by Charles Lamb
“Sire!”
Alex looked up to see one of the guards motioning at him and then to the sky.
Following the direction that the man was pointing, he scanned the sky up and to the southeast of the castle. Alex could see two distant spots in the sky from the direction the guard was indicating. As he stood watching, they grew larger until he could see one was Shadows, with two riders. Accompanying her was a red-coated flying horse he had never seen before, with a rider astride suspiciously similar to Cassie, her red hair flowing loosely behind her.
Moving to one side of the courtyard, he watched as the two flying horses circled once and then landed inside the walls of the castle. By now, Alex confirmed the riders as Cassie, Abrianna, and Leander.
“Alex!” he heard Cassie cry, as she all but leaped off the moving horse. Rushing to meet her, the two embraced, and held a lingering kiss that only a forced separation could inspire.
“I missed you,” he declared, after releasing her.
“Uncle told me about mom,” she replied.
“Yes, we are here to accompany you on your quest,” Leander added as he and Abrianna crossed to where the couple stood.
“Father asked me to give you this,” Abrianna said as she handed Alex a leather pouch.
“He said it contains everything he has on Tazmain and the lands across the Western Sea.”
“Thank you. So where did the other horse come from?” Alex asked while indicating the beautiful chestnut mare.
“A wedding present from King Elion!” Cassie replied with delight. As he moved closer to the red mare, Alex could see Cassie greeting Kinsey with a rub and a scratch. Motioning for the grooms to come take care of the horses, Alex led the trio into the keep and upstairs to the private study he had assumed possession of.
With everyone seated and provided for, he opened the pouch Abrianna had presented him, and started flipping through its contents.
“Father said he apologizes for the lack of information; however, we don’t do much trade overseas yet, so the need has been minimal.”
“On a positive note, the Guild has many contacts there, including a House in Tazmain. I have already informed them of our intent and they are discreetly scouring the area for information,” Leander added.
“Can we trust them?” Cassie asked, referring to the troubles the Ranger’s Guild had encountered.
“Yes, those in the west had not been corrupted as they had in the east. These Rangers are still true to the belief,” Leander replied.
Alex was aware that Leander had received assurances from Elion, King of the Woodland Elves, of such but chose not to voice it.
“I have been compiling all I can find here,” Alex said, while indicating the stacks of books and papers already cluttering the table.
“Anything usable?” Leander asked, surveying the piles of materials.
“Not much. It should be no surprise that the Royals of Windfall would want maps of the coastal ports. However, they apparently had no interest in the peoples, cultures, or geography inland.”
“Once we arrive in Tazmain, the Ranger’s Guild there can help with that,” Leander provided.
“Yes, but we need to be discreet. If whomever is holding Cassie’s mom hears that we are searching for her, it could spook them,” Alex said cautiously. He didn’t want to feed the fear that he imagined was already flaming inside Cassie.
“How are we to get there?” Cassie asked, apparently avoiding the topic as well.
“Ah, that is all arranged. Good Prince Renfeld had a two-masted schooner at his disposal, though I hear he never used it. She is fast and can carry Shadows and…..” Alex stalled, not knowing the name of Cassie’s mount.
“Rose,” she supplied with a smile.
“And Rose, as well as mounts for you two,” he finished indicating Abrianna and Leander.
“Although there was a small issue in the beginning,” Alex added. He could see the three looking at him questioningly.
“She was named Renfeld’s Pride,” Alex supplied.
“That will never do!” Abrianna retorted.
“Was?” Leander questioned, catching the reference.
“She was recently rechristened Cassie’s Quest.”
----*----
The four stayed in the study for hours, reviewing what little information they had, while Kinsey snoozed happily in a corner. Ben provided an outline of the mission Cassie’s mom had been assigned. They also discussed possible locations where she might be held. Alex had food and drink brought up, and other than the occasional break, the group worked well past dark. Kinsey would wander out and back in of her own volition.
“Ok, I guess we have covered just about everything,” Alex stated to the weary group.
“I fear it is not enough,” Leander replied, concern written across his face.
“For now, it’s enough to get us on the right path,” Abrianna added, with a quick glance in Cassie’s direction. Everyone had been dancing around the subject of Cassie’s mom, and the possibility that she may already be dead.
“Let’s all get some rest, and tomorrow we will get the ship loaded and ready for departure the following day,” Alex said, anxious to prevent any digression in the conversation.
While the four had been occupied, the staff had prepared rooms for the new arrivals. Alex had little doubt Cassie was intending to stay with him, but the arrangements for Leander and Abrianna were far from certain. As the King’s daughter, he had a sneaking suspicion that the two would not be sharing a room prior to any official declaration of marriage.
His suspicions proved true as first Leander, and then Abrianna bid them a good night, each taking a room opposite the other and next to the royal bedchamber Alex occupied.
“Alex, I’m worried. What if mom is already dead?” Cassie declared as the door closed to their room.
“I know you’re worried. Just remember, the note indicated she was to be held, which includes safekeeping. Hostages are no good to anyone dead. Can you imagine how bad your Uncle’s anger would be if his sister was abused in any way?” he finished.
