by Simon Archer
“That, I can do.” My witch flashed me a fierce grin as she slid past Ligeia and me to head for the door.
“Meet me in the War Room in a bell,” I called after her. “I’m callin’ a ship’s meeting.”
“Of course, my Captain,” she threw over her shoulder with a wink. “I’ll meet ye anywhere.” Then she was gone.
I snorted softly before I focused on the siren. “Ye deserve more attention after this, but you've given me news that I need t’ pass t’ my officers, ye ken?”
“I understand.” Ligeia nodded. “Shall I join this meeting as well?”
“Aye,” I replied after a moment’s thought. “An’ ye now have a rank, too: Sea Scout.”
Her face brightened into a broad, toothy grin. “That sounds like something I can do, Captain. Thank ye.”
“I’ll keep ye busy, lass. I’ve grand plans for the future, I do,” I said with a smirk. “Ye, Mary, and everyone else figures quite highly in them.”
The siren tossed back her wet hair and clapped her hands together brightly. “That sounds like fun, my Captain,” she exclaimed. “I wish to stay with thee, even after you recover my comb.”
As if there were ever any doubt. I nodded to her and said, “Ye are quite welcome, my siren.”
She blinked at the turnabout and blushed faintly, fidgeting a bit against me, my arm still around her.
I stepped back from her with a sigh. “Time to roust the officers. Go ahead to the War Room an’ I’ll be there soon.”
“Of course, Captain,” she said with a nod. “I will see you shortly.”
With that, we parted. I headed to the main deck to gather the officers and set a man at the helm so I could bring in Shrike. The typical crew took one look at my scowling, stormy face and went out of their way to keep from getting my attention.
It wasn’t much later, although the moon was gleaming behind the clouds and the stars glittered in the gaps, when myself and this ship’s officers, Shrike, Bord, Mary, and now Ligeia, crowded into the War Room of The Hullbreaker. At least with so many of us, the chill in the air from the north sea cold was diminished significantly.
Bord eyed the rest of us and put both his stubby-fingered hands on the table. They were stained with powder burns and old crisscrossed scars. It was a testament to the dwarf’s skill that he still had all his digits and limbs. He scowled beneath his beard as he looked at me.
“What the bloody hell, Bardak?” the gunner grumbled. “First, I hear talk that we’ve got ships behind us, an’ now ye want t’have a fookin’ meetin’. I hope ye spill, an’ spill soon.” The dwarf trailed off as I focused my glare on him. Beside me, Ligeia bristled.
“He means nothin’ of it, lass,” I told her, then gazed around the room. “First off, Ligeia here is now in charge o’ scoutin’ the sea for us. She an’ Tiny went t’pay our tail a visit, an’ we learned somethin’ is comin’ our way.” I paused to let that sink in before continuing. “Arde’s hot on our tail with a small fleet o’ ships an’ maybe somethin’ worse.”
“Merfolk,” the siren spoke up. “At least as many as this ship has crew.”
They all went silent at that, though Mary smirked a bit.
I continued after a moment. “This is a bit of a mixed blessing. The buggers ain’t able to board us, which I think is the good bit. However, they’re going to be doin’ their best to bring us into the water with them, likely by putting holes in the hull.”
More murmuring went around the table.
“What I’m looking for,” I added, “are ways to drive them off or kill them before they can do any damage.”
“I’ve got something,” Mary chimed in.
“As do I,” Bord added.
I raised an eyebrow and nodded. “Sounds like we’re off to a good start.” With my arms folded across my broad chest, I swept the room with my gaze.
Shrike threw up his hands, “I got nothing. On the sea or the land, I can handle damn near anything with my blades. Under the sea… well, that’s a bit outside of my experience.”
“I could try to find some of their predators,” Ligeia mused. “There are some sharks and other things that prey upon merfolk, my own kind included.”
“Here I thought ye were descended o’ merfolk,” Bord blurted out.
“Nay!” she hissed softly. “My sisters and I are of the fey, dwarf, not some misbegotten child of man and shark!”
“Ligeia,” I soothed, “calm yerself. An’ ye, Bord, I know ye have nothing ‘twixt yer brain an’ yer mouth, but try to think before ye speak.”
