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His skull, surely, had been dealt a grievously heavy blow, for what lay before his eyes defied all earthly belief. Yet, even as she approached, he felt no fear. Her hand was cool against his head, quelling the pounding that had been present since he had awoken.

"I am Colindo of the Sea Guards," he announced, his voice a raw rasp. "The wreckage about us... it was the Azrugimil." His face fell then, his brow furrowed with a sudden, chilling apprehension as he gathered his courage for the next questions, dreading the answers they might yield. "May I know yours? Do you live nearby? Which shore is this?"

How far from home am I?

While it was often to Uinen that the sailors and peoples of Númenórë prayed, urging her to soothe the so-rough waters of the great seas, even if she heeded their cries, not always would she beat Ossë to the ships. Ever he called on the winds to rise, the tides to turn, and the waves to sink. This day, he was particularly active, causing one of the great ships of the isle of Men to crash upon the shores of Middle-earth, utterly broken.

Ossë was not let off without a harsh scolding by his very sister, who had rushed along the next line of incoming waves, her hands extended across the waters to calm them. The dark clouds were scattered, the lapping of water on the shore hushed, as Uinen approached the ship wreck. She hoped that not all had been lost from such rashness by her counterpart.

Her heart began to quail, but then she noticed a figure moving further down the beach. Realizing that it was a human, she glided over the waters toward them. At first, she thought that it was perhaps a man, but then she was comforted at seeing that it was in fact a boy!

The maia paused as she heard his cry for help, but her long years of heeding such cries, bid her answer. She moved onto the shore of the seas with the waves, blending into them with hair and body, until she landed on the sand in a form perhaps more comforting to a mortal.

She slowly approached the boy, kneeling down beside him to assess his state. When she saw the gash and blood on his forehead, she rested a wet hand over it gently. "It is all right, little one," she soothed, remaining as serene as the waters had become around her. "I am here to help thee. What is thy name?" she asked him, attempting a distraction as she focused energy to her hand, to heal his wound with the waters of her realm.

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"Oh, shite."

The carefully constructed guise of Hadley crumbled, revealing the menacing figure of the whaler beneath. This encounter had gone south, and fast. With practiced efficiency, he checked his pistols, ensuring they were primed and loaded, ready for the inevitable. The leather tab holding his hatchet in place was quickly released. "I'm not leavin' you, Tallboy." Caleb paused in his preparations, his movements still, and leveled a serious gaze at Ben. How could he dare suggest they separate? After what they'd just endured yesterday, fighting redcoats and stealing a boat, the idea of splitting up now was unthinkable. "Besides, you're gonna need someone who can handle a weapon now you've got your hands full."

Six figures on horseback rode down the long, rutted road leading to the farm. Two of them had long arms slung across their backs, while the others kept pistols holstered at their sides. Their faces were set in grim lines, as if they were being forced into an unpleasant task. But he knew better; the whispers of a hefty bounty told a different story.

Jedidiah was at the head of the group, looking far less grim than his compatriots. Until he saw the knife against his daughter's throat.

"Mornin', gentlemen. A shame to see her caught in this tangle." He jerked his head towards Ben and Edith. "But 'ere we are. You men, you're farmers. You know the cost of a ruined crop, the pain of a lost season. Well, imagine the cost of a lost child." Caleb leveled a pistol at the men not caring who he had to shoot first. "This girl here, she's no part of this fight, not truly. She's a daughter, a helper, a future. You want to see her sacrificed for a bounty that'll vanish faster than dew on a summer morning? Go back to your fields. Tend to your stock. Let us pass, and you'll find her safe and sound within the hour. Come another step, and you'll carry her, a burden heavier than any harvest."

Caleb caught the look in Ben’s eye; after so long together, they didn’t need many words to communicate. The situation had soured. It was not just their lives at stake, but the Cause, Anna, and Abe. Forgetting his work, he slipped on his coat and dipped a hand into a pocket. Besides being a smuggler, he possessed a magpie’s instinct, unable to resist stashing away anything that gleamed.

