Assassin of the Black Flag(open)

"Now that I know the bureau is secure, that this isn't a trap, I will send a bird to Samuel as soon as possible." Elizabeth lifted the old Master's head and helped him with the tea. "It will sooth the pain in your throat, but it will not solve the problem. I will start on a remedy once I have sent word to Samuel." Elizabeth sat quietly in thought, clutching her pendant. She was worried. "Has Fredric been seen around the Keys lately?"

Walter drank the mixture Liz had given him and shook his head as he finished it. "No one has reported spotting him," he answered, handing the cup back to her. "The assassins here have been vigilant since Frederic's dark act nine years ago, just two years after Aaron Clarkson was killed." That put a name to Sam's mentor, at least.

Florida Keys

Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that Fredrick had not been sighted, she wasn't too keen to see him again. "Forgive me, Master, but I must send a bird to Samuel. I will be back within a few minutes" Elizabeth said with a small bow before she silently raced out the room.

"Sam,
It is safe for you to come to the Keys. Your old Master is indeed ill and he wishes to speak with you. Although I am treating his ailment, I must insist that you make haste. I must ask that you bring my chest from the Tiger Shark, I am missing a few supplies but everything that I need is in that chest.
- Elizabeth"

Great Inagua

Kidd raced through the town, furiously shoving people aside as he made his way to the house.
"Donnelly" Kidd called as he entered the house. "A bird just came for you from the Florida Keys." Kidd handed the tiny scroll to Samuel, "Is it from Liz? Is she alright? Please tell me she's alright." Anyone could hear that Kidd was terrified, that he was worried about Elizabeth.

Florida Keys

"I am sorry to have left you, Master" Elizabeth said with yet another small bow. Elizabeth pulled a small pot from her chest and began to make a remedy for the old master. She couldn't help but chuckle as she brought the water to a boil and set a smaller pot over the boiling water, over the past five or six weeks, she had done more healing than killing. "Just out of interest, what was Sam like before he lost his parents and his mentor?" It was just a simple question that Elizabeth had hoped would start a conversation, seeing that Samuel was the only thing that they had in common besides the both of them being Master Assassins, he seemed to be the most logical topic to start a discussion with. "I would also like to ask about Fredric, what do you think it was that drove him into the arms of the Templars? Besides greed and a lust for power" Elizabeth enquired as she began pulling various herbs from her chest. Elizabeth shakily took a deep breath and clutched her pendant as she remembered the events that occurred at Havana, "And why does he express such cruelty to Samuel? Has it always been that way?"

Florida Keys

"Ah," said Walter fondly, managing a very small chuckle. "Sam was a tad bit shy as a child. The only ones he'd really talk to were Aaron and Carl. He stayed in the library a lot most of the time, unless he was with Aaron." Then he closed his eyes slowly and took a deep breath.

Inagua
Samuel "Snakefang" Donnelly

Sam quickly read the scroll upon hearing Kidd's worried tone and then relaxed upon reading it's contents. "She's fine," He said, relieved. "She needs the first chest from her ship and...my old Master wants me to be there." That was really all the scroll said and he passed it to one of the people from the house, instructing them to place it on his desk. Then he fixed his robes and took a breath. "I need you to keep an eye on this place for me, Kidd. Make sure Damian stays out of trouble. He's a defiant one, that's for sure. And take good care of my wolf friend, Ace. I just don't feel right taking him with me." He nodded to the man and headed for his ship after telling Ace goodbye, which earned a sharp whine to come from his throat. Sam reached the docks and called out to Liz's ship. "Could one of you fine gents bring Liz's first chest over to my ship? She needs it!"

Florida Keys

Walter then plunged into what he thought was the cause of Frederic's hostility towards Sam. "I think," He began softly. "That Frederic thought his brother the better son. It happens occasionally. Nothing can really be done about it. Sam was the best at, well, practically everything we train our mentors to do. It didn't much help that Sam was older by two years and became eligible for his first mission out first." Andy, the assassin in forest green, entered, apologizing for interrupting and then handed a small scroll to Liz.

