Plundered Chronicles_Skyblade's Claim

by Robert Dahlen

“Treasure map?” Connor grinned. “Are pirates involved?”

  “I should hope not!” Victorie said quickly. “We had to compete with Svendarans to get the pieces. When I told this to Admiral Stamford, she authorized a covert mission to get to the bottom of things.” She pointed at Annabel. “As it turned out, Captain Gallagher had one of the pieces. We came to an agreement to uncover the mystery of the map, and it led us here.”

  Connor stared at Annabel for a minute. “If Stamford’s behind this,” he said, “I’ll trust your judgment. But I think we need to take a look at this map.”

  Victorie nodded and took the parchment from her pocket. “I’m assuming we’re...here?” she said as she tapped the left oval.

  “Right. We almost always stay on this side of the isthmus.” Connor tapped the line connecting the two ovals. “It’s out of respect to the selkies. They seem to think the coast on the other side is haunted.”

  “Haunted?”

  “The clam production on that side has dwindled of late.”

  “Clams?”

  Connor shrugged. “A lot of selkie social interaction seems to revolve around clams. They eat them, trade them, use the shells for tools and decoration. They have fifty different words for clams, you know.”

  “Your pardon--” Connor and Victorie turned to face Annabel as she continued, “While all this discussion of clams is fascinating, I did want to point out to you that the map is starting to glow again.”

  Victorie glanced at the parchment. She saw the sharp points and the black spot along the right side were blazing with light. “Does it do that often?” Connor asked.

  “Yes,” Victorie said. “Sometimes when it’s most inconvenient.”

  Connor stroked his beard. “Those are the hills by the shore on the right,” he said. “You can’t see them from here because of the palms.”

  “What about this black spot?”

  “That could be Fingolf’s Cave.”

  “Fingolf?” Victorie asked.

  “He was one of the first researchers here. He claimed he saw a cave from the supply ship, and set off on his own to explore it. He never returned.”

  “On his own?” Annabel said. “Not the brightest sort, was he?”

  “Connor…” Victorie stared at the wizard. “I think we need to take a good look at that cave.”

  “If it’s for Intelligence,” Connor said, “you’ll get no argument from me. But there’s one condition.”

  “And what would that be?” Annabel asked.

  “I get to come with you.”

  “What?”

  “I’ve been getting bored here. I could use a change of pace.”

  Annabel glanced at Victorie. “Major…”

  “Captain Gallagher,” Victorie said, “we don’t know what we might find in that cave. It wouldn’t hurt to have a trained magical professional along.”

  Annabel took a deep breath and nodded. “When do we set out?”

  “As soon as we can.”

  “I’ll stop by the settlement first,” Connor said. “It’s a two-hour walk. We’ll need to fill some canteens, and maybe bring some rope and torches.”

  “Perhaps some jerky as well,” Victorie said.

  “And I'll need a good sized sack,” Annabel said.

  “Is that for the treasure?”

  Annabel glanced at Tom, then at the coconuts littering the ground around them. “And other things.”

  ***

  “And I’m the one stuck carrying these.” Tom grumbled as he shifted the bulging sack on his shoulder.

  “Quit your complaining,” Annabel said as she walked alongside her first mate. There was a faint trail in the sand and soil that wound between the trees, and they were following Connor and Victorie as they headed for the isthmus. “I know you can handle a sack of coconuts.”

  “But why are we bringing these damned things?”

  “Remember when we tried to plunder the Flying Ruegellan?”

  Tom started to smile. “The airship that everyone said was haunted?”

  “Aye! Captain Vandenhorg had rigged the bloody ship with booby traps. We were lucky we didn’t lose anyone.” Annabel glanced at the coconuts. “It wouldn’t surprise me if the cave was trapped as well.”

  “Ah. So we set off the traps from a distance.”

  “As long your aim’s good enough.”

  “Watch me…” Tom peered down the trail. “What the devil?”

  They had emerged from the trees and onto a beach. The trail led to a part of the island where it narrowed, to a stretch that was less than twenty yards wide. “We’ve reached the isthmus,” Connor said.

