by Brad Clark
Glaerion glared at him. With a sharp tone, he asked, “I asked you where we should land our army. We will need a safe place with an open area where we can establish a base camp. You know Karmon better than I, so what do you think?”
It took Conner a moment to clear his head of Elissa. “There is no place to land around South Karmon. The cliffs are too high. To the north, the cliffs follow the Gulf of Taran all the way up to the mountains. Further to the south, there are no cliffs, but it is hilly and mountainous. It is pretty desolate down there so there might not be any opposition.”
Ryshak spoke up. “We have no idea what kind of opposition we will face regardless of where we land. The whole kingdom could be overrun for all we know. We will need to send scouts out first, and then once we know where the enemy is, we can land the whole army. Tell me more about these hills and mountains of the south.”
“I have not spent much time that far south, but when I was young, I went all the way to the southern tip of our kingdom. For much of the way, it was thick forests kind of like your jungle. Some miles from the coast there are the mountains and hills. There are a handful of villages around there, but not much else.”
“How far from this is South Karmon?”
Conner shrugged his shoulders. “In the summer you can go up and over the mountains. They are nothing like the White Mountains to the north. But in the winter, we’d want to go around and follow the coast. Maybe three or four days march, depending on how far away we land.”
Glaerion rubbed his chin and looked at Ryshak. “We drop off scouts along the coast, send them inland while our main forces land as far away as we can?”
Ryshak nodded. “That leaves us many options for attack. If the scouts find a big force in the central part of the kingdom, we can split our forces and attack them from multiple sides.”
“Is the goal to take back South Karmon?” Conner asked.
Ryshak looked over at Glaerion instead of answering.
Glaerion replied, “If the walls are standing, we would not have the siege machines to take it back. But I think we need to keep that option open. It would be a great morale booster to take back the city and then we could use that as our base of operations. We have been gone for too long to make up firm plans, so we’ll have to rely on our scouts. We’ll land them up and down the coast. It should not take them too long to find the enemy forces.”
The ship suddenly went up, and then dipped down. Conner grabbed onto a nearby table before he realized that the table would not hold him down. His stomach did a flip-flop, and he was sure that he was going to throw up. For the first time, he truly sympathized with how Elissa had been feeling for days. For a brief moment, all conversation stopped, and the Elves looked at one another. Conner looked at Glaerion, and even he turned a light shade of green.
“What…” Conner started to say. But his words were drowned out by a crack of thunder that boomed right over their heads. A moment later, rain starting falling, hitting the ship with hard, heavy raindrops.
The Elves started to mutter to themselves in their own language.
“This ship is as safe as it can be,” Glaerion said in response to the other Elf’s conversations. “It is built to survive a storm like this.”
Captain Gorge poked his head through the door. “Hang on tight. We are in for some rough seas but do not worry. It is not anything that I have never seen.”
“See?” Glaerion said to his fellow Elves. He stood and held onto the doorframe next to the captain. “Captain, the fleet? Are we close to it? We will need to be close so our magic will work on this ship, too.”
Captain Gorge hesitated before he answered. “We have skirted the worst of the storm. If we had been caught in the middle of this, the seas would likely already have taken us.”
“What?” Glaerion cried out. “You disobeyed my order?”
“Your orders?” Captain Gorge replied angrily. “This is my ship. You do as I say, not the other way around. If your king wishes to sail his ships into the middle of a hurricane, I will not stop him. But I will also not be stupid enough to do it myself.”
“We could have protected this ship!”
“I don’t believe you!”
Glaerion’s hand absently went for the dagger tucked into his belt. His eyes narrowed, and he muttered, “Stupid Humans. You always have to do things your way, don’t you!”
“I’m only trying to keep you alive and my ship afloat.”
“What of the rest of the ships,” Conner asked. “And Elissa?”
“I can assure you that they are safe, Conner,” Glaerion said.
“I lost sight of them some hours ago,” Captain Gorge said, ignoring Glaerion. “The rains came and now darkness. We are well away from the worst of the storm, so we will be able to easily ride it out.”
The ship rocked and rolled. Even the Elves that were sitting tumbled against one another. The wind howled, pushing its way into the cabin. The flash of lightening lit up the boat outside the door. Almost instantly, more thunder shook their ears.
“That was close!” one of the Elven Guard observed.
Captain Gorge looked out through the open doorway and let out a stream of curses. He turned back to Conner and the Elves and said, “The wind blew some rigging loose. I need to go out and tie it down. It’s going to be a rough ride, but the ship can handle these seas. Hunker down, and we’ll ride out the storm just fine.”
Captain Gorge ducked his head and ran out into the heavy rain.
Conner closed the door behind him. As he turned to face the Elves in the room and opened his mouth to speak, another flash of light lit up the room through the small portholes along the top of the cabin’s walls. Immediately following the flash came a deafening crack of thunder that was even louder and more powerful than the last one. The force of the thunder and lightning sent a shockwave that pushed open the cabin door and knocked everyone off their feet.
Sprawled on the floor of the cabin, Conner clawed at his ears. The force that struck him not only knocked him down but left a sharp ringing in his ears. He tried to stand, but he was left in a state of dizziness that kept him down.