“Thank you, but it’s soundin’ like we’re overstayin’ our welcome. Since I couldn’ finish the work, take these in return.” Settled in his outstretched hand were three gold coins. Edith bit her lip in consternation. Would the coins please Papa enough to forgive her and forego punishment? She thought not, but her father would be glad to know it would be worth rifling through the smaller man’s pockets. If she could just keep them engaged then Papa should return soon. “Trying to purchase your good works then?”

Her acerbic comment would have drawn a laugh from Caleb. He was a man who’d bribe, bargain, or fight for what he needed. His “good works” were solely for his friends, his way of upholding them. He would willingly bear any stain if it meant keeping those he cared for safe and untouched.

“No, ma'am. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. You have generously shared what you have. I am just doin’ the same.”

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A faint smile ticked at the corner of his lips. Oh! He knew this was the right plan, even if Ben had disagreed and forbade him to come. The increase in boats in this part of the Sound had caught his attention. If the Cause didn't want him to use what little brain he had, they shouldn't have recruited him.

He watched her pace across the dirt floor, his eagerness growing. Her plan was bold, brilliant even, a testament to her sharp mind and unwavering spirit. It was good, all of it, but for that one, crucial detail.

"I don't want you sneakin' into the Major's room. I can't have you gettin' caught." He pressed his lips together, the truth heavy on his tongue. "No one but you knows I'm here. So this plan needs to be flawless. No mistakes."

Exasperation blooms in maple orbs. It's infuriating how utterly uncomplicated Brewster makes the task sound. With that torturous pest, and his vicious minions around, even the art of breathing feels like a borderline CRIMINAL act. Even Richard Woodhull is looking for an excuse to see her hanged.

Yet, Caleb's presence brought with it a wake of relief. He provides a minor reprieve from the den of vipers she often FELT like she was drowning in; between the quartering in the tavern, and in her home. The faintest of smiles snatches in the corners of her lips, before it follows his expression in crumbling.

Fingers outstretch yearningly, curling about his dirtied sleeve. Anna purses her lips and steps in conspiratorially. Her dark brows furrow, crowding along the narrowed slope of her nose. "Now, that you mention it," Anna murmurs haltingly, warring within herself. Should she betray her lone confidence? It's not quite a betrayal, is it? Not when it is to protect Caleb, Ben, Roe, Selah, and the others.

"Major Hewlett's been corresponding with someone important in York City. The frequency of the letters has grown, I'll admit." She breaks away from Brewster to pace. "What if we intercept the next parcel?" Heels spin about and she lets her gaze rake over Brewster. "There should be one tonight. I can help you discover which route is taken. I can even sneak into the Major's room. I know that's where he keeps his Cardan grille."

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"That is not as reassuring a sentence as you seem to think, Mister Kennedy." The urge to put his finger to his brow and close his eyes against youthful exuberance was strong. Still, would he not have done the same twenty years ago? Very likely. However, he was fond of Kennedy and would not wish to lose him to misadventure. Or lose him at all, truthfully.

It was refreshing to have competent officers aboard after a career that had seen its share of mixed fortunes. Intelligence combined with integrity and honesty was too rare a combination to waste.

"Since you think yourself invincible, you had better tell me the details. I hope it was at least worth the risk."

@shotandshell pellew   &   archie  :  ❛  you   could   have   been   killed   out   there  !   ❜

❝   i   know   ⎯⎯   ❞   speaks   with   the   kind   of   wonder   found   in   fools   !   feels   the   twinkle   of   joy   as   tangible   as   he   feels   the   drying   blood   on   his   cheek.   takes   stage   fright   in   his   hands   and   spins   it   'round   his   fingers   like   thread.   has   no   more   of   it   now,   makes   it   new   and   calls   it   bravery   instead.   fell   as   a   child   from   the   tree   in   the   garden        ;        knew   then   the   sensation   of   time   standing   still   and   the   body   feeling   truly   alive.   never   learned   how   to   stop   chasing   it,   not   even   now,   when   he   should   shuffle   his   feet   and   his   cheeks   should   be   red   with   shame   rather   than   blood.

should   take   a   moment   to   compose   himself,   to   stop   the   rhythmic   beating   of   his   heart   inside   his   throat   like   a   drum.   to   regain   full   control   of   his   hands,   shaking   with   something   other   than   fright.   feels   twice   the   fool   when   he   can't   stop   smiling,   yet   knows   no   other   way   than   to   face   fleeting   sanity   head   on.   ❝   ⎯⎯   but,   sir,   i   did   no   such   thing,   and   i   only   got   a   few   minor   cuts   in   the   process.   ❞

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Parks and Navigation - Part 3/?

