by J W Murison
‘That's the one,’ Bob confirmed, ‘what’s your name.’
‘Brian the navigator.’
‘I'm Bob Asgut, but you will hear these bastards pronounce it as Osgood. So what can you tell me about this ship Brian?’
‘It’s about the smallest in the fleet and one of the oldest, it don’t have a good reputation and neither do the men on it. I suppose I knew I would end up here one day. Ach well it’s my own damn fault.’
Bob dropped his feet from the table and leaned forward, ‘let me put things into prospective for you Brian, a ship is only as good as its captain and that goes for the crew as well. I demand a hundred percent from myself and every one under me and that includes you. I don’t give a fuck if you run off at the mouth every now and then, if I don’t like it I’ll punch it, simple.’
Brian slowly smiled, ‘I think I’m going to like working for you.’
It had taken them a couple of weeks to get sorted out. The ship was missing officers and nowhere near ready for sea. Bob could feel the weed sticking to the ship’s hull and had it beached and careened. He found a heavy tarry like substance and had it painted on the hull then a black grease they used on the ropes painted on top while it was still warm and sticky.
The first thing he did though was to make the Highlanders take off their plaids. He knew they would protest but a simple demonstration which included hanging a man with his own plaid soon got the message across. The men quickly realised he was as strong as they were and made his point with his fists but not all the time. Respect was quickly won and given. He requested a number of officers and was given probably the worst in the fleet. Pissed off he threw the worst of them over board in sight of the admiral who was forced to send him a few competent ones. He made Brian his second in command and stores on board took her to sea for the first time. He kept them at it for a fortnight sailing up and down the coast then out to sea for two days and back. By the fortnight’s end he knew he had a good crew and a good ship. He reported to the admiral that he was ready. The admiral in disbelief made Bob take him out for a day’s sailing and was more than impressed.
It wasn’t long before they were called to action. The night before he had sailed into enemy waters and had the sails lowered then let his ship drift. It wasn’t long before he drew the attention of an enemy warship when it drew alongside a quick assault by the Highlanders had quickly over powered the crew.
Now he was sailing into the lion’s den in the captured ship. Two big towers straddled the river estuary. A little ways up river from the towers were landings used for resupply. Bob now stood on the bow of the ship shouting back orders to his wheelman. The tide was on the rise and he let it drift in only having enough sail up to give him steerageway. He had to sail past the landing before the sand banks gave way and let him in. He turned the ship around and sailed down to the landing.
He rapped out orders and the sail dropped. Men leapt over board and moored the ship with ropes. A morning mist all but obscured the far bank and he could barely make out the other tower. The Highlanders leapt from the ship with weapons in hand. It was almost a mile to the tower and they covered it quickly at a trot. To his surprise there were no more than a dozen men guarding the place and the door wasn’t even locked. He walked in and found two men awake sitting at a table sipping at a hot drink. One got up to ask him what he was doing and Bob’s sword cut his throat open. As the other opened his mouth to shout a quick thrust through the open orifice silenced the man forever. His men moved past him and hacked the sleeping forms to pieces. Bob ran up stairs and met a man coming down. He over powered and killed the man as his men ran past. There was a cry of pain then a scream that was cut off.
Bob moved quickly upwards letting the body tumble down the stairs behind him. He found one of his men with a stab wound in his shoulder. The man was growling with the pain. The headless body of a man lay twitching on the floor spraying blood everywhere. Bob kicked the corpse over the balcony.
‘Is this it,’ he asked the man. He was looking at a large ring of gold set on a pedestal.
‘Oh aye, that's it captain.’
‘An this hold the spell that knocked out the officers?’
‘Aye and there's enough gold there to buy a fucking brothel and live in it for the rest of your life.’
‘A what?’
The Highlander screwed up his face, ‘you havna been here long have you captain’
‘Nope.’ The other men chuckled, ‘so what’s a brothel?’
