Whisper of Blood

by James Dale

  "Shall we go?" Tarsus asked.

  "Ready when you are," Jack sighed, trying to ignore the feeling he would never see Dorad Ellgereth again.

  "Would you like to do the honors?"

  "Certainly sir," answered the Seawolf's acting First Mate.

  "Lieutenant Braedan, you have the bridge."

  "Aye cap'n." Jack turned to the crew who had gathered around them. "All right gentlemen. Cast off and get to the oars." he ordered. "Let's get some wind in our sails and find our Lady Arthol a ride home, shall we?"

  The pirates untied the heavy ropes securing the ship to its berth, scrambled to their places at the oars and with several difficult strokes, began to inch away from the docks.

  The Seawolf was under way.

  * * *

  The trip did not begin smoothly for the crew of the Seawolf. Two days out of the Felnors they were overtaken by a freak storm coming out of the south, unusual for this time of year, and for thirty-six harrowing hours they battled fierce winds that tore their sails and crashing waves that threatened to founder the ship. It was Jack’s first and hopefully last experience with such a raging tempest.

  After it had passed it took the men three days, working nonstop, to mend the torn canvas and make other necessary repairs before they could once again resume full speed. But after that their luck changed. The Seawolf picked up a favorable westerly wind and on the morning of the sixteenth day since leaving Brimcohn, they sighted land.

  Tarsus brought his ship to within a thousand yards of shore on a parallel course with the sandy coast, and after consulting his charts, determined they were off the Ailsantain Forest less than twenty leagues from their original course. The Seawolf turned back out to sea until it was barely within sight of land and began to slowly to work its way north toward Doridan. Four uneventful days later, about one hundred and fifty leagues south of Dorihil and the mouth of Wheslake, they spotted a ship.

  Raibertos soon determined the vessel wasn't a warship and the Seawolf set a course to meet it. When the sharp-eyed pirate marked the craft as a Doridanian merchant, Tarsus had the colors of the Horse Kingdom run us the mastline and they sailed closer. When the two ships were within a few hundred yards of each other, the Seawolf ran another flag up the mastline, a red and white standard which was the maritime symbol expressing the captain's wish to speak with another ship.

  "Ahoy there!" Tarsus shouted when they were within hailing distance. "Can ye heave to?"

  "For what purpose?" asked a man on the other ship's quarter deck, giving the Seawolf a suspicious look.

  "We've someone we'd like you to take aboard!"

  "We're not a passenger ship," the man replied.

  "We'll pay of course," answered Tarsus, knowing no merchant shipman worthy of the name would pass up the opportunity to earn some extra gold.

  "Now that's a different story," the other man called back, signaling for his crew to take in their sails. The Seawolf did the same and the two ships met with a gentle thump. Stout ropes were thrown across to the merchant before they could drift back apart and its crew hurriedly tied them off securing the two vessels together.

  "Where are ye bound?" Tarsus asked the merchant ship's captain.

  "To Norgarth," the man replied. "To pick up a hold of ivory from Zsolandar." Just as nations had been doing since the beginning of time, though Doridan and Norgarth were not on the best of diplomatic terms, there was still some amount trade between the two kingdoms.

  "I don't think you'll find your ivory there," Tarsus said with a grin.

  "Why not?" the merchant captain asked.

  "The last time I saw King Urgiss' warehouses, they were all on fire."

  "And when would that have been?" the man asked.

  "Less than a month ago," laughed the Amarian. "When the Free Brothers of the Sea were putting them to the torch."

  The man grew deathly pale. He noticed for the first time the crew of the Seawolf's was armed, heavily armed, and he suddenly realized he'd foolishly tied his vessel to a pirate ship. "You're, you're..." he stammered.

  "That's right," nodded Tarsus with a fiendish grin.

  "Have mercy!" the man cried, falling to his knees.

  "Excuse me," Jack broke in.

  "I've a wife and three children!" the merchant captain pleaded.

  "And you'll see them soon enough," Jack assured him.