A sailor came stumbling into the cabin. He was soaking wet, and a cut on his forehead was bleeding profusely.
“The captain,” the sailor croaked out. He fell to his knees and put a hand up to head.
Glaerion was standing and stepped over Conner to reach the injured sailor. “What about the captain?”
“He needs help.” The sailor pointed out into the rainy darkness. “The mast. It fell.”
Conner pushed himself up and forced himself to ignore the spinning dizziness that still affected him. Right behind Glaerion, he ran through the doorway. The heavy rain pounded down on him, instantly drenching his clothes. Shards of wood rolled across the deck, moved around by waves that crashed over the side of the ship and onto the deck. The ship hit a wave, causing it to lurch to the side, sending Conner falling to the deck. Glaerion raced past him and headed for where the ship’s main mast should have been.
Lightning had struck the mast right at the base, exploding the wood and shearing it in two. It’s rigging and cross yards were caught up in the ship’s railing, keeping it firmly on the boat. Conner looked for the captain, thinking that he would be standing near the mast to help move it or fix it. But he could not see the captain. He only saw sailors hovering around the mast near the railing.
That was when he saw the body of the Captain underneath the mast. For a moment, he hesitated, but then Glaerion looked at him and waved him over.
The captain’s eyes were closed, and a trickle of blood dripped from his mouth, but his arms and hands moved.
“Can we lift it?” Conner asked.
Glaerion closed his eyes, and Elvish words started to come from his lips. A tingle of electricity went up Conner’s spine just as the heavy mast suddenly lurched upwards. The rest of the Elven Guard arrived just as the mast came off the captain’s chest. Sailors grabbed the captain and pulled him
from under the mast while the Elves each got underneath the mast and gave it a sharp push towards the sea. Glaerion stopped the spell, and the mast crashed into the dark waters of the ocean.
As carefully as they could, the sailors carried the captain into his cabin, setting him on his bunk. Glaerion leaned over him, touching his chest to feel him breathe. Blood continued to spill from the side of his mouth, and his breathing was shallow and labored.
Conner slipped in next to Glaerion and said softly, “Will he be okay?”
With a heavy sigh, Glaerion gently shook his head just a bit to the left and right.
“Can you heal him? Like Hargon can?”
Glaerion replied with sorrow in his voice, “Healing of the body is not something that can be done through a spell. Hargon’s gift is something that is built into his being. Although he does use the Web of Magic to attain the power to heal, it is not through the use of a spell. So no, I cannot heal him.”
“What about the other Elves?” Conner asked, looking around at the Elven Guard that were huddled into the captain’s quarters.
Again, Glaerion shook his head. “There are spells of mending that can fix broken bones or seal open wounds, but none that can fix the damage that has been done to the captain. His chest has been crushed, and he is bleeding inside. There is little we can do other than to make him comfortable. And that is something that I can do.”
The Elves and Conner stepped aside so the captain’s crew could gather around him.
To them, Glaerion said, “He has little time. I can make his passing easy and comfortable. Just give me the word, and I will put him into a deep sleep.”
There was little to be said. The sailors were in too much shock to know what to say, and the captain was in too much pain to respond. In turn, each sailor gave the captain a good-bye. Captain Gorge seemed to understand what was going on, but his focus was not on him.
As one of the sailors leaned in to offer his words, the captain reached up and grabbed the front of his tunic. “The ship,” the captain croaked. “Save the ship. You will need a mast. Now get out and get to work.”
Reluctantly, the sailors obeyed the last command of the captain.
Glaerion slid back next to the captain as his sailors left.
“They will need a leader,” Captain Gorge said softly.
“I am no sailor,” Glaerion said.
The captain laughed, which caused him to go into a coughing fit. Blood splattered down across his wet tunic, but he didn't seem to notice. “They know how to sail. They all know what to do. They just need a leader. You be that for them.”
“I am no leader, either,” Glaerion said.
The captain reached and grabbed Glaerion on the arm. For being fatally wounded, he had a strong grip. “Maybe it is time you learned.”
“I am a loner. Have been for thousands of years.”
“I’m not asking you to change who you are, but you have more in you than you think. I watched you and Conner closely on our way down, and I can see greatness in both of you. The Deceiver’s army does not know what they are going up against. I just wish I was going to be along for the ride. I promised that I would get you back to your kingdom, I am sorry I failed.”
“You did not fail at all,” Conner said. “You saved us from the storm.”
Glaerion gave Conner a sharp look, but he kept his mouth shut.
“They will need your help,” Captain Gorge said, releasing his grip on Glaerion. He settled back onto his bunk and closed his eyes. “Leave me be, and go help.”
Glaerion reached over and touched the captain on the side of the face. Words were mumbled, and a moment later the captain’s breathing slowed and became regular.
“He will sleep, now,” Glaerion said. “Maybe his body will heal itself, but I think his internal wounds are too bad. If he passes, it will be silently in his sleep.”
Conner stood and followed Glaerion to the cabin’s door.
