Gold & Glory

by M. H. Johnson

  "You see, my cousins and I did a favor for Lord Canterbier, and he wished to repay us in ways he thought would most benefit our strengths. He esquired my cousins, and as for myself, he has sponsored my acceptance into the Royal Arcane Academy."

  At this Halence seemed a bit surprised, but after a moment nodded his head for Sorn to continue. "In any case, though I know I am considered too young to have developed any significant degree of power, regardless of potential, nonetheless I do have some unusual talents. I am very familiar with the crow. You might hear when you go up on deck that Bates was very startled to find a crow on board the ship, in the crow's nest no less." Sorn and the captain both smiled at that. "Anyway, what Bates does not know is that said crow was scouting. And from that crow's scouting, I am able to get a sense of where danger lies ahead.

  "Anyway, Captain, I just came down to say that if you continue at your present southern heading you will in all likelihood be spotted by a pair of cutters spaced a ways apart, but I believe they are within sight of one another. If you were to change tack and head west for, say, an hour, and then head south, I think you would manage to avoid them." Sorn paused at this point, curious and in truth a bit concerned as to what the captain's reaction would be.

  Surprisingly enough, the captain simply pondered for a moment before nodding his head, bading for Sorn to continue his report while slowly pulling a rope hanging by his desk. Sorn's highly acute hearing had no problem hearing the soft gong of a bell above. "Make no mistake, my young friend, we have issues to discuss. But all that will have to wait. For if your information is accurate, we have far more pressing concerns, no? Please, speak on. Tell me everything that your... crow was able to convey to you."

  Sorn's original intent had been to mention as few details as possible, to leave a vague impression of his abilities at best. This was simply because he had very little idea what mages were capable of here. The one mage he had spoken to, Valentien, had simply been unable to believe that Sorn was capable of performing the feats that he had, without the aid of very dangerous arcane crutches. The last thing Sorn wanted to do here was to court disbelief at this dangerous juncture. At least familiars were something he had found mention of, and seemed not to be too exclusive an art from what he had read. His hesitancy aside, however, he found himself reporting the entirety of his experience, repeating many points more than once, under the captain's penetrating scrutiny.

  Sorn was interrupted early in his account as Vaughn, with a polite nod to Sorn, snapped to attention in front of Halence. "Vaughn, instruct the helmsmen that he is to alter course dead west and proceed in that direction until he receives orders otherwise, or ships are seen." Halence favored his man with a reassuring smile. "Fear not, Vaughn, I will explain all later. For now, expediency is our ally.”

  "Of course, Captain." Vaughn nodded his deference, doing his best to hide the surprise of moments before. "I shall instruct the helmsman to turn dead west, until such time as you give other orders, or ships are seen." Halence nodded at Vaughn's solute as he hurried away and bade Sorn continue his report.

  "So what you're saying, Sorn, is that the cutters looked to be almost the length of our ship, but narrower, with fortified masts and large sails. Correct? And on each ship there were at least five men with bows lounged about on the deck, and you suspect there were others below. That there were, I can assure you without a doubt. It's certain as well that all of the ships' sailors are at least competent foot soldiers, even if they haven't had the training to be bowmen. Those men with the bows were definitely soldiers, and I can tell you that they, unlike my sailors, probably train full time, or at least daily when not on the sea, and are probably far more experienced than my crew, at least with land battles. In any case, they would have to be good to effectively use bows at sea. All this is about what I expected. Their ships are narrower because they are not worried about carrying trade cargo, and a narrow hull means that they will have less drag, and thus will be faster at sea. Yes, it's quite possible that despite my ship's unique advantages, we'd still be in for a race if they spotted us."

  By that Sorn knew Halence was in some way referring to the slight arcane flow he could even now feel permeating the ship. Subtle, but there nonetheless. He wondered if the captain was even aware of the fact that in some way his ship was enchanted. "What worries me most, Sorn, is what your crow saw at the prow of each ship. Let's go over it one more time, and can you be as specific to its dimensions as possible?"