"Liz, thank you for informing me of the Keys. I'll be there soon, as I just needed to make sure that Damian doesn't get into trouble while I'm gone. I'll see you soon.

Great Inagua

Johnson nodded before he raced off to Elizabeth's quarters only to arrive on the Soul Wave a few minutes later with the chest.
"Here is captain Shay's chest."
"Mister Johnson? May I please go with to the Keys" Tiago asked as he ran to Johnson's side.
"No, child. Captain Shay gave explicit orders that you were to remain here and train with master Kidd" Johnson replied as he ruffled Tiago's hair. Tiago hung his head sadly before he looked to Samuel, "Please bring mentor back."

Florida Keys

"Thank you, brother" Elizabeth said as she took the scroll and read it. She quickly rolled up the piece of paper and put it in her pocket, "Samuel will be with us soon." Elizabeth returned to her brew, which was thankfully pleasant in scent compared to the one in Havana. "I never had any siblings of my own, but I am no stranger to resentment. Everyone at Tulum, including my mentor, Ikan, hates me because of my heritage. I suppose it didn't help that Master Ah Tabai held me in such high regard, not to mention that I became a Master Assassin in less than five years. I suppose the training I received from my mother at such a young age gave me an early start."

Samuel arrived at the port of the Keys, feeling his necklace around his neck. He still heard the promise he made to the boy and took a deep breath before he took the chest and began his walk to the bureau, the path as familiar as Inagua itself. There was a chain reaction when he entered the bureau. Everyone called his name as he walked up the stairs and turned into the chamber of his master. "Master," he called softly, setting the chest down beside Liz. "Samuel,"
"I'm here, Master." Sam took a seat near the bed and sat forward. "I want you to mentor my son, Joshua. Everyone else is busy with their own apprentices and even our head trainer, Andy, is busy." Sam had a mind to decline, but he knew this man would push him until he accepted so he merely gave a small nod. "I'll train him, Master. I promise." Walter smiled weakly and nodded slowly, glad.

Florida Keys

Elizabeth stood quietly as she made a variety of medications for the den Master. She opened the chest that Samuel had bought at her request, and grabbed a few herbs. She knew that there was much for Samuel and the den Master to discuss, so she just focused on the task at hand. "I am sorry to interrupt, Master, but I need you to inhale the steam. It will help with your breathing" Elizabeth explained as she handed the old Master a small wooden bowl of hot water containing a small bag of herbs before she returned to the brew. Elizabeth scooped the remnants of the herbs from the top pot and set about further extracting their oils before she mixed the oils with some honey and cinnamon, "I apologise if it is too sweet for your liking, Master, but I do not make this remedy very often. Take one spoonful every hour or when the cough returns." Uncertain of what to say or do, Elizabeth began clearing up her workstation.

Great Inagua

"Gather 'round, lads" Kidd said as he entered the parlour, Tiago stood quietly in the corner as he watched the men. "I'll be looking after the house while Donnelly and Shay are gone. In order to make sure that you lot don't cause any trouble, we'll be training every day from sunrise to sunset until either Donnelly or Shay returns. You will train the way that I have seen Elizabeth train. You know what the punishment is for defiance."

Florida Keys
Samuel "Snakefang" Donnelly

Samuel and Walter sat there discussing Josh's training and Sam was describing how he'd taken care of Torres with Liz and then told of the house he had turned into a Sanctuary. Walter was nodding with a small grin. Sam had indeed done well for himself.

Great Inagua

Bryan nodded after Ace gave a bark to emphasize Kidd's words. "Aye," he said with a dip of his head. To be completely honest, he was looking forward to training.

(Sorry, but this will be my last post for the day. It sucks, I know.)

