The Jackdaw

Chapter 10: Wants and Needs

You must have drifted off into sleep during the night. When you came to, the heat of the sun was blazing overhead. Your mouth and throat were dry, still burning from the salt you choked on. You sat up, your heart jolting when you realized Edward wasn't next to you. "Edward," you rolled up onto your knees, moments from jumping in to find him.

"Here, love." He was leaning on the side of the plank, kicking his feet in the water. "There's an island just over there. We reach that and it'll serve as a nice spot until Adé comes to find us."

You looked past the sloshing waves to the strip of beach with its mountain of green behind it. "We could swim there. Wouldn't that be easier?"

Edward rested a moment, bobbing in the water as he clung to the side of the makeshift raft. "Currents might pull you even further to sea. You might even tire before we reach the sand." He settled his gaze on you. "Can't risk that, love."

You knew he was right. You could swim a decent amount but certainly not against strong currents. You spent most of your life landlocked. "Fine. I'm helping you, though." You scooted across the plank of wood. "It's much quicker if we work together, right?"

He moved over, making space for you as you jumped into the water next to him. "Don't overexert yourself, love. No use in you getting tired out."

You leaned your arms over the side of the raft, relishing in the cool water. "Might say the same to you, Kenway. Besides, all of this is my fault."

"Don't be daft," he retorted. "I don't recall you conjuring up a storm." He began kicking his legs and quickly followed suit. 

"If I had just stayed back in Nassau," you cursed under your breath.

"It was a bit of bad luck." 

You kicked your legs harder, desperate to kick just as well as Edward, desperate not to tire.  "I'm not a sailor or a pirate. I shouldn't have been on that ship in the first place."

"You think I was born a pirate, love?" He chuckled and the sound melted whatever anxiety that was perched in your throat. "Half my scars are from inexperience on the ship."

You drew in your bottom lip and focused on swimming. The island was getting closer. The water began to shift from its dark hue to the lighter turquoise. It inspired you to kick harder despite the burning in your legs. You wanted so badly to be stronger than you actually were. For a brief moment, you thought about how foolish and weak you had been for falling off the ship for the second time within barely a month.

You could even hear the sweetly acidic tone of your mother goading you, "Utterly useless."

"Just a bit further," Edward exclaimed, the white sands of the beach almost within your grasp.

Once you were both safely in the shallows, Edward moved around the plank and sunk his feet into the sand. He grabbed the raft and hauled it up onto the beach.

You crawled the rest of the way then rolled out onto your back once you reach the hot sand. Your hood had thankfully kept most of the sun off your head and neck while swimming. It also kept the sand out of your hair.

"Not a bad place to be deserted. Saw a crab scurry by and some coconuts or two." He sat down next to you and threw you a coy glance.

You sat up and drew in your knees. "Delighted. Always wanted to scrounge for food after being thrown off a ship." You pried open your soaked jacket and loosened the lacings of your shirt.

His tone took on a playful tone as he leaned closer. "Course, it is just the two of us now..." His arm slid around your back, his other hand cupping beneath your chin. "We have quite a bit of time to enjoy ourselves, don't you think?"