  Sorn repeated what he had seen of the structures which had looked like nothing so much as very large crossbows that were mounted in such a way that they could be turned to shoot left or right, up or down. The weapon had limbs that were each about two-thirds the length of a man, and a stock about a man and a half in length. It appeared to have a large crank for winding back the limbs. It made Sorn shudder to think about what that machine's penetration power would be, should it fire bolts. But all he had seen to its side were several large sealed barrels. Curiously, the barrels were made of metal, as was the crossbow in its entirety. The stock of the weapon looked to be made of pig iron, and the limbs of flexible steel.

  This last part was deduced by the captain, Sorn himself hadn't been so sure. The deck around the crossbow had what looked like a thin metal plate with raised edges, and a drain of sorts that formed a spigot and went over the side of the ship. Sorn thought it rather odd, but Halence explained that the setup served two purposes.

  "First, Sorn, the large plate that the weapon, known as a siege-crossbow, rests on serves as a brace. There was probably a good two inches of well-cured hide or some such underneath it. The plate disperses the recoil evenly, so that the crossbow won't tear up a given point of the deck when it is fired, and the several inches of padding underneath help to absorb the recoil. The cutter is too small to safely use the large siege catapults sometimes used by full sized warships, but trust me, this is bad enough. The crossbow is set up in such a way so as to fire with near straight-line trajectory balls of pitch, probably wrapped in rags with the trailer soaked in pitch and lit. If that thing hits and enemy ship, it will start a fire not easily put out. The crossbow is metal in its entirety, as is the plate it is mounted upon, so that if the pitch spills, or splatters, or other folly occurs, the ship itself won't be lost. The drain makes me think they could be using it to fire hot oil or even, gods forbid, naphtha." The captain shuddered. "I have only read about the stuff, never heard of it actually being used, or anyone even knowing how to make it anymore, but history says it was used centuries ago by an empire in the south. And if this is the resurrection, or perhaps I should say reformation of a southern empire, we may well see its use again.

  "In any case, Sorn, it would explain the drainage channel and why even the containers are made of metal. They probably have a few barrels of sand as well. This is bad Sorn. Such a crossbow is designed specifically to be used against other ships. A catapult, with its uncertain aim, and its high arc would have a much harder time hitting anything at sea. They are much better against large, unmoving targets like castles or city walls."

  Halence grimaced and shook his head. "That ship is specifically designed to sink other ships. They would probably first aim their weapon at our sails to cripple us, then capture our ship, or finish us off at leisure. That little addition makes those cutters deadly, Sorn. My guess is that the range of that mounted crossbow exceeds our crossbowmen considerably. And given that they could shoot balls of flaming pitch at their leisure, they could well sink even a large troop ship brimming with archers, given time. And that other ship, spread a distance away but not too far apart, was also deliberate. They are probably at the periphery of each others' ranges, yet should one encounter trouble there is probably a man to signal the other ship with a mirror in the crow's nest, or a bright torch if it's overcast, unless I miss my guess. That way they can meet resistance head-on, while doubling their range of sight. And since they're quick, they can pull away until the other ship arrives, so they don't have to be in immedia
te proximity to aid each other. You're right, Sorn, these are definitely scout ships, and they are built for battle. I think Jesere's concerns about a resurrected southern force, or perhaps empire would be the better word, might be right on the money. Now the ships, you said they were painted entirely black? Hmm. I Don't know exactly what that's about. Maybe it makes their ability to signal each other easier with the darker color contrasted to the flame or the light. And it could be a sort of uniform color for their ships."

  Halence then gave Sorn a distinct nod of respect before standing up. "Thank you, Sorn. Your information may well be invaluable to us. We shall have to see. Now again, are you absolutely positive about all this? I would not think any less of you, should your abilities be in any way limited here. To be frank, Sorn, that you are able to give us any warning at all of trouble ahead is invaluable. Please don't think you have to exaggerate your abilities in the least. That would be the one excess that we really can't afford, and I will respect you far more knowing that you are completely candid with me in this matter."