“Aye, aye,” the dwarf grumbled and looked from me to the siren.
She blinked both sets of eyelids and smiled, her lips pressed together. “I apologize for my anger, Mister Bord.”
His jaw worked beneath his beard, and he finally stuck out a hand. “An’ I’m sorry for bein’ a horse’s ass. Ain’t like I know much about the things in the sea, save how to kill ‘em.”
“You did not know better, and that is excusable.” Ligeia gently took my cannon master’s hand and shook it solemnly. “I wish to be friends with all of my Captain’s crew.”
“Another one claimin’ ye, Cap’n?” Shrike chuckled good-naturedly. “Won’t be long before ye be pulled every which way.”
“Enough,” I snorted. The discussion had gone from serious to teasing far faster than usual. While it was amusing, it wasn’t conducive to the problem at hand. “Mary an’ Bord, what solutions have ye got in mind for our merfolk problem?”
The witch looked at the dwarf. “Why don’t ye go first?”
He nodded and said one word, “Petards.”
“Petards,” I tasted the word and regarded my cannon master. “Ye mean bombs?”
“Aye. Ye treat a fuse right an’ the damn thing will burn underwater. Pack anythin’ waterproof with powder, light it, kick it overboard, an’ BOOM!” He slammed his hands on the table for emphasis. “No more fookin’ fishfolk. They’ll come floatin’ belly up.”
“I see one problem with that,” Mary looked from Bord to Ligeia. “Not all of us will be aboard the ship.”
“Aye, but my little petards’ll not faze yon big turtle, an’ the lass there should be fine, long as she’s ridin’ him.” His teeth glinted for a moment through the mass of his beard, and his eyes sparkled.
Ligeia shrugged. “I can also be aboard ship, or far distant from where these things will be.”
“Fair enough.” I nodded slowly. “So long as ye think ye’ll be safe.”
“I am more concerned over the safety of you and your people, Captain Bardak,” the siren asserted. “I have survived many things. This will be another.”
“Of course.” I scowled a little. It was hard to tell the age of fey types, especially considering they often picked an age to hold on to. How old was Ligeia, anyway? I was curious now.
All eyes turned to Mary. “So, what have ye to offer, lass?” I asked.
“Trouble,” she teased, then grew serious. “Nagra and I have been working on an enchantment for the ships, something to reinforce the hulls against anything shy of a direct cannon hit. ‘Tis workable, but ‘twill take time, and I fear more than we have.”
“Why bloody suggest it then?” Bord asked.
Shrike frowned a bit and just shook his head as Mary snapped, “Because I’m going to do it, and it’s going to work. There’s just a complication, that’s all…”
“What complication, lass?” I eyed her curiously.
My witch fidgeted a bit. “Blood, my Captain,” she replied. “A sacrifice of some kind must be made for each ship. One drop for every board in her.”
Shrike let out a low whistle. “That’s a hell of a complication, Mary,” he said, shaking his head slowly. “How do we even know how many bloody boards make up the ship?”
I thought for a minute. “Many o’ the crew probably can’t count that high,” I grumbled.
“Give me a day’s time,” Bord said, “an’ a team o’ ten.”
All the rest of u
s turned to look at him. “Are ye serious?” I asked.
“Aye,” the dwarf said with a firm nod. “Ye may not remember, Cap’n, but I was somethin’ of an engineer an’ a shipbuilder before I joined up with ye.”
He had, hadn’t he? I’d found the dwarf a prisoner aboard a Milnian vessel we’d captured some two years back. His captors, a mix of humans and elves, had Bord and three other dwarves chained in the hold. They’d signed on with my crew almost immediately and had proven their worth time and again. I thought back to our talk when he and his group hired on.
Bord was a middle-aged dwarf, it wouldn’t be a stretch for him to be exactly what he claimed, and dwarves were famous for their abilities as builders and engineers. The cannonmaster, though, had a soft spot in his heart for things that went boom. Apparently, that didn’t mean his skills in other areas were lacking.
“Done,” I told him. “Once we’re done here, gather yer crew and see to it. Report to Mary when yer done.”
The dwarf grinned widely. “Aye, Cap’n.”