So the man explained as another hacked the ring to pieces.
‘You’re shitting me!’ Bob exclaimed, ‘women do that for this stuff.’
The wounded man picked up a chip and held it up to Bob, ‘this is enough for a week and as much sex as you can handle.’
‘Aye and stay drunk for the week too,’ grinned another.
The wounded man slipped the chip into his pocket, he knew any other captain would have probably have had him hung for doing that but their new captain was straight from the hills and was as innocent as a new born mountain goat. Seeing him get away with it the other men began to pocket the chips that had been knocked off.
Bob wasn’t stupid though, ‘aye ok boys, but the rest gets transported back to the ship and don’t get fucking fly and start cutting bits off, it goes into my cabin ok.’
The men laughed and within ten minutes of arriving they were heading back to the ship carrying the two halves of the ring and every man on the party had at least one chip in his pocket. The two halves were placed in his cabin and they cast off. He let the tide carry them up river a little then crossed to the other side and made their way down to the second landing. They weren’t so lucky this time. Someone carrying a pail of water saw them coming and tossing the pail ran to warn his comrades. By the time they got there the door was closed and barred.
Bob gave it a kick, it was solid, ‘break it down,’ he ordered. The men went to it with a will using axes and a large hammer one of the men carried as a weapon. The door didn't stand long with a crash it went in. There was a scream from inside and the defenders charged. There was a short but furious battle in which one Highlander died and three were wounded one badly. The defenders went up the stairs and Bob stood at the forefront a Targe in his hands taking the blows from the men above. He dodged deflected and struck in a continuous fluid motion slowly pushing the men back up the stairs. He struck down another then another. When he reached the top of the stairs blows were rained at him from every angle forcing him back down.
‘Retreat,’ he shouted slowly backing down the stairs.
‘Just rush them,’ one man growled.
‘The first man up that stairs is a dead man,’ Bob growled back at the man, ‘want it to be you?’
‘Uh, no not really.’
‘Didn't think so, axe men chop out those supports.’ The axe men chopped out the supports at one side of the structure, it began to sag. Bob grinned, ‘now anything else that's supporting it.’
They had to run out the door as it began to sag, then with a crunch it collapsed with an unforeseeable result. The gold ring rolled away as the tower hit the ground. ‘Catch that fucking thing,’ Bob shouted as he attacked the men who had fallen with it. They chopped they hacked the men to pieces. It was then Bob realised they had lit a brazier and blue smoke hung in the air.
‘We need to get to the fuck out of here, where’s that gold ring.’
One of his men ran up, ‘it went into the river.’
‘What! We need that fucking ring. Get a rope and go find it.’
The man went pale, ‘I can’t swim and the rivers deep.’ A quick look at the faces told Bob none of them could swim. Show me where it went in. He showed Bob and he raced them back to the ship. Casting off he drifted the ship back down stream to the place they had lost the ring. Tying a rope round himself he dove in to the waters. He swam to the bank where it had disappeared and dove to the bottom of the river. He couldn’t see a fucking thing. On his third attempt an arrow sliced into h
is cheek. His men were shouting and firing bows back at a large group of men who had appeared to the summons of the blue smoke.
With bursting lings Bob thrust his hands into the mud at the bottom of the river and found the gold ring. It was so heavy it had buried itself into the soft silt. He knew he wouldn’t get a second chance and quickly tied on the rope. Kicking away from the ring he surfaced. Grabbed a lungful of air and dove again. Arrows struck the water all around him but he made it to the ship and swam round the back. He hauled himself on board to cheers from the crew. ‘Pull in that bloody rope and get ready to weigh anchor. Bow men keep those bastards heads down.’
They hauled on the rope and the gold ring was soon on board. The anchor left the riverbed and Bob steered her away from the banks. The arrows soon stopped and he ordered a sail hoisted. They sailed back out to sea their mission a success. He ordered the ring cut and disappeared down below for a few minutes to change. When he got back to the deck the men were fighting over the chips of gold.
