Chapter 43
Hammer Haven
Dagon's mind whirled as he struggled to come up with a plan quickly. The Vagan boats were already slowing, beginning the wide turn that would carry them to shore. Steig was running toward him, as was Deimos.
"Shall I have some of the young lads ready with doctored ale to greet them?" Deimos asked.
"No, too risky. They could easily become hostages." Dagon's brow furrowed and his eyes closed as he willed himself to concentrate. "All right," he began. "Steig, take a hundred men and go back to the courtyard. Revive the campfires and begin singing Vagan songs in a drunken manner. Send all the women and children back to the castle to hide. Order another hundred men to line the path to the castle on both sides, hidden behind bushes and trees. When the Vagans are strung out, single file on their way to the castle, I will give the command, 'advance', and we will move in on either side with our clubs. Deimos, take some men and pull the sleeping guards out of sight as much as you are able. Now everyone—go!"
The men surrounding him ran out to their assignments, shouting instructions to the women and children, and gathering the men they needed to perform the tasks assigned them. By the time the Vagans stepped ashore, drunken singing wafted out from the courtyard and the women and children were back in the castle.
Dagon stood hidden in darkness and trees at the start of the narrow trail that led to the castle. He would wait until the last man started up the trail before he gave his command. He wanted the Vagans stretched out in a long line where they would be easy prey for the Hammer Haven men.
The first few Vagans off the boat held torches as they came ashore. They looked about for the guards that should have been there guarding the other Vagan boats. Dagon could see that they were a little on edge about the guards' absence. They spoke to one another and three men stayed behind to guard their own boats. The singing from the courtyard continued and seemed to lull their trepidation.
The Vagan pirates started up the trail. They knew the way. They had obviously been here before. No one bothered to draw his sword. Dagon scarcely breathed as the line of men started up the trail. He waited until the last man, sixty in all, cleared the trail head. He knew as soon as he gave the command the guards would be alerted but nothing could be done about that. He took a deep breath and shouted, "Advance."
The Hammer Haven men took the Vagans by surprise. They closed in from both sides and made quick work of the river pirates, wielding their clubs to good advantage. Only a few Vagans were quick enough to draw their weapons.
As soon as he gave the command, Dagon ran to the boats with Deimos at his side. Deimos managed to club one guard before the remaining two guards figured out they were under attack. Dagon and Deimos raced to catch the other two guards who leapt for the safety of their boats.
Dagon swung his club and one of the two guards went down. The last guard jumped on board and was almost to the galley of oars before Deimos caught him. As he swung his club a final time, he was stunned to find the galley full of men sitting silently at their oars.
Dagon was soon beside him, club in hand, ready to take on the oarsmen when they noticed that the quiet men were shackled to their benches. They sat watching silently to see what this new turn of events would mean for them.
"Are you prisoners?" Dagon asked.
The men just stared at him. They were dark skinned men with oriental features, thin and wiry in physique.
"Does anyone speak English?" Dagon asked.
No one spoke.
"Should we unshackle them?" Deimos asked.
"Let us ask Steig if he knows anything about them first," Dagon said.
They left the quiet men shackled in place while they went to find Steig.
They found the Hammer Haven men celebrating their victory over the Vagans, happy to have extracted some small measure of vengeance on the men who had enslaved them.
"Find your families, then head for the boats," Dagon shouted. "Let us take our leave before any more Vagans come calling."
Dagon and Deimos found Steig putting out the campfires once again. "Your singing saved the day," Dagon told him. "They were suspicious when they saw no guards at the boats."
Steig spat into the dying embers of a fire. "We've heard their songs enough to know them by heart."
"The last two boats have men shackled to the oar locks. They seem to be foreigners. At least they do not admit to understanding me."
Steig pursed his lips. "The Vagans deal in slaves. They could be from anywhere. Let me ask some of my men who have traded outside Hammer Haven to have a look at them."
Dagon and Deimos waited as Hammer Haven families swarmed around them.
Steig came back a few minutes later with a tall blond man in tow. "Knut here was born outside. Married a Hammer Haven girl. He might be able to speak to them."
The four men returned to the last two boats and Knut tried the three languages he knew to no avail. "They look oriental," he speculated. "I would guess they come from the far east."
Dagon and Deimos conferred as they watched the silent men.
"I do not think we should take a chance on releasing them from their shackles just yet," Dagon said. "They might try to fight us or make a run off the boats. Then they would be at the mercy of the Vagans when they wake up. We will try to communicate with them a little at a time and then try releasing a few while we keep a watch over them."
"I agree," Deimos said. "We can worry about them later. They are safe enough for now."
Dagon went from boat to boat, thankful for the additional two boats. All the boats were full to overflowing. On each boat he appointed a Captain—either one with some experience handling boats, or lacking that, one who volunteered for the job.
He had them tie their boats together with long ropes so they would not become separated in the dark, and took his place in the bow of the lead boat, holding a torch aloft to view the shoreline. Men took their turns at the oars, and the Hammer Haven population started slowly toward Cold Lake. Amid the refugees' joy and celebration at being free, came whispered fears for what the future might bring.
Princess Electra Book 4 School of Medicine Page 45