The Sword Falls

by A. J. Smith

  When I felt ready, I tucked the empty sleeve into my ship-leathers, and left the small cabin. The ship was rolling, but only slowly, as if undulating between the four wings of the phoenix. I found my footing quickly, and looked down at Tasha. “How long?” I asked the Kneeling Wolf.

  “Siggy told me that Kieran told her that Daniel says a couple of hours,” she replied, smiling. “You have to blow the horn again for Halfdan’s Revenge to go back through the glass.”

  I nodded, moving towards the closest wooden steps, but stopped at the last second. I frowned, and looked back to Tasha, sensing that she wanted to say something else. I raised an eyebrow, giving her a chance to speak.

  Her smile remained, but it turned guilty, as she looked back at me. “Okay,” she grumbled. “But I don’t like telling tales.”

  I moved back from the steps and faced her. “Tasha...” I prompted gently.

  “Adeline, you’re not making friends on this ship,” she replied. “I know you’re a big softy on the inside, and Siggy and Tomas always stick up for you, but… the captain...”

  “And what does Tynian Driftwood say about me?” I asked. “Am I unemotional and dangerous?”

  She screwed up her face, while considering an answer. “I think… maybe he did mention something about that, but it’s not his main objection. He’s worried you’ll get his crew killed. Nonsense, I know.”

  I shook my head and turned away, not wanting to take my irritation out on the Kneeling Wolf cook. Sooner or later, Driftwood would push me just a little too far. I only hoped he had the good sense to do it in private, rather than continue to gossip about me to his crew. “I’m going on deck,” I said, by way of a goodbye.

  Tasha nodded, but said nothing more as I ascended the steps and emerged under the glittering blue void sky. Sailing a ship through the glass was no small thing, and it had taken time for the crew to acclimatize their eyes and senses. Colours and outlines were different in the void, as if things operated on another spectrum of light, and the effects were at least doubled at the our current height. Despite the spectacle, the crew of Halfdan’s Revenge remained at their stations, and acted with purpose. Though only the mainsail was deployed, the mast and rigging needed constant attention. A lattice of heavy struts and ropes encircled the mainmast, keeping the wood from shaking itself to pieces. Even the blue canvas itself had been tripled in thickness to cope with the immense winds.

  I walked from the quarterdeck, up more steps to the helm, where I received a cursory nod from Captain Driftwood and Kieran Greenfire. Siggy and the blonde bosun were shouting commands from either end of the ship, though they each sprinkled words of kindness and reassurance into their usual bluster.

  “Where’s Tomas?” I asked. “And the Sundered Wolf?”

  “Below,” replied Kieran. “They’ve been with Bjorn in the healer’s chamber, for as long as you’ve been asleep.”

  “Spirit-masters,” scoffed Driftwood, “far too nosy if you ask me.”

  “They’ll be up soon,” said Kieran, “with the horn. Before they get here, I have a question, Adeline. When we get to… the Starry Sky, who goes ashore? Who gets to greet these allies?”

  The captain looked at me out of the side of his eye, indicating he had his own thoughts on the matter. It wasn’t something I’d given much thought. On some level, I was a diplomat from the Sea Wolves, seeking an alliance. But I was also the Alpha Wolf, expected to lead these people into war. People who I’d never met, and knew nothing about. Even Daniel, the only Sundered Wolf I’d spoken to, had shown little of his people’s culture and opinions. Were they like us? Perhaps treacherous, like the Dark Brethren; noble, like the Winterlords; or subservient, like the Kneeling Wolves? Or maybe they were nothing like any of us. Essentially, I had no idea what to expect, or who to take ashore, just that I needed their friendship.

  I showed a half-smile and raised my eyebrows. “That is a very good question, Master Greenfire. And I have no good answer for you.”

  “Fighters or talkers?” asked Driftwood. “Or both?”

  “We don’t know these people,” added Kieran. “We should go in force.”

  “Bit of Sea Wolf muscle,” concluded the captain, scratching at his red beard.