‘Enough,’ his voice cracked out. He spotted the man who had been wounded earlier, he seemed to have his hand in everything. ‘You, what’s your name.’
‘Black captain.’
‘Make sure everyone gets a small piece or no one gets anything.’
‘Even those who weren’t fighting?’
‘On board a ship we are all the same, we rely on each other, every man is worth the same no matter the job he does, each is vital, so every man gets his share of everything and all get the same, understand?’
‘Aye captain.’
A little later when the gold had been chopped and stored in his cabin Black stopped by the wheel and handed him a small leather bag with some gold in it. He noticed the cut finger rings inside and took one piece out, ‘was this necessary?’
‘Aye captain, orders long afore you arrived. All the rings the men wear are magical and need to be removed and cut in half.’
Bob stuck it back in the bag, ‘ok.’ He tucked it away and Black left smiling.
It didn't take them long to find their own ship and re-board her. The officers were anxiously waiting for their return. As soon as they were on board he headed back towards the coast. They arrived just before evening and none of the officers were showing any signs of problems or fainting. By midnight they had rendezvoused with the admiral and Bob made his report and got rid of the gold rings.
The admiral sat Bob down at his plush desk and poured him a drink. He raised his glass in toast, ‘well done captain, you have surprised us all. Your handling of your fellow countrymen has certainly surprised me. Tomorrow we land a large war party up the river, and you will lead. Did you see a stream on your travels?’
Bob thought it a stupid bloody question, ‘I saw a bloody big river.’
The admiral laughed until he almost choked, ‘ah your naivety shows captain, but humour me did you see a small stream at all?’
‘I never noticed one.’
‘You will be taking a couple of golden ones with you, they will look for a stream, be careful with them.’
Bob clicked, ‘ah I get you, that was how I got here, a stream and one of those golden people, they turn into fucking Eagles don’t they?’
‘That's right.’
‘I almost shit myself the first time I saw it, I didn't have a fucking clue about what was going to happen.’
‘That must have been a shock,’ the admiral grinned.
‘You have no idea, one second this funny looking guy is asking me to stand in a stream. I think what the fuck is going on but everyone else was ploughing in, so in I go and poof, there I am thousands of miles away in a strange land. I think I'm dead and everyone’s demons, I draw my sword and this guy changes into an Eagle and almost snips my head off with his beak. I'm freaking out, I think the bastard has stolen my sole and dragged me down to hell, then my cousin Billy turns up.’ Bob shook his head, ‘it will fucking teach me to pay more attention to people and gossip. I was just too used to staying on my own and minding my own business I suppose.’
‘You mean you had no idea what was about to happen to you, or how you were going to travel.’
‘I got a letter from my cousin Billy, it simply said we really need you Bob, desperately. Go to my village and meet the tavern keeper and tell him who you are he will arrange travel for you. I had no fucking idea what’s so ever.’
‘It must have been frightening.’
‘Terrifying, I almost shit myself, I was this close to praying and every fucking thing.’
The two men laughed together, ‘is it true you struck our king a blow?’
‘You mean Ogilvie; I popped him on the chin why?’
‘We are completely incapable of doing him harm.’
‘Do you want him assassinated?’
The admiral went pale, ‘good god no why would you say that.’
‘Well because you can’t do it, you kinda led up to it there I thought.’
‘No no no, please no do not believe that for a moment, as far as we are concerned he was sent to us from god.’
‘I heard he killed a million of you in battle.’
‘If that was the price for his deliverance onto to us then we pay it willingly. He is a wonderful king who cares for the people; that is something this land has never known.’
‘That's got to be the magic talking, I heard about his funny stick.’
The admiral leaned forward, ‘there are many who are not affected by it, his palace guard for one and I believe you got a taste of how much they care for him.’
