The Lone Apprentice

by I K Spencer

  The other two nodded and slipped from Rorc's back to take up positions with their weapons.

  "Anthen," Teya whispered as they watched Garrick walk from the woods toward the vessel. "There is no wind and that craft does not even have a sail attached. How do they cross?"

  "They pole or row and use the current. The bay is very shallow and flat, generally less than a fathom deep. There is seldom any breeze here."

  As Anthen watched, surprised that no guard was posted, Garrick crossed the bare ground towards the shore. He was just about within hailing distance when shouts suddenly erupted from further up the shore. Following the sounds, Anthen spied nearly a score of riders racing along the shoreline toward the vessel.

  In an instant, the quiet scene turned into a battle, with both crew members and shore party hurriedly taking up arms, westerner and Dolonarian side-by-side against the mounted raiders. Garrick quickly dropped to the ground to avoid being seen and caught in the melee, then crawled all the way back to the others.

  As the warriors watched, the riders quickly overwhelmed the resistance. Some of the men, both from the crew of the realm-based vessel as well as members of the Dolonarian shore party, threw up their hands in surrender but were dispatched without hesitation or discussion. Anthen heard Teya gasp at the sight of the cold-blooded executions by the laughing raiders. Without speaking, the three warriors crept back to the horses and led the mounts up the hill away from the site of the slaughter. They did not return to the road until they were far away from the area.

  "Yet another risk endured by these smugglers," Anthen said to finally break the shocked silence. "I can see why they charge such dear fees to make the crossing."

  "Are such bandits, and such violence, a common occurrence?" Teya asked.

  "Those were not highwaymen," the older guardsman answered quietly. "Those were soldiers, Dolonarian regulars by the way they were outfitted. Justice is swift and severe on this side of the border."

  The weary travelers rode for another couple of hours in silence without seeing another vessel and Anthen feared that they might be forced to hide in the woods through the daylight hours and try again the following night. Their spirits sank, all three eager to be away from this violent, unfriendly land.

  Past midnight and nearly ready to give up for the night, they spotted a small fire along the shore and halted to investigate. From the woods they spied a lone man seated by the fire. A pair of wagons with teams stood a few feet away, with second man seeing to the horses. The first man rose and went to one of the wagons, then both Dolonarians returned to the small fire, each with an armload of firewood. Soon the blaze, no doubt a beacon, was burning brightly.

  "This may be our last chance this night," Garrick commented as he surveyed the scene.

  The shoreline curved out to a point a few miles ahead and it looked as though there was a sizable settlement there from the number of lights. They would have to give the town a wide berth if they kept going.

  In a few minutes, both of the men by the fire rose. Training their glasses to where the men looked, the warriors could see why they stood; a barge was being poled toward them. A moment later one of the box-shaped crafts about half the size of the first took shape and they could make out four polers along with another man at the rudder. Two more men were readying lines fore and aft and the entire crew appeared to be countrymen of the two guardsmen. The two men on shore caught lines tossed to them and moored the craft by tying the hawsers to large rocks since there were no trees. The crew pushed a gangplank across to the shore.

  The three warriors exchanged looks and, through a sequence of nods, decided to give it a go. The craft was large enough for the trio and two horses and the crew small enough to risk. As before, the older guardsman strode cautiously forward as the other two watched closely with their bows at the ready, especially alert after the earlier massacre. Garrick stopped at some distance from the scene, where all the men save one were busily unloading the vessel.

  "Captain I seek passage," Garrick called out. All froze at the sound and the captain whirled around to face him. "I would like to buy passage for myself, two companions, and two horses," the guardsman added quickly, before the men could pick up nearby arms.

  "I carry only cargo," the man growled dismissively and turned back to supervise the unloading of his vessel.

  "I have a cargo of gold," the guardsman retorted and the remark obviously caught the full attention of the captain, a solidly built man with short-cropped dark hair and an unkempt beard.

  "It will cost you much of that cargo," the man jeered and Garrick could see he was missing most of his teeth.