“We’re going to signal Kargad,” I said. “Likely I’ll need Ligeia t’ swim over an’ fill him in on what’s afoot. The dilemma I’m facin’, though, is how to contact Markland an’ tell him we’re havin’ company for tea.”
Ligeia hissed softly. I hadn’t expected her to like it.
“Hm,” Mary mused. “I might have a way to do that since he is familiar with witchy ways.”
“Good. Once we’re all sorted here, get on that,” I told her. “What do ye all think we should do with the hostage?”
“That’s a tricky one, ain’t it.” Shrike observed. “Ye don’t want to break yer deal, but havin’ another witch in this fight would be quite the boon.”
“An’ there ye have my problem,” I said and gestured at Shrike. “I don’t be trustin’ Bloody Bill Markland an’ with good reason.”
“I hear ye, Cap’n.” He chuckled mirthlessly. “Ye ain’t the only one he’s got a deal with, though.”
Ligeia huffed a sigh and shook her head. “I am uncertain how my feelings run in this, but I suspect we will need to parley with William Markland before too long and trust his word.”
I really disliked the idea of having to trust Bloody Bill Markland any further than I could fling his ship, and there were limits even to my strength. What choice did we have, though? A small fleet and a company of merfolk were bearing down on us, though if we could slow them, we could reach the straits and the treasure, retrieve the siren’s comb, and then really give the bastards a fight. The seeds of an idea had taken root in my skull, and I needed time for it to sprout.
“Alright, then,” I announced. “Most o’ ye have marchin’ orders. Shrike, I want ye to stay. There’s business to discuss.”
Everyone else rose to leave as my first mate nodded, looking at me with a curiously pensive expression on his sharp-featured face. “Aye, Cap’n. I’m at yer disposal.”
When everyone else had gone, I fixed Bill’s former officer with a penetrating gaze. “How well do ye know the Aigon Straits?”
29
“I reckon ye want to know if I’ve ever navigated the bloody things?” Shrike asked as he drummed the fingers of his right hand on the tabletop, rustling the maps.
“Aye.” I nodded and leaned back in my own chair, the wood creaking under my weight. “We need any kind of advantage we can manage, considerin’ what’s behind us.”
“Right,” he muttered and studied the dirty nails of his hands. “Ye guessed right. I’ve run the straits a few times.” A slight smirk tugged at his lips. “What d’ye want to know?”
I retrieved a rolled-up map from one of the many cubbyholes my maps were tucked into and spread it out on top of the other papers on the table. This particular map was one that I’d gotten from a Milnian vessel, the same one, in fact where I’d taken the head of the elven Wavelord.
Shrike examined the new map and cocked his head curiously. “Elven map, aye?”
“Aye.” I gave a nod. “Only map I’ve ever seen o’ the straits. Quite frankly, I avoided that particular approach in favor o’ easier waters, but this is the way Bill’s goin’.”
“It’s where we were ambushed by The Indomitable, coming back through after anchoring in a little cove here.” He tapped a point on the map a good half-day or so through the pass and on the mainland coast.
“Ye think that’s where the treasure is?” I asked. That area was sparsely settled, a rough and ragged coastal area prone to storms and monsters. It was one of the frontiers of Milnest and prone to raids by pirates and others. The treasure would have to be well-guarded or hidden indeed, but considering the region, that wouldn’t be hard.
Shrike indicated an area around the cove. “Somewhere within a day or so o’ the coast, I’d reckon. Lot of area to cover.”
I nodded. “So we can’t do it without Bill, an’ I’ll wager he ain’t the type to leave a map lyin’ around.”
“Aye. I mean, he did keep maps an’ such, much like ye in this here room, but if he were to mark an ‘X’ anywhere, likely it’d be through some kind o’ witch’s hex,” he mused. “An’ we’ve got his witch…”
I scratched idly at my beard. “I rather doubt she could be persuaded t’give it all up in return for freedom…” My voice trailed off then.
“Damn!” I swore as I brought a fist crashing down on the table.
“Seems we’re stuck,” Shrike observed.