Florida Keys

"The day that Torres died was one of the best days of my life, and a major victory for the Assassins. While another will soon take his place, we can all sleep peacefully until we learn of the next Grandmaster." Elizabeth gathered her supplies before she made for the door, "It was an honour to meet you, Master" Elizabeth said with a small bow before she turned to Samuel, "I'll be back later. I need to check on Sentinel and speak to the harbourmaster about repairs to the new ship."

Great Inagua

"Come on, we'll start off with some sparring before we move on to the more difficult things" Kidd said as he walked out to the courtyard.

"I- I... I don't know about this, I-" Duncan was interrupted by a pat on the back by Damian. "Come on, man. It's not that bad. Also, you're being a total wuss." Damian added as he stepped out into the courtyard, followed quickly by Duncan. Seeing the two together was odd, for they had a 1'3 height difference each. "A-Are ya sure? I-I just..." He stopoed talking once again when Damian gave him a bit rougher pat on the back.

Great Inagua

Ace, not enjoying being left alone in the house, followed after the bunch, though keeping at a distance. He bolted for the shade of the tree that shaded part of the courtyard and curled up into a ball, head on his paws as he watched the group with a Protector's gaze. Bryan looked nervous and excited, grinning from ear to ear.

Florida Keys
Samuel "Snakefang" Donnelly

Josh had returned to the room and stood by Sam, who looked a lot more straight and tall than he had earlier. "Samuel Donnelly," said Walter, still inhaling the steam from the hot water mix. "Do you swear to teach this boy the Creed and what it is we stand for?"
"I will, Master," he said, meeting eye contact with his apprentice, who bowed his head and recited what he was supposed to. "I will follow in Samuel's shadow and follow his lead until I am initiated." A small cough escaped Walter and he took a small spoonful of the honey mix Liz had given him. "He is your apprentice now, Sam. Train him well." Sam nodded and rubbed a hand into the boy's hair.

Florida Keys

"Sorry about locking you in here, Sentinel, but I had some work to do" Elizabeth said as she entered her quarters. Sentinel let out a long groan, "I know. Here's your fish" Elizabeth chuckled as she held some fish just above the snout of the great crocodile. The greedy crocodile quickly lifted his head, and ripped the fish from Elizabeth's grip. "Well you're hungry" Elizabeth chuckled as she plopped down next to Sentinel and rubbed his snout, "and cold too. Never mind, I'll get you home soon." Elizabeth had a small tankard of rum before she changed into her usual robes.

Elizabeth calmly strolled down the street, watching the civilians around her. She made it a point to memorise her surroundings and map out every hiding place she found. She had traded a few items with people at the Keys before, but she had never been this far inland.

Elizabeth fiddled with her father's ring as she joined Samuel and the den Master "I thought I'd let you know that I'll be doing a patrol around the Keys to see if I can find anything about that Templar that threatened the Assassins here, or any other Templar. If you need me, I'll probably end up at the tavern, or I'll catch some sleep in that tree outside." She paused for a moment and smiled, "I take it you've taken young Joshua Sparrow under your wing?"

Great Inagua

"Right! Duncan, you'll be going up against Bryan. Damian, you're with me. We'll all be using standard Officer's smallswords. Now pair up." Kidd turned to Tiago and ruffled the child's hair, "Now, Tiago, I need you to pay attention to the way that we fight. Watch how each of us wield a blade, maybe you'll learn a few things for when you start training with Mistress Shay." Kidd looked to Damian, "Any trouble from you, and I'll have you work the weights" he snarled before he gave the order to begin.

Florida Keys
Samuel "Snakefang" Donnelly

"And here I've been saying I'd never be a mentor." Sam said, ruffling Josh's hair which earned a smile from the boy. Walter nodded, giving permission to Liz. Then he settled against his pillows, a tired look in his eyes. Sam noticed and laid a hand on Josh's shoulder, another going to Liz. "Come. Let's leave him to rest."

