“All right, stop shooting,” their captain said.
The men obeyed but none appeared willing to move closer to the water. One soldier whistled and the dogs returned, only to once again begin barking, this time in Alma’s direction.
She strode forward, arms wide, the bow in her hand raised. “Hello, you men.”
They turned, one man stumbling over a shrub and cursing. Their captain faced her, his hand on his dagger. He wore a gold pendant with three rings above his white tunic, which Alma recognized immediately.
“By the Divine Mother, you almost had it,” Alma said.
Two men closest to the captain had arrows ready.
The captain’s brow furled as he studied her. “Who are you?”
“Me? I’m the hunter who’s been pursuing those creatures. And if we hurry, we can catch both of them.”
“What do you know about those monsters?”
“I know everything. Their strengths. Their weaknesses. And their value. My men and I have been chasing them for weeks. With your help, we can bring both down.”
“That’s a troll,” the captain said. “It’s in the water. That’s where they’re strongest.”
“That’s true. But the dragon is inside the boat and trapped there. I have ways of dealing with both. And if we can kill them, there’s a reward in it for you and all of your men.”
“How much?” a soldier holding a lantern asked.
Alma smiled. “More than any of us would ever make following someone else’s orders for a living.”
“You say you were chasing them?” the captain asked. “From where?”
“We pursued the goblin and its troll slave up the mountain into the tribal territories,” Alma said. “They were after the dragon. We knew of its existence from a map we bought down in Orchard City. To our surprise, the dragon joined them.”
“Then why were they fighting?”
“I don’t know, but that can only work to our advantage. Just the dragon alone, dead, is worth enough to set us all up for life.”
“You’ve mentioned that. But those creatures are an abomination to the Three. They need to be destroyed. And they stole one of our ships.”
“We can buy you a new ship. Five new ships. But we have to pursue them now. And by the Divine Mother, we’ll kill both of them, and the goblin too, for ever cavorting with such demons.”
The captain gave the slightest nod. “You’re a true believer, then.”
“Since I took my oaths at my baptism,” Alma said.
“But the Woman’s Oath is to hearth and family.”
Alma looked down at the ground. “The troll destroyed our farm near Orchard. I’ve pursued it for over six months. Somehow the goblin holds it in thrall. Then, when I learned of the dragon, I came to realize that a greater evil than the mindless troll was at work. I speak of the reward as a means to pay for the men I have with me. But I want to see righteous punishment delivered to all of the abominations to the Mother. If gold will bring you to our cause, then I swear by my life you will be compensated.”
“Where are these men you speak of?” the captain asked.
Alma whistled. Blades came reluctantly out of the darkness. He wore a thin smile as he looked at the soldiers. Alma could tell he was sizing them up. The soldiers relaxed their bows.
“This is Martin,” Alma said. “Three more men are on the road heading this way. We’ve traveled all night.”
“You can call me Blades.” He nodded a curt greeting.
The captain looked him over. “You’re also from…”
“Orchard City,” Blades said. “Alma here is my cousin. The tragedy has cut me to my heart. Truly. I weep every night for my nieces and nephews. Torn to pieces and chewed up by that foul, foul creature. Oh, Stephanie. Oh, Junior. Oh, little Tomlin.”
Alma cleared her throat. Blades stopped talking.
“Are you a believer?” the captain asked.
Blades bit his lip. “Me? Uh, yes. Well, Alma shares her faith with me every night. She won’t shut up about it, actually. The Divine Mother sounds great. So do the other two. But my heart is so torn right now, I can’t think of anything besides killing trolls. But I believe. Every day and night and sometimes on weekends.”
“Captain,” Alma said, “we don’t have time to delay if they’re out on the water. We have no boat. Please tell me you do.”
“Our village is nearby. We have more boats.” Yet he hesitated. “Gather.”
The other soldiers drew closer to the captain. Blades opened his mouth to say something but Alma elbowed him. She stepped close to the nearest guard, placed a hand on his shoulder. Everyone dropped to one knee. To Alma’s relief, Blades did too. They listened as the captain offered a prayer to the Divine Mother.
It was a prayer for victory over evil.
Chapter Seventeen
Alma fought to show nothing but complete calm as she and her men were led in through the village gate. A half dozen older men with spears and torches waited just inside. She decided the soldiers who had rode out to pursue the stolen boat were the only prime fighting force the village could muster. Perhaps the rest were off fighting the archduke.
She kept her arms loose and remained at the ready. In the cramped streets, an experienced fighter on foot would have the advantage of maneuverability over the nervous soldiers on horseback. The most immediate concern was the dogs, but these were put into kennels near the gate.
Faces peered down at them from curtained windows. Blades waved as if they were part of a victory procession.
“Keep it together,” she hissed.
“Oh, I am. I’m playing my part, ‘cousin.’ You play yours. Maybe before this is all through, you’ll convert me to your new calling. Praise the Mother.”
They weren’t marching directly towards the harbor.
“Captain,” Alma said, “How long before we launch our boat? Every minute is precious.”