  For a change, I didn’t have a definitive answer, and was glad when Tomas Red Fang emerged from belowdecks and drew the attention of the captain and his quartermaster, allowing me to think on the issue. Tomas was helped along the railing by Bjorn Coldfire, with Daniel strolling behind them, cradling Anya’s Roar. The two old spirit-masters and the strange Sundered Wolf came to join us at the helm, moving as fast as Tomas’s old bones would allow. In the void, Eastron could not hide their wyrd, and my spirit-master, despite his age and apparent fragility, shone brighter than most. Daniel’s power was still subdued, though, like everything else about him, I didn’t really trust it.

  “How fairs your ship, captain?” asked Daniel, looking with approval at the modifications made to the mainmast. “I decided against telling you, but this is far further than Anya’s Friend has ever taken a ship.”

  Driftwood pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed loudly. “Who the fuck am I?” he mused, largely to himself. “I’m just the fucking captain of this particular fucking vessel of war. Why would I need to know anything?”

  “Take heart, captain,” replied Daniel. “You, your crew, and your ship have proven their strength and skill. What’s to come will be easy in comparison.”

  “Are you trying to get punched?” asked Kieran Greenfire. “Because if not you should keep your mouth shut.”

  The Sundered Wolf spread his arms and frowned, saying nothing more. He handed me the horn and backed away from the increasingly annoyed captain of Halfdan’s Revenge.

  “Just tell me when to send people aloft,” grumbled Driftwood. “I assume we’ll spill the sails before you blow that thing again.”

  It was impossible to tell where we were in the realm of form, but the huge phoenix was certainly now flying at a downward angle, as if preparing to deposit us back in the sea. Red and yellow feathers ruffled against both railings, and the spirit’s proud head was locked forwards, resembling an arrow.

  “I’d get it done now,” I said to the captain. “We don’t want to hit the water at speed.”

  “Aye,” replied Driftwood, keeping his eyes pointed down at the deck and away from the various sources of his irritation.

  Without needing an order, Kieran saluted and hurried down to the quarterdeck. He spoke with the bosun, and shouting sounded across the deck, as more volunteers came forwards to climb the rigging. Each Sea Wolf was tied securely to the deck, and had the benefit of reinforced wood and strengthened hand-ropes, but the climb was still treacherous. Midway up the mast, where the thick, blue canvas of the mainsail was at its widest point, a void storm began. The six volunteers clung on, using wyrd to strengthen their grip, as they hauled up the three layers of canvas. As the wind spilled there was little effect at deck level, but the phoenix swept back its four wings, as if gliding.

  “Just blow the fucking horn,” snapped Driftwood.

  I used the stump of my left arm to steady the ornate horn, and placed the mouthpiece against my lips. Once again, the surge of wyrd made my hackles rise, as if the Old Bitch of the Sea was emitting a low growl, somewhere in the void. The deep, resonant note flowed forwards, causing a flare of blue wyrd as it passed over the heads of the crew. The phoenix sounded an excited caw, and its flight took us down at an even steeper angle, causing sailors to hang on for dear life, or tumble helplessly across the deck. Ahead of us, a tiny dot appeared, swaying in the void sky. It got larger as we approached, swirling with red and yellow flames. As we plummeted towards the break in the glass with unnerving speed, everyone held their breath.

  It came into view all too quickly. Grey cloud, rolling black ocean with roaring waves of blue and white. The realm of form looked dull and expressionless in comparison to the tides of the void, but no less alarming when approached at high speed. Sh
outs of alarm began as the Revenge plunged towards the flaming circle, now far wider and taller than the warship. The phoenix cawed again, echoing in my ears as we sailed through the glass.

  Then my world was assaulted by waves, wood, swearing and multiple bruises. The ship hit the water, causing a huge bow-wave to envelop everything, and throw several sailors overboard. There was a deafening creak from the hull, and the mainsail swayed alarmingly, but Halfdan’s Revenge remained whole. Suddenly there was no void and no phoenix. The spirit disappeared as suddenly as the vibrant voidscape, leaving nothing but a startled crew, trying to catch their breath. I’d landed against the starboard railing, with my head ringing, and my leg twisted around a barrel. Anya’s Roar, the mighty talisman of Michael of the Mountain, had skittered away, and was floating in a foot of salt water, next to the helm.