Great Inagua

Bryan drew the shortsword and weighed it in his hands before he turned to Duncan, giving the timid man some encouragement with a smile. He himself was nervous about his shoulder.

Damian, quickly drawing two swords, giving one two Duncan - who barely caught it - got into place, as well as a Relucratant Duncan.
"A-Are you sure? I... I never used anything bigger than a bow... I th-" Damian very quickly leaned over and pat Duncan on the back with his long arm, which startled Duncan.
"Listen, man... This isn't so hard! Your partner is... 'bout your size, and you both are beginners, I guess. Atleast your sword isn't small compared to you..."
He said the last part annoyingly, for his sword was extremely short for him, and his hands barely fit inside the handle.
"Well, let's get this going, then!" Damian said happily, ready for a challenge.

Great Inagua

Bryan offered a reassuring grin. "Cone on. I'll let you attack first, if it helps build your confidence." His voice was soft and encouraging.

Florida Keys

"I suppose it only took the right apprentice to change your mind" Elizabeth chuckled before she quietly left the room, deep in thought. She had been so sure that Fredric was the one behind everything, but she merely shook her head. She had already been wrong about the possibility of a trap, so maybe she was Fredric's involvement with the threat to the Assassins of the Florida Keys. "I could have sworn this was a trap" Elizabeth mumbled before a smile crept onto her face, "I'm glad it wasn't." Elizabeth took a deep breath and checked her darts, powder, and shot before she set off to find any information regarding Templars.

Great Inagua

"There's a reason why we're all using the same worthless weapons" Kidd growled as he circled Damian. "Let's say you've been captured and stripped of all your weapons. Do you ask to have your weapons returned to you? What if your weapons have been destroyed? Do you reserve yourself to death? No! You improvise! You make do with whatever weapon you can find, even if it's a bloody butter knife, and you fight!" Kidd quickly rushed behind Damian, "Now quit your goddamned moaning and fight me."

"If I needed to fight, I could throw the captain off the ship one handed and take the man's axe..." He angrily thought. He felt anger out of this, for some reason. He felt he needed to prove himself.
"You want a fight... You'll get a Damn good one..." As he finished this sentence, he quickly turned and rushed the pommel of his sword into Kidd.

At the other side, however, Duncan decided to go with a simple swipe, For he never used a close weapon bigger than a dagger.
"I hope I do this right... If this light sword is heavy, how do others manage other heavier swords..." Duncan thought, worringly.

Florida Keys

Samuel "Snakefang" Donnelly

Sam decided he'd begin Josh's training and began to explain things to the boy as he led him around to the training yard. It was larger than the courtyard they had at the house. It was a luxury he had missed.

Great Inagua
Bryan, being already trained in hand to hand with swords by the Templars, blocked the blow and grinned, encouraging Duncan easily.

Great Inagua

"Good job" Kidd wheezed as he tried to regain his breath, "but you rely far to much on your strength."
"Master Kidd!" Tiago rushed at Damian with nothing but his fists as weapons, eager to defend his mentor's best friend.
"No, Tiago" Kidd said as he caught the boy by his wrist, "I'm alright." Kidd gave the child a reassuring smile before he stood, clutching his side. "You're welcome to continue sparring while I prepare for your training."

Kidd quietly slinked inside, heading straight for Elizabeth's room. "That Damian's a smart one, but he lacks restraint" he growled as he rummaged through Elizabeth's supplies. He found what he was looking for and chuckled.

"Right, let's try that again shall we" Kidd said coldly as he rejoined the others.
"You called for me, Master Kidd?"
"Aye, Johnson, you'll be going up against Damian here. He needs proper training with a sword. Since you were one of the few men that trained Elizabeth to fight, before she joined the Assassins, I figured you should sort things out with Damian."
"Aye, Kidd. I'll sort him out" Johnson chuckled as he handed Kidd a bundle of cloth containing a set of small swords. "Tiago, why don't you you come sit by me? We'll be focusing on Johnson and Waverley, they know what they're doing" Kidd said coldly as he watched Johnson approach Damian.
"Now this is a fair match" Johnson chuckled as he fastened the red sash around his waist that secured his sirwal. He was almost the same height as Damian, maybe an inch or two shorter, but what he lacked in height, he made up for in muscle.