“All in good time,” the captain said. “The Divine Mother will, by her grace, give us speed. But first we speak with the comptroller.”
“The what?” Blades asked.
Alma swatted him on the arm.
“He’s our town accountant and assistant mayor while our lord mayor serves in His Majesty’s forces. He’ll make the final decision on whether we can aid you further.”
Alma had to force herself not to object. Her men were close. But behind them, the soldiers on horses had them hemmed in. She wished for a god to pray to as she rubbed her thumb in the glyph on her bow.
An old man waited for them in front of a well-decorated home. He wore a burgundy bathrobe and was draped with several shawls. His thin hair didn’t conceal his pale scalp. A purple goblin stood next to him holding an oil lamp.
“Report,” the old man said.
The captain dismounted and gave a nod. “Barberos, there was a theft of a boat, as you’ve no doubt heard.”
“What?”
“A boat was stolen,” the captain said, speaking louder. “By a troll and a goblin and, er, a dragon. We’re going to pursue them but we need permission to borrow one of Favian’s boats.”
“A troll and a goblin, you say. And Favian’s boats…what about them? He has boats?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Blades whispered.
The goblin nudged the old man. “Favian the fisherman,” she said in a loud, crisp voice.
“Oh, yes,” Barberos said. “Favian. He has three boats. Ask him.”
“We can’t, sir. He’s away with the others. But you’re the assistant mayor. You can give us permission.”
“Well, it’s not given. We need you here guarding the village. We’ll secure the harbor. Find out whose boat was stolen, and we’ll make a report of it in the morning.”
The captain was shaking his head but appeared to be at a loss for words.
“Good work, Captain,” Barberos said. “If there’s nothing else, it’s cold and I’m returning to bed.”
A few of the nearest homes had the thre
e intersecting rings hanging on their doors, but this house didn’t. Barberos wore no decorations declaring his faith.
Alma stepped forward and offered a curt bow. “Lord Barberos,” she said in a slow, crisp voice. “I’m Alma of Orchard City. The creatures who took the boat have a certain value if we can catch them.”
Barberos squinted as he looked at her. “It’s the middle of the night and there’s no moon showing. You expect to send one boat out to find another? And with a troll out there?”
“And a dragon, sir,” the captain added.
Alma met Barberos’s gaze. “I know how to deal with trolls. We’ve killed one.”
“And who are you, exactly?”
“Like I said, I’m from Orchard City. I have gold, enough to buy one of your boats. If you help me with this, I’ll see you rewarded for your service.”
“How much?”
“I could rent any boat for a pair of gold. I’m offering you ten.”
“Ten? I don’t think so.” He now didn’t seem to have any trouble hearing. The goblin tugged on his sleeve and whispered something. He nudged her away. “Fifty. Plus the price of rental paid to Favian, of course.”
“Sir, the goblin and troll stole one of your boats. I’m offering my help in retrieving it. The troll, it—”
Barberos dismissed her with a wave. “I don’t care about your reasons. You’re here in the middle of the night, a stranger, and eager to take one of our boats. Consider the fee as surety placed against a probable loss of property.”
When Alma hesitated, the captain cleared his throat. “Barberos, my men and I will ensure the boat is returned.”
“And as the comptroller and acting mayor, I’ve denied your request.”
“She serves the Divine Mother.”
“Spare me.”
“Seventy-five,” Alma said. Both men turned to look at her.
“What an interesting negotiation tactic,” Barberos said.
“I’m offering you seventy-five gold. But that’s after we catch the ship, and we keep everything on board the creatures stole. It will mean I need time to sell the cargo in Eel Port. Your men can come with me to ensure I’m keeping my word.”
“Seventy-five, you say? And what, pray tell, is on this boat which is so valuable?”
“Another creature travels with the goblin,” Alma said. “A dragon. I’m going to kill it. Its head alone will pay your fee.”
“Captain, does she speak truth?” Barberos asked.
“She does, sir. We saw it. But I don’t like the idea of taking her to Eel Port. It will leave Bliss unprotected for too long.”
“The village still has its defenders. And calm your heart, Captain. At such a price, I will be sure to include you and your men in the final accounting of the reward.”
Alma nodded. “We need to leave. Now.”
Barberos raised a crooked finger. “One more condition. We don’t know you. So far all I hear is promises and motivation. Captain, take two of her men into custody.”
The captain nodded. Both Billy and Elias were seized. Blades gripped his short sword, but Alma stopped him from drawing it.
“These two will be held here,” Barberos said. “You understand, of course. Good hunting and a speedy return. Captain, take them to their boat along with your best men. As servants of the Divine Mother, you’ll have success. And as for you, Mistress Hunter, if you choose to somehow slip away, then these men’s lives are forfeit.”
Elias jerked from the grip of the guard who held him. The guard knocked him down.
“Elias, stop,” Billy said. “We’re cooperating. Alma will catch this boat and return with the gold.”
Alma gave him a reassuring nod. He and Elias were taken away. Billy had the same faith in her as they all had felt with Lord.
She followed the captain down to the docks where they prepared a boat for their pursuit.