  The elder warrior could see both interest and caution in the captain’s deep-set eyes. Garrick was short for a guardsman but taller than most men in general and that, combined with his squat, powerful build, made him an imposing figure.

  "Twenty pieces," the captain said after a pause.

  "Ten," the guardsman sternly replied, though perfectly willing to pay the twenty.

  "Fifteen in advance," the man replied with a touch of fear in his voice.

  Garrick nodded and chuckled. "You will get half when we board and the rest when we step to the king's soil. Let me know when we may board." He smiled and took a seat on a nearby rock and watched the vessel being unloaded.

  The captain turned back and resumed yelling at his crew, though the man nervously glanced at the seated guardsman from time to time. After a few minutes the captain called one of the men forward and after a quick conference, the crewmember disappeared up the shore.

  "Where is that man off to?" Garrick demanded in a menacing tone.

  "Do not be concerned," the captain answered quickly. "My Dolonary contact does not dare meet us here so I have to send a man to take orders and see about return cargo."

  The departed crewmember returned in about a quarter of an hour, just as the other men were finishing loading the goods onto the wagons. The two men conferred briefly and the captain motioned to Garrick that he could now board.

  Garrick rose and waved toward the woods and soon was joined by the other two, leading the horses on foot. The captain and the other men eyed the passengers warily, obviously noting the well-armed travelers and their quality mounts, not to mention the rarity of westerners on this side of the bay. The trio led the placid animals aboard and waited for the vessel to embark.

  The time dragged as the travelers anxiously waited for the craft to depart, the violent attack they had witnessed earlier fresh in all their minds. Garrick was about to question the captain as to the delay when the lines were finally pulled in and, with considerable effort, the men pushed the barge free of the shore.

  Suddenly uneasy, Anthen checked to see where the crewmembers were located, then scanned the darkness all around them. "I do not like this." The other two heads turned quickly toward him in alarm, having learned to respect his senses. "Why were they so slow to leave?"

  Garrick shrugged. "A rest perhaps; the crew unloaded the cargo as soon as they landed. Also they might know the schedules of the patrol vessels and were waiting for the right time."

  Both answers seemed reasonable but neither lessened the young guardsman's uneasiness. Something was wrong.

  "Wait," Teya broke in excitedly. "Why are we not poling upstream to compensate for the current?"

  They had watched the barge drift in from upstream using the current on arrival and it was enough to cause all three to rise and start toward the horses to fetch their weapons.

  "Too late," the captain growled from behind.

  Anthen whirled and saw the captain and at the same time, three crewmembers stepped into view, each holding an armed crossbow. After a quick exchange of looks between the three warriors, all three raised their hands in surrender. The captain and another of the crew quickly bound Anthen and Garrick, who did not resist.

  "What is the meaning of this?" Garrick demanded.

  "You are wanted by our Dolonarian friends," the captain grinned, more confident now
that the two men were tied securely. "They are very eager to talk with you."

  "We are under direct orders of His Royal Majesty!" Garrick bellowed in his most authoritative tone. "Release us at once and get this vessel to realm soil with all speed!"

  One or two of the crewmembers looked suddenly afraid but the captain just chuckled. "Jamen don't care a whim about the border." The man's tone was derisive. "I don't know what you three are up to but the Dollies are all in an uproar. They been causing trouble up and down the bay searching for you three. Once they got you things will get back to normal."

  "Captain, if our mission fails, things will never be normal again." Anthen spoke the words quietly, without a trace of bravado or exaggeration and fear returned to the captain's eyes when he looked at the intense young stranger.

  "Have your fun boys and be done with it," the captain said, quickly turning away from Anthen's unfaltering gaze and looking toward the two men holding Teya. "We haven't much time."

  Teya looked back and forth between the two men holding her, her face expressionless. The two men exchanged looks. Both looked afraid of the tall, strong woman but the larger of the two, and dimmer by the looks of him, released one arm and started to fondle her roughly.