  "If you do as we say," added Tarsus, caressing his huge broadsword.

  "Anything!" the man cried. "Just spare me and my crew."

  "We've someone we wish you to take onboard," the Amarian repeated.

  "And we will pay you," Jack reemphasized. "Captain..."

  "Gunderson," the man stuttered, regaining his feet shakily. "Captain Davis Gunderson."

  "Do you run a clean ship Captain Gunderson?" Jack asked.

  "Y…yes," he nodded. "Very clean. The cleanest ship on the sea."

  "I'll be the judge of that," Jack replied, climbing across to the merchant. "Show me your ship captain."

  The frightened captain took Braedan on a quick tour of his vessel. It was as clean as could be expected of a trader at sea. The decks, above and below, had apparently been washed down with sea water at least once or twice since they had left port, the crew's quarters were extremely well kept for men living in such close proximity and the galley fare he sampled was somewhat bland, but serviceable.

  "It will do, I suppose," Jack replied as they returned to the main deck. "Belizet," he called across to the Seawolf, "would you fetch the countess please."

  "Aye sir," the pirate replied and immediately went to get Thessa.

  He returned shortly with the raven-haired beauty, carrying a small trunk containing the gown Admiral Kailmax had given her and a few other items the crew had presented her as gifts. Belizet handed the trunk across to a crewman on the merchant ship, then he and Tarsus gently lifted Thessa and passed her to Braedan.

  "Captain Gunderson," Braedan said, setting the young woman lightly on her feet, "may I present Countess Thessa Arthol of Brythond.”

  "She…she has been missing for over four months!" the astonished captain whispered.

  "Yes, I have," she replied. "And if it weren't for Jack Braedan and Captain Tarsus, I would be long dead."

  "Brydium and Kadin are on the verge of war because of you," Gunderson remarked. "We've already heard reports of skirmishes."

  The news disturbed Thessa greatly, for she knew Thonicil would be at the head of any column battling the desert warriors. "If you return me quickly, perhaps we can prevent further bloodshed."

  "I will do my best, m'Lady," the captain bowed.

  "A word with you sir," Jack said, taking Captain Gunderson by the arm and leading him a short distance away from Thessa. He handed the man a heavy pouch. "There are fifty gold Dorrkars in here. It won't replace a hold of ivory, but if you sail to Norgarth, you won't even get this much. I am sure Doridan will compensate you further if Countess Thessa thinks you worthy of it. Now listen carefully Gunderson," Jack whispered so only the merchant captain could hear. "You know the fierceness of the Brotherhood, yes?"

  The man swallowed and shook his head.

  "If the countess fails to reach Dorshev safely, I will know. If any of your crew so much as lay a finger on her, I will know. If she has anything other than the most enjoyable sea cruise in history, I will know. There will not be any place on earthe you can hide from me, and you will curse the day your father laid eyes on your mother before you die. Do you understand?"

  The man whimpered like a whipped dog.

  "Do you understand?"

  "Y...yes."

  "Good." Jack turned his back on the quaking captain and walked back to Thessa.

  "What did you say to the poor man," she asked, remarking on his harried state.

  "Just letting him know how important you are to me," Braedan smiled.

  Tears sprang suddenly into the young woman's beautiful blue eyes and she rushed into his arms. "I wish you were coming with me." He hugged her
tightly and stroked her hair as she quietly cried into his shoulder.

  When she had finished, Braedan held her at arm’s length and smiled. "Thessa Arthol, if you weren't engaged, Thonicil would have a fight on his hands."

  "If I were not engaged, there would be no need for a fight," she replied, laying a hand on his cheek. "How can I ever repay you Jack?"

  "Get home safely and marry your prince."

  "Thank you, Jack," she said, then stood on her toes, pulled his face to her, and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Promise me you will always be my champion."

  "Always."

  "If you ever...when thou reach Brythond, my father's estate is in the Circle of Nobles."

  "It will be my first stop," Jack promised.

  "Farewell, my champion."