  Sorn nodded. "If anything, Captain, people's blind insistence that my age precludes me from being anything but the most naive of apprentices causes them to err on the side of underestimation, not over."

  "I can believe that, Sorn," Captain Halence said with a penetrating look. "And it is all too easy to want to exaggerate the skills that one does have, just to get a modicum of the credit that one feels one deserves."

  Halence's voice turned grim. "Make no mistake, Sorn. We could well be going into battle. I respect each of my men for the strengths they possess, and pride myself on knowing each man's measure, so I know what they can handle, what they are capable of, and what I fear might be beyond their limits. In war, Sorn, like chess, a captain has to know exactly what his men are capable of to best use them in battle. And make no mistake, if the situation calls for it, I will make full use of your abilities, and make damn sure every man gives credit where it's owed afterwards. Jesere's soft concerns for your tender years aside, our lives could well depend upon it. Do you appreciate what I am saying here, Sorn? Do you understand what we might soon be up against?"

  "Completely, Captain," Sorn assured. "If anything, I have understated my capabilities. Everything I have told you about the ships I saw as clearly as I would have with my own eyes, and it was my intention as well to allow the crow do some further scouting and see what lies ahead."

  To this though Halence immediately shook his head. "From what you told me, your crow spent almost an hour up there. If he goes scouting farther afield, closer to the mainland, he will be unavailable for some time and I fear he might lose us, were I to change course significantly."

  Sorn swallowed. The thought of unknown assailants doing battle with his cousins, and he not there to watch their backs, chilled him to the core. And whatever the captain said about those massive bows being used to shoot flaming pitch, which did not worry Sorn in the least, he knew as well that they could be used to shoot massive bolts of steel. Supernatural resilience aside, he had no doubt that a weapon shooting projectiles with as much force as that weapon promised would could pierce him right through, be he in the form of a crow, or a boy. Whether his protective fourth order ward would absorb sufficient kinetic energy so as to be of any use in terms of protecting this fragile form was not something he wished to put to the test, in any case. The thought of his cousins going against such a device was a disturbing one indeed.

  "What I would prefer, Sorn, is that you use your crow to keep reconnaissance close by, and convey to us how far away they are, and in what direction they are heading, so that we can stay out of their line of sight. After the danger has passed, we can worry about further reconnaissance. In fact, once we pass the cutters, it would probably be best to wait for nightfall before we sail any closer to Caverenoc."

  Sorn nodded his head. "I shall have the crow do surveillance and tell us how far away the two cutters are and from what direction. But Captain? I will not be myself when I am in contact with the crow. I will be a tad bit more vulnerable, and could easily fall prey to distraction. I would take it as a kindness if you would emphasize to your men that under no circumstances should they enter my cabin or harm any crows they see about the ship. Is this fair?"

  The captain nodded in turn. "I absolutely hate it when some trader who may never even have been at sea before tries to explain to me how to do my job better. I imagine it's much the same with wizard craft. Far be it for me to tell you how to do your job. I shall let the crew know not to disturb you, though I doubt Bates will be too pleased to hear about it." Halence said this last with a grin.

  Sorn smiled wryly in turn. "Well, Bates will just have to deal with it, won't he? One more thing. If you wouldn't mind having the cook send down as much in the way of grub as he cares to? Let's just say there is a cost associated with my type of magic, best paid in food."

  "Agreed, Sorn. Now you to your quarters and me to my ship."

  "Okay, guys, is everyone clear on what they are to do?" Sorn asked his three golden-haired cousins who promptly rolled their eyes at him back in their quarters.

  "Of course, Sorn," said an exasperated Fitz. "We tell everyone who cares that you are deep in meditation linked to your crow. Since no one here knows about how familiars work, including us, it should be believable. Besides which, the captain's words should cause most sailors to give us a respectful distance."