  "Captain I must protest this treatment. Sir, this is no way to treat a lady!" Garrick portrayed an outraged but harmless aristocrat perfectly.

  While the captain glared at the older guardsman, Teya glanced at Anthen, who shook his head slightly. He was working on the ropes using a small blade sewn into the material of his cloak and he presumed Garrick was doing the same. He’d nearly severed the robe but needed a few moments longer. Teya, he knew, would let herself be pawed or even raped should that be required for their escape.

  "Hold!" she yelled at the grimy sailor who was about to tear her tunic. "I have a limited wardrobe," she said calmly and started to unbutton it with her one free hand. She turned to the other man. "This will go much more quickly with two hands." The man looked at the captain, unsure what to do.

  "Hurry up you fools," the captain replied angrily, waving at him to free her other arm.

  All eyes were on Teya as she quickly moved down the row of buttons, not wanting them to see through the ruse. One of the crew gasped as she slipped the top off and while she laid the blouse on the deck, Teya glanced toward the guardsmen to see if they were ready or she would actually have to bare her breasts for these idiots. Anthen gave a slight nod and she straightened and started to unwrap the cloth that bound her breasts, smiling broadly at the fuzzy-haired, fat man who had been fondling her.

  When he returned that smile she brought her knee up hard into his groin and his grin instantly disappeared. Teya threw her head back and felt the satisfying crunch of the other man's nose breaking. She elbowed the man holding his groin across the face and whirled around and delivered a kick to the second man's abomen, blood already streaming from his shattered nose. Both men fell to the deck howling.

  At Teya's first move, Anthen had leapt to his feet and quickly disarmed the third crewmember, still holding a bow but too startled to use it. When the guardsman turned to see to the captain he saw that Garrick already had him in a headlock. He gestured for Teya to check the foredeck for the remaining crew while he raced to the stern, after grabbing his bow.

  The remaining two crewmembers were standing by the rudder, one nervously holding a bow. Anthen shot the weapon from the terrified man's hands and stared past them with growing concern. A large vessel was approaching fast from the south, roughly a half-mile behind. He raced to the stern and raised his scope for a better look. The sharp-prowed craft was packed with Dolonarian soldiers.

  "Garrick, we are being pursued from behind!" Anthen called out. "Get the crew to man the poles."

  Anthen realized why the craft appeared to be closing so fast; the barge was not moving! They were being held against the current and the young warrior frantically searched along the stern until he spied a taut rope near the rudder. He rushed forward and quickly cut the line, then the barge started to move with the current.

  "You two; start poling!" he roared at the fearful sailors, adding, "If they overtake us, you die!"

  Anthen pulled the rudder over and the bulky craft slowly turned toward the northwest. Soon the entire crew, including the captain, were pushing the barge through the foul black water. The craft chasing them fell behind, probably caught by surprise, but quickly started to gain ground. Garrick had Anthen steer due west while he and Teya doused the lights. In less than ten minutes, the Dolonarian vessel had closed the distance to near archer range. In answer, Anthen turned again to the northwest to gain some speed from the current. The Dolonaries were slow to respond and once again, the lead lengthened for a time.

  Garrick took the helm from Anthen so he and Teya could ready their defenses. The two marksmen gathered all the crews' weapons and constructed a small barricade from which to fire by piling up what little loose gear and equipment they could find. Teya grabbed a pot of lamp oil and set some arrows to soak in the flammable liquid.

  As the enemy neared once again, Garrick wrenched the rudder hard over to turn the barge to a southwest heading, hoping to fool the enemy captain. Instead, however, the Dolonarians saw the maneuver and quickly followed suit. The more lithesome patrol boat came round rapidly and to Anthen's horror, the two vessels were now broadside and closing! At least a score of archers lined up along the railing and the decks were packed with soldiers waiting to board. A barrage of arrows hit the water within a few feet, causing the nearby polers to yelp with fear. Seeing the predicament, Garrick quickly turned back to the northwest. The vessel was now within range but at least astern again.