Bob grinned, ‘I'm not on their most popular list.’ Then he became a little more serious, ‘I have issues with Gareth Ogilvie that go way back long before he was your king, but I think I’m learning to cope with them. I was having a bad day the day we came face to face for the first time; it was just a little too much and I reacted badly. I would not do it again.’
The admiral seemed to relax and Bob realised that was what he was fishing for, reassurance he wouldn’t attack his king again. Maybe it was time he asked a few questions about his enemy.
Bob was accompanied back to his ship by a couple of the golden ones, the man introduced himself and held out his hand, ‘hello I'm Orlan and this is my wife Tremaegan.’
Bob shook their hands, ‘you’ll have to excuse me this is the first time I have really met some of your people, do you have any special needs I should be aware of?’
Orlan cocked his head to the side, ‘I was told you were a Highlander, excuse my rudeness but you look different to those I have met.’
‘Have you met many?’
‘Oh yes, I know Gareth personally do you?’
‘We have met briefly, please come to my cabin.’
CHAPTER 27
Gareth, Graun, Billy and Scout were the first to arrive at the river along with five hundred others. No sooner had they stepped out of the stream than another five hundred arrived. They were on a pinnacle of land, the first person Gareth met was Orlan, they shook hands warmly. The second person he met was Osgood and his good mood evaporated. Bob had that irritating smile on his face that Gareth wanted to wipe him from the face of the earth.
Bob left with Billy while the Admiral joined Gareth. ‘Admiral how goes it?’
‘It goes well Sire, the Highland seaman you sent me has done extremely well. He took the towers yesterday and led an assault today on this tower; there were a hundred men here by this morning. He and his men managed to keep them at bay until we got more men ashore. We defeated them but there are near a thousand across at the other tower, there is no sign of any magic yet.’
‘Is there a stream on the other side?’
‘There is Sire but it is heavily guarded for its full length.’
‘Damn it, maybe we should have held onto it yesterday. How far can we get on this side?’
‘Not far Sire, there is a sea marsh a quarter mile away, this is little more than an island.’
‘Ok I will go forward and find out what’s happening.’ He found
Billy on the edge of the marsh; he was with his cousin and Scout.
Billy shook his head, ‘there is no way across Gareth. Maybe if we captured a local, but I have seen no sign of people living here apart from that tower.’
He looked at Bob, ‘maybe you should have taken the other side.’
Bob spat into the water, ‘there were a thousand men on that side, I have twenty and another twenty loaned to me by the admiral, well I had twenty, there was only a hundred on this side, I kinda thought that was better odds.’
Gareth immediately felt guilty, it was a reprimand and he knew it, ‘I'm sorry you and your men did well. I should have sent a larger force here yesterday.’
Bob spat again, ‘you would have had to land your full force like you are doing now.’
Gareth agreed but this man still irked him, ‘that wasn’t possible; we didn't know the extent of the magic how far out it radiated. Like now we don’t know how far we can go before we hit it again.’
‘Aye, I've seen that at work, pretty fucking nasty, heard it knocks out your Eagle folks.’
‘Aye and if they are left to long unconscious like that it can lead to a fatality.’
‘Why don’t you get a couple to go real high and see if they can spot a stream behind that lot? Drop off a couple of thousand men to come back on them and we will go up and see if we can rescue your Eagles if they need it. Just a thought,’ he added.
Graun was smiling, it was a possibility they had discussed on the way up, ‘that's what we were talking about Gareth. The Eagles have far better eye sight than we do and if your touching one you should be able to see what the one up above is seeing yourself.’
‘Ok get the girls up. Osgood return to your ship and be ready to run the river in case you’re needed.’
Bob nodded and ran back to his captured ship; he had chosen it for its shallow draught and was glad he had done so now. Gareth and Graun returned to the main staging area.
Graun was still grinning, ‘looks like your new friend has a head for tactics.’
‘Don’t call him my fucking friend,’ Gareth growled and Graun hooted with laughter.