  "Which means that we will probably be giving the story to Bates alone when he no doubt tries to talk his way in to look at you," Lieberman said.

  "And that's when we give him angry looks and point to the blanket stuffed with pillows, which I doubt will fool anyone, and tell him to be quiet and that you can't take any light or sound, or it will break your trance, and we shush him out of here," Hanz finished.

  "Precisely," Sorn said, and immediately entered that trance-like state that was second nature to him, suddenly feeling at that moment like a bird once again in flight, arcane winds roaring through him, holding him aloft in a maelstrom of forces, energies which he immediately channeled into a web that, for all its complexity, was literally a part of him and so Sorn flowed into the form of a crow almost as quickly and as easily as he would release a magic missile.

  His cousins all clapped in mock admiration, grinning, and with a caustic 'go bite yourself', Sorn hopped on Fitz's shoulder and the two made their way out to the deck. Sorn was, in truth, a bit unnerved to see a number of the hands staring at him, this despite Halence’s sharp commands backed up by Vaughn’s cajoling roars, with sailors rushing about at a frantic pace as they refitted the sails and prepared themselves for top maneuverability at a moment’s notice. Sorn, for his part, tuned out the cacophony of noise and motion all around him, busying himself preening his feathers, while a grinning Fitz seemed to enjoy the frantic to-do and the attention paid to them both.

  "Fitz!" said a grinning Bates, rushing up to them. "I knew I saw a crow up there! Half the crew thought I was buggered with sunstroke or some such, but this just goes to show I was right! Imagine, Sorn a wizard! I knew there was something up with that fellow! Who'd have thought? Our own ship's wizard! Maybe the captain will ask him to stay. We could always use some help spotting shoals and trouble and some such. More exciting I'll bet than sitting in some stuffy room reading tomes all day. So when were you chaps going to tell me? Why, you cheeky bastards were all grinning when he cawed up there! I took near a fright and clean forgot ‘till I came down. Now I see why!"

  "Relax, Bates," Fitz said warmly. "Our dear cousin has to focus on scouting. You know, Bates, you really shouldn't disturb him with all these questions. Sorn really isn't that much smarter than this here crow, and you wouldn't want to overly distract him, right? Ships, birdy, okay? Ships!" At which point Sorn promptly bit his cousin on the ear and flew off with a caw.

  "Ow, Sorn! That hurt, you little crapper!" Fitz shouted, before laughing it off and scampering, along with Bates, up to the Crow's nest.

  Sorn, for his part, felt the c
ares and worries he habitually carried for his cousins fade away in the carefree joy of flight, as he was lifted buoyantly by the heavy salt-rich air below, caressed by the sky's heady embrace. The exhilaration of dipping to and fro, of soaring on thermals as he effortlessly sailed the sky's currents like a master-shipman was its own intoxication, sweeter than wine, as great a joy as any he had ever known. Yet though his troubles seemed to fade when he took flight, he still kept his focus, peering down at the blue-green waters below.

  Though the captain would be banking west, then south again, the huge panorama of the sea behind him left a wide enough view for Sorn to easily spot the ship when he flew over this area again after his reconnaissance, as long as it was a short flight, as it should be as he was simply keeping tabs on the two enemy ships.

  Nonetheless, he worried.

  His anxiety manifested despite the fact that he possessed an exquisite sense of direction regardless of form, and indeed, intuitively knew how to get to any spot he had ever been to before. In truth, Sorn, or his cousins could, if needed, trace the captain's entire voyage back to York from an intuitive feel that took in a myriad of factors from the position of the stars and sun, to the subtle pull he felt from the north. It was an effortless gift possessed by all of his people, and indeed, the very idea of getting lost was an alien concept to him.

  This, alas, was not the source of his anxiety. It was the fear of losing track of others on the move that presently worried him. Fortunately, even with Captain Halence's planned maneuvering, Sorn was confident that he could fly to sufficient height to quarter the area and locate Halence soon enough. Consoling himself with this reassurance, Sorn strove once more to focus on the task at hand.