  Garrick lashed the rudder fast and went to lend a hand to the crew. A poor marksman, he could do nothing else until they were boarded. Anthen lit a torch while Teya readied an oil-soaked arrow. Her longbow could far outdistance his crossbow so he would wait until the enemy came within his range.

  "Look." Teya was pointing toward the front of the approaching vessel.

  There, in the prow of the hull just a few feet above the waterline, Anthen spied a small porthole that had been inadvertently left open. If she could send a flaming arrow through the small opening, the fire might spread, it being unlikely for anyone to be below during the chase. Just as Teya readied her first shot, a half-dozen flaming arrows fell to the deck in front of their barricade, which gave him an idea.

  "Send some of your arrows to their deck so they do not become aware of your true target," he suggested as he ran around, pulling the arrows from the deck and extinguishing the small fires they started.

  Teya nodded and let her first arrow fly. She did one better than the guardsman had advised, hitting one of the archers lined along the bow rail. His shrieking made such a ruckus that they didn't even notice her next shot, which hit the porthole door and fell to the water. Their pursuers dealt with the man quickly though, and soon another barrage came from the enemy vessel. They were aiming for the polers and the farthest shaft fell within a few feet of the nearest crewman. While Anthen raced to put out the fires, Teya sent a couple of flaming arrows to the deck of the closing vessel, then carefully sighted the porthole once again. This arrow hit the hull within a foot of the opening.

  More arrows rained down around Anthen and one hit the captain in the leg, causing the man to lose his balance and pitch over the side. He screamed, more from being in the foul water than the arrow in his leg. Anthen ignored the traitor and glanced back as he stamped out a fire before it could spread.

  "Hurry!" he yelled to Teya, who was readying another shot for above deck. "They are closing the hatch!"

  A man leaned over the railing with a gaff, attempting to knock away her previous attempt, the arrow lodged just in the hull just above the hatch. After a couple of tries he successfully knocked the burning shaft free, then moved the gaff to close the porthole, leaving barely enough time for one more attempt. Anthen watched Teya calmly sight the target, her face a mask of pure concentration
. She released the bowstring and his gaze followed the path of the fiery projectile. Time seemed to pass in slow motion as he stared in amazement, willing the arrow to its mark. The gaff wielder had found the porthole door and was in the middle of closing it but just before the hatch shut, miraculously, the blazing arrow shot through. Now it was a matter of waiting and hoping the fiery missile had started a conflagration that went unnoticed long enough to engulf the vessel or at least halt its pursuit.

  Anthen finished putting out the fires started by the latest barrage of arrows and ran back to the rudder. Under Teya's cover fire he turned the ponderous barge to the north, fully with the current, and lashed the rudder straight once again. They would at least continue to move, even if the entire crew was felled. He ran to the barricade and took up his bow, the enemy vessel now in his range.

  "Great shot!" he yelled as he emptied his special bow at the line of archers looming above them less than a hundred feet to the stern and gaining. Three of the Dolonarians fell and were quickly replaced.

  "It was the hand of the gods," Teya replied excitedly. "I do not think the man even saw it for he seemed to be looking elsewhere when I looked up to see his reaction."

  "Well, it is our only hope."

  The two comrades exchanged a quick look, then returned to the battle. The pair shot arrow after arrow but the vessel edged ever closer. They could see boarding parties assembling and were aware of Garrick and others taking care of the fires on board but were too busy returning fire to take much notice. The craft was within a few feet of the barge's stern and grappling hooks were being readied when there suddenly came shouts of alarm from the closing vessel. Teya excitedly pointed toward the porthole and Anthen could see bright light in the seams of the hatch. The forward section below deck must be fully engulfed.

  Almost instantly, the enemy deck was in chaos, with flames shooting high into the air through open hatches. The fugitives were all but forgotten except for one calm and clever officer, who realized that their only hope lay in boarding their quarry. A moment later two grappling hooks found the barge’s deck but Garrick and Anthen quickly cut the lines. They could see the terror in the Dolonarian faces as the blazing vessel started to fall behind.