Chapter Text
The boom of the cannons was muted, muffled beneath the waves as he tried to focus on anything but the pain in his side, swimming into the oppressive darkness. The water was as dark as the sky above and there were times when a wave would hit Will and send him tumbling, no longer sure which way was up. Surfacing for a sharp breath of air, he could hear the screams, cannonfire, and clashing of metal behind him. He didn’t look back.
He had no reason to.
Instead, he dove under once more, moving as quickly as he could and praying he was headed in the direction of one of the nearby islands.
Will woke with a startled gasp, which quickly devolved into a coughing fit. He sat up, spitting gritty sand from his mouth and wincing at the pain in his side as he scanned the horizon. Not a ship in sight, Will breathed a sigh of relief. Still scraping sand from his tongue, he began to take in his more immediate surroundings. He’d made it to an island. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been swimming, but he was fairly certain he lost consciousness while he was still in the water. It’s a miracle I didn’t drown, he realized with a shiver. The movement brought his attention back to his cracked ribs and he shrugged off his jacket, yanking up his shirt to inspect the damage. The skin remained unbroken, which was a relief. Will suspected he’d be sore for a few weeks, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle.
Will’s every muscle ached and there was a throbbing pain in his head that he couldn’t ignore. Pressing against his temple in an attempt to ease the pain, Will realized that his hair was as caked in sand as the rest of him. He licked his dry, cracked lips, thinking about what to do next as he continued to dust himself off. There were no other signs of life on the beach as Will slowly got to his feet, taking stock of his options. He looked toward the tree line and made up his mind, no sense waiting here for them to come find me.
Just inside the tree line he dropped to his knees and began digging. After a few minutes’ effort he folded up the royal blue jacket and stuffed it into the hole, covering the uniform as best he could. For all he knew this island might not be friendly to a British Naval Officer, and even if they were… well… that’s all over now .
Will walked for the better part of the day, stopping only when he came across fresh water to thirstily drink it down. The sun was largely blocked out by the trees of the jungle, but he could hear the nighttime insects beginning to awaken as he pushed on, not wanting to spend the night in the jungle if he could avoid it. The idea that the island might be completely deserted had occurred to him, though each time he’d pushed that thought aside, not willing to face such an enormous obstacle quite yet.
Just as he was beginning to worry that he might need to more seriously consider that eventuality, he heard what sounded like a donkey braying in the distance. Stopping short, Will listened carefully, trying to pinpoint where the noise had come from. Again he heard it, unmistakable this time, a donkey. Several, by the sound of it. He pushed forward, finally seeing the edge of the treeline and a small homestead just beyond. There were two donkeys in a pen near the back of the house and beyond that he could see a dirt road with wagon ruts! No need for a wagon unless you’re bringing supplies to and from a town!
Will knew the smart move would be to skirt around this house and try to get into town, but his legs were trembling with exhaustion and he could see that there was a small well just on the other side of the house, perhaps they’ll take pity and offer me a drink and a bite to eat, Will hoped desperately. He staggered around the side of the house, not wanting to startle anyone by appearing at the back door. Knocking gently, he slumped against the side of the house, looking around at the beautiful land and wondering if he could ever be happy living in a quiet, solitary place like this. A moment passed before the door creaked open and Will quickly stood at attention, hoping his simple linen clothing and disheveled curls would lend to a non-threatening appearance.
Standing in the doorway was a woman, probably close to Will’s age, though he could never tell for certain. She was several inches shorter than him and had long brown hair that fell around her shoulders. She didn’t look remotely frightened by the strange man at her door and Will quickly gave a small bow, “Sorry, I didn’t know if anyone would be home.”
The woman looked him over, nodding her head slightly, “You look like you just washed up out of the ocean.”
Will dropped his gaze as she continued to study him, “There’s a good reason for that… I’m sorry, but… could I bother you for some food… or even just some water?”
“What’s your name?” She asked, her tone wasn’t unfriendly, but she clearly was wary of letting Will inside.
“Will Graham. My ship- Well… It’s just me now. I thought maybe this island was deserted, I’ve been walking since dawn.”
“You must be exhausted.” She said gently, “Please come in, I don’t have anything particularly fancy, but after a day in the jungle I’m sure you’re not feeling too picky.” She turned and began to lead him in, “Alana Bloom.”
“Charmed,” Will said with a hiss of pain as he stepped inside.
“You’re hurt?”
“Nothing a few night’s rest won’t help.” Will gave her a half-hearted smile as she led him through the small home. Inside the kitchen she gestured at a small wooden bench, offering Will a crust of bread and a small plate with a sliced fruit that Will didn’t recognize. “I’ll get you some water.” Alana left him to hungrily devour the bread and the sweet-yet-tart fruit that had a texture almost like a pear. He used the last bite of bread to soak up some of the juice and swallowed it whole.
“You’re lucky you came this way,” Alana said, handing him a large glass full of cool water. “The island’s population is sparse, really only the nearby trading post and a small native population on the western beach.”
Will drank the water so quickly that when he finished he was gasping for breath. He watched a little crooked smile sneak its way past Alana’s carefully guarded expression. Looking away quickly, he muttered a word of thanks.