Six men were assigned the boat. None of them were young, and only two had been among the patrol they had met outside the village.
“Your best men, Captain?” she asked skeptically.
The captain’s face was unreadable. “These are the ones who will be accompanying you. I’m placing Sergeant Combs in charge of the boat.”
The man he indicated was quite a bit older and somewhat fat. He and the others didn’t appear particularly pleased to be going out on the water in the middle of the night, but they didn’t complain. The hands who were readying the oars and carrying a few baskets of provisions seemed capable.
“I’ll need a few special items, Captain. I trust you can get them for me.”
“What else do you need?”
When she told him he nodded and even smirked. He sent a runner off to find what she had asked for.
“Are we going, or what?” Blades asked. He was waiting in the bow and scanning the water. “I don’t even see them.”
“We’ll be rowing. We’ll catch them.”
She went to the guards, who were watching them. The archers had full quivers of arrows. She relieved each man of his quiver. They only looked to the captain as they handed them over. Soon two men came and placed her special-request items into the bow.
“It’s against my judgment to let you leave,” the captain said. “Just don’t forget we have hostages if you think about stealing this boat for your own and not coming back to pay what you owe.”
“Captain, you’ll have your boat returned,” Alma said. “And take good care of my two men. Because if you don’t, I’ll be back, and it won’t be to return your boat. I’ll be coming for you.”
***
Alma caught sight of the boat to the west of them. Its mast and profile were barely visible in the diffuse moonlight, a mere shadow in the fog. They had been rowing her own boat on the sea for hours in a zigzag search pattern. Blades had complained, saying the goblin and his boat would eventually turn north and return to land, but Alma had guessed otherwise.
She tapped the compass that was fixed to a post near the rudder. The north-pointing arrow didn’t waver as she oriented herself.
“Oars up,” she whispered.
She had the six men from Bliss rowing, along with Blades and Vine. All lifted their oars except Blades.
“They’re here,” he said. “What are we waiting for?”
“One, keep your voice down. Two, we don’t want to attract the troll’s attention. We went through that once before.”
He lifted his oar. Alma listened. The water lapped at the sides of their boat. The wall of mist between the boats thickened to the point where the other boat nearly vanished. But it appeared to be floating free and not under power. Blades stood and stretched. The others waited and stared into the haze.
“A troll, you say?” one of the older rowers asked. He fingered a three-ring pendant. “We weren’t told of any troll.”
“I’m telling you now. It’s out there. We’ve chased it and hurt it, and this time we’ll finish it. But right now, if they’re not moving we have no idea where it is. So we wait.”
“We weren’t told we’d be fighting a troll.”
“You won’t have to worry about fighting. I’ll be doing that. All you have to do is row fast and row well when I give the word.”
Alma was good at waiting. At hunting. She worked best when alone. There were too many others nearby, breathing too loud, shifting on their benches, making mouth sounds, their clothes rustling, their eyes shining too bright.
Relief washed over her when a hollow clatter came from the other boat. Voices. A deep grumble came next, the words indistinct, with no attempt by the speaker to keep himself muffled. This was followed by a hollow cough. Too loud for a goblin. The dragon? Or perhaps the troll? Those animals made word sounds to lure people into their caves to be eaten.
Whichever monster had made the noise, her prey was careless. Unaware of her presence. Studying the fog, she once again caught sight of the high mast. The boat was turning. Again it was underway and heading west, its pace slow. She signaled four of the rowers t
o put their oars in the water.
“Softly,” she said. “No noise.”
They were moving with a current. Maintaining their speed allowed her to rest four rowers at a time. She kept Blades out of the rotation, as he was unable to keep pace.
By the afternoon they were well into the middle of the sea. With no birds overhead, their exact location was impossible to know. There was barely a breeze, so the sail wouldn’t help. She would have to depend on the rowers.
She moved to the front of the boat. The two barrels the Bliss guard captain had obtained for her took some effort to pry open. One held a thick pitch, the other a viscous black oil. She began to prepare arrows with swatches of rags speared on the tips.
“I hope you’ve all gotten the rest you need,” she said. “Blades, I need you up here with weapons ready. Vine, take the rudder. Steer us and keep that boat to our starboard. The six of you to your oars and keep up our speed. If you falter, we get caught by a troll and go into the sea. Any questions?”
There were none. She gave the signal and the men began rowing.
Chapter Eighteen
The first arrow stuck into the side of the boat. It was burning. The fire didn’t spread, but the arrow didn’t go out. A wad of flaming goo was stuck to its tip.
Spicy’s eyes went wide. “Fire! We’re being attacked!”
The dragon didn’t respond. He was completely curled up and snoring where he had lain all evening and all day.
Spicy began to slap Fath’s tail.
An eye opened and glared at him. Then Fath’s eye tracked a second burning missile as it streaked past and landed in the water.
“What have you done?” Fath asked.
“Me? I didn’t do anything! There’s another boat and they’re shooting at us!”
Fath raised his head and gazed into the fog. A third arrow struck the mast. This one caught. The flame began to climb upward.
“Tell the troll to go faster,” Fath said.
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