  Victorie gazed across the isthmus to the other side of Twynbey. The barren hills there stood out against the early afternoon sky. “I’m not seeing any cave,” she said.

  “Check the map,” Annabel said. Victorie unrolled the parchment again, and Annabel tapped the black-half circle. “See where it’s placed?” she said. “It’s probably on the far side of that hill to the left.”

  “Steep walk,” Victorie said.

  “The day’s not getting any younger.” Connor started down the isthmus. “Let’s go.” The others followed.

  The isthmus was very low, almost at sea level, and waves lapped at both sides of the sandy stretch. “I’m not sure I like this,” Tom muttered. “Trolls are meant to be as far away from the ocean as we can get.”

  “Be glad we don’t have to swim…” Annabel glanced to one side. “What the devil?”

  Two furry shapes, about half the size of a human, were swimming up to them. They were naked, with long limbs and buck teeth. “Connor friend?” one said.

  Connor stopped and smiled. “Hello, Swimwell.”

  “Selkies,” Victorie said under her breath.

  Swimwell reached the shore. “Are these new friends?” she said, bobbing in the water.

  “They are, but they’re just visiting,” Connor said.

  “Are they humans too?” the other selkie asked as he swam in lazy circles.

  “Except for the red one, Sleeker. His name is Tom. He’s a troll.”

  “Hello, Tom friend who is not human but a troll,” Sleeker said slowly.

  Swimwell stared at Tom. “Does Tom friend have clams in his bag?” he asked.

  “No,” Connor said, cutting Tom off. “When they come back, they’ll have clams.”

  The selkie nodded and dove into the water. As she swam off, she shouted, “Be careful, Connor friend! The shore by the hills is haunted!”

  “No clams!” Sleeker added.

  “That was odd,” Victorie said.

  “They were cute!” Annabel grinned. “Come on. We don’t have all day.”

  Connor nodded, and the group resumed crossing the isthmus. “Clams and coconuts,” Tom muttered. “Everyone on this bloody island is crazy.”

  “So the trail continues down this hill?” Victorie said as they neared the far side.

  “Right,” Connor said. “It leads to the one place over here the researchers come to often.”

  “For gathering more coconuts?” Annabel asked.

  “No, there’s a small lake down in the valley.”

  Annabel sneaked a glance at Victorie as the major asked, “So that’s where they do their bathing?”

  “Among other things.” Connor smiled.

  “What sort of things?” Victorie tried to fend off a blush.

  “The selkies say that the water there has rejuvenative properties. I’ve never tested it out, though.”

  “Oh.” Victorie looked away.

  So much for being prim and proper, Annabel thought with a slight smile. “Let’s go,” she said, “before Tom gets any crankier.”

  ***

  The map was glowing yet again. Annabel noticed it when they had crossed the isthmus. This time, the light came from a twisting line on the map, and the group determined that it was a trail to the cave.

  As they wound their way into the hills, Annabel realized that they were not as barren
as they seemed at a distance. There were shrubs, beetles and lizards, and small drab birds that cawed at the four as they followed the trail, watching every careful step they took.

  Annabel noticed that Victorie had fallen silent, and she wondered if it was because of the same impatience she felt. She wanted to clear up the mystery of the map once and for all, to see what lay at the end of the trail, if there was some sort of treasure there.

  She knew there could be an argument over any treasure they found. If it were just her and Victorie, they could probably reach an understanding. Connor, however, was likely to claim part of it for the crown of Cerindel, and Tom would want as much as he could carry for the Peregrine’s crew. Is this going to lead to a fight? she thought. Could this be what pushes Torie and me apart?

  Annabel took a deep breath. Don’t get too far ahead of yourself. Find the cave first. See what’s inside. Take it from there. She shook her head to clear the thoughts away as she walked.

  As she and the others rounded a bend, their footsteps fading, there was the faintest of movement above them. A goblin stared down at them, a greedy gleam in his eyes. He had a rope around his waist, with the other end tied firmly to a boulder. He braced himself against the hillside and began to climb down soundlessly, towards the valley, feeding the rope out as he went.