  Then everything was still and quiet. The bow-wave had disappeared behind us, and the ship gradually settled on a gentle tide. The first thing I noticed was the muddy blue sky, with the low moan of a hundred battered sailors in the background. As I pulled myself up the railing, and wiped salt water from my eyes, I also saw jagged, grey cliffs, encircling the ship in a half-circle. Around me, Sea Wolves regained their footing on the deck and nursed minor cuts and bruises. Those who had been thrown overboard were helped out of the water, and the worst injuries seemed to be a handful of broken limbs.

  Almost in a daze, a few of us moved to the port railing, looking up at the foreboding cliffs. I stood between Driftwood and Kieran, with Daniel and the two spirit-masters leaning on each other behind us. We were all soaking wet, and all but Daniel had minor injuries, but the shock of our re-emergence and the grim-looking coastline held everyone’s attention. The cliffs were twice as high as the mainmast and appeared to loom over us. Rather than being sheer, the rugged, grey stone walls were covered in irregular pits and spiky protrusions.

  “Do the waves cause that?” asked the captain, apparently alarmed by the wicked-looking cliffs. “Never seen anything like it.”

  “High metal content in the rock,” replied Daniel, appearing next to me at the railing. “Makes everything look… like a tomb. And the sea level used to be much higher.”

  “How do we get ashore?” I asked. “I see nowhere to put a launch.”

  “And no way to get inland,” agreed Kieran. “Unless you’re suggesting we climb.”

  “Yes,” announced Daniel, cheerfully. “After a fashion. Though fear not, Master Greenfire, there will be little danger of falling.”

  Tynian Driftwood grunted and pushed himself away from the port railing. His red-bearded face wrinkled up into a snarl, as he grabbed the Sundered Wolf by the neck with both hands. Days of annoyance had built up, and I felt somewhat responsible for the outburst. It would likely take considerably more provocation for him to attack me. Unluckily for Daniel, he was the second biggest source of the captain’s irritation.

  “Just stop fucking talking!” barked Driftwood, slamming Daniel into the deck and pinning him down. “Every word from your mouth makes me grind my fucking teeth. One more cryptic comment or smug statement, and you’ll have to come back from the dead again.”

  At first, no one moved to stop him. We all knew he was taking his anger out on the Sundered Wolf, and that he was unlikely to seriously hurt him. Also, speaking for myself, I was curious to see what happened if Driftwood were to start punching the restrained man. Would he heal straightaway, or be knocked unconscious and wake up in a few hours? Unfortunately, Kieran moved in and restrained his captain, leaving Daniel stunned but unhurt.

  “Stop fighting!” announced Tomas Red Fang. He’d been trying to speak to me since we left the Severed Hand, and now, as he demanded the others calm down, the spirit-master stared at me. “Adeline asked a question. How do we get ashore?”

  I nodded at him, sure of his loyalty, but aware that the old man had questions.

  Driftwood stood from Daniel and gave him a half-hearted kick in the ribs, before turning sharply and returning to the port railing. The fierce Sea Wolf captain made the wood creak under his grasp, as he tried to regain his composure. Behind him, the Sundered Wolf was in no hurry to stand up. He puffed out his cheeks and looked up at the sky, as if tired, or perhaps fed up. The strange Eastron certainly deserved a kick or two, but he was the one aboard who’d been to this mysterious land, and like it or not, he was my only guide.

  “Well,” said Daniel, still laying on the wooden deck. “You go ashore via a lift. A wooden platform, secured to the cliffs. It’ll take five people at once. I suggest we drop anchor and take a launch. The platform is well hidden.” He sat up, cracked his jaw and shook his head. “Don’t take an army. That would not be well received.”

  *

  I hadn’t planned to take an army, but neither had I planned to take everyone who wanted to come. With the exception of those below deck, getting rest or enjoying a well-earned meal, each and every Eastron aboard Halfdan’s Revenge wanted to go ashore with the Alpha Wolf. We were beyond the Moon’s Teeth, further north than any Sea Wolf had travelled. Beyond the bickering, the fear, and the uncertainty, my people would always be Eastron of the sea, and to find an unexplored land was like facing a challenge not yet defeated.