  "I'll see you soon," Jack smiled, hugging her once more. "Captain Gunderson, I place her in your charge. Remember what I said. I will know."

  "On my life," the captain swore, "the countess will reach Dorshev safely, and unharmed."

  "Let's hope it doesn't come to that, eh?" Jack said as he climbed back onboard the Seawolf.

  "Farewell Captain Tarsus," Thessa called from the merchant ship. “Amar was once a great kingdom. As long as it still breeds men of your quality, there is always hope it may one day regain its former glory.”

  "m'Lady," the Amarian bowed.

  "Take care of him for me," Thessa pleaded.

  "Easier said than done," Tarsus laughed.

  Thessa waved to the crew of the Seawolf as the two ships were untied and began to drift apart. They drew their swords and gave her a rousing cheer, so fierce that Captain Gunderson almost fainted from fright.

  "That was easy enough," Tarsus remarked as he and Braedan watched the merchant ship turn away and raise sail toward Dorihil and Wheslake.

  "Yes, it was," Jack agreed.

  "Still with us I see," Lieutenant Marc said, walking up to join the pair.

  "Where were you watching from?" Jack asked the council's sergeant at arms.

  "To tell you the truth," he smiled, "I wasn't. No one on the council really expected you to try and escape without Dorad."

  "Then why did you tag along?"

  "It has been over a year since I had left the Felnors," Marc shrugged. "I asked Adrmiral Kailmax to let me travel with the Seawolf as a sort of...holiday."

  "I'll be damned," Tarsus chuckled.

  "Indeed," Marc grinned. "But now I'm ready to get back. That storm we passed through reminded me why I accepted the position of Captain of the Council Guards in the first place. I've had enough excitement to last another year."

  "Excitement?" Tarsus laughed. "That little breeze? I can't wait to get back to the Shark's Tooth. Now that's excitement! What say you Jack? Ready to get back to Brimcohn and raise a little hell? Maybe Kaiddra will even take you back now that Thessa is safely on her way to Brythond."

  "Yeah," Jack sighed, watching the merchant ship shrink by the minute. "I'm ready to get back." But he did not want to return for the same reasons as Tarsus. He wanted to get his hands on that book in Kailmax' study. He also wanted to petition the council again for his and Dorad's release from the Brotherhood. It was time for him to move on and he had a feeling The Prophecies of Aaracus could provide him with a direction.

  "Then let's get this ship turned around lieutenant," the captain of the Seawolf said. "And after a few days of reveling we can get back to being honest pirates."

  The Seawolf raised its sails and turned into a quartering southeasterly wind, heading home. It would be a leisurely trip back to the Felnors. They were not seeking ships to plunder so they made their way out to open sea where they would not be in danger of encountering warships from Annoth or Doridan and headed home. The men spent their duty shifts improving the repairs they had made after the storm, and their spare time with fishing and wrestling matches.

  For a short time, Jack shared their carefree attitude, joining members of the crew in games of dice and doing a bit of wrestling himself. As they sailed closer to the Felnors however, he began to grow uneasy and agitated. Soon, he could not shake the feeling there was some sort of disaster looming on the horizon. When his suspicions had grown too strong to be ignored, he voiced his fears to Tarsus.

  The Amarian was skeptical at first, but Braedan's obvious distress soon convinced him and he agreed to approach the Felnors with caution. As the Seawolf sailed within sight of the outer islands of the Felnors, Raibertos spotted an ominous black cloud on the horizon, a dark, ugly smudge on an otherwise flawless blue sky. At first, they thought perhaps it was another storm brewing in the south. It soon became apparent however, that the cloud was not a storm rising but the smoke from a great fire. There was only one thing it could mean. Brimcohn was in flames!

  The men of the Seawolf were for sailing straight away into Brimcohn harbor to see if they could be of assistance, some of them had family there and all of had friends in the pirate city, but Jack advised Tarsus against it. Something was not right. An alarm was ringing loudly his head and his skin tingled with a warning of unseen danger. They held a quick conference with Lieutenant Marc and decided to sail around to the back side of the main island, wait for nightfall, and then land a small recon party to scout out the situation. If it turned out to be a tragic fire engulfing the city, the party would return and the Seawolf would sail around to the harbor and render what aid they could. If it was something else altogether, they would gather information and plan their next course of action.