Alana chuckled, seemingly in spite of herself, “I’ll bring you some more. Did you say your ship sank?”
Will hesitated. He’d thought about this as he was wandering through the jungle. He knew it would be risky to tell the truth, but he also hadn’t expected a woman who lived on her own (as far as he could tell from what he’d seen of the small house) to be the one to offer him help. He didn’t want to deceive her if there wasn’t good reason. “Not exactly... I’m a deserter.”
Alana stood in silence for a moment before nodding her head once and taking the cup back outside toward the well. This time she came in with the full glass as well as a small bucket, which she sat down on the ground beside Will. Pulling up a simple chair she gave Will another scrutinizing look. “So you’re a deserter. English Navy, I presume.” Will nodded, not wanting to push his luck. “And you just… swam for shore?” Will nodded again and Alana arched a brow, “That’s not much of a plan.”
Will chuckled at that, “No. It wasn’t.”
“So, what happened yesterday?” Will’s eyes snapped up to meet hers and Alana gave him a gentle smile, “I can think of a dozen easier ways to desert. Something must’ve happened to make you choose that particular moment to make your escape.”
Will sighed, looking out at the oranges and pinks of sunset staining the sky. “I killed another officer.” Alana didn’t say anything, waiting for him to continue. “Our captain trusted my instincts and counsel… most of the time, but yesterday we disagreed. We’d spotted a ship sailing between the islands north of here.” Will explained, “Our captain was convinced it was a pirate ship we’d been chasing. I advised him not to pursue- we didn't know those waters well and there are so many reefs in the area… I thought the damage we’d risk would eclipse any victory in catching them. Jack disagreed. Another officer backed him and the two of us got into a fight. It was childish…”
“You said Jack- your captain- you said he usually took your advice?”
Will laughed a short, derisive laugh, “If it was well suited to what he already wanted, yeah. Usually.”
“You killed this other officer in the fight?”
“No. Not then.” Will sighed, “Jack pursued, of course, and we came around the western side of one of the islands to find an ambush.”
“The pirates?”
Will shook his head, “Spaniards. It wasn’t the ship we’d been following, I still don’t know where that one went.”
“It was a trap?”
“Maybe.” Will shrugged, “Might have just been bad luck that we came upon them. It was dark, they might’ve been using the island as cover to get some rest. Who knows. Obviously we began to fire on one another, Jack wanted us to broadside them, but I warned that we needed to conserve ammo. He’d had enough of me by that point and told the other officer to escort me to my quarters.” Will chuckled dryly, “I knew this was likely my best chance of escape, so I took it.”
“How did you kill him?” Alana asked, getting up to light a lantern now that the sun had fully set.
“I stabbed him.” Will said simply. “I knew Captain Crawford would come after me, so I needed a head start. I tried to dive, but he grabbed my arm,” Will gently lifted his shirt to show the angry bruising on his side, “I caught the railing hard and when I turned around he was loading his pistol.”
“So you stabbed him.” Alana finished. Will nodded.
“You’re not in any danger, though.” Will reassured her, “I mean, you don’t need to worry that I’m a threat.”
Alana nodded thoughtfully, “I don’t think you’re a threat, Will.” She refilled his water one last time, setting the empty bucket aside, “But I think you need a better plan.”
Will laughed, “Can’t argue with that.”
“You’re welcome to stay here tonight. I don’t have another bed, but I have hay for the donkeys if you want to makeshift something- or we can lay some blankets down if that would be enough?”
Will looked at her in astonishment, “You’re sure?”
Alana nodded, “I like to think I’m a good judge of character.” She stood and began to pull thick woolen blankets from a cedar chest near the foot of her bed. “In the morning we can go see if we can find you work, or maybe passage back to England. Is that where you want to end up eventually?”
Will shrugged again, “As long as I’m on solid ground, I’ll be happy.”
Alana smiled, arranging the blankets on the floor as best she could, “You should sleep. I know it’s early, but you certainly need it.” Will nodded, unlacing his shoes before gingerly lowering himself to the ground. “If it’s too painful, we can trade places.” Alana said softly, but Will was asleep before he even had a chance to respond.
“Will! Will!” Alana was shaking him vigorously and Will winced in pain, eyes shooting open as he gasped for breath, taking in his surroundings.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered, “Was I too loud-?” But he’d barely gotten the words out before her hand was covering his mouth. Will sat up, suppressing a groan as he listened. The sound of cannon-fire had followed him from his dreams.
“ Pirates .” Alana breathed against his ear.
***
“Fire.” The second volley of shots echoed in the darkness and Tobias’s eyes flared with satisfaction as the screams echoed from the old fort. He could smell the powder on the air and he took a deep breath.
“Hold.” The captain’s voice brought all of the artillerymen to a stop as Tobias turned quickly.
“Captain, we were-”
“You were wasting ammunition.” His accent was thick and clipped and Tobias clenched his jaw at the accusation. “I want everyone back on the ship and ready to leave before sunrise.” There was a wave of soft murmurs as the pirates realized his meaning, “Go have fun.”