“You are wrong, you know,” Glaerion said. “He failed by not staying with the Elven fleet. This never would have happened if we had stayed with them. True, we cannot control the weather, but we are more than capable of keeping these ships safe.”
“But you couldn't keep this ship safe?”
Glaerion’s eyes flashed anger. “Ryshak and his Elven Guard are warriors, as I am. Our abilities with spellcasting are considerable, but not nearly what other Elves can do. I spend my time training and studying to fight, but most others spend their time with tuning their bodies with the Web of Magic.” His eyes drifted to the rain-swept deck of the ship, and his tone softened. “Blame won’t help us, now. We need to get the ship fixed. I don’t know what to do.”
Conner motioned towards the sailors. “I am sure they do. Come on. Let’s go help.”
They both jogged into the rain to see what they could do to help.
***
Conner did not sleep at all during the night. He and Glaerion did what they could to help the sailors, but there was little to do. The only real damage to the ship seemed to be to the mast and the railing that it fell on. The pilot was able to manage the rudder, keeping the ship moving into the swells. The thunder and lightning lasted for several more hours, but nothing came close to them again.
As the storm moved off, Conner made his way back to the captain’s cabin to try and find a dry spot to sleep. Captain Gorge was peacefully sleeping in his bunk. He was a strong man and wasn’t giving in easily. Conner hoped that he would survive, but it would take a miracle. Surviving a hit on the chest like he took would be virtually impossible. There was simply too much damage to recover. He wished Hargon were here, as he could easily heal the captain.
As he thought about Hargon, his thoughts went to Elissa. He had kept busy enough in the past few hours that he hadn’t thought about her, but now he could think of nothing other than his new wife. He worried for Elissa’s safety. Even though Glaerion continued to insist that the Elves would take good care of her and would not let any harm come to her, he still fretted over her. His mind played out the worse case scenarios, which always ended with Elissa at the bottom of the ocean.
He tossed and turned through the night. He had a blanket to lay on and one to cover himself, but staying warm was not a problem. With the Elven Guard also crammed into the room, it was plenty warm enough. When sunlight leaked through the doorway, Conner decided to stop fighting sleep, and he pulled himself up from the floor. Carefully, he stepped around the sleeping Elves and walked out into a warm breeze blowing in his face.
Conner scanned the horizon, hoping to see the tall masts of the Elven ships. He knew he wouldn't see them, but he was still disappointed that they weren’t there.
The sail had been raised on the remaining forward mast. With only a quarter of the surface area as the main mast sails, the ship was moving at a much slower speed than it should have been if all the sails were up. But, at least the ship was moving forward.
Glaerion stood at the rear of the ship next to the pilot. He had dark circles under his eyes that exposed his weariness. When Conner approached, he straightened up and said, “Good morning, Conner.”
“You look tired. Did you sleep at all?”
Glaerion smiled as he replied, “I am fatigued, but I am an Elf. I can stay awake for days if necessary.”
“Any sign of the other ships?” Conner asked hopefully.
“I’m sorry, Conner. The Elven fleet is long gone. We’re not sure where we are, either.”
“Clouds covered the night skies so I couldn’t get my bearings,” the pilot said. Leaving one hand on the tiller, he pointed directly ahead, where the ship was heading. “Now that the sun is up, I can tell that the wind and waves are taking us in a northwestern direction.”
“But isn’t Karmon north and east?”
“Indeed, but the storm did more than break the mast. It damaged the rudder was well. We have limited steering right now and are at the mercy of the tide and wind. It seems we are meant to go north and west. Do not worry, as ther
e are many places in that direction where we can get the ship repaired.”
“But Elissa…” Conner’s voice trailed off as his heart sank lower.
Glaerion stepped away from the pilot and guided Conner to the side of the ship. They looked eastward, presumably towards Karmon. “You must trust and believe that she is still alive. I do not know how far we are from land, but we will get there as fast as we can, and then we will fix the ship and get to Karmon as quickly as we can.” He looked up to see seagulls flying up in the sky. “That must be a good thing.”
He turned to the pilot and motioned towards the birds. “That’s good, right?”
The pilot nodded. “To see birds means that we are not too far from land. The storm must have taken us farther than expected. We may find land before too long.” A partial smile crossed the sailor’s face. “A new adventure awaits us!”
Conner wasn't amused. “We don’t have time for adventure. The Deceiver has had many weeks to move his armies. I just hope we are not too late.”
Glaerion said, “There are hundreds of Elves on those ships and each with the ability to use magic. They will be a formidable force to counter whatever army the Deceiver has.”
“I should be there.”
“You are just one man. What can one man do to win a war?”
“Protect my wife, for one,” Conner grumbled.
Glaerion let out a soft chuckle and patted him on the back. “You and me, both. Don't worry, my friend, we will see our wives again. And if this sailor is half the navigator I think he is, then we will reach land soon, and we’ll get this ship fixed and headed towards Karmon in no time.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Marik pulled his horse to a stop.
Ilasha, who had been riding right next to him, stopped her gray mare after a few steps, then turned it around and walked back to him.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I just want to take this all in for a moment,” he said.
“Look how peaceful it is. A quiet castle in the distance and a quaint little village at its feet.”