“Not nearly as bad as mine,” the redhead replied, her eyes flashing as the thought passed through her mind.
With that, the two undressed and climbed into bed, their exhaustion not nearly enough to prevent them from enjoying a moment of intimacy before drifting off to sleep.
----*----
Captain Yeagars was no stranger to the western sea. He had been sailing the trade routes between Windfall and the ports to the west for nearly forty years. He had gone to sea at an early age, as his parents had been too poor to pay the apprentice fees for any of the local guilds. Thus, growing up on the water, he no more considered Windfall home than any of the other ports he visited in his travels.
So, it was quite a surprise to him when the new Lord Protector had provided him the opportunity to be the master of the newly rechristened Cassie’s Quest. She had fine lines and was reportedly fast, but her prior owner, the Crown Prince Renfeld, had never used her for more than a daysailer.
That was about to change as the sunrise brought word that he was to prepare to sail on the morrow’s tide. They were already tied to the wharf, taking on provisions for a lengthy voyage. As he had yet to receive instructions on their destination, he simply wandered the deck, his experienced eye insuring all was properly stored as it came aboard.
At one hundred and twenty-one feet long and a twenty-four foot beam, she required only five men to sail her, though the current complement counted eighteen plus two cooks. That permitted for three watches, with himself, his first officer, or the second officer overseeing the watches. Yeagars was a bit confused that the Lord Protector had made no provisions for cabin stewards or royal cooks. When asked, the reply had been, “We can eat whatever the crew eats.” From the stores he saw arriving, they would all eat well.
About mid-morning, he watched from the deck as the Lord Protector, accompanied by three others he had never seen before, came down the wha
rf, stopping at the boarding ramp. The large black wolf accompanying them was well-known to all as the Lord Protector’s pet and bodyguard.
“Permission to come aboard?” the man asked as he stood waiting for a reply. Those with him appeared slightly confused at the request, but made no comment.
“Permission granted,” Yeagars responded. The request was unnecessary as the ship belonged to the requestor; however, the respect it displayed was noted and appreciated.
As he watched the four come across the boarding ramp, he was taken by the beautiful redhead following the Lord Protector. She was followed by another woman, just as attractive, and finally by a man that Yeagars took to be a soldier.
“Captain, may I introduce Lady Cassandra, my fiancée. And this is the Crown Princess Abrianna of Great Vale.”
“It is my great pleasure,” Yeagars replied, curious as to why the man had been left out of the introductions.
“You may call me Leander,” the man suggested, after an exchange of looks passed between the man and the Lord Protector. The Captain suspected there was much more to this man, but accepted that his employer wished it to remain unspoken.
“Your message indicated you wish to sail with the morning tide?” Yeagars asked.
“If at all possible. We also have special cargo to consider; will the ship’s hold accommodate four horses?”
“Yes, but no more,” Yeagars replied after a moment's consideration.
“But a wolf and horses in such close quarters?” he commented after a moment while indicating Kinsey standing nearby, calmly watching everyone.
“They are all known to each other, well, most anyway,” Alex replied with a smile.
“Sire, I presume that you four are the passengers, so I ask again. Are we to add a royal cook and stewards to our complement given the circumstances?” Yeagars asked while indicating the women of royal birth.
“We will be just fine, Captain, but thank you for your concern,” Lady Cassandra replied before anyone else. He got the impression that these women of the court had a hardier constitution than those he had met previously. He would not underestimate them, as he noted the dagger in the redhead’s belt. It looked far more functional than decorative.
It was then that Captain Yeagars understood for whom the ship had been named.
----*----
Alex had stayed behind with the Captain, while the others went to prepare for the voyage. The two men reviewed the charts they had on hand and Alex supplied what little details he could on the goals of the voyage. He had chosen Captain Yeagars based on the fact that he had no known allegiance to the previous Royal Family and on his reputation as an honest and trustworthy man. Even so, he was only intending to share the destinations, not the intent of the trip. That information was on a need to know basis.
Once the two men were satisfied that everything required for the extended voyage was covered, Alex left the Captain to his duties and returned to the keep. There, he held a final round of meetings, intended for transferring his administrative duties to those he had selected to govern in his absence.
Once he was satisfied all was in order, he went off to find Cassie and Kinsey, as the wolf had not left her side since her arrival. He discovered them waiting in his room, Cassie bathed and ready for an early bedtime, anxious to begin their voyage.
Chapter 3
A bright, sunny, morning found Alex on the deck of Cassie’s Quest as they sailed westbound across a calm sea. With the schooner in full billowing sail, the ship sliced through the water at a surprising rate of speed. While it seemed faster to him, the Captain reported them at eight knots. With approximately 1,300 nautical miles to go, the trip would take about a week.
Everyone, including Kinsey, had boarded before sunrise and were shown their cabins. The horses for the four, including Shadows and Rose, had been safely stowed in the hold. Once informed of the special cargo, Captain Yeagars had the hold reconfigured to accommodate the horses safely.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Cassie asked as she joined him at the rail near the bow. She was always in great spirits when in or near the water, and this was no exception. Even with the worries about her mother’s safety, it was like a balm to soothe her worried mind.