  Chapter Five

  “Did you really say that to him?” Victorie said.

  Connor laughed. “If I’d known he was going to assign me here, I would have said much worse!”

  Annabel smiled. In spite of herself, she was starting to like the wizard. He had been telling the story of how he had been assigned to Twynbey, painting a rather unflattering portrait of a general in the Cerindel Magic Corps in the process.

  Connor’s grin faded. “There’s another reason why I’m here. The Corps was hearing stories about things.”

  “What sort of stories?” Victorie said.

  “I told you about the selkies and the clams, but there have also been some instances of missing supplies, like rope. And there seem to be less coconuts.”

  “Is that a concern?”

  “The coconuts? More of a curiosity than anything.” Connor grimaced. “Everyone’s sick of the damned things, even the selkies.”

  “It still sounds suspicious,” Annabel said.

  “The Corps wanted me to investigate. Then, when I get here, the researchers need me to help with repairing their cabins, and the selkies are worried about their clams, and that’s been keeping me busy enough to keep me from looking into things.”

  “Bureaucracy.”

  Connor sighed. “I’m even more sick of that than I am of coconuts. I’m almost glad to be rotating out with the next supply ship.”

  “Back to Cerindel?”

  “Right. I’ve been training my replacement…” Connor stopped talking and stared straight ahead. The trail came to an end thirty yards ahead of them. There was a roomy ledge there, and a dark round hole in the hillside. “We’ve reached Fingolf’s Cave,” he said.

  Annabel nodded as they reached the ledge. “Let’s get ready, then. Who’s got a match for the torches?”

  “Save it.” Connor dug into a pocket. “This will keep your hands free,” he said as he pulled out a crystal. He cupped his hands around it and spoke under his breath.

  Victorie glanced over the side of the ledge. Her eyes narrowed. “Captain?” she said quietly. “There’s something you need to see.”

  Annabel walked over to Victorie. “What is it, Major?”

  “That.” Victorie pointed down.

  The ledge overlooked the beach on the far right side of the island. An airship had been tied to a palm tree there, bobbing in the ocean breeze. “Corsair class,” Annabel said, “but it looks like someone’s been working on it. They usually don’t have that extra row of propellers.”

  “They usually don’t have that, either.” Victorie pointed at the mast. The wind had shifted slightly, bringing the skull and crossbones flag into view. Below the skull, someone had painted a cutlass, dripping blood.

  “Seven damned devils,” Annabel hissed. “That has to be the Sanguine Vengeance. Captain Desdemona’s ship.”

  “Desdemona? The mad pirate sorceress? Friend of yours?”

  “Friend my arse. But what the Hell is she doing here?”

  “Do you think they followed us from Mezara?” Victorie scanned the hillsides around them.

  “How could they?” There was a hint of uncertainty in Annabel’s voice. “No one on board saw--”

  Victorie saw the faintest gleam in the corner of her eye. “Duck!” she yelled, grabbing Annabel’s collar and pulling both of them down.

  The arrow shot through the air, followed by three more. “Ambush!” Connor shouted as he gestured; one arrow stopped in mid-flight and plummeted into the valley. Two more struck the hillside above Victorie and Annabel.

  Tom winced and held the sack of coconuts up in front of his face. The last arrow hit the bag, connected with a coconut, and dropped to the ground. “That was lucky,” Tom said as he lowered the bag.

  “We need to get inside!” Connor sprinted for the cave mouth as an arrow landed at his feet. Annabel helped Victorie up and followed the wizard in.

  “We’ll be sitting ducks here!” Tom said as he stepped into the cave.

  “Not quite.” Connor gestured. “You can’t see it, but I’ve put up a barricade spell on the cave mouth. It’ll keep anyone and anything out.”

  “And keep us in.” Tom shook his head as arrows bounced off the magical barrier.

  “Belay that talk, Tom,” Annabel said as she looked around the cave. It was several hundred yards across, faintly lit by a crack in the hill far above them. The walls were smooth with age, but the floor was covered in dust, pebbles and other debris. Off to one side was a large mound of loose dirt. “Do you think what we’re looking for is in that pile?” Annabel asked.

