.

"Edward"! He sat up and spun around there she was what in the world was she doing hear she came up to the cage lantern in her hand as she said "Edward I need you to tell me the truth about what happened to you". "I want to trust you but haw can you expect me to do that I told you are not honest with me tell the truth about yourself please and I will try to process everything in a optimistic way". He smiled at her "very well but you must be prepared for a shock and open your mind to anything". "Firstly do you believe in the supernatural"? "You mean like spirits and such"?
"Yes but more specifically do you believe in Vampires and War wolfs and those kind of things"? "Not really I mean I have never seen the like." "Are you sure about that"? asked Edward with a sly smile "are you sure you are not talking to one at this very moment". Anne looked at him and at the others "what are you trying to say" Edward?" "Only that things are not what they seem and that the story I tell you may put you into shock do you have a open mind and are you ready to believe anything"?
"I can try"said Anne more puzzled then ever ."That’s good enough" said Edward "very well I shall begin". "As you know I left my father and sister at 15 to join the navy and was after ward thought dead by my superiors because I did not come back for a few years". "That was true after I joined the navy we stopped at a small sea village". "There I met a man called Nevel he acted very friendly and invited me to come and drink with him to which I obliged him". "I did not know why but I did after that I awoke in the street to find myself changed I had sharper senses and everything around me seemed clearer". "Then there in front of me was Nevel he seemed to be cautiously coming toward me I spoke out what are you doing"? He said "finishing you I need it all from you for I am starving and you have some of the sweetest blood I have ever tasted"! I thought he was in sign. Then I touched something on my shoulder two small scares wide enough apart to be teeth!
I froze realizing what was in my path and what he had done to me.
He would have killed me I am sure but some thing must have frightened him off and he had come back later when I was more keen to finish me off.
I would not allow it so I ran. The navy was about to give up they had been searching for me for a week with no success but John my loyal friend would not give up on me and when they found me I was asked where I had been I had to think of something so I told them I got drunk. Of course they did not believe me so I was punished severely and told that next time something like that happened I would be left behind of course I believed them so from then on whenever we docked at port I would stay on bored there seemed no reason for me to get off I got everything I needed from the sea!
"Please don’t be grossed out". Said Edward looking at Anne "just don’t think about how I feed".

"Anyway I went on to become an officer by this time I would be around 21 my change had taken place when I was 19 so I would remain as 19 for ever".
"Around this time is when I Met Mr. Jones he was on a cruse with his two sister and I was an officer on leave on his ship he and I at first did not get along very well and I shall soon explain why". "It was the night of the full moon I was on deck keeping watch when I saw in the shadows the form of a man I could see in the dark with my new vision that it was Mr. Jones."He was talking to two men who I saw were Matt and John they both were taken into my confidence and knew who I was as I watched them both men took a few steps back I saw him shiver and shake and suddenly a burst of silver light shot out from him and in his place was a wolf the size of a bear"! "I didn’t know what to think so I just stood there. "His sisters came on deck they evidently knew who he was because they begged me with pleading voices. "please we didn’t expect to be on the boat this long the captain is coming up you have t do some thing"! I heard the Captain I only had a minute to come up with a lantern. So I went up to him and sad "Sir I think we shouldn’t have any slaves on this boat this lead as I hopped into an Argument finally I said "then I will do it myself" and taking Matt by the arm I dove into the water the captain was to angry looking over the side I had jumped to notice that John had taken Jones and his two sisters over the other side one we were out of sight of the ship. "We came to a desert Island and there I built the Swift Death it seemed to me the only way to explain myself was to become a Pirate so that is what I did. Mr. Jones and I in the meantime became good friend as I took him back to England every time he would change and there would be a ship in the way we would fire at it to chase them away and to drawn out the noise it worked and we were soon back in London.

"There Is where I masqueraded as a officer on leave and together we went to new castle where he bought the estate then he came to fetch me where I had been hiding in London and well you know the rest of the story".

Anne was silent for long while then she said "Is Mr. Jones safe"?
He looked there with a puzzled expression then he smiled as he said "of course he is safe your friend will be perfectly fine I even think he has fallen for her"!
"That would be something she has already fallen for him"! "Ha"! "How about that well I hope they get along as she is going to be staying with him a long time and I hope there talk of the truth will be in a more happy area then we are in".
Anne smiled as she said "you know I can’t really blame you for what you did after all you were only helping a friend and only had a few minutes to think of something I am sure that if you had more time you would have thought of something better".

Edward smiled "so you are not frightened of me at all"?
"No I am not I know you Edward and know you would not hurt anyone without a purpose". "
But what about your uncle"? "Well that was all unintentional uncle is happy where he is am sure and Aunt and cousins well they deserved to die they were never very happy on earth". The smile Edward gave her could have lit up the whole cell and Anne was joyous to know that felt and loved her just as much as she did maybe more.
She stuck her small arms through the bars and he took his in his they smiled and looked into each other’s eyes and were soon lost in a daze. There moment was broken by a clearing of throats. "I hate to break up the little moment" said John "but if you haven’t noticed Edward we are still stuck in a dungeon and probably you will never see each other again unless you make a plain!" "Yes yes a plain".
Edward thought in silence then he snapped his fingers "I have it Jones" !
"Anne"! He said turning to her "Yes"? she said ""can you get me some paper and pen?"
"Yes I can". She said and left the dungeon.
Edward smiled "Well well"! Said John "how about that it wasn’t as hard as you though was it"? "No it was not but I was sure after she listened to my story some thing would make her accept me". "Is that why you spoke with such confidence to her"? "Yes it was". "Tell me who are you going to write to"? "Jones of course".
"Tell me how are you going to get the letter to him"?
"By way of Criss"! "Is he still on the ship"?
"Yes I saw him as I got on the ship I will ask Anne to give it to him and then he can give it to Jones".
Anne soon came back with the writing materials and he began his letter" Dear Jones I need your help wait for us at London port yours sincerely Edward".

He then folded the envelope and handed it to Anne saying "see that this gets into the hands of Criss the tugboat man he will be standing by the deck wearing a white sailors hat you can’t miss him".

She took the letter and left the dungeons soon the letter was on its way to Jones.