“The Captain says we can expect to be at sea for five to seven days before our first stop, depending on the wind.”
“First stop?” she asked, breaking the trance being on the water had placed on her.
“Captain Yeagars says there are some barrier islands, just off of the mainland. Freeport, the main harbor there, acts as a trade center for the region. I checked your Uncle’s instructions, and your mom was to stop there first before pushing on to Tazmain. Leander’s contacts at the Ranger’s Guild report seeing her arrive in Tazmain from Freeport, but no one recalls ever seeing her leave town.”
“So you think someone followed her from the islands?” Cassie asked, her attention completely on Alex now.
He hesitated before answering. “Leander said that both her bodyguards were killed in Freeport, in an apparent bar fight. She was forced to hire locals in Freeport to replace them.”
“That doesn’t sound right at all. Uncle’s men are a very disciplined group; they would never abandon their duties to go drinking,” Cassie replied immediately.
“Yes, we thought the same. I am sure it was a setup, to get her unprotected. Anyway, we will stop there first, and then go on to Tazmain to meet with Leander’s contacts.”
----*----
Ben Griffin had been doing everything he could think of to find his sister once he became aware of her kidnaping. Over the decades he had been in Great Vale, he had acquired a great number of contacts and they were spread throughout the lands. Some he hardly knew, while others he called friends. None, however, seemed to have any knowledge of Renfeld’s associates overseas.
What was most disturbing to Ben was the lack of information provided by the Elves. Elion was most apologetic, but was unable or unwilling to provide any information on the subject. When pressed, he confessed that any attempt a scrying the woman had been met with utter darkness, and that was not a good sign.
----*----
It was late in the afternoon when the lookout hailed the officer of the watch. Alex had been on deck, reading a book he had borrowed from the Windfall Harbormaster. The man had been quite resistant to loaning it as it was his only copy and contained the listings of all the ships and cargos delivered to Windfall in the last year.
Though he had no idea of what he was looking for, Alex hoped something in the book would give a clue in finding Cassie’s mom. Perhaps preferred trading partners or someone struggling to gain favor with Renfeld had acted as his agent in the abduction.
He did note the House of Drakon, sailing mostly out of Freeport, had a constantly increasing number of visits in the last year. Although the cargos were listed as nonmilitary in nature, the Harbormaster had noted that Prince Renfeld had personally flagged them as “inspection not required.” As he was considering this, Alex heard a declaration from the rigging above.
“Sails Ho!” the lookout had bellowed.
Looking up from his reading, Alex first looked at the man shouting from above, and then checked the direction he was indicating. In the distance, he could just make out the shape of square rigged sails of at least two distinct ships. As he watched, the Captain joined the First Officer at the rail near the helm. He could see the two men talking quietly while using binoculars, the image totally ruining his pirate movie replay without a spyglass.
Rising from where he was sitting, he wandered over until he stood next to the Captain.
“Trouble?” Alex asked calmly.
“Maybe,” Yeagars replied without looking at him.
“Those are two brigantines, ships favored by the pirates in the region. Normally our schooner could outrun them, but they have the wind for an intercept as long as we hold this course,” the First Officer said while the Captain continued to watch the sails on the horizon.
A
lex realized he had never even considered there might be pirates sailing the waters off Windfall.
“Why haven’t I heard about them before?” Alex asked.
“Until recently, they had been staying to the western side of the sea. They mostly harass smaller vessels heading to and from Freeport carrying trade goods or payments,” Yeagars replied.
“And now?” Alex asked.
“You are being tested. It is known that you now rule Windfall, though for how long is uncertain. Rumors persist that the true fate of Prince Renfeld is still in question. Renfeld was ruthless in his persecution of the pirates in the eastern waters; they now challenge you to see if you are weak.”
Alex was happy to see the misinformation campaign about Renfeld was working, giving them the time they needed. The unexpected side effect was incidents like this.
As the men had been speaking, the sails had grown close enough to confirm there were two ships on an intercept course. With a nod from the Captain, the First Mate began barking orders to the crew. Scanning the schooners deck, Alex could see the crew readying several stout crossbows, mounted to hardened points along the railing. He suddenly realized he had never seen a cannon nor guns since arriving here. He needed to ask Ben about that.
“You think those are going to matter?” he asked the Captain while indicating the preparations.
“Normally, Royal travelers are accompanied by warships or other armed escort vessels. We appear as either a wealthy traveler or merchant,” the Captain explained.
“Pirate ships carry one or two Ballista aboard, allowing them to fire grapples, trapping their prey. Once secured, they swarm the ship, overwhelming the crew and killing any who resist,” the First Officer supplied.
Alex was aware a Ballista was an oversized crossbow, capable of firing over hundreds of yards, much farther than the miniature versions being prepared at the rail. According to the First Officer’s version, they would be tethered and awash in pirates long before a good fight could be presented.