  Tarsus took the ship to a small cove on the rugged northwest coast of the island, dropped anchor and waited for dark. It was decided as captain, Tarsus would stay with the ship in case an unforeseen emergency arose. The Amarian was not entirely pleased with his lot, being a man of action, but he knew it was for best. Jack would lead the landing party, accompanied by Lieutenant Marc, Belizet and two other crewmen, Dario Martel and Caemin Willim, both men of Cairhin.

  As they waited for night Braedan formed his plan. The former Special Forces operator planned the mission like a military operation, carefully overseeing every step. He selected routes in and out using a map and Marc's extensive knowledge of the island, with rally points and a tentative objective of Kaiddra's villa, which provided the best over watch position on Brimcohn. He designated sub tasks and special equipment, established a chain of command and standard hand and arm signals so they could communicate silently, then went over it all with his selected team until they could repeat every portion of the plan back to him without mistake.

  By the time darkness fell Jack judged them ready. He assembled the recon party on the deck and conducted a final inspection. Like him, they were all dressed in dark colored clothing and their faces and hands were blacked with charcoal. Belizet and the other two crewmen were armed with bows, a quiver of ten arrows and a dagger. Lieutenant Marc was armed with a short sword and a cross bow and Jack carried both of his swords and his double-bladed dagger. He went over the mission one last time with them then boarded one of the ship's long boats and it was lowered into the water.

  Once they reached shore, they beached the craft and headed out in single file, Jack took point followed by Marc, the two crewmen, with Belizet in the rear. They traveled about one hundred meters into the dense vegetation of the tropical island, then stopped for a short listening and security halt. They waited for perhaps five minutes, growing accustomed to the sounds and smells of the island, then continued on.

  Jack was in his element, intoxicated with the tension of the situation, all his senses on razor's edge. He led the small group silently through the night, guiding them along in the pitch-black darkness by instinct and intuition, at one with the jungle. Here he was the master and the men following him were forced to struggle to keep pace and still travel with the stealth he demanded.

  The northwest side of the island was rugged and though the night was cool, the group was soaked with sweat when they reached their first rally point an hour later. Jack ordered a short halt and they drank water and r
eapplied their charcoal camouflage. When they had rested, he got them back on their feet and they started out again.

  In another hour they reached the meadow behind Kaiddra's villa. The group stopped on the edge of the wood line and Jack surveyed the area with his rifle scope. The villa was clearly visible, illuminated by the orange glow from the burning city below. He studied the house for about ten minutes. There was no movement and no lights were visible within. Signaling for the two crewmen to cover him with their bows, he took Marc and Belizet and ran at a crouch across the meadow to the low wall surrounding the villa. They followed when the three were safely in place.

  Jack slowly raised from his crouch and took another look. Still nothing. He eased his way over the wall, keeping a low silhouette, then lowered himself silently to the ground on the other side. The others followed after him and the group crept like shadows to the edge of the house, inching their way along the wall until they came to the courtyard.

  He dropped to the ground, crawled to the edge of the wall and took another look. Nothing. They continued along the wall until they came to the portico. At the entrance to the villa, the door hung precariously on its hinges, the stout wood splintered and broken by violent hands. Jack drew his samurai sword and cautiously stepped into the darkness.

  He searched the house in silence, his memory of its layout guiding his footsteps. Signs of looting were dimly visible by the eerie orange light filtering in from the outside. Broken furniture was scattered about haphazardly and most of the valuables; the wall hangings, statues and other items Kaiddra had accumulated over the years were missing. Of the Queen of the Seas, Jessica or Heath, there was no sign. Braedan led the group into Kaiddra's bedroom, leaving one man in the hallway for security, and took Belizet and Marc out onto the balcony. There the three took their first look at what had befallen Brimcohn.