Florida Keys

"I couldn't find out anything about that Templar. Whomever it was, they were clever enough not to leave any clues" Elizabeth grumbled as she joined Samuel and Joshua at the training grounds. Elizabeth climbed the tree, and spread herself on one of the branches for a quick nap. To most, she looked like a mess of limbs draped over a branch, but to those that had gone hunting in Africa, she would have looked like a leopard sleeping amongst the branches of an Acacia. Elizabeth further drew her hood over her head in an effort to block out the light before she craned her neck so that she might watch the training. "I wonder how Kidd is coping with Tiago and all those men? He's probably going mental."

Florida Keys
Samuel "Snakefang" Donnelly

Sam was calling out numbers as he and the boy did some practice sparring with small swords. "If he has, it's thanks to Damian." He snorted, fixing Josh's stance with soft hands. "To be honest, I don't think Damian has the skills set needed for the life of an Assassin." After they trained with the swords, Sam came up with a sort of game that would keep the boy on his toes at all time. Sam hid himself on the shadows, keeping hidden while the boy looked around, trying to find his mentor.

Sam slid ever so stealthily toward his apprentice. Josh looked around some more, back turned towards Sam. The Assassin slipped up behind the boy and tapped his shoulder while placing an arm around the boy's throat. "Dead. You must learn to fully take in your surroundings to detect enemies. If not, you'll join the countless Assassins who've died for our cause."
"Yes, Mentor."
"Good boy." Sam ruffled the hair of his apprentice with a soft hand, a smile spreading across his face. He was showing all the traits a father would have.

"I don't think Damian would make a very good Assassin either. Bryan, on the other hand, would make an excellent Assassin. What he did in Havana, causing a distraction for you and taking a bullet for me, those weren't the actions of a... Anyway, he has the heart of an Assassin, a true gentleman, and that's all that matters." Elizabeth smiled as she watched Samuel and Joshua train, it seemed as if there was a whole new side to Samuel that she hadn't seen before. She sat up on the branch as if it were a bench, after spending so many years in the trees, everything came naturally to her. "When are you thinking of going home, to Inagua?"

Sam chuckled quietly and thought. "When you're ready to go," he said softly with a loving grin, his arm going around his apprentice's shoulders. There was definitely a fatherly action.

Elizabeth jumped out of the tree and straightened her robes. "Well I've just got two more things I need to do before I am ready to leave" Elizabeth said with a warm smile, "I'll see you in about an hour or two." She lowered her hood, untied the ribbon holding her hair in place, and let her long, straight black hair fall into its original shape. "I need to speak with your Master quickly, then I have some people I need to see." Elizabeth hung her head before she went to speak with the den Master.

"I am sorry to intrude, Master, but I need to ask you a very important question." There was an air of sorrow that seemed to surround Elizabeth as she knelt before the den Master and looked at him with pained eyes. "Where might I find the remains of Carl and Samantha Donnelly? I don't know if his body was ever returned, but I was hoping you would also know where I could find the remains of Samuel's old mentor?" She hung her head quietly, almost ashamed of what she had asked of him.

Walter grunted quietly. "Carl and his wife are buried near here," He said softly. "And ours brought Aaron back to us from Hanava. Andy will show you where." There in the hall was the forest green robed assassin.

Elizabeth stood and made a small bow, "Thank you, Master. It was an honour to meet you, Master. If you should ever find yourself in need of my services, send a bird to Tulum and it will find its way to me. Farewell, Master." Elizabeth turned and quietly left the room.

"Andy, would you please take me to see Carl and Samantha Donnelly and Aaron" Elizabeth asked as she quietly drew her hood.