“Maybe, aye, unless one o’ us can hatch a brilliant scheme t’ rid us of yon pirate,” I grumbled with a shake of my head. “Well, ye have given me some things t’ think about, Mister Shrike. Like as not, we’ll stick with the original plan whilst expectin’ treachery, since I see no reason t’change anything based on what we now know.”
He nodded slowly and made a face. “Sorry I couldn’t be of more help, Cap’n.”
I just waved a dismissive hand and returned my attention to the map. Shrike rose, saluted, then left without another word. Once he was gone, I returned to staring at the maps and charts before me.
Ignoring the fact that we had Arde on our tail, what could we do to finagle the location of the treasure out of Bloody Bill Markland? If Shrike was right, then Cerridwen was his map or at least his key. They’d been the ones to escape and stay together when the pirate ran from the Admiralty.
They’d stuck together, too. Most likely, they were lovers or maybe more. I huffed, what in the hells was the witch’s promise, anyway? The lucky bastards to own ships in this day tended to name them after people, places, or concepts dear to them, such as my naming of The Hullbreaker or Kargad’s Sirensong. In my case, it was a practical, orcish name that described what my ship was built to do. In his, it was a reminder, in part, of how we’d captured that ship.
Bloody Bill sailed on The Witch’s Promise.
I rose and stomped out. There was only one way to find out what that meant, and that was to ask the witch. Straightaway, I went to Mary’s workroom and knocked. I’d want my own witch with me before I went to talk to the one I had in the brig.
It was just a moment before Nagra opened the door with Mary lounging in a chair beyond. The central worktable was covered in pots of herbs and other materials, and something simmered in a small crucible that rested over the dim coals in the rooms brazier. The air was filled with a sweet, smoky scent that reminded me of fresh-cut wood.
The young she-orc’s eyes went wide at my expression, and she backed quickly out of my path. I ignored her and focused my gaze on Mary.
“We need to talk to Cerridwen,” I said flatly. “I need ye along.”
One of her pretty eyebrows raised. “I knew ye needed me, my Captain, but to talk to another witch?”
“Only if said witch gets frisky,” I said with a snort and held out a hand to her. “Havin’ the strongest witch in the Admiralty at my back is quite the bargainin’ chip.”
Mary rose and took my hand, her slim fingers dwarfed in mine. She smiled almost shyly for a moment, then grinned. “As ye wis
h, my Captain. Whatever do ye need to talk with yon bitch for? The more I know, the more I may help, aye?”
“Aye, ye be right, lass,” I paused then pulled Mary in for a passionate kiss, much to Nagra’s embarrassment. The apprentice witch looked away and fidgeted for a moment, but when we came up for air, I caught her watching surreptitiously.
“Ye can stay, Nagra,” I said. “Perhaps ye might have some insights. Did Mary tell ye aught of what was goin’ on?” The witch probably had confided in her apprentice, but it didn’t hurt to check, and this was witchy business that the girl needed to learn. This could double as a training exercise.
She nodded wordlessly as she watched me.
“Good,” I continued. “From talkin’ with Mister Shrike an’ lookin’ over the map I’ve got o’ the straits an’ beyond, we be goin’ to Milnest.”
Nagra gasped, but whether in excitement or disbelief, I wasn’t entirely sure.
Mary just smirked faintly and said, “That sounds like it will be exciting, to say the least. Tell me more.”
“There’s a mainland cove located a couple of days from the straits along the coast,” I explained. “From there, Shrike says that Bill was gone for about three days. If ye figure a day’s travel each way, an’ a half-day to secure the goods, it gives us quite a bit o’ land to cover.”
Mary nodded as Nagra looked between us. The gears were turning in her head, which was what I hoped for by keeping the trainee witch here. After a moment, she spoke up tentatively, “Why do ye need Cerridwen, then?”
I turned my gaze on the young she-orc. “Good question, lass.” I tapped the side of my nose. “Think about the name o’ Bloody Bill’s ship an’ then consider he ain’t one for keepin’ maps.”
“Divining, maybe?” Nagra offered after a moment, her gaze flitting from me to her teacher and back. She didn’t like being the center of attention, but it couldn’t be helped. Seemed like Mary and I both wanted the same thing from her and were determined to keep her on the spot as long as possible.