  I gave the crew five hours. I plucked the number out of thin air, when I realized not everyone was as unaffected by our voyage as me. When the first boat was launched, it contained those I would take ashore, and four sailors to manage the oars. Tasha and Siggy were automatic choices, and Kieran Greenfire’s inclusion kept Driftwood happy. By necessity, the fifth member of our party had to be Daniel. I would have rather taken the blonde bosun or any number of other warriors aboard Halfdan’s Revenge. A second and third boat would follow, but with only five people able to ascend at a time, we would be vulnerable at the top of the cliff.

  “What reception am I likely to get?” I asked Daniel, as he directed the launch towards a jagged outcropping of rock.

  “Depends,” replied the Sundered Wolf. “If Rage Breaker is feeling charitable, you’ll probably be attacked. If not, you’ll be welcomed as a friend.”

  I sneered at him. “Did Tynian not scare you into making sense? Because you’re talking nonsense. How is it charitable to attack us?”

  He looked like he was about to smile, but chewed on his lip and thought better of it. “I didn’t say she was being charitable to you. This place is not like your kingdom, and these people are not like your Eastron. Living under the wings of the Great Phoenix can be… much to bear for a mortal mind. The Sundered Wolves have a complicated history.”

  I took a deep breath, but resolved not to punch him. He was probably the cleverest person on the boat, possibly the cleverest person I knew. Despite his habit of giving information in tiny increments, he never appeared hurried, or intimidated, even when Driftwood had thrown him to the deck. There was a maddening wisdom in his eyes, and I felt that everything he said was worth listening to.

  “Just up ahead,” said Daniel, directing the oarsmen to a narrow cleft in the cliff-face.

  The launch slowed, and we glided past two jutting blades of rock, cutting upwards through the water. Close up, the cliff-face was deceptively angled, making it likely that we’d never have found this area without direction. There were too many skeletal rock formations, pushing in too many directions, to get a good sense of the coastline, and the glossy, metal veins in the cliffs made it hard to judge depth.

  The launch narrowly fit through the zigzag channel, and we had to use our hands to pull past the rocks and reach the wooden platform. No one said anything, and I sensed fearful anticipation amongst my companions. Tasha looked excited, but Kieran and Siggy were both extremely wary, as if they’d need to fight at any moment.

  “Good, the platform’s down,” said Daniel, nodding at the huge slab of brown wood hanging just above the surface of the water.

  A lattice of wood, metal and rope secured the lift to the rocks. At regular intervals it was secured to the cliff-face, with a huge pulley just visible
at the top. The wood was lacquered, the rope was thick and weathered, and the metal was black. This construction was old, but well maintained, and I strode to the front of the launch.

  “I assume there’s a counterweight?” I asked the Sundered Wolf, before stepping onto the wooden platform.

  “Adeline, be careful,” snapped Tasha Strong, hurrying to join me. “This doesn’t look very safe.” She clung to one of the heavy duty ropes as the platform began to sway gently under our weight.

  Kieran and Siggy followed, leaving Daniel to bring up the rear. He gathered his green cloak, and hopped from the launch to land next to me.

  “That rope releases the counterweight,” he said, pointing to the back of the wooden platform. “Let’s all hang onto something, shall we?”

  The five of us moved to the edges of the platform and did our best to steady ourselves. With only one arm I had the hardest time, but managed to securely coil my wrist around a corner rope. When Daniel was satisfied, he tugged on a pulley, fastened to the rock face. A creak sounded from high above, as two wooden braces parted, releasing a wire-wrapped boulder from the cliff-top. The contraption was skilfully weighted, with the boulder just enough to pull five people from the water. The platform juddered and vibrated for the first few feet, then settled into a steady upward journey. The platform rose in mid-air, with well-placed metal pulleys keeping us from banging into the cliff.

  As we crested the large, jagged outcropping of rock, Halfdan’s Revenge came into view as a small dot in the huge bay. Two more launches were approaching the platform, but getting anyone else up the cliff would take time.

  Above us, at the edge of the cliff, was a jagged frill of spiky rock. As the huge boulder struck the water beneath, and the platform stopped, we were faced with a strange rock formation. The metal in the rock made it look like two pillars of black glass, meeting in the middle. It appeared to be natural, and formed an arch, leading inland.