  “Not likely.” Victorie pointed at the ground. A set of footsteps led from the cave mouth to the dirt mound, and then from there to another entrance, smaller than the first, in the far wall. “There’s no telling how old those footsteps are, but they could be Fingolf’s.”

  Annabel scowled. “I can’t say I’m excited about not seeing footsteps coming back out.”

  “It likely means that whatever we’re looking for is in that inner cave.”

  Connor nodded. “Shall we?”

  “Hold fast, Connor,” Annabel said. “Tom?”

  The troll unshouldered his sack and took out a good-sized coconut. He rolled it along the ground; it left a narrow path in the dirt as it went, stopping short of the inner cave’s mouth. “No traps,” Tom said.

  “Let’s go.” Victorie started down the groove the coconut had left in the dirt, followed by the others. Tom picked up his coconut as they reached the mouth.

  Victorie took a step into the inner cave and stopped. “Do you see anything?” Annabel asked as she joined her.

  “Not yet.” Victorie squinted. “Connor needs to bring that crystal inside. It’s not...” The cave lit up and she half-smiled. “That helps.”

  “Torie?” Annabel held up the map. “It’s not the crystal.”

  The parchment was glowing again, and as Victorie watched, the crude map of Twynbey that had been sketched on it faded away. “I’m not quite as surprised as I should be,” she said.

  “At least this time, it’s not stuffed down my…” Annabel paused. “Seven hells.”

  A new drawing was slowly coming into focus on one side of the parchment. It was a ragged circle with an opening at the bottom. A grid formed inside the circle, and some of the squares in the grid turned black. “What do you make of this?” Victorie asked.

  “If I may…” Connor joined the women and held up his crystal. He glanced at the cave floor. “Someone’s making this easy for us.”

  A glowing set of lines stretched across the floor, in the same grid pattern as on the map. “Look at the map,” Annabel said. “If you follow the black squares
, they lead to the back of the cave. You can see that there’s four of them together by that wall.”

  “Would that be where any treasure might be hidden?”

  “It makes the most sense.”

  “Wait.” Victorie tapped the map. “There’s also a path you can take if you stick to the white squares. How do we know which path is the right one?”

  “Ask him, maybe.” Tom pointed at the shattered skeleton in one corner.

  “We found Fingolf,” Connor said softly. “Poor devil.”

  “It won’t help,” Annabel said. “He’s in one black square and one white.”

  “So how do we know which is the right path?”

  Tom tapped his coconut. “Where do you want me to throw this, Cap’n?”

  “Here.” Annabel pointed at a row of white squares on the map, along the left cave wall. “Don’t miss.”

  “Since when I do ever?” Tom grinned and hoisted the coconut. He threw it into the back of the cave; it landed next to the left wall.

  A stalactite plunged from the cave’s roof. It landed dead-center in the square where Tom had tossed the coconut, smashing through the shell as if it were tissue. “Seven devils,” Annabel said softly.

  “We stick to the black squares,” Victorie said as the stalactite retracted into the roof, leaving a pulverized coconut in its wake. “Captain? If I may…”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Give Connor the map. He stays behind and guides us. We move into the cave, one square at a time, one of us per square.”

  Annabel handed the map to Connor. “Who’s going first?”

  Victorie took a deep breath. “I will. I came up with this plan, after all.”

  “Major…” Annabel laid a hand on Victorie’s arm. “We can’t be sure that the map can be trusted. Be careful.” She looked into Victorie’s eyes. “Please, Torie,” she mouthed silently.

  “I will, Captain,” Victorie said. She smiled as she turned away from Annabel and faced the inside of the cave. “Connor? Where do I start?”

  “Straight ahead,” he said. Victorie nodded and stepped onto the square in front of her. She and the others all exhaled when nothing happened.

  Everyone was quiet after that except for Connor. He would study the map and, slowly and loudly, tell Victorie which square to move to next. Victorie would step into that square and hold still for a moment. When nothing happened, Annabel would move into the space that Victorie had vacated, and Tom would step into Annabel’s square in turn.