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Parks and Navigation - Part 1/?

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age  of  sail  fandom   ;     i  think  we  all  know  who  we  need  to  celebrate  this  fathers’  day

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"We can't risk them seein' us. But, here," Caleb removed his coat, pockets heavy with various tools and treasures, and placed it around her. "I also can't risk you freezin' to the death either." He studied the opposite shore watching for any movement. "When we get back to camp, I'll find you a proper coat, not just a huntin' shirt."

@shotandshell (Elsie Marion, Daughter of the Swamp Fox)

❝Can we start a fire? Or somethin'? I'll admit, I'm half freezin'. ❞ Her teeth take to incessantly chattering. Northern winters are new to unofficial soldier from South Carolina. This is nothing like surviving, nor the gorilla fighting she is accustomed to in the swamps.

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Caleb's gaze flickered with suspicion. Philomena's swift assent, too eager by half, grated against his instincts. There was a lightness in her voice, a subtle tremor that whispered of treachery, a hint of sand shifting beneath a seemingly firm foot. He’d learned to trust such whispers in these uncertain times. Yet, the strategic advantage dangled before him, too tempting to ignore. Removing the British officer from the board would be a boon to the Cause. The cost, however, might be trusting a woman whose loyalty felt as fickle as the weather. He had to weigh the risk, the potential betrayal against the undeniable gain for liberty. If he could do this alone it would only be his neck in danger of the noose.

"Aye, I can do that. But I'm goin' to need details about him. What are his habits? What taverns does he frequent? How did a man like Andre catch your ire?"

@shotandshell (Philomena Cheer)

"I can get you what you want in exchange for a favor." She starts with sing-songy poise. "Help me to get rid of John Andre." That little Petty Shippen stunt he pulled was not lost upon the actress. "And I'll do whatever you ask of me."

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"Well, then 'e best not find me 'ere, Annie." Caleb gave her a serious look underneath his dark jest. Then the look fell away. "It couldn't be helped. I heard that they may be making plans to move so i thought I do some...searching of me own. You haven't 'eard anything have you?"

@shotandshell (Temporarily puts Anna here, because I miss her)

"Caleb?" She gasps in disbelief. "What are you doing here?" She pauses, raking her eyes over his form slowly, assuring herself that he is well before she turns to lecturing. "You know, if he finds you here, we'll both be hanged.'

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Archie Kennedy + bullying people into making jumps they don’t want to make

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@menelvagor (for Uinen)

Gently, the ebb tide's waves washed over the young boy's body, cradled by the sand. Around him, pieces of broken ship and scattered cargo spoke silently of the wreck, a grim tale that the other bodies strewn upon the beach were far beyond telling.

Colindo's blue eyes slowly flickered open, only to squeeze shut again as a sharp pain lanced through his head. A hand rose, finding the ragged gash there, and the blood incarnadined his fair curls.

"Sea Guards are not afraid," he whispered to the vast sky above. Yet he was no Sea Guard, merely the youngest cadet, barely twelve seasons old. He could imagine no greater purpose in his life than to serve Númenor in the Guards, just as his father was. When word reached his parents that the Azrugimil had vanished, their hearts would break.

Teeth clamped down on his lower lip, biting back the tears that threatened to fall. No, he could not dwell on that! He was alive; he simply needed to discover his whereabouts and return home to them. With a groan he sat up and surveyed the wreckage. In the distance something moved. Squinting and shielding his eyes from the bright sun did not bring it any it any closer to clarity.

Be it friend or foe, he would have to gain their attention. He rose, swaying, a hand gripping a broken crate for balance.

"Help, please!" he croaked, his voice ragged.

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caleb when ben lies smoothly for a fake report:

caleb when ben beats him at checkers the very next moment:

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